Reminder: August 3rd, 2026 – 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 this evening, August 3rd, 2026 is our first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, will be the next RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night.

I am on my regularly scheduled work shift with the fire department and will be unable to reliably perform the duties of Sector 2A Net Control this month. If anyone is interested in trying a hand at running the net, please let me know.

A note has been added to the HF Net. During a recent MEMA RACES HF Net, the NCO needed to search as low as 3938 kHz to find a clear frequency for the net. Tonight’s NCO requests that participating operators please scan from 3935 kHz to 3945 kHz and listen for Net Control. The Net Control Station (N1JCM) will be transmitting a check in message every 30 seconds to help facilitate everyone linking up for the net.

For those who participate in the WinLink net, please note that please take not of the Net Control Operator for 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:

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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	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	3942 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency. NOTE: If a clear frequency cannot be located, the NCO may scan as low as 3935kHz to locate a clear frequency to use.	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 check-in form
Send via Winlink after 6 AM EDT Mon. Aug 3rd and before midnight EDT Aug 4th (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

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