Author: k9hi

Dear ARRL Member:

I am contacting you as part of the ARRL Legislative Action “Grassroots” Program and asking you to get involved by writing to your Congressman — Edward Markey.

One of the biggest challenges that amateurs face is antenna restrictions – those implemented by local governments and those originating from deed restrictions and building development covenants.  As you may know, the FCC’s PRB-1 limited preemption order offers amateurs some relief when facing zoning and building restrictions.  However, PRB-1 does not extend to include covenants, conditions and restrictions (known as CC&Rs).  These deed and property use restrictions strongly and negatively affect the ability of Amateur Radio service licensees to perform valuable emergency and disaster communications.  Finding a method to extend the PRB-1 protections is a key component of the ARRL Legislative Action Program.

Recently Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) introduced House Bill H.R.2160 – the “Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009”.   If enacted into law, H.R.2160 would instruct the Secretary of Homeland Security to undertake a study and report its findings to Congress within 180 days. The study would spell out uses and capabilities of Amateur Radio communications in emergencies and disaster relief. The study shall:

* Include recommendations for enhancements in the voluntary deployment of Amateur Radio licensees in disaster and emergency communications and disaster relief efforts.
* Include recommendations for improved integration of Amateur Radio operators in planning and in furtherance of the Department of Homeland Security initiatives.
* Identify unreasonable or unnecessary impediments to enhanced Amateur Radio communications — such as the effects of private land use regulations on residential antenna installations — and make recommendations regarding such impediments.
* Include an evaluation of Section 207 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-104, 110 Stat 56 [1996]).
* Recommend whether Section 207 should be modified to prevent unreasonable private land use restrictions that impair the ability of amateurs to conduct, or prepare to conduct, emergency communications by means of effective outdoor antennas and support structures at reasonable heights and dimensions for the purpose in residential areas.

While the bill does not automatically extend PRB-1 to include CC&Rs, it takes a first big step in that direction by determining the extent that things such as CC&Rs impede the Amateur Service in performing public and emergency service communications.

H.R.2160 has been assigned to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  Getting the bill out of committee is the first major hurdle to overcome – and that is where you play an essential role.  Your Congressman is a member of that committee.  We need you to let them hear your voice of support for H.R.2160.

Attached to this email is a draft letter for you to personalize and send to your Congressman/woman.  I am asking that you first personalize the letter (including your name and address).  After that, I ask that you send the letter to Chwat & Co, our representation in Washington.  To facilitate the process, please either email the letter directly to Chwat & Co. at arrl@chwatco.com or fax the letter to their office at 703-684-7594 (Do not send it only to your Congressman by US Mail because it can take weeks before they receive it due to security scanning processes).  Their staff will be hand delivering your letter (along with the letters of others) directly to the various Congressional offices.  If you choose to send your letter directly to your member of Congress, please still email or fax a copy as directed above.  This will allow Chwat’s staff to most effectively represent the ARRL in this process.

H.R.2160 can go a long way towards assisting thousands of amateurs who are restrained unreasonably by CC&Rs.  However, it is going to take a concerted effort by all amateurs for this effort to be successful.  Time can become critical – so please act quickly in contacting your Representative.  Together our voices can be heard and make a difference.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me, or the ARRL Regulatory Information office at reginfo@arrl.org

Thanks and 73,

Tom Frenaye, K1KI
ARRL New England Division Director
P O Box J
West Suffield CT 06093
860-668-5444
frenaye@pcnet.com

ARRL Section Manager Mike Neilsen, W1MPN writes:

Just some thoughts about what is going on.  It is still early in the public health investigation of this outbreak, and our government officials seem to be working hard to gather as much information as possible about the situation nationally and here in our state.  Some of the cases in Mexico have been very serious, but the confirmed cases from California, Texas, Kansas, Ohio and New York City have been reported to be mild.  We don’t know yet why the cases in Mexico and the U.S. seem to be different in severity, but answering that question will be part of the larger public health investigation.  There is still much to be learned from the little evidence that the world authorities have accumulated.  The CDC has now confirmed 64 cases of swine flu in humans in the U.S.  There have been no cases identified yet in Massachusetts, however, like other states we are increasing our surveillance activities to see if cases develop in the Commonwealth. 

In the coming days, patience will be the best approach to this problem. Hams can demonstrate calm by controlling rumors and encouraging people to stay plugged into authoritative sources. I have found information on the media to be relevant and balanced.  Good updates are also available on the mass.gov site, and for more information on swine flu, visit the
CDC’s new web site at www.cdc.gov/swineflu.  There is also have some very good information on how to care for someone at home who has the flu on the DPH web site.  MDPH and MEMA will be utilizing Mass211 as a information center.  The goal was to have Mass211 operational by today.

Consider that if the worst scenario should materialize, widespread flu will greatly impact already thin workforces causing supply disruptions and real service problems, even with light casualties.  I strongly recommend that you quietly but persistently ensure your readiness for challenges ahead by procuring at least two weeks worth of canned food, clean water, and other supplies for your home.  Please encourage your relatives, friends, and neighbors to do the same.

Our ARES Team is standing by to assist in any way we can in the weeks ahead.  ASM, Carl, N1FYM, is actively reviewing the news to see, what if anything, is specifically pertinent to us.  Whatever we find out will be promptly added to our website at ema.arrl.org, so please check it often.

Best regards to you and your family.

73,

de W1MPN

Office Answering Service/FAX 978-389-0558

——————————————————————–
ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN
w1mpn@arrl.org

ARRL New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI writes:

The New England QSO Party is coming soon – it starts on Saturday!    We’d sure like to see some additional activity this year – hope you can get on and make at least a few QSOs – or encourage others to do so.

It runs from 2000Z Saturday May 2 until 0500Z Sunday May 3 (4pm EDT Saturday until 1am EDT Sunday) and 1300Z Sunday May 3 until 2400Z Sunday (9am EDT Sunday until 8pm EDT Sunday).
Suggested frequencies are: CW – 3540 7035 14040 21040 28040, SSB – 3850 7280 14280 21380 28380.  ** Now that the broadcast stations are mostly out of 7125-7200, try 7180 on 40m SSB.**     Digital QSOs count the same as CW QSOs

New England stations send signal report, county and state, and can work anyone, including other NE stations.

Please send in a copy of your log – certificates will be sent to those with more than 25 QSOs.

The full rules are available on the NEQP web site at http://www.neqp.org

Very 73 — Tom/K1KI

Rich Zack, K1RJZ writes on FraminghamARA-L:

This evening we placed into service the southern link to the Gunstock Mountain 6M repeater which natively covers north to Franconia Notch, NH and  south to the Mass Pike.  Tonight we just placed into service the “Hopkinton Node” with the antenna height at 734ft AMSL and is one mile south of the start of the Boston Marathon.

Bottom line:  We now have continuous mobile-mobile coverage from Franconia Notch, NH to the Cape Cod Canal (max) with only two full-time linked repeaters.  This system was actually designed from day-1 to allow NOAA Grey Maine to talk to NOAA in Taunton, MA and that was a key premiss for us to obtain site access.

Sponsor:   Central NH ARC

Gunstock Mtn, NH User RX  53.77  PL 100.0
Gusstock Mtn, NH user TX  53.07  PL 71.9

Hopkinton, MA User RX  51.74  PL 100.0
Hopkinton, MA user TX  51.24  PL 71.9

Important Notes:

* The Hopkinton 6M freqs may seem odd but they are not.  All 6M repeaters below 52 MHz are at a 500KHz offset and not 1MHz offset as above 52 MHz
* To clarify, this system does not link to Mt Uncanoonuc 6M as originally planned because Gunstock all by itself exceeds Unc’s coverage
* When using Hopkinton MA, commercially converted radios with “squelch tail elimination” will have a very pleasing drop sound upon TX unkey while ham radios that just happen to cover six-meters will have a much longer noise burst.  That’s just the way that they work.

Please do join CNHARC’s regular 6M net this Thursday at 8AM so we can see how this system plays.  Freqs are above.  Thanks.

Rick Zach, K1RJZ

Over 250 Amateurs participated in Amateur Radio communications for the 113th running of the Boston Marathon. The 2009 Boston Marathon had over 26,000 official runners with over 500,000 spectators along the 26-mile route. Amateur Radio Operators assisted at the start line, course and finish line with 2-3 Amateurs staffed at each water and first aid station along the route with additional Amateur Operators at the start and finish.

“This is the largest public service event in terms of number of Amateur Radio Operators required for a one day event and we can always use more” said Marathon Amateur Radio Communications (MARC) Course Coordinator, Steve Schwarm-W3EVE. “We are glad that the weather is cool and the number of ambulance requests for this year were lower than past years where we had higher temperatures and more medical issues” Schwarm said.

“The medical tents at the finish line were near capacity by 3 PM Monday as reported in a situation report by Western Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator, John Ruggerio-N2YHK, who is assisting in operations at the finish line. Hams are providing communications, status and logistical issue updates between the tents to our finish line net control as needed” said MARC Finish line coordinator Paul Topolski-W1SEX.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) was active with operations at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Framingham Massachusetts. The operations room acted as the Unified Command Center or UCC for the operation as has been the case in the past. RACES Amateur Radio Operators staffed the communications room within the SEOC with one Amateur Radio Operator, Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section Manager, Mike Neilsen-W1MPN, staffing the Unified Command Center to feed status reports on any issues along the marathon route into the operations room and to feed issues from the UCC to the operations room.

“This is the first time we’ve had an Amateur Radio Operator in the operations room of the UCC. We have been coordinating with the Boston Marathon Net Control and the finish line communications in Boston to provide updates into our station and to our Amateur Radio Operator in the UCC” said Tom Kinahan-N1CPE, Massachusetts State RACES Radio Officer.

The net control center is at a location with line of sight to the Boston area and to the entire 26-mile route in case simplex communication is required. Over a dozen repeaters are utilized to provide overlapping coverage to the marathon route. Karen Brothers-K1KEB has coordinated the Net Control with assistance from her husband Dennis Brothers-N1DB. Bob Phinney-K5TEC, Bob DeMattia-K1IW and Kevin Paetzold-K1KWP assisted with the technical aspects of the net control setup. The Clay Center Amateur Radio Club, Minuteman Repeater Association, Framingham Amateur Radio Association, and many other clubs in the New England area support marathon operations.

With so many Amateurs displaced along the marathon route, Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator, Rob Macedo-KD1CY, placed Eastern Massachusetts ARES on stand-by in case something goes wrong along the marathon route or another major incident occurred coincident with the marathon. “This is standard operating procedure for ‘Marathon Monday’. We want our people to maintain a heightened state of awareness during the event” Macedo said. Macedo was stationed at the net control center providing liaison between the net control center and the State Emergency Operations Center and finish line, provided status reports to the SEOC and assisted with any logistical issues as they occurred.

Shown above: N1XKB and KD1CY at BAA Marathon Net Control, W1M in Brookline, MA

If you are interested in exploring the 902 MHz band and equipment, don’t miss the upcoming presentation on the topic by John Frye, N1OTY at the next Pilgrim Amateur Wireless Assocation meeting on April 17 at 7PM. PAWA meets in the Stone Conference Room at the Morton Hospital on Washington Street in Taunton.

Frye has also presented on the subject at recent meetings of the Minuteman Repeater Association and the Boston Amateur Radio Club.

This year’s Maritime Radio Day on-air operation will occur on April 11-12, 2009 and several Eastern MA amateurs who are former maritime radio operators will be QRV. According to Robert “Whitey” Doherty, K1VV, it’s an excellent way to collect rare and unusual QSL cards.

The event runs from April 11 at 1200 UTC until April 12 at 1200 UTC. This an all CW special event. Former maritime radio operators will be calling “CQ MRD”. The exchange will be the operator’s name and their last ship call sign; for example, “Op Bob last ship NEGX NEGX”. The ship and shore operators will adjust their CW speed for the slower CW operators.

Clayton Nall, NF1R writes on HWC-List:

Chip Coldwell [W1CMC] has graciously agreed to teach a four-week licensing course for a couple of undergrads Tuesdays at 7 pm, starting March 31.

We would love to have more people in the class (of all ages, but especially undergrads). If you know anyone who’s expressed interest in ham radio, we’d love to get them into the class. Feel free to put them in touch with me or Chip (coldwell@frank.harvard.edu).

On Thursday, February 26, 2009 the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association held an open house for the North Shore/Cape Ann Emergency Prepardness Coalition. This coalition includes 15 Local Boards of Health and other health departments, including the American Red Cross and FEMA.

CAARA President Curtis Wright, AA3JE led a presentation which included how North Shore ARES responded during last December’s ice storm, as well as what Amateur Radio is and how it can be utilized  during a health care emergency. Afterward, a Morse code demonstration was conducted by Rick Maybury, WZ1B.

At the conclusion of the presentations, several health care professionals in attendance signed up for the Tech License In A Day course led by Stanley Stone, W4HIX.

–Thanks, CAARA News, April 2009

The Whitman Amateur Radio Club will host an amateur radio table and demonstration at a youth fair at the Masonic Temple, 1170 Hancock Street in Quincy, MA on April 28, 2009 from 10AM until 3PM.

The display, requested by Pete Carlson, N1POO will feature Whitman ARC members explaining amateur radio to those individuals attending the fair. “We hope to put the young adults on the air using the Whitman repeater.”

Whitman ARC members are asked to monitor the repeater and answer the children when the control operators put them on the air for a contact.

Whitman ARC member Bill Hayden, N1FRE is coordinating the event. Anyone interested in helping out should contact N1FRE at wf.hayden at verizon dot net. Set up begins at 9AM.

–Thanks, Whitman ARC Spectrum, March 2009

Falmouth Amateur Radio Association members have voted to purchase the ARRL “Library Set” of books and manuals for donation to the Falmouth Library. The new volumes are intended to replace the old, outdated books currently on display. The motion, made by FARA President Geoff Way, KA1IOR and seconded by board member William Fleck, K2LYE passed on a voice vote.

–Thanks, FARA Newsletter, March, 2009

K1VV and K1WCC plan to activate Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse USA 502 in Scituate, MA as W1AA on Saturday, March 21, 2009 from 7:30 AM EDT (1130 UTC) until about 2:00 PM EDT (1800 UTC).

“Whitey” Doherty, K1VV notes that he and Henry will begin operations on 75 meters around 3996 kHz plus/minus 5 kHz. “We will go to 40 phone around 7234 when 75 runs dry. We’ll be on 14270 plus/minus later in the morning. If we experience QRM, we’ll QSY above 14310. And if band conditions allow, we will also try 18150 +-.”

K1VV says that they will be QRV on CW at approximately on the half hour, on 7035, 10116, 14035, and 18080 kHz, plus or minus QRM.

DX QSLs can be sent via the Bureau. Stateside cards should be sent to W1AA with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the QRZ.com address. Whitey reminds everyone that postal rates for first class envelopes climbs to $0.44 on May 11, 2009.

K1VV adds, “Minot’s Ledge will be our 69th lighthouse activation.”

Roland Daignault, N1JOY writes on BCRA-club list:

“The YL Net will meet Monday evening at 7:00 pm on the N1JBC repeater [Coventry, RI] – 145.370- pl 67. It will be run by myself, Debbie, W1GKE and Crissy, W1DJF.”