When Jon Bousselot passed his first amateur radio license exam in 2015, he began looking for a local group where he could meet other radio enthusiasts and learn more about the hobby.
Bousselot, now the president of Amateur Radio Club of El Cajon, said many new members arrive with a similar story — an interest in radio, electronics or communication that eventually leads them to seek out others who share the hobby.
“I had several ham friends while growing up, and knew these clubs still existed,” Bousselot said. “I wanted to socialize with like-minded hobbyists and see what they were doing.”
Amateur radio, often called ham radio, has long attracted people interested in electronics and communication. Bousselot said his fascination began when he was young, listening to shortwave broadcasts from around the world with a simple wire antenna strung through the trees.
“I would hang a bunch of wire in the trees and listen to broadcasts from all over the world, like the BBC World Service,” he said. “At night, AM radio would often open up for stations across the United States.”
Club Treasurer Mike Oberbauer said his own involvement grew out of a desire to better understand emergency communication following the devastating San Diego County wildfires in 2003. After learning there was a radio club in his city, he began attending meetings and gradually became more involved.
During that time, Oberbauer learned about a weekly radio “net,” an organized on-air gathering where amateur radio operators check in and communicate over a designated frequency.
“The net controller was ready to hand over the responsibility,” Oberbauer said. “I picked up my handheld radio and tried to follow through with it.”
An experienced member of the club — known in ham radio circles as an “Elmer,” or mentor — helped him learn how to run the net, and Oberbauer soon became more active in the organization.
Today, club meetings include announcements, discussions about upcoming events, and opportunities for members to share projects or technical challenges they are working on.
“Sometimes someone will talk about a project they started and ask for help finishing it,” Bousselot said. “With the years of collected experience in the room, people usually get pointed in the right direction, or a small team forms to assist.”
Learn more about the club at www.wa6bgs.us/home.