Month: November 2016

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NE1PL and W1MV MSOTA (Museum Ships On the Air) – June 2nd-4th 2017

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Rick Emord-KB1TEE writes:

Museum Ships on the Air (MSOTA) weekend June 2-4 2017 0000Z June 2 through 2359Z June 4

The Battleship Cove team has inquired as to whether we would like to put the USS Massachusetts on the air for this event. The event would need many operators to donate time to set up the radios and antennas and personnel to operate for a two hour time period and then allow for time off for a walk about and to replenish beverages and food. The ship will provide us with berthing areas separate from the general public for rest.  The operating areas are close to the restrooms and wardroom café. The chairs are a little uncomfortable so I am hoping they can accommodate us with a better seating.  Anyone, whether an Amateur Radio operator or not, is welcome and we need people to run the logging software, assist in keeping the operators comfortable such as getting them water or a snack as it can become a big job to insure comfort.  For the operators, I am guessing I will need at least 15.  I will need a few HF radios for backup so some can be shut down from time to time.  I have my Yaesu 450D, my Kenwood TS520 and Kenwood TS 430S.  Set up will be on Thursday 6/1/17 and tune up on Friday 6/2/17 with operators in place on Friday 6/2/17 at 6 PM.

This is the first time that the ship will be on the air on modern radios.  For this event, I feel it is a big deal that the Staff has accepted us.  If anyone wants to do CW on the ships radios, I will set up times for us to meet someone to take us to Radio 2 so you can observe the 1938 radios.  If you wish to see the ships original radios operating, go to youtube.com to look it up.

Please contact me no later than December 10 2016 to give me your answer I need to do a lot of paperwork to get us on the air for Museum Ships on the Air.

Thank you
Rick Emord KB1TEE      My email: kb1tee@gmail.com

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Whitman ARC Plimoth Plantation Special Event Operation, November 26-27, 2016

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Whitman ARC logo

This weekend, the Whitman Amateur Radio Club will conduct its annual special event station at Plimoth Plantation on November 26-27, 2016. The station will be operating on or near the following frequencies: 18.160 14.260 7.260 and 3.860, as well as the Whitman 147.225+ PL 67.0 repeater (EchoLink: WA1NPO-R and IRLP node 8691).

According to WARC’s Larry Kenney, K1LJK, the station and antenna set up begins on Friday, November 25. “We need volunteers to help load equipment. Please meet at 8:30 AM at the Pine Street Quonset Hut. If you can help, thanks very much.”

The special event station will be on the air on Saturday and Sunday, Nov 26 and 27 from 9 AM until 3 PM. Kenney invites all area amateurs to stop by and operate. “We intend to have 2 HF stations and 2 VHF stations [on the air]. If you have a specific time in mind you would like to operate … please reply and I’ll add you to the online listing. If you want to just come down and watch and/or jump in sometime, that’s fine also.”

Kenney adds that Sunday is takedown day and they will need help with station and antenna breakdown and loading at approximately 2 PM.

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Falmouth ARA 2-meter QSO Party, January 23, 2017

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The Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (FARA) will be sponsoring a 2-meter QSO Party in January 23.

The purpose of the QSO Party is to “encourage local activity; to provide a ‘gauge’ for individual station capabilities; to provide an introduction to QSO Parties and contesting; and to HAVE FUN.” QSO Party contacts count in the ARRL VHF Contest during the same time period, provided you include your grid square in the exchange. The event is open to everyone in Eastern MA.  In 2010 FARA held its first 2m QSO Party; it was well received.

The entire QSO Party rules can be found at http://www.falara.org/announcements/faraqsoparty5-mode2mfm.

 

 

 

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Boston ARC to Participate in SKYWARN Recognition Day, 12/3/16

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SKYWARN logo

Mark Duff, KB1EKN writes:

On December 3rd, 2016, and for the 14th consecutive year, [the Boston Amateur Radio Club] will once again participate in SKYWARN Recognition Day. SRD is a joint event support by the ARRL and the National Weather Service where weather stations and weather buffs from across the country contact each other for fun and to promote the SKYWARN Program. Our station, WX1BHO, will be located at the summit of Great Blue Hill in Milton MA.

For several decades, hams have assisted the National Weather Service by providing real-time reports of severe weather and storm conditions. Although the NWS operates a network of 120 Doppler radars to track severe storms, at greater ranges weather radar has a difficult time sampling conditions close to the ground. The information radio operators located near a storm provide plays a key role in aiding forecasters. Stations will exchange signal reports, location and a brief description of the current weather at their respective locations (“sunny,” “partly cloudy,” “windy,” etc.). BARC will be on the air from approximately 0900 to 1500 local time.

The event itself is a great way in a low-key environment to make HF contacts and get your feet wet in the HF Spectrum. In past years we have endured all kinds of weather including warm and cold days, clear and cloudy days, and yes, even a blizzard. Access to the summit is gained by a 20 minute hike from the base of Great Blue Hill located on Route 138 next to the DCR Trailside Museum or (if you arrive early in the day) by car. Further information is available by contacting Mark Duff, KB1EKN, at emgmgt@comcast.com.

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Reminder: Monthly EMA ARES Net 11/7 8:30pm

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…Please read below as we will be requesting new information after checkin on the net…


Hello to all…

We will be resuming our monthly ARES Net in November. The monthly ARES Net for November is Monday the 7th, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. This is after the MEMA 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 detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:

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


Make this first 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.

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety),  interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

A brief introduction to ATIS can be found at: https://www.ivao.aero/training/documentation/books/PP_ADC_ATIS.pdf
A more detailed introduction to ATIS/ASOS can be found at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/ASOS-book.pdf

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!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications

Reminder of Upcoming Events this weekend!

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Hello to all from your EMA ARES SEC.

 

There are a number of activities coming up in the next few weeks so I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of them.

1) Our neighbors in NH are having a SET exercise on November 5th from 0800-1300 and are interested in out of area stations on HF, and VHF/UHF if you can reach them to simulate ARESMAT activities.

Details: http://ares.ema.arrl.org/node/733

ARES NH web site: http://www.nh-ares.org/

2) During the NH ARES SET the Eastern MA hospital net will be happening at its usual time on 11/5 at 1000. http://ares.ema.arrl.org/node/736

 

3) The monthly ARES net on the MMRA system will be on 11/7 at 2030. We will be continuning our added traffic passing of infrastructure reports (including all okay reports) and ATIS/aviation weather data relayed from stations that can hear their local airport weather stations over RF. This information will be relayed to MARS and Skywarn as a practice of passing situational awareness traffic. More details will be in the ARES Net reminder, or see last months ARES net reminder.

Thank you.

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG

Eastern MA ARES SEC

kb1ncg@arrl.net

Emergency Communications

November 5,2016 Eastern MA Hospital Net and N.H. ARES SET

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Net Control for the November 5,2016 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club. The net will commence at the usual time of 10:AM using the following repeaters in the order listed.

1. Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
2. Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
3. W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244

 

 

Simplex 147.42

The Net will than return to the Sharon Repeater for final comments and Net closing.

>> *** Additionally, this month The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club will be participating with our ARES neighbors in New Hampshire as they will be conducting a SET.  Information on the N.H. ARES SET can be found at http://ares.ema.arrl.org/node/733. ARES Members and organizations wishing to participate are more than welcome as they are interested in VHF / UHF / HF  “Out of Area” communications capabilities. *** <<

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check in procedure which is:   Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facilities call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to the EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the NET.

Any hospital wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month.  More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

 

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2

Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0  
Fairhaven 145.490 tone 67.0    
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9  

Mansfield EMA  446.925 tone 100.0

Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0

Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0      
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8        
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5    
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)

W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244 
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

 

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Respectfully,

John O’
K1JRO