I am in the midst of EMT-B training and this has been a great journey.  I’ve also been riding on the Ambulance once a week for a 12 hour shift which has given me great exposure and shadowing experience from my Field Training Officer and the Paramedics on duty.

A great experience that leaves me a really “good” kind of tired.   Seems to blend well with my Community Service side.  Ham Radio and EMT.    Next step, to bring more EMS people into Ham Radio.

It’s just logical!

As 2011 comes to an end and 2012 approaches, I have new challenges that I want to approach and take on.  As I decided to become a Ham Radio Operator in 2011 and went at it full-force, I also have always wanted to become an EMT and add that to my bucket list and contribute in that way.  Whether driving an ambulance, administering CPR or providing help to save a life as a first responder … I would like to be a part of that.  I need to explore it fully and see what it takes and how I fare with it.

I am in the process of filling out my application which is just a first step.  It’s my 2012 goal.

It should dovetail nicely with my Ham Radio life, MARS life and general preparedness.  I will bring my Army skills back to the fore.

I like it.

Cheesy, yeah … I know.  Thanksgiving has come and gone and I have not been on the air much.  As weekend approaches, I will pray for great propagation and some nice air time.  If you are reading this … happy, happy and blessed Holidays to you and your families.

I was glad to get the CARES Class under my belt last weekend and teach sections T1 and T2 in the Technician Question Pool dealing with FCC Rules and Regulations and Operating Procedure.  It was great to have the support of W2BK and K2CK to back up everything and help me to clarify points regarding remote and automatic operation which can just get a LITTLE bit confusing.  We only had two students at RPI, but it was great …  We held a VE Session on Sunday and had a couple extra come to take the test and advance. Very satisfying.  Glenn Cooper, W2BK is doing a great job with The CARE Group.

Regarding ElmerLink.com and my desire to have a forum, I am finding things getting spammed and I have not taken the forum and site into Primetime yet.   I need to really think it through a little bit more and see if I can keep the Forum under control.  Maybe with the help of another Ham who understands PhPBB and is willing to administer it with me … otherwise, it might get a little crazy.

Today I think I will try to do some DX and see how things are.  I want to hop on the Grey Line and see if I can make some Japanese contacts on 10 meters.  That would be pretty cool.

A good weekend to “Ham it Up” a little bit and make some DX contacts.  I’ve been off the air for a bit trying to get classes and Ham Radio meetings under control.  Between all the activities and Nets, I find myself busy with Ham Radio.

Lots of fun!

I’ve been so involved with Ham stuff lately (more with clubs and VE / teaching opportunities) that I decided that I wanted to create a website for those newly licensed Hams looking for Elmers.   An “Elmer” is an Amateur Radio term for “Mentor”.

I was blessed right out of the gate to have a person that volunteered to Elmer me (KC2ODL) and get me running with my Technician privileges and then my General and Extra privileges as well.  Very, very blessed.  So …. with that thought in mind I wanted to create a website that would allow people to Elmer and find Elmers – by state.  A “match-making” site of sorts for those seeking help.

I have the web, techie side to me … but I sure as heck needed help getting an antenna built and erected correctly.   The very nature of being a Ham is “community” (and we are small but mighty).    I was extremely blessed to have a very good, kind and helpful Elmer that helped me get up and running (I provided ample coffee and bagels upon request).   I thought this website might be another way to get Hams together.

Sounds like a big undertaking and I really want to think it through pretty well.  One of those labors of love.    Everything in the world of Ham Radio that involves volunteerism is a labor of love.

ElmerLink.com …. something I really have to think through.

A year ago, Ham Radio was just a thing that my Dad (CP1BH) did in his lifetime.  Something that consumed him and eventually consumed me — even if it took awhile.  As I approach my 46th birthday, I think of my first efforts at the age of 10 to try to learn Morse Code in order to get my Novice license and being WAY TOO distracted with bikes and skateboards.  I settled for a CB and was happy to get some mic time that way.  I also though relished the time watching my Dad with his slow scan TV and RTTY rigs and whatever latest gadget he had.  The antenna tower I used to climb to get to the roof and the cool factor of wireless communications.  But I didn’t know that the year 2011 would bring new devotion and my eventual Ham Radio license and upgrades all within the first quarter of the year.  It’s been wonderful!  Quite the journey and I really DO miss my Dad.   To have a real QSO with him … to even understand what that means now less than a year later is pretty neat.

I begin 46 with new skills and MUCH to learn.  I look forward to being involved in Ham Clubs and helping to VE and teach a Technician class with W2BK and his crew.  A little intimidating … perhaps … but so satisfying with the thought of bringing new people into the hobby.  A hobby that can bring so much good and has such good potential.

We need more Hams.

Ham Radio Class Flyer – October 2011  (CLASS COMING UP!)

If Ham Radio ever had a season, mine starts tomorrow.     I love it, because despite everything that is going on in my life … this hobby and it’s activities provides a wonderful buffer for all of the challenges.

Tomorrow is the Saratoga County Hamfest and a VE (Volunteer Examiner) session is going to be held in the morning at 0900 at the Ballston Spa Cooperative Extension Building (where I took my Amateur Extra Exam) and I am now on the other side where I can assist in the VE process.  Monday will bring about another VE Session for the Schenectady Radio Club where I serve as a VE and am on the Board of Directors.    I am also on the Board of Directors for the Saratoga County R.A.C.E.S Association, Inc.     I am happy to be new blood for the clubs and hopefully can infuse some fresh ideas.

Along with MARS activities that go beyond the Amateur bands I will also be helping to instruct classes for new Hams who want to get their Technician “ticket” — license.   It’s getting busy and I hope I can keep up.

I have a ton to learn!   I know my Dad (Silent Key CP1BH) will be guiding me every step of the way.

73 and 88′s Dad!

One of the reasons I love Ham Radio is because of the opportunity given to “serve” and assist during times of emergency.

During Hurricane Irene, I discovered good propagation on 20 meters and the chance to offer measured weather statistics on the Net representing Albany, NY. This information was than passed on to the Hurricane Center.

It’s 0400 now and the rain is really falling here. I am unsure where the Hurricane Net moved but will probably be able to catch it a bit later.

1435 and I am NCS for the Hurricane Irene Weather Net for the National Weather Service.  It’s easy to get a little mic shy during times like this … but we do what we have to do.

I am feeling good about my new fully licensed MARS station now.  I spent the time, completed the courses and Basic Training, radio modifications and Net Control requirement and took the plunge and got the “slant Tango” dropped from my call.  I can’t share the call here but I can share that I am excited to venture into this new realm of Amateur Radio beyond the regular Amateur Radio service and into the military bands and frequency space – the “center of intelligence”.   Oh, I have a ton of learning to do and in the future, we will be going through Emergency Drills and working out the kinks to deal with real emergencies.  Now is the time when a service like MARS could become invaluable to the community and the country.  A well-honed and trained communication machine consisting of military and individual stations (as well as other types) dedicated to helping to serve the community in times of emergency.   I like it because it allows me to work within any physical limits and still serve.

I would SO love to be involved in the community and do communications within our local EMT/Ambulance group.   That would take it to another level and I think would be pretty cool.  It’s something I will have to look into seriously and see if there is a need for that.     I know I work within physical limits, but if I can get flexibility that will help me contribute to society the way I would like to while also being able to handle myself within my “abilities” (I am retired for reasons that are physical in nature).   I know that stress has a negative effect on me … but I am also empowered by adrenaline and helping.   If I can work on a flexible schedule, that would be the most rewarding … something I will have to look into and something that could potentially keep me sharp.

Just another way to use communications to help out   I like it.  I love the MARS thing.  You bet that I am going to try to recruit who I can.    Recruiting is in my blood.

Becoming a Ham Radio Operator is easier than ever before.  When I wanted to do it at the age of 10 (ummmmm, let’s just say around the mid 1970′s), there was a Morse Code (CW) requirement.