Suffolk radio club joins worldwide ham radio open house
Quinn O’Brien, 8, of Mastic, makes an SOS device with the help of volunteer Brendan Upton, of East Patchague, at the Suffolk County Radio Club in Yaphank on Saturday. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Finding a satellite 22,000 miles above Earth's surface requires precision.
Tim Keller, of Coram, positioned a dish antenna outside the Longwood Youth Center on Saturday, aiming it toward the GOES-19 weather and environmental monitoring satellite. Millimeters can make a difference in "finding a very small point in the sky," he said.
The setup, which included a 40-foot pole stretched toward the sky from his nearby SUV, allowed Keller to intercept images of Earth the satellite sends, which were projected on a television inside the clubhouse.
Showcasing the satellite images was one of several displays at the American Radio Relay League Ham Radio Open House in Yaphank hosted by the Suffolk County Radio Club. The event brought together amateur radio enthusiasts as part of the 100th anniversary of World Amateur Radio, which is observed April 18. The event coincided with Citizen Science Month, a national movement documenting 1 million acts of science.
Organizers hoped to share their knowledge of amateur radio, Morse code, weather balloons, 3D printing and more to area youth and other science enthusiasts.
"It's a great hobby," said club vice president Ed Wilson, of Shirley. "We're doing a lot of cool things."
Richie Geraci, of Shirley, club president since 2017, said membership had expanded by "leaps and bounds" in recent years. Founded in 1947, it's one of nearly 30 clubs on Long Island dedicated to amateur radio.
Wilson said when he started, the number of members hovered around 20 and is now near 100, a rise he attributed to expanding beyond radio and trying to get younger members involved.
Amateur radio, which can require detailed expertise and licensing to master, connects people globally and can be a critical communication tool during disasters when regular methods fail.
Jim Mezey, New York City-Long Island section manager for the American Radio Relay League, said amateur radio provided the opportunity to talk to people across the world, "like a pen pal but on the radio."
Navy veteran Bob Goldstein, of Shirley, said he was introduced to radio while serving as a radioman aboard the USS Aylwin, a frigate, in the 1970s.
He's earned a radio license called Amateur Extra, the highest in the United States, which allows him to access all amateur bands.
"It's an expensive hobby but I enjoy it," he said.
Russell Bast displayed a stack of postcards known as QSL cards he's received from people he's communicated with across the globe via Morse code.
He started learning one rainy weekend and within 30 days he learned the alphabet and was sending and receiving Morse code at seven to 10 words per minute. He grew to 20 words per minute after a year.
"I would have been an excellent World War II signal operator," he said.
Dave Miao brought son Miles, 9, to the open house from Nassau County. Miles learned how to build a Morse code kit with popsicle sticks, batteries and other small components he soldered together with an instructor's assistance.
Miao said his son was hesitant at first but soon jumped into it.
"That's the way to get them hooked," Miao said.
Asked if he's mastered Morse code, Miles said: "I only mastered my name."
Finding a satellite 22,000 miles above Earth's surface requires precision.
Tim Keller, of Coram, positioned a dish antenna outside the Longwood Youth Center on Saturday, aiming it toward the GOES-19 weather and environmental monitoring satellite. Millimeters can make a difference in "finding a very small point in the sky," he said.
The setup, which included a 40-foot pole stretched toward the sky from his nearby SUV, allowed Keller to intercept images of Earth the satellite sends, which were projected on a television inside the clubhouse.
Showcasing the satellite images was one of several displays at the American Radio Relay League Ham Radio Open House in Yaphank hosted by the Suffolk County Radio Club. The event brought together amateur radio enthusiasts as part of the 100th anniversary of World Amateur Radio, which is observed April 18. The event coincided with Citizen Science Month, a national movement documenting 1 million acts of science.
Tim Keller, of Coram, aimed a dish antenna toward the GOES-19 weather and environmental monitoring satellite. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Organizers hoped to share their knowledge of amateur radio, Morse code, weather balloons, 3D printing and more to area youth and other science enthusiasts.
"It's a great hobby," said club vice president Ed Wilson, of Shirley. "We're doing a lot of cool things."
Richie Geraci, of Shirley, club president since 2017, said membership had expanded by "leaps and bounds" in recent years. Founded in 1947, it's one of nearly 30 clubs on Long Island dedicated to amateur radio.
Wilson said when he started, the number of members hovered around 20 and is now near 100, a rise he attributed to expanding beyond radio and trying to get younger members involved.
Bob Goldstein, of Shirley, tuned a ham radio during the open house in Yaphank. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Amateur radio, which can require detailed expertise and licensing to master, connects people globally and can be a critical communication tool during disasters when regular methods fail.
Jim Mezey, New York City-Long Island section manager for the American Radio Relay League, said amateur radio provided the opportunity to talk to people across the world, "like a pen pal but on the radio."
Navy veteran Bob Goldstein, of Shirley, said he was introduced to radio while serving as a radioman aboard the USS Aylwin, a frigate, in the 1970s.
He's earned a radio license called Amateur Extra, the highest in the United States, which allows him to access all amateur bands.
"It's an expensive hobby but I enjoy it," he said.
From left, Cliff Hendrickson, of Selden, Tyler Trojanowski, of Wading River, and Anthony Tubbs, of Centereach, watch a demonstration by amateur radio volunteer Anthony Mosono. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Russell Bast displayed a stack of postcards known as QSL cards he's received from people he's communicated with across the globe via Morse code.
He started learning one rainy weekend and within 30 days he learned the alphabet and was sending and receiving Morse code at seven to 10 words per minute. He grew to 20 words per minute after a year.
"I would have been an excellent World War II signal operator," he said.
Dave Miao brought son Miles, 9, to the open house from Nassau County. Miles learned how to build a Morse code kit with popsicle sticks, batteries and other small components he soldered together with an instructor's assistance.
Miao said his son was hesitant at first but soon jumped into it.
"That's the way to get them hooked," Miao said.
Asked if he's mastered Morse code, Miles said: "I only mastered my name."
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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