Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC “Meeting On The Air,” April 21, 2020

Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC logoRay Cord, K2TGX, writes on the Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC mailing list:

We have decided to try a Meeting On The Air in place of our displaced Monthly meeting. It will start at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, April 21 on the K1SMH 147.195 repeater. Hopefully, John N1FLO, will be available to give us an ARES update. We will review what has transpired from last meeting, talk about upcoming activities and, of course, hopefully start planning for Field Day. The format will be some what the same as a normal meeting. We will do check-ins just as we do for the ARES Net and at the end we will go through the Roll Call for final comment.

If you have a question or comment during the meeting, just say “Question or Comment” when the transmission drops.

TNX 73,

Ray K2TGX
Secretary/TreasurerSMHARC

ARRL Rookie Roundup, April 19, 2020

Andy Wallace, KA1GTT, writes on the Billerica ARS mailing list:
 
Everyone, I know by the raft of KC1 calls heard on our net that there are some recent licensees in our club. This weekend’s contest is for YOU if you’ve been licensed within the last two years. 
 
See the full rules at the link below. The exchange is not too complex but read carefully:
 
Exchange: Call sign of station worked, your call signyour first name, two-digit number of the year first licensed (“check”) and state, Canadian province, Mexican call area, or “DX”.
 
So for, say, last night’s Net Control, it would be: “KA1GTT from KC1MJK, Doug, 19, Massachusetts.” Not too hard eh?
 
And of course longtime ops are supposed to get on the air to work the Rookies, too. I’ll have the rig on. 
 
See the rules including timeframe and suggested frequencies here:
 

Remotely Administered Amateur Exam Systems Showing Promise

New England Amateur Radio Inc (NE1AR), an affiliate of New England Sci-Tech, (NESciTech) in Natick, is an early adopter in the area of remotely administered volunteer exams.

From the ARRL VE Newsletter, April 16, 2020:

Facing a growing demand for amateur radio exam sessions in a time of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, sponsors of some Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams have risen to the challenge and are developing systems to remotely proctor test sessions.

“Many of our VEs and VE Teams have been working on remotely proctored exam session ideas, employing both video and in-person components — following social distancing protocols,” ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, said. “We have been receiving interesting and innovative suggestions, and we appreciate the dedication and ingenuity our examiners have shown.”

The Spalding County Amateur Radio Club in Georgia is among those that have come up with plans to remotely administer amateur exams while complying with ARRL VEC testing standards during COVID-19 stay-home mandates and social distancing guidelines. Current systems leverage Zoom video-teleconferencing technology, the “Fill & Sign” feature of Adobe PDFs, reliable email, appropriate computer equipment and internet connection, and no volunteer examiners (VEs) present at individual remote test sites. The Georgia club collaborated and shared ideas with the Emergency Amateur Radio Club (EARC) in Hawaii, which has successfully conducted sessions since 2011 with its own remote testing system, initially with paper exams with a proctor on site and now with fillable PDFs, with no on-site proctor.

The Georgia club obtained ARRL VEC approval to administer video-supervised exams. The club’s David Robinson, K4WVZ, said the first exam session took place this week, with another set for next week, and “many more in the pipeline” going forward.

“We have started with testing just one candidate at a time but are planning to ramp up to multiple candidates — probably two or three — simultaneously,” Robinson told ARRL. “Before we do that, we want a few more single sessions under our belt and a few more Video VEs trained. It also gives us an opportunity to garner lessons learned from each test session and upgrade our procedures accordingly.” Robinson said this week’s session went “exceedingly well,” and the candidate passed the test.

The club’s procedures entail a pre-exam video interview with candidates to ensure they understand all the requirements and procedures. “This also allows us to test the candidate’s ability to work with the video and computer technology before the actual exam,” Robinson explained. “Training sessions were conducted for VEs to make sure they understood their role and how to use the technology.”

Following the exam, the VEs score the test and sign off on the paperwork, with the VE Team Leader submitting the application online and by mail, per ARRL VEC instructions. Application and successful exam are first accepted and then submitted to the FCC for processing.

New England Amateur Radio Inc (NE1AR), an affiliate of New England Sci-Tech, (NESciTech), has taken it one step further, Somma said. It got the approval of ARRL VEC to begin trials of what it describes as “completely online testing with strict rules and protocols for maintaining the integrity of the testing environment.” NE1AR is limiting candidates to one exam per candidate, due to the current candidate backlog and the “difficulty of administering exams online.” Candidates must agree to a list of protocols, which include no visitors (or pets) in the exam room and a cell-phone camera scan of the entire room and exam area “to show that there are no materials or people [in the room] that could aid in taking the exam.” If the VE team suspects the possibility of cheating, the exam may be terminated and the candidate barred from future online exam sessions.

“We began a series of trials on April 1 under ARRL VEC review and have now been asked to help train more VE Teams on the process,” NE1AR President Bob Phinney, K5TEC, told ARRL. “We have now tested 12 applicants and are still working on streamlining the process. We are working with the software developer of the exam delivery system to help them adapt the system for video-supervised testing.” At present, Phinney said, only one person at a time can be tested. Another time-related issue is how long it takes a candidate to go through the NE1AR security protocol. “Sometimes, the setup and follow-up for an exam take far longer than the exam itself, in order that we provide complete integrity of the exam session,” he said.

With pressure continuing to build to provide testing compatible with COVID-19 guidelines and stay-home orders, ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, has asked the amateur radio community to be patient. “Please remember that with the introduction of significant new processes such as these, that there should be proof of concept, establishment of protocols and procedures, and beta testing, before expanding to a larger audience,” she said this week. Somma said video-supervised exam sessions require a different skillset than in-person exam administration, and not all teams will be equipped to deliver video exams right away.

“ARRL is pleased to be one of the leaders in providing an opportunity, although limited initially, for video-supervised exams in this time of social distancing and isolation required by the current health situation,” Somma said.

Contest University USA 2020 On-Line, May 14, 2020

Contest University USA 2020 will be held on-line via Zoom on Thursday May 14, 2020. CTU 2020 is free.

The CTU course outline is posted here https://www.contestuniversity.com/course-outline/

Connection details to the CTU Zoom bridge will be posted on the Contest University one week ahead of CTU.

CTU 2020 will be recorded for easy viewing any time after May 14 and the slide decks will be posted on the CTU website as well.

At the end of CTU 2020 Dave, K3ZJ from CQ Magazine will present the 2020 CQ Contest Hall of Fame awards – live on the Zoom bridge.

73,

Tim K3LR
Contest University Chairman
http://contestuniversity.com

YCCC DMR Net, April 15, 2020

Reminder: YCCC DMR Net

When: Wednesday, 15 April 2020, 8:00pm to 9:00pm, (GMT-04:00) America/New York

Where: DMR TG NETAC1

View Event

Organizer: ne1b.c6awb@gmail.com

Description: YCCCers!

Join us every Wednesday evening at 8pm ET for contesting talk on the DMR repeater network. There are several methods to access the Net:

 
  • By RF
    Access via 2 meter or 70 cm DMR repeater.  See the list of 91 repeaters near you at http://nedecn.org  The frequencies are in the left menu “DMR Repeaters>New England”.  Use the NETAC1 talk group.
  • By Dongle or Hot Spot
    You can use openSpot, JumboSpot, ZumSpot, MMDVM
  • By EchoLink
    Get the software app on your smartphone or laptop at: http://www.echolink.org/  Contact KM3T or NE1B to put your callsign on the Access List.  Echolink node is K1QVC-L  Connect and RX B4 TX.

Weekly Zola Net, April 16, 2020

Matt Chao, N1IBB, writes:

Hi, Folks.  It’s that time of the week again – the Zola Net!  Check in tomorrow night  at 7:00 pm on 147.36, with a PL of 67.0.  The purpose of the Net is to enable new and experienced hams the opportunity to participate in a controlled net environment.  Talk with you all tomorrow night.–Matt, N1IBB.

***
This is a service of the Middlesex Amateur Radio Club; Newton, Massachusetts.

Please join us every Thursday evening at 7 PM Eastern for our weekly net. We can be found at 147.360 MHz with a PL of 67.0 Hz tone, or on Echolink at call sign W1LJO-R node number 462341.

Youth Team Postpones its Planned CQ WPX CW Operation from K3LR

From ARRL Web:

04/14/2020 –The youthful Team Exuberance has announced that it’s postponing its planned CQ WPX CW contest operation from K3LR until May 2021. Team Exuberance will compete in the multi-two category.

“While this decision was not taken lightly, it was clearly the appropriate action in light of the coronavirus pandemic,” team member Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO, said in an announcement. “Thank you to all individuals and clubs who financially contributed to our fundraising efforts,” he said.

Those seeking to have their 2020 contributions refunded should email him or Marty Sullaway, NN1C. All funds retained will go toward Team Exuberance’s next operation, Rascoll said. — Thanks to Bryant Rascoll, KG5HVO 

Marty Sullaway, NN1C (formerly KC1CWF) is a 17-year-old Extra Class radiosport aficionado living in Newton, Massachusetts. He serves as president of Team Exuberance, Inc.

ARRL VEC Video-supervised online exam sessions

From ARRL VE Newsletter, April 12, 2020:

A very few ARRL VE Teams have successfully conducted in-person exam sessions (following social distancing guidelines) and video-supervised exam sessions using fillable PDF exams and documents. So far, we have found that both types of sessions take our volunteer teams 2 to 3 times longer to conduct, and accommodate fewer candidates than sessions conducted prior to COVID-19. To this point, the video sessions have included only one examinee per session.

We ask the community to be patient with our volunteer teams as they navigate uncharted territory. Please remember, with the introduction of significant new processes such as these, there should be proof of concept, establishment of protocols and procedures, and beta testing before expanding to a larger audience. Video-supervised exam sessions require a different skillset than giving exams in person. Not all teams will be equipped to deliver video exams immediately.

In addition, the ARRL VEC has been investigating options for an online examination system.
Fillable PDFs are cumbersome within a video-supervised exam session process. We recognize that online testing would be a large-scale solution for our thousands of volunteer examiners and would make session procedures easier for our teams, but this will not happen overnight.

The ARRL VEC will continue to adapt and respond to the evolving crisis, as we search for a viable and easy-to-use online examination system and conduct exam sessions in new and innovative ways.

New England QSO Party, May 2-3, 2020

New England statesTom Frenaye, K1KI, writes:

The [New England QSO Party on May 2-3 2020] is a great time to check out antenna systems and offers a moderately paced opportunity to work new states and countries.   You’ll find a wide variety of participants, from newcomers to experienced contesters, all interested in making contacts with New England stations.

With travel restrictions we do not expect to have activity from mobile stations but hope we can generate a big increase in home station activity.   Our goal is to get every one of the 67 counties in New England on the air so we hope you will encourage your members to join in the fun!   Even if you can join the fun for a couple of hours, we’d appreciate it!   Will you be QRV?   Let us know with a message to info@neqp.org 

The New England QSO Party is 20 hours long overall, in two sections with a civilized break for sleep on Saturday night.  It runs from 4pm Saturday until 1am Sunday, then 9am Sunday until 8pm Sunday.  Operate on CW, SSB and/or digital modes on 80-40-20-15-10 meters.   For each QSO you’ll give your callsign, a signal report and your county/state.   Top scorers can earn a plaque and everyone who sends in a log will get a certificate.  The goal is to work stations anywhere in the world – and their goal is to work New England stations, so you’ll be very popular!

Last year we had logs from almost 200 New England stations and 450 more from around the country and world.

The full rules are here ->  http://www.neqp.org/rules.html

The 2019 results were posted last weekend  ->  http://www.neqp.org/results.html

It’s just three weeks until the 2020 NEQP.   Please make some QSOs even if you don’t want to send in a log!

Thanks!

  73 Tom/K1KI

YCCC On-line Meeting, April 11, 2020

Dennis Egan, W1UE, writes on the YCCC reflector:

Here’s the meeting info for Saturday, [April 11].  A new meeting ID was generated for this meeting, so don’t try and use the old one!  As a reminder, we may be limited to the first 100 ops that show up on the website, and we will be opening the meeting several minutes before the 1pm time.  All members should make their screen name to be “Your Name, Call Sign” so that we can promptly let you into the meeting.

Topic: YCCC April General Meeting
Time: Apr 11, 2020 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/292320985?pwd=SFovNFZUQmU2cm1CUmlaa1hocndKZz09

Meeting ID: 292 320 985
Password:  (contact Dennis Egan, W1UE at <egan.dennis88@gmail.com> for password information)

Agenda:
Short Business Meeting
       Secretary’s Report
       Treasurer’s Report
        Old Business
        New Business
        New Members
Election of Officers
Presentations:
       Dave K1ZZ- “3B8M”
       Randy K5ZD- “WPX Contests”
       Paul K1XM/Charlotte KQ1F- “Several Extra weeks in Paradise”
       Tom N1MM+- “New and Review of things in N1MM+”

Dennis W1UE
President, YCCC

HamXposition / ARRL New England Division Convention Postponed to November 6-8, 2020

Bob DeMattia, K1IW, writes:
 
I hope this messages finds you safe and healthy.   After long consideration, the convention committee has decided to postpone the 2020 convention to the week of November 6 through 8. 
 
There are several reasons for this, the first and foremost is the health and well-being of our attendees.   In addition, there are many logistical problems with holding the convention in July, even under the most favorable conditions of the pandemic emergency being over by then.
 
1. We believe it is unlikely that the state’s ban on large gatherings will be completely lifted by the end of July.
 
2. Even if it were, we believe attendance will be severely impacted due to lingering (and quite appropriate caution).
 
3. Almost all of our exhibitors are unwilling to commit to anything prior to June.
 
4. The convention is subject to penalties for cancellation.  The penalties increase as we get closer to the convention date.  By moving to November, we move out the schedule on these penalties.  This will allow us to reassess the viability of the convention in early August.  By then we will have further insight into  prevailing conditions.
 
5. The November weekend was the only one available to us – and could be lost to another group if we did not act on it.
 
We know that many look forward to attending each year, and have probably grown weary of all the cancellations of events like these.  However, given the reality of the situation, we believe it is in everyone’s best interest to postpone.
 
 
Stay safe & 73,
 
Bob – K1IW
Chairman
Northeast HamXposition 2020

“Drive-in” Volunteer Exams Seen as an Alternative to In-Person Sessions

ARRL VEC logo/bannerGiven the risks associated with the COVID-19 virus while conducting  in-person Volunteer Exam sessions, several clubs across the country are beginning to explore an alternative–“Drive-In” VE sessions.

The Newport County (RI) Radio Club is holding its next licensing class online starting on Tuesday April 21st at 5:30 PM. It will be held weekly using “Zoom.” At the conclusion of the class, the team will hold an ARRL VEC-sponsored “drive-in” exam session. Students will remain in their cars to keep social distancing.

An ARRL VEC-sponsored team associated with the Warren Country Radio Club in Eastern New York conducted a “drive-thru” amateur radio exam session on April 5, 2020. 

According to ARRL Eastern New York Section Manager John Fritze Jr., K2QY: “I visited for a short while to see what how they managed this… I was very impressed with the professionalism and the degree into which […] safety was observed.  Everyone in direct contact with either the examinees or the test materials wore face masks and gloves (which were switched out so there was no cross contamination).   All examinees were warned to use a bathroom before coming to the test location.  All examinees were confined to their vehicles which were checked for any papers or electronics which could be used to cheat.  VEs stood in front of and between two cars so each car could be observed by VEs from two angles.  All instructions were given using a portable FM transmitter using low power in the commercial VHF range and received on the individual car radios.  The VE team spaced themselves more than six feet apart at a long table in front of the examinee’s vehicles.”

A video about the Warren County RC test session by Mickey Corentto, N2MC, documents how it was implemented.

PART of Westford April Meeting / Video Conference

PART of Westford logoGeorge Allison, K1IG, writes on the PART of Westford  mailing list:

Our next club meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, will be conducted via video conference.  For the past two weeks, the PART board has been testing several systems, and we’ve settled on Cisco’s Webex (webex.com).  This system is easy to use, has good audio and video quality, and doesn’t require you to install any software on your computer; all you have to do is click on a link in an email. We can have up to 100 attendees in the meeting for an unlimited amount of time, and best of all, it’s free.

If your computer doesn’t have a video camera, or if you don’t have a computer at all, you’ll still be able to attend.  You don’t need a camera to be able to view the conference on your computer, and there will be a dial-in number to call if you just want to hear the audio.

To get everyone ready for the club meeting, we’re going to hold practice sessions right after the Sunday night net for the next two weeks.  At about 8:15 PM on Sunday evening I’ll send an email via Groups.io to the club that will have the URL link and dial-in number.  We can use the repeater to coordinate the session and resolve connectivity problems.

Some things to note:

  • Video conferencing systems use a lot of resources in your computer to properly display all the video.  If you’re on a laptop computer or smartphone, be sure it’s plugged in; if not, the battery will quickly drain.
  • Be in a well-lighted room, with the light on your face.
  • When you first attend a meeting on Webex, you’ll be asked to allow your camera and microphone to access the software.  There may be a short delay while the link is initialized.
  • Mute your microphone if you’re not talking.  There’s a mute button on the Webex screen.

See you next Sunday.

Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test Postponed

From ARRL Web:

(04/08/2020) – Due to the ongoing COVID-19 response and mitigation actions, the 2020 Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test scheduled for Saturday, May 9, has been postponed. Because it’s uncertain just when stay-at-home orders will be lifted across the US, AFD planners chose to postpone this year’s event, because the government stations that typically support this event may not be available. Armed Forces Day Crossband Test planners are considering scheduling a November event in honor of Veteran’s Day, depending on COVID-19 mitigation actions. During the AFD Crossband Test, military stations in various locations transmit on selected military frequencies and announce the specific ham frequencies they are monitoring to work radio amateurs. — Thanks to US Army MARS Program Chief Paul English, WD8DBY 

PART of Westford Repeater Antenna Improvements

PART of Westford logoTerry Stader, KA8SCP, writes on the PART-L mailing list:

Last week, I sent this message out to our D-STAR users…. I am forwarding it since it contains some information that may be helpful.

The latest information is that new antennas are up and the new hardline is installed. There is a tentative switch over to the new water tower scheduled for next week. As soon as I know what day this is to occur, I will send a message out.

There will be some downtime where all three repeaters will be offline to conduct maintenance. All three repeaters have been on the air without any down time since December of 2018. That is over 11,500 hours EACH. We expect that the switch will be seamless, but please be aware that during the changeover, the repeaters may be up one minute and then down the next. If we encounter any issue with the changeover, we will revert to the previous configuration.

From: Terry M. Stader – KA8SCP
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2020 9:45 AM
To: wb1gof-dstar@groups.io
Subject: Re: [wb1gof-dstar] antenna Change

Change is coming… so let me expand on what is existing now and what is happening soon.

Today, the VHF analog VHF 146.955 and D-STAR UHF 442.450 antennas are sited on the top of the older Town of Westford Prospect Hill water tower built in 1918. The D-STAR VHF 145.330 repeater antenna is located on top of the communications building at the base of that water tower, 90 feet below to other two antennas located on the top of the water tower, hence, the difference in signal levels.

 

  

A new, bigger water tower was built adjacent to the old tower. The old water tower is scheduled to be torn down in the future.

Three NEW commercial grade replacement antennas were ordered and are waiting for the new coax lines to run, then the new antenna to be placed (all 3 of them) on top of the new water tower tank on a pedestal that has already been built. When the antennas and hardline runs have been tested and we have been advised they are ours, I will go to the site and start making the switch to the new antennas.

The latest word I have was just this week… the hardline/coax installation was to be started this week. I was asked about the new antennas, so hopefully they are being transported to the site/installer.

The new water tower is considerably larger than the old water tower. It is about the same height as the old tower, exact dimensions are not yet known. The new tower is about 80-100 feet away from the old tower. That does mean that the hardline/coax runs to the new antennas are longer. The antennas are the same antenna models we have had previously. Because there is a little shift to the north in physical location, we expect pretty much the same coverage on the 955 analog and the 442.450 D-STAR repeaters. We do expect a significant change in coverage of the VHF D-STAR 145.330 repeater. 

This is all the information I have at the moment. I will advise of any significant deviation from what was outlined above when known.

Thanks all for your support to our WB1GOF repeaters.

Terry

Terry M Stader KA8SCP
WB1GOF Repeaters/D-STAR Admin

New England Sci-Tech Technician Courses On-Line, April 11-12, 14-17, 18-19, 21-24, 2020

New England Sci Tech logoFor anyone interested in wireless communications and electronics, this ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the Amateur Radio Technician license exam, the FIRST of three certification levels. Geared toward adults, as well as junior high, high school, and homeschool students.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Some preliminary preparation is necessary to get the best results from this course.

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn so much more than just watching a video.

Current offerings:

  • 2-day course: Sat-Sun Apr 11-12, Noon-6:00pm each day.
  • 4 day course: Tu-W-Th-Fri Apr 14-17, 2-5 pm each day.
  • 2-day course: Sat-Sun Apr 18-19, Noon-6:00pm each day.
  • 4 day course: Tu-W-Th-Fri Apr 21-24, 2-5 pm each day.

The FCC Technician test will be scheduled for an upcoming weekday evening or weekend, as an online test, run by our VE team which has authorization to run online tests.

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a browser, a built-in camera/mic, and a color printer.

Included with course fee: downloadable lecture study guide and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months once the facility reopens.

Note that the standard $15 license test fee is NOT included and must be registered separately; our VE team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule an exam within a week of the course. (Price is $15 across the country.)

One additional member of the same family may take this course for the price of one, if sharing one computer, video screen, and materials.

A few hours before the session you will receive an email with a Zoom link and ID. If you don’t see the email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, call 508-720-4179 for help.

For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

New England Sci-Tech General Course On-Line, April 24-25, 2020

New England Sci Tech logoFor anyone interested in wireless communications and electronics, this ON-LINE course will get you ready to take the Amateur Radio GENERAL license exam. Geared toward adults, as well as junior high, high school, and homeschool students.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Some preliminary preparation is necessary to get the best results from this course.

This is a FULL course taught by a 40-yr veteran teacher, not a discussion group or video service. You will learn so much more than just watching a video.

Current offerings:

Two day course: SAT-SUN April 24-25, noon-6:00pm each day.

The FCC General test will be scheduled for an upcoming weekday evening or weekend, as an online test, run by our VE team which has authorization to run online tests.

System Requirements: Computer or Chromebook capable of running ZOOM Meeting, either by Zoom app or through a browser, a built-in camera/mic, and a color printer.

Included with course fee: downloadable lecture study guide and charts, free access to our weekly Online Radio Shop Talk sessions, and a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Rooms and radio club meetings for 3 months once the facility reopens.

Note that the standard $15 license test fee is NOT included and must be registered separately; our VE team is authorized to give ONLINE exams, so you can schedule an exam within a week of the course. (Price is $15 across the country.)

One additional member of the same family may take this course for the price of one, if sharing one computer, video screen, and materials.

A few hours before the session you will receive an email with a Zoom link and ID. If you don’t see the email, check your spam filter. If you still don’t see it, call 508-720-4179 for help.

For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

K1BG: “Single Operator Field Day” at Nashoba Valley ARC, April 16, 2020

From April, 2020 Nashoba Valley ARC Signal:

The April [16th] NVARC meeting will be formatted as a Video Conference meeting using the “WebEx” computer/smartphone application, thanks to Jim, N8VIM’s employer’s (MedTronic) contribution to NVARC of their WebEx access, as a public service. Sign-in details will be forthcoming.

The Video Conference session will include a “Special Meeting,” as described in the club constitution, wherein elections will be held for several Club officer positions. Absentee ballots will be made available for those who do not wish to Video Conference. See the following two articles for more details.

Additionally, Bruce, K1BG will give a presentation on Single Operator Field Day. 

Museum Ships Weekend Event 2020 Cancelled

[Ed note: this impacts various local museum ships that normally operate on the air for Museum Ships Weekend.]

“Due to the current unknowns with COVID-19 virus, Battleship New Jersey ARS is cancelling the planned annual Museum Ships Weekend Event 2020 which was scheduled to begin 6-June-2020 at 0001Z and end 7-June 2020 at 2400Z. A lot of the ships that participate are already closed due to this health situation and others may get orders to close soon. As of today, April 6, 2020, it is unknown when the “lock-down” will be lifted so it is with an abundance of caution and regret that we have decided to cancel MSWE 2020. The health and safety of all our ship participants takes precedence at all times. We look forward to the event for 2021.” –https://www.nj2bb.org/museum/