February 2013 Section News

ARRL EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION

Section Manager (SM) – Phil Temples, K9HI
Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Jeremy Breef-Pilz, KB1REQ
Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) – “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) – Eric Falkof, K1NUN

FEBRUARY 2013 SECTION NEWS

I’m extremely proud to announce that Eastern MA Section Traffic Manager
Marcia Forde, KW1U, of Concord has been named the recipient of the 2012
George Hart Distinguished Service Award from ARRL. Among the items of
business, the League’s Board of Directors voted to bestow the
prestigious honor upon Marcia in recognition of her many years of
service to the field organization at its January 18-19 meeting in New
Orleans, Louisiana. Marcia has served multiple terms as an STM, and
also, net manager for the Eastern Area Net, and a Director of the
Transcontinental Corps, to running various digital message systems
on-air. I know that all ARRL members in the section will join me in
congratulating Marcia on a job well done!

North Shore Radio Association mourns the loss of Silent Key Andrew F.
Garrity, Jr., N1OQX. A native of Danvers, Andy was born and raised in
Malden.

Marathon Amateur Radio Communications is now accepting volunteers to
assist with the 2013 Boston Marathon on April 15. Positions are
available to shadow race officials at the start, positions along the
route, and finish line. Visit <http://marc.mmra.org>.

KB1OIQ and K1PUB are operating as K3Y/1 in the 7th annual Straight Key
Century Club operation in the month of January. See
<http://qrz.com/db/k3y>.

W1RJC has been performing upgrades and maintenance on the 2-meter and
222 MHz Southeastern MA ARA repeaters.

Interesting factoid: Amateur Radio operators in the NWS Taunton warning
area are responsible for over 90 percent of the damage reports received,
and half to two-thirds of the rainfall and snowfall reports received
into the weather forecast office!

Congrats to Dave Robertson, KD1NA, on his election as president of the
Pentucket RA at PRA’s January meeting.

Southeastern MA ARA is currently seeking nominations for its SEMARA
Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a deserving student in the
spring. Details can be found at <http://semara.org/scholarship>.

Steve Telsey, N1BDA presented to the Quannapowitt RA members on
“Sheltering at Home” at their January 17 meeting in Reading.

ACC WA1QYM and SM K9HI had the privilege of presenting a Special
Service Club certificate to members of PART of Westford at their
January 15 meeting.

Southeastern MA ARA members mourn the loss of Raymond I. Dickinson,
N1BBJ of Middletown, CT. Ray was a life member of SEMARA.

This SM, along with several Eastern MA club presidents and
representatives, attended the New England Division Cabinet Meeting held
by Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI on January 5 in Springfield.

The Algonquin ARC will hold its annual flea market on February 16 at
the 1Lt Charles W. Whitcomb School (formerly the Marlborough
Intermediate /Middle School), 25 Union Street, Marlborough. More info
can be found at <http://www.qsl.net/n1em/w013flier.pdf>.

The April 7, 2013 Framingham ARA flea market has been granted “ARRL
approved hamfest” status, according to ARRL Convention Program Manager
Gail Iannone.

The Yankee Clipper Contest Club has a new program: members are invited
to create show-and-tell “video station tours” of their respective
shacks for airing at upcoming meetings.

This from K1NS: International Reply Coupons (IRCs) are quite useful in
obtaining QSLs from DX stations, but the United States Postal Service
recently announced that local post offices will no longer be selling
them. Even so, says Bill, “You can still send them to DX stations to
use for return postage.” Bill adds that IRCs should still be available
for purchase from the USPS web site. [FYI: an online resource listing
foreign postage rates can be found at <http://tinyurl.com/2amn6kx>.
Thanks, QCWA reflector.]

The key of Norman W. Roscoe, N1CIX has fallen silent. Norm was a
resident of West Bridgewater. His friends and colleagues at the
Massasoit ARA will miss him.

K1USN RC received a donation from N1BGT of a pair of 1960s-era Gonset
Communicators for use at the K1USN vintage station.

Cape Ann ARA members held another repeater benefit movie night on
February 2 at their clubhouse in Gloucester. The movie “Tintin”
directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson features a
scene involving Morse code.

N1IPP posts this URL on the Waltham ARA reflector that contains an
online version of the United States Marine Corps Antenna Manual: http://www.w3ab.org/Documents/ANTENNAS/MCRP%206-22D%20ANTENNA%20HANDBOOK.pdf.

N1LWK and K1RV will be QRV outdoors for several hours on February 2
competing in the annual FYBO (Freeze Your Butt Off) Winter QRP Sprint.

From KB1REQ: Northeastern Wireless Club members have been repairing and
selling Ten-Tech equipment. Monies earned will be used to upgrade the
W1KBN HF station. A 40- and 80 meter antenna project is also in the
works.

Kudos is in order for all the Cape Cod ARES members who participated in
the Cape Cod ARES Winter Exercise on January 26, 2013. According to DEC
Frank O’Laughlin, WQ1O, “We had good contact throughout our district
and beyond, including our sub-regional command station in Bristol
County on VHF.” Frank adds, “We also had good direct simplex
communications with a field team stationed at our regional Red Cross
Shelter in Nauset over 35 miles away.” [This SM got a kick out of the
photo of exercise participants using a blowtorch to unfreeze a portable
tower section in the Sandwich EMA parking lot!]

According to K1RV, a large contingent of south shore hams plans to make
the trek to the annual Dayton Hamvention on May 17-19, 2013.

The most recent frequency spectrum chart covering all allocations is
available from the Government Printing Office in PDF format for
download at <http://tinyurl.com/7tz5n8g>. Thanks, Boston ARC SPARC.

PART of Westford kicks off its kit-building project on February 2.
Members have the choice of constructing an electronic keyer or an LC
meter.

KW1U reports the new MARI CW traffic net is off to a good start. “There
is interest in both EMA and WMA, among new traffic handlers and old
timers alike.” The net meets Monday through Friday at 7PM ET on 3565
kHz.

From N1IXC: K1JGV has started a new 160-meter net that will meet each
Friday at 7PM on 1875 kHz.

Congrats to the Harvard Wireless Club, W1AF for placing first in the
New England Division (School Club) in the 2012 ARRL Sweepstakes Phone
weekend. HWC has finished at the top for three years in a row.

The Eastern MA ARRL cabinet will hold the first of its quarterly
meetings in 2013 on February 6 in Wellesley.

You’re no doubt familiar with the Doppler effect, right? But how many
have heard of the “Dopeler effect?” It’s the tendency of stupid ideas
to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly! –Thanks, QRA
Newsletter

73,
Phil, K9HI

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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Phillip Temples, K9HI
k9hi@arrl.org
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