Who is Steve K2GOG?
Amateur radio people usually have some sort of biography page to talk about accomplishments or interests in life. Some focus only on amateur radio awards, how many pets or grandkids they have and maybe some year by year account of being on planet Earth. Here is my attempt at an about page for myself.
Current Home Location: FN31bq (For you VHF/UHF & Satellite People mostly)
E-Mail: k2gog@hvdn.org
Keywords: HVDN, UNDR-Group, AMSAT, APRS, DMR, M17, 220, BBS, QRP, POTA, SOTA
E-Mail: k2gog@hvdn.org
Keywords: HVDN, UNDR-Group, AMSAT, APRS, DMR, M17, 220, BBS, QRP, POTA, SOTA
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Ancient History: General Details of K2GOG
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Why does HVDN Exist?
Hudson Valley Digital Network was started due to a lack of leadership in the Hudson River Valley area related to a digital future within amateur radio. Too much history holds amateur radio back in too many ways, largely thanks to senior hobby memories thinking nothing good has happened since 1973ish. The goal was to inspire modern adoption of things and stop talking about the past and doing more today so we have a relevant future
In 2016, I gave an infamous presentation about digital voice to the Overlook Mountain Radio Club to help nudge us to deploying a digital repeater using the most popular mode with a future, which is still DMR. This then kicked off the need to validate opinion with fact as captured in the Global Digital Amateur Repeater Roundup series planned for seven years, since some members wanted to just play footsie along the way which held the club back from actually putting up a digital repeater with DMR mode functionality.
In 2021, the Hudson River Radio Relay special event was created to bring clubs together and find ways to show a need for digital voice repeaters. But, we learned that our area clubs do not wish to coordinate efforts. No fault of anyone, but that is the reality.
During COVID and a repeat event of Hudson River Radio Relay in 2022 happened, but the result was the same. Area clubs are still allergic to change which prevents attracting more people into the hobby or even retaining club members.
I have found personal success via the lense of "convergence", which I define as combining hobbies like outdoors things with amateur radio. HVDN was able to focus on emerging projects like HASviolet, SIGpi and new things to come which help build skills and push out of comfort zones. We also have done some fun things with other groups such as the Squidwrench maker group, United States Military Academy at West Point and the Greater Adirondack Repeater Association.
Today (2025) it is clear that HVDN has to enable to digital future in our area by not involving the longer tenured clubs since they have bigger issues to contend with. Our goals within HVDN are a 220 MHz APRS digipeater with BBS capability, continued help in growing the GARA Network with IP backbone, VHF DMR repeater which will migrate to M17 mode and a deployment of LoRa APRS type devices using the under attack 33cm band.
Keep an eye on the HVDN Notebook blog for updates. And also visit www.garanetwork.org, www.undr-group.com and www.hudson.arrl.org for other ways we are helping to make a difference.
In 2016, I gave an infamous presentation about digital voice to the Overlook Mountain Radio Club to help nudge us to deploying a digital repeater using the most popular mode with a future, which is still DMR. This then kicked off the need to validate opinion with fact as captured in the Global Digital Amateur Repeater Roundup series planned for seven years, since some members wanted to just play footsie along the way which held the club back from actually putting up a digital repeater with DMR mode functionality.
In 2021, the Hudson River Radio Relay special event was created to bring clubs together and find ways to show a need for digital voice repeaters. But, we learned that our area clubs do not wish to coordinate efforts. No fault of anyone, but that is the reality.
During COVID and a repeat event of Hudson River Radio Relay in 2022 happened, but the result was the same. Area clubs are still allergic to change which prevents attracting more people into the hobby or even retaining club members.
I have found personal success via the lense of "convergence", which I define as combining hobbies like outdoors things with amateur radio. HVDN was able to focus on emerging projects like HASviolet, SIGpi and new things to come which help build skills and push out of comfort zones. We also have done some fun things with other groups such as the Squidwrench maker group, United States Military Academy at West Point and the Greater Adirondack Repeater Association.
Today (2025) it is clear that HVDN has to enable to digital future in our area by not involving the longer tenured clubs since they have bigger issues to contend with. Our goals within HVDN are a 220 MHz APRS digipeater with BBS capability, continued help in growing the GARA Network with IP backbone, VHF DMR repeater which will migrate to M17 mode and a deployment of LoRa APRS type devices using the under attack 33cm band.
Keep an eye on the HVDN Notebook blog for updates. And also visit www.garanetwork.org, www.undr-group.com and www.hudson.arrl.org for other ways we are helping to make a difference.