Emergency Communications / Licensing Education & Training / Public Service

2019 SKYWARN Training Schedule Posted

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Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on WX1BOX.org: The 2019 NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Training Class Schedule for the spring season [has been posted]. Please distribute widely to anyone interested in becoming a SKYWARN Spotter! Additional SKYWARN Training classes are in planning. This includes a class in the Rowe/Charlemont, Mass area, Granby/Hartland, CT area, Western Hampshire County Massachusetts, Eastern Franklin County Massachusetts and potentially other locations in Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts. Another update will be posted to the schedule in one to two weeks. There will also be a slate of SKYWARN classes in the Fall of this year. [Full story]

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Emergency Communications / Public Service

“Ham Operators Train for the Worst”

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The Maynard Wicked Local online newspaper featured a story with numerous photos on March 18, 2019 entitled, “Ham Operators Train for the Worst.” “Ham Radio operators from around the area held a drill Monday morning, March 18, 2019, to coordinate coverage in a simulated case of a tornado strike in Hudson, Maynard, Stow and Acton. With the Amature (sic) Radio Emergency Service base in the Stow Fire Department, participants logged in from towns around the area, thereby confirming the coverage available in times of emergency. “

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Affiliated Clubs

Pentucket Radio Association Meets, March 21, 2019

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David Robertson, KD1NA, writes on the PRA mailing list: On March 21 at 7:30 PM [there] will be a general meeting for all [Pentucket Radio Association] members and visitors [at the West Newbury EOC/Fire station, 401 Main Street, West Newbury, MA].   An important topic of discussion will be the coming Spring NEAR-Fest on May 3rd and 4th.   Discussion of the repeater status and future upgrades.   Hope to see all of you there.  

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All

ARRL New England Division Convention Web Site Live!

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The 2019 ARRL New England Division Convention (now branded as “Northeast HamXposition @ Boxboro“) web site is now live.   Sign-ups for speakers and volunteers are now available, as are applications for commercial, non-profit, and club vendor tables. Ticket pre-orders will be available in early June.  The three-day convention is held September 6-8, 2019 at the Boxboro Regency Hotel and Conference Center (formerly the Boxboro Holiday Inn), 242 Adams Place, Boxborough, MA 01719. Be sure to make your reservations early as the hotel fills up quickly. See https://hamxposition.org/travel-and-hotel for details.

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Affiliated Clubs / Organization

K1VR Presents at Nashoba Valley ARC Meeting, March 21, 2019

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Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes: The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club’s March meeting will be Thursday, March 21st at 7:30 PM at the Pepperell Community Center (in Pepperell). Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, our newly-elected ARRL New England Division Director, will join us this month. Fred suggested discussing antenna zoning (his specialty) and current ARRL matters (his new job). He’s an accomplished speaker, a contester and an alumnus-affiliate of a local college radio club, so the session just might easily meander following audience interests. <…> Need directions? Click here and put your own address in box “A”. Thanks and 73. Please feel free to …

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Public Service

Run of the Charles, Volunteers Sought, April 28, 2019

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Brett Smith, AB1RL writes: The annual Run of the Charles is a fundraiser for the Charles River Watershed Association to support river cleanup and research efforts. This year the event will have completely new routes. The longest route is 14 miles and begins at the Newton Boathouse. All routes end at Artesani Park in Brighton. There are assignments available at various times throughout the morning into the mid-afternoon along the river between Newton and Brighton. To sign up, simply write me back and let me know: Your cell phone number Your shirt size Any time or location constraints on your volunteer availability …

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Public Service

MS Walk Boston Volunteers Needed, April 7, 2019

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The annual MS Walk Boston raises funds for multiple sclerosis research and patient advocacy. The event uses amateur radio spotters to track participant progress and ensure their safety. This year’s event features a streamlined, more accessible route. The MS Walk Boston is on Sunday, April 7. You’ll check in at 8:00 AM and stay until the early afternoon. Lunch is available at the finish for volunteers. To sign up, register online, then mail Rick Savage, KB1LYJ to let him know you’re on the team.

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Youth

NVARC Members Participate in Bromfield Science Fair

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Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes in the March, 2019 issue of Signal: As part of my continued effort to explore how to connect youth with Amateur Radio, I decided to learn more about an annual activity that I know takes place in my town—The Bromfield Science Fair. The Bromfield School is the public middle/high school in Harvard, MA. I’ve been aware of their science fair ever since my children attended school there. During the past year, I reached out to Deb Pierce, the teacher at Bromfield who coordinates the event, and found out how to participate. I had two broad goals: …

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Affiliated Clubs / Public Service

Groton Road Race Requests Amateur Radio Support, April 28, 2019

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Ralph Swick, KD1SM writes in the March, 2019 issue of NVARC “Signal”: Sunday, April 28 will be the 28th running of the Groton Road race. The Groton Police Department and the Race Committee are again formally requesting support from the Amateur Radio community for logistics and safety communications for this high-profile event. The Groton Road Race has been a major event for Amateur Radio in North Central Massachusetts. [The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club] has been coordinating the ham participation since the second year of the event. Many NVARC members are 26-year (soon to be 27-year) veterans. Those of you …

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Public Service

YuKanRun Fool’s Dual 5K Run, Gloucester, March 31, 2019

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Christopher Winczewski, K1TAT, writes on the CAARA list: It’s that time of the year again. Public service 2019 is starting with the YuKanRun Fool’s Dual 5K on March 31. CAARA has a great public service team. Come out and have some fun with us. Why?  You are using Amateur Radio to provide a needed public service to ensure the safety and smooth running of a public event in local communities. “I would but I do not have a radio.” No excuse, we have loaner radios available with a magnetic mount that will work in your car just by just plugging …

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Affiliated Clubs

QRA Presentation: HCJB “The Voice of the Andes,” March 21, 2019

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The Quannapowitt Radio Association will present Harry Chase, WA1VVH who will speak at the club’s March 21, 2019 meeting about his adventures while working at “The Voice of the Andes,” HCJB shortwave station in Ecuador. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. QRA membership meetings are held in the Reading Senior Citizen Center at 49 Pleasant Street in the old fire house. All are invited and holding an Amateur Radio license is not required.

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Affiliated Clubs / Organization

Section Manager Presentation at PART of Westford, March 19, 2019

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At the [PART of Westford] meeting next Tuesday, March 19, our speaker will be Tom Walsh, K1TW, Section Manager for the ARRL Eastern Massachusetts section.  He will explain the various activities and appointments within the section: “My talk is focused on the ARRL Field Organization which consists of the volunteers in a section, many of which make ARES run among many other kinds of activities.  I have a volunteer staff of 11-12 who in turn manage about 100 volunteers throughout the section, many of who are PART members already.  I explain how a section is organized and how people can …

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Emergency Communications / Licensing Education & Training / Public Service

SKYWARN Training, Natick, May 4, 2019

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The National Weather Service (NWS) in Boston/Norton Massachusetts will be sponsoring a severe weather spotter training session, part of its SKYWARN program. The session is open to the public at no charge. Amateur Radio operators, emergency managers, police, fire, and other first responders are encouraged to attend. Everyone age 16 and older who stays to complete the training will be able to become trained NWS weather spotters. The training session includes a two-hour thirty-minute computer-based presentation, which discusses the development of thunderstorms, the criteria for “severe” thunderstorms, as well as the cloud features associated with severe thunderstorms and tornados. Additional …

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Affiliated Clubs

Mystic Valley ARG Meets, March 17, 2019

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Nick Magliano, KC1MA, writes: The March  meeting of the Mystic Valley Amateur Radio Group will be held on Sunday, March 17, 2019 @ 9 a.m.  The meeting will be held at the Milton Auxiliary Fire Department Station, 2nd floor, 509 Canton Ave. Milton Mass.  The building is behind the gazebo to the right of the Milton Fire Headquarters where we’ve held our Field Day Operations in past years.  Local map is attached below as a post script. We will be monitoring the 145.43 Belmont repeater for talk-in.  Please feel free to email me with any questions.    kc1ma at arrl dot net …

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Technical

Dan’s Tech Night, Ayer, March 14, 2019

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Dan Pedtke, KW2T, writes: TechNight is Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 7 PM, at the Grady Research building in Ayer. See www.DansTechNight.com for details and directions. This week we are back to the Tech Night Radio project.  I now have most of the schematic done and getting ready for the proto board layout.  We’ll go over some of the schematic, then I want to talk about one of the most useful and cheap electronic parts there is, the XOR logic gate.  I’ll show how it can be used as a buffer, inverter, schmitt trigger, level translator, polarity control, frequency doubler, phase …

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Affiliated Clubs / Youth

Northeastern University Wireless Club Guest Speaker: Pete MaLellan, March 14, 2019

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From the NU Wireless Club web site: This week during our usual meeting time [Thursday, March 14, at 503 Hayden Hall] we will be hosting Pete MacLellan from Lutron, who will be speaking about his experience at Northeastern and at Lutron.  Come to hear about coop experiences, and an exciting company in the Boston area who hosts many Northeastern coops, many of which are part of Wireless Club!

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All

K1IG Featured on “QSO Today” Podcast

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The March 9, 2019 QSO Today podcast features George Allison, K1IG, Westford. Here is an excerpt: “Sputnik and an uncle inspired George Allison, K1IG, to become a radio amateur. George had a long and successful US Navy career where radio was always the center of his activity including MARS stations, a visit to the South Pole, and the operation of very high powered VLF and ELF stations around the World. George promotes the Wordsworth method of raising CW speed above 40 words per minute.”

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All

You-Do-It Arduino Day 2019, Needham, March 16

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You-Do-It Electronics is sponsoring Arduino Day 2019 on March 16 from 11 AM-4 PM at its store at 40 Franklin Street, off Route 128 Exit 19B, in Needham.  Come see live Arduino project demonstrations and meet other Arduino enthusiasts. Project specials and raffles will be offered throughout the day. For details, go to <http://www.youdoitelectronics.com/arduino-day-2019/?___store=default>.

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