EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION NEWS – OCTOBER 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
Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Rob Leiden, K1UI
Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) – Open (Contact Andy Stewart,
KB1OIQ in the interim)
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>
HOW TO BECOME AN EMA FIELD VOLUNTEER
To apply for an ARRL field appointment read about the different roles on the ARRL web site at <http://www.arrl.org/field-organization>. If interested, contact <k1tw@arrl.org>
EVENTS:
November 5, 2016, 9 AM – Noon, FARA-FEST 2016
Upper Cape Regional Technical School
November 5, 2016 – 10:00 AM, South Shore Hospital Net,
Net Control W1SSH using the following repeaters in order
1. Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
2. Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
3. W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244 Simplex 147.42
January 21, 2017, Whitman Amateur Radio Club Winter-Fest Ham-Fest
Whitman, MA
AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE CLASSES
NASHUA AREA RADIO CLUB
December 2-4 Amateur Extra Class
Location: Dartmouth Hitchcock Nashua, 2300 Southwood Drive in Nashua.
More information at <http://n1fd.org/2016/08/14/fall-2016-ham-radio-license-classes/>. (Thanks to Anita, AB1QB).
NEWS FOR OCTOBER 2016
Sincere sympathy is extended to Marcia, KW1U, Section Traffic Manager on the loss of her dear friend and companion Jack Bowles, N1OTC. Please read the stirring tribute to Jack written by Marcia in this month’s Silent Key section.
Thank-you to all those in Eastern Massachusetts who responded to the call from ARRL to contact our US Senators to support the Amateur Radio Parity Act. We remain hopeful of a positive outcome on this before the end of the current Congress.
ARRL notified me that I have been re-appointed as the Eastern Massachusetts Section Manager for another 2-year term beginning on January 1, 2017. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Amateur Radio community for the past two years and, with your help, I look forward to continuing. I would like to especially thank those who supported me or who contacted League Headquarters to nominate me for a second term as Section Manager.
ARRL conducts a special training session for new Section Managers once a year. I attended this event in Newington over the weekend of October 7-9, 2016, along with twelve other Section Managers relatively new to the role. Steve Ewald, WV1X, Field Services manager at ARRL put together an outstanding agenda. The new Section Managers had an opportunity to meet with so many of the dedicated staffers in Newington and gain a deeper appreciation of the role. Maybe we were just lucky, or maybe it was written in the ether, but our small subset of the 71 ARRL Section Managers who met that weekend instantly connected and shared numerous ideas with each other. Whatever the reason, we all left Newington with an ever-stronger commitment to the Amateur Radio community worldwide, to each other as Section Managers, and most importantly to our respective sections. I will draw on what I learned from this session not only as EMA Section Manager but throughout my entire Amateur Radio experience.
Bo, WA1QYM, who has done an extraordinary job serving as our Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) has decided to step down after many years of service to our section. Bo assumed the job when Mike, W1MPN, was our Section Manager, continued under Phil, K9HI, and now with me. By any measure, serving three Section Managers indicates a real love of the job and the hobby. Bo tackled the job with extraordinary dedication and friendliness. Bo could always be counted on for an interesting club presentation too. ACC is a very big and extremely important position and Bo has done such a great job he will not be easily replaced. However, he and Andy, KB1OIQ have been working closely on club coordination for much of the past year. For the moment, Andy, KB1OIQ, Assistant Section Manager will become the point of contact with clubs. A big thank you from the section as Bo takes a well-earned break.
Several amateurs within the Eastern Massachusetts section supported WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center, via the VoIP Hurricane Net <http://www.voipwx.net> during a long duration, several day activation for Hurricane Matthew and its impacts on Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Southeast United States coast from October 4-9, 2016. Rob Macedo, KD1CY, is the Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net in addition to his role as Assistant SEC for SKYWARN and he along with several other Eastern Massachusetts amateurs supported monitoring and gathering surface damage and weather reports across the affected area of Hurricane Matthew and ran net control activities on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system. Several of the reports gathered were utilized in National Hurricane Center advisories and local National Weather Service forecast office storm reports. Also, the net activated during Hurricane Nicole on Thursday, October 13 with sustained hurricane force conditions for several hours over the island of Bermuda with over 90% of the island losing power as Nicole’s eye passed across Bermuda. Amateurs within the Eastern Mass. section again assisted with relaying reports from the island and handled net control duties for the VoIP Hurricane Net. (Thanks to Rob, KD1CY, Assistant SEC).
The annual SKYWARN™ Recognition Day (SRD) will be held this year on Saturday, December 3, 2016. This is the day when Amateur Radio operators visit National Weather Service (NWS) offices and contact other operators around the world. The purpose of the event is to recognize the vital public service contributions that Amateur Radio operators make during National Weather Service severe weather warning operations. It also strengthens the bond between Amateur Radio operators and the local National Weather Service. The event is co-sponsored by ARRL and the National Weather Service. Full details are at <http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/>.
CLUBS:
Falmouth ARA and Barnstable ARC
Hams from the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (FARA) and Barnstable Amateur Radio Club (BARC) provided primary communications for the Cape Cod Marathon on Sunday, October 30 along the race course in Falmouth. Over 30 hams were active during the daylong event. A volunteer party followed the event. Amateurs provided Net Control from the Falmouth Fire and Rescue EOC, with amateurs stationed at strategic locations along the course, such as water stops, medical aid stations, Falmouth Hospital ER and the finish line. Other hams were stationed in course
vehicles designated as runner pick-up vehicles in the event of minor injuries or exhaustion, and followed up the end of the Race in the trail vehicle. The Course Director vehicle included Barry Hutchinson, KB1TLR, who organized the communications for the run. (From: Henry Brown K1WCC, Club Publicist, Falmouth Amateur Radio Association, Inc.)
PART OF WESTFORD
Mark, K1MGY writes on the PART of WESTFORD mailing list of his engagement with the annual “Head of the Charles Regatta,” which he calls “one of the most extraordinary events in Boston.” Regarding the Halloween Pumphin Patrol, Terry, KA8SCP, writes “PART provides additional eyes and ears around our cemeteries and public buildings. We are looking for some hams to watch for tricksters and let us know (NCS is stationed at Police HQ) when there are issues so we can get a police officer dispatched if necessary.” A major benefit of being a member of a local club is the help they provide to new hams. Some clubs take this the extra mile as we learn that PART OF WESTFORD has loaned out the use of a Yaesu FT-450D to a newly licensed General. Does your club have a similar program?
QRA
The October 20 meeting of QRA in Wakefield featured Dot Halpin speaking on the “Wakefield Rail Trail.”
Wellesley ARS
Charlie, WA3ITR gave a recent talk on an “Introduction to JT65 and WSPR.” Charlie is interested in speaking on the topic at other clubs so get in touch if you’d like to schedule him.
Billerica ARS
The Billerica ARS invited Charlie, WA3ITR, to present at their meeting on November 2. Also at the November meeting, the Billerica ARS elected their new officers for the coming year. Further details at <www.w1hh.org>.
SILENT KEYS
We have received sad news that Larry Swezey Sr, W1ESR, passed away on October 18, 2016 at his home in Groton. (via John, KK1X and NVARC)
From Marcia, KW1U (STM): Jack Bowles, N1OTC became a Silent Key September 19, 2016. He was an avid traffic handler, getting his start in the 1950s and 1960s. While serving in the Army he was known to check into some NTS nets, and got hooked. After getting out of the Army in 1965 he took a hiatus, but returned with a new call (N1OTC) in the early 1990s and began making that familiar bug of his sing on the CW nets. Over the years he also participated in voice nets and digital traffic at all levels from local and section nets to Transcontinental Corps, but his love was CW. While NTS was his passion, Jack was also an Official Emergency Station, assisting in disaster communications over the years. He was always ready to help when needed. He was a friend to many, and a very special friend to me. He will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace Jack, 73/88 de KW1U
FINAL WORD
Halloween should be fun and I hope it was for all. Thanks to all the pumpkin patrols and other public service activities you helped with during October.
73,
Tom, K1TW
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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Thomas D Walsh, K1TW
k1tw@arrl.org
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