Boaters who depend on radio for communication are a natural source of recruits for a class on Amateur Radio. Teach the class and they will come.

KD3VR's mockup of a boat's electrical wiring system and ac/dc main distribution panels. He can demonstrate how reverse polarity (improper grounds) can adversely affect ac panels. [Photos by the author]

A Ham Named Joe

In 1997 he was selected as the ARRL Atlantic Division's Ham of the Year--no small achievement. He maintains two Amateur Radio VHF repeaters serving the Washington, DC metropolitan area and has helped countless hams repair their equipment. If there is a newly licensed kid on the block, or a ham who is physically challenged or sight impaired, you will find him erecting their antennas or installing equipment. For a number of years he and his spouse Alice, WB3AOA, sponsored US Naval Academy Cadets from nearby Annapolis, Maryland, providing transportation to/from airports and train stations and taking the cadets into their home for dinners--a home away from home. He provided a comfortable and welcome place where cadets could talk to their folks back home via Amateur Radio. "He" is a ham named Joe--Joe Nunemaker, KD3VR.

An Idea

Joe is the owner and sole operator of a marine electronics business that services boats in the Annapolis, Baltimore and Washington, DC areas. He also performs FCC radio certifications for certain types of passenger boats and does volunteer work for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Business is typically good, but seasonal. In the winter, when boats are dry-docked, their owners turn to other forms of enjoyment. Out of the pure necessity to keep himself occupied, Joe had an idea. He would teach a course that would give the boat owner a better appreciation of their boat's electrical wiring system, marine radio and associated antennas. Included would be hands-on training in troubleshooting minor electrical problems--and an introduction to the world of Amateur Radio.

KD3VR maintains an excellent rapport with his students.

Joe presented the concept to a local company that operates a chain of boat-supply stores. The company provided free space with the understanding that the course be free to boaters. All would benefit from the exposure, including Amateur Radio. The next several months found Joe totally immersed preparing for the event. Course outlines had to be prepared, the length of each chapter determined and handouts designed and printed. Most importantly, he wanted to have a mock-up of a boat's basic instrument panel. So he designed it--complete with lights, switches, meters and wiring harnesses. Although there are as many different types of instrument panels as there are boats, all have a common group of components. So a basic design, although challenging, was not too difficult for Joe.

The Course

When you enter uncharted waters the outcome is unpredictable. However, Joe did his homework. The initial course was a complete success, opening the door to a succession of courses in several stores throughout the local area. A number of boaters were also keenly interested in obtaining their Amateur Radio licenses when they learned they could communicate worldwide from their boats and also have a back-up emergency communications system. Unlike oil and water, the combination of marine electronics and Amateur Radio was a good mix.

Word about the course spread rapidly throughout Annapolis--one of the boating capitals of the world. As a result Joe received a call from a representative of a local college who asked if he would be interested in teaching the course at the college level. Joe didn't have to be asked twice. With some modification, and following the college's guidelines, his course in Basic Marine Electronics--including Amateur Radio--was approved and included in the curriculum of the Anne Arundel Community College in Annapolis. I had the opportunity to sit in on a class and was impressed. Without exception, Joe held the interest of each student from beginning to course end with his instruction in antennas, wires, cables, connectors, use of analog/digital meters, boat grounding systems and of course Amateur Radio.

Joe relaxes at his commercial and Amateur Radio stations. The rig sitting on the upper left shelf is the ICOM IC-M710 commercial 150 W transceiver.

Going International

The winter months were slipping quickly by and Joe found himself teaching at boat stores and the college. One morning a well-known international marine company that conducts seminars for the boating and maritime services contacted him. They had heard about his courses and asked if he would prepare a short seminar, covering marine SSB, for presentation at selected marine facilities. The answer was an emphatic "Yes." And what better opportunity to include the role Amateur Radio has played, and is playing in the history of HF SSB? Joe's initial seminar, held at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies, Linthicum Heights, Maryland (near Baltimore), was highly acclaimed. What began as a single course of instruction now occupied most of the winter season, and Amateur Radio was introduced to an audience much larger than originally expected. Joe was totally surprised one morning when reviewing the roster of one of his classes. Of the approximate 35 students, all resided outside Maryland and had come by train, plane or automobile to attend his class.

KD3VR poses next to a model of a super-tanker in the lobby of the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies.

During the boating season you can find Joe crouched in the cramped quarters of a boat hull, checking out wiring, cables and batteries or squeezed in behind a control panel with a multipurpose meter in hand. Later you may see him at the top of a boat mast doing antenna work under a blistering sun. No air conditioning here to fend off the high temperatures and humidity, nor heaters to thaw out numbed fingers and toes that come with late autumn. But that's okay with Joe. He enjoys his work.

When winter finally arrives and boats are moored under snow covered canvas or secured in their boathouses--protected from the elements-you’ll find him in the classroom teaching marine electronics, single sideband and Amateur Radio.

Mock-up of a DC breaker panel that is part of the ac/dc main distribution panel designed and built by KD3VR.

There is no limit to what an individual can do, provided the motivation and talent are strong enough to see one through the task. There's no better proof than Joe--the holder of an ARRL prestigious award. The League tends to pick its Hams of the Year well.

ARRL member Murray Green, K3BEQ, resides in Cheverly, Maryland. He holds and Extra Class license. He is an ARRL OO, VE and HF Local Manager for WAS Awards. Murray is one of the founders of The Green Mountain Repeater Association--serving the Washington DC metropolitan area including the Prince George's County, Maryland, Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Prior to North Korea and Ducie Island becoming new DXCC entities, Murray held Honor Roll DXCC #1. He again regained this status by recently working the two new entities. Murray's son, KA3SGE, resides in nearby Laurel, Maryland. Murray may be contacted at k3beq@arrl.net.

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