Jeanne Martin (KC1SPX)

How long have you been a Ham?

I got my technician license in March of 2023. My initial thought was that ham radio might be a useful skill for emergency communication. A friend also inspired me with a ham radio license. She used her radio for medical rescues on horseback in areas without cell phone reception. I thought that was pretty cool. I decided to go for it and give the radio a try. How hard could it be? Since then, I’ve been exploring and learning about different aspects of ham radio. I’ve found that it’s much more than a form of emergency communication. It’s a science and a skill, and ultimately, it is a way of connecting with others, which is a great thing to be involved with at any time. I got my general license in May 2023 and my amateur extra license in November 2023.

What mode(s) within Amateur Radio do you enjoy operating?

I’m still in my exploring phase right now. That means I’m trying as many different things as possible and learning what I can do. Ham radio is a big world encompassing everything from talking with friends close by to talking with people all over the country and the world to even talking to people in space. I’m not even kidding. You can communicate with the international space station on ham radio. Many hams will have certain areas of ham radio that they enjoy most and will concentrate on. One thing I’m doing is learning Morse code. I’m a piano teacher. Morse code is ear training and rhythm. That puts it in my wheelhouse, and I enjoy the challenge. I’m also interested in how far I can communicate. I don’t have a big splashy antenna on the house. I’ve got a wire in a tree hooked up to my radio, and so far, I’ve made contact as far as Colorado. There’s plenty of room for improvement, so I expect that to get even better. I even took part in a radio contest. I want to try more contests, some digital modes, and learn to send emails by radio. I’d also like to learn a little more about electronics. I’m learning how to solder.

Describe your involvement with GSARA.

After I passed my technician exam, I knew I would learn the practical side of radio faster and better if I joined a local club where I could learn from more experienced people. I also looked for the nearest repeater from my house, the GSARA repeater. It made sense to join the club. That was a good decision. I’ve learned a lot from other club members, which has motivated me to be more involved. I participate in the nightly nets when I can, and I look forward to participating in as many available club activities as possible. It’s been a great place to learn the practical side of ham radio and to meet local ham radio operators.

What is one piece of advice you would give a new Ham?

Don’t just pass your exam and stuff your license in a drawer. The exams are just the beginning, and you only need to pass one to get started. Keep learning. Join a club. Learn from others. Watch videos. Try things out. Speak up. Ask questions. Power up your radio and make some contacts. Ham radio is about connecting with others, and the learning never stops.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

As a teacher, I think it’s important to keep learning new things. It helps me remember what it’s like for my students to learn something new, and it’s a lot of fun. My areas of interest are music, cooking, sailing, boating, the ocean, lakes are cool too, gardening, tropical fish, hydroponics, languages, chickens, quail, sewing, knitting, jewelry making, mosaics, crochet, and reading.

I think perhaps when you enjoy music from different time periods, it’s natural to be curious about and have an appreciation for the accomplishments and skills from those time periods. I enjoy learning about some of the older skills. I’ve learned a bit about scratch cooking, canning, pickling, and fermenting. I have made my own sourdough starter. I’ve made hard and soft cheeses from scratch. I’ve even tried spinning wool. It’s amazing what people used to know how to do. And really, some things are timeless, never going out of style, for example, a beautiful musical instrument.

So, how does radio fit in? Well, another thing that never goes out of style is communication. My first involvement with radio was as a kid with two tin cans and a string. It worked and was fun as a kid, but we can do better than that. Next up is walkie-talkies, of course. You can’t talk too far, but they’re still helpful. I still use simple walkie-talkies. My husband and I enjoy boating, and he’s got one walkie-talkie in the car, and I’m on the other. It helps to have decent communication when backing up a boat. Ham radio is just the next step up. If it requires some learning, so be it. I’m in and enjoying the process.