Join by Oliver Johnson, KC1TCM, for “Summer Field Trips in HAM Radio, Computers, and Engineering” at the Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society hybrid in-person/Zoom meeting, 16 Tech Circle in Natick, MA at 7 PM on October 7, 2025. [More]
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2025 HamX Club Track YouTube Recordings
Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes:
First, thank you for attending the HamXposition 2025 Club Track.
I thought we had an exciting and worthwhile day! I’d like to thank the following for their presentations:
Speaker(s) | Subject |
Pi Pugh K1RV | Encourage newcomers, but first, guard the exit gate! |
Phil Temples K9HI | Using WordPress to Energize Your Webpage |
Nancy Austin, KC1NEK and Rowan Eggert, WO1P | Leveraging the ARRL School Roundup as a new youth force multiplier follow up to Winter Field Day and JOTA. |
Chris Ranney WA1CMR | Encouraging Technicians and the Local Community |
Bruce Blain K1BG | Jumpstart Your Membership with Licensing Classes – the easy way |
Corey Adelt N1XWS | Using POTA to Energize Your Club |
George Allison K1IG | Silent Keys and Estate Sales: Helping Your Members |
Mark Noe KE1IU | The Many Benefits of Obtaining 501(c)3 Status for your Club |
If you remember, a fellow club member from the Nashoba Valley ARC, Jim Hein, N8VIM, recorded the presentations. You can find those presentations on the NVARC YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDMCAp9jG3I&list=PLKxqpM8coZlLN5UDAwlmGh1iTBJ0-6RKc. If you look to the right of my introduction, you should see links to the other Club Track presentations.
NVARC has an extensive collection of material on the NVARC YouTube Channel. If you are interested, feel free to look at them.
If you would like a .pdf of any of the Club Track presentations, please drop me an email and I will respond.
Lastly, I’d like to see “Club Track” continue at HamXposition in future years. I’ve run the program for two years now, and I don’t want this to be a lifelong commitment! So, if anyone wants to organize this next year, please let me know. I’m happy to help, happy to promote, and happy to present. But I would like to see someone else step up! So again, let me know if you have an interest.
Enjoy the presentations and see you again next year!
Bruce, K1BG
HamXposition
“Northeast HamXposition and New England Division Convention a Resounding Success!”
The ARRL New England Division webpage contains this wrap up about HamX 2025:
“The Northeast HamXposition (“HamX”) and ARRL New England Division Convention on August 21-24, 2025, was a resounding success. The weather for the Marlborough, Massachusetts, event was picture-perfect, the flea markets were buzzing with sales, and major equipment manufacturers Elecraft and Flex were back to exhibit their wares along with other vendors inside the bustling exhibition area.” [More]
Youth Forum at 2025 HamX
YOUTH FORUM 2025 — Group Photo at this year’s HamX. Twenty eight students got to talk with Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, an Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering at The University of Scranton (center of photo), who was the guest speaker for the Saturday evening Grand Banquet. His talk was about the study space weather and its impacts on the ionosphere and radio propagation. [photo courtesy Sci-Tech ARS]
KD1CY Honored for 20 Years of VoIP Hurricane Net Service at HamX
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator and Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, was awarded with a surprise plaque for 20 years of service to the Voice over IP (“VoIP”) Hurricane Net.
District Emergency Coordinator Jim Palmer, KB1KQW, arranged for HWN Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, to be present via Zoom during Rob’s SKYWARN talk. Graves presented the award “virtually” in front of the attendees.
“I was aware of the award because it was mentioned [earlier in the year] at the National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Workshop, but I did not attend in person this year due to work commitments,” said Macedo.
Trip to W1AW

Jim Irby, WB4EJR, writes:
On August 22nd at around 10:00 AM, twenty-one amateur radio operators who were attending the Northeast HamXposition in Marlborough, Massachusetts boarded a bus for the 90-minute trip to ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut (https://www.arrl.org/inside-w1aw). The trip was organized by Bob DeMattia (K1IW, HamX) and Bob Inderbitzen (NQ1R, ARRL).
Once on site, the group was given a tour of the station by Bob Inderbitzen and John McAuliffe (W1DRF). They pointed out early transmitting equipment used by ARRL founder Hiram Percy Maxim, and they discussed the history of the ARRL. Equipment used to send code practice training transmissions throughout the world was seen as well as new conferencing facilities. Vintage Collins and Drake line equipment was also on display. One or two of the attendees made QSOs from W1AW.
For lunch, Bob DeMattia organized delivery of more than enough subs to feed the tour group. Lunch was taken outside the W1AW building on picnic tables under a beautiful stand of trees. The tour group returned to Marlborough by mid-afternoon.
Thank you, Bob DeMattia, Bob Inderbitzen and John McAuliffe, for this wonderful trip. It was beautifully organized, and it fulfilled a dream many of us have had for many years!
~~~
Larry Banks, W1DYJ, writes:
I was happy to have the opportunity to visit ARRL Headquarters on the Friday of HamXposition. I was last in Newington in 1965 while home one summer from college. Some highlights and a personal story.

First, everyone we met made us feel welcomed: my thanks to the great Headquarters’ staff, especially our host Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. Naturally, everything I saw was great, from the antenna farm, to the “shack” (as if such a high-level, multi-operator-position, impressive looking W1AW could be even thought of as a “shack!”), to the lab and museum. Two personal highlights were seeing (and smelling) “Old Betsy” – Maxim’s spark transmitter – operate, and the ARRL’s OSCAR I satellite. Three were built: the ARRL has one, the Smithsonian has one, and the third one burned up when it came back to earth.
A personal delight: My original call in 1961 was KN1VFX, and then K1VFX in Stratford Conn; I became W1DYJ in 1966. While sitting on the bus in Marlboro I noticed a person walking down the aisle wearing a call sign tag: K1VXY! I asked him “Is that your original call?” Howard said YES, and that he also was licensed in December 1961. I mentioned that I grew up on Stratford – and Howard said “My sister-in-law lives in Stratford!” Small-World Squared!
D-STAR Presentation Slides Available
Terry Stader, KA8SCP, writes:
Hello gang. It was great to see some of you at HamXpo this past weekend. Thanks for saying hello and attending the presentations I did at HamXposition.
Below are the 2 different presentations in PDF format… there is some duplication of slides.
https://ka8scp.wb1gof.net/dsta
https://ka8scp.wb1gof.net/dsta
Terry
“Antennas for Backyard, Balcony, Attic, or Wherever” Slides Available
The slides from the 2025 HamX presentation, “Antennas for Backyard, Balcony, Attic, or Wherever” by Bob Glorioso, W1IS, are now posted on the Battery Eliminator Store website.
Talk Description:
We have found that many new hams and retiring hams are living in apartments or condos where they have limited ability to get on HF while others have constraints like HOAs or family concerns about the aesthetics of wires, masts or beams hanging on the house. It takes more than reading an add or buying a mobile antenna to get on HF. First, they must understand the basics of antennas or they are stymied. This presentation covers the principles needed and examples of successful HF antennas in a restricted environment.
Grand Prizes at HamXposition
Over $15,000 of door prizes were awarded at the 2025 Northeast HamXposition.
According to HamX Prize Chair Larry Krainson, W1AST, “Our top prize, the Yaesu FT-891 mobile with the ATAS-120a mobile antenna, was won by Arthur Weeks, Jr., W1AGW, Rollinsford, New Hampshire. The Elecraft KH1 Edgewood—a POTA/SOTA dream radio—was awarded to Gay Nelson, KC1WQI, Old Lyme, Connecticut.”

