JULY 2016 SECTION NEWS

EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION NEWS – JULY 2016
July 29, 2016

ARRL EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION STAFF

Section Manager (SM) – Tom Walsh, K1TW
Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Phil Temples, K9HI
Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ
Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) – Arthur “Bo” Budinger, WA1QYM
Official Observer Coordinator (OOC) – Ed Parish, K1EP
Public Information Coordinator (PIC) – Joe Weisse, W1HAI
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) – Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
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

HOW TO CONTACT EMA STAFF MEMBERS:
To contact section staff members directly simply visit
<http://ema.arrl.org> for contact information.

SECTION NEWS UPDATES
For the latest updates to section news please check our website
regularly at <http://ema.arrl.org>

NATIONAL TRAFFIC SYSTEM (NTS) EMA SECTION UPDATE

Everyday, volunteers across the nation activate nets and pass ham radio messages throughout the NTS.  The NTS has been in existence since the early days of our fantastic hobby and remains vital today as a training ground for emergency preparedness, for improving operating skills and techniques, for establishing friendships and often serves as an introduction to the hobby for newly licensed hams.

Joining an NTS slow speed traffic net has been used by many hams to hone their cw operating skills and its fun too! NTS is there to benefit the hobby 24/7.

We are very fortunate in EMA and also in the New England Division to have many daily NTS operations you can join and enjoy engaging in the public service aspects of this hobby. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have one of the very best Section Traffic Managers (STMs) in the country.  Marcia Forde, KW1U manages not only our EMA activities but for WMA as well. Marcia has a long proud record of making NTS better and is one of many people who keep this proud ham radio tradition alive.

Recently, NTS has been in the news from Newington.  I am not going into the details here, but it is important Ic convey to our EMA section the strong commitment to NTS from the EMA staff.  Marcia recently sent a thoughtful communication to her outstanding staff including Net
Managers, Traffic Handlers, and others on challenges NTS is facing. Marcia will be an important voice in the debate on the future of NTS and notes “as long as we have people who enjoy this activity of our hobby and want to keep it going, I will do my part to keep it available.”

As Section Manager, let me encourage you to participate in our section nets if you are not already.  I guarantee you will meet nice folks, improve and maintain your operating skills, and have fun.

You can find the net meeting times at our EMA NTS web site <http://nts.ema.arrl.org/>

SECTION MANAGER FIELD DAY TRAVEL:
Sat, June 25 and Sun, June 26

Clubs Visited:
– Falmouth ARA
– Genesis ARS
– Pilgrim AWA
– Whitman ARC
– Barnstable ARC

I began the day visiting Falmouth ARA at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds.  Using the N1VUX Field Day Directory makes finding clubs almost too easy!  TKS Bill!

What a terrific site Falmouth has for field day. They had a heavy-duty main tent this year so there would be no repeat of last year’s tent drama caused by the weather!

As I did with all clubs, I showed them the Governor’s Proclamation of Amateur Radio Week along with the House and Senate recognition and honoring of the ARRL National Field Day.  At each visit, we took lots of pictures with the members and club officers.

Next I was off to the Plymouth Municipal Airport to visit with the Genesis folks and Pilgrim club holding a joint Field Day.  This was another fine reception by a great group of folks. It was a very upbeat experience!  Marcia, KW1U, EMA STM had already visited them earlier in the day.  Kudos to Marcia!  More pictures of members and officers holding the Proclamations.  I enjoyed watching some of the many flight operations from the Nearby Airport.

It was back into the car to visit with the Whitman Club Field Day at the East Bridgewater, MA YMCA grounds.  Set up was in the woods and fields behind the YMCA building.  I made a short presentation and for that they kindly offered me to join their lovely Dinner BBQ.  We took more photos of the club and proclamations.

All in all, Saturday on Cape Cod was the best weather I have ever experienced on Field Day.  I put in about 140 miles round trip on Saturday from my temporary home base in Dennisport, MA on Cape Cod.

I finished my club visits on Sunday morning with a nice stop at the Barnstable ARC (BARC).  They have a lovely setting with an indoor facility.  We took more pictures of the Massachusetts Government documents and also photos with W1MA Ed, W1WEF Jack, K1TW Tom, and KB1TLR, Barry Hutchinson the BARC President.  Brewster is a lovely rural location on the Northern side of the Cape Cod.

I’ll make a return to BARC on August 1st as their monthly meeting speaker.

I had a Wonderful time visiting clubs. The only thing left for me was to figure a way home to Bedford through the weekend going home Cape traffic!

CAARA FIELD WAS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL THIS YEAR!

FD was busy as CAARA celebrated its 40th Anniversary with visits from Gloucester Mayor Theken and State Senator
Bruce Tarr (N1UIU) at CAARA’s W1GLO FD ops at 6 Stanwood Street with citations and proclamations for our work on Cape Ann providing emergency communications and public service to this part of Essex County.  We also received congratulations from Governor Baker and Lt Governor Polito.  Thanks to Hank McCarl, W4RIG  (SGL EMA/WMA)

ARRL NEW ENGLAND DIVISION CONVENTION AT BOXBORO

Boxboro has moved its dates to September 9-11, 2016.  This is the weekend following Labor Day.  The Boxboro committee is hard at work to bring everyone another terrific convention experience.

Go to the Boxboro 2016! Website for full details
<http://boxboro.org/>.

EMA FIELD APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE

Become involved in our section by applying for an ARRL field appointment.  Contact Tom K1TW, <k1tw@arrl.org>, for more information.

AUGUST 6 – EMA HOSPITAL NET

John, K1RJO writes that the Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net is looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at net control duties.  Their goal is to rotate net control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

If interested please email <ssharc@gmail.com>. The next net will be on August 6.

FINAL WORD

Many clubs have a reduced summer activity schedule.  Club news will return in the next EMA section news.

73,

Tom, K1TW
ARRL Section Manager
Eastern Massachusetts

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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Thomas D Walsh, K1TW
k1tw@arrl.org
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