Category Archives: Education and Training

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.

Activities, CW and QRP, Digital, Education and Training, Featured, Field Day, General, On The Air

Field Day 2021 Recap

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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
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 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
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
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
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 Day
Jack, WM0G Operating at Field Day
Ted, W1TED, Tory, K1VAT, Thomas, KT0MAS
The Trost Family -Thomas, KT0MAS, Ted, W1TED, Tory, K1VAT
Abby, AB1BY and Dave, KM3T
Abby, AB1BY and Dave, KM3T
Ops 20
John (W1MBG) and Joyce (KC1JMK) Keslo
Ops 5
Jamey, AC1EV – Better known as “Abby’s Dad” Competes with her for the Top SSB Operator

Results

Our top operators in each mode were:

SSB: Abby Finchum, AB1BY with 287 SSB QSOs

Ops 2
Abby Finchum, AB1BY

CW: Matt Strelow, KC1XX with 315 QSOs

Matt Strelow, KC1XX
Matt Strelow, KC1XX

Digital: Brian Quick, W1XMM with 55 QSOs

Tower Team 2
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
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.

Education and Training, Featured, Field Day, General, Space

Plans for Field Day 2021

We are holding an in-person Field Day operation at Keyes Memorial Park in Milford, NH. Here’s some more on our plans for Field Day 2021.

Stations and Antennas for Field Day 2021

We will be a 4A Station with the following Station available for members to use:

  • 20m HF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
  • 40m HF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
  • 10m/15m/80 HF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
  • 6m VHF Station (All Mode, can do SSB Phone, CW, or FT8/FT4 Digital)
  • Computer Controlled 2m/70cm Satellite Ground Station (Can do SSB Phone and CW)

We will have a Tower up with a Triband Yagi and Wire Antennas to Cover 80m – 10m. We will have a 6m LFA Yagi up for the Magic Band. Finally, we will have a Computer-Controlled portable satellite station with Yagis for 2m and 70cm.

You can see a prediction of the Satellite Passes during Field Day here.

Station setup will take place on Friday, June 25th with on-site activities beginning at 11 am.

We will hold a training session on our Stations and other Field Day fun on Saturday, June 26th starting at 12:30 pm. Training will cover:

  • Operating FT8 Digital and Using the 6m Station
  • Operating Using the Satellite Ground Station
  • Fox Hunting

Field Day Operations will begin at 2 pm on Saturday, June 26th, and go for 24-hours ending at 2 pm on Sunday, June 27th. We will take down our station beginning at 2 pm on Sunday.

We will be holding a Message Passing activity on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm. This is a great activity for Technicians – bring your HT and learn how to pass emergency message traffic at Field Day. Contact Aron at [email protected] for more information and to sign up.

Sign-Up To Operate!

Members can sign-up to operate in our Field Day forum.

Field Day Coaches

Field Day at the Nashua Area Radio Society is all about learning and trying new things. We encourage you to sign-up to operate our stations and to learn about modes and bands you may not have experience with. In addition to our planned training, we will have Field Day Coaches available to help you get started and learn to use our Station, and have fun operating.

Field Day Tech Night

We have held two Tech Night sessions to provide training on how to operate at Field Day. Members can view the videos and training presentations for these sessions on our Tech Night Page.

Visitors and the Public are Welcome

If you’d like to learn more about Amateur Radio, we’d like to invite you to visit us at Keyes Memorial Park during Field Day. Noon into the evening on Saturday, June 26th, and Sunday morning, June 27th, up until 2 pm in the afternoon would be a great time to stop by. We’ll be happy to show you around our site, answer your questions, and even get you on the air a bit if you’d like. Also, if you have an HT, bring it and you can hunt our Foxes (hidden radio transmitters).

Logistics for Field Day

We will be operating in the Open-Air Pavillion at Keyes Memorial Park. This will provide shelter should we have any rain. The Pavillion is one-air and this will facilitate safe social distancing and an outdoor environment.

We encourage everyone to get vaccinated for COVID-19 if possible before Field Day. Our site is set up to facilitate social distancing and we will have masks and sanitization supplies available onsite for those who need them.

Several members have graciously volunteered to handle Take Out food runs during Field Day operations. We will also have water and light snacks available.

If you have any questions about Field Day, please post them as part of this thread or email us at [email protected]. We hope that you’ll join us for Field Day!

The NARS Field Day Team

Education and Training, Featured, General, Space, Youth Activities

Helping Amateur Radio Grow

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As many of you know, I have been dedicating much of my time over the last 6 years to helping folks to get into Amateur Radio, to learn new skills through our hobby, and to experience the joy and sense of accomplishment that Amateur Radio brings.

New England ARRL Director Candidate AB1OC - Spring 2018 Technician Class
NARS Technician License Class

We have accomplished much as a team through the Nashua Area Radio Society in the past 6 years. We have licensed or upgraded over 350 Hams. We’ve provided training and help for Hams to get on the air, build stations, and learn new skills. We’ve developed some world-class Amateur Radio training programs through our Tech Nights, Ham Bootcamp, n1fd.org, and more.

Bishop-Guertin High School HAB Project Students
Bishop-Guertin High School HAB Project Students

We’ve done some great work in local schools to introduce young people to Amateur Radio and to provide STEM learning experiences and licensing opportunities in schools as well.

New England ARRL Director Candidate AB1OC - Helping Hudson Memorial School to Talk to an Astronaut on the ISS
Helping Hudson Memorial School to Talk to an Astronaut on the ISS

We’ve also supported the ARISS space station contact programs in two schools in our area and this has led me to serve as an ARISS Mentor and Ground Station; helping schools around the world to enjoy the thrill of making contact with an astronaut on the Internation Space Station.

None of these things would have been possible without the tremendous support that we’ve received from all of you – our members and from the NARS Executive Committee who have done so much to support and grow all of our programs and activities. I also want to especially thank my wife, Anita AB1QB, who has worked along with me on the many projects that we’ve undertaken.

Amateur Radio changes people’s lives for the better. I know this because it has changed mine in significant ways. It led me to become an Electrical Engineer and helped me to develop many skills which have enriched my life and allowed me to enrich the experiences of others.

Where To Next?

Several friends and supporters have approached me about running for the position of New England Director in the ARRL. Directors serve on the Board of Directors of the ARRL for a Term of 3 years and are elected by the members of the ARRL in the Director’s Division. In our case, this encompasses ARRL members in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

Folks are encouraging me to attempt to take on this responsibility for several reasons with a chief one being the expectation that we can create, through this role, an environment among the clubs and the ARRL Membership here in New England that will encourage new people to join the Amateur Radio Service and encourage all Hams to grow their skills. The work that we have done together here in NARS, we believe, can be leveraged through the New England Director’s position to benefit clubs and individual Hams across New England and throughout the ARRL.

After much consultation with friends, the NARS Executive Committee, my wife Anita, and others who have played major roles in the ARRL, I have decided to take on this challenge by running this fall.

What Does This Mean For NARS?

I am sure that many of you know that I love the Nashua Area Radio Society and I have put my heart, soul, energies, and pretty much all I can muster into working with this club to help us in our mission to bring new people into Amateur Radio and to help everyone grow their skills and have fun with the best Hobby and Service in the world.

No matter what the outcome of the run for ARRL Director, I plan to continue to work as hard as I can to support NARS’ continued growth and development as a leader in Ham Development and our support for STEM Learning in schools through Amateur Radio. Also, Anita is not going anywhere and she will continue to operate our many licensing and training programs and activities.

I have made this decision in consultation with the NARS Executive Committee and I believe the EC Team of leaders is both supportive and quite capable of continuing to provide the leadership and support for all that makes the Nashua Area Radio Society the special organization that it is.

I also hope that, if successful with the run for New England Director, that NARS will continue its leadership role that we have been undertaking in helping other clubs around New England and throughout the ARRL in developing successful programs to license and develop the skills of all Hams.

I very much hope that you, our members, will support me in this endeavor. I believe that I can make a positive difference for folks here in New England and throughout the Amateur Radio service as I hope that I have within the Nashua Area Radio Society.

Fred, AB1OC

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide