a field organization of the National Association for Amateur Radio®
Next BARS Zoom meeting: June 1 at 7:00 PM on Zoom
“Troubleshooting Gear,” Tony Brock-Fisher, K1KP
Tony will speak on the often arcane art of finding and repairing problems with equipment. Often, a methodical approach, a bit of knowledge, and a few useful pieces of test equipment are all you need to put things right again.
[For Zoom conference details, email Bruce Anderson, W1LUS, at w1lus -at- hotmail -dot- com.]
The Wellesley Amateur Radio Society is embarking upon an interesting technical project to develop LoRa nodes at club members’ homes, according to WARS President Dan Brown, W1DAN.John Salmi, KB1MGI, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list on May 21, 2022 at 10:40 AM:
Bob Evans, N1BE, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list on May 20, 2022 at 3:56 PM:
The MMRA Fox Box is at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Stow.
The Fox transmits on 145.63 MHz with a 146.2 Hz PL.
Transmissions repeat approx. every 165 seconds.
I plan to retrieve the Fox on Tuesday, May 24th.
Email me directly if you want a hint to help locate the fox.
Happy hunting,
Bob Evans, N1BE
Boston Amateur Radio Club Secretary Joe Chapman, NV1W, will present about Amateur Radio and “The Computer in the Shack” to the Boston Network Users group on June 7, 2022. The meeting will start at 7:30 PM.
The Boston Network Users Group (BNUG) provides education and technical forum for anyone interested in computer networking and related technologies. BNUG was founded in 1986.
Our Speaker: Joseph Chapman
Description of the talk: In 1976 I submitted decks of punched cards as homework for my first Fortran class, and earned my entry-level amateur radio license. Over the course of my adult life, as both computer and radio technologies have evolved, the computer has become an essential part of the amateur radio “shack.” I’ll talk about how it’s gone from being used for station control and logging, to supporting digital modes; finally, with Software Defined Radio (SDR), it’s become the radio itself! I’ll also describe some Internet sites used for reporting space weather and making propagation predictions, and online logging, including the public-key signature system used by 112,000 users for the American Radio Relay League’s Logbook of the World.
Presenter Bio:
Joe Chapman, NV1W, has been fiddling with radios and computers since he was a teenager in the 1970s. After graduating from MIT, he has been involved in more hardware and software startups than Zsa Zsa Gabor has had husbands. His most recent startup having been acquired by Red Hat, he now works on storage optimization in the Linux kernel. In amateur radio he generally works with low power, using Morse code or weak-signal digital modes. He has done two solo cross-country bicycle tours, plays the pipe organ, does calligraphy, and cooks.
The Pilgrim Amateur Wireless Association will meet via Zoom on May 20, 2022 for a business meeting at 6:30 PM, followed at 7:00 PM by a special presentation on Propagation and Space Weather by Phil Erickson, W1PJE.
Dr. Erickson is head of the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences group, a Principal Research Scientist, and an associate director at Haystack Observatory, a multidisciplinary radio observatory operated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A licensed radio amateur, he is a member of ARRL, RSGB, and TAPR, vice president of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club. He is on the scientific steering board of the Ham Science Citizen Initiative (HamSCI). Dr. Erickson is also a member of the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Radio Frequencies, which advocates on scientific radio frequency requirements and interference protection for scientific and engineering research.
For Zoom link information, contact Mike Nye, N1NTM, at n1ntm@hotmail.com.
At the May 17, 2022 PART of Westford meeting, PART members Bob Glorioso, W1IS (left), and Bob Rose, KC1DSQ (not shown), received the March 2022 QST Cover Plaque award from New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC (right). [Photo courtesy PART of Westford]
The May, 2022 Section Newsletter is now available at https://ema.arrl.org/may-2022-section-news/.
George Allison, K1IG, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:
The May PART meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, beginning at 7:30 PM at the Cameron Senior Center, 20 Pleasant Street, Westford, MA, and via Webex video conference. For those attending via video conference, a meeting link is below; just click on the green button to join in. You can join the conference any time after 7:00 PM to check out your gear or just rag chew until the meeting starts. Bear in mind that internet connectivity from the senior center may be unreliable.
We’ve got several items on the agenda:
1. New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, will present the QST Cover Plaque Award for March 2022 to PART members Bob Glorioso, W1IS, and Bob Rose, KC1DSQ. After the presentation, Fred will talk about ARRL happenings.
2. Terry, KA8SCP, talk about emergency response by various agencies to an “event” at the Seabrook power station, and involvement by the Amateur Radio community.
3. Field Day plans!
4. ARRL grant money for clubs.
Attendees are reminded to bring donations for the Westford Food Panty. Items such as canned soups and Dinty Moore beef stew are always appreciated.
See you Tuesday!
George, K1IG
Agenda update: Terry, KA8SCP, is unable to attend the meeting; his talk on Seabrook events has been postponed.
Several museum ship stations in Eastern Massachusetts will be active during Museum Ships Weekend from 0000Z June 4 to 2359Z June 5, 2022.
The K1USN Radio Club station, K1USN, is signed up to participate. According to station trustee “Pi” Pugh, K1RV, “We plan a full scale activation and will be looking for operators on CW, SSB, and FT4/8 as we get closer.”
Two additional museum ship stations plan will be QRV and are looking for operators: the USS Salem, N1SLM; and the USS Massachusetts [Uncommon Service to Naval Radio], NE1PL.
Contact W1OF <w1of@nsradio.org> for the USS Salem, KB1TEE <kb1tee@verizon.net> for the USS Massachusetts, and K1RV <pi.k1rv@gmail.com> for the K1USN Radio Club.
For full details, visit <https://www.nj2bb.org/museum/>.
Mike Cormier, K1MJC, writes on the Waltham ARA list and NEMassFoxHunters list at 4:16 PM on May 13, 2022:
Yes, the K1MJC Fox’s are a-foot!
I put it them out today, Friday.
The fox’s are close to each other somewhere in an area within the City limits of Waltham, MA.
“School” is the clue.
The extra added bonus here is this time, I’ve placed a UHF fox out as well.
This is an experimental unit, made up of a Arduino pro mini 3.3 V with a 433 MHz AM transmitter with very low power.
It does tend to drift 10 kHz on either side of the stated frequency possibly with battery voltage; and for those of you who have “AM“ capabilities in your handheld, this is an extra added bonus.
Also, I’m not sure how long the battery life will last with the AM Fox so the sooner you hunt it the better ; ( possibly 2days?)
Note: It can be heard on FM, but it is scratchy and noisy. AM reception is the best!
Fox Frequencies are:
VHF 146.565
UHF 433.975 (thereabouts).
(There is only a log with the VHF fox. Nothing with the UHF fox).
As usual, they will be retrieved before Sundown Sunday.
One of The maps on this page would prove useful!
https://walthamlandtrust.org/
Happy hunting!
Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list at 9:27 AM on May 13, 2022:
The fox is on the loose!
I verified that the signal can be (weakly) heard from the Cider Mill Pond parking area.
It will be out all day today (Friday) and Saturday.
If you are in the neighborhood, feel free to visit my home QTH. I should be there most of the day today. My info is good on QRZ.com.
I am willing to tweak your R3500D fox receiver for peak performance by adjusting the capacitor and two transformers. LMK if you are interested.
Have fun(!) and 73,
Andy
[See also: Interest for an 80m Fox?]Terry Stader, KA8SCP, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:
There are two public service events occurring this weekend that 146.955 2m repeater users should be aware of:
Saturday, May 14th – 9:00 AM to about Noon – Apple Blossom Parade operations
Sunday, May 15th – 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Groton Road Race
These event users have primary use during these times. Emergency use will take precedence as always.
Terry M Stader – KA8SCP
WB1GOF Repeaters
Bob Evans, N1BE, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list on May 11, 2022 at 7:41 PM:
The MMRA Fox Box transmits on 145.63 MHz with a 146.2 Hz PL.
Transmissions repeat approx. every 165 seconds.
The box has been heard in the town of Acton, MA.
I plan to retrieve the Fox on Monday May 16.
Email me directly if you want a hint to help locate the fox.
Happy hunting,
Bob Evans, N1BE
Ethan Hansen, KC1OIP, writes on the Boston ARC mailing list:
Forwarding this along from the NEDECN group. Might be of interest to those of you chasing grid squares or wanting to test out 6 meters.
For those of you that have VHF or UHF gear on 50/144/432 SSB/CW/Digital (FT8 and MSK144), look for this very rare Grid Square in Northern NH. Mike (K1MUU) and Matt (KC1OFX) will setup early on FRIDAY and SATURDAY (5/13 and 5/14).
The next AARC meeting will be held in person on May 12 at 7:30 pm in the library of the 1st Lt. Charles W. Whitcomb Middle School, 25 Union Ave, Marlboro, MA. Enter from Agoritsas Drive next to police station and use Door #1 at rear of building.
The speaker this month will be Lou Tramontozzi, KA1HIH, presenting on antique radios.
Lou will appear on Zoom and will present at the beginning of the meeting shortly after 7:30. If we are unable to connect to Zoom at the library due to network or equipment challenges, the presentation will continue on Zoom.
After the presentation we will review the election results and share Lantern Battery Challenge anecdotes.
Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list on May 10, 2022 at 6:36 AM:
Good morning fox hunters!
I have moved the KB1OIQ 2m fox. It is still in Cider Mill Pond, but now you should(?) be able to hear the fox from the parking area. The battery has been replaced and it should be good for the entire day.
Have fun and 73,
Andy
—
Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list on May 8, 2022 at 10:02 AM:
146.565 FM is the fox frequency.
Go to the Cider Mill Pond conservation area in Westford.
A fox awaits you. Have fun and good luck! Cider Mill Pond is a very large
area (100? acres).
I’ll leave it out there for today and Monday.
73,
Andy
Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes:
Please share this with friends and family members who are interested in getting an Amateur Radio License.
The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club (NVARC) is offering a free amateur radio licensing course beginning on May 16th. The eight night course will prepare students for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Technician licensing exam that will be offered at the completion of the course. The Technician level radio operator’s license is the first of three amateur licenses offered by the FCC. Each license has increased levels of operator privileges.
The course consists of twice weekly sessions beginning on Monday, May 16th, and meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays for four weeks (May 16th through June 8th ). The course will be held at the Pepperell Community Center, 4 Hollis Street, Pepperell, MA 01463. Sessions will start at 7 PM and last for 2 hours. An FCC license exam will be scheduled for the end of the sessions. The course is free, but there will be an FCC required $15 testing fee if you take the exam. The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, Level 1, Technician, 4th ed, will be the study guide used for the class. A limited number of study guides may be purchased from the instructor for $20 or online from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) or Amazon.
This course is open to all, there are no age limits. Pre-registration is required, no walk-ins will be allowed. To register you must contact the instructor, Bruce Blain at (508) 341-5124 or via email at bruce.blain@charter.net.
Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list on May 8, 2022:
I have a fox for the 80m band, and I’m wondering who has gear to receive the signal.
It is a real CW signal on the color burst frequency, roughly 3.579 MHz.
One possible receiver is shown here: http://crkits.com/r3500d.jpg
The fox has not been deployed. I’m just assessing the interest level of such a fox hunt.
73,
Andy
Ray Cord, K2TGX, writes on the Study Memorial Hospital ARC mailing list:
Hello All,
This is to announce that the North Attleborough Emergency Management Agency UHF Repeater NA1HS is back on the air at full legal strength, 447.975 – Split PL 88.5. We would appreciate your trying it out in your travels and from home, and sending us your signal reports. I know Pierre, N1EZT, and John, KA1EWN, put a lot of hours in getting it back up with the new antenna.
Tnx, 73
Ray K2TGX
Ray Deputy Director Norton EMA-CERT70
East Main St
Norton, Ma. 02766
508-726-1054 cell