Member of the Month
GSARA owes its success to members like you, who have contributed to making it an excellent platform for Amateur Radio enthusiasts. As a club, we seek to showcase your experience in the hobby and encourage other members to learn more about each other. If you're interested in participating, kindly send an email to mom@gsara.org.
MEMBERS SPOTLIGHT
Tom Perkins (AC1J)
I became a club member during the mid-1970s and began participating in various meetings in the early 1980s. My involvement progressed to becoming a VE (Volunteer Examiner) Lead, where I helped fellow hams obtain their license. Later on, in 2006, I assumed the position of Club Callsign Trustee for our club's repeater, and in 2007, I served as interim Club President
John Grubmuller (K1XF)
Our featured member for this month is John Grubmuller (K1XF). He offers some valuable advice for new hams worth considering. He wisely points out that this hobby encompasses various aspects and that individuals have distinct goals. Therefore, it is crucial to connect with like-minded individuals and cultivate meaningful relationships with them. It's worth avoiding the temptation to impose one's hobbies on others.
Bill Freeman (KE1G)
The club member spotlight for this month showcases Bill Freeman, KE1G. Bill's interest in amateur radio started at a young age as he received his novice license at the age of 13, on March 5, 1963. Nonetheless, the novice license had a short validity of one year and was not renewable. Subsequently, Bill had to wait until approximately 1972 to obtain his technician license to begin transmitting.
Eric Pfeifer (N1JUR)
I've been pursuing this hobby since 1991, when I acquired my No-Code Technician license. I've been fortunate to have several Ham radio mentors who have guided me throughout my journey. Thanks to their support, I've been involved in several exciting activities, including Scouting, the local Ham Club in my teen years (Police Amateur Radio Team - PART), and I even helped found the Westford Academy High School Radio Club.
Bill Arcand (W1WRA)
I was first licensed in 1999 as KB1EFZ. I started the hobby interested in VHF+ weak signal work (mostly SSB ). While mainly on HF these days, I have been exploring getting back into 2-meter and above weak signal work.
These days, I mostly enjoy SSB portable operation while participating in Parks On The Air (POTA). I enjoy building antennas based on designs created by other hams and taking them into the field. There’s still something fascinating about grabbing a radio, a battery, and an antenna I built myself,
heading out to a beach, forest, or mountaintop, setting up, and making contact with someone across the globe—then packing it all up like I was never there.
One of my favorite moments was making my first contact with Australia during a POTA activation. I was using a 10-meter inverted V I made from speaker wire, a dual binding post, and a 28-foot mast.