Month: September 2013

Rob Capizzio, KC2EMA writes:

I apologize for the late notice, the Worcester Emergency Communications Team (WECT) and MMRA have been asked to help out with the communications for a Bicycle ride to support ALS on the 29th of September in Wayland.

The organization running the ride has more information available at http://web.alsa.org/site/TR?fr_id=9550&pg=entry.

I will be working to organize the communications operators for the event, and I can be reached at 631-403-0127.

I will not be on site for this event, Michael Fagan, KI6RKZ will be taking that role, and can be reached at 650-793-8887.

Thank you in advance, please let me know if there is any other information you need, or if there are any issues.

Thanks,

Rob Capizzio
KC2EMA
WECT President

Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ writes on PART List:

Hi everybody,

On Saturday, September 28th, 2013, there will be a Fox Hunting Training session on the common in Westford Center at 11:00 AM until 12:00 noon. The common is super close to the Westford Police Station, where we hold our monthly meetings.

Any and all who are interested in Fox Hunting are invited to attend. The focus will be to train people in the techniques of finding a hidden transmitter (the fox). This is intended for novices but experienced folks will probably learn something, too. Please join us!

On the Common we will have a Fox Transmitting, and in view so you will know right at the start the correction direction the signal is coming from. We will also place the Fox behind a tree to show how a tree fades the signal.

Specific techniques that will be taught:

a) body fade
b) using different (harmonic) frequencies to locate the fox
c) demonstration of objects that block or reflect the signal
d) use of a directional (yagi) antenna (and maybe offset attenuator)

If you have a 2m HT, please bring it. That’s all you need. If you have other fox hunting gear, feel free to bring it, but none is required.

John (KB1MGI) will lead the training by both explanation and hands-on activities. He has been very active with our club’s fox hunting activities and most recently has been hiding the fox every weekend for the last several weeks.

After the training session, one or two Foxes will be on the air in the area so you can hunt them down if you like.

Have a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing you there!

73,

Andy

John Salmi, KB1MGI writes on PART-L list:

Russell, KB1UKU has reported to us that his fox will be out today, Sunday from 09:00 to midnight, output a full 12 to 15 mW. It will be in or around the Lowell area.

[K9HI note: Presumably, it will be transmitting on 146.565 MHz.]

David Wolfe, KG1H writes on MMRA Public Service Events List:

CF Cycle for Life 65+ (Metric Century⁺)_, 30 & 12 mile routes, Saturday, October 5, 2013 http://mass-ri.cff.org/cycle Fatima Shrine, 101 Summer Street, Holliston, MA The CF Cycle for Life to benefit Cystic Fibrosis The event is a one day, fully supported bike tour through the metro west area including the towns of Dover, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medfield, Medway, Milford, Millis, Natick, and Sherborn, on picturesque 65+ (Metric Century⁺), 30 and 12 mile routes.

Amateur Radio support for October 5, 2013

***** Contact: Mark Richards, K1MGY 617 592 4392 markr@massmicro.com *****

This is a cycling event whose purpose is to funds raise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We hope to gain permission to use the FARA Repeater on 147.15. Rather than tie up the machine we will operate as an open net, meaning that regular repeater use will be encouraged with short QSO’s and a sufficient listening watch to allow event net activity. However, we may establish a closed net should an emergency arise.

This event will begin at 0800 for amateurs and has a hard stop at 1530. Free lunch and a T shirt will be offered for your service. Beer following the event is not free, but instead is available at a nominal cost.

The primary purpose of Amateur Radio service at this event is to assure participant safety. Rapid dispatch of emergency services is our priority. Where practicable, Amateurs will call 911 directly and then report the incident to net control, otherwise NCS will dispatch based on your report.

8 SAG vehicles will be in service throughout the event and we hope to have an operator riding shotgun in each. At least one rest stop which will change location as the ride progresses will have an operator, plus an operator at the event start (who will likely be re-deployed to the event finish). All assignments are still in work at this time.

This is a wonderful opportunity to support a very worthy cause, to gain good experience in Amateur Radio Public Service, meet new people, and be of service to others. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before. It’s easy, sometimes exciting, and always fun.

As this is being put together at the last minute, accommodating your schedule is important. If you can’t commit to the whole event, consider giving what time you can, and I am certain you’ll be well employed and come out the other side knowing you have helped others.

David Wolfe, KG1H writes on MMRA Public Service Events List:

CF Cycle for Life 65+ (Metric Century⁺)_, 30 & 12 mile routes, Saturday, October 5, 2013 http://mass-ri.cff.org/cycle Fatima Shrine, 101 Summer Street, Holliston, MA The CF Cycle for Life to benefit Cystic Fibrosis The event is a one day, fully supported bike tour through the metro west area including the towns of Dover, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medfield, Medway, Milford, Millis, Natick, and Sherborn, on picturesque 65+ (Metric Century⁺), 30 and 12 mile routes.

Amateur Radio support for October 5, 2013

***** Contact: Mark Richards, K1MGY 617 592 4392 markr@massmicro.com *****

This is a cycling event whose purpose is to funds raise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We hope to gain permission to use the FARA Repeater on 147.15. Rather than tie up the machine we will operate as an open net, meaning that regular repeater use will be encouraged with short QSO’s and a sufficient listening watch to allow event net activity. However, we may establish a closed net should an emergency arise.

This event will begin at 0800 for amateurs and has a hard stop at 1530. Free lunch and a T shirt will be offered for your service. Beer following the event is not free, but instead is available at a nominal cost.

The primary purpose of Amateur Radio service at this event is to assure participant safety. Rapid dispatch of emergency services is our priority. Where practicable, Amateurs will call 911 directly and then report the incident to net control, otherwise NCS will dispatch based on your report.

8 SAG vehicles will be in service throughout the event and we hope to have an operator riding shotgun in each. At least one rest stop which will change location as the ride progresses will have an operator, plus an operator at the event start (who will likely be re-deployed to the event finish). All assignments are still in work at this time.

This is a wonderful opportunity to support a very worthy cause, to gain good experience in Amateur Radio Public Service, meet new people, and be of service to others. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before. It’s easy, sometimes exciting, and always fun.

As this is being put together at the last minute, accommodating your schedule is important. If you can’t commit to the whole event, consider giving what time you can, and I am certain you’ll be well employed and come out the other side knowing you have helped others.

Greg Glynn, W1VFB writes on the TACG Facebook page:

The Taunton Area Communications Group is providing comms for two road races in the next two weekends: one this Saturday in E. Taunton at Holy Family Church; the second, next Sunday starting at Hopewell Park. We are still looking for volunteers to help man the courses with radio operators. Please let us know if you can help us out.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give us.

Bob DeMattia, K1IW writes:

At its annual meeting on August 24, New England Spectrum Management, the amateur radio repeater coordinator for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine, announced a proposal to modify the 2m band plan to include new repeater channels with outputs from 146.41 to 146.49 and inputs 147.41 to 147.49. Also included was a test pair at 147.505 with a 146.505 input. In the near future, there will be a vote by the NESMC membership on this band plan. There is no doubt that some existing simplex users may be affected by this change.

In order to gauge the impact of this change, NESMC has attempted to find as many simplex users as it can. We are also seeking additional input from the amateur community. If this interests you, you may find additional information about the change at http://www.nesmc.org/2013-2m.pdf. You may be interested in joining a discussion group set up for this purpose http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nesmc.

* Please feel free to redistribute this notice to other group or individuals – we are trying to reach as many people as possible.

* In our attempts to reach as many people as possible, we are posting this to several mail! ing lists. Please accept my apologies if you receive this more than once.

73,

Bob DeMattia, K1IW
NESMC 2m Coordinator