New England Sci-Tech Hosts Lexington Boy Scout Troop

Lexington BSA troop at New England Sci-Tech for radio merit badge trainingFrom ema.arrl.org:

Seventeen boys and girls from the Lexington BSA scouts participated in a three-hour program at New England Sci-Tech in Natick [MA] toward their radio merit badge, electronics merit badge, and amateur radio license.

For two groups over two weekends, Jon Lyna, George Lyna, Rusty Moore, K1FVK, and Bob Phinney, K5TEC, led radio and electronics activities. Scout leader John Aldridge created the curriculum which he and Bob plan to make a regular program for scout activities at New England Sci-Tech.

“Gerry’s Ham Radio Life: 48 Years of W1VE”

Gerry Hull, W1VEYouTube video blogger Kevin Thomas, W1DED, interviewed Gerry Hull, W1VE, recently:

“There are many hams who can claim five decades of amateur radio but there are few who have been immersed in so many facets of the hobby as Gerry Hull, W1VE. Gerry is active throughout his native Canada with several VE callsigns, he’s well known for his expertise in the remote ham radio space, he’s consulted for and operated the AA7JV Radio-in-a-Box project, and was instrumental in creating the online contest scoreboard concept. He’s a competitive contester, consummate DXer, technical writer, a long-time member of the Yankee Clipper Contest Club, and more. In this interview, Gerry talks specifically about his recent CQ WW CW multi-op contest effort at the Maine superstation, K1LZ, and then we do a speed round of questions that cover some of his nearly 50 years in ham radio.”

https://youtu.be/wgpPAoD7eqs

[Gerry was Co-Chair of the 2023 Northeast HamXposition special event station W1A.] 

YLRL Annual Award Deadline, January 1, 2024

YLRL posted on the Young Ladies Radio League Facebook page:

YLs—if you are participating in YLRL’s Annual Award event, please get your application in by Jan 1, 2024.

Award for 2023 is given for working 12 YLs on-the-air, without help from the Internet aids to ham radio contacts. FT8/FT4 do count, as signals go out over your radio and antennas. Official log sheet is on the website (www.ylrl.net) under YLRL Certificates. Deadline for submission is 01/31/2024.

 

YL Meet and Greet
YL Meet and Greet at the 2023 Northeast HamXposition. Photo courtesy KC1KGS

Meriden (CT) ARC’s MARCONI Project: Mentoring Radio Clubs

Meriden ARC logoThe Meriden Amateur Radio Club (MARC), an ARRL Special Service club in Wallingford, Connecticut, has created an innovative program known as MARCONI, “Motivating Amateur Radio Clubs to Open New Initiatives.” The brainchild of MARC President Dr. Ed Snyder, W1YSM, MARCONI seeks to empower radio clubs to mentor other clubs who may be “less robust” or active. 

Funded by an ARRL Foundation club grant through ARDC, MARCONI focuses on seven different areas or “activity programs:” 

1. POTA
2. Fox Hunting
3. CW Training
4. Satellite Communications
5. VE Sessions
6. Served Agencies
7. NCS Training and Traffic Passing

According to W1YSM, MARC has made good progress in all of the programs. “Since the six-month [progress report] we have  added an eighth program to MARCONI: Radio Amateur Balloon Science.” 

Dr. Snyder presented on the MARCONI project at the 2023 Northeast HamXposition; the talk was well-received.

Kudos to the Meriden Amateur Radio Club for implementing this innovative program to benefit other radio clubs!

 

New England Sci-Tech Students Participate in Cubes in Space Experiments

“New England Sci-Tech students participate in the Cubes in Space program run by iEDU inc. where they create and present experiments that, if selected, launch into near-space on a NASA sounding rocket or zero pressure scientific balloon. This year, the students taking part in Cubes in Space proposed an experiment to test the viability of launching spray-dried blood into space for rehydration in a zero-gravity environment to treat traumatic injury in space.”

Since porcine blood most closely matches human blood, team is researching if APC’s products could treat traumatic injury in space. [Full story]

NEST "blood in space" poster at 2023 HamXposition
New England Sci-Tech poster on display at the 2023 Northeast HamXposition. Photo courtesy K5TEC

HamXposition 2024 Kicks Off With Comedy!

Juston McKenny
Juston McKinney

Start your convention visit off on a laugh with the newest addition to our HamXposition line up! We’re pleased to announce that the 2024 Northeast HamXposition will kick off with a comedy at by world-renowned comedian Juston McKinney.

Juston has starred in numerous Comedy Central shows including his half-hour Comedy Central Presents and his one-hour special “Juston McKinney-A Middle-Class Hole.” He has multiple appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien as well as a Showtime Special with Rob Gronkowski. He has also appeared twice at Denis Leary’s, Comics Come Home at the TD Garden. 

Tickets are just $35, and also available as part of our “Convention Plus” package.

Seating will be limited to 250 persons, so don’t delay!

Remco Radiocraft Crystal Radio

Remco Radiocraft Crystal RadioSeen in the 2023 Northeast HamXposition flea market: a Remco Radiocraft crystal radio.
 
” . . . Many youthful experimenters started their radio involvement with one of these. Made by Remco Industries of Newark, New Jersey. Remco was one of the larger toy manufacturers in the 1950s and 60s but sought bankruptcy protection in 1971 and faded from the scene soon after. Its products included a number of scientific toys. This Remco Radiocraft is actually a crystal radio with a permeable coil for tuning and a single transistor as audio amplifier.” -Boat Anchor Pix

VE2DX Electronics Featured in Canada Ventures

Richard Desaulniers, VE2DX, of VE2DX Electronics, one of the 2023 Northeast HamXposition vendors, was prominently featured in Canada Startup and Venture News, in an article entitled “Which Quebec Electronics Startups are Influencing Canada’s Tech Industry in 2023?” 

“Today’s article is all about Canadian innovation, as we spotlight some of the most exciting startups in the province of Quebec. Concentrating on the electronics industry, these companies are at the forefront of technological advancements, from AI developments to urban air mobility. Dive in to discover 15 remarkable Canadian startups making waves in the electronics world.

“These startups are not just technologically impressive – they’re also diverse in their fields of focus. Covering sectors like cannabis, audio, health care, electric vehicles, water purification, and more, these emerging companies underscore how technology has truly diffused into every facet of life and industry. Feast your eyes on the future, unfolding right now in Quebec.”

[Full story]