SEPTEMBER 2016 SECTION NEWS

EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION NEWS – SEPTEMBER 2016
September 15, 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) – 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>

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>

AMATEUR RADIO PARITY ACT NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT NOW
On Monday, September 12, the US House of Representatives unanimously
passed the Amateur Radio Parity Act, HR-1301.  Now it is before the
Senate and ARRL is asking members to contact their Senators to support
the bill.  The process is quick and easy and can be done online at:
<https://arrl.rallycongress.net/ctas/urge-senate-to-support-amateur-radio-parity-act>


HAMFESTS AND FLEA MARKETS:

October 14-15, 2016 in Deerfield NH
NEAR-FEST

October 16, 2016
FLEA at MIT

November 5, 2016
Falmouth ARA


AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE CLASSES

NASHUA AREA RADIO CLUB
September 24-25 Technician Class
October 22-23 General Class
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).


EVENTS:

Sunday, September 25, 2016:  Ride to Defeat ALS

The Worcester Emergency Communications Team is looking for volunteers
on Sunday 9/25/16 for the Ride to Defeat ALS.  This is a low key event
with the primary focus being on charity rather than racing.  The
70-mile bicycle course begins at the Longfellow club in Wayland and
continues through several towns with rest stops in Hudson, Bolton,
Acton, Concord, and Sudbury.  While the race runs from 6AM to 3PM, some
stations open as late as 9AM and some close as early as 11AM.  Operators
working at a course station can report directly to their station.  Lunch
is provided for operators in Wayland.  There will be two roving race
vehicles that will require a mobile radio.  They will have both 2m and
70cm repeaters linked for this event.  If you are available, please
reply to <nb1h@wect.org>. Indicate if you are able to provide a mobile
radio for a roving assignment, and indicate your location and what
hours you are available.  They will attempt to locate you at a station
closer to your home if possible.  (Ben NB1H, President, WECT via Dave
KG1H, MMRA).

Saturday, October 29, 2016: Ashland Half Marathon 5K Race:

The 5th annual Ashland Half Marathon 5K Race & 1 Mile Walk/Run will
kick off on Saturday October 29, 2016 and begin and end at Marathon
Park, which marks the original starting line area for Boston’s
marathon for its first 27 years, from 1897-1923. Set in late October to
take advantage of the cool temperatures runners of all stripes desire
the Ashland Half-Marathon winds its way along a picturesque 13.1-mile
figure 8 course through Ashland’s foliage-filled roads and lanes.
Contact Mark Richards <kmalittl1@gmail.com> if you are interested in
participating.


PEOPLE:

Best wishes to Steve, N1BDA, who is moving from EMA to CT after many
years of service as a DEC and EC in our section.

ARES/SKYWARN (From Rob, KD1CY)
Eastern Massachusetts ARES and the ARES SKYWARN program at NWS Taunton
including WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather
Service in Taunton Massachusetts, were well represented at the Boxboro
ARRL New England Division Convention. Instructors Steve Schwarm, W3EVE,
Norfolk County ARES District Emergency Coordinator and Rob Macedo,KD1CY,
Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator for Eastern Mass ARES as the
SKYWARN/MEMA/FEMA liaison taught an Eastern Massachusetts ARES workshop
to 19 participants on Friday Morning 9/9 as one of the sessions that
kicked off the ARRL New England Division Convention. During Friday
Afternoon, Rob, KD1CY, taught the SKYWARN Class that was well attended
with a full class room and 49 people acquiring spotter cards either as
spotters renewing their training or additional spotters added to the
SKYWARN Network. Over the weekend, the ARES/SKYWARN booth was well
staffed with additional Amateur Radio Operators signing up for the
SKYWARN email list maintained by the WX1BOX team and talking with
Amateur Operators on past severe weather scenarios and operations as
well as discussing ARES and ARES deployments. Rob, KD1CY, also did a
SKYWARN overview presentation as part of the Boxboro ARRL forums
schedule. The New England Division Convention once again provided
recruitment for new ARES members and SKYWARN Spotters and to talk with
existing ARES and SKYWARN Amateur Radio Operators from Eastern
Massachusetts and across the New England Division.


CLUB NEWS:

The Clay Center Amateur Radio Club resumed meetings on Tuesday,
September 13th.  Twenty youth members attended the Boxboro Convention
and the club reports “the Youth Forums sessions were excellent. The
Saturday banquet’s Keynote address by writer and radio historian Donna
Halper was amazing!  Our Club President, Kevork KB1ZAW, talked with
Donna Halper afterward and invited her to join the CC-ARC as an
honorary member. She accepted and said she would love to come speak at
a club meeting.  Bob and Ted talked with ARRL CEO Tom Gallagher, who,
as always, was in awe of our club.  He wanted to know more about how we
run such an awesome youth-friendly and family-friendly club.  He also
joined the CC-ARC as an Honorary Member!”  (Excerpted from the Clay
Center News on September 12)

Wellesley Amateur Radio Society (WARS)
Dan, W1DAN, President says “Our club season starts with this
(newsletter) issue as well as our first meeting next Tuesday September
20, 7:30PM at the Wellesley Police Station on Route 16 in Wellesley. To
open our 2016-2017 radio season, Charlie WA3ITR will present a talk
titled “Introduction to JT65”.”.

PART of Westford announces that Steve, WA1KBE, has been appointed to be
our Director-at-Large for the coming year.  PART will be holding
elections for their other club officers at their September 20 meeting.

The Billerica ARS kicked off the fall season with a QSL sort in support
of the W1QSL bureau at its meeting on September 6. The meeting on
October 5 will be devoted to the excitement of operating on HF radio.


The Harvard Wireless Club participated in the OSL student activity fair
on September 2.  Bill, W1PL, writes “Thanks to the absolutely terrific
work by our President Douglas Maggs KK4UHK, and Vice President Saahil
Mehta KG5HEW, a record 43 undergraduates were signed up today!!! 43!!!
We set up a radio with a battery, had an Alex Loop antenna (thanks to
Mike Burns from Rowland) on a 19-foot mast”.

Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (Falmouth, MA) members assisted in
providing communications for the 44th running of the Falmouth Road Race
on August 21.  This is FARA’s 44th year in assisting with race
communications-we have been there since day 1. FARA works well with
Race officials, EMS and police personnel and is included in Race
planning. About 30 hams participate in the planning and execution of
race communications. Besides assisting with medical communications,
FARA also provides race families, friends and relatives information
regarding the status of their runners, derived from observers stationed
in strategic locations. FARA is also is a primary communications
provider for the Cape Cod Marathon in October.  (Henry Brown K1WCC,
FARA Club publicist)


SILENT KEYS

We have received sad news that Ed Meehan, N1NTZ, passed away on August
25, 2016.  Ed was an active member of both the Whitman ARC and MARA.
(via Bob, N1EDM).

We have received sad news that Bob Bernard, W1URV, became a silent key
on September 1, 2016.  Bob was an avid DX’er since becoming a ham in
the early 1970’s.  He was a member of the Norfolk County Radio
Association and a member of the Norwood Amateur Radio Club.  Bob and
his wife Val, WA1ULY, were QSL card sorters for the W1 Incoming QSL
Bureau, sponsored by the Yankee Clipper Contest Club. (received via
Dave, K1HRV).


FINAL WORD

Another Boxboro convention is in the books.  What an event this has
become now that it is annual.  There were some wonderful new
innovations this year such as the wonderful program booklet, movies on
both Friday and Saturday nights, and of course, Boxboro features a
really wonderful set of forums starting on Friday and ending on Sunday.
I hope that all who made the trek to Boxboro left with really great
memories.  I know I did.

73,

Tom, K1TW

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