August 2021 – Page 3 – Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

New England Sci-Tech QRV on WSPR

August 3, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Derek Rowell, AK1WI, writes in the Sci-Tech ARS newsletter:

As promised last week, I have installed one of the New England Sci-Tech (NEST) WSPR (“Weak Signal Propagation Reporter”) beacons in the Radio Room and have had it running since on 80m, 40m, 20m, and 15m using the OCF dipole during periods when the room has been idle. My plan is to build filters for the other bands that are covered by the OCF (17m, 12m, 10m), one per day, and have them available later this week.

The results so far have been excellent. On separate days both 20m and 40m have had over 300 unique spots over a 24 hour period. (For those unfamiliar with WSPR jargon a “spot” is a report of a beacon being heard, and a “unique spot” is the first report from an individual reporting station) We were heard from Central Europe, South America, Antarctica, across the US, and down through the South Pacific.

The map shows the 306 unique spots on 40m over 24 hours on July 30. The results from 20m look very similar. We are still collecting initial data on 80m and 15m.

Last year we distributed 21 kits for the WSPR beacon and had two kit building sessions at NEST before Covid shut us down. Right now I am out of parts and cannot supply additional kits. However, if there is interest, I am willing to gear up and hold additional in-person building sessions at NEST. The parts cost is approximately $50 for the complete kit. This is a kit that can be assembled by first-time kit builders with no soldering experience, and takes about one morning to build the PCB and another shorter session to build a filter for a particular band and do some on-air testing.

After the this week’s meeting I’ll be available in the Sci-Tech ARS Radio Room to demonstrate the unit and discuss what’s involved in building it. For those attending by Zoom, I’ll set up a groups.io discussion (with hashtag #WSPR) where interested folks can chat about the project.

Derek, AK1WI

All / NTS

NTS Traffic Handlers Picnic in Concord MA Draws a Good Crowd

August 2, 2021August 9, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Some thirty traffic handlers, ARRL field organization volunteers and elected officials attended the NTS Traffic Handler’s Picnic, held at the QTH of MA Section Traffic Manager Marcia Forde, KW1U, Concord, MA on August 1. Good conversation and fellowship was had by all. A Radio Amateurs Handbook was raffled off, courtesy of the Eastern MA ARRL field organization.

photo of "red badge" officials in attendance at the NTS Traffic Handlers Picnic on August 1, 2021 in Concord MA — “Red badge” group photo (l-r): current NH Section Manager (SM) Pete Stohrer, K1PJS; former NH SM John Gotthardt, K1UAF; Director Emeritus Tom Frenaye, K1KI; WMA SM Ray Lajoie, KB1LRL; EMA SM Tom Walsh, K1TW; Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI. (Not shown: former ENY SM Rob Leiden, K1UI.)

Marcia, KW1U at NTS Traffic Handlers Picnic — NTS Traffic Handlers Picnic hostess Marcia Forde, KW1U, Section Traffic Manager, MA

NTS

Heavy Hitters Traffic Net (HHTN) expanding to six nights per week

August 2, 2021August 3, 2021 - by kw1u - Leave a Comment

Thanks to the efforts of net manager Joe Weisse W1HAI, and in agreement with the Minuteman Repeater Association (MMRA)and the trustees of the Mt Greylock K1FFK repeater, the Heavy Hitters Traffic Net (HHTN) will expand its operation to six nights a week, Sunday through Friday, effective Sunday August 1. Many thanks to all involved. We hope these additional late evening nets will provide greater opportunity for the clearing of message traffic. Unfortunately the Plymouth repeater which had been linked is off-line for the foreseeable future. The net can also be accessed via Echolink, New-Eng2 Conference and IRLP node 9127.

Clubs

KD1CY: “SKYWARN Overview” at Billerica ARS Meeting, August 4, 2021

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Doug Bruce, N1WRN, writes on the Billerica ARS w1hh.org website:

Our featured speaker will be Rob Macedo, KD1CY, who can do a very timely SKYWARN Overview beginning at 7:15 or 7:20 PM on August 4 on Zoom with [the Billerica Amateur Radio Society].

[We will announce the link to join the Zoom meeting before the meeting, but it will be posted to the BARS email list . Are you on the email list? If not, please send an email to bars-subscribe@w1hh.org and then simply reply to the robot response from the server and you will be subscribed.]

SKYWARN is something virtually every BARS member can participate in and it uses the Westford repeater for all local SKYWARN activations. It is very helpful during winter weather and summer storms. SKYWARN reports are used by virtually all the major Boston TV stations too. It would be good to get BARS more involved in this.

Rob is also on Tom Walsh K1TW’s ARRL staff and has close ties to the National Weather service and the Weather Channel. Rob may also appear at times on local TV and Radio.

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday August 2nd, 2021 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater Network

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021 - by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

The August Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday August 2nd, 2021 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater system.

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:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. For this month’s ARES Net, we will have announcements around a final extension for anyone interested in volunteering at the 2021 Boston Marathon, Northeast HamXposition and an exercise on Saturday 8/7/21 being run by Cape Cod ARES. This exercise will not be section wide due to all of the SKYWARN activations over the month of July in the region but all in the section are welcome to participate.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
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