Get to know me!
Get to know me!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by and learn a bit about Mark Tharp, KB7HDX
I’ve proudly served as the ARRL elected Northwestern Division Director since January 2024, and as the ARRL Northwestern Division Vice-Director from January 2019 until January 2024. I was also elected by the Board to serve as a Director on the ARRL Foundation’s Board, and I was selected to serve on the scholarship committee and club grant review committee. My efforts have supported loyal members, new hams and youth, and our radio clubs. This work is very rewarding, and I have made valuable contributions on the Board and committees I’ve served on.
Supporting ARRL is extremely important. As your Director, I work hard to ensure ARRL is the strongest advocate for promoting amateur radio and preserving our spectrum.
I’ve been fortunate to meet so many of you here in the Northwest by attending countless conventions, hamfests, and club meetings. Having served in various appointed and elected ARRL positions, I know how important it is to speak with members and non-members alike. I listen to what they are saying, engage them in dialogue, and work with them to help solve issues. I’ve met and made friends with amateurs from all across our Division in just about every aspect of Ham Radio.
Most importantly, these friendships keep your interests and concerns in front of me: what drives your participation in amateur radio; what is important to you; and how ARRL can help.
ARRL and ARRL Foundation committee activity during my time as Director and Vice-Director:
(A&F) Administration and Finance Committee (current Chair)
(E&E) Ethics and Elections Committee (current Member)
(ARISS) ARRL Committee for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (current Chair)
(ARLDA) Amateur Radio Legal Defense & Assistance
(ECFSC) Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee
ECFSC Clubs Sub-Committee
Emergency Communications Director search committee
ARRL Foundation Scholarship committee since 2022 (current Member)
ARRL Foundation Club Grant Committee since 2022 (current Member)
ARRL Executive Committee as an active board member observer
Investment Management Committee as an active board member observer
(PSEWG) Public Service Enhancement Working Group
ARRL Involvement:
Life Member of the ARRL
Member of the ARRL Diamond Club
Member of the ARRL Maxim Society.
Amateur Radio clubs and groups:
Yakima County Radio Amateurs (founding Member, current President and Trustee)
Eastern Washington Amateur Radio Group (Member)
Yakima ARC (offices held, President, Vice President and Trustee)
Western Washington DX Club (Member)
Pacific NW VHF Society (Charter Member)
AMSAT, (Life Member)
SDXA Spokane DX Association (Member)
ORCA DX and Contest Club (Member)
QCWA (Life Member)
Prior ARRL Field Service and Division appointments:
AEC, EC, OO, OOC, OES, and Fifteen years as Section Manager for the Eastern Washington Section.
Assistant Director under Northwestern Director Mary Lou Brown NM7N (SK) and Director Greg Milnes W7OZ (SK).
Current Volunteer Examiner and Registered Instructor.
OPERATING AWARDS:
DXCC: (Confirming contact with radio amateurs in other countries)
DXCC Mixed, (237) - DXCC Phone, (220) - DXCC Digital, (135) - DXCC-CW (104)
DXCC-10 (143), DXCC-15, (168) - DXCC-20, (200)
DXCC TRIDENT: first official award recipient. I proposed this award to ARRL in 2024
Not awarded:
80 meters (19) 40 meters (37) 30 meters (34) 17 meters (50) 12 meters (46) Challenge (697)
WAS: (confirming contact with radio amateurs in all fifty states)
5BWAS #3829 WAS-SSB #57,999, WAS-RTTY #1234 and WAS-DIGITAL #3359 with an FT8 endorsement WAS-CW #3204 WAS Triple Play #2633
Not awarded WAS totals – 30 meters (45) 12 meters (47) 6 meters (9) (no antenna on 160 :( )
I have 39 confirmed CQ Zones, still missing zone 34 (NE Africa)
I have operated as W1AW/7 (three times) and NU1AW/7 from my home station and have guest operated at W1AW, WX7P (SK), W7DX, WA7LT (SK), and K7SDX.
Other activities:
I have been a avid snowmobile rider since 2003. I volunteer on the Yakima County Grooming Council and have served as Chairman since 2016. I am a member of the State association (WSSA) as well as the local club, The Yakima Ski-Benders.
I have been a member of Yakima County (WA) Search and Rescue since late 1989 participating but "officially" on the team since 1990. Over those years I have been involved with countless rescue missions and involved mainly with the technical side, building and maintaining a linked repeater system that covers over a third of Washington State. I have also helped to install and maintain the communication systems in our mobile command post as well as the rescue coordination center. I have been selected as "volunteer of the year" twice during the last many years for various reasons, none of which were expected. I don't volunteer for the awards, I volunteer because it's needed to be done. And no award on earth can replace the feeling of finding a lost soul.
Yakima Emergency Management has occupied many hours of my time as well. I was heavily involved in upgrading the communications systems from essentially a two radio office into a 14 radio command center including Public safety and Amateur Radio systems. We can communicate with every other public service agency in the county from this office.
Jeeping is another activity I enjoy. Getting out in the hills and seeing nature is relaxing. I have a 2006 Wrangler with modest aftermarket equipment.
Thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about me.
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