Cellular Hot Spots

In the past the Red River Valley Amateur Radio Club (RRVARC) got an allocation of eleven (11) Mobile Beacon “hot spots” (T-Mobile) via the organization TechSoup. TechSoup is a clearinghouse for companies to sell deeply discounted items to qualified charitable entities. RRVARC qualifies due to our status as an IRS 501(c)3.

The allocation was previously available on July 1st each year and we started advertising about them at Club meetings and in website updates leading up to that date. We went a number of years without ordering any (2020-2022) because someone had to front the cash to order them and because the online setup is…pretty administratively burdensome. However, we did another batch in 2023 and the price was $15 per device ($165 total, for the first time ever paid by the Club on the front-end, to be reimbursed by each purchaser.) for Franklin T10 LTE units. When each person did the online application and paid for a year of service, their total was $129. So, $15 for the hardware and $12.90 per month for a T-Mobile connected mobile hot spot with unlimited data.

In 2024 we had more people than available units. They were Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G. In 2025 we determined that the TechSoup 5G hotspots were no deal on the hardware. Individuals can buy them cheaper online. The monthly data package is still a good deal, so we are exploring options for members to buy a hardware device from the source of their choice and then we do the data plan for that device. We are preparing to buy one and test it soon (as of late August 2025), so standby for updates. In the meantime, we are not taking names or maintaining any lists because the value on the hardware is no longer there. We will provide updates here.

2025/2026 UPDATE: We did subsequently buy two different models of hot spot online. Both were successfully activated through Mobile Beacon. The hardware that we have tested so far are the Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G and inseego M300. The data plan is attractively priced for groups like ours, so please reach out to a Club officer if you are interested. The basic process is that you buy the UNLOCKED device of your choice and the Club helps coordinate getting the device IMEI registered with Mobile Beacon. You pay for one year of unlimited data (~$120 and an activation fee of around $30) and they send you a SIM card for the item. Of note, one of our members bought and is using the inseego M300 mentioned above. The device isn’t just WiFi, but it has at least one Ethernet port and can be used as a “rollover” source for a home router if you have one that is capable of such things.

5G Mobile Beacon (T-Mobile) Hot Spots

First Name	Last Name	Call Sign	IMEI	Type	Expires/Expired/Cancelled
Rick	Leonhard	NN7ET	358563791168540	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 05/28/2026
James	Yost	KA8FRK	358563795511968	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 08/2026
James	Yost	KA8FRK	990018891645909	inseego M300	Expires: 02/2027
Randy	Holland	N5DDS	358563795538391	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 08/06/2026
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	355109850373887	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 08/18/2026
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	355109850374349	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 08/18/2026
Rick	Leonhardt	NN7ET	358563795513675	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 08/24/2026
Haskell	Maroney	KI5VHQ	358563795526404	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 08/25/2026
T. Wayne	Moore	KC5KOH	358563791072239	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 08/26/2026
Don	Heetderks	KJ5EQS	358563795526818	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 09/2026
Audie	Earley	KW3J	358563795526495	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 09/09/2026
Gary	Sorenson	K9AIA	358563791215770	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 09/09/2026
Charles	Penry	WA5VXU	358563795525463	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 09/16/2026
William "Bill"	Townsend	KJ5ABG	355109850386533	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 12/2026
Mark	Johnson	W5PTX	355109850686585	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Expires: 01/2027
Kelly	Collins	W5KJC	Unknown	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Unknown
Steven	Davoust	N5KCH	Unknown	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G	Unknown

4G/LTE Mobile Beacon (T-Mobile) Hot Spots

First Name	Last Name	Call Sign	IMEI	Expires/Expired/Cancelled
Ronnie	Rumsey	KA5LEK	351094080361361	Expires: 04/03/2026
Haskell	Maroney	KI5VGQ	351094080875857	Expires: 09/04/2026
Johnny	Thomas	WB5JT	351094080691478	Expires: 09/21/2026
Phillip	Beall	W5EBC	351094080355272	Expires: 10/27/2026
Gary	Sorensen	K9AIA	354850130213531	Expires: 11/06/2026
Rick	Leonhardt	NN7ET	351094080867938	Cancelled
Steven Lott	Smith	KG5VK	351094080350430	Cancelled
Cliff	Leath	KI5OPP	351094080877655	Cancelled
Ben	York	K5BLY	351182072672703	Cancelled
Kelly	Collins	W5KJC	351094080696857	Cancelled
Mike	Rice	WB5KWK	351094080871294	Unknown
Kelly	Collins	W5KJC	351094080874355	Unknown
Roger	Bullock	KC0OOX	351094080879752	Unknown

Renewal information: DO NOT GO TO THIS LINK UNLESS YOU HAVE EXPLICITLY BEEN TOLD HOW TO USE IT (And if you DO so and you get a bill for a thousand dollars or more, do not expect enthusiastic assistance in getting your money refunded – you were warned.): Renew Service: Red River Valley Amateur Radio Club If you have one of these devices please contact an officer of the Club for step-by-step renewal information.

The records below are obsolete and for reference only.

Recently Expired Hotspots

Device IMEI	Make & Model	Service Expiration Date
358563795517320	Jextream RG2100 5G Mobile Hotspot	8/24/2025
358563795515670	Jextream RG2100 5G Mobile Hotspot	8/24/2025

Members who provide us their IMEI can use this page to confirm their device is still subscribed. This is a table of recently expired devices which will not work until Mobile Beacon is contacted to reinstate them.

5G Mobile Beacon (T-Mobile) Hot Spots

	First Name	Last Name	Call Sign	IMEI	Expiration	Type
1	Randy	Holland	N5DDS	358563795538391	08/2026	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
2	Don	Heetderks	KJ5EQS	358563795526818	09/2026	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
3	Charles	Penry	WA5VXU	358563795525463	09/16/2026	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
4	Audie	Earley	KW3J	358563795526495	09/09/2025	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
5	Haskell	Maroney	KI5VHQ	358563795526404	9/9/2025	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
6	James	Yost	KA8FRK	358563791180172?	08/2026	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
6	James	Yost	KA8FRK	358563795511968	08/2026	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
7	Gary	Sorenson	K9AIA	358563791215770	9/9/2025	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
8	T. Wayne	Moore	KC5KOH	358563791072239	08/26/2026	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
10	Kelly	Collins	W5KJC			Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
11	Steven	Davoust	N5KCH			Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
	William "Bill"	Townsend	KJ5ABG	355109850386533	12/2026	Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G

Supplemental 2024 Allocation - 5G Mobile Beacon (T-Mobile) Hot Spots

	First Name	Last Name	Call Sign	IMEI	Expiration	Type
1	T. Wayne	Moore	KC5KOH	358563795420608		Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
2	Phillip	Beall	W5EBC	358563791180172		Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G
3	Rick	Leonhardt	NN7ET	358563791168540		Franklin Wireless RG2100 (JEXtreme) 5G

2023 Allocation - LTE Mobile Beacon (T-Mobile) Hot Spots

First Name	Last Name	Call Sign	IMEI	Expiration
Gary	Sorensen	K9AIA	354850130213531	11/06/2025
Steven Lott	Smith	KG5VK	351094080350430
Mike	Rice	WB5KWK	351094080871294
Rick	Leonhardt	NN7ET	351094080867938	Cancelled 12/2025
Kelly	Collins	W5KJC	351094080874355
Roger	Bullock	KC0OOX	351094080879752
Cliff	Leath	KI5OPP	351094080877655
Ben	York	K5BLY	351182072672703
Ronnie	Rumsey	KA5LEK	351094080361361
Haskell	Maroney	KI5VGQ	351094080875857
Phillip	Beall	W5EBC	351094080355272	10/27/2026
Johnny	Thomas	WB5JT	351094080691478	09/21/2026