NFA Ham Radio Club
The NFA Ham Radio Club first began in 1944 as the "NFA Radio Club" with the call letters W1HLO. Mr. Tom Baldwin, W1RLX, was the adviser. During the club's first 20 or so years, the ham shack was located on the third floor of the Norton-Peck Library (now part of the Latham Information Center). The club faded sometime around the late-1960s to early-1970s along with its call sign.
In March of 1996, a new ham radio room was created in the Cranston (formerly Commercial) Building and dedicated to Mr. Harold Becker, KA1KRD. Mr. Becker, a 1933 graduate of NFA, was an avid amateur radio operator and donated his radio equipment so NFA could offer amateur radio to its students. In a March 3, 1996 Norwich Bulletin article Mrs. Becker noted about her husband, "He felt that every student, male or female, would not be interested in playing a musical instrument, or going out for sports. He wanted them to have a chance to learn about ham radio." At the time of the dedication, Mr. Robert Ochs was the science club adviser and operated the ham radio room. Mr. Ochs oversaw the installation of two HF antennas (a Cushcraft R5 and a W2AU dipole with traps) along with a 2m loop antenna with help from the Radio Amateur Society of Norwich.
In the fall of 2009, the dust was brushed off of the club's log book. The club's original call letters, W1HLO, were assigned by the FCC and the club was reactivated. Mr. Becker's Kenwood TS-820S was dusted off for working the HF bands. The Yaesu FT-2200 (with a Kamtronics Kam Plus packet modem) was powered on and programmed for local repeaters and digipeaters. The HF antennas were reinstalled on the roof of the Cranston Building with the help of the NFA Facilities department. The NFA Ham Radio Club now operates HF and VHF in both phone and digital modes. Mr. Anthony Girasoli, W1TTL, Director of Information Technology, is the club's new adviser.
A former NFA Radio Club member, Vince Chrzanowski '60 (W1OOW), e-mailed his recollections of W1HLO from his time at NFA:
I was a member of the NFA amateur radio club from 1956 through 1960. I was first licensed as WN1OOW in October 1956 and spent some of my finest hours at NFA in the ham shack in the upper floor (read attic) of the old library.
I remember the transmitter as a Harvey-Wells Bandmaster and VFO, and the receiver was a Hammarlund HQ-129X. There wasn't much else in the ham shack but a desk upon which the rig sat and a few chairs.
What sticks out most in my memory, however, was the antenna system. Our only antenna was a Mosley three-element ten-meter beam on the roof, directly above the operating desk. A heavy-duty pipe was permanently mounted through the roof, and inside that pipe went the mast for the beam antenna. The whole array was positioned such that the station operator could reach up to the mast while sitting at the operating desk and manually rotate the antenna. I believe that was Mr. Baldwin's ingenious idea.
The mid- and late- 1950's were legendary for sunspots, and 10-meter propagation was unbelievably good. A quick CQ on 10 meters would _always_ land some choice DX station. Europe, particularly, would come booming in during our study hall periods. Somehow we would manage to get passes to the library and then sneak up to the shack on the top floor. Those, indeed were memorable days!
Thanks for helping me remember some wonderful days of my youth.
Robert Lathrop '59 (W5ROE "...and W1HLA, W4YTD, KN1GWP, K1GWP at different times") wrote about his times at W1HLO:
The 1959 NFA Radio Club. Note the pole to rotate the beam on the right. Vince and Robert are both in this photo.I made my first AM phone contact alone at W1HLO as a new Conditional in 1958. W1HLO was located on the top floor of the library. The three element 10 meter yagi mast came down through the ceiling. "Armstrong" built a pretty good rotor. The Receiver was a Hammerlund HQ 129X and the Transmitter was a Harveywells TBS-50 Bandmaster. The station I worked was K0RAV and I was so nervous I couldn't speak. It was a short contact. That Mike was a scarey thing for this new ham. A few minutes I contacted another station and my shyness was gone. I remember listening to them discussing my nervousness. I spent all my free time at the station.Mr Baldwin coached me through the Novice, Technician, and Conditional. He tested me at 30 WPM before I left the Radio Class he taught.Mr Baldwin gave me a key to the station and I operated there as I could find time. I upgraded to K1GWP in Aug 1958 so my operating was in my last year at the Academy and I can't remember anyone else operating there, although there may have been one or two others. I remember Mr Baldwin had a hard time getting others to take the Novice Exam in my class. I took his Electricity and Radio class in my third year. He made an exception for me after I took a written essay exam he gave me.
/groups/hamradioclub/search/index.rss?tag=hotlist/groups/hamradioclub/search/?tag=hotWhat’s HotHotListHot!?tag=hot13/groups/hamradioclub/sidebar/HotListgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-04-25 16:52:28+00:002012-04-25 16:52:28updated12girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-04-16 18:44:18+00:002012-04-16 18:44:18updated11girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-30 17:33:41+00:002012-03-30 17:33:41updated10girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-30 15:24:09+00:002012-03-30 15:24:09updated9girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-29 13:52:38+00:002012-03-29 13:52:38updated8girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-29 13:50:19+00:002012-03-29 13:50:19updated7girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-29 13:35:06+00:002012-03-29 13:35:06updated6girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-28 17:01:11+00:002012-03-28 17:01:11updated5girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-28 17:00:46+00:002012-03-28 17:00:46updated4Added tag - hotgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-07 19:23:48+00:002012-03-07 19:23:48addTag3girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-07 19:23:42+00:002012-03-07 19:23:42updated2First createdgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-07 19:10:53+00:002012-03-07 19:10:53created1weblog2012-04-25T16:52:28+00:00groups/hamradioclub/weblog/f8ccbFalseCurrent Club Projects/groups/hamradioclub/weblog/f8ccb/Current_Club_Projects.htmlAnthony Girasoli12 updatesCurrent Club Projects
All,
After talking with Mr. Hough and Mr. Monroe, we listed a few items that need to be finished. Here they are, so we can keep track!
...Falsegirasolia2012-04-25T16:52:28+00:00weblog2012-04-05T12:25:39+00:00groups/hamradioclub/weblog/aa9e5FalseW1HLO Robot is Alive!/groups/hamradioclub/weblog/aa9e5/W1HLO_Robot_is_Alive.htmlAnthony Girasoli0 updatesW1HLO Robot is Alive!
The members of W1HLO have finished their robot! The robot was built from a Tetrix robot kit with many, many modifications. Two servos control the r...Falsegirasolia2012-04-05T12:25:39+00:00Added tag - hotgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-27 17:10:49+00:002012-03-27 17:10:49addTag4Added tag - projectgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-27 17:04:49+00:002012-03-27 17:04:49addTag3Added enclosuresgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-26 13:02:08+00:002012-03-26 13:02:08addEnclosure2First createdgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2012-03-26 13:02:08+00:002012-03-26 13:02:08created1weblog2012-03-26T13:02:08+00:00groups/hamradioclub/weblog/2650fFalseThe W1HLO Repeater is On The Air!/groups/hamradioclub/weblog/2650f/The_W1HLO_Repeater_is_On_The_Air.htmlAnthony Girasoli4 updatesThe W1HLO Repeater is On The Air!The repeater's settings are 441.950Mhz IN / 446.950Mhz OUT / PL 67
[image]Falsegirasolia2012-03-26T13:02:08+00:00Added tag - eventgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 01:18:36+00:002011-07-09 01:18:36addTag8girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 01:14:55+00:002011-07-09 01:14:55updated7girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 01:13:29+00:002011-07-09 01:13:29updated6girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 01:11:15+00:002011-07-09 01:11:15updated5girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 01:06:33+00:002011-07-09 01:06:33updated4Added tag - habgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 01:06:29+00:002011-07-09 01:06:29addTag3Added tag - hotgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 01:06:27+00:002011-07-09 01:06:27addTag2First createdgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-07-09 00:58:40+00:002011-07-09 00:58:40created1weblog2011-07-09T01:14:55+00:00groups/hamradioclub/weblog/7c136FalseHAB Launch Date!/groups/hamradioclub/weblog/7c136/HAB_Launch_Date.htmlAnthony Girasoli8 updatesHAB Launch Date!
The HAB will be launching from West Hartford around 11am on Saturday, July 9, 2011. The burst height is around 60,000 feet. Flight should last for 2....Falsegirasolia2011-07-09T01:14:55+00:00Added tag - hotgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-03-02 18:36:40+00:002011-03-02 18:36:40addTag3girasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-03-02 18:36:30+00:002011-03-02 18:36:30updated2First createdgirasoliaAnthony Girasoli2011-03-02 18:35:30+00:002011-03-02 18:35:30created1weblog2011-03-02T18:36:30+00:00groups/hamradioclub/weblog/d6ac9FalseW1HLO in the News/groups/hamradioclub/weblog/d6ac9/W1HLO_in_the_News.htmlAnthony Girasoli3 updatesW1HLO in the News
Ham Radio Club in the Norwich Bulletin's NFA World ColumnFalsegirasolia2011-03-02T18:36:30+00:00hot/groups/hamradioclub/search/index.rss?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcomelist/groups/hamradioclub/search/?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcomeRecent ChangesRecentChangesListUpdates?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcome0/groups/hamradioclub/sidebar/RecentChangesListmodifiedDateallRecent ChangesRecentChangesListUpdateswiki/welcomeNo recent changes.reverse5searchlist/groups/hamradioclub/calendar/Upcoming EventsUpcomingEventsListEvents1Getting events…
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