Our first license class of the season is only 2.5 weeks away! If you are interested in getting your Technician License or know someone who is, now is the time to sign up.
Do you know someone who is interested in getting a Ham Radio license? Are you thinking of getting an upgrade? Here is the Fall License Class schedule:
Technician Class – Saturday, October 5th and Sunday, October 6th
General Class – Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd
Extra Class – Friday, December 6th, Saturday, December 7th, and Sunday, December 8th
During our class, we go over every question in the pool two times. We provide many hands-on demonstrations during the class. You will have the opportunity to observe and make contacts using a working radio station. These and many other demos will help you remember the information and give you some knowledge to get started once you have your license. Our instructors are passionate about Amateur Radio and will pass their enthusiasm on to you. We have a success rate of over 90%.
Gordon West Extra Class Book
In order to maximize your ability to pass the exam that is held at the end of the class, you will need to complete pre-work. You will need to read the Gordon West License Class book for the level and complete an open book “fill in the blanks” assignment that you will receive when you register.
Our Expo display grew a bit this year to include an HT Programming Clinic. We also updated several of our display elements to add more hands-on activities.
Nashua Area Radio Society Activities and Training Display
In particular, we added information on our training programs and the associated Internet Subscription that we launched earlier this year. We also added video and other content from the ISS Crew Contact that we did with Hudson Memorial School late last year.
More Photos from our Amateur Radio Expo Display
NARS Expo Display and Kit Build
NARS Expo Display and Kit Build
NARS Expo Display and Kit Build 2
NARS Expo Display and Kit Build 2
Nashua Area Radio Society Activities and Training Display
Nashua Area Radio Society Activities and Training Display
Education and Training Display
Education and Training Display
Field Day and EMCOM Display
Field Day and EMCOM Display
Emergency Go Kit with APRS
Emergency Go Kit with APRS
High-Altitude Balloon Display
High-Altitude Balloon Display
Satellite Communications Display
Satellite Communications Display
Radio Programming Clinic
Radio Programming Clinic
Kit Building Video Playing in our Display
Kit Building Video Playing in our Display
A Young Man Explores Morse Code
A Young Man Explores Morse Code
Morse Code Fun
Morse Code Fun
More Morse Code Fun
More Morse Code Fun
Ham Bootcamp
Ham Bootcamp Kickoff
Our main new activity at HamXposition 2019 was Ham Bootcamp. We had a total of 57 folks join us on Saturday morning for 9a – noon to learn about how to put together a station and get on the air.
Bill AB1AV is Net Control for a Practice Net during the Bootcamp Tech Track
Bootcamp consisted of two tracks – one for Techs/Perspective Hamsand one for Generals. Both were popular with the group pretty evenly split between the two.
Dan AC1EN and Kenzie KE1NZY provide a Satellite Intro during the Bootcamp Tech Track
Bootcamp included a number of demonstrations and hands-on activities. The photo above shows Dan, AC1EN and Mackenzie, KE1NZY explaining how to get started with Amateur Radio Satellites. The Tech track included:
How to pick an HT and a simple, effective antenna
How to program your radio
How to get started with EchoLink
How to make a QSO – this activity involved having Bootcampers checking into and participate in a practice chat net using HT’s
How to get started with Fox Hunting and Amateur Radio Satellites
Jamey AC1DC Explains HF Station Building during the Bootcamp General Track
Jamey AC1DC, Anita, AB1QB, Abby AB1BY, and Jerry K1OKD covered how to put together a first HF station as part of the General Track. They built a working HF station at Bootcamp and used it to explain and demonstrate making contacts using SSB, CW, and Digital (FT8). The activities in the General track included:
How to put together a basic HF station for SSB, CW, and Digital (FT8)
How to make a QSO on the HF bands
How to pick a simple HF antenna and put it up safely
Operating portable (gear and antennas) – especially important for Hams in HOA and other antenna restricted situations
How to find and work DX and how to QSL
How to go about learning CW
Folks Who Made Bootcamp Go – Our Registration Team
Jerry K1OKD, Andrea KC1JDX, and Patrick W1YTT handled registration and put together a nice graduation package that was personalized for each Bootcamp participant.
We closed Bootcamp with some information on how to go about earning a license or an upgrade along with a walking tour of the vendor area, our expo display, and our GOTAs. This gave folks a chance to ask some additional questions about gear and Amateur Radio activities that they were interested in.
More Photos from Ham Bootcamp
Folks Arriving for Ham Bootcamp
Folks Arriving for Ham Bootcamp
Ham Bootcamp Kickoff
Ham Bootcamp Kickoff
Bootcamp Kickoff 2
Bootcamp Kickoff 2
Abby, Jamey and Anita Setup an HF Station at Bootcamp
Abby, Jamey and Anita Setup an HF Station at Bootcamp
Jamey Explains HF Station Building at Bootcamp 2
Jamey Explains HF Station Building at Bootcamp 2
Jamey Explains HF Station Building at Bootcamp
Jamey Explains HF Station Building at Bootcamp
Jamey Explains HF Stations at Bootcamp
Jamey Explains HF Stations at Bootcamp
Fred Talking About HT Choices at Bootcamp
Fred Talking About HT Choices at Bootcamp
Wire Antenna Demo at Bootcamp
Wire Antenna Demo at Bootcamp
Bill Explains How To Make a QSO at Bootcamp
Bill Explains How To Make a QSO at Bootcamp
Bill Explains a Net
Bill Explains a Net
Bill is Net Control for a Practice Net at Bootcamp
Bill is Net Control for a Practice Net at Bootcamp
Dan and Kenzie Satellite Intro at Bootcamp
Dan and Kenzie Satellite Intro at Bootcamp
Fred and Jim Explain HT Choices at Bootcamp
Fred and Jim Explain HT Choices at Bootcamp
Fred Explains HT Antenna Choices at Bootcamp
Fred Explains HT Antenna Choices at Bootcamp
Andrea, Randall and Jim Prep Bootcamp Grad Packages
Andrea, Randall and Jim Prep Bootcamp Grad Packages
Folks Who Made Bootcamp Go - Our Registration Team
Folks Who Made Bootcamp Go - Our Registration Team
Kit Building
Kit Builders working on their Kits at HamXposition – Bill AB1AV and Mike K1WVO Mentoring
Our Kit Building activity was popular again this year. We build a total of 34 kits during the weekend. Our mentors help the builders learn to solder and to complete their kits. Our Morse Tutor kit was back again this year and was very popular with our builders.
Jeff AC1FX Tunes Up a 70cm Ground Plane Antenna Kit
We added a new kit this year – a 70 cm Ground Plane Antenna. We helped folks assemble the new antenna kit at the show and our mentors helped builder tune up their completed antennas. The new kit was very popular and we’re planning to add a 2m Ground Plane Antenna kit for our next kit build.
More Photos from our Kit Building Activity
Expo Kit Build
Expo Kit Build
Kit Building Fun
Kit Building Fun
More Kit Building Fun
More Kit Building Fun
Jeff Tunes Up a Ground Plan Antenna Kit
Jeff Tunes Up a Ground Plan Antenna Kit
Jamey Helps A Young Man Build a Tape Measure Yagi
Jamey Helps A Young Man Build a Tape Measure Yagi
Kitting Party at AB1OC-AB1QB
Kitting Party at AB1OC-AB1QB
GOTA Stations
Satellite GOTA
Our GOTA stations were popular again this year. Our GOTA stations served several purposes including:
A chance for folks to get on the air and make HF and Satellite Contacts
A chance to learn how to build stations and operate them
An opportunity to generate on-air interest in youth outreach via our N1T special event operations
Jon AC1EV and Greg AC1FS Getting Up To Speed on our Satellite GOTA
There was lots of interest in Amateur Radio satellites and the computer-controlled ground station that we had at HamXposition.
Jamey AC1DC and Abby AB1BY Operating as N1T at our HF GOTA
Our HF GOTA station was also popular and we used it to make most of our contacts as N1T.
Our GOTA stations helped to spark interest in Satellite Operations, DX’ing, and HF in general. We secured the N1T special event call (Youth Outreach at HamXposition 2019) again for use with our GOTA stations. We made a total of 303 contacts as N1T during HamXposition.
More Photos from our GOTA Stations
Jerry Operating our HF GOTA Stations
Jerry Operating our HF GOTA Stations
Jamey and Abby Operating as N1T at our HF GOTA
Jamey and Abby Operating as N1T at our HF GOTA
Satellite GOTA
Satellite GOTA
Satellite GOTA Equipment
Satellite GOTA Equipment
Satellite GOTA Antennas
Satellite GOTA Antennas
Jon and Greg Getting Up To Speed on our Satellite GOTA
Jon and Greg Getting Up To Speed on our Satellite GOTA
Jerry Conducting Satellite GOTA Operations
Jerry Conducting Satellite GOTA Operations
Jerry Explaining the Satellite GOTA
Jerry Explaining the Satellite GOTA
Charlie Explains the Satellite GOTA
Charlie Explains the Satellite GOTA
Emergency Go Kit with APRS
Emergency Go Kit with APRS
Forum Presentations
Dan AC1EN and Fred AB1OC Present Highlights of HMS ISS Contact
We provided two presentations as part of the Forum Program at HamXposition 2019:
You can view a copy of these presentations via the links above.
Thank You NARS Members!
NARS HamXposition 2019 Team on Saturday
It would be impossible for us to provide a set of activities as extensive as these without a lot of support from our members. The NARs team at HamXposition 2019 consisted of over 30 volunteers who contributed to planning, preparation, and operation of our activities at HamXposition.
Some of the NARS Members Who Helped with Takedown on Sunday
A very big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our contribution to HamXposition a success! Also thanks to Charlie W1CBD and Bob K1OLD, our roving photographers, for all of the great pictures featured in this article!
Additional Photos from HamXposition 2019
NARS HamXposition Team on Saturday
NARS HamXposition Team on Saturday
Some of the NARS Members Who Helpded with Takedown on Sunday
Some of the NARS Members Who Helpded with Takedown on Sunday
Dan and Fred Present Highlights of HMS ISS Contact
Dan and Fred Present Highlights of HMS ISS Contact
For the second year in a row, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the American Radio Relay League Teacher Institute in Newington, Connecticut. This summer I attended TI – 2 from July 8 – 12th. Thanks to the generous donations of ARRL members, I was afforded the chance to further explore ways in which I can bring Amateur Radio into the classroom.
The second year of Teacher Institute helped me delve further into Remote Sensing and using radio to bring Space into the classroom. Throughout the week, seven other participants and I were offered the chance to operate W1AW, take tours of the ARRL Headquarters, and learn new ways for us to bring HAM radio alive for students.
Over the course of the week, Instructor Matt Severin brought participants through building a remote sensing buoy using an Arduino and sensors that included GPS, Pressure, Altitude, and Temperature. Participants programmed their buoy to relay information through the APRS system. Using a Yaesu FT-60R and 12-volt battery, the buoys were set outside overnight. Each participant’s buoy sent over 20 hours of data through APRS. Participants then copied the data into Excel and created several graphs that showed the change in temperature inside and outside the buoy over the course of time. We were also able to see the health of the battery and other measurements over the course of the same time. I believe one use for my new buoy will allow me to have students utilize local data while studying statistics in mathematics class.
Participants also explored how amateur radio could easily be brought into the classroom through the use of SDR radio. By connecting an SDR to a laptop in conjunction with the program HDSDR I was able to hear local radio stations, the NOAA weather updates, and packets being transmitted through the air.
The item that I found most exciting was the use of our new Arrow Antennas to make satellite contacts. During the course of the week, participants went outside of headquarters several times to attempt contacts through SO – 50, AO 91, and AO-92. Being rather new to ham radio, I found this very challenging as the airways on a good pass are very noisy. I also discovered that I am far too polite to interrupt others. To get over this, myself and another participant took our radio and Arrow antennas back to the hotel and attempted a contact in the early morning. I am pleased to report that I was able to make my first satellite contact on SO-50 at 7:10 am in the morning. Okay, I stand corrected. It was really my second satellite contact since I did get to contact the International Space Station with my students last December.
Another thing I found interesting was using my Arrow and SDR radio to collect data packets from the passing satellites. On one pass AO-91 turned on its picture transmission so that we could attempt to collect the packets. I was able to collect 6 of the packets but did not get a picture. We then looked at the telemetry that we were able to collect from the satellites.
On the last day, we once again used the APRS system. This time we used the MAREA protocol to send commands to the same Arduino robots that we built last year. With a few extra pieces we were able to send our robots’ instructions to move forward, backward, left, and right. The MAREA protocol was a great demonstration of how NASA controls rovers that have been sent to the moon and Mars.
I would like to thank all of those ARRL members whose contributions made these two years of professional development possible. I will remember this forever. It was even more special to me as the first day of this workshop landed on a day that many others dread. I turned 40 on July 8th. While I was not with my family, I gained a whole new family of educator friends that I know will continue to support each other as we bring Amateur Radio to a whole new generation. Thank you, Ally, Kris, ARRL, and the Nashua Area Radio Club Members who continue to support me through my continued discovery of Amateur Radio.
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