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President's LetterJonathan Pearce, WB2MNFJanuary 2026 |
“We Choose To Go To The Moon”
On a frigid Saturday night of the EME contest Al KB2AYU, Frank N3PUU, John K2QA, and I huddled in the VHF room of our Clubhouse, coaxing faint signals from the static. Weeks of preparation had led to this moment : Al and Frank had engineered a preamp and switching network to protect it from the transmitter’s power, while a team had poured concrete around a pipe to anchor our dish. Al ran hardline under the Clubhouse and spliced rotator cables for easy assembly, and Frank 3D-printed an adapter to steady the dish in its mount. All this for a few precious hours of bouncing signals off the moon. As midnight approached and we strained for a handful of QSOs after hours of effort, someone finally asked, “Why are we doing this?”
The answer echoed from over six decades ago, when President John F. Kennedy inspired a nation at Rice University: “We choose to go to the moon… not because it is easy, but because it is hard.” Those words, which stirred a 12-year-old me before I even held a ham license, capture the heart of why we embrace the difficult - because the challenge itself is the spark that drives us. The engineers of 1962 who heard his speech and knew that they had no idea how to accomplish his goal nonetheless stepped in, invented countless new technologies and cemented their reputation as their own greatest generation, providing an inspiration for the techies of the future. And so we sat there on that cold Saturday night trying to bounce radio signals off the moon for the sheer satisfaction of having done it.
Kennedy’s vision wasn’t just about reaching the moon; it was about daring to tackle the difficult and finding meaning in the struggle and success. For ham radio operators, this translates to the thrill of decoding a barely audible CW signal, troubleshooting a stubborn rig, or mastering a new modulation scheme on an unfamiliar radio. Easy tasks fade quickly, but the hard ones - those that demand late nights, creative problem-solving, and relentless determination - leave us immensely satisfied. The journey, with its setbacks and breakthroughs, shapes us more than the destination. A ham’s workbench is often a gallery of completed projects, each a testament to a challenge conquered, left behind as the next one beckons. The joy isn’t just in saying “it works” but in knowing what it took to get there - the skills honed, the patience tested, and the ingenuity unleashed.
Our Club is a catalyst for these moon shot moments. Our Clubhouse HF station can power chases for DXCC or contest supremacy, while the VHF setup will provide the opportunity to explore new bands and modes. Our satellite station challenges operators to learn to relay signals through space, and our test bench and experimenters’ area spark innovations with microcontrollers and cutting-edge tech. Every member is invited to seize a challenge, conquer it, and move on to the next. Like the Apollo engineers, we don’t shy from the void; we dive in, knowing the hardest roads yield the deepest rewards.
So, what’s your moon shot for 2026? Will you hunt Worked All States, log five new DX countries, or activate parks for POTA? Will you build a home station, decode a satellite’s signal, or finally crack the code of DMR or mesh networks?
Tell us your challenge, and we’ll help pull together the tools, knowledge, and teamwork to fuel your quest. Grab the mic, fire up the rig, and bounce your signal off the moon. The unknown is calling - answer it with a triumphant “it works”.
On a frigid Saturday night of the EME contest Al KB2AYU, Frank N3PUU, John K2QA, and I huddled in the VHF room of our Clubhouse, coaxing faint signals from the static. Weeks of preparation had led to this moment : Al and Frank had engineered a preamp and switching network to protect it from the transmitter’s power, while a team had poured concrete around a pipe to anchor our dish. Al ran hardline under the Clubhouse and spliced rotator cables for easy assembly, and Frank 3D-printed an adapter to steady the dish in its mount. All this for a few precious hours of bouncing signals off the moon. As midnight approached and we strained for a handful of QSOs after hours of effort, someone finally asked, “Why are we doing this?”
The answer echoed from over six decades ago, when President John F. Kennedy inspired a nation at Rice University: “We choose to go to the moon… not because it is easy, but because it is hard.” Those words, which stirred a 12-year-old me before I even held a ham license, capture the heart of why we embrace the difficult - because the challenge itself is the spark that drives us. The engineers of 1962 who heard his speech and knew that they had no idea how to accomplish his goal nonetheless stepped in, invented countless new technologies and cemented their reputation as their own greatest generation, providing an inspiration for the techies of the future. And so we sat there on that cold Saturday night trying to bounce radio signals off the moon for the sheer satisfaction of having done it.
Kennedy’s vision wasn’t just about reaching the moon; it was about daring to tackle the difficult and finding meaning in the struggle and success. For ham radio operators, this translates to the thrill of decoding a barely audible CW signal, troubleshooting a stubborn rig, or mastering a new modulation scheme on an unfamiliar radio. Easy tasks fade quickly, but the hard ones - those that demand late nights, creative problem-solving, and relentless determination - leave us immensely satisfied. The journey, with its setbacks and breakthroughs, shapes us more than the destination. A ham’s workbench is often a gallery of completed projects, each a testament to a challenge conquered, left behind as the next one beckons. The joy isn’t just in saying “it works” but in knowing what it took to get there - the skills honed, the patience tested, and the ingenuity unleashed.
Our Club is a catalyst for these moon shot moments. Our Clubhouse HF station can power chases for DXCC or contest supremacy, while the VHF setup will provide the opportunity to explore new bands and modes. Our satellite station challenges operators to learn to relay signals through space, and our test bench and experimenters’ area spark innovations with microcontrollers and cutting-edge tech. Every member is invited to seize a challenge, conquer it, and move on to the next. Like the Apollo engineers, we don’t shy from the void; we dive in, knowing the hardest roads yield the deepest rewards.
So, what’s your moon shot for 2026? Will you hunt Worked All States, log five new DX countries, or activate parks for POTA? Will you build a home station, decode a satellite’s signal, or finally crack the code of DMR or mesh networks?
Tell us your challenge, and we’ll help pull together the tools, knowledge, and teamwork to fuel your quest. Grab the mic, fire up the rig, and bounce your signal off the moon. The unknown is calling - answer it with a triumphant “it works”.
Friday, January 9, 2026
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Happy Birthday, Ben! January 17, 1706
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Full Wolf Moon - Saturday, January 3, 2026 @ 0503 Hours. The howling of wolves was often heard at this time of year. It was traditionally thought that wolves howled due to hunger, but we now know that wolves use howls to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and gather for hunting. It is possible that European settlers may have used the term “Wolf Moon” even before they came to North America. Another name for this time period was the Center Moon, from the Assiniboine people, because it was the middle of the winter season.
The Cree names of Cold Moon and Frost Exploding Moon refer to the frigid temperatures of this season, as does the Algonquin name of Freeze Up Moon. The Dakota names of Severe Moon and Hard Moon refer to the extreme cold and hard times of this season, as well as the fact that the snow sometimes develops a hard crust. Other names for this time include Canada Goose Moon (Tlingit), Great Moon (Cree), Greetings Moon (Western Abenaki), and Spirit Moon (Ojibwe). Old Farmer's Almanac - www.almanac.com