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Looking for Inspiration?

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Looking for inspiration?

We’re intentionally soliciting talks at all levels: introductory, general interest, advanced. The ideal presentation is preferably about 45 minutes in length and absolutely no longer than 50 minutes. This will allow time for subsequent speakers to set up. Here are just a few ideas to spark your imagination as you prepare a talk about The Excitement of Amateur Radio. (Don’t worry. You may see an inspiration in one subject group and apply it to another.)

Antennas and Propagation Subjects. Simple antennas for the newcomer. Making antennas out of aluminum, or wire. Antenna projects as club activities. All about transmission lines and connectors. Knowledgeable purchasing. Rotators. Tower safety. When should I get on the air, and on which band? Propagation basics. Beacons. Propagation modeling. Propagation reporting. What are all these sunspot numbers, A, and K factors, anyway? The decibel. What’s next in the solar cycle. Results of your own propagation studies. HamSCI activities.

Operating Activities Subjects.

On The Air. Introduction to fox hunting, to ARDF, to OTAs (Summits, Parks, Lighthouses, Boy Scout Jamborees, Girl Scout Thinking days, etc.). International cooperative efforts. Operating practice and/or ethics. Operating awards. Geography and topography. VHF+ hilltopping and roving. Tips and techniques for your successful activity. Activity travelogues. QSLing. Occupying underutilized bands or modes.

Contesting. Introduction to contesting. Configuring your station. Maximizing your score. Breaking through pile-ups. Tips for the “little pistol” competitors. Logging programs and techniques. Submitting logs. Field day war stories.

DXing. Introduction to DXing. Wallpaper opportunities. Organizing and managing a DXpedition. Amateur Radio demographics around the world. Tips for the “little pistol” DX chasers. Getting started with Logbook of the World. Travelogues.

EMCOM, Public Service, and Traffic Subjects. What happens to “When all else fails” when the Internet fails. EMCOM/PS preparation and training. The Incident Commander concept. Initiating and managing local EMCOM relationships. Case studies of or reports on emergency communications.
Introduction to public service. Public service experiences. Case studies of or reports on public service events. Go-kits/portable/packable/mobile equipment. Portable power. Introduction to traffic handling.

Restructuring of the NTS. Analog and digital repeater systems and networks. Analysis of command, control, and communications during Paul Rever’s 1775 ride.

History, Invention, and Reinvention Subjects. Where did we come from. Historical artifacts. Amateur Radio’s contributions to the art and technology of radio. Amateur Radio demographics. A tank away: radio-related tourist venues. How can Amateur Radio thrive: where are we going, how do we get there. Rejuvenating clubs and club meetings.

League, Division, and Section Activities and News. What’s next, what’s big in Amateur Radio. Rules and regulations. Major operating activities. Supporting scouting activities and college clubs.

Technical Subjects. New signal sources, modes, or modulation schemes. Introduction to the digital modes. Introduction to repeaters, DSTAR, DMR, etc. The analog modes aren’t dead. Unusual modes (video, telemetry, remote control, etc.) Equipment construction techniques. Physical circuits versus programming. The basics of software defined radios. SMD soldering. Parts and programs resources. Hints and Kinks. RFI chasing and fixing. Using clusters, spotters, and reporters. How to remotely control your station. Frontiers in the hobby. The Clean Signal Initiative. Exploring Lightwave communications. Experiences at HF and below, VHF and above. Shack networking and interfacing. Remote operation. Reports of experiments, studies, or significant achievements.

Training and Education Subjects. T&E planning for your club. T&E success (or failure) stories. Demonstrations, and how to present them. Long format versus short format license preparation. Tech Nights. Post-exam, continuing, and remedial training. Finding candidate trainees. Bringing the next
generation on board. Elmering.

2025 HamX Call for Talks

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HamX is the largest annual gathering of Radio Amateurs east of Dayton and north of Huntsville. And it fields more talks and workshops than any other ham convention in the world. We’re not just a trade show, we convene to exchange ideas. Here’s your chance to participate. Locally, 2025 will be celebrated as the 250 th anniversary of “the shot heard ‘round the world.” But we all know that for over a century Amateur Radio’s signals have been heard ‘round the world.

Every year’s talks pretty much run the same gamut of subject areas—Antennas and Propagation, Contesting and DXing, EMCOM/PS, League, Operating Activities, Organization and Innovation, Technical, and Training. This year we’re emphasizing “signals heard ’round the world.”

So, consider volunteering to speak on signals.

  • How we generate and transmit Amateur signals. (our bands, equipment, remote systems, antennas, propagation, etc.)
  • How we modulate our signals. (CW, phone, digital, image, etc.)
  • The uses we make of our signals. (on-the-air activities, EMCOM and public service, DXing, contesting, traffic, repeaters, EME. etc.)

Even if you can’t speak, you must have some ideas regarding what you or others want to hear about—elementary topics for the newcomers among us, intermediate-level topics for the general attendees, even advanced topics to challenge and educate us all. Pass them on as a
request.

Here are this year’s planning and preparation milestones:

  • January through April – Individuals propose presentations. The Convention’s Programs Committee also solicits presentations. Speaker Login webpage active.
  • By 30 April – Solicited presenters reply.
  • By 1 June – Potential presenters commit to speaking if scheduled.
  • By 30 June – Closeout: presentation curation complete. Presenters notified.
  • By 30 June – Presenters finish populating database with personal information, talk title, and talk summary. (Minor grammatic and spelling edits are permitted until the database is locked.)
  • 15 July – Database locked. No further editing by presenters.
  • 31 July – Scheduling resolved, locked, and provided for brochure preparation.
  • 10 August – Brochure submitted to printer.
  • 21-23 August — HamXposition 2025!

It’s never too early to start planning! Contact HamXposition Program Chair Skip Youngberg at K1NKR@hamxposition.org.

“POTA Adventures at the Northeast HamXposition”

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POTA Adventures at the Northeast HamXposition: Conrad, Peter, and Brian’s Exciting Weekend
 
The Northeast HamXposition, held in Marlborough, Massachusetts, from August 22nd to 25th, was a weekend filled with ham radio activities, presentations, and special events. For Conrad Trautmann (N2YCH), Peter Cimino (K1PCN), and Brian Horne (N1BAM), it was a memorable event that blended education with the thrill of Parks on the Air (POTA) activations.
 
Conrad and Peter, along with Shawn Warren (KC1NQE), delivered a joint presentation on the evolution of the Connecticut Parks on the Air (CT-POTA) Activators Group on Saturday afternoon. Given the presentation topic, permissions were granted for them to activate some parks over the weekend using the special event call sign W1XPO, the official call of FEMARA.
 
Activating a park is always fun, but using a special event call sign like W1XPO added an extra level of excitement. Conrad mentioned, “Everyone wants to try and get you, which usually means a good pile-up!”
 
Peter and Conrad started early on Friday, mapping out parks to visit before the main event. Their first stop was Bigelow Hollow State Park (US-1648) in Union, Connecticut. With some helpful advice from Shawn, who had activated there before, they set up near Bigelow Pond. Conrad recalls, “The park is wooded with forest right up to the bank of the pond. There’s not much open space, so we set up among the trees.” Peter operated SSB while Conrad handled digital modes, offering hunters different opportunities to make contact.
 
Meanwhile, Brian Horne (N1BAM) also got in on the POTA action during the HamXposition. On Friday, he activated Callahan State Park (US-2424) in Massachusetts using his personal call sign, N1BAM. Setting up a SuperAntenna with a Faraday cloth for HF, Brian logged an impressive 44 contacts in just over an hour, making it his first time activating a Massachusetts park.
 
On Sunday, after the conference wrapped up, Brian activated Moosup Valley State Trail (US-7535) in Connecticut on his way home. Hiking in about a quarter-mile, he found an elevated spot overlooking a river and made 17 contacts in just 20 minutes, using the W1XPO call sign.
 
Conrad and Peter continued their activations with a stop at Quacumquasit Wildlife Management Area (US-11562) in East Brookfield, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, Conrad faced a challenge with his logging software, which refused to cooperate. While Peter had a successful activation, Conrad’s issues reminded them that even experienced operators can encounter setbacks in the field.
 
The duo made one more stop on the way back to Connecticut, activating Wells State Park (US-2462) in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. As rain began to fall during their activation, they quickly wrapped up and headed home.
 
The Northeast HamXposition was a tremendous success for Conrad, Peter, and Brian. The combination of presentations and activations made the weekend unforgettable. The joint presentation on the CT-POTA Activators group showcased their passion for POTA, while the activations using the W1XPO call sign highlighted the joy of working with a special event call.
As Brian, Peter, and Conrad activated parks in New England, they further cemented their love for POTA and the unique bond it fosters within the ham radio community. Until next year’s event, the team is eager to continue their POTA adventures, inspiring more operators to explore the joys of activating parks on the air.
 
POTA on!
 
Shawn Warren
KC1NQE – Keep Creating 1 New Quality Experience
 
N2YCH - Activating W1XPO

MMRA “Turns Out in Force” at HamXposition

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The Minuteman Repeater Association, an Eastern Massachusetts-based non-profit organization providing communications infrastructure and volunteers for community and emergency events since 1971, was active at the 2024 Northeast HamXposition on a number of fronts. Their September 2024 newsletter, The Minuteman, contains a nice recap of their activities.

 

MMRA HamX story

MMRA newsletter pg 2

Club Track at Northeast HamXposition

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Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes:

Thanks for attending the “Club Track” at HamXposition last weekend.  Feedback has been very positive!

I want to thank the following people for their presentations:

Bruce Blain, K1BG, Nashoba Valley ARC – Guerilla Marketing: Finding contacts, creating email lists mailings / CRM tips.

David Tessitore, K1DT, Providence Radio Association – Marketing your Club.

Chris Ranney, WA1CMR, Falmouth ARA – Getting New Hams Active – How a “radio” library can help.

George Allison, K1IG, PART of Westford – Making Your Club Relevant and Fun.

Phil Temples, K9HI – Overview of WordPress website options.

Brandon Hockle, NQ1W, Cape Ann ARA – Radio Club Rejuvenated: What we did at Cape Ann ARA and what might work for your club.

Nancy Austin, KC1NEK, SM/RI and Rowan Eggert, WO1P, SYC/RI – Leveraging the biannual ARRL School Roundup in the New England Division as a new youth force multiplier follow up to Winter Field Day and JOTA.

If anyone is interest in any of the presentations, reply to this email and I will send you a copy or copies.

Thanks again.  I hope we can do it again in 2025!

 

Bruce

Providence Radio Association Hosts W1XPO “Get On The Air” at Northeast HamXposition

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Vic Farmer writes on the Providence Radio Association Facebook page:
 
At the 2024 Northeast HamXposition, [the Providence Radio Association] W1OP hosted W1XPO, an On the Air demonstration with a working  Icom 7300 SSB station, where walkins could get on the air time and coaching help. 
 
On Saturday,  the team additionally operated the WW Digi contest as W1XPO/1. They linked into HQ as a remote client direct from the Best Western Expo Site.   Listed as a multi op single station . . . over 18 operators participated.  They remotely operated via internet, a K3 transceiver into a 135ft Doublet, ladder line fed into a balun. 
 
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