Biographical Information

Ron Wood W1PLW was born and raised in Ayer, and lived there for 46 years. He moved to Marlborough in the spring of 2004. He moved to Milford in the spring of 2007.

Ron works for a program in Marlboro transporting special need adults to programs and activities. He also comforts and advises families who have suffered Traumatic Brain Injuries, and is active with raising awareness of Traumatic Brain Injuries and the long-term outcomes of this injury.

Ron was first licensed in 2001 and enjoys public service events, and traffic handling. As a boy Ron enjoyed listing to short wave, scanners and CB. Ron got his start in amateur radio after many years of searching for information about ham radio.

Ron strongly agrees with giving back to the community. Ron's call sign is dedicated to two important people in his life - his Uncle Peter and his father Lincoln - who passed away when he was an infant. He is married to a very wonderful lady Andrea and has a stepson Jacob - who is more like a son - and who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2004.

Ron was a member of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club, where he served as Public Information Officer. He is a member of the Algonquin Amateur Radio Club, and Marlborough Emergency Management.

One of Ron's goals as Section Traffic Manager is to make our NTS nets some of the best in the country, and to help people understand that you need to practice your skills so they don’t become rusty, when an emergency arises and the skills become paramount to the emergency. Another objective is to get new people interested in traffic handing. Ron looks forward to working with the WMA Section Staff and all the hams in the WMA Section and the state.

Section Traffic Manager Appointment Description

The STM is appointed by the Section Manager to supervise traffic handling organization at the section level--that is, to coordinate all traffic efforts within the section, regardless of mode or National Traffic System affiliation, so that routings within the section and connections with other networks and digital traffic nodes will result in orderly and efficient traffic flow. The STM should be a person at home and familiar with traffic handling on all modes, must have at least a Technician class license, and should possess the willingness and ability to devote equal consideration and time to all section traffic matters. The STM must be a Full ARRL Member.

The duties of the STM include the following:

• Establish, administer, and promote a traffic handling program at the section level, based on, but not restricted to, National Traffic System networks.
  
  
• Develop and implement one or more effective training programs within the section that address the needs of both traditional and digital modes of traffic handling. Insure that Net Managers place particular emphasis on the needs of amateurs new to formal network traffic handling, as well as those who receive, send, and deliver formal traffic on a "casual" basis, via RTTY, AMTOR, and Packet based message storage and bulletin board systems.
  
  
• Cooperate and coordinate with the Section Emergency Coordinator so that traffic nets and emergency nets in the section present a unified public service front.
  
  
• Recommend candidates for Net Managers and Official Relay Station appointments to the SM. Issue appointments/cancellations and appropriate certificates. At the SM's discretion, the STM may directly make or cancel NM and ORS appointments.
  
  
• Insure that all traffic nets within the section are properly and adequately staffed, with appropriate direction to Net Managers, as required, which results in coverage of all Net Control and liaison functions. Assign liaison coverage adequate to insure that all digital bulletin boards and message storage systems within the section are polled on a daily basis, to prevent misaddressed, lingering, or duplicated radiogram-formatted message traffic.
  
  
• Maintain familiarity with proper traffic handling and directed net procedures applicable to all normally-used modes within the section.
  
  
• Collect and prepare accurate monthly net reports and submit them to ARRL Headquarters, either directly or via the Section Manager, but in any case on or prior to the established deadlines.

Recruitment of new hams and League members is an integral part of the job of every League appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public.