Are you radio Active?
November ushers in the holiday season and with it comes family gatherings, parties and gift giving (thanks to Black Friday deals). But it is also time to reflect on whether you are really “radio active’? What do I mean by “radio active”?
Actually it has multiple meanings. The first one I want to reflect upon is how “active” you are in NS9RC. With our 2022 membership drive in full swing (remember you can save $5.00 if you pay your dues before December 31st), are you taking full advantage of our club offerings? We have hybrid monthly meetings at Heller Nature Center, an active build club, our Thursday night net, periodic club only sales/auctions, the best repeater system on the North Shore, the 10 meter Saturday morning group, Saturday morning breakfast club at Max’s, Saturday morning technical seminars, and public service events throughout the year. In addition, we offer “Elmers” to provide guidance to new hams, have a working ham station available at the Northbrook Public Library, and have outings such as Hams in the Park (whether permitting) and of course, Field Day . We have a wealth of technical knowledge within our membership that can help troubleshoot most any technical question whether it be HF bands or UHF/VHF/Fusion/D-Star.
My question to you as the membership is how radio active do you want to be? It would be great if you would be willing to step up and volunteer to work on our various club committees. We are in the process of establishing special interest groups such as radio balloon building and launching; club special event stations; technical advisors for AREDN, etc. If you want to get out and make new friends, share some of the fun with others, than please consider getting outside of your ham shack and become a more active participant in our club. Its success depends on you.
Winter is always a good time to review your radio active skills. Do you do CW? If not, why not master a new skill or increase your speed? Or how about improving your soldering skills? Have you kept with upgrades to your software defined radios? Have you reviewed your inventory of equipment so it is accurate and up to date for insurance purposes? Are you planning to deploy a new antenna in the Spring? Have you thought about how you will place it on your property? How about building a portable shack in a box for Hams in the Park or POTA? So many ideas and so little time. But why not share your time and skills with fellow club members?
And since this is the beginning of gift giving season, the question of what to give a ham always comes up in my family. Well, no more guessing and disappointments anymore. I recently discovered Etsy.com (and placing ham radio in the search bar). I was literally overwhelmed with the wide variety of unique gifts that are available to hams. Just point your family and friends in that direction and you will have little trouble finding just the right gift.
Looking forward to an active year ahead. If you want to step and participate to help the club thrive, please let anyone on our Board of Directors know or contact me directly at KR9T@arrl.net.
73,
Burt KR9T