Tag Archives: Education and Training

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

HAB School Kit Builds

We have started our HAB-3 program and we are working with 4 schools who will be part of the launch.  Two of the schools, Bishop Guertin High School and Merrimack High School have been through the preparation sessions before.  To expand their involvement with STEM activities, the Nashua Area Radio Society has hosted kits builds at both schools.

Fred, AB1OC Elmers the BGHS Kit BuildersFred, AB1OC Elmers the BGHS Kit Builders

The first kit build was held earlier this month with 6 students from Bishop Guertin High School.  They built the 40 meter Pixie Kit QRP radio, the same one the NARS built a year or so ago.

Tech Night Suggestions
Pixie Kit

The students did a great job once they learned to solder and enjoyed the kit build.

Bishop Guertin Students Build the Pixie Kit
Bishop Guertin Students Build the Pixie Kit

The students are also learning morse code and there will be a morse competition in future sessions at both schools, using the Pixie kits built by the students.

Merrimack High School Students build the Pixie kit
Merrimack High School Students build the Pixie kit

Last Friday,  5 club members were Elmers to 18 students at Merrimack High School, who also built the PIXIE kit.  Thanks to Bill, AB1AV, Niece, KA1ULN, Mike, K1WVO, Jamey, AC1DC , Tom, AB1NS, and Fred, AB1OC for helping the kids to have a successful kit build.

Merrimack High School Students Building the Pixie Kit
Merrimack High School Students Building the Pixie Kit

All of the teachers and students had a great time and learned a lot during the kit build.  They are looking forward to the morse code competition.

Anita, AB1QB

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

Spring 2018 Technician License Class

We held our first license class of 2018 this past weekend.  It was a Technician License Class and it was a huge success.  We had a total of 16 students in the class, including 3 high school students from Bishop Guertin High School and Merrimack High School – the two schools who participated in our High Altitude Balloon projects.  There was also a teacher in the class from Hudson Memorial School, who will be participating in HAB-3.

We had a great set of students – they all were well prepared and did great on their exams.  All 16 students earned their Tech Licenses and one of the students also earned his General!

AB1BY teaching the Tech Class

Thanks to all of our instructors and VEs who made this possible.  The Tech Class instructors were Abby, AB1BY,  Jamey, AC1DC, Fred, AB1OC, Brian AB1ZO, Wayne, AG1A, and Burns, WB1FJ.

Satellite Station 3.0 Antennas
Satellite Station 3.0 Antennas

Satellite Station 3.0

This class also marked the debut of Satellite Station 3.0, which meets the specs to support ISS Crew Contacts.

Satellite Station 3.0
Satellite Station 3.0

In addition to classroom study, we provided many demos and gave the students an opportunity to get on the air and make Satellite contacts using the station above.   Students also had the opportunity to make HF Contacts using a Flex Maestro, which connected over the internet to the station at the AB1OC/AB1QB QTH.

HF Station with Flex Maestro
HF Station with Flex Maestro

Our next license class will be the General Class, which will be held on March 24th and 25th. We will hold the Extra Class on April 27 – 29.  To register, visit our Class Information Page.

Many of our students also joined the Nashua Area Radio Society after they passed their exams.  Please say hello to the new members and congratulate them at our next meeting.

Anita (AB1QB)

Activities, CW and QRP, Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter

CW Class Starting February 17th

Morse Code
Morse Code

Do you understand the morse code above?    Are you planning to build our February Tech Night Project and want to learn to use it?   Do you want to make more DX contacts?  Even though Morse Code proficiency is no longer required for your Ham Radio license, there is still more CW on the air than Phone and Digital modes combined. You don’t want to miss out on these contacts!

Keys 2
CW Keys

CW Class Starting February 17th

Thanks to our Morse Code Instructors, Mike, K1WVO, and Dennis, K1LGQ, we will be holding another CW Class.  The classes will start on February 17th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and will run for at least 6 weeks.  It will be held at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Nashua.    You will be able to practice copying CW as well as sending CW during the class.  Toward the end of the class, if you practice regularly, you will get on the air via a CW slow net or scheduled QSOs among the students.

Our CW Class Instructors
Our CW Class Instructors

The class will be geared to the needs of those attending, whether you are just learning or if you attended a previous class and hope to build up your speed.

Hope to see you at the class.  Plan to bring a notebook and pen or pencil to copy CW.

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide