Education and Training information is for folks looking for help to earn or upgrade their license, learn about Amateur Radio, and get help with Ham Radio questions.
It is vitally important that we make efforts to bring Amateur Radio to young people in schools and other venues. When we spend time bringing Amateur Radio to young people, we accomplish two important things. First, we have the potential to change a young person’s life for the better by involving them in Amateur Radio, a hobby and a service that inspires a lifetime of STEM learning and often leads to lifelong careers in Science or Engineering.
Secondly, our work in schools is one of the very best ways that we can make the general public aware of the positive benefits that Amateur Radio provides to their kids and to the general public…
In my role as an ARISS Program Mentor, I recently had the pleasure of spending a week with Sussex County Charter School for Technology students and teachers to help teachers there to deliver their summer Radio Camp.
The summer Radio Camp was a STEM education program that the school developed in support of their upcoming contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS). Members of the local Sussex County Amateur Radio Club teamed with the teachers at the school to deliver a 5-day program grounded in STEM learning through Amateur Radio.
You can read more about the activities that we did at the week-long summer Radio Camp via the link above.
I wanted to share some information with everyone here about my plans as ARRL New England Division Director. I also wanted to share a little more about my background for those who may not know me well.
As part of the Nashua Area Radio Society, I have a long history of helping individuals to become licensed, learn new skills, and become active in the Amateur Radio Service. In my role as President of the Nashua Area Radio Society, I have been able to lead our club to provide many hams with licensing and development programs over the past six years.
What I Want To Accomplish as New England Director
There is much that needs to be done to create a strong future for Amateur Radio and the ARRL. The following are major areas that I plan to focus on as Director:
Bringing new people into Amateur Radio by working collaboratively with clubs across New England and the ARRL
Creating opportunities for STEM learning in schools and colleges through Amateur Radio
Creating positive public and agency awareness for Amateur Radio
Effective, open, 2-way communications between the ARRL and its members
Establishing the New England Division as a leader in providing world-class Amateur Radio programs
We need a Director who is Collaborative, Innovative, and Action-Oriented to accomplish these and other important goals. I believe that I can bring the right Amateur Radio and professional experience and collaborative leadership skills to accomplish these goals and more. I hope that you will support me as your choice to fulfill this important mission.
Walking the Talk
I believe that Amateur Radio clubs play an essential role in bringing new hams into the Amateur Radio Service and in helping hams to develop new skills. As New England Division Director, I will work with clubs and individuals in New England to help them expand their role as mentors and create a world-class environment for learning based upon Amateur Radio.
Helping a School Contact an Astronaut on the ISS
I serve as an ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Mentor and Ground Station, helping schools around the world to participate in STEM learning based upon Amateur Radio. I will help groups and individuals in New England to create projects and programs to bring Amateur Radio to young people across the division. Amateur Radio provides a tremendous opportunity for young people to learn about technical topics and to develop valuable skills that they can use throughout their lives.
Working with students at Bishop-Guertin H.S. as they prepare to Launch a High-Altitude Balloon Carrying Amateur Radio
I continue to spend time in local schools teaching classes and providing activities that bring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning opportunities through Amateur Radio. In addition to inspiring young people to pursue STEM careers by becoming Hams, this work also serves to improve the public’s understanding of the importance and value that Amateur Radio provides.
Work to improve public and government agency perception of the value of the Amateur Radio service is vital if we are to be successful in addressing the many challenges to our continued use of radio spectrum, our right to put up antennas, and public agency support for Amateur Radio’s important role in providing emergency communications.
Along with other members of the Nashua Area Radio Society, I continue to devote considerable time and energy to license new hams and help all hams to upgrade their licenses and get on the air. I’ve had the pleasure to lead a team of hams who have taught license classes, enabling over 350 people to earn a license or upgrade over the past five years. I have worked with a team of NARS members to create some innovative approaches to new ham development and getting hams on the air. We created a very popular program called Ham Bootcamp, designed to help both new and experienced hams get on the air, build their stations, and participate in new operating activities. The last Ham Bootcamp drew over 450 participants from across the United States. I hope to help clubs and individuals around New England and across the ARRL to develop successful programs to license and assist hams to get on the air and have fun in new activities.
Action-Oriented Leadership
It is important that we take immediate action on issues that are important to ARRL members. To this end, I have published a plan for my first 100 days as ARRL New England Division Director that includes specific actions to improve 2-way communications between the ARRL and New England members. My plans include outreach to members of the ARRL Board and Senior Leadership to find common ground to take action on issues that matter to ARRL members. I also plan to appoint several Assistant Directors to focus on promoting and communications for important areas such as:
There are currently three candidates for the position of ARRL New England Director. Ballots for the election will be mailed to all New England ARRL Members on October 1st.
I am asking you for your help and your vote in making our plans a reality to benefit Amateur Radio folks across New England and the ARRL.
If you are not already an ARRL Member, please consider joining the ARRL and participating in the upcoming New England Director election. You can become an ARRL member here.
Your vote means a great deal to the future of Amateur Radio.
Additional Information
I have been widely endorsed by members of the Amateur Radio community for my work. You can see what Hams such as Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, Gordon West, WB6NOA, and others are saying about their support for me as ARRL New England Division Director at https://elect.ab1oc.org/endorsements.
You can learn more about what I am hoping to accomplish as ARRL New England Division director at https://elect.ab1oc.org.
I welcome everyone’s comments and questions. You can reach me at [email protected].
About Me
I am an active amateur with a broad range of Amateur Radio interests. I enjoy many aspects of the hobby, including DXing, contesting, EmCom activities and Field Day, satellites, station building, and weak signal operating on the VHF and higher bands. One of Amateur Radio’s most important strengths is its tremendous diversity and range of interests and activities. We need to work collaboratively across New England and the ARRL to grow the Amateur Radio Service and protect our spectrum by encouraging its broad use.
I am an electrical engineer by training and I hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in EE. I have served in many business leadership roles, including VP and General Manager of a large data networking and communication business, VP of Strategy and Business Development for a large telecommunication equipment company, as a Chief Technology Officer, and as Project Leader at Bell Laboratories in the development of wireless and wired data communications technologies. I have also served on the FCC’s Technical Advisory Council where I assisted the FCC in developing public policy related to wireless and broadband communications. I hold an Amateur Extra license and have been quite active on the air logging over 100,000 contacts on the HF and higher bands. You can read more about my professional background on LinkedIn here.
The Nashua Area Radio Society held our first face-to-face event since the start of the pandemic when we gathered at Keyes Memorial Park in Milford, NH for ARRL Field Day from June 25th – 27th. Field Day 2021 was a great success! It was great to see all of the members who attended, especially those new members who we have previously only met over Zoom.
Station Setup
For a successful Field Day operation, it is important to have a detailed plan for stations, antennas, operating schedules, transportation, and even food. 3 weeks before Field Day, we met at AB1OC‘s and AB1QB‘s QTH to setup the stations, logging computers, and the network to make sure they all worked together. Similar sessions were held to test antennas and also train the teams on how to set up the antenna, tower, and stations and how to operate.
Doug, KC1OUY, Jon, AC1EV, Jim, K1BRM and Fred, AB1OC test out the Field Day Stations
As chairperson of the Station Team, I created detailed documentation of all of the station equipment and connections, trained the team on how to set up stations, and assigned specific roles. We were responsible for setting up the following:
4 HF Stations including coax connections to the antennas
The Satellite Station
The Network and all ethernet connections
The Generators and power distribution
Overhead lights and desktop lights and fans
The Food and Public Information Tables
The Station Setup Team included Jon, AC1EV, Jack, WM0G, Ryan, KC1MAJ, Jeffrey, KC1LWE, and Doug, KC1OUY. We had a great, hard-working team and got the stations set up in record time. We appreciate everyone’s hard work with set up as well as takedown. Special thanks go out to:
Jeffrey , KC1LWE for setting up the Satellite station based on my documentation – few if any changes were needed for Fred to get it to work once the antennas were connected.
Doug, KC1OUY for running all of the cables and making them neat enough so that they were not a hazard for all of the club members and visitors.
Ryan, KC1MAJ and Jack, WM0G for setting up “NARS P&L” – the power and lighting.
Jon, AC1EV for donating his station and helping to set up the HF stations.
Tower Team
Tower and Antenna Setup
The Tower and Beam teams did an equally great job at setup and N1FD was on the air before dark! We tested FT8 before sundown and were able to hear JA stations on 15 meters!
HF Tower with 10m-15m-20m Yagi and 40m and 80m Inverted-V Dipole Antennas
Mentoring and Training
Abby, AB1BY Provides Training on Fox Hunting
Training and Mentoring are an important part of Field Day. We have helped many new members to become licensed in the past year, but it important to help them get on the air as well. Field Day is a great opportunity for new Hams to help out with building stations and develop operating skills. The Nashua Area Radio Society accomplishes this through training and hands-on opportunities during Field Day. Before the official start of Field Day Operations at 2:00 pm Local time on Saturday, we held 2 Training Sessions, one on Satellite Operation and another on Fox Hunting.
Satellite Station Training
Field Day Operations
Our members enjoyed operating and kept the stations busy throughout the Field Day Operating period.
Jack, WM0G Operating at Field DayThe Trost Family -Thomas, KT0MAS, Ted, W1TED, Tory, K1VATAbby, AB1BY and Dave, KM3TJohn (W1MBG) and Joyce (KC1JMK) KesloJamey, AC1EV – Better known as “Abby’s Dad” Competes with her for the Top SSB Operator
Brian Quick, W1XMM was instrumental to the tower team before settling in to work digital during Field Day
During Field Day we made a total of 1,895 QSOs. Our final estimated score is 7,408.
Field Day 2021 Final Results
Overall, Field Day 2021 was a great success. Everyone attending had a great time and it was wonderful to see our members in person.
Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide
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