W2SZ Amateur Radio

Some highlights from our first ever Flea at RPI! It was an amazing way to connect students and the local community over their shared interest in ham radio and electronics.

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to making Flea at RPI a success. A special thank you to our sponsors, whose generous support enabled us to bring this event to life, and to the volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to ensure everything ran smoothly. We also want to acknowledge the exhibitors who brought their fascinating collections, innovations, and knowledge to share with the community. Looking forward to the next one!

One week left until our Flea Market in the Student Union! Stop by for cool electronics, radios, computers, vintage finds, and more. Check out our guidebook at the link in bio!

Seller registration is STILL OPEN! Reserve your spot now at the link in bio.

W2SZ is excited to announce Flea at RPI, an electronics flea market for students, amateur radio enthusiasts, and the greater community! Join us on March 30th from 9am-2pm in the Union for this fun event featuring a prize draw sponsored by ARRL. Buy and sell electronics, ham radio equipment, PCs, unique vintage finds, and more! Sellers must sign up by March 22nd.

Want more info? Check out the link in our bio for a digital guidebook and to register as a seller, or contact us at [email protected].

Last meeting we welcomed Steve Vansickle, WB2HPR, to give a guest lecture and demo of his magnetic loop antenna design.

Constructed using PVC pipes, hula hoops, ladder lines, and basic electronic components, this antenna provides a portable and inexpensive solution compared to other products. Loop antennas can solve interference issues by taking advantage of their directional properties.

Thanks to Steve for giving us a great presentation!

We had a fun time building PIXIE radio kits together and testing them out. Some members learned how to solder for the first time, and others got to improve their skills! These radios receive and transmit through Morse code only, since they have a relatively simple design. We might have another radio kit building session next semester, so keep an eye out!

Here is our schedule for Alumni Week - check out our website for more info!

Volunteering at the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon! It's important to have ham radio operators at each water station in case any runners need assistance or have injuries. This was also a great way to see the practical use of amateur radio!

Come join us on October 18th to build your own pixie radio!

Check out the link in our bio for more info.

1) We were part of the ham radio volunteers for the Arsenal City Run, stationed at a point to relay when runners pass by 🏃‍♀️

2) Volunteer Examiner (VE) session

Study session for the technician license exam! Once you pass, your amateur radio journey truly begins 🙌

Happy !

Developer of , Samuel Morse, was born on this day in 1791, and today celebrates a pioneering method of communication and the invention that was first used to transmit encoded messages!

👉Hiram Percy Maxim’s rotary spark-gap transmitter, “Old Betsy” is on display in the lobby of W1AW, reminding us how far our hobby has come!