a field organization of the National Association for Amateur Radio®
Several weeks ago, Carl Aveni – N1FY and Herb Lemon – KC1ZW were interviewed by New England Cable News. The interview was a follow-up to a newspaper article the previous week-end in the Boston Globe. Read more on the “PR Page”
An Eastern Massachusetts ham continues his selfless work in the production of audio materials for visually impaired and blind amateurs across the country.
Bob Zeida, N1BLF, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts recently completed recording June, 2003 QST and WorldRadio. He has also created a three-disc CD set containing materials from ARRL’s Level I Emergency Communications Course manual for the Courage Center Handi-ham System. The audio material is available only to blind members via the website at: http://www.handiham.org.
In addition to the extensive library of ham radio recordings, Zeida also produces audio materials for the Talking Information Center based in Marshfield, Massachusetts.
Zeida isn’t sure exactly how time he has devoted to all of his recordings, but he guesses it’s been “thousands and thousands of hours.”
Handi-ham volunteer instructors recognized the need for an audio version of the manual following the successful culmination of a week-long emergency communications course at the Handi-ham camp in Malibu, California. They approached Zeida, who was also a camp volunteer instructor. He enthusiastically agreed to work on the project.
[This website highlighted a recent article about N1BLF featured in South Coast Today entitled Reading For Those Who Can’t.]Amateurs from the South Shore Repeater Association supported communications for the Good Friday Walk. The Walk is held each year in Hingham in Wompatuck State Park. The hams who participated included: K1NFZ, W1BT, AC1N, K1VDQ, KA1PJX, KA1KHJ, WB1GZB, WG1L, N1ZMD, K1JV, KA1IG, and WB1ARU.
Anne, WB1ARU who coordinated support annually for the event, has done so for almost twenty years!
Capeway Radio Club members also participated in the event. The South Shore Repeater Association repeater is in South Weymouth, and operates on 147.30 MHz. —thanks, WB1ARU.
[This notice was a month or so late. I apologize; the initial communication escaped my attention until now. -K9HI]
The Homeland Security Advisory Level has been returned to Yellow.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.
According to the ARRL, the FCC has decided to allow amateur operation on five discrete frequencies, or channels, on the 60 meter band (5 MHz). They are (in kHz): 5332, 5348, 5368, 5373, and 5405. Amateurs will be allowed 2.8 KHz bandwidth, SSB only, 50 watts ERP.
“Any additional spectrum, regardless of the restrictions in place, is a check mark in the ‘plus’ column,” commented Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section Manager Phil Temples, K9HI. “The addition of spectrum on 5 MHz should greatly enhance our ability to provide long haul emergency communications on HF for those difficult, in-between distances.” [Full story]
The Falmouth ARA will feature a presentation by Eastern Mass. Section Emergency Coordinator Mike Neilsen, W1MPN, at its May 29, 2003 meeting. ARRL Section Manager Phil Temples, K9HI will also attend.
FARA meets monthly on the last Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Falmouth Town Hall in the Selectman’s meeting room (downstairs, east end of the building). Ample parking is available. —www.falara.org
The Framingham ARA recently completed a unique “hybrid” course—a mixture of local classroom and computer learning—to teach the highly popular ARRL Emergency Communications Level 1 Course.
Shown here are the successful candidates who completed the FARA course, one of the first hybrid courses in the country. —Photo and story, courtesy Ed Weiss, W1NXC and the Framingham Circuit
Fall River area hams and RACES members will host a display at Public Safety Day on Saturday, May 31st. A display table at the Heritage State Park will feature literature and information about State RACES, ARES and the Fall River Emergency Management Agency. Additionally, 2-meter and APRS stations are planned along with an emergency management agency truck. The group invites on-air contacts and assistance from all who are interested and available to help. —Thanks, KB1FGI.
The Southeastern Mass ARA continues to make steady progress on the erection of a new tower at its club house.
SEMARA Club treasurer Scott Szala,W1EV reports that the first 20-foot section of tower was recently mounted on the base; the section was leveled and torqued. Szala added that ground rods and a grounding loop must be added, and hard line cables need to be measured and cut. Additionally, a telephone pole will be placed between the tower and club house to help support the cables.
Plans call for the remainder of the tower to be raised by crane within the next two weeks.
The NOAA Environmental Hero Award, recently presented to Rob Macedo is featured on the ARRL “In Brief” section of their web site. Visit http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/05/14/3/?nc=1#Amateur2 https://web.archive.org/web/20060223151322/http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/05/14/3/?nc=1 for the full story.
The Police Amateur Radio Team of Westford will conduct code classes at the Westford Police Station in their main conference room at 53 Main Street. (The room is where the monthly meetings are held.) The classes will be held on Tuesdays most weeks, but will meet on Monday for the first class and on Mondays on the weeks of club meetings.
The following is a preliminary schedule:
Monday 5/26/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Tuesday 6/03/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Tuesday 6/10/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Monday 6/16/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Tuesday 6/24/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Tuesday 7/01/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Tuesday 7/08/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Monday 7/14/2003 – 6:30 -8:30pm
Tuesday 7/22/2003 – Possible test night – Possible Test Practice session
Tuesday 7/29/2003 – Possible test night – Time to be announced
Tuesday 8/05/2003 – Possible test night – Time to be announced
Please contact AB1CW or ka8scp@wb1gof.org if you are interested in participating.
(May 12, 2003) – The FCC has recinded the genreal communications emergency for the Oklahoma area. For details, click on the story in the ARRL news area in the bottom left column of this page. Press the link below to view the story of the original order.
s/Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN, EMa SEC(May 9,2003) — The Federal Communications Commission has declared a general communications emergency for the Oklahoma area. Effective immediately, amateurs are required to refrain from using 3900 kHz, plus or minus 3 kHz, unless they are taking part in the handling of emergency traffic. The declaration was announced May 9, 2003, in cooperation with ARRL Oklahoma Section leadership and under the authority of Section 97.401 of the FCC’s Amateur Radio Service rules and regulations [47 CFR Part 97]. The FCC said the declaration is to support amateur communications on behalf of The Salvation Army’s tornado relief efforts. The order, signed by Technical and Public Safety Division Chief Joseph P. Casey of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, remains in effect until rescinded.
s/Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN, EMa SEC
(May 9,2003) — The Federal Communications Commission has declared a general communications emergency for the Oklahoma area. Effective immediately, amateurs are required to refrain from using 3900 kHz, plus or minus 3 kHz, unless they are taking part in the handling of emergency traffic. The declaration was announced May 9, 2003, in cooperation with ARRL Oklahoma Section leadership and under the authority of Section 97.401 of the FCC’s Amateur Radio Service rules and regulations [47 CFR Part 97]. The FCC said the declaration is to support amateur communications on behalf of The Salvation Army’s tornado relief efforts. The order, signed by Technical and Public Safety Division Chief Joseph P. Casey of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, remains in effect until rescinded.
s/Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN, EMa SEC
Bob Burns, K1RB has nominated Jeff Lehmann, N1ZZN for the ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award!
Jeff, N1ZZN has been active with many other amateur radio groups in the area and supporting letter of recommendation were sent by Bob Burns, K1RB, Pi Pugh, K1RV, Bruce Beaman, K1HTN, Jed Barton, N1JBC, Bob Callahan, W1QWH, Stephen “HO” Johnson Jr., KC1HO and Don Benecchi, K1DC along with a letter of recommendation from Bruce Hayden, NI1X representing all the Officers and members of the Whitman Amateur Radio Club, an ARRL Affiliated Club.
Jeff N1ZZN was a graduate of the 1997 Fall Classes of the Whitman Amateur Radio Club and joined the Whitman Club in December 1997 at 13 years of age. Jeff N1ZZN was first active helping promote amateur radio and operating at the Whitman Club’s annual Plimoth Plantation Special Event in 1997 and he has been active ever since.
Over the past five (5) years Jeff, N1ZZN helped promote Amateur Radio and develop amateur radio communication skills by participating in Field Day, Fox Hunting, SKYWARN training, getting active with the Whitman Amateur Radio Public Service Net and the Cape and Islands Traffic Net, helping with the Boston Marathon and participating with the USS Salem Radio Club—helping to put this Museum Ship on the air. Recently Jeff and the other members of the USS Salem Amateur Radio Club have been introducing Amateur Radio to thousands of Boy Scouts with their weekend activities.
Jeff Lehmann first created the Whitman Amateur Radio Club Web Page in the fall of 1998 and has been maintaining it ever since. This past year Jeff has added the monthly newsletter as a feature to the Web page which has further encouraged over half the club members to retrieve the club newsletter in electronic format. This initiative by Jeff makes the newsletter available to all the friends of the Whitman Amateur Radio Club. (See: www.qsl.net/wa1npo)
It was also reported that Jeff is a Vice Director of the New England Spectrum Management Council and publisher of a computer New England Repeater Directory.
We all know that Jeff’s involvement with the Whitman Amateur Radio Club is only a small, but significant part of his overall growth and development that balances family, school, work and Amateur Radio. At the last meeting, Jeff, N1ZZN reported that he plans to enter the Electrical Engineering program at U. Mass. Dartmouth this fall. Jeff is a valued member of the Whitman Amateur Radio Club and of the Amateur Radio community in Southeastern Massachusetts. We wish Jeff all the best in his future endeavors.
—The WARC Spectrum
Photo courtesy W1MPN (Press on the photo to see larger version that includes Glenn Field)
Story contributed by Bill Ricker, N1VUX
Rob Macedo, KD1CY, EMA DEC for SKYWARN and Southern New England Ham Coordinator for NWS WFO BOX’s 4-state SKYWARN program, was awarded one of only 36 nation-wide NOAA Environmental Hero awards for Earth Day 2003. The award was presented by Glenn Field, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, NWS BOX, with the assistance of Robert Thompson, M.I.C., and Mark M. Mahoney, New Bedford Emergency Management Director. Presentation was made as a surprise at the annual Hurricane Workshop, at New Bedford High School, only a few miles from Rob’s home in New Bedford. Also congratulating Rob was the keynote speaker, Max Mayfield, Director of the NWS Tropical Prediction Center & National Hurricane Center.Of the 36 nation-wide awards, only 9 were NWS sponsored, and of those, only two others were SKYWARN volunteers (Alabama & Michigan); the rest are government EMD or related staff and a broadcast meteorologist. Of the 36, 5 were posthumous and one was institutional.
The general citation is:
http://www.noaa.gov/earthday “The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this year presented its Environmental Hero Award to 35 individuals and one organization from across the United States and around the world. Held in conjunction with Earth Day celebrations, the award honors NOAA volunteers for their “tireless efforts to preserve and protect our nation’s environment.”
“NOAA and the nation are fortunate to have such dedicated people volunteer so much of their time,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “They set a perfect example for others to follow in their communities. America needs more environmental heroes like them.”
Established in 1995 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, the Environmental Hero award is presented to individuals and organizations that volunteer their time and energy to help NOAA carry out its mission. Previous recipients include oceanographers Jean-Michel Cousteau and Sylvia Earle, and actor Ted Danson, head of the American Oceans Campaign. “On behalf of the 12,500 men and women working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, I am pleased to present you with this 2003 Environmental Hero Award,” Lautenbacher wrote in a letter to the recipients. “Your dedicated efforts and outstanding accomplishments greatly benefit the environment and make our nation a better place for all Americans.”
The short-form of Rob’s citation http://www.noaa.gov/earthday/#macedo reads: “Robert Macedo, a full-time senior engineer with Works at EMC Corp. in New Bedford, Mass., has been the SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS-Taunton since 1994. He has helped the program grow from 800 weather spotters in southern New England (1994) to 3,500 (2003). He drafts and distributes his own e-mail newsletter to more than 700 key spotters and emergency managers, organizes NWS training sessions and uses his personal time to promote the NWS mission. Because of Macedo’s efforts, the NWS receives more real-time reports than ever before, thus having a direct, immediate and positive impact on NWS warning operations. He has also assisted NOAA in surveying storm damage and the implementation and testing of the new high frequency tower/antenna now in place at NWS-Taunton.”
NOAA Press Release: http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2003/apr03/noaa03044.html
NOAA EarthDay homepage with award list: http://www.noaa.gov/earthday/
Hurricane Workshop: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/box/hurrHunter.shtml
=== 30 ===
ADVISORY OF FOLLOWUP STORY …
And, there may be more story to follow … Rob is, as I type this, once again with our friends from NWS BOX, attending the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board http://www.boston.feb.gov/
Public Service Recognition Week “Execllence in Government Awards” Luncheon ($40 rubber chicken) at JFK Presidential Library in Boston, where he will be introduced as a finalist for Volunteer of the Year. (3 staff members of NWS BOX are finalists in other categories: WCM Field for Customer Service, SOO Dave Vallee for Science, and their Admin for Admin.)
So check May 7, 2003 – EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT AWARDS – The Greater Boston Federal Executive Board will sponsor this government-wide event to recognize outstanding the public service of local Federal employees. This year’s event will not only recognize outstanding public service among the local Federal ranks but also be a unique celebration of freedom and public service while remembering those who are fighting for our country. It will be chaired by US Army Brigadier General Craig A. Peterson, Commanding General for Homeland Operations in New England and will feature a performance by the USO. ==73==
http://www.boston.feb.gov/newfeb/hotnews/hotnews.html tonight / tomorrow to see who won! [Regretfully, nobody won – W1MPN]
http://www.boston.feb.gov/newfeb/hotnews/PUBLIC%20SERVICE%20RECOGNITION%20WEEK%20ACTIVITIES.pdf
Rob Macedo – KD1CY, EMA DEC for SKYWARN and Southern New England Ham Coordinator for N.W.S. W.F.O. BOX’s 4-state SKYWARN program, was awarded one of only 36 nation-wide N.O.A.A. Environmental Hero Awards for Earth Day 2003. [Full story]
N1YCQ writes on brca-club:
The Armed Forces Day military-to-amateur cross-band communications test is this weekend May 10 and 11. This is the only opportunity for amateurs to contact other non-amateur stations as permitted by the FCC under Part 97 rules. All 2-way contacts will be split-freq and may be split-mode. Split-freq meaning that the military station will, for example, transmit on a frequency of 6.913 MHz and announce that he is listening on say 7.245 MHz. This is a common practice for DX pile-ups. Split-mode meaning that you might receive the military station in USB but transmit to it in LSB. The military stations will also transmit an Armed Forces Day message via various digital modes. I have included a link from the ARRL website that has the Armed Forces Day schedules for the participating military stations. Let me know if you have any questions.
73 de N1YCQ
Wheat
http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/af-day/armdfrcs-2003.html
K9HI writes:
“I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Duarte, N1IV to serve as the E.MA. Public Information Coordinator. Jim is a member of the Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC and is their Public Relations Manager. He has held the position of ARRL Public Information Officer for the Attleboro area for about two years. Jim is also involved with the Sturdy ARES group and SKYWARN as well as Plainville EMA/RACES. His other interests include computer graphics, woodworking and golf!
“Jim has a small, home based graphic design business and has developed a successful marketing campaign for the Sturdy club. He also designed and maintains their web site. “Jim’s background in business marketing and promotion combined with his interest in ham radio have helped him with his public relations duties. N1IV looks forward to promoting our hobby, helping grow our membership and working with the section staff. He also looks forward to working closely with the section P.I.O. and PR Managers.
“Please join me in welcoming Jim Duarte, N1IV to this important leadership position.”
The Whitman Amateur Radio Club is holding its semi-annual Memorial Day Flea Market in Saftler’s Parking lot on Sunday, May 25th and on Monday, Memorial Day the 26th. —MARA News
The Billerica Amateur Radio Society has always placed a premium on good food and fellowship. Shown here is one candid shot from a recent BARS breakfast, courtesy K1LJN.