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Adam Woodbury

An "electronics fiend" since childhood, MITRE's Adam Woodbury uses his love of electronics in both his position as a hardware engineer and as president of MITRE's ham radio club. Organized in 1962, the club is a unique combination of social group, public service group, and equipment lab. MITRE, recognizing the inherent benefit in having a pool of radio communication experts onsite, has long supported the group with the MITRE Experimental Radio Facility, where equipment is built, tested, and stored.

Amateur radio enthusiasts, more commonly known as hams, often bring to mind individuals hunched over a telegraph machine tapping out Morse code. In reality, amateur radios are a technology built on ingenuity and used for both personal communication and public service. A mastery of Morse code is not even required for the most common license, the Technician Class license. And while rapid advances in communication devices are the norm, ham radios remain a relatively unchanging, yet versatile and usable, technology. They can operate virtually anywhere, anytime, and are often used in conjunction with more modern technologies during emergencies and major public events.

Skill Building, Community Building

"One of the primary purposes of the club is to encourage individuals to develop ham radio skills—they are great communication and emergency skills," says Woodbury. "From MITRE's perspective, the club provides a pool of highly skilled and knowledgeable radio people who can provide technical assistance and test equipment. This past year we've helped with several projects like my colleague Tom Bielicki's work on high-frequency radio link experiments. The club also has monthly projects—things like building portable antennas or examining how radio waves bounce around buildings—that have a lot of potential applications for MITRE's project work."

MITRE also supports the club's annual Field Day activities on the Bedford, Massachusetts, campus by allowing the club to commandeer a parking garage. Acting in conjunction with other local ham radio clubs and as part of a national event, Field Day is a planned disaster exercise. "The objective is to go into the field, set up and operate a full radio station, use every band possible, and use alternate power sources including generators and solar power," he explains. "In a planned disaster, you get to test the equipment and skills of the operators and identify the weaknesses in the system. In addition, you get to demonstrate to the public that ham radio can provide a full communication system."

Independent of his role as MITRE's ham radio club president, Woodbury also contributes his skills to a number of regional events like the Boston Marathon, the Jimmy Fund Walk, and the Head of the Charles Regatta. At these events, ham operator volunteers provide communications at the first aid stations, water stations, and various points throughout the courses. "I find it's a great way to use my technical skills and give something back to the community," says Woodbury.

A Radio for All Seasons

While some may argue that ham radios are an out-of-date technology, Woodbury is quick to point out why hams are still used at public service events and in emergencies. "I think ham radios and other types of communication, cell phones for example, are complementary technologies. Sure, cell phones can do a lot of things that ham radios can't do. But ham radios have a tremendous amount of flexibility—you can operate in any mode on any frequency—and they allow for a lot of experimentation. It's this flexibility and capability for emergency usage that is causing renewed interest in amateur radios."

"Recent events have shown that many public safety organizations have adopted fairly fragile communication systems—systems that in many cases haven't proven themselves under a high load. They have very little leverage if one component fails. Ham radios, on the other hand, remain a cross-communication capability that's very flexible."

As a hardware engineer in MITRE's Communication and Networking Department, Woodbury also finds that his hobby significantly benefits his project work.

"My interest in amateur radios has definitely helped the work I do at MITRE," he says. "Before I became a ham radio enthusiast, I didn't know anything about RF radios. Getting my three ham radio licenses and participating in public service events has really broadened my understanding of radio communications. I've certainly been able to apply what I've learned to my project work.

"I feel very fortunate to be at MITRE. I work with a great group of people. I also appreciate the non-profit nature of the company—our focus is on what's in the best interest of our sponsors and the public. Plus, I've really enjoyed other benefits, like my involvement in the ham radio club and the garden club. All in all, I think it’s a great place to work."

—by Kay M. Upham

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