I received some great news from ARRL HQ this afternoon. Thanks to the great support from so many people, I will have the privilege of serving as your ARRL New England Division Director for the next 3 years.
It has been an amazing opportunity to campaign for and prepare to take on this challenge. I have met so many great folks, clubs, and other groups during the past 6 months since the process of running to become your director began. The people in our Division give me great confidence that Amateur Radio has a great future ahead for all of us.
Thanks to the support of a great team and all of you, I have learned a great deal about what is important to ARRL members here in New England and I am anxious to get to work.
This would not have been possible without all of the support that so many of you provided for my campaign and the work that we are hoping to do.
I’d like to add a special THANK YOU to the team of folks who helped me to campaign for Director. Without all of the folks on our team, I would not be in a position to serve as Director. I look forward to continuing to work with and expand our team so that we may work on behalf of New England and all ARRL members to strengthen and grow Amateur Radio. This will involve tackling a broad range of issues and it will take a diverse team of dedicated Amateur Radio people to be successful. I am very happy to have a strong core team to begin this part of our work.
I also want to thank my XYL Anita, AB1QB for the tireless effort and support that she put into my campaign and all the things that we do together to make Amateur Radio stronger.
To all of you who helped make this possible, I want to say a very big THANK YOU for giving me the chance to serve you. I hope that ARRL New England Division members will continue with the excellent feedback and support as we get to work.
Fred, AB1OC
ARRL New England Division Director-Elect
I have had the pleasure to work and collaborate with my club and others to create programs to get new people and young people started in Amateur Radio. I’ve been sharing information about these programs with clubs across New England and around the US to provide ideas and inspiration for Amateur Radio clubs to add similar mentoring and Ham Development programs to their activities.
Teaching Amateur Radio License Classes
Teaching License Classes is a passion of mine. Along with the Nashua Area Radio Society, we’ve provided 7-8 License Training Classes to help folks earn Technician, General, and Extra class licenses each year. Our classes include 1 or 2 classes each year devoted solely to school students who want to earn their Technician License. We do this so that we can teach the Technician Class material in a format suitable for middle school and high school students.
Ham Bootcamp – Getting New Hams On The Air
I have led the creation of programs such as Ham Bootcamp and Tech Night to provide training and skills development to enable Hams to get on the air and develop new skills.
Students Launch a High-Altitude Balloon Carrying Amateur Radio
I believe that work to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning in schools through Amateur is an important way to help the next generation of young people to join the Amateur Radio Service and enhance their lives. Kits Builds, High-Altitude Balloons, and other Amateur Radio activities can provide practical applications and support for STEM learning programs that many schools are working to deliver.
Fred, AB1OC Helping a School Make Contact with an Astronaut on the ISS via Amateur Radio
Through my work as a mentor and ground station in the ARISS program, I’ve been able to help schools and other youth groups around the world to experience and learn about Amateur Radio and use it to communicate with astronauts on the International Space Station.
ARRL Rookie Roundup – Introducing contesting to young people and new Hams
I believe that it’s also very important to introduce new hams and young hams to the Amateur Radio activities that many of us enjoy. We routinely make our station here available to new Hams and young people so they can participate in on-air activities. A favorite activity is the ARRL Rookie Roundup – a contest experience that the ARRL sponsors for new Hams to try out and learn about Radiosport.
I’ve been sharing a presentation with clubs and other groups about these and other programs to encourage folks to provide mentoring and new Ham development opportunities.
I recently met with the K1USN Radio Club in Braintree, MA to share this information. The folks there recorded my presentation and have permitted me to share it here so that others might benefit from the information that it contains. The K1USN Radio Club is a great example of a group of Hams that are working to provide mentoring and new Ham development programs. Here’s where you can find more about them:
I hope that our readers will consider creating programs to help bring new people into the Amateur Radio Service and mentor all Hams to help them to develop new skills and enjoy Amateur Radio.
Hello. I am Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, and I am hoping to become your ARRL New England Division Director. I have a long history of helping people to become licensed, learn new skills, and become active in the Amateur Radio Service. I have also served as the President of the Nashua Area Radio Society, a club that has provided many hams licensing and development programs over the past six years.
Like most Hams, I love Ham Radio and all that it enables. As your Director, I will work hard to protect our hobby and I will work hard to create and promote activities and programs which will maximize our ability to participate in and enjoy Amateur Radio.
Amateur Radio changes people’s lives for the better. It certainly has had a huge positive impact on my life and I want to become Director so that I may work with clubs and individual Hams across New England to help them bring positive life experiences through Amateur Radio to more people in our division and across the ARRL.
What I Want To Accomplish as New England Director
There is much that needs to be done to create a strong future for Amateur Radio and the ARRL. The following are some of the major goals that I plan to focus on as Director:
Bring new people into Amateur Radio by working collaboratively with clubs across New England and the ARRL
Create opportunities for STEM learning in schools and colleges through Amateur Radio
Create positive public and agency awareness and support for Amateur Radio to protect our spectrum and our rights
Ensure effective, open, 2-way communications between the ARRL and its members
Establish the New England Division as a leader in providing world-class Amateur Radio programs
It is also very important that we create an environment within New England and the ARRL that promotes and protects on-air activities such as DXing and Contesting that so many Hams (including this one) enjoy.
We need a Director who is Collaborative, Innovative, and Action-Oriented to accomplish these and other important goals. I believe that I can bring the right Amateur Radio professional experience and collaborative leadership skills to accomplish these goals and more. I hope that you will support me as your choice to fulfill this important mission.
Action-Oriented Leadership
We must take immediate action on issues that are important to ARRL members. To this end, I have published a plan for my first 100 days as ARRL New England Division Director that includes specific actions to improve 2-way communications between the ARRL and New England members. My plans include outreach to members of the ARRL Board and Senior Leadership to find common ground to take action on issues that matter to ARRL members. I also plan to appoint several Assistant Directors to focus on promoting programs in important areas such as:
I believe that Amateur Radio clubs play an essential role in bringing new hams into the Amateur Radio Service and in helping hams to develop new skills.
Helping a school contact an Astronaut on the ISS via Amateur Radio
I serve as an ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Mentor and Ground Station, helping schools around the world participate in STEM learning based on Amateur Radio. I will help groups and individuals in New England to create projects and programs to bring Amateur Radio to young people across the division. Amateur Radio provides a tremendous opportunity for young people to learn about technical topics and to develop valuable skills that they can use throughout their lives.
Working with students at Bishop-Guertin H.S. to Launch a High-Altitude Balloon Carrying Amateur Radio
I continue to spend time in local schools teaching classes and providing activities that bring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning opportunities to students through Amateur Radio. In addition to inspiring young people to pursue STEM careers by becoming Hams, this work also serves to improve the public’s understanding of the importance and value that Amateur Radio provides.
I am devoting considerable time and energy to licensing new hams and helping all hams to upgrade their licenses and get on the air. I’ve had the pleasure of leading a team of hams who have taught license classes, enabling over 350 people to earn a license or upgrade over the past five years. I have worked with a team of folks to create some innovative approaches to new ham development and getting hams on the air. We created a very popular program called Ham Bootcamp. Ham Bootcamp is designed to help both new and experienced hams get on the air, build their stations, and participate in new operating activities. The last Ham Bootcamp drew over 450 participants from across the United States.
As New England Division Director, I will work with clubs and individuals in New England to help them expand their role as mentors and create a world-class environment for learning based on Amateur Radio.
I Need Your Support
There are currently three candidates for the position of ARRL New England Director. Ballots for the election will be mailed to all New England ARRL Members on October 1st.
I am asking you for your help and your vote in making our plans a reality to benefit Amateur Radio folks across New England and the ARRL.
If you are not already an ARRL Member, please consider joining the ARRL and participating in the upcoming New England Director election. You can become an ARRL member here.
Your vote means a great deal to the future of Amateur Radio.
Additional Information
I have been widely endorsed by members of the Amateur Radio community for my work. You can see what Hams such as Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, Gordon West, WB6NOA, and others are saying about their support for me as ARRL New England Division Director at elect.ab1oc.org/endorsements.
You can learn more about what I am hoping to accomplish as ARRL New England Division director at elect.ab1oc.org.
I welcome everyone’s comments and questions. You can reach me at [email protected].
About Me
I am an active amateur with a broad range of Amateur Radio interests. I enjoy many aspects of the hobby, including DXing, contesting, EmCom activities and Field Day, satellites, station building, and weak signal operating on the VHF and higher bands. One of Amateur Radio’s most important strengths is its tremendous diversity and range of interests and activities.
I am an electrical engineer by training and I hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in EE. I have served in many business leadership roles, including VP and General Manager of a large data networking and communication business, VP of Strategy and Business Development for a large telecommunication equipment company, Chief Technology Officer, and Project Leader at Bell Laboratories in the development of wireless and wired data communications technologies. I have also served on the FCC’s Technical Advisory Council where I assisted the FCC in developing public policy related to wireless and broadband communications. I hold an Amateur Extra license and have been quite active on the air logging over 100,000 contacts on the HF and higher bands. You can read more about my professional background on LinkedIn here.
I believe that Amateur Radio and the ARRL are at a crossroads. Issues such as the need to bring new people of all ages into Amateur Radio and get them active have become urgent.
Fred, AB1OC Helping a School Make Contact with an Astronaut on the ISS via Amateur Radio
We also need to do a much better job at building public awareness and support for Amateur Radio as a means to protect our rights as hams and our spectrum. One important way that we can do this is through work to support Amateur Radio-based STEM education in schools.
It is simply not enough to acknowledge the problems we face and suggest ideas on how we might address them. We need a Director that has a demonstrated track record of solving problems and getting results.
We need a director who can take on a broad range of issues. Doing this requires a team approach and a Director who can collaborate with ARRL members across our Division to get things done. To this end, I have assembled a team of leaders across the New England Division who are actively helping me to develop well-thought-out positions on important issues facing the ARRL and Amateurs across New England.
I believe that a dual approach that includes working both within the ARRL to solve problems and with clubs and ARRL members in the New England Division to create effective Amateur Radio programs is the best way to address the issues that the ARRL and Amateur Radio are facing. My plans to implement this approach include a combination of improved communications with New England ARRL Members, outreach to ARRL Directors and Leaders, and the appointment of Assistant Directors within my first 100 days as your Director.
If you have any questions or thoughts on what your next Director needs to focus on, I can be reached at [email protected].
Ballots for ARRL New England Division Director have been mailed to ARRL New England members and you should have received your ballot by now. Ballots are due back to ARRL HQ by November 19th. Please take the time to return your ballot so your vote counts in this important election. The last Director election was decided by only a few votes so your vote is very important.
I held a second Town Hall Meeting earlier this week with Hams in New England. I was joined by Phil Temples, K9HI, and Rob Leiden, K1UI from my team. After a brief introduction, I spent the evening answering questions.
We recorded the second Town Hall Meeting and I wanted to share it with our readers here. I would welcome the opportunity to hear your views and answer any additional questions that you might have. You can reach me at [email protected].
Folks have been asking me why I want to become the next ARRL New England Division Director. For me, this is about giving back and helping people to enrich their lives through Amateur Radio and all that it can offer. You can watch the video above to learn more.
I wanted to share my thoughts about how we can grow membership in the ARRL. This clip is from the ARRL New England Division Candidate Forum which was part of the Northeast HamXposition. You can watch the full Candidate Forum video here.
The three candidates who are running to become the next New England Division Director participated in a Candidates Forum at the Northeast HamXpostion in Marlborough, MA recently. The Candidate Forum was moderated by Don Arthur, K1DCA. Thanks to Jim Palmer, KB1KQW for recording and producing the video of the Candidate Forum.
Don asked a series of thoughtful questions that enabled those present to learn what each candidate was about and how they planned to take the ARRL and the Amateur Radio Service forward into the future. The candidates did not know what Don’s questions would be in advance.
I hope that you will take the time to watch the video to learn about my plans as your Director.
New England ARRL members will be sent their ballots by mail on October 1st. Ballots are due back to due back at ARRL HQ no later than 12:00 pm on November 19th.
I held the first of what I hope will be many Town Hall Meetings with Hams in New England last evening.
Town Hall Panel
I was joined by a panel of Hams who are supporting my campaign and who are helping me to develop plans for the work I will do as ARRL New England Division Director.
After a brief introduction, we spent the evening answering questions from the folks who joined us for the Town Hall.
We recorded the Town Hall Meeting and I wanted to share it with our readers here. I would welcome the opportunity to hear your views and answer any additional questions that you might have. You can reach me at [email protected].
It is vitally important that we make efforts to bring Amateur Radio to young people in schools and other venues. When we spend time bringing Amateur Radio to young people, we accomplish two important things. First, we have the potential to change a young person’s life for the better by involving them in Amateur Radio, a hobby and a service that inspires a lifetime of STEM learning and often leads to lifelong careers in Science or Engineering.
Secondly, our work in schools is one of the very best ways that we can make the general public aware of the positive benefits that Amateur Radio provides to their kids and to the general public.
Supporting STEM Learning At Sussex County Charter School for Technology
In my role as an ARISS Program Mentor, I recently had the pleasure of spending a week with Sussex County Charter School for Technology (a charter school in NJ) students and teachers to help teachers there to deliver their summer Radio Camp.
The summer Radio Camp was a STEM education program that the school developed in support of their upcoming contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS). Members of the local Sussex County Amateur Radio Club teamed with the teachers at the school to deliver a 5-day program grounded in STEM learning through Amateur Radio.
Hosting DX Contact Experience on the HF
Radio camp activities included many hands-on Amateur Radio activities such as making DX contacts on the HF radio bands, building electrical circuits, practicing morse code, a Fox hunt, building and operating a portable HF station, flying a radio-controlled drone, and more.
Satellite Contact at Sussex County Charter School for Technology
The students and their teachers also learned about how they can make contacts with other Amateur Radio operators through satellites in space.
The student’s parents joined them on the last day of Radio Camp to learn about Amateur Radio and the activities that their kids had done with the school during the week.
Building Public Awareness and Support for Amateur Radio
Helping Hudson Memorial School students to talk to an astronaut on the ISS
The photo above was taken during an event that I had the great pleasure to help a local school with a little while back. As President of the Nashua Area Radio Society, I led efforts to help Hudson Memorial School, a public middle school here in New Hampshire, to prepare for and make contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station using Amateur Radio. The photo was taken just before the school’s contact began. The school’s principal is explaining Amateur Radio and the positive impact that it has had in his school to hundreds of parents, teachers, school board members, and public visitors. Imagine the impact on public support that we had as part of this project.
These are the sorts of activities that I want to work on and encourage with Clubs and Hams here in New England as director. I also believe that the ARRL can do much more to promote and encourage projects like this to create public awareness and support for Amateur Radio.
Hams, Clubs, and the ARRL have a much greater potential to generate positive public support for Amateur Radio including for legislation to protect our rights and our spectrum through work with young people in schools than we have by lobbying alone.
