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The Communication Experts
The great thing about a hobby like ours is that there is so much diversity that you can pick whatever niche suits you. From a public perspective, though, there is one branding message that should unite us all: We are the Communication Experts.During Hurricane Harvey, I saw amateur radio at it’s best. Our trained volunteers…
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Therapeutic Gratitude
I recently spent some time with Dacher Keltner, a perpetual student of the art and science of emotional wellbeing. He reminded me of one of its great prerequisites: Gratitude.This came home to me in a powerful way the morning after. A brave friend who deals with clinical depression uses gratitude as a weapon to beat…
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How to make Field Day (or any remote operation) Great
In my days as a radio broadcaster, one of the most exciting things we did was a “remote”, where we took our gear and our talent out into the community to broadcast live. My good friend and legendary programming consultant, Gary Berkowitz, recently wrote a column about how to accomplish an effective remote. Realizing that…
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Amateur Radio During Word War II
What follows is a summary of the War Emergency Radio Service (WERS). Information was gathered primarily from “Fifty Years of ARRL,” an historical record of the League and amateur radio. It was originally posted on the AC6V website.First a bit of background: In 1939 there were 51,000 US hams. In September of that year war…
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The Father Factor
(Update: June 16, 2019) The “Real” Scott Westerman left us on April 18, 2018, my mother’s birthday. He loved being a Dad. He was my role model for fatherhood and a father figure for countless others during his 92 years. “We don’t get to choose the cards life deals us,” he told me during our…
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Earning ARRL’s Worked All States award in 12 months or less
Worked All States. It’s the first significant milestone for a radio amateur after passing the General Class exam. No matter what your gear, it’s an achievement that can be earned in a year or less if you play to win.Here’s how.Every state has its own QSO Party, a weekend where there’s an organized effort to…