Date: April 2022

Amount: $14,200

The Notre Dame Radio Society (NDRS) is a student club that currently operates a 2m FM repeater and is trying to encourage more students to apply for amateur radio licenses by sponsoring classes, testing, fox hunts, and other special events like field days and Maker Fairs. There are also University of Notre Dame groups such as the IrishSAT group that are involved in amateur radio activities, along with support from the local community such as the Michiana Amateur Radio Club. The NDRS would like to be able to sponsor an AMSAT ARISS communications event in 2023 for the local schools and UND students.

The grant from ARDC will fund the purchase of equipment, such as 2m/70cm/digital handheld transceivers or CW kits, that can be lent to new operators so they can become familiar with the amateur radio protocols and help them choose their own equipment. This project will also fund a new digital 440mhz repeater, and a new satellite communications system with EL/AZ antenna automatic tracking features for APRS and SSTV decoding of data from the International Space Station and other satellites. The repeater will be installed at Fitzpatrick Hall of Engineering on campus.

Learn more at: https://wireless.nd.edu/notre-dame-radio-society/.