► Instead of complaining about the ARRL here is your chance to help make changes!
I share my pick for the ARRL New England division director and encourage YOU to review the information below and vote for your preferred candidate in this important election.
Thumbnail Photo by Element5 Digital from Pexels
▼Video debate with KB1KI, KB1VR, AB1OC at the New England Ham Xpo:
► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeyDAGrPC6w&t=2s
▼For more info on Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC look here:
► https://ab1oc-4-director.org/
► https://stationproject.blog/
▼For more info on Fred Hopengarten, K1VR look here:
► https://www.hams4newengland.org/
▼For more info on Tom Fenaye, K1KI look below (No Website for Tom)
Note: not all of Tom’s info fit within the character limit allowed by YouTube so it is truncated here. For more info, contact Tom at the email address below.
Hi, I’m Tom Frenaye from West Suffield CT (near Springfield MA) and I’m running for election as
New England Division Director of the ARRL. I’ve served as ARRL Director in the past and am
currently elected as an ARRL Director Emeritus.
My background
I’ve been licensed since I was 14 years old, thanks to a middle school science teacher. Amateur
Radio has been part of my life ever since! I’m particularly interested and involved in on-the-air
activities. In high school I focused on DXing and county hunting and worked more than 1500 US
counties. A friend and I started the California QSO Party in the early 1970s.
After graduate school I took a once in a lifetime job as a communications specialist and spent a
year in Palmer Station, Antarctica, also operating as KC4AAC. Following that, I took the job of
contest program manager at ARRL in Newington CT. During that time, I learned about packet
radio, which led to an understanding of computer networks, and a career in information
technology at a Hartford-area insurance company where I developed large corporate databases
for end user access, managed the new information center and the network control operations.
I was elected as ARRL Director and Vice President until 2018, and also as ARRL Foundation
president for ten years. I’ve also served on several of my town’s boards and commissions,
including finance, technology, capital projects, and the planning and zoning commission. I’ve
also served as mayor (First Selectman). I believe every ham should look for the opportunity to
get involved in their town’s government in some way.
In the 1990’s I started a New England effort to get new hams on the air called the Get On The
Air Program. It focused on reaching out to new hams and helping them to get started in ham
radio by connecting them to local ham radio clubs. This program was then adopted by the
ARRL as a major addition to Field Day – the Get On The Air (GOTA) station which is perfect for
introducing and mentoring new hams on-the-air.
In 2002 I started the New England QSO Party as a way to help encourage on-the-air activity.
Over the last twenty years it has grown to more than 150,000 QSOs made in a weekend and
1100 logs received.
When the World Radiosport Team Championships were held in the Boston area in 2014, I was
part of the team that managed the event. My assignment was to find 50+ locations for teams
to operate from, and to build the several hundred volunteers for site management. I’ve also
served as President of the Yankee Clipper Contest Club. I especially like to operate CW and on
160 meters, and really enjoy building antennas. I’m looking forward to the improving
propagation on the 15 and 10m bands!
What have I accomplished on the ARRL Board in the past? (here are some of them!)
• Grew ARRL Foundation from 20 scholarships/year to 100 scholarships/year, totaling over $1.4 awarded.
• Pushed for expanded ARRL Expo at Dayton and other large conventions
• Stopped Broadband over Powerline (BPL) – ARRL sued FCC and won
• Helped to ensure state and federal legislation regarding cell phone in cars did not include ham radio
• Strong support of International Amateur Radio Union to protect ham radio internationally
• Supported establishment of ARRL Continuing Education program (now the Learning Network)
• Filed comments with FCC protecting ham bands from commercial interests
• Strongly supported successful efforts to gain access to 2200m(135 KHz) and 630m (472 KHz) bands in
2017, as well as 60m(5 MHz) in 2002.
• Chairmen of ARRL Board committees – Administration and Finance, Programs and Services, Ethics and
Elections, served on Executive Committee many years, and led Entry Level License Committee
• Led effort to make ARRL Board and Executive Committee agendas available to members via email ahead
of meetings, and distribute meeting minutes afterwards
• Pushed for new ARRL magazine for newcomers – On The Air
If you have any questions at all, please email:
frenaye@pcnet.com or K1KI@arrl.net
Thanks, and 73!
#hamradio #arrl #election