Month: July 2004

QST–Massachusetts amateurs

On Friday July 23, the Massachusetts Senate deleted a cellphone provision from a major transportation bill. This is the bill (number H-4771) that you may have heard about late last month. The provision would have made it illegal to drive while using a hand-held cellphone.

The bill on which the H-4771 cellphone provision was based, H-3919, remains in the House Ways and Means committee. H-3919 has been stuck there for over a year. If it is not approved by the end of the year, it will expire.

While neither of these bills represents a direct threat to amateur interests, it is important that we be prepared to make ourselves heard should circumstances warrant.

If you have any questions about this or any other legislation, please contact K3HI.

Shawn O’Donnell, K3HI
EMA ARRL State Government Liaison
k3hi@arrl.net
508 877 7635

Terry Stader, KA8SCP writes on PART-list:

“I just added a link to the http://scan.wb1gof.org site on what you might want to listen to during the next week while people are in town for the DNC. Scroll down to the “Federal stuff” area at the bottom of the page.

For some of the most current information on new frequency captures, try the Scan-Mass-East Yahoo Groups http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Scan-Mass-East/.

Want to listed to your favorite “media” station, try the ScanBoston site: http://www.scanboston.com/media.htm or the Media Monitoring Guide at http://www.wiscomm.com/media/bosmedia.htm.

K1NR writes:

“I will be operating from the deck of the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) this Saturday July 17 in conjunction with the ‘Museum Ships on the Air’ weekend. Please look for us on 20m and 40m SSB. Here is some more info below. I will be operating while underway in Boston Harbor. This may be a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to work the Constitution maritime mobile.
Museum Ships on the Air Weekend

Museum ships and submarines weekends offers operators a chance to work some rare and unusual stations and collect unique QSL cards and certificates. More than 80 museum ships and subs worldwide are expected to take part in the event, which is sponsored by the USS Salem Radio Club. Club members will operate K1USN aboard the USS Salem (CA-139), the world’s only preserved heavy cruiser, and WW2MAN from the Seehund U boat (U-5075) from their moorings at the US Naval Shipbuilding Museum in Quincy, Massachusetts.

There’s more information, including a listing of vessels planning to participate, on the K1USN web site http://www.qsl.net/k1usn/event.html.

Stations working 10 participating vessels are eligible for a certificate by sending a copy of log pages showing these contacts and a self-addressed, stamped envelope large enough to hold an 8-1/2 x 11-inch certificate (or send $2) to Bob Callahan, W1QWT, 56 Acorn St, Scituate, MA 02066.

The EMA ARES leadership, in cooperation with the Southeastern Massachusetts ARA will present an Advanced Emergency Communications Workshop on Saturday, August 28, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the SEMARA club house on 54 Donald Street in South Dartmouth. [Full story].

A Red Cross “Special” Communications Test for the DNC will take place on Monday July 19th, 2004 at 7 PM. We would like a huge amount of participation across the typical HF frequencies (7245/3943), 47.42 and we will also be testing 2 Meter/440 MHz frequencies that would potentially be utilized during the DNC. I will be sending out the frequency plan and the Red Cross Communications Meeting Minutes from our past meeting Saturday later this week.

International Museum Ships weekend is this weekend (7/16-18)! We expect to be operating K1USN continuously from Friday evening through Sunday evening.

We are also expecting approximately 20 scouts (ages 10-12) from 3pm to 6pm on Saturday.

If you have not visited the Salem before, this is a terrific opportunity. If you can be there between 2:30pm and 6pm, you can help with the scouts. Come early or stay after and get in some operating. We’re planning to have 3 HF and 1 VHF stations operating! Band conditions permitting, we expect pileups!

Please email me at W1AI@hamtestonline.com if you will definitely be there on Saturday from 2:30pm to 6pm and are willing to help with the scouts!

Thanks,

JC Cunningham, W1AI

USS Salem K1USN Radio Club Scouting Program Volunteer Coordinator
www.hamtestonline.com

Attached are meeting notes from the New England Division cabinet meeting July 10, 2004. Thanks, K1TWF.ARRL New England Division
Cabinet Meeting
10 July 2004

I. Introduction
A. Round table introductions
B. HQ update – Tom
C. Amateur radio is not growing
1. 682,000 overall now, down 5,000
2. About 20,000 new hams per year – not enough
3. entry level license proposal is on the table
D. discussion of the ARRL board process
II. Open discussions
A. Some kudos
1. Thanks to the ARRL for QST articles on CW related things
2. Kudos to EM for the good Field Day site map
3. Big kudos to Bart and the ARRL VEC – turnaround is down to a week
4. standardization of license class testing would help – we could use more help from the League here
B. Working with new hams
1. discussion of encouraging new hams – Elmering/mentoring is key
2. note lots of GOTA stations this year in Field Day
3. training classes do well, but are a lot of work. How can the League help these? Materials, such as PowerPoint presentations, would be very useful
4. need a kids oriented entry level manual
5. Big Project addressing this to some degree – about 90 schools so far
6. Note that Maine (N1RY) has created a TV-based ham radio tutorial
C. What makes clubs successful
1. regular newsletter
2. classes
3. making money is tough – hams are cheap
4. costs to run repeaters (insurance, power) are very substantial
5. it’s important to run clubs as a business
6. there is some need for a for sharing ideas among clubs (ie., CEMARC)
7. it seems that in most clubs a few people do all the work. One club requires renewing members to sign up for at least one committee. Question, is this counterproductive by discouraging membership for some?
8. encourage on the air meetings, particularly for committees (ie., Field Day planning)
9. encourage bequests of equipment
10. some homeland security money is available, especially through states. Clubs should consider banding together to get access to this.
11. for grant related questions, start with Steve Ewald and Mary Hobart
12. note that Verizon gives grants for community related projects
III. Boxboro
A. note NE Spectrum management meeting
B. note NE volunteer meeting Saturday
IV. Scholarships, etc.
A. Tom announced some of the new scholarships from the Foundation
B. Jim/W1LLU announced the new YCCC scholarship program
C. YCCC DXpedition program – stipends to encourage youth to get into contesting by covering some of the expenses involved in sending them on DXpeditions – deadline for application is July 31
V. League Finances – suggestion – that QST have an article on how the League budgets and spends
VI. BPL
A. FCC NPRM comment period has run
B. Technical information provided to the FCC seems to be ignored
C. FCC has done some testing, but won’t make the results public
D. Clearly a disconnect between the technical realities and the political realities
E. League is working it’s way through the political channels
F. Where tests have been done, it is clear that the interference is real, not theoretical
G. Over 50 interference complaints pending with the FCC
H. The League should strengthen alliances with other affected radio services
VII. Book Auction – collected $210, even sold the box!
VIII. Big-E
A. runs until October 3 this year
B. N1JWF looking for volunteers
IX. Winlink
A. League board committee is working on close ties between NTS and emergency services (ARES)
B. Winlink (a digital store and forward using the Internet as a backbone) is being considered in this space. There are some issues in the details.
X. Bills in Congress
A. Spectrum protection – HR 713/SR 537 about 40 sponsors
B. ECOM Consistency Act – HR 1478
C. As always, write letters

Mike Neilsen, W1MPN, ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator writes on http://ares.ema.arrl.org:

“Requirements for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) continue to be developed by our clients. In particular, the American Red Cross has solidified their plans and what they are requesting from their volunteers. Amateur duties that the Red Cross is requesting include responding to the Red Cross chapters in Boston and Waltham during normal and potential incident operations.

Other duties expected from our cadre will range from maintaining net watches at home stations to passing status traffic messages directing mobilization. Teams supporting other served agencies such as the Salvation Army will be mobilized as required. [Full story]

Roland Daignault, Jr., N1JOY writes:

“Geek Fest is just around the corner!! July 31st is just 4 weeks away! If you are interested in attending, please contact W2DAN, or myself (N1JOY) for dinner and raffle tickets.

If you are a BCRA member and would like to help promote the event, please see W2DAN for dinner & raffle tickets to sell. Every ticket sold will help offset the cost of the great raffle prizes we have this year, and hopefully put a few dollars into the club treasury to help support our two repeaters.

Remember, dinner tickets are only available for approximately 3 more weeks as the food needs to be ordered ahead of time. Raffle tickets will be sold either until they are gone, or right up to the drawing at Geek Fest.

As in past years, your dinner choices will be a New England Clam Boil ($15 per plate), or Chicken BBQ ($10 per plate). For more details go to: http://www.qsl.net/bcra/geekfest2004.html.

Don’t forget we are also having a flea market in the parking lot, and vendor tables are FREE!!! C’mon down and set up a table and maybe make a few bucks, and please tell all of your friends! For more info on the
flea market, please contact Skip (KB1CNB) at: skip@newtestamentschool.org.

Please join us for a great time, plenty of food, and see all of your old acquaintances again!

SEE YA!!

Roland – N1JOY

The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association successfully secured a new lease for its club house located at 6 Stanwood Street in Gloucester. (See “Cape Ann ARA Seeks New Lease on Club house“.) According to club president Charlie Anderson, WI1U, “We’re happy to report CAARA has a new lease for the building from the City… Our response to the Request for Proposal was accepted by the City with a request for an additional Insurance document, which was completed a few days ago. I am now just waiting for a final copy of the document.”

Anderson adds that the lease terms are identical to CAARA’s previous lease. The City charges CAARA an nominal fee of $1.00 per year.

—The Repeater On-line CAARA newsletter

New England Area   Ham - Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  *** 2004 P 1 of 2

All events are Ham Radio/ Electronic related except ~_____~

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2004                                                    Contact          Source

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 July Union ME PBARC                             Scott KB1DSW 207 354 6809 A

10 July Charlottetown PEI SARC @FlyClb $3@10 $5/T@8  Bill VY2FF 902 859 1485 R+
17 July Nashua NH NE Antique RC $15/T@7 $2@9 @StStan's    Marty 603 938 5051 F
18 July Cambridge MA         FLEA at MIT                   Nick 617 253 3776 F

                Third Sunday April thru October                               
31 July Swansea MA BCRA @Am Legion $2@8 Sell Free  Roland N1JOY 508 678 6331  
14 Aug St Albans ME PARC                          George WA1JMM 207 965 8864 A+
14-15 Aug Boxboro MA NE Conv                         Mike K1TWF 978 250 1235 
15 August Cambridge MA       FLEA at MIT                   Nick 617 253 3776 F
22 Aug Adams MA NBARC @Bowe Field $3@8 $5/T@6        Alan K1SAV 513 743 1619 F
11 Sept BallstonSpa NY SCRACES fri6P $5+5/T+15cmp Darlene N2XQG 518 587 2385  
11 Sept Windsor CT VintgeR Museum @33MechanicsSt $10/S@6AM John 860 673 0518  
12 Sept Newtown CT CARA @TownHall $5@8:30 $12.5/T    Bill N1PJG 203 798 2831 F
12 Sept Bethpage NY LIMARC                           Diane K2DO 631 286 7562 A
12 Sept S Dartmouth MA SMARA $2@7 Sell@6A              Tim N1TI 508 758 3680 F
18 Sept Forestdale RI RIFMRS @VFW rt146 8A flea+auct Rick K1KYI 401 725 7507  
18 Sept Alexander ME SCVARC                         Skip KB1HXC 207 454 2156 A+
18 Sept Shediac NB MAARC @HS                        Mike VE9MCA 506 383 9632 R+
19 Sept Cambridge MA         FLEA at MIT                   Nick 617 253 3776 F
25 Sept Drummondville PQ CRADI @Col St-Bernard          Jacques 819 478 2847 R+
1.2 Oct Hopkinton NH HossTraders @FG x7 I89           Joe K1RQG 207 469 3492  
8,9 Oct Lake Placid NY NNYARA $5@2PM inc 1sp         Tom WB2KLD 518 827 4800 W
9 Oct Nashua NH NE Antique RC $15/T@7 $2@9 @StStan's      Marty 603 938 5051 F
9 Oct Orange MA MARC                                  John AE1B 978 355 0019 A
10 Oct Wallingford CT Nutmeg Conv  Sell@6 Buy@9    Andrew N1XXU 203 235 8440 W
10 Oct Queens NY HoSARC $5@9A $10/S@7:30         Stephen WB2KDG 718 898 5599 W
16 Oct Greenwood NS GARC @CommCtr $3@10 Sell@8        Guy VE1NC 902 825 6151 R+

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LAST UPDATE 6-26-04 de W1GSL  http://www.swapfest.us                 P 1 of 2

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Additions/ Corrections via e-Mail   w1gsl@mit.edu   ***

Page 3 Electronic distribution only.  This page has the overflow if any    P3

from the paper version.

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2005                                                    Contact          Source

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LAST UPDATE 6-26-04 de W1GSL                                             P 3

   List is normally updated twice a month - look for the latest version

Additions/ Corrections via Internet  w1gsl@mit.edu

                           US Mail  W1GSL POB 397082 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139

(c)2004 W1GSL   http://www.swapfwst.us        SASE for updated copy as issued.

unlimited reproduction permitted in entirety

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New England Area  Ham - Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  ***     P4

Links to New England Hamfest Web Sites                (c) 2004 W1GSL

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This section is only included in the electronic distribution.
Cambridge MA    Flea at MIT     http://www.swapfest.us                        
Hopkinton NH    Hosstraders     http://www.qsl.net/k1rqg/
Amherst MA      Mt. Tom ARC     http://www.mtara.org/hamfest/flea.html
Adams MA	N BerkshireARC	http://www.nobarc.org/hamfest                 
Boxborough MA   NE ARRL Conv    http://www.boxboro.org/
Framingham MA	FARA		http://www.fara.org/                          
Newton MA       Waltham ARA Auction    http://www.wara64.org/auction/
S Dartmouth MA  SEMARA          http://www.semara.org/flea/fleamkt.htm       
Whately MA	FranklinCARC 	http://www.fcarc.org/flea.html                
Enfield CT      VHF/UHF Conf    http://www.newsvhf.com                       
Southington CT  SARA            http://www.chetbacon.com/sara.htm
Wallingford CT  Nutmeg CT Conv  http://www.nutmeghamfest.com                 
Windsor CT      Vintage R Mus   http://www.NationalCommunicationsMuseum.org/  
Lewiston ME     AARC		http://www.dlois.com/mainearrl/convent.htm
Portland ME     PAWA            http://www.qsl.net/pawa/fleamarket.html       
Henniker NH     CVRC            http://www.qsl.net/k1bke/                     
Bergen NJ	BARA		http://www.bara.org/
Lake Placid NY  NNY ARA	 http://www.northnet.org/nnyham/hamfest_flyer2004.htm 
Lindenhurst NY  ToB ARES 	http://www.tobares.org/hamfest.html           
Long Island NY  LIMARC          http://www.limarc.org/fest.htm                
Massapequa NY   GSB ARA	        http://www.gsbarc.org/          
Queens NY       Hall of Science http://www.qsl.net/hosarc/hamfest.html
Rensselaer NY   E Greenbush ARA http://www.com-tech.org/EGARA.html            
Rochester NY 	AWA		http://www.antiquewireless.org/
Greenwich RI    Fidelity ARC    http://users.ids.net/~newsm/dates.html
Essex Junction VT   Burlington ARC  http://www.vtstetson.net/fest02.pdf
Milton VT       RANV VT Conv    http://www.ranv.org/milton.html
Montreal PQ     MARC            http://www.marc.qc.ca/fest/fest.html        
Montreal PQ	WIARC		http://www.pubnix.net/wiarc/hamfest.htm       
Montreal PQ     MS-SARC         http://www.ve2clm.ca/hamfesta.htm
Sorel-Tracy PQ  CRAS-T		http://www.hamfest.qc.ca/                     
St Therese PQ	CRALL		http://www.ve2crl.qc.ca/hamfest2002.htm       
Halafax NS 	HARC            http://www.halifax-arc.org/
Canada          RAC List   http://rac.eton.ca/data/racfleas.taf?function=form
Phila. Area	VARA List	http://www.qsl.net/w2vtm/hamfest.html         
USA             ARRL List       http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html