 |  SEMARA president Marcel Dumont W1MLD and Richard Netinho AC1JG presented the 2024 SEMARA scholorship check to applicant Bryce Moulding. |
| Hello, My name is Bryce Moulding, and my experience with amateur radio has been fairly limited, with most mentions of it in my life being that of passing mentions from my father. However, I have had the privilege of learning more about this fascinating hobby through my local Boy Scout troop in the past month, revealing to me just how involved amateur radio is in the community. My initial perception of amateur radio was fairly basic and shallow, that being I thought it was just meant for leisure usage. I must apologize for such a simple perception, but based upon what I knew, which was severely limited, I had nothing to tell me otherwise. I was not alone in my simplistic understanding of amateur radio, others within my local troop shared a similar sentiment. With the help of those in my troop that did have a grasp of the topic on hand, we sought out to change those perceptions. The radio merit badge provides a means to dip one’s toes into the waters of amateur radio, and over the course of the month of February, me and my troop did just that. We all agreed to contact The Southeastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association about educating us on the topic, and upon their approval, invited us to learn about amateur radio. Once we arrived at the radio house on that snowy morning, Joseph Barros immediately brought us in and introduced us to the rest of the folks who were part of SEMARA. A little after that, Mr. Barros and Mr. Sadeck began to teach us about a wide variety of principles and uses behind amateur radio, many of which I had never once considered. Concepts such as the bending of radio waves to speak with those on other continents, or how an antenna can be built from stripping a wire and fraying the insulation the opposite direction never once crossed my mind, and provided me with a newfound appreciation for the applications of amateur radio. While it can be used as a way to communicate with those from other regions of the world, it can be used for sos signals while hiking, emergencies for the community, small local broadcasts, and more. Even if the user sticks to using amateur radio for leisure communication, speaking to and learning about others from across the globe has its own appeal. I think that one of the most interesting things that I learned about from Mr. Barros and Mr. Sadeck was how much regulation is required to ensure that nothing goes awry. From the specific band ranges that are permitted, to the call signs that are required for identification, the system that ensures that the radio network keeps running is fairly detailed, all for good reason. I remember vividly a story that Mr. Barros told us while in the radio room, where he described a problem with the radio network for the New Bedford Fire Department. With help from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the source of the problem was tracked down to an unregistered pager left on the roof of St. Luke’s hospital in Boston. It just goes to show how important regulation, identification, and documentation can be for communication systems. Beyond the regulation, one aspect of Amateur radio I did not expect was the significant overlap with my own aspirations for college. It was when Mr. Barros began explaining the electrical schematics and the importance of understanding that I began to see the overlap between amateur radio, and my own career choice, that being biomedical engineering. While biomedical engineering deals with the application of engineering in the medical field, it still holds many principles from other forms of engineering, with electronics being an increasingly important aspect of the field. Without a proper understanding of electrical schematics, many of which may share similarities with those of radios, your device will not work, and endanger a patient’s life. When I saw the schematics of the radios, I began to recognize many of the different components and how parts of the machine worked, providing me with a stronger connection between radio and my own career goals. My time with the kind people at SEMARA helped me understand the applications of amateur radio, and even the overlap it holds with my own aspirations. I am very grateful for the time they took to educate me and my fellow scouts, and I hope that while in college, I find a means to learn more about this fascinating hobby, and even participate in it from time to time. Regardless, SEMARA has my gratitude, and I thank them for providing me the opportunity to pursue my college goals. |