MVARG Seeks Volunteers for MDA Bike Race June 7, 2003

N1VQY writes:

“[Mystic Valley Amateur Radio Group] has been contacted by the Boston Fire Department asking for our assistance in helping out with the MDA Bike Race again this year. They will need our help on Saturday. I believe it’s June 7th for the last leg of their bike race which is from Marlboro to Boston’s Fanuel Hall.

“Paul, N1OIL, Buddy, N1ZMB, and Terry, N1IWF have volunteered their services besides Greg and myself. If anyone else is interested please let me know.”

Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Workshop Saturday March 29th, 2003

There is still time to sign up!

There will be an Emergency Communications Workshop on Saturday March 29th, 2003 from 8:45 AM-3:00 PM at the Oak Ridge Elementary School in East Sandwich, Massachusetts. This session is being put on by the ARES Section Staff and Frank Laughlin, WQ1O, District Emergnecy Coordinator for Cape Cod ARES. Many thanks to W1RBF, for his assistance in securing the location.This Emergency Communications Workshop will provide the background and information to serve Amateur Radio Operators when they need to respond to a communications emergency. It will feature an Introduction and Conclusion to Emergency Communications, and five 1-hour training sessions ontopics including:

Overview of Eastern Massachusetts ARES-RACES-SKYWARN Programs
Net Operations
NTS Traffic Message Handling
Basic ICS
Go Kits
Interactive Exercises on Field Operations

This training will also feature a 1 hour lunch that will be provided at no coerced cost to any Amateur who attends the session.

The presentations will be given by other Amateur Operators well versed in the topics listed above. The training will be a worthwhile endeavor not just for emergency communicators but for anyone who is an amateur radio operator, and wants to learn more about the hobby.

Preregistration is requested but is not required in case anyone would like to attend at the last minute. We will, however, accept any preregistrations after that day or any walk-ins as long as space permits.

Directions to the Oak Ridge Elementrary School:

Take Route 6 Eastbound and Get off at Exit 3. Go South on Quaker Meeting House Road. The school is less than a 1/2 mile on your left. Press the “Directions to Workshop” button to the left for a map to the location.

For any additional information and to preregister for the workshop, please contact:

W1MPN, Mike Neilsen by email w1mpn@arrl.net
W3EVE, Steve Schwarm by email w3eve@amsat.org
WQ1O, Frank Laughlin by email wq1o@attbi.com
KD1CY, Rob Macedo by email rmacedo@rcn.com

This training should be a worthwhile endeavor for anyone interested in learning more about emergency communications and amateur radio in general.

Frequencies for Monitoring the Iraq War

From Rob, KD1CY…

Many people are watching, listening and monitoring the Iraq War. Below are some additional freqeuncies thatpeople with Shortwave Radios can monitor. This includes military freqeuncies to monitor war operations and Arab Shortwave Radio Broadcasters. Also, I’ve found that the BBC World Service on 5975 KHz which is on during the evening hours from around 6 PM EST [2300Z] on is also an excellent source of information. Below is an email provided by Terry Stader, KA8SCP through the Popular Communications Email list. This email was resent over the Billerica Amateur Radio Society email list.Monitoring The Iraq War

As the world waits and watches Iraq, if you’ve got a shortwave receiver with sideband mode (USB and LSB) you can hear certain military communications related to the conflict including many long-distance GHFS (Global HF System) stations including Emergency Action Messages (EAMs) and Skyking messages which are high-priority messages for air and ground stations.

Frequencies to monitor (in the USB mode) include: 4709, 4724, 6712, 6739, 8992, 11175, 11271, 15038 (11175 is a very active frequency most of the time)

Shortwave broadcasts from the Middle East that you can hear with a reasonable antenna include the following. Note that UTC (Universal Time) is 5 hours ahead of EST [4 ahead of EDT effective Apr 6]. Note that because the changing situation in the area these times and frequencies are subject to change; of course checking the frequencies from time to time is your best bet of hearing a broadcast.

Egypt, Radio Cairo on 9900 at 2315 UTC

Iran, Voice of the Islamic Republic, Tehran on 9022 at 1030 UTC (also on 9835 and 11970) Iran also on 13730 and 13745 at 1330 UTC.

Iraq, Radio Baghdad on 11787 (varies slightly to 11785) at 2000 UTC. Also check 15265, 15375, 15385, 21470 at 1100 UTC.

Israel, Kol Israel on 6280, 7475, 9435 at 0500 (also on 11605). Israel also on 15640, 17535 and 6220 at 2000 UTC. Also check 1700 UTC on 17545. At 1900 UTC on 11605, 15615 and 17545.

Kuwait (Radio Kuwait) on 11990 kHz at 1800 UTC. Also check 15110 kHz.

Syria, Radio Damascus on 12085 (and 13610 frequently) at 0500 and 2000 UTC

Turkey, Voice of Turkey, Ankara on 11960 and 12000 at 2100 UTC; on 6020 at 0400 and 2300 UTC

United Arab Emirates Radio, Dubai on 13675, 15395 at 0020, 1330 UTC; 15395 at 0030; 0200 on 15395 and 15370.

Groton Road Race Volunteers Needed

NVARC logoFrom: “Ralph R. Swick”
To: All 2002 Groton Road Race Amateur Radio Volunteers
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 8:09 PM
Subject: Radio Volunteers needed for GRR 2003

The 2003 Groton Road Race date is approaching. This year’s race is scheduled for Sunday, April 27. The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club has once again been asked to coordinate logistics, health, and safety radio communications for this event.

You helped us last year and the road race committee remains greatly indebted to you for volunteering your time.

If you are available on April 27 for at least the afternoon, and are willing to help us this year please contact me at kd1sm@arrl.net or 978.582.7351 (between 7pm and 10pm).

I plan to have a pre-race briefing meeting on Saturday, April 19. At this meeting we will briefly discuss changes from prior years, make assignments, and hand out instruction packets and T-shirts. This pre-race meeting will be 0930 to 1030 at the Pepperell Community Center at the Pepperell Rotary (intersections of Routes 111 and 113). If you are not able to make this meeting on the 19th, please do not let that dissuade you from volunteering to help us on the 27th.

Thanks once again for helping to demonstrate why Amateur Radio is an important resource to our communities.

I attach below a more lengthy description that you might want to share with other Ham Radio operators to explain why this is an important event for us and to encourage them to consider helping.

73,
Ralph Swick KD1SM

Groton Road Race Depends on Amateur Radio

Since its start in 1990, the Groton Road Race has depended on Amateur Radio to provide logistics support and course safety communication. The Groton Road Race pulls in Police Officers from a wide area to manage traffic on the major roads over which the course runs. Hams provide the only radio communications that all these Officers from multiple towns have in common. This is a premier opportunity for Amateur Radio to “strut its stuff” — to demonstrate that we are professional in what we do and that we provide a service with skills that cannot be obtained anywhere else.

In addition to the health and safety communication during the actual race, Amateur Radio Operators assist the pre-race parking teams get a thousand vehicles safely into and out of the parking area and their occupants into shuttle busses to the race grounds. Radio Operators also shadow the Race Directors and their staff during course setup and provide the critical coordination link between the Race Director and the Groton Police Department to confirm road closings and permit the starting musket to be fired.

This year, the 12th Groton Road Race will be held on Sunday, April 27. There are four separate races scheduled during the day; a Tot’s Trot, a 2k Fun Run, a 5k road race, and a 10k road race. Approximately 40 Radio Operators are needed to fill the necessary roles during the day. This has always been a fun and rewarding experience for the radio volunteers. There is even one operator who runs the 5k race then grabs his HT to man a station along the 10k course. 2-Meter handhelds are sufficient for most of the locations, though a few stations with higher ERP (mobile magmount and higher power) will be needed.

If you are able to assist, please contact Ralph Swick KD1SM at kd1sm@arrl.net or telephone 978.582.7351 evenings. Some tasks will start as early as 0900 while the major 10k race requires operators to be on station at 1230. A pre-race-day briefing meeting is planned for Saturday, April 19 in Groton, location TBD. At the briefing meeting station assigments will be made and T-shirts and instruction packets will be distributed. If you are not able to attend the briefing meeting but have participated in the Groton Road Race or similar event before and are available on the 27th, please do still contact Ralph.

For further details about the race itself, go to http://www.grotonroadrace.com/

CEMARC Meeting April 19, 2003

CEMARC logoARRL Affiliated Club Coordinator Frank Murphy, N1DHW announces the North Shore Radio Association and the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association wil jointly host the next CEMARC meeting on April 19, 2003 at 9:00 am at the CAARA club house in Gloucester. All Eastern Massachusetts clubs are urged to send a representative to this meeting.

K1USN Needs Your Help

K1USN QSL card
W1AI writes:

“The K1USN radio club is doing a great thing! Each year we introduce amateur radio to approximately 4,000 scouts as part of their Overnight Adventure on the USS Salem museum ship in Quincy, MA! The scout groups each receive a 30-minute presentation introducing them to amateur radio and Morse code, followed by a 30-minute hands-on radio demonstration, allowing them to talk on-the-air to hams via HF and/or 2M/IRLP. In the typical weekend (about 40 weekends per year), we do this for 6 different groups of scouts, typically reaching a total of 100 or more scouts. Who knows how many of the seeds we sew will eventually sprout into the next generation of hams?
“Unfortunately — as is too often the case — the bulk of the work tends
to fall on the shoulders of a handful of individuals. While the work is
enjoyable and gives us a tremendous sense of accomplishment, the
unrelenting requirement to give up every single Saturday leads to stress
and burnout. We need to spread the load!

“I ask for your help to change this situation.

“First, I ask that the various clubs in the area make a commitment to
help us out. Clubs on the South Shore might commit to providing us with
2-3 volunteers, one weekend each month. Clubs further away might commit
to sending us 2-3 volunteers, one weekend out of every 2 months. (They
could carpool, reducing the cost and boredom of travel.) The scout
groups come from a wide area, from New York to Maine. It’s not
unreasonable to ask a volunteer to travel an hour or more once every
couple of months.

“Second, I send messages requesting volunteers each week to a list of 85
area hams. I would like to expand this list to include more people who
may be interested in volunteering to help on occasion. Please forward
this message to hams in your local area. Anyone interested volunteering
for this valuable project should send a message to
W1AI@hamtestonline.com requesting to be added to the USS Salem list.

“Third, talk us up. If this sounds like a valuable project, then tell
your ham friends about it. Come out and visit us some Saturday, and
find out first-hand what all the fuss is about, and then take the
message back personally to your clubs! I don’t have any statistics, but
it’s possible that we may be spreading the word about amateur radio to
more kids than any other single organization in the world!

“I’m not asking you to do more than I am willing to do myself. Each
week I spend 2-3 hours on emails and phone calls to coordinate the next
weekend’s events, 1 hour driving, and 4 hours on board. If one person
from each area club did as much in each month as I do every week, my
life would be much easier!

“No special skills are required. If you want to do the ‘Intro to
Amateur Radio & Morse code’ presentations, it helps if you have at least
a little experience doing presentations. We have a script that you can
follow, but you are free to do it your own way. You do not have to be a
Morse code whiz. You can watch one of the “pros” give the course 1-2
times to see how it flows, and take over doing the presentations
yourself when you feel ready.

“To demonstrate the VHF equipment, you need a Technician license and at
least a bit of operating experience. To demonstrate the HF equipment,
you need at least a Tech w/HF license and a bit of operating experience.
We will show you everything else you need to know!

“Many people have read articles speculating about the future disposition
of the USS Salem. People often ask me what’s going to happen. The
answer is that I don’t know, and neither does anyone else at this point.
We’re all hoping that the USS Salem will continue to provide this
excellent learning opportunity for many years to come.

“However, what might happen some number of months or years from now is
not important to this project in the near-term. Right now we need to
take advantage of the opportunity we currently have, and that’s why I
need your help today!

“I’m always sad when I’m forced to cancel the amateur radio activities
on board the USS Salem due to a lack of volunteers. I need a larger
number of people to participate in this activity so cancellations won’t
have to happen!”

Thanks & 73,
John, W1AI
www.hamtestonline.com
W1AI@hamtestonline.com

[I encourage all ARRL affiliated clubs to respond to John’s challenge
and solicit 2-3 volunteers to assist in this worthy cause. -K9HI]

Emergency Communications Workshop, E. Sandwich, March 29, 2003

ARES logo KD1CY writes:

There will be an Emergency Communications Workshop on Saturday, March 29th, 2003 from 8:45 AM-3:00 PM at the Oak Ridge Elementary School in East Sandwich, Massachusetts. This session is being conducted by the ARES Section Staff and Frank Laughlin, WQ1O, District Emergnecy Coordinator for Cape Cod ARES.

This Emergency Communications Workshop will provide the background and
information to serve Amateur Radio Operators when they need to respond
to a communications emergency. It will feature an Introduction and
Conclusion to Emergency Communications, and five 1-hour training
sessions on topics including:

Overview of Eastern Massachusetts ARES-RACES-SKYWARN Programs
Net Operations
NTS Traffic Message Handling
Basic ICS
Go Kits
Interactive Exercises on Field Operations

This training will also feature a 1 hour lunch that will be provided at
no coerced cost to any Amateur who attends the session.

The presentations will be given by other Amateur Operators well versed
in the topics listed above. The training will be a worthwhile endeavor
not just for emergency communicators but for anyone who is an amateur
radio operator, and wants to learn more about the hobby.

Directions to the Oak Ridge Elementrary School:

Take Route 6 Eastbound and Get off at Exit 3. Go South on Quaker
Meeting House Road. The school is less than a 1/2 mile on your
left.

For any additional information and to preregister for the workshop,
please contact:

W1MPN, Mike Nielsen by email w1mpn@arrl.org
W3EVE, Steve Schwarm by email w3eve@amsat.org
WQ1O, Frank Laughlin by email wq1o@attbi.com
KD1CY, Rob Macedo by email rmacedo@rcn.com

This training should be a worthwhile endeavor for anyone interested in
learning more about emergency communications and amateur radio in
general.

MS Walk, Ham Volunteers Needed, Westport

Multiple Sclerosis WalkN1XRS writes:

Amateur Radio Volunteers Needed
Medical Trained Personnel also helpful

SEMCARES & CMPSA are requesting volunteers for the Multiple Sclerosis Walk in Westport, MA

Date: Sunday, 4/6
Time: 9:30AM
Location: Westport Elementary School
380 Old County Road
Radio System: 70cm Repeater 443.450MHz PL88.5Hz

If you like to help out please email us at hr@cmpsa.org with your name, call sign (if you have one), home town, and shirt size.

For more info
http://www.cmpsa.org/cmpsa/events.htm

P.S. Sorry to the people who will get this 2 or 3 times.

Antone D Duarte Jr N1XRS
Deputy Director
Central MA Public Safety
Phone: 508-278-3477
Fax: 508-278-3401
Email Fax 720-559-7267

www.cmpsa.org

Patriot DX Association Presentation 3/24

Members of the YCCC, members of CEMARC affiliated clubs, and friends of PDXA are invited to attend Patriot DX Association MEETING MONDAY, 24 March at 7 PM at the First Baptist Church (downstairs), 221 Cabot Street Beverly, MA.

Join us for dinner beforehand at 6 PM at “China Buffet”, 314 Cabot Street, a few doors north of the Cabot Theater.

Feature Presentation:

EYE WITNESS Report “WRTC 2002” by AL ROUSSEAU, W1FJ. He will show and comment on his 60 min. video, “WRTC 2002 at Helsinki Finland, produced by 9V1YC”. Eric Scace, K3NA who refereed the WRTC-2002 Belgian team will attend.

PLUS: Fellowship — Coffee and Munchkins — conversation

—Thanks, CEMARC mailing list

Ham Radio PR on Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey
Amateur Radio received some great national publicity on the syndicated Paul Harvey radio show on Wedneday, March 19.

You can hear the broadcast at http://www.paulharvey.com/

and clicking on the Wednesday Noon link under Listen Now. The Amateur Radio portion runs for about 1 minute beginning at 13:38. Total broadcast duration is 15:10.

Framingham ARA Spring Flea Market March 30!

Framingham ARA logoThe Framingham Amateur Radio Association will hold its spring flea market and VE session on Sunday March 30, 2003 at the Walsh Middle School. Doors open at 9:00 am.

The flea offers the public the chance to buy, swell and swap Amateur radio equipment, electronics and computer hardware and software.

Admission for buyers is $5 (under-12 free with adult). Door prizes will be drawn; the grand prize is a new 2-meter HT.

Sellers may purchase tables (6 foot), paid in advance, $10 or $15 at the door. Seller setup starts at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Free coffee and donuts! Assistance in loading and unloading will be available.

FARA will also conduct Volunteer exams.

For information on tables, contact Bev N1LOO 508-626-2012 or visit http://www.fara.org

Sturdy Memorial Hospital: ARRL Affiliate for 25 Years!

Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC logoThe Sturdy Memorial Hospital received a plaque from ARRL commemorating 25 years of ARRL affiliation this week.

Presenting on behalf of the ARRL was Eastern Massachusetts Affiliated Club Coordinator Frank Murphy, N1DHW. John Benson, N1FLO, SMHARC President, accepted the award.

The Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC also celebrates its 25th anniversity as a radio club this year. It was formed in the aftermath of the devastating “Blizzard of ’78.”

SMHARC 25 Year ARRL Affiliation presentation

“Clubs play in integral role in the health and vibrancy of our hobby,” said Phil Temples, K9HI, Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section Manager.

Temples added, “The Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC has distinguished itself time and time again as one of the premiere clubs in this section through its public service, its outstanding publicity of our hobby-service to the community, and its continuing affiliation with our national Amateur Radio organization.”

HSAS Raised to Orange

The Homeland Security Advisory Level has been raised to Orange in anticipation of negative activities associated with the US commencing military operations.Please ensure that your home and mobile stations are working properly by participating in weekly nets and occasional simplex nets. Please pay particular attention to your emergency power systems. As before, please carry your handheld radios whenever you can. Remember, you can serve best only when your family is safe and supplied properly. Please visit the DHS website http://www.ready.gov , or the FEMA website, http://www.fema.gov/library/prepandprev.shtm site for further information. Other information about our program can be found on our website, http://ares.ema.arrl.org.

My best to you and your family. 73,

Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN
EMa SEC
978.562.5662 Admin
978.389.0558 FAX/Secondary

Special Message from the ARES Leadership

***** Special Message from the ARES Leadership *****
***** Request Widest Dissemination *****

This is a special message from your leadership which we have delayed transmitting until after the President’s address this evening.

There are significant events which seem to be on everyone’s mind, and what we should do about it. War and any domestic ramifications will affect us first as citizens, then as ham radio operators. First, it is important to remember that we are not first responders, as that duty is remains with Fire, Police, and humanitarian professionals such as the American Red Cross. We may, however, be called upon to support those agencies at any time if they are faced with communication issues. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the federal government will require any extraordinary restrictions in our frequency bands, but we may have to sacrifice some of our UHF space as some of it is granted on a shared basis with the government. In view of the circumstances of a foreign war, and the raising of the domestic terrorist warning level to Orange, we are asking you accomplish three important activities as soon as you can.First, secure your home and family. Make sure you have food and water for at least three days for each of your family members. Plan on filling your car gas tanks when your car is about half full, instead of letting it get lower, etc. These are just a few of the many steps you can take to become better prepared for any possible impact on your community. You can learn about this and many other great suggestions on the FEMA website, on http://www.ready.gov , or http://www.fema.gov/library/prepandprev.shtm. There are numerous pamphlets you can pull down for you and your family to read.

Next, make sure your home station is working well. Please remember that the dispersion of our members throughout our districts and the section could come in very handy during any failure of the communication infrastructure providing vital communication links. We now anticipate that hams will be most active as home relay stations as our movements may be restricted within our localities. An emergency can develop very quickly and without any notice. Please focus on your home station making sure it works well, and you have adequate alternative power resources. Then check your mobile station to ensure you can communicate on simplex frequencies properly. You may be needed while you are commuting to and from work, or running errands. Please carry your handheld units with you at all times when the level is raised to Orange, as we anticipate it will be sometime this week [we have been at Orange level since 3/17]. Finally, if the incident lasts for a while or there is a significant restoration element involved such as with the Red Cross, we may be needed to serve away from our homes. In that case, your prior preparations are key. Your technical and personal go-kits will need to be ready before, and not during the emergency. We will have some great information on our website to assist you in the next few days.

In the meantime, go about your lives as best you can. Your leadership has been working with RACES, the Commonwealth, and public service agencies such as the Red Cross to make sure we are ready as we can be for whatever may come along. We can be thought of as the 21st century New England patriots working in our proverbial fields with our proverbial muskets at the ready. We may or may not be asked to serve, but it is high honor to be trained and willing to do so. I speak for the ARES leadership when I say that we greatly appreciate your preparation and commitment.

Here is a brief summary of activities that are scheduled in the next few months. On Saturday, March 29, we will having another ARES workshop on Cape Cod, in Sandwich MA at the Oakridge School. It is just 10 minutes from the Sagamore Bridge, so consider joining us. We’ve updated the program to offer more field related activities, and to better dovetail with the League’s Emergency Communication Course offerings. So, if you’ve haven’t joined us yet, or it’s been a few years since you attended, please plan on joining us. Simply contact your DEC or me to indicate your interest to attend. There is plenty of room at the school, and of course, there is no charge except a
contribution for lunch.

We are also planning a follow on exercise to the February exercise on Saturday April 26. This exercise will allow continual practice of important skills, but will have more emphasis on local operations to allow us to hone skills of communicating with neighboring stations. Some inter-district comms will still be asked for as well, as well as the passing of some NTS traffic. A preliminary message will be released shortly.

We are about to enter the busy Public Service Event (PSE) season. Please consider volunteering for duty with some of these events, as they offer an opportunity to practice communicating in more difficult conditions, and under personal pressure. Its great preparation for any emergency event, particularly if you have little practice or experience. You’ll hear more on this email reflector and on our website.

On behalf of my staff, I wish you and your families the best in the coming months. If you have a service member deployed in a foreign theatre as I do, best wishes for their safety and swift return home. 73,

s/Michael P. Neilsen
Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN
EMa SEC
978.562.5662 Admin
978.389.0558 FAX/Secondary

Join the Fun! 2003 Walk for Hunger Communications

Walk For Hunger Start/Finish Line
KC1US writes:

Your skills are needed! Put that communications training you have received to good use at Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger. This will be the 35th event with radio operators playing a key role for many years. Last year over 42,000 walkers participated, raising a record 3.2 million dollars. This money funds in part emergency food programs at nearly 400 food pantries, kitchens and shelters throughout Massachusetts. More information about the walk itself or the food programs can be found at http://www.projectbread.org. Our vital support is needed this year more than ever, due to the increased demand on these services.

Using two meter equipment, we will be in key areas tying together the over 1,500 volunteers with the Project Bread walk managers. With better weather coming, it will be a nice day to be outside, helping this worthwhile cause. Positions are available throughout the day along the twenty-mile route from Boston out to Newton and back. We need coordinator shadows, van communicators, operators with walking marshals and at checkpoints. All skill levels of hams are needed. Net control will be using the special event call sign of W4H.

To join in on the fun, you can sign up on line at the Crocker Public Service Group web site http://cpsg.amateur-radio.net/, send a message to W4H2003@amateur-radio.net or call me after 7:30PM at 781-275-3740.

Hiram Percy Maxim, Technical Awards

ARRL flagJean Wolfgang, WB3IOS writes:

“March 31 is the deadline for me to receive nominations for the Hiram Percy Maxim Award. These nominations must come through ARRL Section Managers. Section Managers may nominate a ham under 21 or others can send a nomination to you (SM) for your review. You will find complete information and a nomination form at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/awards/hpm.html. We had many excellent candidates from last year. Please feel free to renominate those candidates again. We have saved their nomination information and it will only need updating, but you will have to email me concerning your intentions.

“March 31 is also the deadline for me to receive nominations for 3 Technical Awards. Complete information, including links to the nomination form, is found at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/instructor/instructor/awards.html . The nominations for the Technical awards can be sent directly to me. They do not need to go through the SM. However, I would appreciate if you would spread the word about the Technical awards.

“At this time we have 2 nominees for the Hiram Percy Maxim Award and 2 for the Technical Awards.

“Contact me if you have any questions.”

Jean Wolfgang, WB3IOS
ARRL Field & Educational Services