Reminder: May 5th, 2025 MEMA RACES/ACS Communications Test Net
Mike “Sparky” Leger, N1YLQ, ARES DEC – MEMA Region 2 RACES Radio Officer writes:
Hello to all,
This email is the typical monthly message to let everyone know that Monday evening, May 5th, 2025 is our first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, will be the next RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night.
For those who participate in the WinLink net, please note that there is a different NCO noted for the WinLink net this month with messages being routed to KC1VMZ with a copy to AB1PH.
For any operators interested in performing the duties of Net Control Station (NCS), there are materials available to make the task fairly simple and straight forward. The net pre-amble and role call lists are available at http://wc1mab.org/RACES_R2_Interim_Preamble.pdf and http://wc1mab.org/Month.php with the role-call lists on the left column near the bottom. If anyone is worried that they may mess up running a net, please remember that, in many cases, a less than perfect net is WAY better than no net at all! At the conclusion of any net, any operator that acted as Net Control Operator is asked to please send a note to WC1MAB@gmail.com <mailto:WC1MAB@gmail.com> letting me know who ran the net and who checked in so that the proper numbers can be reported to our served agencies. We
cannot always count on our normal net control operators to be available in the event of a large scale emergency, so every RACES operator should be prepared to act as NCO if needed when disaster and emergency strikes!
The Region #2 and State Net Schedule for this evening is as follows:
| Net | Frequency/Offset | Time |
| Sector 2A | 147.00 /+0.60 PL | 19:30 Local |
| Sector 2B | 145.39/-0.60 PL 67.0 | 20:00 Local |
| Sector 2C | Winlink Net Check-In –
NCO: KC1VMZ with copy to AB1PH |
6AM-Midnight Local Time |
| Sector 2D | 146.865/-0.60 PL 103.5 | 19:30 Local |
| 6-Meter State Net | 53.31 / -1.0 PL 71.9
Note: Net activity on this repeater has been hit and miss. Please report any activity. |
19:00 Local |
| MA RACES HF Net | 3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency | 18:45 Local |
| MA MEMA NBEMS Net | Frequency: 3584.5 MHx, Center Frequency: 1500 Hz, Initial mode: THOR22 | 19:00 Local |
Winlink Net Instructions From Don Rolph:
*Winlink Net*
To participate:
– create a check-in form using the Winlink standard checkin form
– send via Winlink after 6 AM EST Mon. May 5th and before midnight EST May 6th
(any mode, but include mode in check-in form) to KC1VMZ with a copy to AB1PH.
I continue to ask that any operators who have the time, please try to
check into sector nets from near-by sectors. This will allow our Net
Control Operators to practice fielding nets with a strong check-in count and
will also serve to help practice with relays or modified sector assignments
in the event that a single repeater is out of service.
For those operators who serve as Net Control Operators, please try to
remember to send me a list of the stations and communities that check into
your nets. The numbers are reported to MEMA to show them our level of
participation. I am continuing to work on a graphical map based report to
show which parts of our section have strong coverage and which areas may
need a more targeted recruitment campaign to improve our ability to provide
back-up communications in an emergency.
I appreciate you all answering the call to help our communities remain
prepared as we close out the year for RACES/ARES operations. Thank you all for helping us keep things on track and prove that we remain a consistent source of communication capability to the Commonwealth. This net provides a monthly reminder to our communities and served agencies that we stand ready with a quiet professionalism prepared to serve as a voice to whomever needs one to get help and resources to where they need to be.
If you know someone who would benefit from being on this list, please have them contact me at <mailto:WC1MAB@gmail.com> WC1MAB@gmail.com and I will add them to this distribution. Thank you all!
If anyone has any questions or comments I can be reached by e-mail or
cell phone. Thanks for being a part of our team and I look forward to
hearing back on who can participate this month.
Sincerely,
Michael Leger (N1YLQ)
MEMA Region #2 RACES Officer
C: 508_995_0203
David Marcucci, KC1TLF, writes on the Billerica ARS Facebook page:
Dom Mallozzi, N1DM, will present “A Smorgasbord of Radio” at the May 8 meeting of the Algonquin Amateur Radio Club at 7:30 PM in the library of the 1st Lt. Charles W. Whitcomb School, 25 Union St, Marlborough, MA. Enter from Agoritsas Drive next to police station and use Door #1 at rear of building.