Boy, Have We Been Busy!

Lots of good information in today's blog!

On April 3, 2025, several members of the club met with several Knight/hams who are interested in expanding the club into other states.  I provided them all with a copy of our bylaws, with the thought of meeting again in May.

The new club won't be a 'club', but more likely an 'association'.  Clubs tend to be local.  We will be under the umbrella of a national organization, with the possibility of individual states breaking out into their own, respective clubs as the need arises.

We also have an EchoLink node--NJ2KC-L, hosted by our Station Trustee, Bob, K2OFC.  We could use EchoLink for check-ins to our net.  It will also be yet another way to get the word out about who we are as a club. Thank you for setting it up, Bob.

We are now also on YouTube!  Welcome to the 20th century (that was not a typo).  Our YouTube page is, NJKCARC.  PLEASE don't laugh.  I wanted to get some information out to the public.  I can delete them in the future (especially the one where I turned the camera sideways). Suggestions of stuff to put on the channel is always welcome.

At the Testimonial Dinner for our Worthy State Deputy Raymond C. Sands, III, I was honored to receive a plaque from him, for starting the Amateur Radio Program for the New Jersey Knights of Columbus.  It may have been my idea, but all of you members, collectively, have kept it alive.  Congratulate yourselves!

Please visit my QRZ page to see the plaque.

We have the NJ State Convention in just over a month.  Hopefully I will see at least a couple of you there.

I held an impromptu 20m net Sunday night.  I usually follow the Saint Maximilian Kolbe net, which starts at 6:00 Eastern on 14.341 on Sundays.  I didn't hear them, so I picked the frequency of 14.303 MHz and began the net at 7:15.  I had 10 check-ins, including Bob via EchoLink.  The check-ins were from AR, IL, SC, AZ, ND, GA and two from WI.  So, basically, all over the country.  Three were Knights, and one had a father who was a Knight.  I ended the net at 8:30. Joe, NJ9L, and Father Nick, N3CHE, made contact with me after the Zoom meeting. Joe is on his cross-country trip (currently in Washington state) and Father Nick is in Texas. Father Nick is very enthusiastic about the prospect of going national with the club. He was a participant of at least one Special Event Station under our old Special Event 1x1 callsign of K0C,.

Stay tuned--there are more great things yet to come!

Vivat Jesus and 73,

Tom

N2JIE