Presenter Opinion : CHOTA 2023

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Presenter Opinion : CHOTA 2023

Recently I ran across an intriguing notice on the RSGB website. It was a notice to “prepare for CHOTA” back in 2021. CHOTA is Churches and Chapels on the Air, a product of the World Association of Christian Radio Amateurs and Listeners (wacral.org). That organization began in 1957 in England by the Huddersfield South Methodist Radio Club. It’s been ecumenical since 1978. Intriguing! Another institutional space for using amateur radio as outreach to the public. If you are a church member, it reaches out to the public who may be unaware of your existence.

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PRSENTER OPINION : Having fun with POTA→

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PRSENTER OPINION : Having fun with POTA

I’ve been doing more Parks on the Air (POTA) operation this summer now that I’m “retired.” It’s been a lot of fun. Not only that, I’ve learned some stuff.

Here’s how my activations usually go. Two or three of us—my partners in crime have included Rick K8BMA, Paul KW1L, and my wife, Silvia—leave my house about 8:30 am and head up to K-3315, the Island Lake Recreation Area. The park is less than a half hour from my house.

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PRESENTER OPINION : Please Please Please Encourage New Operators

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PRESENTER OPINION : Please Please Please Encourage New Operators

You’ve probably all heard this at one time or another. A newly-licensed radio amateur gets on the local repeater and then either gets ignored completely or criticized for using a Baofeng or committing some minor operating error.

Can  you think of a worse experience for a new ham? I’d bet that in some cases the new ham decides to give up on ham radio entirely. At the very least, it sours them on the ham radio experience.

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