Author: k9hi

Emergency Communications

MARS Members To Support Defense Department Radio Comms Readiness Exercise

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Tom Kinahan, N1CPE, writes:

As part of this COMEX, MARS members will reach out to amateur radio operators (on October 24-26) for any information on real life infrastructure failures. We have been practicing this sort of reporting as part of both Western and Eastern Mass ARES nets. If there are any know local failures of infrastructure, defined as Power, Water, Medical, Sanitation, Communications or Transportation, just let the MARS operator know with information on your county name, or your zip code (which is easy to determine county name with). 

MARS operators will use non-internet connected VHF/UHF repeaters as well as 60 meter channel 1 in our area, to gather these reports.

MARS stations will be operating from Oct 22-26, but the participation of Amateur Radio operators is expected on Oct 24-26.

Amateur Radio operators are asked to monitor 60-meter channel 1 (5,330.5 kHz, USB) at 0001 UTC (8:01 PM ET) on October 24, for a high-power broadcast of updated information regarding this exercise and how the Amateur Radio community can participate.

Contact Tom Kinahan, N1CPE, with any questions.

See: http://www.arrl.org/news/mars-members-to-support-defense-department-radio-communication-readiness-exercise

Operating

W1HFN Fox Deployed, Littleton, October 4, 2018

- by k9hi - 1 Comment

Barry Fox, W1HFN, writes on the foxhunting list at 12:52 PM on October 4, 2018:

At 12 noon today, Thursday, Oct 4th, I deployed the fox in the George and Lucy Lapp Conservation land off Newtown Road in Littleton. The frequency is 146.565, constantly running, and a voice ID of 20 seconds every minute. NO PI within a 100 ft diameter circle of the hide.

Good luck!

Technical

“Chip” Cohen, W1YW, To Receive RCA’s Lee de Forest Award

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Belmont inventor and entrepreneur Nathan “Chip” Cohen, W1YW, of fractal antenna and cloaking technology fame, will receive the Radio Club of America’s Lee de Forest Award for “significant contributions to the advancement of radio communications.” The award’s namesake, de Forest, is credited with inventing the Audion vacuum tube as an amplifier in radio circuits. De Forest also popularized the word “radio” in the US, in favor of the European term “wireless.”  [Details]

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

New England Sci-Tech Technician Course, Natick, October 13-14, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

New England Sci Tech logoFor junior high and high school students, homeschool students, and adults interested in wireless communications and electronics, this fast-paced, two-day course will get you ready to take the Amateur Radio TECHNICIAN license exam.

Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum. Some preliminary reading and study is necessary to get the best results from this course. Material will be sent a few days before the course.

The TECHNICIAN level course runs on Saturday, 9 am – 4 pm and Sunday, 9 am to noon., followed by the FCC Technician exam at noon, at New England Sci-Tech, 16 Tech Circle, Natick.

Included with course fee: printed handouts, lecture study guide, license fee if tested at our location, a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Room and radio club meetings for 2 months, and free coffee, tea, or hot chocolate during the course. Advance registration and payment required.

For more information and to register, visit <https://www.nescitech.org/product/weekend-technician-class/>. For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

Licensing Education & Training / Youth

New England Sci-Tech General-Class Course, Natick, December 8-9, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

New England Sci Tech logoFor junior high and high school students, homeschool students, and adults who already have a Technician level license, this fast-paced, two-day course will get you ready to take the GENERAL license exam. Topics range from the science of radio electronics to the FCC rules governing the radio spectrum.  Some preliminary reading and study is necessary to get the best results from this course. Material will be sent approximately a week before the course.

The GENERAL level course runs Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm and Sunday, 9 am to noon, followed by the FCC General exam at noon, at New England Sci-Tech, 16 Tech Circle, Natick.

Included with course fee: printed handouts, lecture study guide, license fee if tested at our location, a guest pass to the NEAR/STARS Radio Room and radio club meetings for 2 months, and free coffee, tea, or hot chocolate during the course. Advance registration and payment required.

For more information and to register, visit <https://www.nescitech.org/product/weekend-general-class/>. For questions, e-mail bobphinney at nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.

 

All

SEMARA Flea Market, October 6, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

SEMARA Flea Market flyerThe SEMARA Flea Market 2018 will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the SEMARA Clubhouse located at 54 Donald Street, Dartmouth, MA.  The event will be held rain or shine from 9:00 AM to 12 noon, with vendor setup beginning at 8:00 AM.  There is handicapped parking and access available.  Over the air talk-in will be on the SEMARA 147.000 repeater.  We will also be conducting a VE exam session inside the clubhouse at 10:30 AM for anyone interested in obtaining or upgrading their amateur radio license.

For more information, please contact us at (508) 997-7070 or hamfest [at] semara [dot] org.

Technical

W1PJE Presents at 37th Annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Dr. Phil Erickson, W1PJE, was the invited banquet speaker at this year’s annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference held on September 14-16, 2018, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Erickson is an assistant director and head of MIT’s Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences group at Haystack Observatory.  He holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and space plasma physics from Cornell and is a member of the American Geophysical Union and the International Radio Science Union. Dr. Erickson is an Extra class ham and member of TAPR, ARRL, RSGB, Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club and the HamSCI initiative. He is the lead principal investigator of a National Science Foundation-sponsored UHF Megawatt class ionospheric radar at MIT Haystack and has authored or co-authored over 75 articles about the ionospheric and magnetospheric phenomena and radio physics.

W1PJE’s talk was entitled, “Towards A 21st Century Understanding of Earth’s Upper Atmosphere: The Value of Radio Based Amateur-Scientist Partnerships.” 

Clubs / Licensing Education & Training

Whitman ARC Offering Technician Class, September 4-27, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Recent licensing class held by the Whitman ARCThe Whitman Amateur Radio Club is currently conducting a Technician training class at the Whitman police station at 20 Essex Street on Tuesdays until September 27, 2018. Ross Hochstrasser, W1EKG, and Paul DeLory, W1GTX, are instructing. The class will culminate in a volunteer exam on October 2, 2018. For details, visit http://www.wa1npo.org/training/training.htm.

Emergency Communications

Amateur Radio Newsline Highlights Eastern MA ARES Standby for Merrimack Valley Incident, VoIP Hurricane Net Support

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Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes:
 
Amateur Radio Newsline #2134 for Friday, September 21, 2018, featured a story about the recent Eastern MA ARES standby for the Merrimack Valley gas explosions and fires, and the VoIP Hurricane Net report. The text transcript and audio can be found at:
 
 
Clubs / Public Information

Barnstable ARC Presence at Harwich Cranberry Arts & Music Festival, September 15, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Barnstable ARC at the Harwich Cranberry Arts & Music FestivalThe Barnstable Amateur Radio Club had a presence for the second year at the Harwich Cranberry Arts & Music Festival on September 15, 2018 from 10 AM – 6 PM. The festival featured food trucks, music, community and vendor tables, and a bicycle event.

According to BARC organizers, “excellent weather and band condition made for a good weekend.”

All

IPAWS National Test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

UPDATE:  Due to the ongoing Florence storm activities, this test has been postponed to October 3, 2:18 PM EDT.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on September 20, 2018. The WEA portion of the test commences at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT. The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed.

https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test

Public Information / Youth

Mass Jam Volunteers Needed, Falmouth, October 6-9, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Falmouth Amateur Radio AssociationGlen Dowden, KC1GKT writes:

The Falmouth Amateur Radio Association is looking for volunteers on October 6 through October 9, 2018 for Mass Jam.

Mass Jam is held at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds in East Falmouth. The event brings Scouts from all over Massachusetts and Rhode Island for a weekend of activities. Mass Jam provides the scouts the opportunity to participate in fellowship and activities throughout the weekend. We would be providing an opportunity for Scouts to learn more about Amateur Radio and the opportunity to get on the air. Falmouth Amateur Radio Association can provide the necessary equipment (Radio equipment and antennas), but we will need operators. All operators at the event will have to be registered as volunteers at the event and will have to take the Boy Scouts of America Youth Protection Training (this is available at http://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/).

If you are available or are already planning on attending the event with your local Scout Troop/Post/Ship and are interested in assisting with operating, please reach out to Glen.dowden@gmail.com and indicate dates and times you are available. This is a great opportunity to reach Scouts from your local area.

Thank you,
Glen KC1GKT
Falmouth Amateur Radio Association

All

“Woodstock of Amateur Radio”: NEAR-Fest, October 12-13, 2018

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NEAR-Fest logoNEAR-Fest will be held on October 12-13, 2018. It is held twice annually, spring and fall, rain or shine, at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in Deerfield New Hampshire beginning on Friday at 0900 and ending Saturday at 1500 hours.

Admission is $10. Persons under 18 and over 80 are admitted free of charge upon presentation of government-issued ID. Inside parking is available for $10 and includes a “reasonable amount of flea market selling space” for PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS selling their own personal property. Commercial vendors must register and pay applicable fees. If you are wondering if you are a “commercial vendor” you probably are. One complimentary inside commercial space is available for clubs, estates and other “non-profit organizations” on an “as available” basis.

Overnight camping, trailer and RV hookups are available. Three food vendors provide meals and snacks at reasonable prices. The Deerfield Community Church ladies serve up a breakfast that has to be consumed to be believed. Angelino’s offers hamburgers, steak, sausage submarines and other great “fair food” specialities and Patty’s Polish Kitchen menu features wonderful “Mitteleuropa” cuisine. No one goes hungry at NEAR-Fest. We are extremely proud of the high quality of food that these vendors offer our guests while they are at the ‘Fester.

NEAR-Fest typically attracts attendees from the six New England states, NY, NJ, PA, MD and other states as well as from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada. Some attendees travel great distances; one gentleman from Los Angeles has attended fifteen events and in 2010 one radio amateur traveled from Greece to join us for the fun.

The program of activities and events at NEAR-Fest is extensive; a huge outdoor electronic flea market, three buildings full of commercial vendors, forums, technical seminars and symposia, demonstrations, exhibits, displays, licensing examinations, special events radio stations, a “jam session”, good food, fellowship, fun and general mishigoss. NEAR-Fest is the largest event of its kind in the Northeast and has once been described as the “Woodstock of Amateur Radio”.

See also: NEAR-Fest XXIII to Host Youth Science and Technology Expo

Public Service

Volunteers Sought, Lone Gull 10K, Gloucester, September 30, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

map of course, Lone Gull 10k, Gloucester MAChristopher Winczewski, K1TAT, writes on the CAARA list:

CAARA has a great public service team. Come out and have some fun with us. We have loaner radios if you need one. Come out and join the event. Contact us and we will set you up with a radio.

We are looking for operators to staff the Lone Gull 10K on Sunday, September 30th. Please be on location at your Check Point by 8:30 for a 9:00 AM start. Please let me know if you can staff a communications check-point for the event by September 28th so I can plan staffing positions for the event..

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.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Chris K1TAT

Lone Gull 10K Communications Team

Gloucester, Mass

Last Updated: 9/16//2018 1:20 am

Event date: Sunday, September,23, 2018

On Location: 8:30 am

Starts: 10 k Run = 9:00 am

Frq: W1GLO Repeater 145.130 – PL:107.2, Back up Simplex 146.585

Operating

W1HFN Fox Deployed in Littleton

- by k9hi - 2 Comments.

Barry Fox, W1HFN, writes on the foxhunting list on September 15, 2018:

Barring sudden catastrophe, the W1HFN fox will be loose at:  

https://littletonconservationtrust.org/tws_holding/bumblebee-park/

UPDATE 7:36 AM, September 16, 2018:

 

Sorry, I left out the important bits;  146.565, it runs constantly, no tones needed.  A 20 second voice ID every minute, so there is 40 seconds of no signal.  Makes for a bit of a challenge.

 

Hopefully, it will run through Thursday the 20th.  In any event, it will be recovered then.

 

Good luck,

 

Barry – W1HFN

 

Public Service

PMC Kids Ride, Volunteers Requested, Manchester-by-the-Sea, September 22, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
Eric Horwitz, KA1NCF writes on the North Shore RA mailing list:
 
I have a last minute event that has come up.  I need a few people to help with a KIDS PMC event.
 
Rick, WZ1L, in Gloucester has asked if I can get a few people to help him with a friends event to raise money for a kids cancer charity event.
 
The event is next Saturday, September 22 in the AM before noon in Manchester-by-the-Sea.
 
I know some people are doing a public service event on Sunday as well, but if you can help out I only need a few.
 
I don’t have all the details yet and I myself will not be able to attend, but I told Rick I would see who I could round up..
 
If you can help please let me know.  The PMC Kids Ride for children between the ages of 6 and 16 is only a 5 mile ride, so it should not take many people and should be a quick event.
 
Thanks
 
Eric, KA1NCF