One of BVRC’s enthusiastic members is Alex Smith – KI5EQK. Alex lives in Springdale and is BVRC’s Social Media and Community Outreach Committee chair.
Recently, Alex has coordinated many public service events, not only promoting BVRC but also providing excellent communications coverage with the Community Outreach Team: the Share & Care Golf Tournament, Summer Sizzlin’ Run, and NW Arkansas Emergency Preparedness Fair to name a few.
Alex is married to his XYL Tia.
Alex was first licensed in 2019, where he acquired his Technician ticket in BVRC’s first ever Technician license class.
Alex advises, “When I was around 10 years old, I found a CB radio and got a station set up in my bedroom. A little later on I found a Royce 23 Channel CB that I installed in my Jeep CJ-5 and ran that throughout high school. Later in college, I met Rick Pope – KG5MWG who told me the about the BVRC’s Technican class and the rest is history. Coincidentally, I received a phone call at lunch from Nathan – KEØVPI during the lunch break on the second day of the class. I told him I was in the middle of getting my ham radio license that day and he told me he had passed his exam a few days prior.
My favorite area of ham radio has always been mobile operation. I’m a real big fan of R.O.B. (radio on bike). I love perfecting and optimizing my current setup for whatever obstacles I’m running into at the moment.
My favorite memories of ham radio are all the public service events I’ve done over the years. My favorite being the Big Sugar gravel bike race. Being out in the public’s eye and showing a coordinated effort to help with public safety has been very rewarding over the last few years. It’s been the inspiration to do more public service work through the club.”
Alex is also involved in other hobbies such as fishing, cycling, hiking, hunting, and exploring in general. He has a general love for the outdoors and being out in it. Over the last several
years Alex has incorporated ham radio into all his hobbies in some fashion or form. His only other real hobby which is not related to ham radio is podcasting. He and Caleb Whitsett – KCØYGO currently produce a podcast called the Local Legends Cycling Podcast.
Alex’s current radio equipment are a Radioddity GD-88 handheld with a 19″signal stick antenna for his “Radio On Bicycle” operating. He says, “This radio is probably the fussiest radio I’ve ever had the displeasure of using. It has been a great lesson in preparing beforehand, knowing the ins and outs of a radio and being able to program a handi-talkier on the fly.”
When mobiling, he uses a Midland DBR1500 with a generic mag mount antenna from Amazon. His home station is an Icom 746 pro that he purchased from Chris Ebert – NAØD several years ago that has dutifully served him in all of his ham radio adventures. BVRC counts it a pleasure to have Alex in our club, to his valuable contributions thus far, and look forward to his future plans for the Community Outreach Team. Thanks Alex!
