Talk-in 146.550 MHz
Talk-in 146.550 MHz
Coming to a Desert near you January 19 to 25, 2025 Very small fee event
Some History of Quartzfest
The Early Years
1. After informally meeting for several years with various ham radio/RV friends, beginning in 1995 near Mile Marker 99 about six miles south of Quartzsite, Az, Harvey K5LJM, and Margie, AB5ZX, decided to officially host a ham gathering around the last week of January, 1997. They called it Quartzfest and put the word out and had nearly 60 RVs that were parked around the site in the Sonoran Desert.
2. It had a great area to gather for a daily 4:00 social hour every day and also to have a nightly campfire. The last of January was selected to coincide with the RV Sports and Vacation Show and the Gem and Mineral Show. They made it a week long event with seminars, a ladies coffee, beef stew dinner and different activities that were of interest to the group. It included volunteers to hold ham radio exams, donut runs into the local bakery, firewood gatherers, and whatever else that added to the group's enjoyment.
3. Harvey and Margie hosted Quartzfest through 2001 then turned it over to Bob, WA7HRA, and Anne Hart for 2002 and 2003 and then Harvey and Margie were hosts once again for the 2004 gathering - their last time. Harvey became ill with cancer in late 2004 so we turned to Cap Latimer, WB6ZDF, and Tom Hensley, KD7ALH, for help and they kindly filled in for us in 2005. Harvey passed away in February of 2005 but Quartzfest lived on with Tom, KD7ALH, and Sue, KD7AMA, Hensley hosting it in 2006 and 2007. Cliff, KD4ZBP and Virginia, KE4VRW, Haycock hosted Quartzfest 2008, 2009 and 2010. Now the torch has been passed on to Steve, K04QT, and Linda, KI6JUD, Weed. After the January 2015 gathering the coordination was turned over to new organizers Dave, K1AN and Heather, W8GEM with a newly established QuartzFest Planning Committee that also includes Gordo (WB6NOA), Kris (KR1SS), Marilynne (W6MCJ), Neil (W6FOG), Russ (KB6YAF) and Tracy (WA6ERA).