Operating / Youth

ARRL School Club Roundup, Runs Through October 22, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, writes on the Yankee Clipper Contest Club mailing list:

We can encourage new hams and budding contesters right now by working them in the School Club Roundup presently underway.   I coached a 5th grader through more than 50 QSOs Monday night at the New England Sci-Tech station, W1STR.

The roundup started Monday and runs through through 2359 UTC Friday.     W1STR will be active again Friday at 6 PM local, and CW counts for double points.    If you hear them on phone, consider asking for a CW QSO also – the kids there are interested in CW.

Please consider tuning around the bands and spotting all the school clubs you can find.

de KM1P Joe

Affiliated Clubs

K5ZD: “Tips for Being a Better Single Operator” at YCCC Meeting Online, October 27, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

YCCC logoKen Caruso, WO1N, writes on the Yankee Clipper Contest Club mailing list:

YCCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: CQWW SSB Readiness

Zoom channel open at 1900 Local. Formal meeting starts at 1930.

Approximately 2 hours.

Feature talk: K5ZD on Tips for Being a Better Single Operator

73,

Ken – WO1N

[Contact Ken at wo1n -at- arrl -dot- net for Zoom information]

NTS

Massachusetts Traffic Report for September 2021

- by kw1u - Leave a Comment

The September Massachusetts traffic report is now available at the following link:  https://ema.arrl.org/massachusetts-traffic-report-for-september-2021/

Special note: reminder to vote for New England ARRL Director plus new sound card mode (VARA HF) available for connects to KW1U MBO for relay via the national Digital Traffic Network (DTN).  Also one new net manager and one new ORS.

Operating

Bristol County RA Fox Hunt (Two Foxes), Vicinity of Fall River, MA, October 23, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Fox Hunt #3 of 2021 This hunt will include 2 Foxes. The first Fox will activate at 10:00 am on 146.565 MHz FM and the second at 10:02:30 on 146.430 MHz FM

When:
Saturday, October 23, 2021
10:00am to 3:00pm
(UTC-04:00) America/New York

Where:
The Foxes will be located within a 10-mile radius of the center of the Veteran’s Memorial bridge connecting Fall River and Somerset on US Route 6 (41.7266508, -71.1516237).

Organizer: Skip Denault and Jay Hodkinson Skip – kb1cnb@bcra.club and Jay – kb1nyt@bcra.club. Check-ins will begin at 9:45 am on the BCRA repeater, 145.150 MHz PL 123. Chat and help on the repeater also.

View Event

Description:

NOTICE NEW DETAILS BELOW WITH A NEW CHALLENGE!

Communications with “Fox Control” can all be done over the BCRA repeater, including checking in when you have found the fox. You may also speak with us in the control vehicle using physical distancing if you wish.

The here will be TWO foxes – one manned by KB1CNB, Skip, and one by KB1NYT, Jay. When you find one of the foxes, you will get a hint to help you find the second (if you want!).

Check-ins will begin at 9:45 am on the BCRA repeater, 145.150 MHz PL 123. Chat and help on the repeater also.

The first Fox will activate at 10:00 am on 146.565 MHz FM and the second at 10:02:30 on 146.430 MHz FM with a 5-watt signal and both will transmit 1 minute of tone followed by Morse Code ID and 4 minutes of silence. As the hunt progresses we may increase the transmission times – that will be announced on the BCRA repeater. The hunt will last until 3:00 pm or until all checked-in participants have found the transmitters, whichever comes first.

The Foxes will be located within a 10-mile radius of the center of the Veteran’s Memorial bridge connecting Fall River and Somerset on US Route 6 (41.7266508, -71.1516237).

The first Fox (in my vehicle, a blue/grey Jeep Commander marked BCRA) will be in a public place and will be manned at all times. When you have found the fox your time and order of arrival will be recorded and a personalized certificate will be emailed to each participant.

Participants are encouraged to work in teams and are asked to drive carefully and observe all applicable guidelines, both from the FCC and the state & local governments. Since participants are receiving only (except for radio check-ins) an amateur radio license is not required.

Email questions to Skip at kb1cnb@bcra.club or text to 774-644-3469. After the hunt, your comments, impressions, and suggestions will be welcome!

Join us and have some good amateur radio fun!

Flea markets & Conventions

NEAR-Fest XXX Health and Safety Guidelines

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

NEAR-Fest logoAs we get ready to return to Deerfield NH in a couple days to resume our beloved hamfest that we have all missed so much for two years it is obvious that there are some fundamental precautions we must institute in order to be in full compliance with all CDC, State and Town Departments of Public Health guidelines.  We do not want to wear out our welcome.  NEAR-FEST IS SAFE FOR ALL must be our motto!

It is our hope that everyone will have been vaccinated.  However we realize that not everyone will be.  If you have not had your shots please take extra care: wear a mask especially inside and use hand sanitizer often. We don’t want anyone getting sick at our event.

The State of New Hampshire does not currently have a mask mandate so neither does NEAR-Fest.  However, we have some common sense requests and recommendations because we want everybody to feel safe at our hamfest:

1:  We are strongly requesting that everyone wear a mask or face shield while inside the commercial buildings, when attending forums and when at the exam session.   Masks will be available at the entrance to these buildings but it is advisable to bring your own as well.  We are also strongly requesting that all attendees wear a mask when buying or presenting your admission ticket or otherwise interacting with any of our staff members.

2:  Our staff volunteers have expressed some concerns and we want them to feel comfortable helping us run the fester.  Remember we cannot do the hamfest without them. They did not volunteer to get Covid.  Many of them aren’t the young healthy kids we once were and have serious concerns about covid either personally or with immediate family members.  We are requesting that everyone put aside all political and personal views about mask wearing and wear them where we have requested out of respect for the dedicated volunteers who run this event.

We  are committed to keeping everyone safe and this request from me is part of this commitment.

3: The use of hand sanitizer is advised especially after handling any items in the flea market and commercial buildings.  We will have hand sanitizer in automatic dispensers as well as masks available at the entrances to the buildings. 

Additionally, we ask that all attendees attempt to maintain a distance of six feet (or two metres) from others as much as possible and avoid crowding others at flea market and commercial vendor tables.  I know this is difficult especially if there is “good stuff cheap”.

These are still difficult and trying times.  We are glad to be back running the hamfest again but the world has changed in the past 18 months and we must change with it.  We appreciate your cooperation which is particularly important because we want to continue holding the hamfest while assuring the local community that we pose a minimal health threat with our presence.

HELP MAKE NEAR-FEST SAFE FOR ALL! 

Stay well!

MisterMike, W1RC, and the entire NEAR-Fest gang

Public Information / Youth

New England Sci-Tech ARS Crew to Participate in JOTA, Lexington, October 16, 2021

- by k9hi - 1 Comment

JOTA-JOTI logoTate Aldridge, K1MKD, writes:

With Bruce [N9JBT], Mindy [KM1NDY], and Marc’s help (and flyers from Rusty and Bob), we are hosting a Jamboree On The Air for scouts in Lexington. We will have several radios out and will be making contacts and educating scouts about amateur radio. We would be very happy to see you there!

https://www.jotajoti.info/
Lexington Visitor Center lawn, Lexington, MA
Saturday Oct 16
Scouts are coming from 1-4 and we start set up around 11 – STARS friends are welcome any time!

73,
Tate, K1MKD

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Public Service Event: Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) 2021 Call for Volunteers – Friday 10/22/21-Sunday 10/24/21

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

KC1AEI-Matt Knowles writes:

Hi all!

I’m passing along this message in hopes that there are some more amateur
radio operators interested in volunteering at the 2021 Head of the
Charles with special attention for those willing to work on safety
launch boats.

In keeping with the theme of creating a safe environment to hold W1R,
the World’s #1 Regatta, and after consulting with a team of experts from
Massachusetts General Hospital, we’ve updated our COVID-19 guidelines.
Only individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be
eligible to volunteer. We may require proof of vaccination closer to
race weekend. “Fully vaccinated” individuals are those who have received
two doses of an mRNA vaccine series (Pfizer or Moderna) or a single dose
of the Johnson&Johnson vaccine, with at least two weeks having elapsed
since the final dose. A third “booster” dose is not required for
participation.

Perks of volunteering: A nice Vineyard Vines quarter zip, branded with
the Head of the Charles Regatta logo. You’ll also get a boxed lunch
delivered to you (or to the dock where a safety launch can come in and
pick up), and gluten free and vegetarian options are available. Aside
from that, all I can offer is a fun day on or near the water with a
great crew of volunteers!

Here is the link for Regatta Central.
https://volunteer.regattacentral.com/hocr/browse This is where you will
go to register to volunteer.

There are lots of exciting updates about this year’s event being posted
on social media, so be sure to like and/or follow Head of the Charles
Regatta on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hocr1965/, Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HOCR1965 , and Twitter https://twitter.com/HOCR
to stay in the loop. If there are any questions with this, please send
them my way and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability. I know that
this is short notice, and I appreciate your consideration and hope to
hear from you. Thanks!

Matt Knowles
KC1AEI
Matt Knowles <matthewsknowles@gmail.com>

Affiliated Clubs

KM1P: “Contesting Preparation for STARS” at Sci-Tech ARS, October 12, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
New England Sci Tech logoThe New England Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society will meet on-line and in-person on October 12, 2021 at 7 PM and feature Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P,  who will present on “Contesting Preparation for STARS.” Joe will briefly discuss those opportunities and provide guidance and resources. 
 
Joe is a STARS member, is an avid contester, was #1 USA Single Operator in the 2021 ARRL DX contest, and holds an Amateur Extra license.
Public Service

Baystate Marathon/Half-Marathon Support, October 17, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
Terry Stader, KA8SCP, writes on mass-ares-races-skywarn-general mailing list:
 
For a number of reasons, past volunteers are a little short so far, so I am once more asking for volunteers. 
 
This is a pretty easy event relaying back to “Net Control” bib numbers of the runners who have required transportation off of the course for what ever issue. We collect those numbers and make sure the families are able to find where their runner is if they did not see them on the course. 
 
The role we play is very much a “health and welfare” service, a fundamental piece of what Amateur Radio is all about!
 
All you need to bring with you is a 2 meter portable radio. Most locations you could even bring your own fold up camp chair (make sure but is well marked as yours!) and set up shop at a fixed location.
 
There is a general requirement that all volunteers be wearing mask and to be vaccinated. 
 
I’ll be meeting with race officials tomorrow and may have additional information.
 
Please let me know if you need more info or would like to volunteer!
 
Thanks for your consideration!
Terry
Terry M Stader KA8SCP <ka8scp@wb1gof.org>
Operating / Youth

Possible JOTA Effort at Southeastern MA ARA, October 15-17, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Southeastern MA ARA logoDoug Belcher, KC1NFL, writes on the Southeastern MA ARA mailing list:

This coming weekend 10/15-17 is the Scouting World Wide Jamboree On The Air and Internet. There will be scouts from all over the world tying to connect with each other. Are there any members who would be able to help me get the Scouts on the Air this Friday from 5-8 at the club?  I will also be having a Zoom session with Rob Macedo to go over SKYWARN, ARES, and RACES. I’m hoping to get some new hams out of this by offering HT Baofengs to any scout who gets their Tech license.

73!
Doug Belcher
KC1NFL

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Report – September Through Early October 2021

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

This is the second in a series of monthly Eastern Massachusetts ARES reports that we have published on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES web site and will redistribute via the ARRL Section News provided we can meet the Section News deadline with our report. In the future, we plan to include additional statistical information on number of SKYWARN and ARES activations, total number of ARES members in the section as well as a narrative report in key happenings in Eastern Massachusetts ARES. We hope everyone finds these reports informative.

As this ARES report is being written, the 125th running of the Boston Marathon will take place on Monday 10/11/21. We thank all Amateur Operators and those that are Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters and ARES members for their participation in race day despite COVID and dealing with the COVID precautions. We wish everyone a great and fun race day on Marathon Monday. Also upcoming for public service events are the Baystate Marathon and the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES has lost a key member of its staff. Metro Boston ARES District Emergency Coordinator, K1BTH-Blake Haskell is now a silent key along with his wife Deb Haskell. Eastern Massachusetts ARES honored Blake with a last call on the October Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net and on many of the RACES nets that took place. The ARES Net and Sector 2 RACES Net last calls were recorded and can be heard here:

https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Sector_2C_RACES_Net_K1BTH-Blake-Tribute.mp3

https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Eastern_Mass_ARES_Net_K1BTH-Blake-Tribute.wav

The Eastern Massachusetts ARES staff will review his vacancy and announce a replacement over the course of the next 1-2 months. Our sincerest condolences are extended to the friends and family of Blake and his wife Deb and to all in the Amateur Radio and Public Safety community that knew them.

The month of September after Labor Day was a bit less active from an ARES-SKYWARN perspective as the weather pattern changed allowing for less activations. Nonetheless, the weather pattern remained fairly wet across the region with 6 self-activations for SKYWARN during the period mostly for heavy rainfall events but also for isolated severe thunderstorms on 3 of the self-activation for SKYWARN. More information on the larger activations with post storm reports and photos from the 2021 tropical and severe weather season will be posted on wx1box.org over the course of the next week.

ARES/SKYWARN members from across the country including Eastern Massachusetts support the VoIP Hurricane Net as Hurricane Larry made landfall in Newfoundland Canada. Details on this activation can be seen here:

https://ema.arrl.org/2021/09/16/voip-hurricane-net-lauded-for-efforts-during-hurricane-larry/

As we go through the month of October, the threat of direct impacts of tropical systems to our region is less as water temperatures cool but strong hybrid coastal storms become a potential concern. Given the continued very wet weather pattern of the last few months, we will need to monitor this potential for both SKYWARN and ARES activations.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES will conduct its Simulated Emergency Test (SET) coincident with the national Winlink exercise on Saturday 11/13/21 from 1000 AM-1200 PM. Further details will be posted on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES/ARRL section web site towards late October.

Thanks to all for their continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Flea markets & Conventions

NEAR-Fest is October 15-16, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Michael Crestohl, W1RC, writes:

NEAR-Fest logoAttention All Units!  NEAR-Fest XXX is Next Weekend… We Are Back Live and Online!

We are pleased to announce that NEAR-Fest XXX will begin at 0900 on Friday, October 15, 2021.  It will be a hybrid event both live at the Deerfield (NH) Fairgrounds and online worldwide via Zoom.  
 
For more information follow these links:
 
General Information:  https://near-fest.com/
 
Don’t miss our “Town Meetimg” candidates for ARRL New England Director forum!
 
 
 
Divisive issue to be sure but let’s all respect each other’s wishes to keep everyone safe.  
 
It has been a long two years…
 
73,
 
MisterMike, W1RC
Benevolent Dictator,
New England Amateur Radio Festival, Inc.
Operating

K1MJC Fox is On the Loose in Waltham, October 8, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Mike Cormier, K1MJC, writes on the Waltham ARA list and NEMassFoxHunters list at 2:40 PM on October 8, 2021:

Yes, the K1MJC Fox is out yet again!

Got out of work early, so it’s out early.

Well, I checked the weather and decided to take a chance it’s looking OK, perhaps maybe some sprinkles Sunday afternoon.

The fox is in somewhere in a conservation area within the city limits of Waltham, MA.

I don’t want to give away the  store, but it is within one I have placed it before!

As usual, it will be retrieved before sundown Sunday; if raining, sometime Monday. Maybe the batteries will last until at least Monday morning.

One of the maps on this page would prove useful!

https://walthamlandtrust.org/trail-guides/

Happy hunting!

Mike C. K1MJC 73

p.s. — If the clue is way too vague, I can usually be found on the Waltham UHF repeater,  input 444.0750, output 449.0750, tone in 88.5, tone out , none.

Public Service

Boston ARC Repeaters to Support Boston Marathon

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Boston ARC logoJoe Harris, N1QD, writes on the Boston ARC mailing list:

On Monday October 11, 2021, both the 145.23 and 449.175 repeaters will be in use supporting the Boston Marathon. The DMR repeater will not be connected to the standard NEDECN network during the event. Please defer to Marathon traffic throughout the day.
 
Additionally, the DMR repeater will be disconnected from the NEDECN network starting this weekend to allow for Marathon communications testing. The Monday night DMR net will be also taking a week off and will be back on the 18th.
 
Thank you for your continued support, and thank you to all volunteers who are working the event! 
 
73 
Joe Harris, N1QD 
W1BOS Repeater Trustee 
BARC Vice President 
Affiliated Clubs

KB1CNB: “Fox Hunting” at Boston Amateur Radio Club Meeting Online, October 21, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Boston ARC logoPlease note that this month’s General Meeting of the Boston Amateur Radio Club will take place at the usual date and time on Thursday, October 21, at 7:30 pm on the Zoom teleconferencing platform. Our speaker will be Skip Denault, KB1CNB, from the Bristol [County] Repeater Association, who will give a talk on fox hunting, equipment and set up.

Further details will be forthcoming in this month’s issue of The SPARC.

73,

Joe Chapman NV1W / Secretary, Boston Amateur Radio Club

Affiliated Clubs

K1KI: “New England QSO Party” at Algonquin ARC Meeting, October 14, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

AARC logoJust a reminder that the October Algonquin ARC meeting is next Thursday, 10/14, at 7:30 p.m.  We will be meeting both in the school library and on Zoom.  Zoom link will follow closer to the meeting.

Our guest speaker for the October meeting will be Tom Frenaye, K1KI, speaking about the New England QSO Party.  

[For Zoom information, email mdpowell -at- dmpowell -dot- net.]