Month: May 2005

The Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Sophia Exercise is Monday June 6th from 7-9 PM. Briefings were held at the MEMA Framingham State EOC and the MEMA Region II Headquarters in Bridgewater on May 14th and 16th respectively. ARES members and SKYWARN Spotters are urged to participate in this drill. The National Hurricane Center station, WX4NHC, will participate via VoIP (meaning Voice Over Internet through Echolink/IRLP). A document describing operations has been sent out to the various email lists and has been posted to this web site. The link on the web site is under the training section of the main menu. The document describes ARES, SKYWARN interaction in this drill and how the sealed envelope RACES scenario will get distributed over the air to inform participants on how the exercise scenario is unfolding.

Please contact myself or your ARES EC/DEC with any questions on this exercise and we look forward to working with everyone on this very important drill for our section.

1

The Genesis Amateur Radio Society conducted a Technician class at an area high school on May 14 & 21 that included a demonstration of ham radio and a volunteer exam session, according to Bob Allan, WF1M, Genesis ARS’ Public Information Officer.

“I was approached by David Crooker, KB1KSE, one of the instructors at the Upper Cape Cod Technical High School in Bourne,” said John Williams, KB1EVY. “He asked if I would like to do a class at the school and then follow with testing. I got in touch with the Genesis membership and received the go-ahead to get dates for the class.”

The club arranged with the school to reserve space for two class sessions on two consecutive Saturdays in May. “I felt this was a good arrangement, giving the students time to study and practice testing between and during the two sessions,” Williams added.

In all, eight Genesis ARS members turned out to teach the course. Additionally, two members turned out for the demonstrations; four VEs were present for the testing.

Despite a lower-than-expected passing rate, Williams was delighted by the turnout and the effort put forth by his fellow club members. “I am very proud of all that came and gave on their days off.”

Bill O’Hara, N1EY writes:

We need help for next weekend, June 4th. I need help for all of the weekends in May.

I am also in need of someone near the ship that can volunteer to help with the CERT team aboard the ship. They need a volunteer for the statewide drill on June 6th. Please contact, ASAP.

Gordy Bello, K1GB writes on FraminghamARA-L:

“Here are the particulars on the trip to the New England Wireless and Steam Museum next Saturday. We will be leaving from the shack at around noon time. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get there.

I will be giving out directions from Mapquest. After our visit, we will be eating at a Gregg’s restaurant nearby. They offer a wide variety of items and the food quality is excellent (I’ve eaten at one before). Check out their menu at www.greggsusa.com.

There is still time to sign up! You can also let me know at the [Framingham ARA] general meeting this coming Thursday.

<…>

[See also: “Wireless & Steam Museum Joint Club Visit Planned”]

Edward G. Schwarm

Edward G. Schwarm, 82, died Friday, May 20, 2005. He was the husband of Erla Z. Schwarm, deceased, for over 62 years. Mr. Schwarm was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, Madison but his education was interrupted by World War II when he was called up from the Army Air Corp Enlisted Reserve Corp. He and Erla married during his training (Hartford, Connecticut).

He served as a second lieutenant and was the engineering officer for the 506 Squadron of the 44th Bomb Group, 2nd Air Division of the Eighth Army Air Corp in England troubleshooting for and supervising the 120-member crew maintaining and repairing B-24 bombers. He frequently filled in as co-pilot, looking for every opportunity to fly. After the war, he returned to the university to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.

In his career as an electronics engineer, he held 11 international patents in aviation and electronic power systems. He developed bomb site navigation systems for A.C. Spark Plug (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). At Link Aviation (Binghamton, New York) he was project manager and chief designer of the DC-8 flight simulator, one of the largest analog computers ever built and the supercomputer of its day. At the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory (Cambridge, Massachusetts) now called Draper Labs, he was the special projects manager for designing the inertial guidance system for the command module and the lunar landing module for the Apollo Space Program. He asked the question, “How would you get the astronauts back from space if the main rocket system failed?” He then completed the studies and design work needed to equip the lunar landing module with essential systems that later made the return of the Apollo 13 astronauts possible.

Working for Arthur D. Little (Cambridge, Massachusetts) as an electronics consultant, he invented the static bypass design used in uninterruptible power system, the back-up power systems used by large computer data centers for no-fail businesses such as financial institutions, airlines, and telephone companies. He was also an expert in train electrification and conducted some of the first studies paving the way for high-speed trains from Boston to New York. In later years, he ran his own successful electronics consulting business, Edward G. Schwarm Associates, completing his final contract in 2004.

An avid sailor, he built his first sailboat with his grandfather at age 10, he delivered sailboats from Maine to the Caribbean using celestial navigation with pinpoint accuracy, and continued single-handing his Bristol 32, Chimo, until his death.

As a private pilot with a commercial license, he flew military jets, B-24s, gliders, and single prop planes and was particularly fond of aerobatics. He also enjoyed skiing with friends starting in college and ending with his last run at age 80. Alta and Zurmat were his favorites. He was an extra class ham radio operator, call letters NX1V, who enjoyed teaching others.
A world traveler, he circumnavigated the world three times, traveling to all seven continents. His love of the ocean and voyaging with his wife led him to retrace the route of the HMS Bounty in the South Pacific, traverse the Bering Straights from Alaska to Russia, explore Antarctica and travel the length of the Amazon River (where he enjoyed an evening swim).

As a 23-year resident of Acton, Massachusetts, he was active in the town government. He was also very committed to the First Congregational Church of Acton, serving as deacon and trustee among other roles. These were activities he continued while living in Marstons Mills, Massachusetts for the past 20 years. During a drought several years ago, he secured funding to upgrade a town herring run that conserves water in the lakes and helps preserve the fish. He worked with town members to buy the local airport in lieu of opening the land to developers.

He faithfully cared for his wife, Erla, who struggled with Alzheimer’s, until her health failed. Surviving are two sons, Stephen C. Schwarm of Wrentham, Massachusetts and Thomas E. Schwarm of Freeport, Maine; a daughter, Claudia Gere of Shutesbury, Massachusetts; five grandsons, a great-granddaughter, two nieces and three nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, June 1 at Federated Church of Hyannis, 320 Main Street, Hyannis. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Edward and Erla Schwarm Family Fund at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Mail Stop #39, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1050. This endowment fund starts a new program that provides graduate students in their first year of studying oceanography the opportunity to work at sea aboard the research vessel Tioga.

WCVB Channel 5 is donating a retired electronic news gathering (ENG) vehicle to a good home. According to Rich Zach, K1RJZ, WCVB-TV Chief Engineer, the vehicle, named “Hippo-1” is to be donated to a worthy non-profit organization. It was built by Wolf Coach of Auburn, MA. Hippo-1 has been replaced by a newer ENG vehicle, dubbed “Hippo-2”.

“The body and electrical distribution systems are in fine shape. (The vehicle) needs a replacement GM 454 cubic inch gas engine. One generator and air conditioning system is included.” Zach adds that the “transmission was fine when removed from service.”

Interested parties may view photos of the vehicle by visiting http://216.235.250.154/hippo/.

Additional technical information may be obtained by contacting Rich Zach at 781-433-4774.

Newington, Conn., May 23, 2005–ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, announced today that “The ARRL is pleased to hear Motorola’s announcement of its Powerline LV system. This is the first Access Broadband over Power Line (BPL) system that has been designed from the start with radio interference concerns in mind.”

Motorola’s Powerline LV system avoids using the medium-voltage (MV) power lines and introduces broadband signals only on the low-voltage (LV) side of the power transformer. This greatly reduces the potential for interference to and from radio users, especially radio amateurs. ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner commented, “We know that medium-voltage (MV) power lines are no place for broadband energy, since there is overwhelming technical evidence that radio interference from BPL is unavoidable if MV lines are used. By confining their Access BPL system to LV lines and by adding hardware notch filters for additional protection to amateur radio frequency allocations, Motorola has addressed our interference concerns.”

While sometimes pictured by BPL proponents as opposing all BPL implementation, the ARRL has always maintained that radio amateur “hams” are not interested in blocking new technology but are justifiably concerned about pollution of the radio spectrum. Significant interference has been documented at numerous sites where other BPL systems are being tested, and other BPL developers have been unwilling to share information about their systems. By contrast, Motorola invited ARRL’s suggestions and welcomed its input during product development.

Sumner concluded, “We look forward to seeing the first Powerline LV system in operation, and to continuing to work with Motorola to ensure that their new product is indeed the first BPL system that is a solution, not a problem.”

There are approximately 670,000 Amateur Radio operators in the United States. Many other countries are watching events unfold in the US as they plan their own BPL systems. There are approximately 2.5 million Amateur Radio operators around the world. If the new Motorola system lives up to its initial promise in actual deployment, this new “shortwave-friendly” system will have many advocates.

Information about Amateur Radio is available from the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 or by calling 1-800-32-NEW HAM. The URL for ARRL’s home page is www.arrl.org.

Information about Motorola’s “Powerline LV” system can be found at: http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detailpf/0,,5519_5509_23,00.html
.

NOAA’s “All Hazards” radio transmitters were off the air for about twenty hours this weekend.

According to a bulletin issued at 10 PM Saturday, May 21 from the National Weather Service office in Taunton: “The computer system that runs NOAA all hazards radio from the Taunton forecast office has failed.” The outage also affected the office’s automated phone recordings. The bulletin indicated that parts “have been ordered”; it predicted that the transmitters might not be operational until Sunday night or Monday. A subsequent bulletin issued at 6 PM on Sunday, May 22 announced that service had been restored.

The Taunton office operates seven different transmitters throughout New England disseminating weather and hazard information to the general public.

Members of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club along with members of the Billerica Amateur Radio Society, Montachusett Amateur Radio Association, Worcester Emergency Communications Team and the Crocker Public Service Grout provided vitial Communications for the 14th annual Groton Road Race on April 24th. This is also Groton’s 350th anniversry
The weather cleared just in time for the start of the 5K race which didn’t seem to dampen the spirts of the 1400+ runners in this years event. Officials involed in the race expressed deep appreciation for the vital communications provided by the hams. Congradulations and Thank You Stan KD1LE and Ralph KD1SM and all who participated from NVARC and the other organizations.

Terry Stader, KA8SCP, writes on PART-L:

There is a new CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) class starting June 2nd in Lowell. Additional information can be obtained on the http://www.merrimackvalleycert.org website. Use the Training Application Form (in PDF format) located on this site to apply.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

More information on CERT can be obtained from links on the above website or by navigating to the http://www.citizencorps.gov/programs/cert.shtm website directly.

Keith Lamonica, W7DXX, reports that the YI9DXX gateway in Baghdad, Iraq is hooked up and almost ready to go.

“We have a couple of port conflicts to work out but the Iraq remote base software is communicating with the main system.”

Lamonica says that as soon as port problem is solved he will allow access to a few control operators for testing.

(See also “YI9DXX Gateway Plans ‘Hit A Snag'” and “YI9 Internet Gateway Close to Reality”.)

New England Area   Ham - Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  *** 2005 P 1 of 2

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

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2005                                                    Contact          Source

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

6,7 May Hopkinton NH HossTraders @FG x7 I89           Joe K1RQG 207 469 3492  

9 May Whately MA FCARC @ElSc Monday $3@5PM $5/T      Walt W1ZPB 413 498 2729  
14 May Goshen CT  SoBARC @ FG Rte 63 $3@8 $10/T@6     Lee K1LEE 860 435 0051  
15 May Cambridge MA          FLEA at MIT                   Nick 617 253 3776

                Third Sunday April thru October                               
20-22 May Dayton OH                                                           
21 May E Greenbush NY EGARA @FireHS $5@8 $10/T@6    Betty N2POS 518 785 0727 F
28 May WashTownship NJ BARA @WestwoodHS $5@8 $15@6     Jim K2ZO 201 664 6725 F 
28 May Vernon CT NARC @TollandAgCtr I84x67 $4@9     Wayne N1GUS 860 487 1921 F

 3-5 June Rochester NY $9@6AM+$10/sp                 Harold K2HC 585 424 7184 W
3 June Feeding Hills MA HCRA @CongCh $5/T@6:30PM     Dave KB1MU 413 596 6605  
4 June Herman ME PSARC                             Roger KA!TKS 207 848 3846 A
5 June Queens NY HoSARC @9A                      Stephen WB2KDG 718 898 5599 W+
11 Jun Windsor CT VintgeR Museum new site@115 Pierson Ln   John 860 673 0518 W
11-12 June Newington CT NARL @HS  $20/T@5 $8@8:45     Dan K3UFG 860 206 3379 W
12 June Bethpage NY LIMARC                            Rick K2RB 516 526 6975 A
19 June Cambridge MA         FLEA at MIT                   Nick 617 253 3776  
9 July Union ME PBARC @ComCtr Rt17+131 $5@8 $3/T@7 Scott KB1ESW 207 354 6809   
16 July Nashua NH NE Antique RC $15/T@7 $2@9 @StStan's    Marty 603 938 5051 F
17 July Cambridge MA         FLEA at MIT                   Nick 617 253 3776  
13 Aug St Albans ME PARC @SnowmobileCLB rt152 $5@8                           F
21 August Cambridge MA       FLEA at MIT                   Nick 617 253 3776  
10 Sept BallstonSpa NY SCRACES fri6P $5+5/T+15cmp Darlene N2XQG 518 587 2385  
10 Sept Windsor CT VintgeR Museum @6AM  @115 Pierson Ln    John 860 673 0518 W
17 Sept Alexander ME SCVARC                         Skip KB1HCX 207 454 2156 A
17 Sept Forestdale RI RIFMRS @VFW rt146 8A flea+auct Rick K1KYI 401 725 7507

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LAST UPDATE 5-3-05 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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2006                                                    Contact          Source

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

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LAST UPDATE 5-3-05 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)2005 W1GSL   http://www.swapfwst.us        SASE for updated copy as issued.

unlimited reproduction permitted in entirety

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This list has been posted... as a service of the individual home page

owners,  to the following WWW sites.                                         
        http://flealist.senie.com/

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        http://www.connix.com/~wz1v/ne-fleas.html

        http://www.k1dwu.net/flealist.html

        http://www.mmra.org/~mmra/flealist.htm

        http://www.qsl.net/vhfnews/ne-fleas.html

        http://uhavax.hartford.edu/~newsvhf/ne-fleas.html                    
  List is normally updated twice a month - look for the latest version       
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                             73 Steve F

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

Links to New England Hamfest Web Sites                (c) 2005 W1GSL

***********************************************************************

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                       
Newington CT 	NARL 		http://www.narl.net/1.htm
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.mainearrl.org/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://hosarc.org/hamfest.html               +
Rensselaer NY   E Greenbush ARA http://www.com-tech.org/EGARA.html            
Rochester NY 	AWA		http://www.antiquewireless.org/
Rochester NY    RARA            http://www.rochesterhamfest.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 

		

A Fall River amateur is seeking other hams with mutual interests in QRP, QRPp, home brewing/kit building, and portable- and mobile operation.

“With the better QRP rigs and kits out there, there seems to be a lot more hams getting into this area,” writes Ed Duclos, WA1ZCB. Duclos has built a Norcal keyer, Norcal BLT tuner, DSW II-40, Rock Mite (20, 40 and 80 meters) and a Elecraft KX1. “If you have not tried QRPing and kit building, you are missing out on a lot of fun. Better look into it,” adds Duclos.

WA1ZCB would like to organize interested hams, and possibly meet 1-2 times per month at the Southeastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association club house in Dartmouth. “Or, if it’s a nice warm day [we could] set up portable some place.”

[photo: WA1ZCB/portable, courtesy QRZ.com]

W1AA will be operational from the Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, Massachusetts on May 14, 2005 from 1100 to 1800 UTC, according to Bob “Whitey” Doherty, K1VV. He and N1DT will operate on SSB on 7270.0 and 14270.0 kHz plus/minus QRM and any nets. CW operation will occur on the half hour on 14035.0 and 7035.0 kHz, plus/minus.

DX stations may QSL to W1AA via the bureau; stateside should QSL via W1AA to the callbook address with a regular size self-addressed, stamped envelope. QSLs will be returned within two days.

For additional information on lighthouse DXpeditions/activations, visit the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society at http://www.arlhs.com.

The e-mail lists are buzzing with news about a message sending/receiving contest between a cell phone text messaging team and a Morse code team to be performed on the Tonight Show May 13 on NBC.

The Morse code team will consist of well-known contesters/DXers Chip Margelli, K7JA, and Ken Miller, K6CTW. The “props manager” for the show is KF6OCP.

[In a recent competition staged by an Australian museum, Gordon Hill, a 93-year-old Morse code specialist and a telegraph operator since 1927, was pitted against 13-year-old Brittany Devlin in a battle of the messengers. Hill was armed with nearly a lifetime of experience using Morse code; Devlin, with two years of text messaging experience and a slew of slang popular with chronic texters. A sentence was chosen at random from a teen magazine, and both contestants had to transmit the message as quickly as possible. Hill reportedly won the contest.]