26
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
|
May/June 2026
DAVEY PEOPLE
HAM RADIO HOBBY CREATES COMMUNITY FOR JOHNSTON
Dave Johnston has spent 21 years as a licensed amateur
radio (ham radio) operator, and he's managed to contact
people across 219 countries and all seven continents.
Using equipment set up at his home and sometimes in
parks and on mountain tops, Johnston communicates with
other amateur radio operators usually through morse code.
He said it's always fascinating to see who will answer his
call, with conversations ranging from local weather and
family life to complex technical discussions.
This hobby is a mix of technical competency, physics and
global geography, with every frequency segment behaving
differently depending on the time of day, the sun or the
weather.
"It presents fun challenges and provides a strong
community of supportive people who share a passion for
electronics," Johnston, district manager, South Fort Collins
office, Residential/Commercial services, said. "Even after
two decades, there is still a rush when you make contact
with a rare station in a country you've never reached before.
I have many lifelong friends that I've never met in person
but who I visit with over the radio on a regular basis."
Johnston said getting on the radio after work is a great
way to clear his mind.
"I spend about 95% of my time using Morse code, which
requires an immense amount of concentration, and after a
long day, it's nice to be able to sit quietly and communicate
with someone," Johnston said. "Sometimes, it's a quick
five-minute contact, and other times it's much longer.
Taking time for yourself is essential for maintaining a
healthy balance."
Left: A tower with a Yagi antenna on top of it sits in Dave Johnston's
backyard with northern lights glowing behind it.
Right: Dave Johnston brings portable ham radio hardware to a bench at
Lory State Park in Bellvue, Colorado.
Dave Johnston
operates a ham
radio with portable
equipment while
sitting on the summit
of Horsetooth
Mountain west of
Fort Collins, Colorado.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES AVAILABLE
A Community Engagement landing page is now live
on DaveyConnect, providing employees with a central
hub for finding ways to give back to the communities
where they live and work. This site is the go-to resource
for all things community engagement, including event
resources, presentations, youth engagement, Green
Leaders, Arbor Day and more.
Community Engagement is all about relationship
building both in and outside of the traditional
YOU SHOULD KNOW
workspace. The better relationships Davey builds with
our communities, the better we can serve them.
To find opportunities to partner with nonprofits, present
to community groups, attend
networking events and many
more ways to give back, scan
the QR code or find this page
through DaveyConnect under
the Community Engagement Tab.
