There is something pretty special about watching a student pick up a microphone, press the push-to-talk button, and realize they are actually talking to someone over the radio.

Not through the internet. Not through a cell phone. Not through an app.

Radio. Real RF. The good stuff.

Granite State Amateur Radio Association had the pleasure of taking part in the Brian McCarthy STEM Event at Nashua South High School, and what a fantastic day it turned out to be. The event brought together curious students, families, educators, and organizations focused on science, technology, engineering, and math — and GSARA was proud to be there showing how amateur radio fits right into that world.

And let’s be honest, ham radio is STEM with knobs, antennas, batteries, wires, and just enough mystery to keep everyone interested.

Our club volunteers helped create a hands-on experience where kids and adults could see, hear, and try different parts of amateur radio. We had several demonstrations running throughout the event, including HF radio contacts, SSTV, Winlink, Morse code, and local repeater communications using handheld radios.

One of the big highlights was getting kids on the air and helping them make real contacts. Several students were able to make HF contacts with Parks on the Air stations, which was a great way to show how radio can connect people from a school gym to operators out in the field. We also made HF contacts with GSARA members Dan, W1PO, and Ryan, W1SNH, which gave the kids a chance to talk with friendly voices who helped make the experience even more memorable.

We also hosted a “Talk to a Ham” activity using local repeaters, where students could use handheld radios to talk with other amateur radio operators. For many of them, this was their first time holding a radio and making contact. You could see the confidence build quickly once they realized, “Hey, I can do this.”

Alongside the voice contacts, we demonstrated SSTV, sending images from the event live over the radio. That one always gets attention because it feels like a little bit of radio magic. Watching a picture slowly appear after being transmitted over the air is one of those things that makes people stop and say, “Wait… that came through the radio?” Yes. Yes, it did. Welcome to the rabbit hole.

We also had Winlink demos that showed how amateur radio can be used to send messages when traditional communication methods may not be available. That opened up great conversations about emergency communication, preparedness, and the role ham radio can play when things get a little sideways.

And of course, no ham radio STEM display would be complete without Morse code. Whether it was kids tapping out their names, learning about dits and dahs, or just discovering that Morse code is still very much alive, it was a fun way to connect modern students with one of the oldest digital modes in radio.

A huge thank you goes out to the GSARA volunteers who helped make the event such a success:
**Ralph, KC1TLY**
**Rick, N1RJF**
**Bill, KC1WWB**
**Eric, N1JUR**
**Connor, KC1YPQ**
**Steve, KC1OSX**
**Ted, W1TED**
**Greg, K1GMS**

Events like this do not happen without people willing to show up, answer questions, hand out microphones to nervous first-timers, explain what all the buttons do, and make amateur radio feel welcoming rather than intimidating. That is exactly what this team did.

The response from both kids and adults was incredibly positive. There were a lot of smiles, a lot of questions, and plenty of moments where people seemed genuinely surprised by how much amateur radio can do. That is the fun part of outreach. You never know which student is going to walk away thinking, “I want to learn more about this.”

That is why GSARA loves being involved in community events like the Brian McCarthy STEM Event. Amateur radio is not just a hobby tucked away in basements and radio shacks. It is science, technology, communication, public service, experimentation, friendship, and occasionally a strange collection of adapters that somehow still does not include the one you need.

We were honored to be part of the event, and we are excited to keep finding ways to introduce more young people and families to amateur radio.

Because every new ham starts somewhere.