MMRA North Reading Repeater Now Yaesu System Fusion

leftThe Yaesu DR2X purchased by [the Minuteman Repeater Association] in October has been installed at North Reading site.  This repeater is full-time automatic dual mode.  Yaesu System Fusion digital signals will be repeated locally in the same mode.  Analog FM signals will be repeated in Analog and linked to the MMRA HUB following the normal schedule.

Linking is not available in digital mode.

This is MMRA’s second YSF repeater.  The 449.575 repeater in Hopkinton is also full-time automatic dual mode.

Update on NOAA Weather Radio Outage Since the Office Move

SKYWARN logoRob Macedo, KD1CY writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

NWS Boston/Norton issued a Public Information Statement regarding the NOAA Weather Radio outage and that a couple transmitters are back on air. Details can be seen at the following link:

http://www.wx1box.org/local/PNS_noaa_wx_radio_move_3_28_18.txt

We will provide updates on the NOAA Weather Radio status as time allows. We’ll provide an update on the Amateur Radio station setup at the new NWS office building by this weekend.

Eastern MA Hospital Net Invites New NCSes

John O’Neill, K1JRO writes:

The April 7,2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net is approaching. We are seeking groups and organizations to take a turn at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand as Net Control please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

Below are the repeaters we have available for our use. Let us know which 3 or 4 repeaters you would like to use and we will make all the notifications. We’ll also send you a copy of our net preamble if you desire which you may modify for your own use.

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 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 dpl 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

Bruce Blain, K1BG With Retired FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth On W5KUB Podcast, March 27, 2018

w5kub.com writes:

This week, Tuesday March 27, our guests will be Rich Moseson, W2VU, editor of CQ Magazine giving us a look into next month’s issue. Also, Riley Hollingsworth, retired Special Counsel to the FCC will have a segment with Bruce, K1BG, to discuss hW5KUB broadcastam licensing and take a look at the issues, challenges, and changes from 1912 until present. They will be discussing why we are not getting enough youths into ham radio and what we should do to fix that. See what Katie Allen, WY7YL is up to.

Watch the show on W5KUB.COM at [9:00 PM Eastern Time] on Tuesday. This show is also simulcast on international shortwave station WBCQ on 5130 kHz. Chat room and phone lines always open for viewers to comment or ask questions. We invite you to join our ham radio group at <https://www.facebook.com/groups/w5kub/>.

 

Clay Center ARC Technician Class Begins March 28, 2018

Clay Center ARC logoThe Clay Center Amateur Radio Club, in conjunction with Brookline Adult and Community Education (BA&CE) and Newton Community Education (NCE)  will offer a six-week Technician Class course beginning Wednesday, March 28, 2018 for adults and child-parent pairs to facilitate their successful completion of the FCC radio license test. Children who pass the test receive a free membership in the Clay Center ARC, the largest youth-oriented radio club in New England. Yes, this course is geared toward children! (Ages 11 and up.) Adults without children are also welcome. To register, go to <http://www.brooklineadulted.org/> or  <https://registration.xenegrade.com/nce/coursedisplay.cfm?schID=11469>.

The Clay Center Amateur Radio Club is a youth club, and as such strives to provide educational opportunities for students as well as parents.

Maritime Radio Day, April 14-15, 2018

“Whitey” Doherty, K1VV writes:

Maritime Radio Day is held annually to remember the nearly 90 years of wireless service for seafarers. Since its beginning in 1900, Maritime Radio was in use mainly until the end of 1999.

The MRD is open to all Amateur Radio Stations. Special stations (like Coastal radios and ship’s call signs) can participate to the MRD only if operated by former Commercial or Navy operators, or by radio technicians who worked in the installation and/or maintenance of naval equipments.

If you are a former Merchant Marine Radio Operator or former ship’s Electronic Technician please subscribe to this event automatically trough the following website http://www.mrd.seefunker.eu/mrd_registry.php or by communicating your Amateur Radio callsign and last ship of last coast radio you served to R/O Rolf Marschner at: dl9cm@t-online.de.

We must to push many colleagues to take part at our yearly Event, last year like in the past edition there has been a massive participation with many colleagues not included in the list of participants and it has been a very nice surprise against any prevision. There are still many Countries not reached by information about our Event and from U.S.A. and Far East – Unfortunately – still very few stations. Radio Officers are the men spent their lives in front a receiver watching 500 kHz and sending messages of any kind, our Category has gone but we know many aspects of radio waves and we cannot refuse to look forward to confirm the radio is still alive and in good health, the problem perhaps is another, there are many reasons to kill the radio and they are not properly justified by true facts but only using the famous word “OBSOLETE” we hear everyday and everywhere for promoting the consumption of technological toys such as Smartphones, iPhones, Tablets and so on.

Morse Code, the main language used by Radio Officers on ships and at shore, has been the sole international language that granted for a century radio communications at sea, nowadays used by many amateurs radio needs to be protected against the interference due to Hi-tech products and web communications, the Radio World is made at first of Morse communications and the code is easy to learn also if the tendency is to send and receive Morse with computer… the worst way to take practice of the code, the code is not a digital mode it is a “very special human way” to establish a communication between two points of the earth with no wires and no computer, just a small, old and used radio and a wire dipole or at least a piece of wire.

BST RGDS

MRD Staff

Rules, Procedure and Certificate of partecipation

All traffic must to be done around the following International Naval Frequencies on Amateur Radio Bands (morse code)

1824 kHz

3520 kHz

7020 kHz

10118 kHz

14052 kHz

21052 kHz

28052 kHz

The Main working frequency is 14052 kHz plus or minus some kc/s. The WARC bands are NOT USED for MRD with exception of 30 meters band.

SPECIAL ADVICE FOR DX MRD STATIONS:
To give everyone a fair chance of having a QSO during the MRD, and because 14052 kHz is the most common calling frequency, it is suggested that we have a small band edge from 14055 to 14058 kHz  for DX and QRP stations. It is also suggested that instead of calling CQ in “Contest Mode”, we give adequate time for weaker stations to be heard and listen  especially for DX contacts.
So please use the band suggested as watching band reserved to radio stations in far distances.

– Date14th April 12.00 GMT 15th April 22.00 GMT

– Bands: 160m, 80m, 40m, 30 m, 20m, 15m & 10m

– Mode: CW only

– Power: not limited

– QSO: Exchange QSA, QRK, name, callsign of last or favorite ship / aircraft / maintance company  QSA 1 .. 5, strength of receive signal QRK 1 .. 5, readability and additionally a tr, msg and/or a qtc if you like

– Silence Periods: need no longer be observed

– Deadline for submission of MRD logs is 1st of May.

– Certificate of participation ( CoP): SWL’s – send a complete log to be able to verify qso data by selection. Licenced operators – send a postcard / letter or e-mail with number of QSOs with – ship stations – coast stations – special stations – other Amateurs contacted. Send your application with data and your email address to : Rolf MarschnerNarzissenweg 10 53359 RheinbachGermanyor via e-mail: dl9cm@t-online.deCertificate is only available by e-mail!

– QSL cards: Each participant manages their own QSL cards. There is no QSL manager.

– General Comment: Coastal radios and ship’s callsigns should be operated only by former Commercial or Navy operators and from radio technicians who worked in the brand of installation and in the maintenance of coastal and ship’s radios equipments and antennas.

Procedure” Example QSO :

cq mrd cq mrd cq mrd de dl9cm dl9cm dl9cm k

dl9cm de ik6ijf gm rolf QSA5 QRK 5 hr is alfredo shipname/icjr or last ship was icjr k

ik6ijf de dl9cm gm alfredo QSA 5 QRK 5 op rolf shipname/dlcm or last ship was dlcm ik6ijf de dl9cm tnx 73 .-.- or put details in a telegram like this : Origin nr xx ck zz date time = address = qsa x qrk y shipname call = signature+ or similar.

The above are only examples . You may send different content, but the least you must include are QSA, name, ship’s call sign or progressive number if you are only amateur! To subscribe free your participation at the next Maritime Radio Day send an e-mail to R/O Rolf MARSCHNER: dl9cm@t-online.de or automatically subscription is possible and preferred on the following website: http://www.mrd.seefunker.eu/mrd_registry.php.

NWS Forecast Office, WX1BOX Move to Norton Complete

SKYWARN logoRob Macedo, KD1CY writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

The National Weather Service Forecast Office has now moved to its new facility in Norton Massachusetts and has been renamed to the National Weather Service Forecast office Boston/Norton. A Public Information Statement and a few photos of the facility can be seen at the following link:

https://www.weather.gov/box/moveday

The Amateur Radio Station at the new weather office will be brought online likely over the next couple of weeks as there are still a few important communications issues that are still in the process of being resolved for NWS operations and they will take priority. Once those are resolved, the Amateur Radio Station will be brought online. On the nearest weekend or weeknight that work is completed, we will hold a communications test of the Amateur Radio equipment to test out the station.

It is very important to note that WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio station at NWS Boston/Norton, will feature all new Amateur Radios and antennas. The Eastern Region and national headquarters of NWS made it a point to get the new facility and our station, all new Amateur Radio equipment, as a thanks and in recognition to ongoing efforts to support the NWS Forecast Office during times of severe weather and understanding the high utilization that it has due to the dedicated volunteers that man the station and the thousands of Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters who report in during severe weather. This could not be done without your continued support.

We have renamed our WX1BOX Twitter to the Boston/Norton name and the Facebook name change to Boston/Norton is pending approval. We will also make appropriate changes to the static pages on the wx1box.org web site.

We will send out another special announcement when the new Amateur Radio station at the NWS Boston/Norton facility is on air. Thanks to all for their continued support of the now NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program and thanks to the city of Taunton for their support over the last 25+ years.

NE1PL QRV for Museum Ships On The Air, USS Massachusetts, June 1-3, 2018

NE1PL QSL cardThe USS Massachusetts will be activated as NE1PL in Battleship Cove, Fall River on June 1-3, 2018 for Museum Ships on the Air, according to Uncommon Service to Nautical Radio club trustee Rick Emord, KB1TEE.

Emord invites anyone who is interested in operating the station aboard the museum ship to please contact him at <kb1tee@gmail.com>. In addition to radio operators, USNR is seeking people to help log contacts, speak to guests, and other duties.

Visit <www.ne1pl.org> for updates on operations.

Barnstable ARC Members Provided EmComm At Shelters

Barnstable ARC logoBarnstable Amateur Radio Club members were active with the Cape and Islands ARES call-up.  “They were the primary operators at the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich,  and the Barnstable Intermediate School in Barnstable,” reports Barnstable ARC president Mark Petruzzi, WA1EXA. Both of the locations were opened to shelter individuals affected by the nor’easters that struck Cape Cod. The BARC members provided 90 hours of communication services during the storms.

“Woodstock of Amateur Radio”: NEAR-Fest XXIII, May 4-5, 2018

NEAR-Fest logoMichael Crestohl, W1RC/VE2VW writes:

NEAR-Fest XXIII will be held on May 4-5, 2018. It is held twice annually, spring and fall, rain or shine, at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in Deerfield New Hampshire beginning on Friday at 0900 and ending Saturday at 1500 hours.

Admission is $10. Persons under 18 and over 80 are admitted free of charge upon presentation of government-issued ID. Inside parking is available for $10 and includes a “reasonable amount of flea market selling space” for PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS selling their own personal property. Commercial vendors must register and pay applicable fees. If you are wondering if you are a “commercial vendor” you probably are. One complimentary inside commercial space is available for clubs, estates and other “non-profit organizations” on an “as available” basis.

Overnight camping, trailer and RV hookups are available. Three food vendors provide meals and snacks at reasonable prices. The Deerfield Community Church ladies serve up a breakfast that has to be consumed to be believed. Angelino’s offers hamburgers, steak, sausage submarines and other great “fair food” specialities and Patty’s Polish Kitchen menu features wonderful “Mitteleuropa” cuisine. No one goes hungry at NEAR-Fest. We are extremely proud of the high quality of food that these vendors offer our guests while they are at the ‘Fester.

NEAR-Fest typically attracts attendees from the six New England states, NY, NJ, PA, MD and other states as well as from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. Some attendees travel great distances; one gentleman from Los Angeles has attended fifteen events and in 2010 one radio amateur traveled from Greece to join us for the fun.

The program of activities and events at NEAR-Fest is extensive; a huge outdoor electronic flea market, three buildings full of commercial vendors, forums, technical seminars and symposia, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special events radio stations, a “jam session”, good food, fellowship, fun and general mishigoss. NEAR-Fest is the largest event of its kind in the Northeast and has once been described as the “Woodstock of Amateur Radio”.

Radio Amateurs Pitch In to Help as “Hat Trick” of Major Coastal Storms Hit Northeast

Cape Cod ARES logoAmateur Radio volunteers with WX1BOX at the National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts, and various ARES groups had their hands full during March, as Mother Nature’s hat trick of nor’easters brought severe weather conditions and a lot of snow to the northeastern US.

The storms caused the Cape Cod ARES team to extend activations for SKYWARN, WX1BOX, and regional shelter operations.

[ARRLWeb story]

80-Meter Amateur Radio Direction Finding Activity in Westford

PART of Westford logoAndy Stewart, KB1OIQ writes on the PART of Westford list:

I have built an 80m fox transmitter and plan to deploy it once spring arrives.  I also have two ARDF receivers for 80m. Very preliminary testing shows that the fox can be heard on 3.5805 MHz at least 3/4 mile away on slightly hilly terrain. This fox transmitter consists of an Arduino, which I programmed for this project, and a Cricket 80a (an 80m QRP CW transceiver).  It runs off of a 9.6V NiMH rechargeable battery.

More detailed information and the Arduino source code, can be found at https://sourceforge.net/projects/kb1oiq-ham-radio-projects/files/80m_ardf

You have time to get your 80m fox receivers before spring arrives. Consider the R3500D from China, or the RigExpert FoxRex 3500, or build your own!

http://www.crkits.com/r3500d.jpg
https://rigexpert.com/products/ardf-receivers/foxrex-3500/

Have a lot of fun, and 73.

KD1CY, KB1KQW to Participate in National Hurricane Conference, March 27, 2018

Rob Macedo, KD1CY
Rob Macedo, KD1CY

Eastern Massachusetts ARRL field organization staffers Rob Macedo, KD1CY and Jim Palmer, KB1KQW will participate in the National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Workshop on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

KD1CY is Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator and ARES SKYWARN Coordinator; KB1KQW is a District Emergency Coordinator.

Macedo will present opening remarks at the Amateur Radio workshop session and later, present on “VoIP (Voice over IP) Hurricane Net and Best Practices in SKYWARN for Tropical Systems.”

The workshop will be live-streamed. The livestream link, workshop schedule and presenters can be found at http://www.nsradio.org/KB1KQW/stream2018/stream2018.htm.

Cape Ann ARA: “Go Kits” Open House, March 20, 2018

CAARA logoGardner H. Winchester II, KA1BTK writes on CAARA list:

“Please join us at [the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association] for Tuesday evening’s Open House, 4:00 – 9:00 PM or any time in between!

This week, we want to try something new.  We’re going to try to run a bit of an info session.  The topic will be Amateur Radio “Go-Bags” for emergency and public service operations.  Several members have assembled Go-Bags and Go-Kits and we would like to see what you have and share your thoughts.”

The Cape Ann ARA club station is located at 6 Stanwood Street, in Gloucester Massachusetts, Tel. # 978-282-7645. They operate the 2-meter W1GLO repeater on 145.130  MHz (– input,  with a 107.2 PL tone) 

MS Walk Ham Volunteers Sought, April 8, 2018

Brett Smith, AB1RL writes:

Throughout the year, the National MS Society organizes walks to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research and patient advocacy. The Boston-area walks have long relied on hams to help ensure everyone’s safety.

This year’s MS Walk Boston is on Sunday, April 8th. It starts and ends at Boston University’s Nickerson Field in Boston, and runs along the Commonwealth Ave and Charles River. Volunteers will check in at 8:00 AM, and stay until the early afternoon. Lunch is available at the finish.

Rick Savage, KB1LYJ, is organizing the hams for this event. To volunteer, please write him with the following information:

  • Your call sign, full name, and name you prefer on the air
  • Contact information: your e-mail address and phone numbers where you can be reached (cell, home, office)
  • Your shirt size
  • The transmit band(s) of your radio(s), and other equipment you could bring
  • Do you have any needs or requests we should consider when making your assignment?

In addition to contacting Rick all volunteers must register online. This is a requirement of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Rick can also answer any questions you have about the event.

Thanks for volunteering, and 73,


Brett Smith, AB1RL
Public Service Coordinator, Boston Amateur Radio Club

 

NWS Office, WX1BOX Moving

SKYWARN logoRob Macedo, KD1CY writes:

The NWS Office move from Taunton to Norton is scheduled to take place on Tuesday March 20, 2018. When the office move is completed, amateur radio station WX1BOX will have new radios and antennas. Details on the office move can be found at: http://www.wx1box.org/local/pns_nwstaunton_move.txt 

(Please note that the NWS office 800 Spotter line is unchanged.)

KM1CC QRV For International Marconi Day, April 21, 2018

KM1CC QSL card from 2003KM1CC will be on the air for International Marconi Day (IMD), April 21 0000 UTC-2359 UTC. IMD celebrates the role Guglielmo Marconi played in the invention of radio and is a 24-hour Amateur Radio event that is held annually to celebrate the birth of Marconi  April 25, 1874. The event is usually held on the Saturday closest to Marconi’s birthday. KM1CC represents Marconi ‘s1901 Wireless Station, South Wellfleet,  located in Cape Cod National Seashore, a unit of the US National Park Service.

 

Proposed Frequency plan +-

  • 15 M       21.360 SSB                        21.035 CW
  • 17M      18.160 SSB                          18.080 CW
  • 40M      7.130-7.260 SSB                 7.035 CW
  • 30 M                                                         10.110 CW
  • 20M      14.260 SSB                          14.035 CW
  • 80M      3.660-3.860 SSB                 3.535 CW
  • DMR     2 M Digital FM 4FSK     ID: 3125281     and maybe FT8

KM1CC’s IMD event operations are open to the public between 10 AM and 3 PM on April 21.  Our temporary location will be at 2 Ocean View Drive, Eastham, MA USA 02651  (FN51)

To QSL KM1CC an SASE is required from all USA stations; DX contacts may use the bureau.

KM1CC, Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club
Cape Cod National Seashore
99 Marconi Site Rd
Wellfleet MA 02667

The KM1CC QSL card measures 3.5 inches x 5.5 inches, so any larger envelope size works.

Please do not send KM1CC QSL card requests to N1NS, W1AA, K1VV, or K1RV.

Digital:  You may QSL via Logbook Of The World.