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Five Days of Ham Radio Put 12 Kids on the Air

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GSARA Ham Radio Summer CampWhat happens when you give 12 curious kids radios, teach them how antennas work, and then send them hunting for hidden transmitters?

At World Academy’s recent Ham Radio Summer Camp, the answer was five days of hands-on amateur radio, building, experimentation, and plenty of time actually getting on the air.

The goal wasn’t to spend a week talking about ham radio. We wanted the students to experience it.

Campers began the week learning basic radio operation with handheld radios donated by Radioddity. They experimented with line-of-sight communication, participated in scheduled conversations with local amateur radio operators, and quickly discovered one of radio’s most important lessons: where you are and what’s between you and the other station matters.

From there, the students moved into HF operating, calling CQ and experiencing contacts beyond their immediate area. Fox hunting introduced radio direction finding, turning signal propagation into something they could physically chase around the property.

Then they built the equipment they would use themselves.

Each camper constructed a tape-measure Yagi antenna while learning about antenna directionality and basic assembly skills. The following day, those antennas weren’t just projects to take home—they became working tools as teams used them to locate hidden transmitters.

The week concluded at Silver Lake State Park (US-2678) with a Parks on the Air activation. Students got behind the microphone, called “CQ POTA,” and completed approximately 30 contacts between two stations. Some even reached an amateur radio station in Belgium.

For many of the campers, that final activation connected everything they’d experienced during the week: radios, antennas, propagation, operating procedures, experimentation, and communication.

Perhaps the most encouraging result wasn’t the number of contacts.

It was hearing students ask:

“How do I get my license and my own call sign?”

Programs like this demonstrate what’s possible when amateur radio outreach moves beyond demonstrations and gives young people an opportunity to actually operate, build, experiment, and participate.

The camp was made possible through the support of volunteer amateur radio operators, local clubs and repeater owners, GSARA members, Radioddity, ARRL, and everyone who contributed equipment, materials, knowledge, and time.

Read the complete story, see photos from all five days, and learn more about the activities used to introduce these 12 students to amateur radio:

 Five Days of Radio, Discovery, and Fun at World Academy Ham Radio Camp

 

Notice to DMR Users: Annual ID Verification

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ID numbers used for DMR and other amateur radio digital networks are a finite resource.  Due to the growing popularity of these modes, along with some users requiring multiple IDs, certain regions are expected to face ID shortages in the near future.

Beginning July 1, 2026, RadioID.net will implement an annual verification process.  On the anniversary of each account’s creation, RadioID.net will send an email to the account holder requesting confirmation that the assigned ID(s) are still needed and that the account information remains accurate and up to date.

If no confirmation is received, the associated ID(s) will be temporarily deactivated.  If RadioID.net is unable to obtain a response after a reasonable period, the ID(s) will be removed from the database and made available for reassignment.  This process is intended to preserve the long-term availability of ID numbers and maintain an accurate database for the amateur radio community.

   * Year 1: If unable to contact you, we mark your account as unvalidated, IDs still work.
   * Year 2: If still unable, we mark your account/IDs as Deleted, IDs no longer work.
   * Year 3: If still unable to contact you for validation, Accounts and IDs are deleted.

W1 QSL Bureau at 2026 HamX

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photo of QSL cardsEric Williams, KV1J, writes:

This past weekend the W1 QSL Bureau had a booth at the Northeast HamXposition in Marlborough Mass.  For the Incoming Bureau we answered questions about our service, checked customer’s accounts and collected funds for their accounts.  Gerry W1GD assisted me in manning the booth Saturday.  This year the exhibit hall was open Friday afternoon.  This worked out great since Friday was busy and took the load off Saturday morning.  So, the demand for card checking was smoothed out   We talked to many new hams that were not familiar with QSLs and the Bureau system.  We had 11 hams funding their accounts.  It was a pleasure working with [ARRL employees] Kim and Max in our combined booth.

We collected cards and funds for hams sending cards to the ARRL Outgoing Bureau.  At the end of the show these were given to Kim and Max at the for transport to Newington.  The outgoing cards included the mis-sorts/redirects from our Incoming Bureau operation.   Also included in the boxes were the W1AW and Bureau HQ incoming cards.

We hosted the DXCC/VUCC/WAS card checking.  Our checkers were Les N1SV, Bob AA1M, and Eric KV1J.  A total of 21 applications were processed.  Of those, 17 were DXCC, 4 VUCC.  Eric covered most of Friday, Les Saturday, and Bob Sunday.

73,  Eric  KV1J
W1 QSL Bureau Co-Manager

“mini-Contest University” Session at 2026 HamX

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mini-CTU logoThe 2026 Northeast HamXposition will once again hold a “mini-Contest University” session on Friday, August 14, 2026 in the Seminar / E3 room.

The program is as follows:

(Registration at 0830)

8:30 9:00 Registration
9:00 9:15 Introduction K1DG
9:15 10:00 Ethics and Our Radio Sport K1AR
10:00 10:45 Moderate Station Contesting NN1SS
10:45 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 11:45 Wire Antennas N1PGA
11:45 12:30 Engineering a Fantastic Field Day K2TR/K1EP
12:30 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 13:45 Eyeball QSO K1DG
13:45 14:30 Strategies for Maximizing Score and Fun K1KP
14:30 15:15 Digital Contesting W1UE
15:15 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 16:15 Portable Contesting KI2D
16:15 17:00 Multiop Team Building & Youth in Contesting K3LR
17:00 Door prize drawing

You may register in advance by visiting the registration page at <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-UmlIZlmsPAfu5KZsXGjdDoUrOLzg57QxHaNegEXoIY>

Historic W1BB Callsign Returns to the Air for International Museums Weekend, June 20, 2026

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The historic W1BB callsign, long associated with amateur radio pioneer and ARRL icon Stew Perry, will return to the air on June 20, 2026, as part of International Museums Weekend. Operators Eric Pfeifer, N1JUR, and Shannon Gibney, KC1OHT, will activate a special event station from the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham, Massachusetts, celebrating both the rich history of amateur radio and the legacy of one of its most influential figures.

Known worldwide as “Mr. 160 Meters,” Stew Perry, W1BB, helped shape low-band operating and remains a respected figure in amateur radio history. His contributions to the hobby continue to be recognized through the Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge and the countless operators he inspired throughout his lifetime. The special event station will provide visitors and amateur radio operators an opportunity to learn about Perry’s contributions, the history of the W1BB callsign, and the role amateur radio has played in technical innovation and public service.

Members of the public are encouraged to visit the museum, follow along online, or listen for W1BB on the air during the event. Additional information about the activation, Stew Perry’s history, and operating details can be found at n1jur.com/w1bb. For questions or media inquiries, please contact Eric Pfeifer, N1JUR, at eric@n1jur.com.

W1BB station

Young people needed for ARRL Kid’s Day & Fox Hunt, June 20, 2026

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Foxhunting with tape measure yagiBrad Councilman, W1BC, writes on WMAFoxHunters:
 
We’d love to host a hunt.  Please feel free to contact me directly. There will be multiple stations and demonstrations. A great opportunity for publicity.
 
If you’re planning to bring a young person, please let me know.  We want to have good snacks, etc. for them.
 
 
73 de W1BCC
413-773-0670
 
 

GSARA Brought Hands-On Ham Radio to Brian McCarthy Family STEM Day

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The Granite State Amateur Radio Association (GSARA) was proud to take part in the Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation’s Family STEM Day 2026 on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Nashua High School South in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Family STEM Day brought together local organizations, families, students, educators, and curious minds of all ages for a day filled with hands-on science, technology, engineering, and learning. For GSARA, it was a great opportunity to share amateur radio with the community in a fun, interactive, and approachable way.

For our club, the day was about more than radios, antennas, and signals. It was about giving kids and families a chance to experience real-world communication, science, technology, and discovery in a way they could see, hear, and take part in.

Amateur radio, often called “ham radio,” has inspired generations of experimenters, makers, emergency communicators, engineers, public servants, and lifelong learners. At Family STEM Day, GSARA members helped introduce visitors to the many ways radio connects people across town, across the country, and around the world.

Throughout the event, visitors had the opportunity to explore several hands-on demonstrations, including Morse code, HF radio contacts using the club call sign N1QC, local “Talk with a Ham” experiences on area repeaters, and displays featuring SSTV, digital communications, and other radio-based technologies.

One of the highlights of the day was giving kids the chance to get on the air using handheld radios and talk with licensed amateur radio operators through local repeaters. With guidance from GSARA members, young participants were able to experience two-way radio communication in real time. For some, it may have been their very first radio contact — and that is the kind of moment many hams remember for years.

GSARA members also demonstrated how radio can be used to send images, data, voice, and coded messages without relying on the internet or cell phone networks. These demonstrations helped show how amateur radio brings together communication, electronics, problem-solving, public service, and fun into one hands-on STEM experience.

The event was a great reminder that STEM is not just something found in a textbook. It can be heard over the airwaves, tapped out in Morse code, decoded on a screen, and shared through a microphone.

The Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation’s mission is to promote, advocate for, and fund STEM education and lifelong learning opportunities in the Nashua community. GSARA was honored to support that mission by helping young people discover the excitement of radio communication and hands-on technology.

The Granite State Amateur Radio Association, based in Bedford, New Hampshire, has served the local and global amateur radio community since 1974. As an ARRL Affiliated and Special Services Club, GSARA remains active in education, outreach, public service, emergency communication, and community engagement.

A big thank-you goes out to everyone who helped make Family STEM Day possible, and to all the families, students, and visitors who stopped by the GSARA exhibit, asked questions, tried the equipment, and helped make the day such a success.

Events like this are exactly why community outreach matters. Amateur radio continues to be a powerful way to spark curiosity, build technical skills, support public service, and connect people through the magic of radio.

Event Recap

What: Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation Family STEM Day 2026
When: Saturday, May 16, 2026, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Where: Nashua High School South, 36 Riverside Street, Nashua, NH
Who: Families, students, educators, and curious minds of all ages
GSARA Website: gsara.org

About Granite State Amateur Radio Association

The Granite State Amateur Radio Association is a New Hampshire-based amateur radio club dedicated to promoting the hobby, supporting public service communication, encouraging technical education, and helping new and experienced operators connect through radio. GSARA members participate in local repeaters, emergency communication, portable operating, digital modes, Morse code, community demonstrations, and educational outreach.

About the Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation

The Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation honors Brian McCarthy’s memory, service, and commitment to education by supporting STEM education and lifelong learning opportunities in the Nashua, New Hampshire community.

 
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Senator Ted Cruz Praises Amateur Radio Volunteers for Emergency Preparedness

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From ARRL:

Cruz videoSenator Ted Cruz, in a strong pre-Memorial Day message publicly highlighted the critical role that Amateur Radio Service volunteers play during disasters, praising and thanking ham radio operators who provide essential communications when storms and emergencies knock out power and cellular networks and communities are cut off. Sen. Cruz observed that in these emergencies it is ham radio operators who step forward, bringing with them the tools, expertise, and the commitment to reconnect people when it matters most. He noted this dedication was clearly demonstrated in 2017 when Hurricane Harvey’s catastrophic flooding devastated communities across Texas and that it was demonstrated again more recently in the horrific Camp Mystic floods. He emphasized that as the Nation prepares for yet another summer storm season, ham radio’s role remains just as vital as ever. [more]