Month: September 2021

Clubs / Foxhunting

KD1D: “Foxhunting” at Billerica ARS Meeting, October 6, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Billerica ARS logoBARS Zoom Meeting: Wed, Oct. 6 at 7 PM

Alan, KD1D,  will make a presentation on locating hidden transmitters for hams [at the Billerica Amateur Radio Society meeting on October 6, 2021].  He’ll discuss “fox” transmitters and radiolocation methods for fun, radiosport and practical applications.  RF fox hunting is fun, provides us with physical and mental exercise and teaches us how to locate sources of interference like repeater trolls, stuck transmitters and unlicensed operation on our ham bands.

There are many Fox Hunting opportunities in our area.  This will get you started in this most fascinating aspect of amateur radio. Please join us for an evening of Amateur Radio excitement!

73,

Tom K1TW
Interim BARS President

[For Zoom conference details, email Tom Walsh, K1TW, at k1tw -at- comcast -dot- net.]
 
Public Information

Barnstable ARC Exhibit at Harwich Cranberry Festival, September 18-19, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Barnstable ARC logoThe Barnstable Amateur Radio Club (BARC) will conduct a special event this Saturday and Sunday, September 18 and 19, 2021 at the Harwich Cranberry Festival in Harwich Center on Cape Cod.  BARC will operate W1MA, the club’s new callsign, honoring BARC member Ed Lajoie who became a silent key on February 3, 2021. 

Operation is expected on 10, 15 and 20 meters with a tri-band beam on a tower.  The operators will engage the public at the entrance to the event.  Talk-in for any hams who would like to drop by will be on the W1MA 146.955 repeater (88.5 Hz tone).

 

Public Service

Request For Operators: Ride to Defeat ALS, September 19, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Matt Brennan, NM1B, writes on the MMRA Public Service Events List:

We are looking for volunteers for Sunday 9/19 for the Ride to Defeat ALS. This is a low key event with the primary focus being on charity rather than racing. The 70 mile bicycle course begins at the Longfellow Club in Wayland and continues through several towns with rest stops in Hudson, Bolton, Acton, Concord, and Sudbury.

– While the event runs from 6 AM to 2 PM, some stations open as late as 9 AM and some close as early as 11 AM
– Operators working at a course station can report directly to their station
– We will attempt to locate you at a station closer to your home if possible.
– There will be two roving race vehicles that will require a mobile radio
– We will have both 2m and 70cm repeaters linked for this event

If you are able to help, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/WBSrVMNm1FGKH7br5

If you have any questions, please contact events@wect.org.

Thanks and 73,
Matt, NM1B

Public Service

Request for Operators, YuKanRun Half-By-The-Sea Half Marathon, Manchester By the Sea, September 19, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
YouKanRun Manchester-by-the-SeaChris Winczewski, K1TAT, writes on the CAARA mailing list:

 

We really need a trail/ tail vehicle for this event! Please help if you can.

Come out and have some fun with us. We have loaner radios if you need one. Come out and join the event. Just contact us and we will set you up with a radio.

We are looking for operators to staff the YuKanRun Half-By-The-Sea Half Marathon By the Sea on September 19, 2021, 10:00am start time at Manchester Essex Memorial Elementary School, 43 Lincoln Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944.

Please let me know if you can staff a communications check-point for the event by September 11th so I can plan staffing positions for the event.

While CAARA’s repeater performance has greatly improved the we may still experience some difficulty with communications especially with low-powered HT s, so we’ll be looking for higher powered equipment to staff those areas.

Please let us know what type of equipment you plan to use ( mobile; HT; ¼-wave mag mount; rubber duck, etc.) so we have a better idea of where to locate you along the event course per the potential of your equipment.

The course will be open and supported by CAARA for four hours. Runner safety is everyone’s top priority. Local EMT crews and ambulances will be available for three hours to help.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Half by the Sea Communications Team
Manchester, Mass
Last Updated: 9/13//2021 8:22 pm
Event date: Sunday, September,19, 2021
On Location: 9:45 AM
Starts: Half Marathon Run = 10:00 AM
Freq: W1GLO Repeater 145.130 – PL:107.2 Back up 146.505 Simplex

Operating / Youth

Jamboree On The Air, October 15-17, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

JOTA-JOTI logoFrom the JOTA-JOTI website:

JOTA-JOTI (Jamboree-on-the-Air-Jamboree-on-the-Internet) is the world’s largest digital Scout event taking place on October 15-17, 2021, on the Internet and over the airwaves. Held every year in October, the event connects millions of young people around the world for a full weekend of online activities that promote friendship and global citizenship. JOTA-JOTI enables young people and volunteers to participate in fun and engaging group activities over the Internet and amateur radio focused on developing 21st century skills through Scouting. 

JOTA-JOTI 2020 took place from 15 to 17 October. The dynamic program comprised a variety of non-formal education activities, including webinars, global campfires, talent shows, live shows, fun challenges and more through an interactive 3D campsite. JOTA-JOTI aims to support young people of all ages to learn about communications technology, the values of global citizenship, and their role in creating a better world.

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Report – August/Early September 2021

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

This will be the first in a series of monthly Eastern Massachusetts ARES reports that we will begin publishing on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES web site and will redistribute via the ARRL Section News provided we can meet the Section News deadline with our report. In the future, we plan to include additional statistical information on number of SKYWARN and ARES activations, total number of ARES members in the section as well as a narrative report in key happenings in Eastern Massachusetts ARES. We hope everyone finds these reports informative.

It has been a very active month of August from an ARES-SKYWARN perspective. A total of 7 SKYWARN activations have occurred between early August through early September. The largest activations were for Tropical Storm Henri and its impacts to mostly Southeast, South-Central and Southwest Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut and the remnants of Ida which occurred last Wednesday Night into Thursday. During Henri, Eastern Massachusetts ARES was placed on standby and over 120,000 lost power in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut with the most power outages in Rhode Island where over 80,000 lost power which is around 15-20% of the state of Rhode Island. The WX1BOX Amateur Radio team was active with self-activation gathering reports from ARES-SKYWARN teams all across the NWS Boston/Norton coverage area with numerous reports sent to WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center, where reports from our network made the 11 AM August 22nd, 201 National Hurricane Center advisory. Some of this activity was covered by ARRL HQ and here are links to those articles:

http://www.arrl.org/news/grace-and-henri-keep-amateur-radio-weather-spotters-busy

http://www.arrl.org/news/hurricane-watch-net-turns-attention-to-henri-as-storm-hits-new-england

The remnants of Ida slammed the region with a widespread 3-8” of rain with isolated amounts approaching 9” causing widespread significant pockets of flash flooding. The remnants of Ida also caused severe weather in the from of straightline wind damage from wind gusts between 40-55 MPH with isolated higher winds of 60-80 MPH in thunderstorms in Dartmouth, Rochester and Yarmouthport, Massachusetts with an EF0 Tornado in Dennis Massachusetts. Cape Cod ARES-SKYWARN was active overnight and provided critical damage reports during the overnight hours through the efforts of KB1QCQ-Tom Wruk. Later in the morning based on some reports of storm damage received in Yarmouthport Massachusetts, KB1TLR-Barry Hutchinson, was able to provide excellent photos of the damage area and Tom and Barry’s information were part of the NWS Boston/Norton storm survey to determine that a EF0 Tornado occurred in Dennis Massachusetts with max winds of 75 MPH and straightline wind damage of 80 MPH occurred in Yarmouthport Massachusetts.

More information on these activations with post storm reports and photos will be posted on wx1box.org over the course of the next week.

Cape Cod ARES conducted a district exercise on Saturday August 7th. The drill went well with communications via NBEMS (Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System), Winlink, HF and 2m simplex all practiced during the exercise. The exercise also received excellent publicity from Cape Cod ARES via the following link:

https://www.barnstablecounty.org/2021/08/10/local-volunteer-ham-operators-integral-part-of-regions-emergency-response-complete-summer-field-exercise/

A reminder that the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net for the month of September will be on the second Monday in September on Monday 9/13/21 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater Network due to the holiday on the first Monday of the month immediately following the RACES Nets which are also moved due to the Labor Day holiday. Hope to hear folks check into the net on Monday 9/13.

As we go through the month of September, we will be approaching the peak of hurricane season. Given the very wet weather pattern of the last few months, we must remain vigilant for any tropical systems that could impact our region as either a Tropical Storm/Hurricane or a remnant system for both SKYWARN and ARES activations.

Thanks to all for their continued support of Eastern Massachusetts 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
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Clubs

N1DCH: “Shortened 80 Meter End Fed Half Wave Antenna” at Minuteman Repeater Association Meeting, September 15, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

MMRA logoFrom the Minuteman Repeater Association newsletter:

Membership Meeting Wednesday, 15 September 2021 7:30—9:30 pm
Dave Hornbaker – N1DCH Shortened 80m End Fed Half Wave Antenna

Location: New England Sci-Tech, Natick + Zoom Teleconference

Dave will discuss his Shortened 80-meter End Fed Half Wave Antenna. He will start with an overview of End Fed Antennas then, move onto the End Fed Half Wave. Dave will talk about how to feed an End Fed Antenna, counterpoise, and grounding. He also will discuss the design of his two End Fed Half wave antennas, the differences and performance, as well as design of the transformers and the common mode choke. He will also delve into the need for a counter- poise and common mode choke.

David’s interest in radio began when he was a kid and hung around the shack of his uncle Myron Hornbaker, W0GFU (SK), Fowler, Kansas. He got his First-Class Radiotelephone License in 1975 (now, General Radio- telephone Operator License). He was employed by a local telephone company as an installer of IMTS telephones in automobiles. Later, he went to work for Wichita, Kansas television station KAKE-TV as a master control operator.

David owns and is president of DCH Consulting Services, an Information Technology company. He has worked in the computer industry for over 40 years, most recently with the Microsoft Corporation. David is a graduate of University Massachusetts Lowell. BS, MS, Information Technology.

Flea markets & Conventions

HamXposition Expands Flea Market Start to Friday at 12 Noon

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Roger Coulson, WA1NVC, writes on the Waltham ARA mailing list:

The HamXposition (New England Division Convention) Flea Market is open on FRIDAY this year!

This is new having the FLEA MARKET starting at Noon on FRIDAY!

The Flea Market Hours are:

– Friday:  12 PM to 5 PM
– Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
– Sunday:   9 AM to 1 PM

https://hamxposition.org/flea-market

See you on FRIDAY at HamXposition!

Roger
WA1NVC

Public Information

Amateur Radio To Be Discussed on WBZ 1030, September 18, 2021

- by k1tw - Leave a Comment

Due to a scheduling snafu, Fred Kemmerer will not be appearing on the Morgan White show on September 18.  A new date is currently being negotiated.

 

WBZ 100th anniversary logoAmateur Radio will be the topic of discussion on the Morgan White show on Boston’s WBZ radio 1030 kHz, on Saturday, September 18 between the hours of 10 PM and midnight.

“With thanks to Cory Golob, KU1U [Sabattus, Maine], he put me in touch with another ham who has us on the Morgan White show–right in the middle of our WBZ special event operation,” writes Hampden County Radio Association President Larry Krainson, W1AST.

The Morgan White interview was organized in conjunction with a special event commemorating the 100th anniversary of WBZ radio. From September 17-19, New England amateurs will use the 1×1 callsigns W1W, W1B, and W1Z, in addition to the Hampden County Radio Association’s club callsign, WB1Z. 

The 50,000 watt, clear channel station is the oldest commercial radio station in New England. It began operations on September 15, 1921 at the Westinghouse Works building on Page Boulevard in East Springfield, Massachusetts broadcasting with just 100 watts. 

The special event is a joint effort of the Billerica Amateur Radio Society and the Hampden County Radio Association (HCRA). It’s being coordinated by W1AST. [See <https://nediv.arrl.org/wbz100>.]

Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, President of the Nashua Area Radio Society, has been invited to speak on the show along with prominent Boston-based radio historian Dr. Donna Halper from Lesley University in Cambridge.

Topics to be discussed will include the history of WBZ, the WBZ ham radio special event, and Amateur Radio in general. At this time, it is not known how many minutes of air time will be alloted to Kemmerer and Halper.

“Fred is an excellent speaker. He’ll be a great representative of the ham community,” adds Krainson.

Foxhunting / Operating

KB1OIQ Fox On the Loose in Westford, September 4, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list at 12:05 PM on September 4, 2021:

Hello Fox Hunters,

The KB1OIQ 2m 146.565 MHz fox is on the loose in the town of Westford.

The clue:  Peace be with you

Enjoy the nearby bench and the view as your reward for finding the fox.

There is no log book.  Take a photo if you wish, and email it to me…..or not, as you choose.  🙂

Have fun, and 73,

Andy

Public Information / Technical

ARRL Responds to Story of Radio Amateur Told to Remove His Antenna

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

From ARRL Web:

09/02/2021 – ARRL has responded to an Orlando, Florida, news story on August 23, 2021 by WFTV Channel 9 alleging a radio amateur was told to remove his antenna by the management of his subdivision following a complaint made by a neighbor.

“The news story appears to stem from a 2-year-old complaint from a neighbor who believed her insulin pump had malfunctioned due to the radio amateur’s operations ‘a few doors down,’” said ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI. “The story is lacking any details or timeline, so I contacted the radio amateur involved for information, and volunteered ARRL’s assistance.”

Hare explained that medical devices such as insulin pumps are regulated by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) purposes and are expected to be capable of operating in all the RF environments likely to be encountered by consumers. FDA published guidance for its staff and industry defines EMC with respect to electrically powered medical devices “as the ability of a device to function safely and effectively in its intended electromagnetic environment, including immunity to electromagnetic disturbance (interference).” FDA review of EMC information submitted with a device for approval “is based on the risk associated with EMC malfunction or degradation of the device under review, as well as the use of appropriate FDA-recognized standards or appropriate consensus standards.”

Hare noted there is an FDA recall for the model number of the insulin pump in question, in approximately the same time frame. “But with so few details, there is no way of knowing whether that recall applies to the serial number used or whether the exact unit has the mechanical defect indicated in the recall notice that could cause the malfunction,” explained Hare.

It also became apparent that there is no actual evidence connecting the amateur’s transmissions to operation of the insulin pump. Hare was told that the amateur agreed to run tests to establish whether there was a cause and effect, but the neighbor declined. 

Hare commented, “While there are no requirements for a radio amateur to stop transmitting due to alleged interference to a non-radio device, the preferred path with any complaint is for neighbors to work together.”

 

Foxhunting / Operating

KD1D Fox is Hiding Indoors in Westford, September 3, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
Alan Hicks, KD1D, writes on NEMassFoxHunters list on September 3, 2021 at 6:39 PM: 
 

George, K1IG, suggested setting up a Fox at a residence or public building, that would simulate an interfering or unlicensed transmitter (that wasn’t hidden in the woods in a tick nest, for example).  

As of 6:00 pm EDT, the KD1D Fox is in such a location in Westford.  If you take some initial readings from Hildreth Hills (Monadnock Drive and surroundings), you should get a hint of where it might be.  (It can also be heard from Kimball’s, but it might be best to save that for a reward at the end of your quest).

As usual, the KD1D Fox operates on 146.565 MHz FM with a message that repeats every 60 seconds

There is no logbook and hunters should avoid going on private property.  Be aware of your surroundings, especially traffic. To log your find, just send an email  with the (suspected) street address and/ or a( small) photo to kd1d@arrl.net.
Happy Hunting!

73 de KD1D

Foxhunting / Operating

K1MJC Fox is On the Loose in Waltham, September 3, 2021

- by k9hi - 1 Comment

Mike Cormier, K1MJC, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list at 2:32 PM on September 3, 2021:

Yes, the K1MJC fox is out yet again!

Here are two clues:

As you know, there are not very many “prospect”-ive places in my home city of Waltham to hide the fox.

Wow, after all this hard work of finding a location for the fox and putting it there I think I’ll need to replenish my energy by going to the corner store and picking up:

 “A candy bar introduced in 1936, consisting of peanut butter crunch layers enrobed in chocolate. “ Mmmmm!

P.S. – There are only three entrances to this area; only two are active at this time due to construction concerns. The fox is close to only one of the entrances of the location in question. 

One of the maps on this page would prove useful!

https://walthamlandtrust.org/trail-guides/

Happy hunting!

73‘s Mike C.  K1MJC

Forgot to mention, the K1MJC Fox is transmitting on 146.565 just in case some were wondering.

I’ll have to brush up on my Map & Compass skills for the KD1D Fox!

Public Service

Volunteers Sought for Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life, Holliston, October 2, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Bruce Pigott, KC1US, writes on the MMRA Public Service Events list:

“Good day, I am David Gilman and I have taken over as the course safety and communications head for the Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life charity bicycle ride on Saturday October 2nd 2021.

I am seeking additional volunteers to drive SAG (Support & Gear) vehicles as well as staffing the rest stops.

The ride starts and finishes at Fatima Shrine, 100 Summer St Holliston MA.
There are 3 routes measuring 12, 30 & 65 miles.

Could you please pass on my request to your membership and if they are interested in helping out please reach out to me at KC1DDH@gmail.com

Thank you,
Dave Gilman KC1DDH
KC1DDH@Gmail.com