Contact Info:
119 Industrial Drive, Unit 1012
E Longmeadow, MA 01028-7741
smpvs@hotmail.com
My radio experience started when I was 11 years old, when I walked up our street in Hartford, CT, to Trinity College’s radio station, WRTC-FM. Initially I hung out with the disc jockeys, refiled their records, fetched them coffee, soda & munchies from the nearby cafeteria, and talked with them about radio programming. I was introduced to John Graham, then their Chief Engineer. In succeeding months and years I occasionally helped John in maintaining the station.
While in high school, at Hartford Public High, I took electronics during my sophomore, junior & senior years. It was taught by USAF Col. George C Arvenetaki. George had built and installed a MARS station in the electronics lab, and there introduced his students to amateur radio. I found it interesting and made a mental note to get involved with it later in life.
During the summer I was 18, I scanned the radio dial for music that I liked, and I landed on 105.9 Mhz, the signal of WHCN-FM. I noticed as I walked & rode around Hartford that their signal would fade in several areas. So one day I called the station and asked to speak with their engineer, Larry Titus. Larry explained why that occurred and invited me up to the station. From that point on for the next few years, I would work during the day, as an electronic technician apprentice at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, and go to WHCN at night, hang out with the jocks, and help Larry on both audio and RF maintenance projects, both at the studios, and at their transmitter location, on Meriden Mountain’s West Peak.
In the spring of ’75, with Larry’s recommendation, I applied & was accepted at the University of Hartford’s Ward School of Electronics, to gain my associate degree, and work at their radio station, WWUH-FM. I have continued my association with WWUH and the Society of Broadcast Engineers over the years since. During my college years, another WWUH member, Steve Shore (WA1ZEV) and I made a few visits to the Mt Tom Amateur Repeater Association’s (MTARA) transmitter facility atop of Mt Tom, in Holyoke, MA and participated in their technical meetings. Steve urged that I get my ham license, and eventually I agreed, but postponed it “til I retired!”
I resumed attending Hampden County Radio Association meetings in 2016, familiarizing myself with amateur HF technology and propagation. In February 2019 having been laid-off from my work as a manufacturing – quality engineer & auditor at a local aerospace shop, I had time on my hands; then COVID hit! I began to study for my Technician amateur license, sat for & passed the exam. At Steve Shore’s recommendation, I acquired and began to use an amateur DMR radio, and participate in the Connecticut Public Safety DMR nets. Finding that DMR was not used much in western Mass, I traded that radio equipment for an Alinco DR735T VHF-UHF rig in 2022. Since then, I have regularly participated in winter and summer Field Days, and on Sunday morning western Mass nets, hosted by MTARA.
Wanting to continue my interest in public service and emergency preparation, I signed on to the Springfield CERT/RACES Team in 2022 and have actively participated since. I rejoined MTARA in October 2023 and volunteered to help write funding grant proposals for them. In January 2024, I was elected Secretary for MTARA, and am serving still.
State Government Liaison Appointment Description:
The State Government Liaison (SGL) is an Amateur Radio operator who is cognizant of state legislative and regulatory proposals in the normal course of events and who can monitor and respond appropriately to those proposals having the potential to affect Amateur Radio. This is an active, responsive mission, not merely a passive, “stand by the sidelines and watch” function.
Requirements: Full ARRL membership
Responsibilities:
- Collects and promulgates information on state legislation and regulation affecting Amateur Radio and works closely with Clubs and the Section Manager(s) in assuring that the laws work to the mutual benefit of society and the Amateur Radio Service. The importance of working closely with clubs (the critically-important local representatives of Amateur Radio), and ARRL Section Managers, cannot be overemphasized. Keep in close contact with your clubs and SMs!
- Guides, encourages and supports individual radio amateurs and clubs in representing the interests of the Amateur Radio Service at all levels, including the federal level, when needed and coordinated with the ARRL Headquarters. The active SGL also cooperates closely with other section-level officials, particularly the Section Emergency Coordinator and the Public Information Coordinator.
- Reports directly to the Section Manager regularly and also keeps ARRL Headquarters informed of all appropriate activities and developments involving the interface of Amateur Radio and government legislative or regulatory matters, particularly those with policy implications. Ideally, the SGL will have access to, or a relationship with, the bill room at the state capitol in order to examine legislation as it is introduced. It is also helpful for the SGL to monitor the dockets of relevant state agencies such as the department of environmental protection, which might promulgate regulations affecting Amateur Radio. In addition, the SGL will monitor the news for stories of regulatory or legislative initiatives.
- When monitoring and responding to state issues, SGLs should watch for key words that could affect Amateur Radio. Antennas (dish, microwave, PCS, cellular, towers, structures, satellite, television, lighting), Mobile radio, radio receivers, radio interference, television interference, scanners, license plates, cable television, ham radio, headphones in automobiles, lightning protection, antenna radiation, biological effects of radio signals are a few of the examples of what to look for.
- In those states where there is more than one section, the Section Managers whose territories do not encompass the state capital may simply defer to the Liaison appointed by their counterpart in the section where the state capital is located. In this case, the Liaison is expected to communicate equally with all Section Managers (and Section Emergency Coordinators and other section-level League officials). In sections where there is more than one government entity (i.e., Maryland-DC and Pacific) there may be a Liaison appointed for each entity.
- The job of heading off potentially undesirable state government actions is critically important to the Amateur Radio community! Be active and responsive, and above all, work closely with your clubs, Section Managers, and ARRL Headquarters.