KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

Clubs

Videos: HS ham club in NH, yet another Heathkit history, Cruz thanks ham radio

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Students go hands on with ham radio

Here’s a nice news story about a new ham club at a high school in New Hampshire.

Yet another Heathkit history

Here’s another YouTube video on the history of Heathkit. The author has disabled embedding, so you have to watch it on YouTube.

Heathkit advertisement from the 1950s.

Senator Ted Cruz on Ham Radio

In this short video, Cruz thanks ham radio operators for their service. This has gotten some people excited because I believe that Cruz is the chair of the Senate committee working on the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. I’d be more excited if Cruz would sign on as a co-sponsor, but he has not yet. So, at this point, these are just words.

Amateur radio in the news: Students learn how to use ham radio, Saline resident reaches remote island, ham radio open house a success

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Saline Resident Reaches One of Earth’s Most Remote Islands

For most travelers, a trip halfway around the world is enough of an adventure. For Saline resident Dennis Ward, it was just the beginning. Ward recently returned from a rare expedition to Bouvet Island, a remote, glacier-covered outpost in the South Atlantic Ocean, where he joined a small international team of amateur radio operators seeking to connect with the world from one of its most isolated places.

read more…

I like this story for a couple of reasons. First, it was a collaboration of three different clubs. Second, the Great Bend Radio Group is about more than just amateur radio. Judging by their banner, they welcome anyone involved with any of the personal radio services. Unfortunately, the reporter got some of the details wrong…..Dan

Ham Radio Open House a big success

PARKERSBURG – Members of three regional amateur radio clubs contacted ham radio operators worldwide for World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) Saturday at Fort Boreman Park in Parkersburg. WARD, also known as the Ham Radio Open House (sic), was a collaboration of Great Bend Radio Group of Meigs County, Ohio, the Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub and Wood County Emergency Communications. The three clubs working together on this project fulfills this year’s American Radio League (sic) emphasis on “Year of the Club.”

Man and woman hanging banner at park gazebo.
From left, Beth Edwards, WB3TH and Brian Taylor, KZ8U, from Meigs County, Ohio, hang their club banner at Fort Boreman Park.

Amateur radio in the news: Can ham radio help Taiwan survive?, repeaters now solar-powered, ham radio connects

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Young woman holding a handheld ham radio. Could ham radio help Taiwan survive wartime internet outage?

In Taiwan, a nonprofit civil defense group, Ganghu, has started training people on how to communicate using amateur radio, also known as ham radio, if the internet is unavailable. This comes as Beijing, which claims democratically self-governed Taiwan as its own territory, faces allegations of sabotaging and damaging Taiwan’s undersea internet cables.

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Ham radio repeater now powered by solar

The Fredericksburg Repeater Operators Group (w5fbg.com), a group of licensed amateur radio operators in Gillespie County, announces its 2-meter, 1.25-meter, and 70-centimeter amateur radio repeaters are now operational on solar power.The solar power system was provided by a grant from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Foundation. Dee Hester (K7UD), Dennis Robertson (W5FBG), Barb Schuyler (N9NM), Pete Schuyler (N9OF), Keith Jenkins (KI5DFU), J.B. Neans (KL5GR) and Jim Lindley, (K5EWS) were all contributors. This team designed and implemented the repeaters and the solar power system.

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Ham radio operators meet over a shared hobby that becomes a lifeline during emergencies

A field of large parabolic antennas, followed by a constant piercing sound lingering in the background, is a classic combo in science fiction movies, especially when earthlings receive a message from outer space. On screen, it builds uneasiness and suspense for the viewer.

But for amateur radio (or ham radio) operators, the radio waves around the Earth create connectivity. People use antennas and transceivers to communicate with each other without Wi-Fi or phones. Non-commercial radio not only connects people worldwide but it can be an important tool in emergencies, when other means of communication, such as phones and internet, go down.

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Is it time to bring back the club leadership course?

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leadership clip art
I tried to find a better piece of clip art to illustrate leadership, but came up short. So, instead here’s something dopey. :)

This afternoon, I was talking with a fellow who approached me about providing leadership training for ham radio club officers. Back in 2012, when I was the Michigan Section Affiliated Club Coordinator, I developed just such a course, based on my work as a facilitator for the Rotary Leadership Institute. The topics I covered included:

  • Leadership Characteristics
  • The World of Amateur Radio
  • The Amateur Radio Club and its Activities
  • Membership: Recruiting and Retention
  • Leadership: Team Building
  • Leadership: Setting Goals
  • Evaluating Your Club
  • Moving Forward

I conducted this training here in Michigan a couple of times, and it was well-received by those who attended. I offered to do this for the ARRL, but that proposal went nowhere. I guess they decided it wasn’t worth the bother.

After discussing how we might revive this training program, the talk naturally drifted to the support—or lack thereof—that the ARRL provides to clubs. One of the items my friend mentioned is that he hasn’t seen an issue of the ARRL Club News for a while. I hadn’t thought much about that, but I checked, and the last issue was published in April 2024, more than a year ago. I guess they’ve decided that supporting clubs is less of a priority than making draconian election by-law changes.

This sticks in my craw because I volunteered to produce a newsletter for clubs free of charge about a decade ago. It was heartening to see it start up in November 2021. It’s equally disheartening to see it go by the wayside.

A new leadership training course

At any rate, I’d be interested in hearing from you if you might be interested in participating in some kind of club leadership training. When I did this back in 2012, it was all in person, and we covered the material in one, eight-hour-long session. And, it was a fair amount of work to find a place to hold the training, and arrange for lunch and coffee. Now that the use of Zoom and other online meeting apps has become widespread, I envision doing this at least partly online and only one module at a time.

If you would be interested in attending these sessions, please let me know, and I’ll keep you up to date on when we might actually hold this course. I envision this happening sometime in the fall. Also, if you have any suggestions for what we might cover, please send me your ideas.

Amateur radio in the news: Club edition

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Here are four stories about amateur radio clubs that recently made their local newspapers. I think that each of them has a lesson that could help your club be successful.

The first lesson is to include food in your club activities. Food brings out members.

SaddleBrook Amateur Radio Club Monthly Breakfast

The SaddleBrooke Amateur Radio Club met at SaddleBrooke Ranch on Friday, February 21 for a monthly breakfast at Bistro Veinte. Fourteen members attended the popular club breakfast gathering. The excellent food and service served in a conference room adjacent to the cafe was enjoyed by all.

…read more

The second lesson is to provide some kind of public service. In this case, the Andrew Johnson Amateur Radio Club is donating a set of amateur radio books to their public library. The catch is that some libraries will not accept this kind of donation. Our library here in Ann Arbor, MI is one of them.

Andrew Johnson Amateur Radio Club Donates Books To Local Library, GC Makers Space

The Andrew Johnson Amateur Radio Club is hoping to spur more local interest and public awareness of amateur radio operations. The club recently presented several educational books on the subject to the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library and to Greene County Makers Space. Two sets of books were purchased and donated to both the library and the GCMS, club officials note in a news release.

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When your club earns recognition of any kind, issue a press release. It raises the club’s profile and could draw in some new members.

HC Amateur Radio Club earns recognition

The Hill Country Amateur Radio Club has been recognized as a “Special Service Club” by the American Radio Relay League, the country’s primary educational, advocacy and representative organization of the craft of Ham Radio. Hill Country Amateur Radio Club serves the greater Hill Country region, with training, outreach and emergency communications, and has done so for decades.

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This is an example of a club profile. You can sometimes get a local paper to write such a profile by pitching the story to them.

Nothing amateur about radio

Good afternoon. Welcome to the AA0RC Repeater. The time is 3:33 p.m. The automated greeting crackles through the radio on Dan “WZ9W” Schnaare’s desk in response to a call sent by Rick “KF0JCP” Smith from a handheld radio just outside of Schnaare’s Ham Shack in Centralia. The signal traveled about 20 miles to the Radio Repeater in Mexico, before being sent back.

“KF0JCP, WZ9W,” Schnaare confirms.

Schnaare and Smith are members of Audrain Emergency Communications Inc. serving as vice president and treasurer, respectively.

AECI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consisting of 30 amateur radio operators who meet monthly at the Help Center in Mexico. They are dedicated to their craft, teaching and practicing nearly every day.

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HamCation presentation shows how to ramp up club participation

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At HamCation in Orlando last weekend, Ken, KN2D, gave the above presentation on how to increase your club’s member participation. He’s a marketing guy by profession, and it shows.

He does have some great ideas about how to get members more engaged. One of the ideas that I especially liked was asking inactive members why they don’t participate in more club activities. Ken says, “They pay their dues, but that’s all they do. Ask them why they aren’t active in the club and what would what would get them more involved.” We’ve talked about doing a membership survey in our club, but I think that asking these questions of inactive members is simpler and could be just as effective.

Other suggestions included:

  • Making sure that your club’s website is attractive and up-to-date. As an example of a good website, he used my club’s website. He especially liked the way that we used a Google calendar to list our events.
  • Make good use of social media, including:
    • Complete the entire profile
    • Add a professional profile image
    • Add an eye-catching cover photo
    • Leverage business description & “About” areas
    • Post, post, post. In conjunction with this, he gives a lot of good ideas for what to post.
  • Use email to market your club. He’s an email marketing guy, so of course he’d suggest this.
  • Host a variety of events, including speakers at monthly meetings, field days (not just the big one in June), contesting, family-oriented events (such as picnics), swap meets, campouts, and game nights.
  • Pre- and post event PR. There were a whole bunch of good ideas in this category, including:
    • Use press releases to announce club meetings and events.
    • Create a designated PIO (Public Information Officer) position at your club.
    • Don’t expect hams, especially new hams,
      to find you by osmosis.

Of course, one of my favorites is “Hold licensing classes and give tests.” You really can’t expect your club to grow if you’re not creating new hams. While that’s not the main reason that I teach classes—I just want to help as many people as I can have as much fun with ham radio as I have—it’s an important part of a successful club.

You’ll find these and a lot more good ideas in Ken’s slide deck. I’m happy to say that our club is doing much of this already—and it shows. We’re well over 100 members and we’re continuing to grow. If you’re concerned at all about your club, please watch the video and get the slides.

It takes all kinds to have a successful amateur radio club

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Yesterday, our club—ARROW—held its annual holiday get-together. We had a great turnout, and it was a lot of fun. It’s a really great club, and I’m really happy to be a part of it.

It takes all kinds to have a successful amateur radio club. Photo: James Forgac, AE8JF.

The agenda for yesterday’s meeting included:

  • Eat pizza. (The club sprang for pizza and beverages.)
  • “Elect” next year’s officers. There were no contested elections this year, so someone moved that we approve the slate presented by acclamation, and after a second, we did just that.
  • Recap of 2024 activities.
  • Take a peek at some 2025 activities.
  • Hold a “white elephant” gift exchange.

2024 was a good year

James, AE8JF, recapped our 2024 activities. They included:

  • Active mailing list in place of a newsletter. No newsletter means that we don’t have to twist anyone’s arm to be the newsletter editor.
  • Weekly 2-meter club nets.
  • AMPTeam outings each month. AMP stands for ARROW Mobile and Portable and they’re kind of like POTA activations and mini Field Days, but people bring all kinds of different stuff to them. The crazy people in our club even meet in the winter months.
  • Monthly breakfasts at local greasy spoon.
  • Fox Hunts
  • Communication support for two bike tours: One Helluva Ride and Tour de Cure.
  • Bus to the Dayton Hamvention. For more than ten years, our club has rented a bus and taken members and others to Dayton.
  • Multiple training sessions and presentations. Every month, we have a techical presentation at our meetings.
  • Two one-day Tech classes in 2024, with a total of 50 students.
  • 14 VE test sessions that gave exams to 99 candidates.
  • Great showing in the Summer ARRL Field Day. In 2024, our club finished first in class 4A in Michigan, and nationally, we ranked 43 out of 4,319 entries overall regardless of class.
  • Participation in community tech events, including the Ann Arbor Library Creativity and Making Expo and the Maker Works Open House.
  • Participated in Jamboree on the Air (JOTA)
  • Made several repeater upgrades.
  • Obtained ARRL equipment/property insurance.
  • Awarded ARRL special service club award status.

Keep it fun

I think that one of the keys to our success is offering a wide variety of activities and encouraging members to participate in those activities that appeal to them. We encourage everyone to do their own thing.

I’m not big on fox hunts, but I do enjoy teaching classes and exhibiting at community events. Our technical coordinator does a great job with the repeaters, but he’s not one of our VEs. The VEs are committed to holding monthly test sessions and supporting my one-day Tech classes, but they may not show up for Jamboree on the Air. The wide variety of activities keeps it fun for everyone.

One result of this is that we haven’t found it hard to fill club leadership positions. When someone decides that they have had enough, someone else steps up to fill the position. I think that’s a very good sign.

Currently, ARROW has more than 160 paid members. And we’re not all old guys, either. Our youngest member is 13, and we have many in their 30s and 40s. We even have a few women, too! Like I said, it takes all kinds to have a successful amateur radio club.

Is this what your club is about?

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On Mastodon, ARIP @[email protected] posted:

I love that this club has this as the very first thing in their about section. They also do nets via Allstar. I’ve checked in a couple times and they are a delightful bunch, based on those couple interactions! Check them out if you’re in their neck of the woods, or if you have a hotspot etc, and can check in with them via Allstar.

lakewashingtonhamclub.org/about/

The passage being referred to is:

In amateur radio, all frequencies are shared and are available for the benefit of everyone regardless of race, religion, gender, gender expression, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Lake Washington Ham Club’s mission is to create a positive and welcoming environment for all amateur radio operators and enthusiasts where everyone can learn, enjoy the hobby, explore new challenges, and build life-long friendships. As such, we show respect to one another as peers and conduct ourselves to earn that respect at all times.

Is this what your club is about, too?

Amateur radio in the news: Hackable ham radio, ham radio at the museum, club hosts Scouts

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The Most Hackable Handheld Ham Radio Yet

The [Quansheng] UV-K5, released last year, might be the most hackable handheld ever, with a small army of dedicated hams adding a raft of software-based improvements and new features. I had to have one, and $30 later, I did.

Like Baofeng’s 5R, Quansheng’s K5 as a radio transceiver is fine. (I’m using K5 here to refer to both the original K5 and the new K5(8) model.) The key technical distinction between the 5R and K5 is a seemingly minor design choice. With Baofeng’s 5R, the firmware resides in read-only memory. But Quansheng stores the K5’s firmware in flash memory and made it possible to rewrite that memory with the same USB programming cable used to assign frequencies to preset channels.

…read more

ICHMS collaborates with IRARC

CASPIAN, MI – The Iron County Historical & Museum Society (ICHMS) will have two new exhibits this summer thanks to a collaboration with the Iron Range Amateur Radio Club (IRARC) and a grant from the Crystal Falls/Dickinson Area Community Foundation. “We couldn’t be any more excited about this collaboration and the exhibits that will come from it”, states museum director Kathlene Long. The club members are in here helping build the exhibits and are bringing their expertise along with their own artifacts to build these exhibits in time for this coming summer season.

Railroad depot building
The Stager Depot at the Iron County Historical Museum in Caspian, MI.

The Club is building a working ham radio station in the museum. It will be fully functional. Museum visitors will be able to see the exhibit and signs will help visitors understand the importance ham radios – and amateur operators – have played in our county’s, and our country’s history. They will also learn why they continue to be so important. In addition, the Club is recreating a display of a vintage WIKB studio from pieces they have collected over the years. All of this is being paid for, in part, from a $500 grant from the Crystal Falls/Dickinson Area Community Foundation. “All in all, this is a lot of moving parts finally coming together to make this happen.” Long explains.

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SIERA hosts Scout amateur radio merit badge day

METROPOLIS, IL — Boy Scouts talked to amateur radio operators as far away as Puerto Rico and Arizona during a radio merit badge class hosted by the Southernmost Illinois Emergency Radio Association (SIERA). Five scouts from Troop 2007, out of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Paducah, attended the class on Saturday, March 23, at Trinity Church in Metropolis.

Scouts experimented with tuning forks and a wave generator and had the opportunity to talk on both handy-talkie and high-frequency base radios during the class. They also learned about the science and mechanics of radio as well as important safety measures.

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Amateur radio in the news: Wicker, Blumenthal sponsor ham radio bill; young people still drawn to ham radio, student starts ham club at Marshall University

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Sen. Wicker co-introduces Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act

Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)

[BROOKHAVEN, MS] U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have introduced legislation to give amateur radio operators the right to install their antennas and serve the community. Homeowner association rules prevent amateur radio operators from installing outdoor antennas on residential properties even though this communication method has proven to be essential in emergencies and natural disasters, such as hurricanes in states like Mississippi and Connecticut.

Among other provisions, this legislation would:

  • Prohibit homeowner association rules that would prevent or ban amateur radio antennas
  • Clarify the approval process for installing amateur radio antennas
  • Give amateur radio operators a private right of action

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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The Athens County Amateur Radio Association finds that young people are still drawn to old-school communication

ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Long before cell phones and the internet, ham radios were linking people around the world. And this old-school technology continues to fascinate hobbyists of all ages in the Athens County Amateur Radio Association.
“What really brought me into radio is the fact it’s such a unique hobby,” said Josh Senefeld. “Everyone uses (wireless communications) every day without even realizing it.”

Senefeld first became interested in the world of amateur radio at age 13 after he became a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. Four years later, he got his amateur radio license.

Now 20, Senefeld is one of the younger members of the Athens County Amateur Radio Association, though it is open to people of all ages.

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Ham Radio Club Revives Alternative Communication

The president of Marshall University’s ham radio club said he believes radio communication is a great way to bring people together.

Jacob Wriston, the president of the Thundering Herd Amateur Radio Club, said his experience with ham radio began in high school. He said that when he was looking at Marshall, he had hoped there would be a radio club similar to WVU’s amateur radio club. In July of 2022, he started a discord for the group before making it an official organization in the 2022 Fall Semester.

“I saw that WVU has a radio club,” Wriston said. “They’ve actually had one since like 1913 as the oldest club on campus, and, so, I was hoping that Marshall would have the same thing, and they don’t. So, I just started a discord server over the summer.”

Wriston said the club’s main goal is to promote the hobby of amateur radio.

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