Ham Outreach / RI Section Manager Newsletter / STEM

Welcome to our RI Section Newsletter for February 2025

- by Nancy Austin

Welcome to our RI Section Newsletter for February 2025

Brown University Amateur Radio Club and Space Engineering

Congratulations to new ham Jose Sandoval, KC1TWM for success revitalizing the Brown University Amateur Radio Club (BARC) as an official, funded school club. This has been a team effort across RI, with special thanks to Don Stanford, KV4DN; Chad Cavanaugh, KC1DOH ; Adam Paul, KC1KCC; and Rhode Island Section Youth Coordinator, Rowan Eggert, WO1P for mentoring next-gen collegiate hams. 

Jose, KC1TWM wrote: “The Brown Radio Club has been officially reconstituted in 2025, anticipating its 50th anniversary on May 14, 2025. After operating as an Amateur Radio Community for the ARRL Collegiate Roundup last semester, we are excited to function as an official club in 2025. 

In addition, as custodians of the Brown Space Engineering ground station, the Brown Amateur Radio Club (K1AD) is proud to announce its participation in the Fram2Ham satellite receiving competition. With support from the School of Engineering, the ARRL, the Providence Radio Association, and Brown Space Engineering, we look forward to a productive and vibrant semester. We encourage all interested hams to stay tuned for our upcoming activities!” 

Speaking of School Club Roundup….

Rhode Island Section Youth Coordinator Rowan, W01P wrote:

“ARRL’s School Club Roundup is here!! This week, February 10-14, amateur radio operators can find schools and youth organizations activating across the country. Students kindergarten through college have the opportunity to get on the air, some for their very first time! This event is a fantastic introduction to amateur radio and provides a hands-on STEM learning opportunity before, during, and after school hours.

In Rhode Island, students at All Saints STEAM Academy in Middletown will be getting on the air as a part of an after school program hosted by Mike K1NPT and the Newport County Radio Club. Volunteers will spend a few hours after school working HF and 2m bands with students asthey learn more about battery powered operations and the application of radio communications in their community.

Want to get involved? Take some time to work student stations on the air, you may even be their first contact! Being friendly and engaging with students. It’s one of the best parts of this hobby. Some of my first contacts came with QSL cards that I still keep on the wall. Your time is valuable for School Club Roundup, so please take the time to work schools on the air, especially this week.”

For more on School Club Roundup:

Leveraging the biannual ARRL School Roundup – an untapped youth force multiplier follow up to Winter Field Day and Scouting’s JOTA.

And did we mention ARRL scholarships awarded in 2024 – totaling over $700,000?

 

 

From Florida’s Treasure Coast Skywarn Weather Nets to RI ARES SKYWARN 

Calm confidence and experience matters. Many thanks to Wayne Burkett, KA1VRF for again stepping up to be overnight Net Control Station during last weekend’s early February Snowstorm. From 10pm Saturday night to Noon Sunday, any licensed radio amateur interested in contributing situational awareness about weather at their location could join his Skywarn nets, and report their snow totals. Or offer a heads-up about what might be an unexpected, evolving situation that deserves closer monitoring.  In a “Unity of Effort”, Wayne gathers our reports and delivers them to Rob Macedo, KD1CY, our ham radio Skywarn liaison for our local National Weather Service office in Norton/Boston. 

This is a team effort. Many thanks to longtime RI Skywarn lead Martin Mendelson, N1JMA, for distributing Rob’s NWS breaking updates and likely Skywarn Activation net schedule via [email protected]. It is fantastic to see Rhode Island and the NB1RI Repeater network now included among the regional reliable go-to Skywarn nets. 

Wayne moved back to RI recently, and his depth of experience during severe weather events in Florida offers an opportunity for us all to learn more and prepare – whatever your level of experience might be. Do join in his weekly RI ARES Training and Skywarn Nets held every Wednesdays on the NB1RI repeater network at 7:30pm. No special equipment needed – just your eyes and ears and a public service mindset.

 

Save the Date: Saturday July 12, 2025, 9am-3pm, East Greenwich, RI 

New England Wireless & Steam Museum will host an ARRL sanctioned hamfest at their better-than-ever Tune-Up event in East Greenwich, Rhode Island on July 12.

New England Wireless and Steam Museum (NEWSM): https://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar

More info: Ken Carr, KE1RI 

https://newsm.org/

 

Save the Date: 21-24 August, 2025 — Our New England Division HamXposition, Marlborough, MA 

https://hamxposition.org/

August 23, 2025: RI Town Hall Meet & Greet 

Keynotes August 22 and 23:

AA7A:  “Remote DXpeditioning” by Ned Stearns, AA7A, at the Aug 22, 2025 Friday night DX/Contest Banquet

W2NAF: “HamSCI: Space Weather We Can Do Together”, Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, from the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) at the Saturday night Grand Banquet, Aug 23, 2025

Interested in giving a talk? Helping with the event? 

Reach out to Program Chair: Skip Youngberg, [email protected]