In this issue...

• Upcoming Community Deadlines and Notices
• Grantee Interviews from the ARISS 40th Anniversary Conference and Orlando HamCation
• What ARDC Has Been Up To
• ARDC Team Spotlight
• Come See Us at Hamvention!
• Contact Us!
• ARDC's Mission

Upcoming Community Deadlines and Notices

• Next Grant Application Deadline: The next deadline for submitting a grant application is April 1. Applications received after this date will be reviewed after July 1, 2024, so get your applications in now.
• Next Grantee Gathering: The next Grantee Gathering will be on April 10, 2024 at 11a PDT / 2p EDT / 6p UTC. The theme of this meeting is ‘Project Management.’ If you’re interested in meeting fellow ARDC grantees, learning from one another, and sharing your experiences, then this gathering is for you! Please note that attendance is completely optional.

Grantee Interviews from the ARISS 40th Anniversary Conference and Orlando HamCation

Last month, we spoke to many of our grantees while in the Orlando area.

ARDC Grantees at ARISS 40th Anniversary Conference

At the ARISS 40th Anniversary Conference, Rosy (KJ7RYV) caught up with ARDC ARRL Scholars Hope Lea (ND2L) and Ruth Willet (KM4LAO).

Hope Lea (ND2L)

In this video, learn more about Hope’s work at the Mars Desert Research Station.

Ruth Willet (KM4LAO)

Check out this video to learn more about Ruth’s graduate research at Penn State as well as her involvement with Youth on The Air (YOTA).

ARDC Grantees at Orlando HamCation

At Orlando HamCation, Rebecca (KO4KVG) caught up with many of our grantees at the event to learn more about the impact that ARDC grants have had on their projects: check out this video to see what our grantees have been up to!

What ARDC Has Been Up To

Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC)

About 3000 people from nonprofits all over the country gathered for the Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC), held from March 13 - 15 in Portland. Executive Director Rosy Schechter (KJ7RYV) attended to connect with other nonprofits and learn more about their operations. Discussions at the conference focused on ideas and issues related to nonprofit technology, and quite often open source technology. This was a great opportunity to be exposed to a big community network of nonprofits, and we look forward to attending this event in the future!

HamSCI Workshop 2024

John (K7VE), Phil (KA9Q), and Rebecca (KO4KVG) attended the HamSCI Workshop 2024 from March 22 - 23 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. In addition to the folks with HamSCI and the Case Western Amateur Radio Club (CARC, W8EDU), we connected with many of our other grantees, including folks from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), M17, and Youth on the Air (YOTA). We also saw former ARDC Board Member Bob McGwier (N4HY) at the event. Trekking through the snow on Day 2, attendees got a tutorial from Board Member Phil Karn on The KA9Q-Radio SDR Package and also learned more about 44Net and our Grants Program at John’s forum.

For hams interested in the ionosphere, HamSCI workshops are absolutely worth attending. Phil is also a fan of this event, stating “I was very impressed. Lots of very good presentations, with many sharp young students. We could still use a lot more of this kind of thing.” All in all, it was great meeting and reconnecting with the folks at HamSCI, and we look forward to hearing about the Solar Eclipse QSO Party happening next month. Major kudos to HamSCI and W8EDU for organizing an excellent workshop!

ARDC Team Spotlight

This month’s spotlight will be highlighting GAC member Bill Thomas (WT0DX); TAC member Chip Eckardt (W9OQI); and GET members Willi Kraml (OE1WKL) and Ben Greve (KO4KVH).

Bill Thomas (WT0DX)

Bill has been on the GAC for two years. During this time, he cites the Slippers2Sat project, a 1U CubeSat built by students in segregated communities in Nepal to learn about space systems engineering, as being one of the most memorable projects that ARDC has funded. Outside of ARDC, Bill serves as webmaster for many Groups.io forums, YouTube channels, and many ham radio club websites. Bill also enjoys operating his remote ham station, traveling, and photography. If you’d like to learn more about Bill, he’s good on QRZ, and be sure to check out the QSO Today Podcast where he was one of Eric’s (4Z1UG) guests!

Chip Eckardt (W9OQI)

Chip is currently serving out his third year on the TAC, where he is currently part of the Outreach Subcommittee. Regarding what he enjoys about the TAC, he states “what I really like is everyone is willing to share and explore ideas and build upon those ideas to make a better product for amateur radio operators.” A ham for the last five years, not only does Chip run a regular net and enjoy making HF QSOs, he also values learning about the hobby from others more experienced: in fact, you can find him “tagging along” on club outings involving repeater site maintenance. When Chip is not OTA, you can find him at a local pickleball court, as he has recently taken up the hobby. To learn more about Chip, be sure to check out his page on QRZ.

Willi Kraml (OE1WKL)

As a member of the inaugural GET, Willi likes the opportunity that serving on the committee provides in contributing to the grantmaking process; he also enjoys learning about the interesting projects from our grantees and how these projects progress during their various phases. Outside of ARDC, Willi developed the Morserino-32 morse code trainer, where his work earned a CWOps award for “advancing the art of CW.” You can also find him at Ham Radio Friedrichshafen, where he often volunteers. Outside of ham radio, Willi is a music lover who not only enjoys attending concerts, he also sings in two different choirs. For more information about Willi, check out his personal website.

Ben Greve (KO4KVH)

Another inaugural member of the GET, Ben not only likes learning about the different projects that ARDC has funded, he has also enjoyed getting to know his fellow volunteers, stating “everyone serving on the GET has really interesting backgrounds.” Beyond the GET, Ben loves to participate in outdoor activities, such as cycling, hiking, or running. In fact, these outdoor activities led Ben to getting an amateur radio license, which has ultimately resulted in many SOTA and POTA adventures. Off the air, you can find Ben either turning wrenches on his cars or at his industrial sewing machine making automotive upholstery. For more information about Ben, check out his pages on QRZ or LinkedIn.

Thanks to all of you for your contributions toward carrying out our mission at ARDC!

Come See Us at Hamvention!

ARDC will be out and about in May: you will be able to find our team at the following event:

• Hamvention – May 17 - 19, 2024, Xenia, OH

Contact Us!

We always want to hear from you:

• Visit our website: ardc.net
• General info: contact@ardc.net
• Information and questions about grants: giving@ardc.net
• 44Net issues: contact@ardc.net
• Groups.io: ardc.groups.io

Twitter / X: @ARDC_73
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ARDC's Mission

The mission of Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is to support, promote, and enhance digital communication and broader communication science and technology, to promote amateur radio, scientific research, experimentation, education, development, open access, and innovation in information and communication technology.