The Loudoun Amateur Radio Group Of Northern Virginia

LOUDOUN AMATEUR RADIO GROUP TRAINS NEW HAMS

(Purcellville, VA., April 3, 2009 News Release Published by Jeff Slusher - KE5APC.)The Loudoun Amateur Radio Group (LARG), K4LRG, a leading Northern Virginia ARRL-affiliated club successfully conducted a General Class Training “Boot Camp” in late March. Eighteen students participated with ten earning their General Class licenses the following week, with others scheduling testing sessions at later dates. This was the first “boot camp” session for General Class, although the club operated two Technician classes for eighty-four (84) students in 2008 of which at least sixty (60) have earned their licenses – with several of those students working their way up to General during the March training session. At left, group photograph of students and instructors during Loudoun Amateur Radio Group’s 28-29 March 2009 General Class Boot Camp, held at the Leesburg, VA. VFW Post. Sitting, L to R: Cheryl J, Beuning K0CJB, Karl Hamilton KI4BDS, LTC Jay R. Greeley KI4UTB, Brennen R. Ernst KI4PRK, Lloyd Harting KJ4BXA, Nancy Dluehosh KE4RTP, Scott Brody KJ4GXZ. Standing, L to R: Paul Dluehosh N4PD, Sean Epperson WL7HC, Richard Cody KB3MLA, John Elliott N3NFY, Greg Jablonski KJ4GZX, Doug Johnson KJ4BRN, Steve Reed KW4H, Don Swanson N3EVF, Henry Weidman K2BFY, Dennis Mirr KJ4BRZ, Grant Russell KB3EMT, Jim Dyal, Rick Miller AI1V, Jas Jamwal KG4YIQ.

Club Training Officer Steven Reed, KW4H instituted a “game show” format for the two-day weekend sessions in which other club members served as the “game show hosts” for a particular block of questions. Following the training, students were encouraged to take on-line practice exams during the week and return to Leesburg, Virginia on April 4th to take their Element 3 Exam.

LARG’s focus is on training, not testing – so the club again turned to Jorge Thevenet, KD4DGQ who brought his team of ten volunteer examiners to Leesburg on April 4th to conduct the exams. In addition to the LARG students trained the preceding week, sixteen (16) additional candidates took exams during the VEC session. Twenty-eight tests were conducted resulting in six (6) new Technicians, seventeen (17) new Generals and one Extra. At left, group photograph of the VE Team who administered 28 tests on 4 April 2009 at the Leesburg, VA VFW Post. SITTING (left to right) Ray Johnson K5RJ, Terry Hines N4ZH, Arthur Laurent KD4CSO, Alan Moeck WA2RPX, Gloria Borgrink KE4JEH, Lisa Thevenet KD4DGO. STANDING (left to right) Bob Kemner K4RWK, LTC Jay R. Greeley KI4UTB, VE Team Leader Jorge Thevenet KD4DGQ, standing behind LTC Greeley, Luther Guise K5NOB, Chuck Borgrink W4LFO, Carol Boehler KF4TJJ, and Jay Ives KI4TXP. Missing from the photograph is Larry Hughes K3HE.

The training and the exams were held at the historic Leesburg VFW Post in which General George C. Marshall was once a member and Arthur Godfrey (sk), K4LIB was a frequent guest.

LARG is planning additional boot camp sessions for 2009.

The 100+ member Loudoun Amateur Radio Group is a diverse, family oriented club with a wide variety of activities and interests including public service, emergency communications support, high altitude balloon radio, camera and video flights, fox hunts, contesting and DX-ing. Their premier events are the annual K4LRG operation in the June ARRL Field Day where they were a nationally ranked “5A station” in 2008, the Reston Bicycle Club Ride Communications Operation in August and First Night Leesburg in December. LARG launched and recovered a balloon in July 2008. A full report with audio from the event is available on the web. More about the club at http://k4lrg.org.

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LOUDOUN AMATEUR RADIO GROUP TRAINS NEW HAMS

(Purcellville, VA., October 13, 2008)            NEWS RELEASE
The Loudoun Amateur Radio Group, P.O. Box 1004, Purcellville, VA 20134

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO PRINT & ELECTRONIC MEDIA

CONTACT: JEFF SLUSHER, 214-725-9099 or ke5apc@arrl.net

The Loudoun Amateur Radio Group (LARG), K4LRG, a leading Northern Virginia ARRL-affiliated club has set the bar exceptionally high for their 2009 training objectives given the high degree of success of their two “Ham Radio Boot Camp” programs held in Leesburg, Virginia during 2008. The club trained 84 prospective hams in 2008 – the vast majority of whom are now licensed. Of those newly licensed hams, 6 went to General Class and four went to Extra Class following the LARG training.

Club Training Officer Steven Reed, KW4H instituted a “game show” format for the two-day weekend training in which other club members served as the “game show hosts” for a particular block of questions. Trainees took frequent breaks at which time they could participate in a variety of amateur radio-related on-going demonstrations including HF, EchoLink, APRS, and local VHF repeater operation.

Interesting guest speakers also spoke of their amateur radio experiences including Mona Singleton, NY7P, who gave an engaging presentation on her life and times in the Coast Guard radio service, and Brennen Ernst, KI4PRK, a teenage Extra-class licensee, who gave an informative presentation on propagation.

The LARG training scenario includes a two-day seminar followed by a week of home study using the various on-line sample tests.

LARG coordinated with area ARRL-affiliated VEC’s who set up two testing dates – one week following the Boot Camp, and one a week later for those with schedule conflicts. Jorge A Thevenet, KD4DGQ assembled his team of VEC’s from throughout the Northern Virginia area.

Members of other clubs also attended as observers, one of which has resulted in discussions focused on cross-state collaboration to expand the student pool in addition to spreading the workload with other clubs. Discussions between the Frederick (Maryland) Amateur Radio Club and LARG are underway.

Students came from a broad spectrum of interests including local Government first-responder volunteers, the Red Cross, Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, and others. Some students traveled further than others to attend the Boot Camp. Jay Slusher, KD8JJW came the furthest, traveling 175 miles from Bruceton Mills, WV. When time came for testing, he found a VEC exam closer to home sponsored by the Uniontown ARC in Pennsylvania.

The 120 member Loudoun Amateur Radio Group is a diverse, family oriented club with a wide variety of activities and interests including public service, emergency communications support, high altitude balloon radio, camera and video flights, fox hunts, contesting and DX-ing. Their premier events are the annual K4LRG operation in the June ARRL Field Day, the Reston Bicycle Club Ride Communications Operation in August and First Night Leesburg in December. More about the club at http://k4lrg.org.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Students and teachers at the recent Loudoun Amateur Radio Boot Camp are, from left to right (kneeling) Brennen Ernst KI4PRK, Charlie Hill, Connor Hill, Henry Weidman K3BRY, John Hill, Scott Brody, Tommy Sheedy, Francine Sheehy, Samantha Sheehy, Jon Emch, Cassie Sheehy, Eric Carlson, Matt Stevens, Arlene Chapman

Standing , L to R: Steve Reed, KW4H and LARG Training Officer, Charlie Hill, John Riabtsev, Charlie Hill, Alex Riabtsev, Henry Weidman, K2FY, Kevin Blankenship, KG4HYG, Jay Greeley, KI4UTB, Bob Kemmer, K4RWK, Marcia Brown, Greg Jablonski, Craig Pinton, Chris John, Phil Rania, Mike Miller, Jay Slusher, KD8JJW, Steve Edwards, Albert Atkins, Ray Lombarrdi, Ken Sullivan, Cheryl Beuning, and Val Chapman.

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