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Clubs / Field Day / Ham Outreach

Get licensed and on the air by Field Day!

- by Nancy Austin

 

ARRL Field Day is ham radio’s annual open house showcase of what we’re about – and all are welcome.

It’s always held on the 4th full weekend in June. 

This year, ARRL Field Day is June 28 – 29, 2025.

https://www.arrl.org/field-day

The theme is: “Radio Connects”

Here’s the link to the ARRL flyer you can download and customize:

https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2025/2025%20ARRL%20Field%20Day%20Poster.pdf

The Locator Map is up!

Keep an eye on the RI clubs participating and where they’ll be setting up with this map link.

And clubs – please start adding your intended Field Day locations: https://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator

As of early March 2025, we have:

  • The Charlestown EOC Ham Radio Club (W1CRI) – operating from Ninigret Park in South County

There’s still about four months to go, but why wait?

New to amateur radio? Want to learn more about wireless communication? Take Action! 

It’s not too late to get licensed and get active on the air by Field Day, June 28-29, 2025

RI Clubs Offering Licensing Exams March – June 2025, In-Person

https://www.arrl.org/exam_sessions/

W1AQ Clubhouse, Rumford, RI 

Contact: Martin Dean Chapman, Email: [email protected]

March 14, 21, 28; April 4, 5, 11, 18

May 3, 9, 23, 30; June 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 27

 

Blackstone Valley Amateur Radio Club (BVARC)

Woonsocket, Our Saviour’s Parish

Contact: Robert E. Jones, Email: [email protected]

March 8; May 19, 2025

 

Newport County Radio Club (NCRC)

Middletown Police Station

Contact: Contact: Michael Seil, Email: [email protected]

March 8; June 14, 2025

How to study for the License Exam 

Looking for a Zoom Technician or General Course? 

There are currently none listed in RI. 

Consider this remote option led by  NE Sci Tech experienced educators based in nearby Massachusetts.

Geared for adults, families, and students. 

For questions, email [email protected] or call 508-720-4179.

https://www.nescitech.org/technician

Technician Course

Start/End Dates: 04/27/2025 – 05/18/2025

Times: Four Sundays @ 6-9pm Eastern, April 27 – May 18, 2025

# of Sessions: 4

https://www.nescitech.org/technician

General Course –

Times: Four Sundays @ 6-9pm Eastern, March 30 – April 20, 2025

https://nescitech.org/general

Meanwhile: Let’s welcome Rhode Island’s seventeen (17) “New Technicians” reported already this year in the ARRL three-month reports to 3-01-2025. 

New RI Amateurs reported: 03-01-2025 (8)

John Buckley, KC1WFP, West Greenwich

Robert Leblanc, KC1WFY, East Greenwich

Eric Brune, KC1WGW, Hope Valley

Howard Elliott, KC1WDW, Newport

Thomas Kaiser, KC1WFO, Portsmouth

Steve Martinez, KC1WDU Warwick

Kenneth Wilkinson, KC1WFX, Warwick

Wayne Dimbleby, KC1WEF, Cranston

New RI Amateurs reported: 02-01-2025 (5)

David Gervais, KC1WBM, Coventry

Jack Gerrior, KC1WBJ, Cumberland

Sean Obert, KC1WDD, Portsmouth

Eric Harley, KC1WCJ, Wakefield

John Egan, KC1WAB, Woonsocket

New RI Amateurs reported: 01-01-2025 (4)

John M Conte, KC1VXL, Barrington

Vina Macias, KC1VWL,  Providence

Sarah Bessey, KC1VYB, Providence

Anna Murphy, KC1VWF, Providence

 

Be sure to listen for those new amateur call signs ending KC1W….  Let’s support them starting on their new journey.

 

Let’s also support ARRL, our spectrum defender since 1914. 

Join or renew your ARRL membership (starting at $59/year) here: 

https://www.arrl.org/membership

You will be automatically entered in the iCom Dream Station sweepstakes

https://www.arrl.org/arrl-sweepstakes/

 

73, Nancy Austin, KC1NEK 

RI Section Manager (two 2-year terms, 2023 – 2027)

https://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/rhode-island

Clubs / Public Service / School Club Round Up / SKYWARN

RI Section Updates

- by Nancy Austin

W1OP – The Old Professor March 2025

Congratulations to the Providence Radio Club (W1OP) for their latest stellar 26-page newsletter, linked here. 

Check it out!!! And welcome to the PRA new leadership team. Huge thanks to Dave Tessitore, K1DT and Team W1OP for so successfully mentoring next gen club leaders as this historic club plans for a vibrant and relevant future.

NCRC Volunteers Enable Record-setting School Club Roundup score

Mike Cullen, K1NPT wrote:

A tip of the hat to Newport County Radio Club volunteers Rowan WO1P, Jim KA1ZOU, and John KC1K00 for helping local middle school students deliver a record-breaking performance during last week’s ARRL School Club Roundup — a semi-annual, on-air contest that encourage students to talk to other schools.

Operating at All Saints STEAM Academy (Middletown) Monday through Friday from 3PM to 5PM each day, we had 10 incredibly focused middle school students sharing the microphone and managing several pile-ups that they created on 20M.

Results?
114 contacts (including NCRC’s Mike AA1XQ and Mike KC1NEJ)
25 states, 1 province
3 clubs
3 mobile stations
13 schools
all yielding a claimed score of 11,058 (a school record)

School principal Ann Villareal helped coach students each day and was very pleased with the week’s efforts.

We’re looking forward to doing it again in October and, in the interim, crafting ways to keep these students engaged in wireless communications.

73, Mike K1NPT – P.S. If you’d like to help us work with middle school students after school on radio-based activities, please let me know.

100+ check-ins for recent RI Skywarn Activation

Wayne Burkett, KA1VRF wrote:

Thank you to everyone who participated in the recent RI ARES SKYWARN  24-hour Activation.  Twelve nets were held on the NB1RI repeater network, with over one hundred hams offering situational awareness reports during and after the mid-February snowstorm.  Net Control collected these timely reports and reported our local conditions up to the National Weather Service in Boston.

Want to learn more? Join Wayne’s Skywarn training nets every Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm local time on the linked NB1RI repeater and Quahog  repeater network.  All are welcome.

See also: How Rhode Island Hams Help RICOMU Deliver Millions $$$ to RI Cities & Towns

How Rhode Island Hams Help RICOMU Deliver Millions $$$ to RI Cities & Towns

 

Interested in becoming an ARRL-affiliated club?

More city and town Public Safety Emergency Management organizations are showing  interest in becoming an ARRL-Affiliated club.

Please reach so we can help with the process.

Contact:  RI Section Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC), John Brewer, N1SXB 

n1sxb [@] earthlink [dot] net

 

 

 

Clubs / Field Day / Ham Outreach / Public Service

RI Field Day 2024 results posted

- by Nancy Austin

Congrats to the sixteen RI Section Clubs, EOCs, and Individuals who participated in the ARRL Field Day last June 21-23 2024.  ARRL has now posted the scores, but we all know Field Day is about showcasing amateur radio to the world.

https://contests.arrl.org/ContestResults/2024/Field-Day-2024-FinalQSTResults.pdf

Wonderful to see Rhode Island’s historic clubs all alive and well. Welcoming the public while still scoring nationally in the top 20 in their class. Way to go!

1Alpha

#13: Assoc. Radio Amateurs of So. New England W1AQ 1,211 2 15 3,506 RI

2Alpha

#2: Newport Co. RC W1SYE (+NE1RI) 3,692 2 39 14,976 RI

#15: Blackstone Valley ARC W1DDD (+NA1Q) 1,557 2 26 7,471 RI

#20: Fidelity ARC W1MB (+K1NQG) 1,958 2 18 6,311 RI

3Alpha

#7: Providence Radio Assn. W1OP (+W1C) 2,718 2 48 10,520 RI

Plus Public Safety EOC participation

Coventry EMA KC1CUE (+W1KDA) 1,115 2 40 4,833 RI

RICOMU/RIEMA WA1USA (+KR1EMA) 938 2 12 4,805 RI

Providence EMA RACES KK1PMA (+W1BSN) 65 2 12 1,385 RI

Ocean State ARG K1OS 68 2 4 446 RI

Individual Contributors too

Including:

1B: One Operator Battery/Portable
Newport Co. RC K1NPT 52 5 1 670 RI
N6KM 28 5 1 525 RI [Brooks Park, CA]

1D: AI1TT CTRI Contest Club [William Bliss,W1WBB]

More to follow…

 

Clubs / Ham Outreach / NCRC / RI History

Newport County Radio Club celebrates 75th and looks ahead

- by Nancy Austin

This weekend, the Newport County Radio Club (NCRC) gathered at Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island to celebrate the club’s milestone 75th anniversary as an ARRL-affiliated amateur radio club. The ARRL New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC presented a commemorative plaque to Ed Gosling, W1NQH, who has been a member of the club for over thirty years. Bob Beatty, WB4SON gave a keynote address on the history of the club, with an emphasis on its role promoting education, licensing, and getting on the air through outdoor club programs – including Islands on the Air and Parks on the Air. 

Looking forward, the club wants to again acknowledge its 2023 major ARRL Club grant for a Vector Network Analyzer to support UHF and microwave learning by members of all license classes and skill-levels. Club member Greg Bonaguide, WA1VUG of Rohde & Schwarz again shared his timely insights. Meanwhile, Carl Dumas, KC1NAM brought his home-brew satellite van and offered demos while making a successful confirmed QSO via satellite RS-44. At the other end of the spectrum, Naldy Medina, KP4AMC talked low-frequency and was good-natured when people recognized him from the cover of the July 2024 QST. 

Carl Dumas, KC1NAM (rear) making satellite QSOs. Greg Bonaguide, WA1VUG; Christy Bonaguide KF4UXP; Phil Temples, K9HI; Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB; Fred Kemmerer AB1OC

 

This was also the club’s third annual Outdoor Adventure, with a 2024 tribute to Silent Key Dave Cain, W1DEC. Aquidneck Island native Kevin Beale, K8EAL, from ARRL HQ presented the Cain family with a replica of the ARRL commemorative brick the NCRC had placed in Newington, CT at ARRL HQ in honor of W1DEC. 

Photo courtesy of Kevin Beale, ARRL

Willy Maclean, W1LY and Jim Sendrak, KC1LYG had secured a wealth of door prizes from DXE and others. ARRL books on Propagation, Licensing, Antennas and numerous DXE gift certificates were welcomed by the many winners present, including DaveDan Neal, W2DAN, the RI Section Technical Coordinator. 

The new RI Youth Coordinator, Rowan Eggert, WO1P won a copy of the latest science fiction novel by Phil Temples, K9HI, the Vice Director – showing the generalist range of interests that animates so many radio amateur gatherings. Inside the picnic pavilion was good cheer. Outdoors on this beautiful September day, club members drifted back and forth to check out Carl’s satellite set-up. And also the sidecar driven to the picnic by auto mechanic wizard Jeremy Dennis, N1JAD. Huge shout-out for “Most Resilient” to Jeremy N1JAD. Throughout 2023 Jeremy took care of his aging and ailing dad, Arthur Dennis, W1ACD and helped his dad get back active on the air with renewed joyful mental health connection via the W1SYE 2m nightly net community. Art sadly passed away last December 2023, and then Jeremy was faced with clearing out the house to sell. These are only a few of the reasons why it was inspirational to see Jeremy’s spirit of resilience as he moves forward with a new job, living in a new town, and setting up a new QTH and hands-on workshops. Newport County Radio Club is an amazing ham community with a proud past and abundant opportunities for each of us to share and inspire in the weeks, months, and years ahead.  

Calling all radio amateurs ready to imagine the NCRC’s 100th anniversary in 2049.

How about let’s start with the NCRC October 14, 2024 monthly meeting?!  

Clubs / Contesting / Operating / RI History

September 2024 VHF Contest Underway

- by Nancy Austin

VHF Contest Underway on famous Chopmist Hill

Curious to learn more about a club operating up to 1.2GHz voice, digital and CW on the famous Chopmist Hill? Check out Fidelity Amateur Radio Club, operating as W1MB, until Sunday afternoon September 15, 2024 at 985 Chopmist Hill Rd, Scituate, RI 02857. Say hello to Jason, AA1VV; Nick, KC1DWH ; Mike, KC1UHZ; Bernie, WI1I; Ken, K1KT; Jeremy, K1JST; and more. https://contests.arrl.org/sepvhf/

Setting up earlier Saturday 14 September 2024
Site set-up team included Jason, AA1VV; Nick, KC1DWH ; Mike, KC1UHZ

Chopmist Hill Listening Post History

More on the history of Rhode Island’s Chopmist Hill as a famous listening post in WWII linked again here:

https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/chopmist-hill-rhode-islands-secret-listening-post-in-wwii/

https://youtu.be/JkTW–EFY8Y

June 2024 VHF Contest – Raw Scores posted

  • Fidelity Amateur Radio Club (W1MB) 
  • WB2VVV, John C. ‘Chris’ Fagas, Foster, RI 
  • Providence Radio Association (W1OP)
  • K1NPT, Mike Cullen, Newport, RI
  • WA1LAD for WA1USA

  • https://contests.arrl.org/rawscores.php
  • https://contests.arrl.org/
Awards / Clubs / Contesting

RI top scores for International DX Contests posted

- by Nancy Austin

ARRL 2024 International DX Phone Contest

  1. W2DAN, Dave Neal, Tiverton | score 1,299,180 (ARRL RI Technical Coordinator)
  2. WA1BXY operating as NC1CC, Don Rosinha, Tiverton | score 1,232,313
  3. KS1J, Jim Bowman, Barrington | score 1,123,398

All 3 Contest Clubs active in Rhode Island participated (https://contests.arrl.org/viewlists.php)

  • Yankee Clipper Contest Club (YCCC) – top score operator –  W2DAN, DaveDan Neal
  • CTRI Contest Group – top score operator – W1XX, John Lindholm 
  • Providence Radio Assn – top score operator – K1DT, Dave Tessitore (club president)

ARRL 2024 International DX CW Contest

  1. KI1G, Malcolm Davenport, Wood River Junction | score 7,048,278
  2. K1TZQ , Howie Naugle, Portsmouth | score 2,751,030
  3. WA1BXY operating as NC1CC, Don Rosinha, Tiverton | score 2,740,890
  4. KS1J, Jim Bowman, Barrington | score 2,478,360

ARRL 2024 International DX Digital Contest

  1. NE1Y operating as W1OP, Providence Radio Assn | raw score 3,606

ARRL 2024 International DX EME Contests

  • standby

See more at: https://contests.arrl.org

Clubs / Ham Outreach / PRA / Youth

Providence Radio Association & young Amateur participation at the HamXposition W1XPO GOTA station

- by Nancy Austin

Providence Radio Association club president Dave Tessitore, K1DT shared this news before their weekly social meeting tonight at the PRA clubhouse:

A record 27 PRA members were in attendance for the Northeast HamXposition two weeks ago in Marlborough, MA. https://hamxposition.org/

  • Members and family in attendance included AC1GE, AJ1S, K1COI, K1DT, K1LFS, KB1EFR, KB1KVD, KB1RCD, KC1NAB, KC1NTI, KZ1K, N1DM, N1RHH, N1SXB, N1WVQ, NE1U, W1BSN, W1ER, W1ESQ, W1EYH, W1GS, W1PRA, WA1WEE, WQ1Q, K3DRE, W3DRE, and Sarah Good. Friends and associates were too many to list!

   

The PRA set-up and hosted the Official HamXpo Get-On-The-Air station, W1XPO.

https://hamxposition.org/2024/02/03/providence-radio-association-to-sponsor-2024-official-hamxposition-station-w1xpo/

Tremendous young Amateur participation at the HamXposition W1XPO GOTA station!

Thanks to all the PRA members, it was an Overwhelming Success!

Many of us filled the PRA Table(s) at both the Friday DX Dinner and Saturday Grand Banquet.

  • The Fri and Sat PRA Happy Hours were well attended by members, friends, and guests.

   

PRA HamXpo Speakers

Our President, K1DT spoke on Marketing your Club, while Dom, N1DM spoke on DMR technology, and Doug, K3DRE, gave an interesting presentation on Being a Ham in the Broadcast Industry. Many of us attended the RI Section Forum hosted by our ARRL Section Manager, Nancy, KC1NEK.

Thank you all for your support!

73, Tess K1DT

Field Day / Ham Outreach / Mentoring / NCRC

Surfing the Airwaves from Newport County

- by Nancy Austin
Libby, visiting from Portland OR, was surprised and delighted chatting over the airwaves with local Newport County Radio club members during last weekend’s Jane’s Walk Newport RI. Shown here being  mentored by Paul Fredette, K1YBE, NCRC-VP.

 

https://www.centeraquidneck.com/airwaves

Every day across Newport County, amateur radio operators get on the air to talk with one another without needing to rely on the internet or commercial power. This diverse community of FCC-licensed “hams” take advantage of the radio spectrum frequencies allocated to licensed amateurs as part of this critical but invisible infrastructure that is the radio spectrum. 

Last weekend’s Jane’s Walk was about sharing the experience of a resilient community forged by a diverse group of local hams licensed since the pandemic, welcomed by a community of old-timers and “Elmer” mentors. We still check in daily on scheduled “nets” to say hello, offer updates about what’s happening in our part of the island, compare notes, and generally learn something new. Any licensed amateur can join in. 

It’s also about public service to our community. During bad weather, we have practiced and are prepared to set up Skywarn nets and report relevant information up to the National Weather Service at W1BOX in nearby Norton/Boston. Some of us dig deeper and practice how to send National Traffic System Health & Welfare Radiograms out of the region, should that ever be necessary. Anyone can join this amateur radio community after studying and passing a license exam that does not require knowing Morse Code.

Didn’t make it to last weekend’s Jane’s Walk?  The annual ARRL Field Day national amateur radio demo weekend is June 22-23, 2024.

The Newport County Radio Club (W1SYE) will be offering a “Get On the Air” station at Glen Park in Portsmouth, RI. All are welcome to stop by and learn more. Ham radio – the original social media. People talking to people, even if the internet is down. Amateur Radio – Communication when all else fails.

Many thanks to Rebecca Noon and Jed Brainerd from Center Aquidneck for convening Jane’s Walk 2024.

The Airwaves Jane’s Walk was fun and memorable thanks to all the local hams who got on the local repeater to chat with our visitors.  Thank you!

Newport native & “Not Yet A Ham” Jed Brainerd from Center Aquidneck, getting on the air!

Clubs / Ham Outreach / Mentoring

ARRL Division Cabinet Meeting Recap, May 6, 2024

- by Nancy Austin
This week’s ARRL New England Division meeting featured a panel presentation by active New England club leaders from CT, NH and MA who shared their thoughts on how to mentor and grow their respective clubs. This 30 minute segment was recorded and is now available to watch on the ARRL New England Division website, linked here:
Get inspired!  Share widely.  Let us know about your club’s successes with outreach and club growth. Highly recommended.