a field organization of the National Association for Amateur Radio®
The QRP Club of New England (NEQRP) has published a schedule of activities for its members at the Northeast HamXposition, September 10-12, 2021.
Activities include: Early Birds Meet ‘N Greet, QRP Vendors Night, Night Owls Gathering, QRP Symposium of Talks and more.
For the full schedule, see <https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NEQRPatNortheastHamXposition2021.pdf>.
The Northeast HamXposition Convention Committee has announced its policy to address appropriate COVID precautions for the ARRL New England Division Convention to be held on September 10-12, 2021 in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Masks will be required to be worn in all indoor areas, but may be removed for the purpose of eating. Masks will not be required in outdoor areas. The Committee will provide free masks to attendees. In addition, seating capacity will be limited in most rooms.
To view the complete policy, visit <https://hamxposition.org/covid>.
Gerry Hull, W1VE, writes on the YCCC list:
Hi Folks,
For those who are planning to attend the Northeast HamXposition Sept 10-12, we are planning, as usual, a special event station. Marty, NN1C and I will be spearheading the effort.
Rather than just a drop-by-and-say-hi/Quick QSO moment, we thought it would be great to turn this into another “Discover the HF Experience” activity. If you remember, this was done in the past by both YCCC and a group of contest clubs at the Dayton Hamvention. It was a great success.
So, this year, at HamXposition, we will have three operating positions. Two of the stations will be remote, and the third will be a local station at the Xposition, with dipole antennas.
We are excited to show hams what shortwave radio is, and especially what it is like in 2021. We would like to give new hams/non-hams at least a taste for what HF radio is, and why we get so excited about it. We have two fantastic superstations for our remote operations, and they should excite both old and new!
What we need is some of your expertise and time. A new ham or someone interested in the hobby can read books till they are blue in the face — but what they can learn from an Elmer will stay with them forever.
I have a sign-up sheet for Elmers. You sign up for any of the three stations in half-hour increments. We will have another public signup sheet for those new-hams/non-hams/shy-ops wishing to participate. Perhaps you will come and just explain what HF is all about, perhaps make a QSO or two, or just enjoy some operating time. However, explaining what we do and how we do it should be our primary focus.
If you do not want to operate — come by and be an ambassador for our hobby.
We will be setting aside some specific times where we will simply talk to the crowd, and answer lots of specific questions. What’s SSB? What’s CW? What’s Digital? What are the HF bands? What is a remote station? Etc.
Here is the sign-up sheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k9z9-oM0copOynmLGlQI4-Nh_HDLYS_n5-MWUkz14xU/edit?usp=sharing
(It is only open to YCCC mail members. If you can figure out how to share publicly, let me know.)
The hours are:
About the stations:
The local station will be a 100w station with low dipoles, located on the property, signing W1A.
W1A@W1KM Cape Cod, Massachusetts Remote:
Greg has graciously given us permission to use his station. It is one of the premiere HF contest stations on the east coast, with antennas literally sitting on the Cape Cod bay.
N6A@WA6TQT Anza, California Remote:
My good friends who are the owners/supporters of WA6TQT (ex W6BH Radio Ranch) have graciously offered the Anza Superstation for this special event. It has a commanding signal into the pacific (worldwide, actually) on 160-10m.
Please help! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
73,
Gerry W1VE
Mike Cormier, K1MJC, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list at 4:40 PM on August 27, 2021:
The K1MJC fox is out…!
It is located in a conservation area within the city of Waltham Massachusetts.
Frequency: 146.565
Here are the clues:
The name of the conservation area may be considered another polite name for a person who is a “hoarder“!
There are two entrances, one is a “paine“, but I would not want to … “school“ … you on the better entrance!
Here is a link to some good conservation maps of the area, it is one of these map’s you need:
https://walthamlandtrust.org/trail-guides/
Happy hunting.
K1MJC Mike C. 73s
via ARRL Web:
08/26/2021 – ARRL members in the New England and Roanoke Divisions will choose among three candidates running for Director in each Division. The candidates include two incumbents. Those are the only contested races in this year’s election cycle for Director and Vice Director.
In the New England Division, the candidates for Director are the incumbent, Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, of Lincoln, Massachusetts; past New England Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, of West Suffield, Connecticut, and Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, of Hollis, New Hampshire.
New England Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, of Watertown, Massachusetts, was uncontested and has been declared elected.
In the Roanoke Division, the candidates for Director are the incumbent, George “Bud” Hippisley, W2RU, of Penhook, Virginia, and challengers James Boehner, N2ZZ, of Aiken, South Carolina, and Marvin Hoffman, WA4NC, of Boone, North Carolina.
No one challenged Roanoke Division Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, of Wilmington, North Carolina, and he has been declared elected for a new term.
Incumbent Directors and Vice Directors in the ARRL Central, Hudson, and Northwestern Divisions also had no challengers and have been declared elected. In the Central Division, Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Vice Director Brent Walls, N9BA, of Greenfield, Indiana, will continue in their respective posts.
In the Hudson Division, Director Ria Jairam, N2RJ, of Sussex, New Jersey, and Vice Director Bill Hudzik, W2UDT, of Gillette, New Jersey, are unchallenged in this election cycle and have been declared elected. In the Northwestern Division, Director Mike Ritz, W7VO, of Scappoose, Oregon, and Vice Director Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, of Yakima, Washington, also faced no challengers in their re-election bids.
Full ARRL members of the New England and Roanoke Divisions who are in good standing as of September 10, 2021, will receive a ballot in the mail no later than October 1, 2021. Completed ballots must be received at the designated PO Box in the envelope provided by noon Eastern Time Friday, November 19, 2021.
We’re pleased to announce the Norfolk County Radio Association’s web presence is now hosted on ema.arrl.org. To view their new site, visit <https://ema.arrl.org/ncra>.
MARISN, the Massachusetts Rhode Island Slow Speed CW Net is now de-activated until further notice. Net Manager Rob Zarges K2MZ has relocated and now has a job which keeps him out many evenings making it impossible for him to continue as net manager. This and lack of net control stations as well as low participation has led to this decision. If in the future an interest is expressed we will consider activating this net again. We thank Rob for his efforts in organizing this net for the purpose of practicing CW while at the same time learning CW traffic net procedures. Meanwhile all are welcome to join us on MARI CW net nightly at 7 PM on 3565 Khz. Training will be provided as needed. Check in at the speed you can copy and net control will match your speed.
73, Marcia KW1U, STM EMA / WMA
On Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 7:00 PM, Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, will present “Programs Helping Hams and Young People to Develop New Skills and Get on The Air” at the New England Sci-Tech ARS (STARS) meeting.
For Zoom conference information, email Bob Phinney, K5TEC, at bobphinney -at- nescitech -dot- org or call 508-720-4179.
New England Sci-Tech in Natick is holding an innovative course that teaches students how to build and tune a UHF (70cm), 1/4 wave vertical antenna with ground plane using simple, off-the-shelf materials and a nanoVNA.
According to their website, the project will have two goals:
Cost of the activity will be minimal, just enough to cover the hardware. Participants are asked to purchase their own nanoVNA (cost ~$60 to $90) and bring it to the session.
[The course is currently sold out, but the group intends to offer it again in the near future.]
Barry Kennedy, N4NMF, writes on the Massasoit ARA Facebook page:
Please join us for our South Shore SKYWARN Net tonight and every Saturday evening at 8:00 PM on our W1MV – 147.180, PL 67.0 MARA repeater. You can check in with the weather in your local area–be it just the temperature or a more comprehensive report. Hope to hear you on!
73 de Barry, N4NMF
Via ARRL website:
08/20/2021 – The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) is mustering as Hurricane Grace, a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 MPH, is expected to make landfall between Túxpam and Veracruz, Mexico. The storm swept over the Yucatan Peninsula yesterday.
“We plan to activate this afternoon at 2100 UTC on 14.325 MHz and continue on this frequency until we lose propagation,” HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said. “We will start up on 7.268 MHz at 2300 UTC and continue for as long as we have propagation.”
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Grace has maximum sustained winds of nearly 90 MPH with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast until the storm makes landfall.
Graves said that once attention shifts away from Grace it will zero in on Tropical Storm Henri, which is expected to make landfall in New England on Sunday. As of Friday at 1800 UTC, Henri was “almost a hurricane,” according to the NHC.
“We will activate Sunday morning at 1200 UTC on 14.325 MHz and remain active there as long as propagation allows,” Graves announced. “We will start up on 7.268 MHz at 2300 UTC and remain active there until we lose propagation. If required, we will resume operations on Monday beginning at 1200 UTC on 14.325 MHz.”
Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Rob Macedo, KD1CY, has announced that Eastern Massachusetts ARES will be placed on stand-by later today (Friday). Macedo noted in mid-afternoon that WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center already was on the air to gather weather data via amateur radio.
The Boston/Norton National Weather Service office will be the primary agency during Henri for any SKYWARN-related activity. “VoIP Hurricane Net and New England SKYWARN regional operations will be combined to form one large network as done in past major tropical systems such as Irene and Sandy,” Macedo said. [Echolink *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and *NEW-ENG3* Echolink conference.] “Information from ARES-SKYWARN will be shared with other agencies including state and federal emergency management, Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and media outlets,” Macedo added. “We will coordinate with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).”
At 1800 UTC, Henri was 320 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and 720 miles south of Montauk Point, New York. Henri is heading north-northwest at 6 MPH, bearing winds of 70 MPH. Storm surge and hurricane watches are in effect for portions of the northeastern US. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the south shore of Long Island, from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk, the north shore of Long Island, from Port Jefferson Harbor to Montauk, New Haven, Connecticut, to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, and Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Block Island.
“A turn toward the north is expected by tonight, and Henri is forecast to accelerate in that direction through early Sunday,” the NHC said. On the forecast track, Henri is expected to make landfall in southern New England by late Sunday.”
Additional strengthening is forecast into the weekend, and the NHC expects Henri to be a hurricane by Saturday and be at or near hurricane strength when it makes landfall in southern New England.
Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, will be the featured speaker at the Framingham Amateur Radio Association meeting on September 2, 2021 at 7 PM. He will present on “Programs Helping Hams and Young People to Develop New Skills and Get on The Air.”
Tom Walsh, K1TW, writes on the Billerica ARS website:
This is a discussion on HF Digital Modes concentrating on FT8. The history and evolution of WSJT-X modes and its derivatives, like JS8-Call, JT-65, FT-4 and WSPR. We will also look at a few standalone kits for digital modes that you can build yourself, as well as an overview of FT8 software and associated software for digital modes.
Neil Goldstein, W2NDG, has been tinkering with radios since the early seventies when he used to hang out in his uncle’s ham shack in CT (W1PVC SK). These days he can be found in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains with a QRP radio, or sitting at his workbench amidst a cloud of solder smoke. After first getting licensed in 2011 as KD2APZ, he started looking for ways to merge his two hobbies: computers and radio. Now, a holder of an Extra Class license, he experiments with SDR, rig control, digital modes, and has a well-used soldering iron. Neil maintains radiokitguide.com, the complete list of radio kit sources on the Internet.
[For Zoom conference details, email Tom Walsh, K1TW, at k1tw -at- comcast -dot- net.]
Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, will be the featured speaker at the QRA Zoom meeting at 7 PM on August 19, 2021. He will present on “Programs Helping Hams and Young People to Develop New Skills and Get on The Air.”
Kudos are in order to SKYWARN Coordinator and Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, of New Bedford, for his article “The SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program” published in the September 2021 QST. The two-page article discusses the importance of Amateur Radio storm spotters, adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, and becoming a trained spotter.
You can vote for Rob’s article to win the September 2021 QST Cover Plaque Award by visiting: <http://www.arrl.org/cover-plaque-poll>.
Coming Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at the Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society: “Amateur Radio Public Service” by Bruce Pigott, KC1US.
This presentation will cover procedures, resources and clubs involved with public service events. Items discussed will include typical tasks, recommended equipment to use and communications protocols. Information about training as well as the groups and agencies that need radio support are also presented. Bruce has been doing events since 1989. He has been an operator, leader at large activities and a ham planner and organizer for various Public Service events. Bruce has maintained repeater systems, done many Field Days, participated in VHF contests, and built APRS tracker boxes. He has held a number of engineering positions, such as component engineer and test engineer for assembled boards and IC wafer trim and test.
[For Zoom conference information, email Bob Phinney, K5TEC, at bobphinney -at- nescitech -dot- org or call 508-720-4179.]From ARRL Web:
08/16/2021 – The schedule of FCC amateur radio application fees likely will not go into effect before 2022. FCC staff confirmed during a recent virtual meeting with Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) that the agency is still working on the necessary changes to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) software and other processes and procedures that must be in place before it starts collecting fees from amateur applicants. Earlier this year, the FCC said it would not start collecting fees from amateur applicants before this summer. The new estimate is that the fees won’t go into effect until early next year.
Once it’s effective, the $35 application fee will apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. All fees will be per application. Administrative update applications, such as those to change a licensee’s name, mailing, or email address, will be exempt from fees. ARRL VEC manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, said Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not face the burden of collecting the $35 fee.
“Once the FCC application fee takes effect, new and upgrade applicants will pay the exam session fee to the VE team as usual, but they’ll pay the $35 application fee directly to the FCC using the FCC Pay Fees system,” she explained. When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each successful candidate who then will have 10 days from the date of the email to pay.
After the fee is paid and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license. The link will be good for 30 days. Licensees also will be able to view, download, and print official license copies by logging into their FCC ULS account. The FCC no longer provides printed licenses.
Licensees can log into the ULS with their 10-digit FRN (FCC Registration Number) and password at any time to view and manage their license and application, print their license, and update anything in their FCC license record, including adding an email address.
FEE SCHEDULE
INDIVIDUALS
$35 FEE: New, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. All fees will be per application.
NO FEE: Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, or license cancellation.
AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS
$35 FEE: New, renewal, trustee change, and vanity call sign applications. All fees will be per application.
NO FEE: Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, or license cancellation
The MITRE Bedford Amateur Radio Club is offering an intro Ham Radio licensing course. Fill this form by September 9th if interested!!
If you have any questions feel free to email me or any of the presenters Cc’d on this email! Feel free to forward this to anyone who may be interested.
Best,
Thinesiya
Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list at 9:51 AM on August 15, 2021:
Hello Fox Hunters,
The KB1OIQ 2m fox is on the loose! 146.565 MHz
Here are clues for getting close to it:
– Start at the Jack Walsh field
Then, do one of these things, either:
1) Seek the Koalas.
…or…
2) Seek the little bears, then the polar bears, but ignore the bear cubs.
Have fun and 73,
Andy