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Clubs / Youth

“Ham Radio Contesting” at Northeastern Wireless Club, February 11, 2021

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photo of W1KBN shack, Northeastern Univ. Wireless ClubFrom NUWC mailing list:

Hello fellow radio enthusiast! This week we be learning about the foundation of our club, Ham Radio.

In particular we are learning about contesting! Contesting is a great way to use ham radio whether you are just learning or you are an expert. It usually takes place during a extended time interval where ham radio enthusiast – a team or individual – compete to make contact with as many as they can. This can be a great activity get out and socialize with new people especially in this age of isolation, and contest are a great opportunity to pick up the basic of using your license!

The meeting is this Thursday, February 11th, 6-7 PM. The meeting will be on Zoom, hope to see you all there! 

Public Information / Youth

“Young students discover a different form of communication”

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photo showing students of Bruce Blain's Morse code class in Foxboro schoolEastern MA Affiliated Club Coordinator Bruce Blain, K1BG, is featured in a story in The Foxboro Reporter, “Young students discover a different form of communication” that describes his efforts in teaching a Morse code class for a group of sixth-graders in Foxboro:

“In a year that has often been isolating, eight students from Foxboro are exploring a different way to communicate.

They are taking a virtual course in Morse code through the CW Academy.

Liam Polis, 11, a sixth-grader who is home-schooled this year, said his mother signed him up for the class, and at first, he wasn’t sure about it, but then found it to be fun.

‘It’s different than other classes because we learn on our own and then check in with the teacher, but it’s fun. I learned a lot about the history and use of Morse code and also the letters: a, e, i, o, s, t, n, m, y, l and number 1 for week one,’ Liam said.

His mother Rebecca Murphy said everything people do in life involves understanding a code or a pattern, so whether it’s learning a foreign language, math or history, recognizing and interpreting patterns is an important skill.”

[Full story]
Clubs / Public Information / Youth

Northeastern Wireless Club To Staff Table at COE Fair, February 4, 2021

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Northeastern Wireless Club members will staff a table at the NEU College of Engineering Clubs/Organizations Fair on February 4, 2021. 

According to the NWC mailing list: “The COE club fair is a great way to hear and find out more about various clubs and activities on campus related to STEM. Many clubs table there so it is a great place to find out more about getting involved. All are welcome and we would love to talk to anyone about Wireless Club so feel free to stop by any time 6 PM to 8 PM.”

Youth

QCWA Scholarship Awarded to Catherine Hong, KC1MFU

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Catherine Hong, KC1MFUFrom nediv.arrl.org:

The Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. has announced its Memorial Scholarships winners.  Among the recipients are: Catherine Hong, KC1MFU, who attends the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“Catherine Hong, KC1MFU […] is a sophomore at MIT, double majoring in Mechanical Engineering (design concentration) and a Joint degree in Comparative Media Studies & Brain and Cognitive Science. She wants to be a conscious creator, imbuing objects and experiences with functional and/or narrative value. To do so, she must understand how people find meaning and interpret the world around them, how society shapes and is shaped by media & technologies, and how to technically plan, design, and create the ideas she imagines. In her free time, Catherine draws profusely, engages in kitchen experiments, and picks up new skills from the extracurricular activities she is in, such as the computing club, the caving club, the VR/AR club, and the Radio Clubs.” –QCWA February 2021 eJournal

Clubs / Youth

MIT Radio Society Update: Station Renewal and COVID Response

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MIT Radio Society QSL/logoMilo Hooper, AI1XR, writes:

One hundred and eleven years after its founding, the MIT Radio Society is flourishing. Student interest in RF engineering, telecommunications, and radio science is growing. And, the pandemic notwithstanding, MITs amateur radio clubs right now are larger than they’ve been in decades.

Now that the “eleventy-first” (111th) year of the club is finally drawing to a close, we’d like to share some of the stories of the last 12 months, both of the challenges the club has faced, and how we’ve been able to continue to serve both MIT and the amateur radio community at large.

Green Building Renovation and the Future of the Station

The Radio Society faced a serious challenge this year. The enclosed station space and large radome located on the roof of the Green Building, the center of many of our activities, had been slated for removal due to a major renovation scheduled to begin this spring. Thanks to overwhelming support from our alumni and friends, MIT is now supporting much of the renovation of our physical space directly, enabling us to focus our resources not just on rebuilding, but on improving our VHF/UHF and microwave contest and research station, W1XM, on the Green Building roof for the MIT community. Our next step is working to preserve the iconic large radome and dish within. The radome and dish are central to our vision for the future of the station. You can read more here about that effort.

We recently circulated an open letter seeking support from the MIT community for saving the radomes, and in response MIT has begun a design study of options for restoration. See our website for the latest news.

Our vision for the station of the future

Our dream for the new station on the top of the Green Building is a space that provides expanded opportunities for students to explore not just amateur radio but the whole spectrum of intersecting fields, from experimenting with radio propagation and learning about the ionosphere, to radio astronomy, signal processing, microwave electronics, and more.

We envision a station with banks of SDRs and servers that students can access remotely and program for experiments; a station that has current state of the art amateur radio equipment for research, contests, general communication, and emergency operations; a space that lends itself to uses we may not yet anticipate, with room for new hardware and experiments students choose to create in future.

Our priority is to expand access to and use of W1XM to as many students as possible to maximize the value we provide the MIT community, both by enabling remote access to the station for its current uses, by providing an improved space on the roof itself for students doing all manner of radio related experiments, and eventually by partnering with other groups at MIT in supporting students exploring radio and communications technologies.

Radio Society Supports Remote Junior Lab Class

Most undergraduate teaching at MIT has moved online, including some lab courses. The MIT Radio Society has been able to help by making our 6m “Big Dish” available to physics students in Junior Lab, one of the most popular undergraduate Physics courses. Students are using the Big Dish for observational radio astronomy at 1.4 GHz (a hydrogen emission line). Check out a sample of the data that students have collected.

New HF Beam for W1MX

After two years of planning, W1MX primary HF beam antenna, a Mosley Pro-96 that has served the club for over 20 years, was replaced with a new antenna of the same model. In the near future, the original guy wire system will also be updated to ensure the tower remains stable and can continue to serve MIT’s amateur radio community for years to come. Plans are also in progress to install new equipment graciously donated by one of our alumni, L. Dennis Shapiro EE ‘55, SM ‘57, to enable remote operation of the station now that the new antenna has been installed. 

Introducing Remote Ham Exams

The MIT Radio Exam Team is pleased to announce that it is now offering fully remote amateur radio license exams under the coordination of the W5YI-VEC. Not willing to let the pandemic stand in the way of getting new hams on the air, the amateur radio community came together to do what it does best: solve tough problems with ingenuity and technology. Since the MIT Radio Exam Team began offering remote exams, it has helped over 250 amateur radio operators obtain their first license or upgrade their existing one. Information about what it’s like to take a fully-remote ham exam with us can be found in our Remote Examinee Info Packet. 

Operating / Youth

Scouting’s Jamboree on the Air Set for October 16-18, 2020

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Jamboree On The Air 2020 logoFrom nediv.arrl.org:

Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) and Jamboree on the Internet (JOTI) will be held this year on October 16, 17, and 18. Register online as an individual or as a group.

Jamboree on the Air is the largest Scouting event in the world. In a typical year, more than 1 million Scouts participate in JOTA, with over 11,000 stations operated by 20,000+ young radio amateurs from 150+ countries around the world.

JOTA details are available on the K2BSA website. The website menu will direct users to additional supporting information. K2BSA’s Jim Wilson, K5ND, says many locations are already offering virtual radio merit badge classes “and no doubt will be using similar approaches for Jamboree on the Air.” 

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

New England Sci-Tech Amateur Extra Online Course, October 18-December 6, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoADVANCED LEVEL:

Amateur radio (or “ham radio”) is used by people all over the world to communicate over radio waves. Some people use ham radio for emergency preparedness, to provide communications support for community events, to report on severe weather and natural disasters, as a social activity, and even occasionally to contact crew members on the International Space Station!

This ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the Ham Radio AMATEUR EXTRA license exam, the THIRD of three certification levels. Geared toward adults, as well as junior high, high school, and home-school students. Yes, we give online ham radio exams, too! (See below)

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn much more than just watching a video or buying a book.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Recommended text: ARRL Extra Class License Manual, 12th edition, for exams through June 30, 2024, (purchase on ARRL website). Regular practice and study is necessary to get the best results from this course.

NOTE: You MUST have a thorough understanding of the Technician level material before taking this course.  If you are already a licensed Tech but have been away from radio for a while, you may request to audit (at half price) one of our Tech courses to catch up.

Current offerings:

ONLINE for 8 days, Sundays Oct 18 – Dec 6, from 6:00-9:00pm Eastern time.
(Content is NEW AE material for the July 2020-2024 exams)

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a web browser, a web camera/mic, and a printer.

Included with course: You will get downloadable lecture study guides and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months, online or in-person.

Family Free: Additional members of the same family may join this course at no extra charge, if sharing one computer and zoom screen.

Zoom Link: A few days before the session you will receive an email with instructions to the course details, documents, and Zoom link. If you don’t see the email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, call or email us.

Please be aware of our Cancellation and Refund Policies. For questions, e-mail info@nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

License Exams:

YES, our exam team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule your FCC AMATEUR EXTRA exam within a few days of the course. Note that we must collect the standard $15 exam fee for the ARRL VEC separately. (Fee is $15 across the country.)

We administer ham radio exams both online and in-person, having proctored nearly 2,000 exams over the past decade. We’ve taught amateur radio classes for over 15 years with tremendous success. Hundreds of people have taken our classes with 99% having passed the exam to become licensed operators. We offer classes for all three levels of ham radio licenses: Technician, General, Amateur Extra, as well as Morse Code.

Please be aware of our Cancellation and Refund Policies. For questions, e-mail info@nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

 

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

New England Sci-Tech Technician Class Courses Online, October, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoBEGINNER LEVEL:

Amateur radio (or “ham radio”) is used by people all over the world to communicate over radio waves. Some people use ham radio for emergency preparedness, to provide communications support for community events, to report on severe weather and natural disasters, as a social activity, and even occasionally to contact crew members on the International Space Station!

This ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the Ham Radio TECHNICIAN license exam, the FIRST of three certification levels. Geared toward adults, as well as junior high, high school, and home-school students. Yes, we give online ham radio exams, too! (See below)

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn much more than just watching a video or buying a book.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Optional text: ARRL Technician Class License Manual, 4th edition, for exams through June 30, 2022, (purchase on ARRL website). Regular practice and study is necessary to get the best results from this course.

Current offerings:

  • 4 day course: Tu-W-Th-Fr Sept 29-Oct 2, 3:00-6:00pm each day, Eastern Time
  • 2 day course: SAT-SUN Oct 3-4, 12:00-6:00pm each day, Eastern Time
  • 4 day course: Mon-Tu-W-Th Oct 5-8, 3:00-6:00pm each day, Eastern Time
  • 2 day course: SAT-SUN Oct 17-18, 9:00am-3:00pm each day, Eastern Time
  • 4 day course: Mon-Tu-W-Th Oct 19-22, 3:00-6:00pm each day, Eastern Time
  • 2 day course: SAT-SUN Nov 7-8, 9:00am-3:00pm each day, Eastern Time

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a web browser, a web camera/mic, and a printer.

Included with course: You will get downloadable lecture study guides and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months, online or in-person.

Family Free: Additional members of the same family may join this course at no extra charge, if sharing one computer and zoom screen.

Zoom Link: A few days before the session you will receive an email with instructions to the course details, documents, and Zoom link. If you don’t see the email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, call or email us.

Please be aware of our Cancellation and Refund Policies. For questions, e-mail info@nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

License Exams:

YES, our exam team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule your FCC Technician exam within a few days of the course. Note that we must collect the standard $15 exam fee for the ARRL VEC separately. (Fee is $15 across the country.)

We administer ham radio exams both online and in-person, having proctored nearly 2,000 exams over the past decade. We’ve taught amateur radio classes for over 15 years with tremendous success. Hundreds of people have taken our classes with 99% having passed the exam to become licensed operators. We offer classes for all three levels of ham radio licenses: Technician, General, Amateur Extra, as well as Morse Code.

Clubs / Youth

Sci-Tech ARS Online Meeting, October 6, 2020

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Olin students at New England Sci-Tech

ONLINE Meeting: Tuesday, Oct 6, 7:00 PM.

 
To join the Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society Meeting at 7:00 pm link your computer to [… contact Bob Phinney, K5TEC, at bobphinney@nescitech.com for Zoom conference details]
 
6:30 Moore’s Code Corner
Learn your call sign or first name in Morse code. Join Rusty Moore for a beginner’s intro to code. Same Zoom link as STARS.
 
7:00 MEETING
– Around the room updates and general chat
– Latest about New England Ham Convention
– Update on Parks on the Air
– Other old business and new business.
 
8:00 RADIO SHOP TALK
Open forum – all topics welcome! Each Tuesday after the regular meeting, join us for Ham Radio Shop Talk begins after the meeting, approx. 8:00 pm, on the same Zoom link. Hang out and join us.
Licensing Education & Training / Youth

Two New England Sci-Tech General Class Online Courses: October 24-25 & 26-29, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoThis ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the Ham Radio GENERAL license exam, the SECOND of three certification levels. Geared toward adults, as well as junior high, high school, and home-school students. Yes, we give online ham radio exams, too! (See below)

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn much more than just watching a video or buying a book.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Optional but recommended text: ARRL General Class License Manual, 9th edition, for exams through June 30, 2023, (purchase on ARRL website). Regular practice and study is necessary to get the best results from this course.

NOTE: You MUST have a thorough understanding of the Technician and General material before taking this course.  If you are already a licensed Tech or General but have been away from radio for a while, you may request to audit (at half price) one of our Tech and/or General courses to catch up.

Current offerings:

  • Two day course: SAT-SUN Oct 24-25, 11:00am – 5:00pm Eastern Time each day.
  • Four day course: Mo-Tu-W-Th Oct 26-29, 3:00-6:00 pm Eastern Time each day.

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a web browser, a web camera/mic, and a printer.

Included with course: You will get downloadable lecture study guides and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months, online or in-person.

Family Free: Additional members of the same family may join this course at no extra charge, if sharing one computer and zoom screen.

Zoom Link: A few days before the session you will receive an email with instructions to the course details, documents, and Zoom link. If you don’t see the email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, call or email us.

Please be aware of our Cancellation and Refund Policies. For questions, e-mail info@nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

License Exams:

YES, our exam team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule your FCC General exam within a few days of the course. Note that we must collect the standard $15 exam fee for the ARRL VEC separately. (Fee is $15 across the country.)

We administer ham radio exams both online and in-person, having proctored nearly 2,000 exams over the past decade. We’ve taught amateur radio classes for over 15 years with tremendous success. Hundreds of people have taken our classes with 99% having passed the exam to become licensed operators. We offer classes for all three levels of ham radio licenses: Technician, General, Amateur Extra, as well as Morse Code.

Organization / Youth

ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program Now Accepting Applications

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ARRL Foundation logo09/29/2020 – Applications for the 2021 ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program will be accepted between October 1 and December 31, 2020.All applicants must be FCC-licensed radio amateurs, and many scholarships have other specific requirements, such as intended area of study, residence within a particular ARRL Division, Section, or state, and license class.

Applicants should review the scholarship descriptions and check off the ones for which they are eligible. If you complete an online application, you must also email a PDF of academic transcripts from your most recently completed school year by January 11, 2021. Some scholarships require additional documents to be submitted (e.g., letter of recommendation from an officer of an ARRL-affiliated club). Applications not accompanied by transcripts and additional documents, where applicable, will not be considered.

The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee will review all applicants for eligibility and award decisions. Scholarship recipients will be notified in May 2021 via USPS mail and email. For more information, visit the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program page.

Operating / Youth

K1MKD Breaks WSPR Records

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photo of Tate Aldridge, K1MKD, soldering a circuit board
Tate Aldridge, K1MKD

by Derek, AK1WI

 
In the last two days, Tate Aldridge, K1MKD, of Lexington, has come in #4 and #2 in the world on KB9AMG’s WSPR statistics site, with the total number of WSPR spots – after John (his dad) trimmed 5 ” off his dipole antenna.  Yesterday he had 23669 spots – which is huge!
 
This is supported by his score of 334 “unique spots” on the VK7JJ mapping software over the past 24 hours- which is an all time record for anybody in our group, and which has dethroned the reigning champ, young Charlie Bures.  (Charlie had about 230 unique spots at the same time).   The “unique” score is independent of the frequency of transmission, so something obviously going terribly right over at the Aldridge household.  [Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society News]
Youth

ARRL Foundation Announces 2020 Scholarship Awards

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ARRL Foundation logoFrom ARRL Web:

The ARRL Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2020 scholarship awards. There were 103 awards this year, totaling $144,450. The non-profit Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has generously awarded a grant to the ARRL Foundation to match each scholarship award on a dollar-for-dollar basis, lifting the grand total of scholarships awarded to $288,900.

Several Eastern Massachusetts youths were the recipients of scholarship awards:

The Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club Scholarship

  • Megan G. Wagner, KC1FGH, of Westford, Massachusetts 

The CTRI/Chris Seeber, KA1GEU, Memorial Scholarship

  • Julie Knappik, KB1YTT, of Raynham, Massachusetts 

The FEMARA Scholarship

  • Yettive S. Crestohl, K1YTV, of Marblehead, Massachusetts 
  • Joseph F. Murray, KC1EGK, of Braintree, Massachusetts 

The Alfred E. Friend, Jr., W4CF, Memorial Scholarship

  • Martin S. Sullaway, NN1C, of Waban, Massachusetts

A full list of recipients nationwide can be found at <http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-foundation-announces-2020-scholarship-awards>.

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

New England Sci-Tech General Course Online, July 21-24, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoFor anyone interested in wireless communications and electronics, this ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the Amateur Radio GENERAL license exam. Geared toward adults, as well as junior high, high school, and homeschool students.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Some preliminary preparation is necessary to get the best results from this course.

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn so much more than just watching a video.

Current offering:

Four day course: Tu-W-Th-F July 21-24, 3:00-6:00 pm Eastern Time each day.

The FCC General test will be scheduled for an upcoming weekday evening or weekend, as an online test, run by our VE team which has authorization to run online tests.

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a browser, a built-in camera/mic, and a color printer.

Included with course fee: downloadable lecture study guide and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months once the facility reopens.

Note that the standard $15 license exam fee is NOT included and must be registered separately; our VE team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule an exam within a week of the course. (Price is $15 across the country.)

One additional member of the same family may take this course for the price of one, if sharing one computer, video screen, and materials.

A few hours before the session you will receive an email with a Zoom link and ID. If you don’t see the email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, call 508-720-4179 for help.

For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

Four New England Sci-Tech Technician Courses Online Throughout August, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoFor anyone interested in wireless communications and electronics, this ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the Amateur Radio TECHNICIAN license exam, the FIRST of three certification levels. Geared toward adults, as well as junior high, high school, and homeschool students.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Some pre-test practice is necessary to get the best results from this course.

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn so much more than just watching a video or buying a book.

Current offerings:

2 day course: SAT-SUN Aug 1-2, 2:00-8:00 pm each day Eastern Time
4 day course: Mon-Tu-W-Th Aug 3-6, 3:00-6:00 pm each day Eastern Time
2 day course: SAT-SUN Aug 15-16, 2:00-8:00 pm each day Eastern Time
4 day course: Mon-Tu-W-Th Aug 17-20, 3:00-6:00 pm each day Eastern Time

You may schedule your FCC Technician test for an upcoming weekday evening or weekend, as an online test, run by our VE team which has authorization to run online tests.

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a browser, a built-in camera/mic, and a color printer.

Included with course fee: downloadable lecture study guide and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months once the facility reopens.

Note that the standard $15 license test fee is NOT included and must be registered separately; our VE team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule an exam within a week of the course. (Price is $15 across the country.)

An additional member of the same family may join this course at no extra charge, if sharing one computer and zoom screen.

A day or so before the session you will receive an email with a Zoom link and ID. If you don’t see the email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, call or email us.

For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

New England Sci-Tech Amateur Extra Course Online Beginning July 22, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoFor anyone interested in wireless communications and electronics, this ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the AMATEUR EXTRA Radio license exam. Geared toward adults, as well as high school and homeschool students who already have a GENERAL license.

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn so much more than just watching a video.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Recommended text: ARRL Extra Class License Manual, 12th edition, for exams through June 30, 2024, (purchase on ARRL website). Regular practice and study is necessary to get the best results from this course.

NOTE: You MUST have a thorough understanding of the Technician and General material before taking this course.  If you are already a licensed Tech or General but have been away from radio for a while, you may request to audit (at half price) one of our Tech and/or General courses to catch up.

Current offering:

ONLINE for 8 days, Wednesdays July 22 – Sept 9, from 6:00-9:00pm Eastern time.
(Content is NEW AE material for the July 2020-2024 exams)

The FCC Amateur Extra test must be registered separately; our VE team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule an exam within a week of the course.

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a browser, a built-in camera/mic, and a color printer.

Included with course fee: downloadable lecture study guide and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months once the facility reopens.

One additional member of the same family may take this course for the price of one, if sharing one computer, video screen, and materials.

For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

New England Sci-Tech General Course, Natick, July 25-26, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoFor junior high and high school students, homeschool students, and adults who already have a Technician level license, this fast-paced, two-day course will get you ready to take the GENERAL license exam. Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum.  Some preliminary reading may be helpful to get the best results from this course. Material will be sent approximately a week before the course.

The GENERAL level course runs Saturday, 8:30 am to 5 pm and Sunday, 8:30 am to noon, followed by the FCC General exam at noon, at New England Sci-Tech, 16 Tech Circle, Natick.

Included with course fee: printed handouts, lecture study guide, license fee if tested at our location, a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Room and radio club meetings for 2 months, and free coffee, tea, or hot chocolate during the course. Up to two members of the same family may take this course for the price of one. Please let me know if there will be two of you attending.

For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

Clubs / Youth

K2VUD: “DMR for Beginners” at NE Sci-Tech, June 23, 2020

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New England Sci Tech logoEoghan Bacon, K2VUD, will be leading a discussion on Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) for beginners on Tuesday June 23, 2020. The goal is to turn [New England Sci-Tech] into a DMR repeater and then be able to get STARS members access to a DMR talk group. In order to access DMR repeaters, you need a DMR radio and possibly a DMR hotspot. We will be discussing all of this in a few weeks… In the meantime, sign up for a DMR ID here: https://www.radioid.net/register.  -New England Sci-Tech Newsletter