Amateur Radio At CMMC and Year in Review

JANUARY 2011

Greetings!

This has been an extraordinary year for CMMC. Thinking back to one year ago, we had so much to do and weren't sure how we were going to do it all. But we did, and thanks to Roz Coleman, Barbara Waters and Edee Crowell, you were able to follow our progress through these Marconigrams.

The year is vividly on display in photographs on our CMMC website. Click on "Image Gallery" on our homepage to see slide shows of our building renovation, our preview party and opening on August 1, 2010, and the Qualcomm/Verizon press conference on November 3, 2010. Special thanks to Don Gutt, who has volunteered his time throughout the year to help us keep the content of our website current and exciting.

We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

Chuck Bartlett, president CMMC

P.S. Put CMMC on your New Year's Resolution List: Volunteer: Contact us.

IN THIS MARCONIGRAM

Radio License Class.

WEBSITE-LINKS

CMMC Home Page

CMMC CENTER GRAND OPENING 2011 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Choose your committee on CMMC Organizational Chart and Email Us!!

Board of Directors

Chatham Marconi Campus

Current Photo Gallery

FEATURED ON OUR WEBSITE

Walter Cronkite taping the Untold Story.

Chatham Radio WCC: The Untold Story

Click above to view a 3-minute preview of the award winning film produced by the CMMC and narrated by the late Walter Cronkite.

ANNUAL DONATION INFORMATION

The CMMC is a 501(C) (3) organization approved by the IRS.
Leonard Magnusson, Treasurer

Donations can be made online from the Annual Donation Webpage.

Don't miss an update!

Radio License in a Weekend a Success!

It was an eventful and exciting 3 days over Thanksgiving weekend at the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. Course instructor Dana S. Henrique, WA1KYU, led this first amateur radio class ever held in this historic building was presented to 23 students. An exam session was held at the end of the day Sunday and most earned their Technician class license. Local amateur radio club representatives congratulated the new hams and offered memberships in their clubs at new member rates. Other exam sessions are given regularly by the Barnstable Radio Club and other clubs on the Cape.

Course instructor Dana S. Henrique, WA1KYU.

This class was the latest of many that Dana has taught, this time with the assistance of Paul Laconto, W1NP. The class included demonstrations of actual on-the-air communication using local repeaters that act as relay sites to extend the distances over which hams can talk.

Class taking the amateur radio exam.

The Center has a fully equipped radio room that already has logged many contacts with other stations all over the world. There are two operating positions with only modest antennas at present but the Amateur Radio Committee is finalizing plans to put up antennas that will give the Center a recognizable on-the-air presence as well as simulate many of the antennas that were in operation during the station's heyday.

During the few times that long distance communication isn't supported directly, today's amateur radios can "talk" back and forth using computers and the internet to stretch the distances over which hams can talk to each other. Computers and the internet can also inform hams when conditions are best for communication and who is already on the air all over the world.

The station will operate for special events such as Marconi's birthday and the Titanic anniversary as well during times the Center is open to the public when staff is available.

Amateur radio is more important today for emergency communications than ever before. The internet and cell phones rely on a complex infrastructure that often breaks down under the stress of the many users trying to get help and information after a natural disaster. Amateur radio, with its portable power supplies and self-sufficient relay systems, will get through when all else fails. This is the reason that the Red Cross and Salvation Army have their own amateur radio support networks.