A network is only as good as the people who run it and do the needed stuff & provide support. These people are the volunteers who make Hamshack Hotline possible, without their contribution of time and effort, HH would not be what it is today.
John, K1WIZ, Director & Founder
John is a General Class Ham who enjoys many modes; HF (80 Meters, 3922KHz), and DMR (BM TG Hamshack Hotline 3190778). John had a vision for a voip network dedicated to hams, that would not replace radio, but add to the hamshack communication arsenal. John also is affluent in managed networks, industrial control systems automation, IoT (Internet of Things), Linux, Embedded Systems, Astronomy, and electronic countermeasures, surveillance, and cybersecurity. Someday soon, John will pursue his Extra class license. In his spare time, John enjoys his family, friends, camping, and developing unique solutions to everyday problems, to make life more pleasant. Swimming and biking are John’s favorite forms of exercise. John works full time as a Devops/Linux Engineer for a global company. For Hamshack Hotline, John does research, engineering, QA testing, administration, training, & troubleshooting operations on the back end of the network.
David, W2DAN, Director & Sr. Engineer
Dave is an Extra Class Ham who has been a licensed ham since April 1997. He has lots of fun with all the Bands and Modes, also Enjoys Contesting and working DX. Dave is a 22 year Retired Navy Veteran who moved to RI in 2001, where his wife Sharon KB1MAG is from. He worked as an IT for a Newspaper Company dealing with everything from my Coffee cup holder does not work to major printing policies and procedures for the Newspaper. After almost 6 years of that he went to Sprint and worked as a Nextel/CDMA Field Technician then got spun off into Clearwire and helped build out the Boston network. Did some contract work with Goodman Networks installing Fiber into T-Mobile sites, but now Dave work for a Motorola Shop getting paid to play radio all day. For Hamshack Hotline he helps with administration and support.
In David’s own words: “I am a big supporter of the Hamshack Hotline, when John asked if I would like to help out as an admin, I jumped at the opportunity. This is a great system!!!!! I am proud to be part of the team.”
Ken, KA1EZH, Director
Public Relations & Media
Ken is a General Class Ham, a married father of two college age sons & a 30 year paramedic who has a passion for EMS & is an active EMS Educator. Ken is active on many modes, to include, but not limited to; HF, D-Star, DMR, 900MHz, and has passed a 13WPM code test upon becoming a General. Ken is also the trustee of the North Providence KA1EZH repeater in North Providence Rhode Island. Radio communications and propagation have always fascinated Ken, who as a youth would listen to AM broadcast DX as far away as Chicago. As an EMS Educator, Ken is adjunct faculty at Bunker Hill Community College in Chelsea, MA and provides courses in EMS to aspiring paramedics.
In Ken’s own words:
“When John K1WIZ came up with the idea of the Hamshack Hotline, I was thinking a phone why would we want or need that? Then I started thinking with my public service hat on, and not my amateur radio hat on. In public service we use the Incident Command System. In a disaster, there can be many layers of command. I think of how useful it would be if we had a reliable off line form of communications. Many times in a disaster or large scale event there is a need to have administrative, and managerial decisions made before dispatching or directing those in the field.
I hope that together we can make Ham Shack Hotline become a useful tool to assist with our emergency communications.”