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The 2008 Alabama College Association Annual Conference will be held November 23rd through 25th at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel and Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center in Mobile Alabama. This year’s conference theme is “The Alabama Community College System: Developing Champions.”
Amateur Radio will be the featured for the first time at this year’s Conference, with a workshop presentation and an actual working Amateur Radio Communications station!
Amateur or HAM Radio is carving a unique niche in the Alabama College System. Amateur Radio Communications stations including equipment and curriculum currently exist in two Alabama colleges, J. F. Drake State Technical College in Huntsville (N4DTC) and Bishop State Community College (KJ4BWI) in Mobile Alabama.
Amateur Radio is a critical Win for the Students, the Alabama College System, the local community and the Amateur Radio Service. Students obtain a Federal Communications Commission, (FCC) Amateur Radio Communications license as they build a greater foundation in Electronics. Together the radio station and curriculum provides students a unique practical hands-on instruction and experience. They learn about community involvement utilizing communications skills and put this capability to work helping others in need when call upon.
The Students, colleges and the National Association for Amateur Radio, American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) program can collectively provide critical emergency communications to local, State and Federal disaster agencies.
This is just one more way that Alabama Colleges, Amateur Radio, and the American Radio Relay League are Developing Champions!
Look for the W4Q Amateur Radio Special Event Station On-The-Air at the 2008 Alabama College Association Annual Conference, November 24th, 2008.
HF: 3.965MHz, or 7.260MHz
D-STAR: KI4SAZ port C
For more information see: http://www.drakestate.edu/ http://www.bishop.edu/
www.arrl-al.org or www.arrl.org
Karl Henry
Chairman of Business and Engineering Technology Division
J.F. Drake State Technical College
3421 Meridian Street, North
Huntsville, AL 35811
karl.henry@drakestate.edu