2024 Hamvention Awards
The Hamvention Awards committee is delighted to announce the 2024
Hamvention award winners. Please join us in congratulating these outstanding Amateurs.
Michael Kalter (W8CI), Awards Chair
Amateur Radio Club of the Year
The Young Ladies’ Radio League (YLRL)
The Young Ladies’ Radio League, Inc (YLRL) is proud to be celebrating its 85th Anniversary this year. With members from all over the world, the organization has been involved in everything from contests to emergency events to helping new hams get licensed and, on the air, as well as everything in between. Established in 1939, YLRL has been found at Hamfests and Conventions all over the world and has been proud to have had a booth at Hamvention® since the 1950’s and a YL Forum since the 1960’s.
Women helping women in Amateur Radio is a mission statement for this organization, but there are also contest and award opportunities for the OMs who support their YLs. YLRL has the motto QRV-I AM READY and they are ready to assist in the radio community.
Technical Achievement Award
Ward Silver N0AX
For the past 15 years Ward has been the Lead Editor of the ARRL Handbook and the ARRL Antenna Book, and a primary author of all three ARRL License Manuals and study guides from 2004 until his retirement in 2023. He wrote the well-received “Grounding and Bonding for the Radio Amateur” (now in its 2nd edition) and “Ham Radio for Dummies” (now in its 4th edition). His monthly QST column, “Hands-On Radio” ran for 180 issues and has now been published in book format. The recent ARRL book, “Here to There: Radio Wave Propagation” includes his contributions including being its editor. He gives many online and in-person presentations and is a two-time recipient of the Bill Orr Technical Writing Award, as well.
An electrical engineer, he designed microprocessor-based products and medical devices for twenty years before beginning a second career as a teacher and writer. Licensed since 1972, he is a co-founder of the World Radiosport Team Championships, and was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 2015, with numerous top scores and records. He is President of the Yasme Foundation (yasme.org) and is also a board member of the HamSCI collaborative research group (hamsci.org). Ward’s primary interests in amateur radio include radiosport, antenna design, and supporting his local emergency response team.
Amateur of The Year Award
Edward Engleman KG8CX
Edward Engleman, KG8CX, is from Menominee, Michigan. He is the co-founder of the Young Amateurs Communications Ham Team (YACHT). Ed was first licensed in 1991 and reached Amateur Extra class in 2000. He has been a member of the ARRL since 1991. He serves his home club, the Marinette & Menominee Amateur Radio Club, as a VE. Ed’s background as an elementary educator and principal for 33 years was instrumental in developing the talents he now uses in his work with young amateurs. His major objective is to help create and develop enjoyment and skill in communications/technology via ham radio activity through its many modes, and to encourage friendships with other youth hams. Membership in YACHT, callsign K8KDZ, has grown steadily. There were 47 new members in 2023 alone.
Many of the YACHT youth have given presentations at past Hamvention® and Hamcation youth forums conducted by Carole Perry. A number of the youth members have been awarded national recognition for their ham radio activity and accomplishments. Besides the development of youth presenters, YACHT has echo link sessions 6 evenings a week and club activity encourage participation in all modes of amateur radio. Ed is proud to be part of the future of amateur radio by paying forward his interest in amateur radio by developing the next generation of hams.
Special Achievement Award
Anthony Luscre K8ZT
Anthony Luscre, K8ZT, is from near Akron, OH and was first licensed in 1981. He has been a QRP operator, contester, and teacher throughout his career in amateur radio. He updated to Amateur Extra in 2000. Anthony is active on HF and VHF/UHF, using CW, phone, and digital. His QRP contacts now top 115,000. He has consistently finished in the top ten of various major contests and finished first in the World and US in both CQ Worldwide Phone and CW QRP categories multiple times. As a bonus, his QRP DXCC total recently topped the 328 mark, and he has completed 11-band WAS.
Between licensing classes, club programs, webinars, hamfests, conferences, youth & school radio demonstrations and other in-person and online talks, Anthony has presented over 500 sessions since the beginning of COVID-19. He has presented multiple times for Contest University, QSO Today Expo, and at Dayton Hamvention. He does a weekly class, “The Joy of Operating,” for the Long Island CW Club. Anthony serves as ARRL Ohio Section Youth Coordinator and is an officer in his local radio club. He enjoys writing as well as speaking and has prepared articles for a variety of publications, including CQ Magazine (column “Ham Radio Explorer”), DX Engineering blog “On All Bands” and developing an online course “Introduction to Contesting” for the ARRL Learning Network.