Month: October 2003

Chris Smith, K1CJS writes:

“There will be an simulated emergency communications drill on November 8th between 9 AM and 1 PM that is being staged by the SE Mass ARES/Skywarn leadership. [The Bristol County Repeater Association] will be participating and will be providing input to the National Weather Service in Taunton.

The club emergency communications group and anyone else who is interested in participating is welcome to do so.

We will be utilizing the 440 machine primarily for the exercise as a test of the effective communications coverage in the city (especially the waterfront and low lying areas) and will use the 2 meter machine if needed for backup and for any participant who doesn’t have 70 cm capability.

Further details of the exercise will be posted on the reflector in the coming week, as well as the area frequencies that will be used.

73 and take care,
Chris, K1CJS

The Patriot DX Association has decided to rename itself the New England DX Century Club, according to the club’s PR officer, Jim Tumelty, W1CWU. NEDXCC offers the latest DX videos, DXCC card checking, as well as information on sunspots and propagation.

According to the club’s web site, “This name was chosen to reflect the current trends of the organization to move toward a regional from a more local organization.”

The NEDXCC is sponsoring a “DX Challenge” from Oct. 20-26 and Nov. 24-28, 2003. It meets at 221 Cabot Street, Beverly at 7 p.m. The next two meeting dates are November 24 and December 22.

For more information, visit http://www.nedxcc.org.

There will be an Emergency Communications Workshop on Saturday, October 25th, 2003 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Littleton Town Hall, 41 Shattuck Street in Littleton, Massachusetts. This session is sponsored by the ARES Section Staff and through the efforts of ARES DEC for Field Operations Ed Berg, N1VSJ and Northern Middlesex County ARES Emergency Coordinator Darrel Mallory, K1EJ. [Full story]

First, notes from tonight’s conference call WRT the Schlotzsky Regional Exercise

*7280 daytime secondary
*3965 CT working
*Balloon named Waldo. When sighted, use 28380 2100-2300 local low power and report contact as emergency traffic. People join from ENY, MA to pass the word
*3943/3937 for eastern and western MA per K1VSJ
*3915 RC
*3918 ENY. ENY wants to work other section freqs
*3948 where to meet interstate/interagency
*3968 ENY is now trying
*Internet stay up in real time for email. May be “taken down” for exercise
purposes
*Rob says test internet then transfer to HF
*Ron ? Echolink in CT
*Wilberham and Vernon CT on IRLP
*Rob recommending IRLP and Echolink
*Rob briefing on wx disclosures
*Regional comms IRLP
*Regional comms HF
*Bulletins on HF and Packet
*Rob says BBS is good at NWS. CT people need to set one up?

General Info:

*The exercise scenario is regionwide impairment caused by release of massive cloud from Schlotzsky brewery in eastern PA. Theme of exercise is regionwide coordination of ARES response.
*The exercise starts at 1700 Friday 17 Oct, and ends approximately 1300 Saturday 18 Oct.
*Exercise docs in Schlotzsky Yahoo! site.
*Many of the emails there as well.
*We play mostly reactively. We can do some local improvisation if we want to.
*Use 53.31 to coordinate, and IRLP freqs Rob will announce. Negotiate use of any other appropriate repeater freqs.
*No RACES leadership stations will be up in EMa for this exercise.

Born June 28, 1926 in Jamaica Plain. Graduated from St. Ann’s School Neponset June 1939. Graduated from Mechanic Arts High School (now Boston Tech) June 1943. Served US Army Air Corps as a bandsman and also a broadcaster on the base Armed Forces Radio Station at Fort Pepperell Newfoundland, August 1945 to December 1946. Played the trombone in the Army and also locally with American Legion Bands, but I was a lousy trombone player.

Have been NCS on EM2MN on Friday nights for 25 years.

Priscilla Richardson, N1VQY writes:

“Sunday, October 19th, Mystic Valley ARG will be providing emergency communications for the Boston Fire Department Local 718 Memorial Road Race. All members participating please be at Florian Hall, Hallett St. in Dorchester, MA at 9 a.m. for post assignments. The race starts at 10 a.m. and we should be all through by noon as usual.”

On October 19, the Massasoit ARA will assist with communications for the East Bridgewater YMCA Fall Frolic Road Race 2003. The race will be getting underway at noon. “Helpers should be at the Y by about 11:15–11:30 a.m. to get their T-shirts and get deployed to their respective areas. We can use all the help we can get so come and have some fun with our radios. The food is always good after the race.” —Thanks, MARANews, October, 2003

A ham group that advocates for missing children has been invited to demonstrate Amateur Radio at a fund-raiser in Brockton on November 14. The Radio Operators for Missing Children, KB1HGK, “promotes getting ham operators involved in Amber Alerts and to be available to provide emergency communications in the event that they are requested by law enforcement or legitimate missing person’s organizations,” according to the group’s founder, Sheree Greenwood, K1SQ, of Warren, MA. “This fund-raiser is for missing child Jennifer Fay who will have been missing for 15 years on this date. Money is being raised to help follow up on recent tips to try and locate Jennifer.”

The event will run from 7:30 pm until midnight and will feature snacks, a DJ, and raffles. The Amateur Radio station is planned for the first part of the evening. “If people would like to attend as guests the cost is $25 for tickets.”

For additional information about Radio Operators for Missing Children, contact kb1hgk@lyceumpress.com or visit http://www.lyceumpress.com/ham_radio.htm.

—Massassoit ARA MARANews, October, 2003

Seventeen-year-old Jessica Kirkwood, KB1JUW, of Westport was featured in an ARRLWeb story, Youth and Emergency Communication. The article describes Kirkwood’s participation in a recent emergency communications course offered by the EMA ARRL ARES leadership through the South Eastern MA ARA (SEMARA) in South Dartmouth. Kirkwood is an active SEMARA member. She says she’s “ready to help her community” should an emergency arise. [Full story]

The Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC will hold a Ham Radio Expo in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America’s annual JOTA event. The expo will be held this Saturday, October 18th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Hospital’s Rice Webb Auditorium in Attleboro, MA. There will be several stations setup and operating, allowing local Scouts to “Get on the Air for JOTA”!The club is doing this as part of their 25th Anniversary Celebration and to attract more interest in our Service/Hobby. “We’d like to take the opportunity to present our capabilities to the general public” states John Benson – N1FLO, the Club’s President “and also, to local Emergency Management Officials and Hospital Personnel.” Stop by and check it out… for more info, email n1iv@arrl.net

The weather was beautiful and Amateur Radio was very much in evidence at this weekend’s USS Constitution bi-annual “Turnaround” event at the Old Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown, October 11. The Amateur Radio activities, spearheaded by Bob Callahan, W1QWT, featured two special event stations, Amateur Radio stations aboard the three ships, as well as an operator situated at Castle Island. The USS Salem museum ship in Quincy was also active during the event.

On the Old Boston Navy Yard pier, station N1B was set up in the visitor’s kiosk in front of the USS Cassin Young. HF and VHF stations were operated on 17, 20 and 2 meters. N1B also acted as a net control station on .52 simplex, fielding “sitrep” (situation reports) from N1S, WW2DD and KS4E aboard the USS Constitution, USS Cassin Young, and USS Chaffee, respectively. Ironically, the Chaffee is the newest addition to the Navy’s fleet; the USS Constitution is, of course, the Navy’s oldest commissioned warship.

The Constitution Turnaround garnered good advance publicity in Amateur circles thanks to an article that appeared earlier on the ARRL Hq. web site. Some valuable publicity was obtained during the voyage when the Commander of the USS Constitution announced to everyone on board that Amateur Radio stations were operating from each of the ships and from the Navy Yard, making contact with other amateurs around the world. The former Commander of the USS Constitution visited N1B, chatting at length with amateurs about his days as a radioman.

Bob Callahan, W1QWT reports that the Constitution special events station N1S garnered over 300 contacts in 20 countries. Callahan was joined aboard the USS Constitution by K1RV and NS1N; K1RMC, KC1HO, W1USN and AA1M operated aboard the USS Cassin Young. At the Navy Yard, W1YR, N1BSO, KB1GIS and K9HI operated N1B. They also staffed a public display table with ham radio promotional materials.

Callahan intends to produce a DVD CDROM with images and video from the Turnaround event.

Don, N1PMB writes:

“The Slow-scan TV net will start again on October 19 at 7 p.m. on the [Bristol Co. Repeater Assoc.] 145.150 repeater, PL tone 123.0 Hz. The net will [operate] every Sunday. Net control will be myself, Don, N1PMB or Wally, N1SXK. So come send some of your summer-time photos.”

A Boston-area amateur is involved with a grass-roots effort to promote ham radio and electronics among Dorchester youths.

“Area residents, teachers from the Boston public school system, staff from the Boston Police Department and other hams would like to start a radio and electronics group at the Area B-3 police station,” explained David Morris, KB1EGW. Morris says he’s presented a proposal for the program to the station captain, Pervis Ryans. “I’ve gained both the captain’s and the superintendent’s support.”

“We will explore many areas of electronics and public safety applications,” Morris said. “Our intent is to start small. We are looking for a few individuals — primarily youths, ages 13 and up — who would commit to attending the program on a weekly basis, with their parent’s consent. The group will meet on Saturday afternoons. The radio course will be based on the [ARRL’s] Big Project.”

The group plans to hold a steering meeting on Tuesday, October 14, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Services Room at the Dorchester Area B-3 Police Station. Morris has requested representation from the Boston Amateur Radio Club to “provide insight and guidance” to their effort. BARC’s Vice President, Blake T. Haskell, K1BTH, has indicated that he will attend.

Dave Dean, K1JGV writes:

“I will be resuming the code practice sessions on Sunday mornings December through March this winter. The hours will generally be 9 a.m.-11 a.m. but may vary now and then. This is an informal, low-pressure class using a simple ‘straight key’ and also designed to encourage new operators who are interested in CW to achieve a level of 5 -10 WPM (or even 15 WPM!). There will be a reminder in [the SEMARA newsletter] Zero Beat next month.”

The Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Staff met this past Thursday evening in Burlington for a semi-annual cabinet meeting. L-R: K1TWF (Vice Director, New England Division), K1LJN, WA1IDA, N1IV, N1LKJ, N1DHW, K3HI, WA1ECF (not visible), N1IST, and EMA Section Manager K9HI. Also not shown is RI Section Manager W1YRC. —W1YRC photo

Thanks to Bill McIninch – KA1MOM for a great PR story in the “Allston-Brighton Tab”. The “Tab” picked up on a recent Press Release by Bill and decided it was worth some space in their publication. You can read the “Head of the Charles Regatta” story at the following link: http://www.townonline.com/allston/news/local_regional/busabtechms10102003.htm
Bill is the ARRL Eastern Mass Section PIO for Metro Boston. This is the kind of PR we need for Ham Radio… thanks Bill! Also, thanks to the Amateur Radio Volunteers that help to make the Race a success and worthy of a story. …N1IV