August, 2018 Section News
The August, 2018 Section Newsletter is now available at https://ema.arrl.org/august-2018-section-news/.
Author: k9hi
Boxboro Convention to Feature Amateur Radio Exposition For Young People
The 2018 Boxboro! ARRL New England Division is pleased to announce that the Nashua Area Radio Society (NARS) will be presenting an Amateur Radio Exposition for Young People on September 8-9, 2018. This exposition will include many hands-on activities, videos, and displays about amateur radio and wireless communications, including:
- Software Defined Radios
- High-Altitude Balloons
- Portable and Mobile stations
- Emergency Communications
- Fox-hunting
In addition to the displays, the exposition will also feature a kit building activity. For a small cost ($20), you can purchase a kit and build it using NARS’s equipment and help from their mentors. The kit is a fully functional Morse code touch keyer and practice oscillator. It is available on a walk-up basis anytime on Saturday or Sunday that the Exhibitor hall is open.
The exposition will also include a computer-controlled satellite ground station. Using this satellite ground station, folks can communicate with other amateur radio operators using satellites in space.
For more information, please visit https://www.boxboro.org/exposition-for-young-people.
Marlborough Household Hazardous Waste Day, September 29, 2018
Eric Williams, KV1J, Marlborough EMA Communications Officer writes in the Algonquin ARC QRZ newsletter:
Please join us as we support the biannual joint Hudson-Marlborough Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on September 29th .
Our support is a combined effort by our Algonquin Amateur Radio Club and the Marlborough Emergency Management Team. Using our radio communications skills, we manage the traffic flow and validate residency for the approximately 400 cars that come to the event. We use both our N1EM repeater and the Emergency Management’s UHF radios.
We setup at 8 AM and the event runs from 9 AM to 1 PM. The event is next to the Marlborough Resident Drop-Off Facility, located at 860 Boston Post Road East in Marlborough, behind the Half Way Café near Home Depot. I will send out an email reminder before the event. Event Flyer from the Marlborough City web: https://www.marlboroughma.gov/sites/marlboroughma/files/uploads/household_hazardous_waste_fall_2018.pdf.
New ARRL CEO Elected By Board of Directors
An Eastern Massachusetts amateur has been elected as the League’s new Chief Executive Officer.
“The ARRL Board of Directors has elected Howard E. Michel, WB2ITX, of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, to be ARRL’s new Chief Executive Officer, starting on October 15. Michel (his name rhymes with “nickel”) is currently Chief Technology Officer at UBTECH Education, and Senior Vice President of UBTECH Robotics, a $5 billion Shenzhen, China, artificial intelligence and robotics company. As the Chief Technology Officer at UBTECH Education, Michel helped build this company from a startup in China to $100 million in valuation.”
[Full story]Barry Porter, KB1PA, Appointed as Section Manager in Southern Florida
A former Eastern Massachusetts Section Manager is back in a familiar leadership role: Barry Porter, KB1PA, has been appointed to serve as Section Manager for Southern Florida beginning October 1st.
A resident of Delray Beach, Barry is a native of Milton, Massachusetts. He was licensed in 1984 and was one of the founding members of the Aleppo Shrine Amateur Radio Club and the Boston Computer Society’s Amateur Radio Group.
“I was very active promoting the melding of ham radio and computing, and did a lot of packet radio. Through packet radio, I got involved with public service activities, and worked nine Boston Marathons. I became involved with Massachusetts Civil Defense and RACES and later I was appointed as a District Emergency Coordinator and Section Emergency Coordinator.”
Barry succeeded Luck Hurder, KY1T, as the Eastern Massachusetts Section Manager, filling out the remainder of Luck’s term. KB1PA would go on to serve two additional terms of his own.
Barry was involved with emergency communications during hurricanes Gloria and Bob. “During this period I was a very active traffic handler and a net control.”
KB1PA moved to Florida in 2004. While living in four-land, he’s been an Assistant Section Manager, an Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, and an Emergency Coordinator. Barry was the only nominee for the position after Jeff Beals, WA4AW, announced that he would not seek a new term of office after serving since 2014.
Congratulations to Barry Porter, KB1PA in his new role as the Southern Florida Section Manager!
Genesis ARS Fox Hunt Training and Antenna Building, September 8, 2018
Jack Buckley, W1AKN writes in the Genesis ARS Newsletter:
Please plan to attend the fox hunt training session planned for Saturday, September 8 at 9AM at the Genesis ARS Meeting Room, Plymouth Airport. This training session is in preparation for the fox hunt on September 15 following the GARS Breakfast.
We have ordered several 2-meter tape measure beam kits that will be available for purchase and will help you to build the kits at the training session.
Genesis ARS Fox Hunt, September 15, 2018
Joe Costa, KC1ECK, writes in the Genesis ARS Newsletter:
The Paul Tura (N1KFD) Memorial Fox Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, September 15th at the GARS Meeting Room at the Plymouth Airport.
This is the day of the GARS breakfast also. Come for breakfast or the fox hunt or both! Breakfast is 9:00 AM at Kevins restaurant. We will start the hunt at 10:30 AM +/-.
Boxboro! Advance Ticket Registration, Hotel Room Deadline
Bob DeMattia, K1IW, writes on August 22:There are only a few more days left before we close payments by US mail. If you wish to use this option, please make sure to visit our website by this coming Friday. We will continue to accept PayPal payments until September 5th.
If you are planning to stay overnight, rooms are available at the convention discount rate of $99/night. Friday night is now sold out at this rate. There are still a few rooms left on Saturday. Call 978-263-8701 and use the discount code NEHAM!
See you there!
Bob – K1IW
Chairman – Boxboro 2018!
Flea at MIT, August 19, 2018 in Cambridge, MA
This Coming Sunday, the August Flea at MIT
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Summary: Buy Sell SWAP Ham Radio Electronics Computers 9AM – 2PM ***
!!!! In our Traditional GARAGE !!!!! ****
so come rain or shine or super heat the Flea is on !!!
Outdoor space is questionable for this month, call ahead if your will not fit in 6′ 8″ height.
Due to changes in the construction crane, we may have some street space for
oversize trucks for the next couple months. Call for details.
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Summary: Buy Sell SWAP Ham Radio Electronics Computers 9AM – 2PM
*** !!!! In our Traditional GARAGE !!!! ****
so come rain or shine or super heat the Flea is on !!!
********* $1 buyers discount with hardcopy of this notice ********
COMPUTERS – ELECTRONICS – HAM RADIO – COMPUTERS – ELECTRONICS – HAM RADIO
FLEA all SUMMER at MIT
Sunday August 19th 2018
9AM-2PM
Come to the city for a great flea – plenty of free parking.
MIT’s electronics and ham radio flea will take
place on the third Sunday of each month this summer,
April thru October.
There is tailgate space for over 300 sellers!
Buyers admission is $6 (you get $1 off if
you’re lucky enough to have a copy of our ad)
and sellers spaces are $20 for the first and
$15 for each additional at the gate.
Early Bird Buyers admission is $15, allows
entry after the prepaid sellers ~ 7:15AM
See registration form for season rate.
The flea will be held at the corner of Albany and
Main streets in Cambridge; right in the Kendall
Square area from 9AM to 2PM, with sellers set-up
time starting at 7AM.
SEASON PASS + Advance Discounts
A sellers discount season pass is available which
offers a 30% discount. By prepaying you get a
discount and earlier admission. See the registration form
for full seller info.
*** Attention Sellers ***
Prepaid vendors.. Season Pass or monthly,
will be admitted FIRST.
Separate lines will form prior to gate opening
for prepaid and nonprepaid vendors
!! RAIN or SHINE !! Have no fear of rain, a covered
well illuminated tailgate area is available for all
sellers (6’8″ clearance).
Talk-in: 145.23- (PL 88.5) W1BOS/R and
W1XM/R-449.725/444.725 (PL 114.8/2A).
Sponsors: MIT Electronics Research Society
MIT UHF Repeater Association (W1XM)
MIT Radio Society (W1MX)
Harvard Wireless Club (W1AF)
For more info / advanced reservations 617 253 3776
********** $1 buyers discount with hard copy of this notice ************
Mail the coupon below by the July 5th for advanced reservations.
FLEA at MIT 2018 Rates
SELLERS
To use your spaces the named vendor MUST be present.
Rates include one admission per space.
Season Pass $99 First Space – includes $70 for Cambridge Vendor Licenses
$70 Each additional space
Advance $17 First space – includes $10 Cambridge Vendor License
$12 Additional Spaces
Must be received by the 5th of the month.
Gate Admission $20 First Space – includes $10 Cambridge Vendor License
$15 Additional Spaces
Admission is after the prepaid vendors
Early Bird Buyer -Admission after the prepaid vendor line is admitted. ~ 7:15AM
** You may not sell. **
$15 per person at the gate.
$70 Season Early Bird Buyer
cut and return
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FLEA at MIT 2018 Advance Space Application
_____ 1st Season Pass @ $99 _____ Additional Season Spaces @ $70
____April ____May ____June ____ July ____Aug ___Sept ____Oct
@ $17 for the first each month + $12 each additional
_____ Season Early Bird Buyer @ $70 ** NB You may not sell. **
Name ________________________ Call __________ $ Included______
Address ________________________ Phone __________ Make Check to
The MIT Radio Society
City ____________________ State _______ Zip _______ PO Box 397082
Cambridge MA 02139
E-mail ______________________________
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Steve Finberg W1GSL w1gsl@mit.edu
PO Box 82 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139-7082 617 258 3754
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2018 Boxboro! Forum Schedule Posted
Information on forums and presentations at the 2018 Boxboro! New England Division Convention September 7-9, 2018 is now on-line, according to Boxboro Program Chair Phil Temples, K9HI. This year’s program spans three days, beginning on Friday, September 7 at 10:00 AM with a special ARES/SKYWARN track and concluding on Sunday, September 9 at 1:00 PM with the main prize drawing and convention wrap-up.
See http://boxboro.org/forums-and-classes/forum-schedule for program presenters, titles, times, room locations, and abstracts.
Boston Marathon Article Featured in September QST
The September, 2018 issue of QST features a full-length article entitled “Public Service in Action at the Boston Marathon.” Authored by Assistant Editor Caroline Kenney, the story describes Amateur Radio communications at one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious sporting events:
“There are radio operating teams in all aspects of the complex system surrounding the starting line… transport and parking, aiding elite or disabled runners, attending to the volunteer core of 1,000 people, and working the information booths. “
Mark Richards, K1MGY, and Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, are quoted in the article.
The September edition of Digital QST is available at http://www.arrl.org/news/the-september-edition-of-digital-qst-is-now-available-1.
Bulk Traffic Handling Policy
Section Traffic Manager Marcia Forde, KW1U writes:
Hello to all Massachusetts traffic handlers,
Those who were able to attend the annual traffic handlers picnic last Sunday, which included ASTMs, Net Managers and those who handle a large number of radiograms, were involved in a discussion regarding the disposition of what has come to be called “bulk” or “spam” traffic, arriving on Massachusetts traffic nets. As mentioned in the enclosed document, there has been an increasing proliferation of radiograms originated by traffic handlers throughout the US and addressed to other amateurs whose call signs, names and addresses were acquired from an FCC database list. In most cases the originators are unknown to the intended recipients and these messages have often not been welcomed by the recipients thus causing an increasing number of potential delivering stations to have turned away from the nets. While we don’t wish to discourage the origination of messages which help keep the nets viable, it has become a problem for the health of the nets.
“Bulk Traffic Handling Policy” is a summary of that discussion and attempts to set guidelines for Massachusetts traffic handlers. It primarily affects those on local nets and not section nets or above, as local VHF nets are generally the final destination points for delivery of messages. Any messages on section nets not picked up for delivery can often be brought to the local nets as needed.
We would like to implement these guidelines as soon as possible after allowing a brief period for dissemination of this information. If anyone has comments, positive or negative, they may send them to me kw1u@arrl.net. These guidelines will be implemented effective Friday, August 17.
Thanks to all for your support of the nets.
73, Marcia KW1U
STM EMA/WMA
Lightship Nantucket To Be Activated for International Lightship/Lighthouse Weekend, August 19, 2018
Mike Rioux, W1USN and Bob Reiser, AA1M, will operate onboard the Lightship Nantucket on Sunday, August 19 as part of International Lightship/Lighthouse Weekend. “Anyone who is interested in operating or just coming down to check the ship out is welcome. Bring friends if you like and we’ll give a tour,” says Bob.
If you need info or directions, email Bob, AA1M, at aa1m@yahoo.com.
International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend (ILLW) began in 1998 as the Scottish Northern Lights Award sponsored by the Ayr Amateur Radio Group. ILLW is a popular Amateur Radio event that takes place on the third full weekend in August each year. It attracts over 500 lighthouse entries in over 40 countries.
[See also: “Historic Nantucket Lightship Beams“]
WQ1O and Cape Cod ARES Receives Certificate of Recognition From Barnstable County Commissioners
Frank O’Laughlin, WQ1O, and the Cape Cod ARES team received high praise from the Barnstable County Commissioners for his hard work during the intense storms that impacted the Cape in March.
The ARRL Cape Cod and Islands ARES District Emergency Coordinator and the Cape Cod ARES team were awarded a Certificate of Recognition from Commissioners Ronald Beaty, Mary Pat Flynn, and Leo Cakounes at a Regional Emergency Planning Committee Meeting on August 1, 2018.
“I want to give thanks to all and especially to my crew who worked hard and long hours last winter during storm operations. Our group devoted several hundred person-hours to the operations,” writes WQ1O. “As Cape and Islands ARES insists on self sufficiency, our volunteers are self-equipped regardless if there is equipment on scene. This helps guarantee redundancy.”
ARRL Board of Directors’ Committee Seeks Input for Proposed ARES Strategic Plan
The Public Service Enhancement Working Group (PSEWG) has contacted all ARRL Section Managers and Section Emergency Coordinators seeking comments and suggestions regarding the proposed ARES Strategic Plan via an online form. The deadline is October 31, in order to give the PSEWG sufficient time to review the comments and suggestions, formulate any necessary revisions, and submit the revised document to the Board for consideration at its January meeting. [Full story]
[Note: please forward comments and suggestions about the strategic plan to Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY.]
Marlborough Labor Day Parade, September 3, 2018
The Algonquin Amateur Radio Association is looking for volunteers to assist in the Marlborough Labor Day parade on September 3. The parade is one of the club’s highest profile public service events.
According to AARC’s Ed Fitzgerald, K1DIN, “The early recruiting for this year’s parade and the great response may give us the opportunity to try some operational upgrades. Each year that we’ve filled our roster, we have made some changes which seem to have worked well.”
Jim Babish, K1UUM, has agreed to assist Ed as his assistant team organizer “so that he might learn all the steps to getting the parade team ready.” Says K1DIN: “Of similar importance, we need to continually ‘deepen our bench’ so that in years when some of our volunteers have other commitments for parade day, we still can have complete coverage… We have a few experienced volunteers who have been able to fill in for folks who have last minute emergencies, for which I will be forever grateful.”
Those wishing to volunteer should contact K1DIN at: edfitz1@earthlink.net.
SEMARA Contest College, September 9, 2018
The South Eastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association (SEMARA) will host a presentation entitled Contest College @ SEMARA on September 9, 2018 at approximately 12 PM.This hands-on presentation will cover:
* different styles of contesting
* achieving a respectable score with 100 W
* operating various modes during a contest
* home-brewed antennas for contests
There will also be on-air operation, listening and/or making contacts during the Worked All Europe SSB contest.
The organizers request an approximate head count, so lunch time pizza can be ordered. Email Don if you are interested and plan to attend at: wa1bxy [at] hotmail [dot] com.
The SEMARA club house is located at: 54 Donald Street, S. Dartmouth, MA 02748; club phone number for messages: 508-997-7070
ARRL Headquarters Gets On AM!
On July 14, 2018, Eastern MA Technical Coordinator Dan Brown, W1DAN, traveled to ARRL Headquarters along with Tim, Smith, WA1HLR, and Steve Cloutier, WA1QIX, to help get the lab station, W1INF, on AM… in a big way!
The ARRL Headquarters lab is in possession of a tube-based Gates BC1T AM broadcast transmitter from the late 1950s. On loan from the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut, this transmitter was designed to make 1 kilowatt on the AM broadcast band, and was not meant for ham use. Product review engineer Bob Alison, WB1GCM, and lab manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, greeted us at a closed ARRL. We got a very quick tour, and went to work. Tim installed a transmit/receive (T/R) relay inside the transmitter, which he had previously modified for 160- as well as 80 meters. The power was also reduced to FCC limits. Steve installed his software modulation monitor and I installed two audio limiters as well as an audio distribution amplifier.
After a tasty lunch provided by Ed, all work was done by mid-afternoon. Bob was making contacts with other hams on the AM mode on 75 meters.
The W1INF lab station also includes a Flex 5000 transceiver, and a K7DYY Super Senior. The station will be on the air for AM events and contests, as well as occasional lunch break contacts by the staff.
The lab’s test gear is truly state of the art. It also holds the museum exhibit that once was in the lobby of headquarters. Ed runs the lab, and Bob does the product reports you see in QST. The lab staff also includes RFI engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, and senior lab engineer Zach Lau, W1VT.
Dan, W1DAN
ARRL Technical Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts Section
Framingham ARA Field Day Featured on “Access Framingham TV”
The Framingham Amateur Radio Association‘s recent Field Day operation at the McAuliffe Library was featured on Framingham’s community access channel accessfram.tv. According to FARA’s Glenn Axelrod, KC1HPZ, the coverage “is expected to be part of Access Framingham’s ‘Framingham Beat’ news magazine show at 7:30 PM on August 2.”
“Sumner, W1VIV, was featured prominently… his explanation of Field Day became the narration for the video that KC1HPZ shot and AFTV’s staff edited.”
Access Framingham can be viewed on RCN 3, Comcast 9, or Verizon 43. It can also be live-streamed on the web at accessfram.tv/watch.
UPDATE: the program can also be found on YouTube: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZjHmHfIP90>.
W1VIV Article Featured in CQ Magazine
An article by Sumner Weisman, W1VIV, of Framingham, appears in the June, 2018 CQ Magazine entitled, “Wireless Ham Radio for the Hearing Impaired.”
“I am pretty hard of hearing, where one ear is completely gone and the other is about half gone,” writes Sumner. “I use a hearing aid in my ‘good’ ear. I like to do a few contests each year, and the earphones blasting into my hearing aid really abused my hearing.”
Sumner’s article tells how to use Bluetooth to stream the audio from your ham transceiver directly into your hearing aid, for very clear and pleasurable radio reception.