ARRL EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION
Section Manager (SM) – Phil Temples, K9HI
Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Tom Walsh, K1TW
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) – Mike Neilsen, W1MPN
Section Traffic Manager (STM) – Marcia Forde, KW1U
Section Youth Coordinator (SYC) – Jeremy Breef-Pilz, KB1REQ
State Government Liaison (SGL) – Hank Mc Carl, W4RIG
Technical Coordinator (TC) – Dan Brown, W1DAN
AUGUST 2014 SECTION NEWS
“HR 4969, the Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2014, was introduced into the
113th Congress. This bipartisan effort would direct the FCC to extend
the ‘reasonable accommodation’ provisions for Amateur Radio antennas to
include all types of land-use regulation, including deed restrictions
and restrictive covenants.
“If enacted, HR 4969 would direct the FCC to extend the reasonable
accommodation protections to those amateurs who are living in
deed-restricted communities. Known as ‘CC&Rs’ (covenants, conditions
and restrictions) [they] are the prohibitions and limitations placed on
properties by builders or homeowner associations (HOAs) that prevent
licensed Amateurs from erecting even modest antennas.
“HR 4969 would not give Amateurs ‘carte blanche’ to do whatever they
wished. It would require HOAs and other private land use regulations to
extend reasonable accommodation to Amateurs wishing to erect antennas.”
-ARRL.org.
I encourage all Eastern MA ARRL members to visit
<http://www.arrl.org/hr-4969> and learn more about this important
proposed legislation. On that page are links to resources; e.g., “Who
is my congressperson?” “Where should I send my letter to my
congressperson?” and, “What are the key talking points I should know
when discussing HR 4969?”
There’s been a flurry of Amateur Radio activity in Eastern
Massachusetts and New England these past few weeks, due in large part
to two very high profile events: the much anticipated World Radiosport
Team Championship 2014, operated in conjunction with the IARU HF
Championship; and ARRL’s National Centennial Convention which was held
“just down the road” in Hartford. Kudos goes out to those Eastern MA
amateurs who served as organizers, or volunteered their time and energy
to ensure that both events were successful and memorable.
I’d like to welcome as our new Section Emergency Coordinator Mike
Neilsen, W1MPN. Our previous SEC, Rob Macedo, KD1CY, has decided to
step down due to the demands of his professional work commitments.
W1MPN is certainly no stranger to the position, having served previous
terms as both Section Emergency Coordinator and Section Manager.
Welcome aboard, Mike!
I wish to thank KD1CY for all of his valuable contributions as our
Section Emergency Coordinator. Rob has served three different Section
Managers over nearly a decade, and he’s earned well-deserved accolades
both locally and nationally–not only from the ARRL, but also, the
National Weather Service and other served agencies. Rob will continue
on in an Assistant SEC capacity under Mike.
Portions of Eastern MA experienced an outbreak of severe weather on
July 28. A supercell storm organized over Northern Norfolk County and
caused wind damage in Needham. KB1TJI reported on damage in that town.
The storm continued to organize, “obtaining a tornadic signature” in
the eastern end of Chelsea, and Revere,” writes Rob Macedo, KD1CY, ARES
SKYWARN Coordinator. “Within fifteen to twenty minutes of the storm’s
passage, the Amateur Radio SKYWARN Network accumulated reports of many
trees and wires down and structural damage in Revere.” Shortly
afterward, KB1KQW and KB1NCG, along with NWS Taunton Warning
Coordination Meteorologist Glenn Field, KB1GHX, arrived in Revere and
began surveying the damage.
The Taunton SKYWARN ARC, WX1BOX, was activated within an hour of the
start of the survey, and coordination with the survey team was
conducted via Amateur Radio. N1EVH assisted by supplying additional
photos, reports, and data from Revere. He also checked on damage
reports in Lynn.
The EF-2 tornado and the damage it caused was the subject of lead
stories on both the local and national networks’ evening news
programs.
KD1CY adds, “All of us working together makes a significant difference
for our local communities by providing accurate ground truth
information for better warnings and forecasts and to tell the public
what is actually happening on the ground.”
ARES will conduct a hurricane tabletop exercise on August 2 at the
Sandwich Emergency Operations Center. The program will include a
demonstration of Narrow-Band Emergency Message System, or NBEMS.
STM Marcia Forde, KW1U reports, “Regretfully, N1LKJ has resigned as
manager of the Mass Rhode Island Phone Net.” She adds that
participation in MARIPN has been very poor and “the disposition of the
net is uncertain but not favorable at this time.”
Kudos to Mark, K1MGY for his recent constructive feedback to ARRL
concerning the layout of the Headquarters’ NTS Directory web page.
The Eastern MA Traffic Handlers Picnic will be held in Raynham at the
Senior Citizens Center on August 3 from 12-4 PM.
The Whitman ARC will once again operate special event station NN1MF
from August 15-24 at Marshfield Fair. The club will display various
aspects of Amateur Radio to the public, including operating at least
two stations on site. Club members and volunteers are asked to contact
N1FRE to sign up for a shift.
PART of Westford members held a QSL Party at a local restaurant on July
29. Volunteers met for pizza, and filled out and mailed QSL cards for
contacts made during the recent Thirteen Colonies Special Event (K2H)
operation.
Members of the Walpole Emergency Communications Association were among
the many participants in the annual Golden Packet and Operation
ON-Target “mountain top-to-mountain top” communications exercise on
July 19. The group, consisting of KB1TJI, K1RBA, and AB1PH, operated a
station from atop Mt. Greylock. They received logistical support from
W1ZSA. For more info about Golden Packet, visit
<http://tinyurl.com/3su264w>.
Walpole ECA and Eastern MA ARG will present a Technician license class
in Walpole, beginning September 6 through October 11. Details can be
found at <http://ema.arrl.org/node/2062>.
Yankee Clipper Contest Club members and other area amateurs mourn the
loss of Silent Key James E. Power, Jr., K1NA/PJ5NA, of Monponsett.
KC1OP writes that he had a fun time at the Falmouth ARA Field Day site.
Says Steve, “For the first time in forty-two years I participated in
making contacts. It was a real thrill to get back in the saddle.”
The July 2014 FP/KV1J Miquelon I. DXpedition was QRV for the IARU
contest. Eric reports he worked all of the WRTC2014 stations.
KC1AQA is organizing a ham radio table at the Beverly Homecoming, to be
held at the Beverly Airport on August 2 from 8 AM-1 PM. Says Jan, “We
have tables set up for Communications. My (CAP) Commander has invited
the Cape Ann ARA to meet the public and demonstrate radios. Civil Air
Patrol welcomes everybody and food will be provided.”
Among the excellent press stories for last month’s WRTC2014, the Boston
Globe featured, “Ham Radio Operators of the World Face Off in
Westborough,” at <http://tinyurl.com/pqulah9>.
The Cape Ann ARA will once again activate Thacher I. operating as W1T
for 17th Annual International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend on August
15-17.
The Algonquin ARC will conduct a QSL card sorting session on August 14
at 7:30 PM at the Marlborough Fire Station classroom/EOC. The club
performs this service on a regular basis for the W1 QSL Bureau, which
processes cards destined for W1 stations from DXers all over the world.
Club members will sort nearly 13,000 cards during the session. Last
year, the W1 QSL Bureau processed a total of 191,000 cards, according
to the Bureau’s Eric Williams, KV1J.
The Mansfield EMA station will serve as net control station for the
monthly Eastern MA Hospital Net on August 2. The net will begin at 10
AM, and use the following repeaters in the order listed: Bridgewater
147.180, tone 67.0; Attleboro 147.195, tone 127.3; Wrentham 147.090,
tone 146.2; Sharon 146.865, tone 103.5.
Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC members and area amateurs mourn the loss
of Silent Key Robert J. Smith, KB1WWV, of North Attleboro.
Finally, from the “Ham-radio? People-Still-Do-That? Department” I leave
you with this thought-provoking opinion piece, penned by Mike Loukides,
W1JQ, of Guildford, Connecticut:
“If we built the ham radio story around digital modes, moonbounce, and
cool stuff, we’d actually have something that could attract younger
people. Instead, we keep on giving out this message about CW and vacuum
tubes. Much as I’ve come to like CW, ‘keeping our tradition/dying skills
alive’ isn’t a message that’s attractive. That Arduino-based TenTec
radio is where we’re headed.” –Thanks, YCCC.
73,
K9HI
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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Phillip Temples, K9HI
k9hi@arrl.org
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