ARRL EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION
Section Manager (SM) – Phil Temples, K9HI
Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Jeremy Breef-Pilz, KB1REQ
Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) – Arthur “Bo” Budinger, WA1QYM
Official Observer Coordinator (OOC) – Ed Parish, K1EP
Public Information Coordinator (PIC) – Bob Salow, WA1IDA
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) – Rob Macedo, KD1CY
Section Traffic Manager (STM) – Marcia Forde, KW1U
State Government Liaison (SGL) – Shawn O’Donnell, K3HI
Technical Coordinator (TC) – Dan Brown, W1DAN
APRIL 2014 SECTION NEWS
Excitement is building for the World Radiosport Team Championship
(WRTC) to be held in Massachusetts July 12-13, 2014. Like the Olympics
or the Boston Marathon, this event draws the “best of the best” from
around the world. Fifty-nine two-operator teams will be set up with
Field-Day-style stations on 16 properties around the Route 495
corridor, from Pepperell in the north to Plymouth and Taunton in the
south.
The international teams will compete to see which team can make the
most contacts with the most countries and take home the gold medal.
This Olympic-style world championship will be widely covered in the
local, regional, and national media and provide excellent publicity for
amateur radio.
The WRTC2014 organizers need volunteers to help with this
once-in-a-lifetime event. The biggest need at the moment is for people
to help set up and keep an eye on the stations and provide local
transportation for the teams between the headquarters hotel in
Westborough and the sites.
Several clubs in the area have “adopted” one or more sites. Perhaps
your club would be interested in doing this as a club project. We’d be
happy to send someone to your next club meeting to provide more
details.
Please visit <http://www.wrtc2014.org/volunteer> to sign up and tell us
how you would like to help make this exciting event a success.
N1FY provided meeting space at the Bridgewater Emergency Operations
Center/ ARES Command Center to host a meeting of ARRL affiliated club
leaders on March 25 to discuss volunteer recruitment for the upcoming
WRTC2014 event. WRTC2014 board members K1KI, K1DG, and KM3T were in
attendance. K1DG moderated an informative presentation that included a
video. It can be watched at <http://tinyurl.com/qefxw5x>.
Barnstable ARC members are gathering for a club lunch at the Cape Cod
Super Buffet in Yarmouth on April 5.
This SM was pleased to join with ACC WA1QYM in visiting the friendly
folks at the Billerica ARS at their meeting on March 5.
N1FLO reports that the Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC has moved its ARES
net to Thursdays at 8:30 PM. The net meets on the 147.195 Attleboro
repeater.
The Genesis Amateur Radio Society is pleased to present an
“Introduction to Ham Radio” Technician Course, on May 10 and May 17
from 9 AM-3 PM at the Middleborough Public Library. Visit
<http://ema.arrl.org/node/2046> for more information.
The Boston ARC will provide communications support for MS Walk in
Boston on April 6. It starts at Boston University’s Indoor Track and
Tennis Center, 100 Ashford Street, Boston, and runs along the Charles
River. Contact KB1LYJ at <rpsavage@comcast.net> to volunteer.
South Shore hams and others mourn the loss of Silent Key William H.
O’Hara, Jr., WA1NYC, of Abington.
Bob Vogtli, KB1ZHX, of Wakefield is doing some exciting things with
high altitude ballooning, according to K1MGY. “Bob worked with his
daughter last year in a school science fair project. She wanted to
launch a high altitude balloon and take photos. The project is called
SpaceCAT.” Mark adds: “Bob and his daughter are moving things to the
next level with SpaceCat II. The plan is to launch next month, and I
was invited to participate.” More info on this project is at
<http://ema.arrl.org/node/2048>.
AMSAT members were stunned to hear of the passing of Anthony J.
Monteiro, AA2TX, of North Andover. Tony was Vice President of
Engineering for AMSAT, and an AMSAT board member. More info at
<http://tinyurl.com/nqqgvx2>.
Southeastern MA ARA members recently voted on a number of physical
plant improvements, including: kitchen upgrades, security, and
architectural plans for the new building addition.
A SKYWARN training session has been scheduled at the Cape Cod National
Seashore’s Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham on April 15 from 7 to 10
PM. According to N1NS, “students are welcome.” The full Southern New
England SKYWARN training schedule can be viewed at
http://wx1box.org/2018/04/20/special-announcement-2018-nws-boston-norton-skywarn-training-class-schedule/.
TC Dan Brown, W1DAN, presented at a recent Zola Center ARC meeting in
Newton on broadcast television.
Nashoba Valley ARC members are gearing up for the annual Groton Road
Race on April 27. “Our public service events are a key opportunity for
us to show our colors, volunteer our skills and equipment, and
demonstrate why it is in the public’s interest to continue to allocate
precious RF spectrum to our the Amateur Radio Service,” says NVARC’s
KD1SM.
PART of Westford members and other area amateurs mourn the loss of
Silent Key Earl D. Russell, WR1Y, of Groton.
High winds caused a catastrophic tower collapse in North Adams on March
30, resulting in the loss of cell phone coverage for the area. E911
capability was also impacted. See <http://tinyurl.com/kva8ytp>.
A new D-STAR repeater is now operational in Falmouth, according to Dick
Wiklund, K1MGH. The call sign is KB1ZEG C and it operates on 145.210
-600. A new radio club has formed to sponsor the repeater–the Nobska
Amateur Radio Club. Dick adds, “NARC is a subset of Falmouth ARA
members interested in D-STAR communications.” It should be noted that
Nobska ARC members received “a great deal of support” from D-STAR
affectionato, KA8SCP, of Westford.
The Yankee Clipper Contest Club is encouraging its members to create a
video “show-and-tell” of their stations. Says YCCC president Tony
Brock-Fisher, K1KP, “Grab a video camera and make a 10-minute or less
narrated video tour of your station.” YCCC airs the videos at club
meetings. Tony suggests the video tours include: antennas, towers, low
band receive antennas, cable entrance, lightning protection; and
inside: operating positions, main and secondary rigs, amps, computers,
antenna switching, and rotator controls.
MIT Professor Chuck Counselman, W1HIS, will give a presentation on HF
Propagation on May 7 at 7 PM at the Andover Safety Center in Andover,
MA. Hosted by the Andover Emergency Management Group (AEMG), this talk
is a general primer on HF propagation. More information can be found at
<http://ema.arrl.org/node/2049>.
Amateur Radio Newsline reports can now be heard on Sunday evenings at
8:00 PM on the Southeastern MA ARA 147.000 repeater, according to
SEMARA Repeater Committee Chairman W1RJC.
In conjunction with the ARRL Centennial Party, W1AW/1 will be QRV from
Western MA beginning April 4. And in October 2014, W1EBI will
coordinate a W1AW/1 effort from Eastern MA. Says George: “It would be
great to have more ops willing to sign W1AW/1 from their home stations
during that week. All bands and modes are in play, although most of the
activity so far has understandably been on the HF bands via CW, SSB and
RTTY. Continuous operation is not expected, but more ops means more
action.” If interested in participating, contact W1EBI at
<george.harlem@gmail.com>.
This year’s Project Bread/Walk for Hunger will be held in Boston on May
4. “We need people to provide communications support for the Project
Bread Staff and volunteers along the 20 mile walk,” reports KG1H. If
you are interested in helping out this year, go to
<http://www.mmra.org/wfh/>.
Norfolk County RA members and others mourn the loss of Silent Key
Edmund J. Peshin, W1EJP, of East Walpole.
The Cape Ann ARA will hold a “Tech In A Day” session on April 19 at the
Lanesville Community Center in Gloucester. According to CAARA’s KB1PGH,
“It’s an all-day study course with the Tech exam at the conclusion.”
Interested persons should contact Stan Stone, W4HIX at
<techinaday@caara.net>.
Wellesley ARS members and others mourn the loss of Silent Key Edward F.
Dillard, ex-W1RPM, of Harvard, MA. Dillard was believed to have been one
of the earliest members of WARS.
This SM visited the members of the Norfolk County RA at their March 19
meeting in Westwood.
Don’t forget to check out the Minuteman Repeater Association’s
Technical, Informational and Other Stuff Net each Tuesday night on the
MMRA linked repeater network. Find out what’s happening in the MMRA,
and ask your ham related questions.
K1P will be QRV again this year as part of the Patriots’ Day holiday,
according to PART of Westford club president KB1OIQ. “The details are
still being finalized, so stay tuned for more information. This will be
on April 19-20.” Andy adds, “we typically operate on SSB on both days,
for perhaps six to eight hours each day, as operators desire.” The club
will send a special K1P QSL card upon request.
Metro Boston DEC KB1NCG conducted a Technician course in Wareham for
Medical Reserve Corps personnel. According to N1FY, the class graduated
ten new hams; three additional candidates will take their exams soon.
Amateurs will provide communications for the Good Friday Walk on April
18 in Hingham, from Plymouth River School into Wompatuck State Park and
back. “It’s a great opportunity to participate in a low-key public
service event,” says Anne, WB1ARU. If you can assist, contact her at
<enoaru@gmail.com>.
Massasoit ARA’s KB1TEE is trying to arrange a club field trip with the
Army Corps of Engineers to the Cape Cod Canal.
The Pilgrim ARC and area amateurs mourn the loss of Silent Key Carl B.
Black, W1PY, of Provincetown.
Cape Ann ARA’s AB1LT reports he recently worked what he thought was a
Russian station on 20 meters: RI1ANT. Says Bob: “well, it was Russian,
but it was their Mirny Station in Antarctica! I worked 10,700 miles
with four watts to a wire antenna using a rig that will fit in a lunch
box–including key, power, antenna, rope, feed line and other
accessories.” Bob adds, “Morse rocks! I’m now in no rush to get my
100-watt rig back.”
The “Daily Mail” in the U.K. carries this interesting item about the
National Radio Quiet Zone entitled, “‘I used to be sick all the time’:
Dozens of Americans who claim to be allergic to electromagnetic signals
settle in small West Virginia town where WiFi is banned” at
<http://tinyurl.com/qbudguu>.
73,
K9HI
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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Phillip Temples, K9HI
k9hi@arrl.org
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