N1BLF CD Recordings for the Blind

Bob Zeida, N1BLFAn Eastern Massachusetts ham continues his selfless work in the production of audio materials for visually impaired and blind amateurs across the country.

Bob Zeida, N1BLF, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts recently completed recording June, 2003 QST and WorldRadio. He has also created a three-disc CD set containing materials from ARRL’s Level I Emergency Communications Course manual for the Courage Center Handi-ham System. The audio material is available only to blind members via the website at: http://www.handiham.org.

In addition to the extensive library of ham radio recordings, Zeida also produces audio materials for the Talking Information Center based in Marshfield, Massachusetts.

Zeida isn’t sure exactly how time he has devoted to all of his recordings, but he guesses it’s been “thousands and thousands of hours.”

Handi-ham volunteer instructors recognized the need for an audio version of the manual following the successful culmination of a week-long emergency communications course at the Handi-ham camp in Malibu, California. They approached Zeida, who was also a camp volunteer instructor. He enthusiastically agreed to work on the project.

[This website highlighted a recent article about N1BLF featured in South Coast Today entitled Reading For Those Who Can’t.]

CA Handi-ham Camp Slots Available

WA0TDA writes:

“As of today, we are estimating that there are six places left at California Radio camp, March 2 – 9, 2003. If you know of a potential new ham who would qualify for Handi-Ham services and be interested in getting a first license at camp, please alert them to this opportunity. We do teach all levels of licensure at camp, including operating skills and computing for those already licensed at any level, but the beginners are eligible for a campership to pay a significant part of the camp tuition if they cannot afford it. Please e-mail radiocamp@courage.org or call toll-free 1-866-426-3442. Campers will meet Bill Pasternak, Gordon West, and Bob Zeida, as well as our other volunteers!”

[EMA clubs: do you have a new or would-be disabled ham living in your community? Consider sponsoring him or her for this camp! -K9HI]

N1BLF Featured in Reading For Those Who Can’t

N1BLFBob Zeida, N1BLF of Dartmouth was the subject of a well-written article on the Southcoast Today On-line back on 06/05/01 entitled, Reading For Those Who Can’t.

In addition to the countless hours Bob devotes to reading and recording for the Talking Information Center, the article also describes his activities with the Courage Center Handi-ham System:


“Dartmouth’s Bob Zeida spends hundreds of hours recording books for the blind. It is eerily quiet at 5 a.m., and Robert Zeida’s day — like the ubiquitous coffee pot — is already perking. Nearly every morning of his life the 69-year-old Dartmouth man follows the same routine, rising early to get dressed and then boot up the computer.

“While the PC warms and the coffee perks, Bob shaves with an electric razor, so that by 5:20, or so, coffee in hand, he is well-groomed and ready to begin what has become his life’s mission: reading and recording a variety of printed material for the Talking Information Center (TIC).

“TIC, you ask, what’s that? [Full Story]