Profile Feature Story

1. Brendan Dzwierzynski
JOUR 304 – Profile Feature Story
Grimmer
December 1, 2014
It is a warm day in Learned Hall on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, Kan. Radio equipment and wires line tables in the room. Duncan MacLachlan is lightly sweating and looking at a pile of equipment in front of him.
To the untrained eye, the cluster of electrical equipment and parts are viewed as individual pieces. To MacLachlan, they are part of a much bigger picture, one that he is helping to paint as the head of the University of Kansas’ Amateur Radio Club.
An engineering student in the University of Kansas class of 2017, the sophomore pats his trimmed brown air occasionally when confronted with a technical issue. He crosses his legs, a frequent tendency of his, before quickly resolving the issue and continuing his work. He lightly taps his brown boat shoes on the floor, smiling briefly when pleased with his work.
Amateur Radio Club is an organization for HAM radio operators, a hobby, as MacLachlan called it, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, which allows radio operators to use radio frequency to contact other users around the nation and around the world. Duncan is used to the world of HAM radios and their operation; he grew up around them, learning how they work and how they are used throughout his entire life.
“I grew up in a family of HAMs,” MacLachlan said, “there are currently 21 HAM radio operators in my family. I’ve always really enjoyed working with electronics and computers, but there are also a lot of chances to give back to the community through HAM radio, so it’s a very interesting mesh of things for me.”
MacLachlan stays focused entirely on his project at hand. His eyes do not stray from the radio on the table in front of him, as he meticulously turns dials and adjusts wires. This is second

2. nature to him, he has experienced this same setting thousands of times in his relatively short life to this point. MacLachlan has been around Amateur Radio Club since he was 12 years old, experiencing it originally with family members, including his uncle, who he described as his mentor.
“My uncle Brian,” MacLachlan said while sitting back from his work momentarily to relax, “with his call sign KC0BS, really took me under his wing and was my mentor, and it was never really a matter of if I would get my license, but when I would get it.”
MacLachlan has a knack for staying focused on multiple things at once. He keeps his eyes on his work relentlessly, showing off the functions of individual radio parts and various components, while also being able to rattle off responses quickly, without hesitation.
He is not the only one with a background in HAM radio operating, as the club features members from a wide assortment of backgrounds. This includes students who grew up around radio like MacLachlan, as well as those who never had interest in the field before joining the club.
“Something that we really try to work on as HAMs is expanding our reach,” he states. “We have other members who were influenced by family as well. It definitely provides an advantage, but we, as a club, work towards getting involved those that weren’t exposed by family like I was fortunate to be.”
It is explained that this is not a regular time to be in the station, but in reality there is no such thing as a regular meeting time for Amateur Radio Club. Unlike most clubs at the university, which have a specified meeting time weekly, Amateur Radio Club meets whenever they have an event upcoming or work needs to be done, making it one of the more unique clubs at the Lawrence campus.

3. MacLachlan mentions community outreach multiple times per day, often using more emphasis on the topic than anything else. It is something that makes HAM radio operators important and relevant in the world today, despite a relatively small number of radio operators compared to the total United States population. HAM radio operators act as a form of security guards for large events, using radios to communicate back and forth with one another in case of emergency, and just in cases of spotting for certain events, like bike rides and road races.
“This is where HAM radio is really valuable today,” he says as his eyes light up. “Now with cell phones and the internet, people question why HAM radio is still relevant. When it comes right down to it, it’s the public service in it.”
On the website for the National Association for Amateur Radio, the section about the appeal of HAM radio immediately lists the importance that operators serve in times of disaster. When other services fail, amateur operators such as MacLachlan and the rest of Amateur Radio Club serve as a form of emergency responders who can call for help.
The aspect of service and outreach is one of the major factors that continually interests Duncan MacLachlan. He removes himself from right in front of his radio to speak about the outreach, momentarily taking a full break from his tinkering.
“We’re pre-trained communicators,” MacLachlan says. “We do this for fun as a hobby, but being able to communicate in time of disaster effectively and efficiently is an art. It takes practice.”
In a non-disaster situation, however, HAM radio operators still serve a purpose. Amateur Radio Club serves as a form of security and aid for large events. The club participates annually in a local bike ride, the Lone Star Ride, a 100-mile ride for which they assist in coordinating various aspects of the event.

4. MacLachlan remarked that working the event is a positive experience for everyone, and smiled while mentioning that they always receive positive feedback from event organizers.
“It takes a lot of logistics. With a cell phone, you can only call one person at a time. That’s slow and archaic. With a radio, everyone can listen at once so you can quickly coordinate your efforts.”
As MacLachlan returns half of his attention to his work, he notes that there are generally two interests when it comes to people involved with amateur radio: those who prefer the communicating, and those who prefer the actual physical working with radios. He chuckles to himself as he states that he prefers the communication aspect, but clearly enjoys both major components.
“I like to think of myself as something of a renaissance man of HAM radio,” he says. “Something that I’m really into is contesting, when teams get on the air and try to contact as many other operators as possible. It’s really a neat mesh of strategy, communication and tinkering. Day to day though, I have to say that I am more of a communicator.”
The largest problem that faces amateur radio today is the fact that there are a relatively few number of operators, something mentioned by MacLachlan on a frequent basis. He stressed that the community for amateur radio in Lawrence and the greater Kansas City, Mo., area is very generous and caring about radio.
“No matter what your background is, you have a place in HAM radio,” MacLachlan said with confidence. “There is space for you in Amateur Radio Club, whatever your interests are.”
More information on Amateur Radio Club can be found online on Facebook, as well as at rockchalkcentral.ku.edu.