Month: July 2010

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ICS-100 Training at the ARRL New England Division Convention and Hamfest in Boxboro Massachusetts

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Hello to all..

Please see the note from Massachusetts State RACES Radio Officer, Tom Kinahan-N1CPE, on ICS-100 Training being offered at the ARRL New England Division Convention and Hamfest in Boxboro, Massachusetts.

Hi Everyone!

 We’ve asked MEMA to hold a special ICS-100 training class for any and all ham radio operators
during the Boxboro ARRL New England Ham radio convention.

 On Friday August 27 from 9am to 4pm, we will be offering an in person ICS-100 training class. If
you are involved or want to be involved in emergency communications or emergency management with any
government or non-government agency, they will require you to have taken this class, and some
others. The training class is Free, and you will need to bring your lunch, or buy it there. On
Saturday and Sunday August 28 and 29 there will be many other seminars and events including a flea
market.

 In order to attend this ICS-100 class, you will need to pre-register. Convention tickets will not
 required for this class. (but will be available)

 Go to http://www.boxboro.org for details.

 Download the registration form at: http://www.boxboro.org/Boxborough_ICS100_App.pdf

 and either fax it, or email it to James.Mcloughlin at state.ma.us

 -Tom Kinahan

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Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Drill – Hurricane Hudson Participants Document

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Hello to all…

The Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Drill – Hurricane Hudson is set for Monday August 2nd, 2010 from 7-9 PM. The participants document has been created. This participants document is revision 1. The document may be revised once more between now and drill time but represents all of the pertinent information for the exercise as of Sunday July 25th. A link to the document is provided below:

http://ares.ema.arrl.org/local/2010_Hurricane_Hudson_Mass_Drill_Participants_Doc_Rev_1.pdf

The biggest highlight to mention to all participants is that there will be failover from repeaters, Echolink/IRLP etc. to 2-Meter simplex, HF and RF only modes including Winlink RF only modes at a certain juncture within the exercise. This will be an opportunity to practice failover which has not been practiced in a number of exercises and will be a worthwhile item to practice as part of this exercise.

We encourage strong participation across RACES, ARES, SKYWARN and MARS members. Water temperatures off our coastline are warmer than normal. While this won’t necessarily dictate the track of hurricanes towards the region, it is an indicator that if we do get a hurricane coming up the coast posing a potential threat to New England, the water temperatures will be warmer alllowing the hurricane to sustain its strength longer than normal. This exercise will serve as good practice to a real hurricane situation. Thanks to all for their continued support of RACES, ARES, SKYWARN and MARS in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator   
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

All / Emergency Communications

Reminder: Monthly Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net for July 2010

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Hello to all…

A reminder that the monthly ARES Net for July is rapidly approaching. The monthly ARES Net for July is Monday July 12th, 2010, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. This is after the RACES Nets earlier in the evening. For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site and the repeaters that will be linked in will be through Hub 1:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/map.html

In addition, if the Echo-IRLP node on the MMRA hub is available, we will likely link that to the New England Reflector system on IRLP 9123/Echolink Conference *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123.

Due to the holiday, the ARES/RACES Nets were pushed up to the second Monday of the month so for this month, make the second Monday of the month, “Emergency Communications Night” and check into your local RACES Net and then check into the ARES Net on the MMRA Repeater System. We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net.

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator   
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

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Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Drill Set for Monday Evening August 2nd, 2010 7-9 PM

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Hello to all..

The Massachusetts Statewide Hurricane Drill is set for Monday Evening August 2nd, 2010 from 7-9 PM. The drill will be similar to past years in that it will be leveraged off the MEMA Region Two scenario and expanded statewide and will be named ‘Hurricane Hudson’. There will be some changes, however, from past hurricane drills and it is hoped these changes will bring further interest in the exercise and allow for practice in newer items that have not been attempted in quite some time. Region Two will hold a briefing approximately 4-7 days prior to the exercise.

A meeting was held with Region Two Communications Officer Doug Forbes, Region Two RACES Radio Officer, Bob Mims-WA1OEZ, Mike Russas, MEMA Exercise Planner from the MEMA Training Department at Framingham HQ, Carl Aveni, Assistant ARRL SM/ARES ASEC and Rob Macedo-KD1CY, Eastern Massachusetts ARES SEC. The meeting was held on Tuesday June 29th. The drill scenario was reviewed with the new/different components added to the exercise.

Further details on the scenario will be posted in approximately 1-1.5 weeks with coordination with other parts of the state in a similar timeframe. This notice is being sent out as a primer to reach Amateurs in ARES/RACES/SKYWARN/MARS and other EMCOMM groups who would be interested in participating in this exercise. Thanks for your interest in the exercise!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator   
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org

Regulation & Advocacy

Texting Bill Legislation Update from State Government Liaison K3HI

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MA State Government Liaison Shawn O’Donnell, K3HI writes:

[Beacon Hill] finally published the text of the compromise bill:

http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht04/ht04795.htm

The bill doesn’t look exactly like I thought it would, given the Senate amendments, but it looks OK. Here’s the important part, in the updated definitions section of Chapter 90:

“Mobile telephone”, a handheld or portable cellular, analog, wireless, satellite or digital telephone, including a telephone with 2-way radio functionality, capable of sending or receiving telephone communications and with which a user initiates, terminates or engages in a call using at least 1 hand. For the purposes of this chapter, “mobile telephone” shall not include amateur radios operated by those licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate such radios, or citizen band radios.

This bill doesn’t have a hands-free mobile phone requirement. If they ever enact one, we’ll be exempt.

Can you use APRS/messaging systems while driving? The prohibition on texting while driving reads:

No operator of a motor vehicle shall use a mobile telephone, or any handheld device capable of accessing the internet, to manually compose, send or read an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle.

The definition section says ham radios aren’t mobile telephones, so you’re OK there. But there are connections between APRS systems and the Internet. So let’s give two arguments why you shouldn’t use APRS systems while driving: (a) it’s dangerous, and (b) you’d probably lose the argument about your device not being able to access the Internet. The bottom line: even if the particular message you’re reading/sending isn’t going out on the internet, the prohibition applies to you.

The governor was supposed to sign the bill [July 2] at noon.The bill becomes law at the end of September.

–Shawn