On January 1, 2002, The Five Flags Amateur Radio Association, club call W4UC, operated the first authorized Amateur Radio Station from within the Historic Pensacola Lighthouse located on Naval Air Station Pensacola, Pensacola, Florida. Lighthouse # USA-592. This is the 1st time that the Pensacola Lighthouse was officially on the air. FFARA is very proud to have provided this great opportunity to HAMs everywhere.

W4UC is proud to announce that on Jan 1, 2003, we again operating on the HF bands from the Pensacola Lighthouse. W4UC covered the 20, 15, 10 and 2 meter bands.

Operating three HF rigs and one 2 meter HT from the top of the LightHouse, we doubled the contacts we made on Jan 1 2002. With the lessons learned from our 1st Special Event at the Pensacola LightHouse on Jan 1, 2002, we used several different antennas all using the height of the LightHouse to our advantage. Many of our contacts this year were DX.

This Special Event was so successful and popular, the United States Coast Guard has asked us to do it every Jan 1st.

On Jan 1, 2004, W4UC will be operating again from the Pensacola Lighthouse. We will be running a minimum of 3 tranceivers and operating on 2, 6, 10, 15, 20 and 40 meters.

To receive a special QSL Card and a Historical Brochure, Please include a self addressed stamped envelope (size #10 or larger) To W4UC. (An IRC or Green Stamp will also be accepted to cover postage and costs. ) We will make an effort to return QSL cards to all who QSL us.

This special event was made possible by the Aids To Navigation Coast Guard Unit, Pensacola and the Naval Air Station Pensacola. Special thanks to Coast Guard Chief James Dillon, Coast Guard Chief Gordon, Coast Guard Captain "Willie" Clark, Coast Guard Captain LeFever and Navy Captain Randy Bahr and Navy Captain John M. Pruitt, Commanding Officer of NAS Pensacola.

Because of Hurricane Ivan and the destruction in and around NAS Pensacola, We were not able to operate on Jan 1, 2005.

The Lighthouse survived but there is so much cleaning up still going on that it was prudent to cancel 2005 and try again in 2006.

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W4UC is the Club Call of the Five Flags Amateur Radio Association Ham Radio Club located in Pensacola, FL. We are dedicated to promoting Amateur Radio, performing Public Service and educating HAMs and non-HAMs alike on the benefits of Amateur Radio.

FFARA provides communications for countless public events throughout the Pensacola Area year round

Five Flags Amateur Radio Association and the Pensacola FM Repeater Association merged and operate the W4UC Repeater on 146.76 with a 100 PL Tone. It is an open repeater but is also used by W4UC for ARES/AREC Nets and for Emergency Communications coordinating with the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center.