Amateur Radio, Networking, and You
This is the first installment of a series of blog posts discussing how networking with amateur radio can benefit you professionally. The value of this series will be greatly improved by readers discussing their experiences and views of the topic. It couldn't be easier to add your views and experiences if you have a Facebook profile. So no excuses!
Point 1: What Amateur Radio Offers Professionally
So your interested in obtaining your amateur radio license (ham radio) and think it's just a hobby. I'm sorry, you couldn't be more wrong. Ham radio is comparable to that key chain your high school custodian lugged around; it opens way too many doors. To be honest, any hobby that exercises skills which can be extended beyond the hobby itself is worthy of mention. However, focusing on ham radio, I will point out just some of the doors this wonderful hobby peaks behind in each post.
Door One: Hands on Experience
Behind door one would be the opportunity to learn with hands on experience. Taking a pencil and paper test is one thing, actually applying your knowledge is another. Designing a circuit on the computer or paper means the math is done but not necessarily that the circuit works. Having skills such as soldering and prototyping are just several that can only be taught by hours upon hours of failing to do it right.
Door Two: Social Commonality
Door two holds a more social aspect. We are communicators. We converse together whether it's by dit's and dahs, English or Spanish, or even one's and zero's; it's all the same. Building up social networks with the help of amateur radio is a key aspect to my point being made. There is a commonality between amateur radio operators, we already showed the desire to pass a test to obtain a license which shows professionalism on your behalf. Also as a community we constantly learn about our interest which shows a desire to learn new things. There are many other commonalities I could mention but those are the big ones. Feel free to suggest your own which we can touch upon in later posts.
Your Thoughts
Now that I have made my point, it's time to let me know what you think. Has amateur radio ever helped you land a job? Where you able to obtain inside contacts when applying to college? Please expand on the questions and you see fit. I would like to know how you feel ham radio has benefited your life. Whether your in college or remembering what college was like 30 years ago, by all means voice your opinion! Any reader can comment with or without a Facebook profile. Lastly, my brother Brent, KB1LQD, went out on a limb and wrote Engineering Amateur Radio Today for www.CollegeARC.com which I highly suggest reading. Engineering Amateur Radio Today brings up potentially touchy views that are KEY to the progression of ham radio. Our aim is to stir up conversation about topics important to promoting amateur radio and to advance the hobby.
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Go Archive Yourself!
Archiving is important
Hopefully the title didn't offend anyone. So what is a club to do with it's past, present, and inevitable future (you are considering the future...right?) One of the reasons www.CollegeARC.com was established was due to the high turnover rate of college and university ham radio clubs. It's unavoidable so don't try and push off a course of action for the path that your club is following. Always consider what will happen to the club when every one of the current members graduates. Archiving your clubs past will seal it's activity as a part of the campus forever while giving future leaders an idea of how your club operated.
As in the case with Rochester Institute of Technology we have the RIT Archives as a part of the Wallace Library. Now, the only reason I keep using RIT as an example is that I am a student and have personal experience with many RIT amenities. If anyone has their own experiences to share then by all means please do so I would enjoy writing about it! Slowly, I am working with the archives to store the important history of K2GXT. They had a copy of our original constitution from 1954 and recently obtained a copy of our current 2009 constitution. Yes, K2GXT was following a 1954 constitution until 2009!
While working with the archive I had looked through some of the old photos and noticed a photo of the old downtown Rochester campus where a highway now resides. There was an old shack on top of an institute building which was dated circa late 1940's. K2GXT was established in 1953 which is close enough to be mistaken for the late 40's. I also have established relationships with several alumni of K2GXT and after circulating the photo determined that is was the only known photograph of the original K2GXT station!
See what archiving your clubs history can do? There are still hours of work to put into cataloging and submitting K2GXT history but it's well worth the effort. Your club can benefit from this too. If there happens to be a point in time when there are no members of the university's club, much of the history will leave with it's former members. Archiving this history is one way to preserve it. However, we here at CollegeARC hope that from participation within the community your club never again sees a lull in activity!
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Never Judge A Book By Its Cover
As amateur radio grows many of it's participants will continue to mention the hobby's decline. Something to keep in mind is that enthusiasm is a key part of any effort to promote not only YOUR club but the hobby too. Being upbeat while promoting will positively effect efforts of membership to the radio club. Here are some ideas to store away, subconsciously to instill a bit more success when trying to recruit students into the hobby.
Amateur radio covers a vast age group. While the average age is in the mid forty's there are many older “hams” as well as younger (you should know, your one of them!). Some clubs will fall into a recruitment hole, I see it at local clubs around me in Massachusetts. Members or at least influentially ranking members will view the radio world through their own eyes, as they see it. Pitfall. There is almost no way that an older generation will successfully advertise ham radio to the younger generation without immense cooperation between younger leaders. So club advisors, find the students who are leaders, self motivated, and organized; work with them not through them.
Who reading this blog wants to talk to someone with a “Ben Stein” from the Viseen commercials on the radio. I'm sure he's an awesome guy but monotony doesn't sell (unless your Ben Stein). Enthusiasm rubs off onto others. There's only one chance to make a first impressions so use it wisely. Given some practice, working with people will be a breeze let alone fun!
Treat your club like a business. Remember that successful clubs offer quality and support just like any good company does. The quality keeps new and current members alike all coming back while supporting them keeps activity up and creativity flowing. Make goals and stick to them. With some time management it's amazing what can be completed with ten minutes here and there; people will think you spent hours working on it.
Keeps these tips in mind. Heck if you readers have any you would like to share please comment! I am always looking for more things to talk about. Plus, sharing your techniques helps us all learn more about effective club promotion. One final note, clubs with high number membership are never as successful as clubs with high quality membership.
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QSL Cards
Every college or university radio club should have a QSL card. It's a time proven tradition that even with the advent of eQSL and Logbook of The World (LoTW) still marches on. Operating for just a few years can amount to owning quite the collection of QSL cards; some being rare, some being funny, some being homemade, and some being printed masterpieces. Whatever yours are, they represent your club.
W7ASU Arizona State University QSL Card
Defining Style
What represents your campus? How can your club show itself on a 3x5 inch piece of paper? These are good questions to ask during a club meeting. There are several approaches to deciding on how your QSL card should look and feel. It might be better to have a simple design since it costs less and is easier to design. Other clubs may want a defining style for their card, W7ASU the Arizona State University QSL card is a full color picture of a bridge on the ASU campus. When someone displays this card on their wall it's sure to stand out.
K2GXT Rochester Institute of Technology former QSL card
K2GXT the Rochester Institute of Technology had quite the unique QSL card for many years. While the club no longer uses it, it sure stands out. The photograph was actually a postcard created for Rochester, NY back in the 1980's. It depicts Rochester, NY and it's technology industry at the time with a rendition of the city as a circuit board. Many members of the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA) also obtained this card.
Where to Purchase QSL Cards
A good rule I like to follow, take it with a grain of salt, "You only have one chance to make a first impression". It' served well. Promoting your club as professionally as possible is an important aspect of getting known. So before photocopying 500 QSl cards think about making an investment in professionally made ones.
A cheap one or two color design is a great starting point. The full color QSL cards show on this post are not the status quo. Check out the following links for some great QSL card offers.
- CheapQSLS - $9.99 for 100 black ink QSL cards
- QSL Factory
- QSL Man W4MPY
- Rusprint - $15.99 for 100 black ink QSL card shipping included
Collect College QSL Cards
Do you have a bunch of QSL cards from colleges lying around? share which ones you have. Which one has your favorite design? How about who has the oldest QSL card from a college or university amateur radio station? Let us know by commenting!
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ARRL Promotional Publications
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) provides a host of services to radio amateurs. One of these services includes free event publications which can be ordered for no more than the cost of shipping. Are you planning on attending a campus club fair or hosting a special event with your radio club and want promotional materials to incorporated into the display? Look no further than the ARRL event publications website.
College Oriented Publications
The brochures and other publications available offer a wide variety of topics covering many demographics. Several of these I have found to work particularly well when promoting amateur radio (ham radio) to college students. For my situation, I attend Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY where the campus consists not only of a large population of engineering & technology students but also art & design students. Therefor simply touting all the technological "coolness" of amateur radio just wont hack it. How does your campus respond when promoting the hobby?
We Do That!
We Do that!
We use a number of We Do That! brochures at club fairs. They are flashy, up-to-date, and grab the students attention. We Do That! is a great example of meshing the technology with a bit of coolness mixed in. Some ARRL productions go overboard trying to show how cool radio is, this is not one of them! The link above shows a PDF version of the brochure which can also be printed. We Do that! is an essential publication that every college, university, or other higher educational institutions should have on hand.
"Hello"
Hello ARRL Promotion
"Hello" is the recent effort by the ARRL to appeal to a younger generation. While some of the materials were well suited for pre-teens, this one came in pretty good for promoting to higher education students. The "Hello" brochure is less technical and more general topic oriented.
Why Use These Publications?
Well, free is a good price for most college students. The only cost is shipping so order several at once and it really pays off. These are professional looking promotional items and they save you the time of creating your own. Use them in conjunction with your own clubs material too. Lastly, there are many different items including "PR kits", brochure stands, banners, magnets, etc. Get your club recognized by the campus student body, promote amateur radio, help your amateur radio club GROW!
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Club News 9-19-2009
You are reading the first installment of many news articles to come. We welcome members and visitors to read about the current activities of college clubs and even comment these articles regarding the club activities. We encourage all clubs to submit even basic news, CollegeARC.com is here to provide visitors with information about college amateur radio clubs!
Iowa State University - W0ISU
"CARC" as the amateur radio club is known as has been up to alot in the first weeks of classes. KD0FGY has given us an update on the clubs recent activities that the W0ISU club has been pursuing. They have been busy getting their club's name out on the campus as well as planning to build new stations.
Advertisement
The club at Iowa State University submitted an advertisement to the school newspaper to publicize the clubs first meeting to the general student body. The ad ran for two days prior to their first meeting promoting their September 10th meeting for all interested students. The amateur radio club at the Iowa State University also sent out announcements to their e-mail list and Facebook group.
First Meeting
Their first meeting gave free pizza to all those that attended while the club discussed its plans for this semester as well as future amateur radio testing dates. Although new students are told about different club activities and such the club also discussed their projects for the upcoming months.
The club's highest priority project is to install their new Cushcraft X7 HF Beam as their older Beam antenna was destroyed in an ice storm. They plan to ask the school's departments to bring a bucket truck as well as instructing the maintenance staff how to install the antenna. Unfortunately the school will not let the club members on the roof while the bucket truck is at the antenna location.
Repeater Project
W0ISU is also currently repairing their club repeater to fix several issues including poor performance and RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). The repeater is currently located in penthouse Zaffarano Hall on the Iowa State University campus. They belive several issues are stemming from the amplifier they installed last year they may have a faulty power supply. Another concerning issue comes from the campus FM radio station's antenna roughly ten feet away, causing RFI during their tests to the repeater system.
Last But Not Least!
The CARC (Cyclone Amateur Radio Club) at the Iowa State University has been talking with the Electrical Engineering department to build a new operating station for the general student body. The department began talking earlier this year and the amateur radio club took an advisory role in the project. The station will consist of HF, VHF, and UHF equipment that will be stationed in at the Electrical Engineering department.
South Dakota School Of Mining and Technology - K0VVY
Karl Diekevers (KD0GY) updated CollegeARC.com with a few club activities that they have been up to. I'm sure they are busy out there getting ready for the year and getting back into "the grind."
Echolink
The South Dakota School of Mining and Technology has recently completed moving their Echolink node from the school to a nearby hill. This was due in part to the poor coverage that the former location at the school provided and is now located at a weather station sitting on top of a hill [sounds like a great location!]. The node uses the call sign "K0VVY" and can be dialed using the node number #457882. If you are local to the South Dakota School of Mining and Technology (In Rapid City, South Dakota) you can reach the Echolink system by transmitting on 147.500 MHz.
Club Meetings
The club meetings on campus occur every Wednesday at 5PM in the club room (ham shack) on the 3rd floor of the ECE/PHYS building near the Robotics Lab. They are looking forward to participating in the upcoming School Club Round-up and Collegiate Championships. They are also looking forward to operating in the SKYWARN Recognition Day and the PSK Flavor Contest this coming April.
Future Field Day Preparation
Yes, K0VVY (SDSM&T Amateur Radio Club) appears to be REALLY planning head by think about next years Field Day! The club is planning to organize a combination hiking and camping trip to Harney Peak in South Dakota as it is the highest point east of the Rocky mountains. This trip will most certainly be a great experience. Hiking, Camping, Radio, and mountains sound like something a college student can't pass up!
Rochester Institute of Technology - K2GXT
The RIT amateur radio club has been up to a lot as the school year kicks off to a start. K2GXT hit the ground running as they advertised the club to freshmen and upperclassmen alike during the "Orientation Club Fair" the day before classes began. The club has also rolled out plans for a few projects to be completed that will not only be fun for the club members but invite other students to participate with the club.
Club Fair
The RIT amateur radio club showcased their activities and equipment in full force with many members attending and even more interested students. During the club fair hundreds of students were exposed to the efforts of the club and the technologies that they "Play With" and build. In all, over 50 students ranging from entering freshmen to graduate students signed up to receive information about club meetings and activities. Those 50 students ranged from electrical engineering students to business students as well as both men and women.
First Meeting
K2GXT held its first meeting this year on September 9th, 2009 in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. Although several current members were unable to attend, a total of 24 students came to the meeting. The club discussed its activities in greater detail and answered any questions the interested students may have had. The new members were then brought down to the club room and shown the radios and other gear. To date, many of the new members are actively coming to meetings and have other wise become involved with the amateur radio club at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Projects
The club has been pursuing several projects that will be completed in the fall/early winter. These include finallizing the club's 12 foot blimp that has been nearly redesigned and will fly at hockey games and other RIT events. There is a "soldering class" that is being design and will feature members learning how to properly solder and build circuits "Deadbug" style so that easy and quick prototypes can be made. The club blimp is not only a fun activity for the club members but allows experimentation regarding the payload that it carries (Cameras and other devices) as well as premoting the club at events that draw thousands of antendees. The club will submit updates to CollegeARC about these projects in the future and many other smaller projects as well.
Is Your Club's News Here?
We are asking all clubs to send CollegeARC information about your club activities. You can use the "Submit Club News" menu option in the "User Menu" when logged into an account. Not the club president or other Exceutive Board member? That's OK! We want to hear about your club even if you are a regular student member of a club. Submit even the shortest and basic news, we want to hear it and so does everyone else. A few clubs have submitted things like their advertising efforts in the first weeks of school and their contesting activities, anything goes! Pictures are also welcomed.
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