Robson Ranch Amateur Radio Club presentation: “The History of HAM Radio” (photo by Mike Moss)
Mike Moss
As your Amateur Radio Club closes out its first year as a Robson Ranch club, we’re proud of the growth of our membership and our activities. Now, with nearly 40 members and 30 licensed radio operators, we’re even more excited about our upcoming second year!
This is a club for and of amateur radio, aka “HAM,” operators living here in Robson Ranch, and while members are likely to be FCC-licensed radio operators, that is not a requirement to join. Many of the club members are also members of nearby organizations, such as the Denton County Amateur Radio Association.
One of the great aspects of the Amateur Radio Club, like so many of the Robson Ranch clubs, is the opportunity for newcomers to benefit and learn from those more experienced. Among the many well-established HAM enthusiasts, our club has a small handful of lifelong radio operators with a combined 250-plus years of experience! And more than half of our operators have one of the two highest level licenses from the FCC.
In keeping with the club’s mission to educate current and future members about various facets of amateur radio, this month, club member Paul Marriott (AF5BV) gave a presentation on the origins and likely future of “HAM Radio.” From the discovery of the concepts that make radio work, through today’s software-based radios, Paul led an excellent and wide-ranging discussion. In our “Gear Demo” topic, Club President Darrell Supak (W2KF) ran down the impressive capabilities of a modern “software-defined radio” operating via Raspberry Pi mini-computer (a truly amazing capability, retailing for just $499) that, just a decade ago, didn’t even exist! Finally, as our solar system’s sun continues moving into “Solar Cycle 25,” the “Solar Flux Index” (SFI) continues to hit and sustain levels not seen in over 10 years. Those high SFIs create the atmospheric conditions that enable global communications right from your home! The remaining more than nine years of this cycle will be an outstanding time to be a HAM! Come join us—now’s the time!
Your RR Amateur Radio Club promotes amateur radio individually and at established community functions, furthers the hobby of amateur radio, and renders communications as a public service during impending storms or following severe weather, as well as (for those who participate in Emergency Comms, or EMCOM, activities) assisting in disaster relief operations by providing communications when called upon by any official agency of the city, county, state, or government of the USA.
The Robson Ranch Amateur Radio Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. in the clubhouse.
If you are interested in HAM radio, have or want to get a license, and would like to join the club, contact Darrell Supak at [email protected] or Tim Battle at [email protected]. Or you can request membership directly on GroupWorks: Robson Ranch Amateur Radio Club, app.groupworks.com/#/groups/4830.