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Licensing Education & Training
“Message From A Freshly Licensed Ham”
From Franklin (County, MA) Land Trust E-News & Views, May 15, 2025:
“For many years, we have relied on the generous support of volunteer amateur radio operators (Hams) during D2R2. These Hams, mostly members of the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club (FCARC), provide communication support between D2R2’s home base in Deerfield and checkpoints scattered across the Hilltowns where there is little to no cell service. Last year, when I began planning a new event that would also require support from FCARC (Edge Hill Trail Race), the club’s membership gently hinted that it would be helpful if a few of FLT’s staff and volunteer community became Hams themselves. Flash forward to spring of this year and two of our staff members, including Alex Wahlstrom (callsign KC1WTM) and me (callsign KC1WTW), and five other community members have received FCC-license to operate amateur radio equipment.
“For four Mondays in April, we transformed our conference room into a classroom. A group of interested community members came to learn the material required to get on the air from FCARC members Bob, Chris, and Lad, including understanding the physics of radio waves, electrical components, the pros and cons of different radio frequencies, basic safety, and government regulations. This culminated in a Technician exam which took place earlier this week.
“Now that I’ve passed the test, I am looking forward to learning how to use a radio to communicate with people nearby and thousands of miles away, talk to astronauts on the International Space Station, and even bounce radio signals off the moon. Most of all, though, I’m excited to be able to serve the needs of my community. In the rural Hilltowns where cell service is limited, Ham radio is an important skill in emergencies and can serve as a communication tool in most situations where cell phones are not an option for those who wish to learn the skill.
“Thank you to the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club, the Shelburne Cultural Council, and the Laurel Volunteer Examination Team for help making this event possible.
“I’ll see you on the radio!”
Liam Cregan,
Land Conservation Specialist
Scenes from the Meriden (CT) ARC General Class
From Meriden ARC Facebook page:
LEFT: MARC VP & current reining Elmer of the Year, NZ1J, Dave Tipping, lectures our General Class on inductance, capacitance and resonant circuits last night.
What an absolute treat for all of us Radio/Electronics nerds in attendance – Thanks Dave!
RIGHT: A sneak peak into KC1QWH, Stephen‘s notebook…. Steve reported he was feeling smart in his post about last night’s class – we’re glad to hear it. We’re just about half way there!
HamSCI Workshop, March 14-15, 2025
David McGaw, N1HAC, writes on the New England Sci-Tech mailing list:
The following is the information for attending the HamSCI Workshop virtually on Zoom. It is this Friday and Saturday.
This is the main information page: https://hamsci.org/hamsci2025
73,
David N1HAC
—
Hello HamSCI Community – Here is the Zoom registration link for both days of the HamSCI Workshop, 14 and 15 March, 2025. There is no charge for virtual attendees.
Or, at Zoom.com, find Join A Meeting and use Webinar ID: 971 6132 4956
Either way, you will have to register first – with your name and e-mail – then you will be sent the actual link to join the Zoom session.
You can register now and receive the link for March 14 and 15. We hope to see many of you there!
73 de Gary, AF8A
For the Local Organizing Committee
Nashua Area Radio Society Winter/Spring License Classes are Open for Registration
Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB, writes:
The Nashua Area Radio Society will be giving license classes for all levels this spring and winter. The classes will be online via Zoom web conferencing and will include an online exam session at the end of the class. Here is the schedule:
- Technician Class: Saturday and Sunday, February 15th and 16th
- General Class: Saturday and Sunday, March 8th and 9th
- Extra Class: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 11th, 12th, and 13th
Our classes are based on the Gordon West License Manuals and include many demos to reinforce the materials.
You can find more information, including a link to the registration form at https://www.n1fd.org/amateur-radio-license-class/
ARRL CT Section NCS Operator Training Workshop, Newington CT, February 1, 2025
Douglas Sharafanowich, WA1SFH, writes on the CT-ARES mailing list:
What: Net Control Station Operator Training Workshop
Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025
Time: 0830 – 1200
Place: Newington Volunteer Fire Dept. – Company #1, 1485 Main Street, (Cross Street: Centerwood Road), Newington, CT
The ARRL CT Section is excited to announce its upcoming, in-person, Net Control Station (NCS) Operator Training Workshop.
Target Audience:
Members of ARES*, Skywarn, the National Traffic System (NTS), and other Hams wanting to build more skills.
– This comprehensive, fast paced, hands-on workshop is designed to not only to give attendees the foundational training they need to start conducting a Radio Net successfully, but also to provide “a refresher” for experienced Net Control Station Operators.
Be Part of our NCS Operator Team!
Don’t Miss it!
REGISTER TODAY at: https://tinyurl.com/mw9e6und
Pre-Workshop Reading Assignment
Please read “The First 15 Minutes” presentation, and write down your observations.
We will begin the Workshop with a discussion of what happened, focusing on:
The Good, The Bad, and THE UGLY.
LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yc5erdcm
Note:
* ARES members
This workshop prepare you for the ARES Emergency Communicator Individual Task Book – Level 2 Participation requirement: “Serve as Net Control”
The Consortium Meets in Manville RI, December 2, 2024
The next Consortium will take place on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the Manville Sportsman’s Club, 250 High Street in Manville, Rhode Island.
Meriden (CT) ARC Technician Class Celebration
James Surprenant, AB1DQ, writes on Facebook:
Last night we celebrated the completion of our 2024 Technician License Class at the Meriden Amateur Radio Club. The Technician License is the entry level ham radio license today and for the past two years, our club has partnered with the Wallingford Adult Education Program to offer a licensing class to the local community.
Coordinating the project for the club has been a labor of love for me and once again I have enjoyed our weekly classes over the past nine weeks.
Next Tuesday our students sit for their license exams. I wish them good luck and hope they return in February when we will be offering our license upgrade class when they can pursue the next license level – the General Class.
