Author: k9hi
KM1NDY: “SOTA and POTA Operating” at PART of Westford Meeting, April 19, 2022
George Allison, K1IG, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:
The March PART meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 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.
Our speaker for the April meeting is Mindy, KM1NDY, who will give a presentation on SOTA and POTA operating. Portable operation can inspire amateur radio operators to get outside and play radio. While structured programs such as Parks-On-The-Air (POTA) and Summits-On-The-Air (SOTA) provide ready made opportunities for portable radio pursuits, the actual number of ways a ham can enjoy operating in the field is limited only by imagination. One bonus of portable radio is its ability to draw people together and promote the amateur radio hobby to the public at large. This talk will discuss gear choices, operating strategies for both individual and group events, and other factors that can help lead to a successful outdoor radio experience.
Mindy was licensed in February 2019, and holds an extra class radio license. She has activated 57 peaks for SOTA, now 21st in the W1 (New England) Association, and is an active POTA participant.
Attendees are reminded to bring donations for the Westford Food Panty. Items such as canned soups and Dinty Moore beef stew are always appreciated.
I’ve heard a rumor from a reliable source that there will be free stuff at the meeting!
73,
George K1IG
New England QSO Party, May 7-8, 2022
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, writes:
The New England QSO Party on May 7th and 8th is a great time to check out antenna systems and offers a moderately paced opportunity to work new states and countries. You’ll find a wide variety of participants, from newcomers to experienced contesters, all interested in making contacts with New England stations.
Our goal is to get every one of the 67 counties in New England on the air so we hope you will encourage your friends to join in the fun! Even if you can join the fun for a couple of hours, we’d appreciate it! Will you be QRV? Let us know with a message to info@neqp.orgNew England QSO Party on May 7th.
Last year we had logs from 947 stations from around the country and world.
The full rules are here -> https://neqp.org/rules/
The full 2021 results were posted last month – https://neqp.org/2021-new-
It’s just three weeks until the 2022 NEQP. Please get on and make some QSOs even if you don’t want to send in a log!
Thanks!
73 Tom/K1KI
Boston Marathon Repeater Activity, April 18, 2022
Joe Harris, N1QD, writes on the Boston ARC list:
Groton Road Race, May 15, 2022
Ralph Swick, KD1SM, writes:
** Groton Road Race scheduled for Sunday May 15, 2022 **
The Groton Road Race (Groton MA) is back! May 15 will be the 29th running of this event. The Groton Police Department and the Race Director have again requested our Amateur Radio communication support this year.
We will be supporting the two main races in this event; the 5k and 10k. The communications support that we provide starts around 9am and we should be done shortly after 1pm.
The event committee is not requiring volunteers to be vaccinated or to wear masks. You are certainly welcome to wear a mask and/or maintain distancing if you wish.
The Groton Road Race continues to be a major event for Amateur Radio in North Central Massachusetts. Those of you who have joined us in previous years know that the runners sincerely appreciate our presence. Many say so as they run past. This event is so large that Police Departments and other public safety organizations from several communities come to assist the Groton PD. Part of our role is to provide the communications from the Groton Police to these out-of-town officers who come to help with this event.
Contributing to the public good is one of the reasons Amateur Radio exists. Our public service events are a key opportunity for us to show our colors, volunteer our skills and equipment, and demonstrate why it is in the public’s interest to continue to allocate precious RF spectrum to our the Amateur Radio Service. The Groton Road Race is a low-stress event and a great way to gain more experience with the public service aspect of amateur radio. Please consider joining us on the 15th.
If you are a new Ham or know of another Ham who is interested in helping at these events but unsure of what is expected or what equipment may be needed, please do not hesitate to introduce the to me.
The Race Committee and the Groton Police Department repeatedly praise and express their appreciation for our assistance in providing communications for this event for many years. if you are interested in joining the communication crew this year, please let me know.
Thanks and 73,
-Ralph kd1sm@arrl.net
[2] http://grotonroadrace.com/
April 2022 Section News Now Available
The April, 2022 Section Newsletter is now available at https://ema.arrl.org/april-2022-section-news/.
Bob Rose, KC1DSQ, and Bob Glorioso, W1IS, Win the March 2022 QST Cover Plaque Award
From ARRL News:Department of Defense Zoominar for Communications Exercise, April 21, 2022
Tom Kinahan writes:
On Thursday 21 April at 8 pm ET representatives from the US Army Network Enterprise Technology Command will give an unclassified presentation to review the concept of the upcoming DoD Exercise 22-2 which will take place from 2-7 May.
Army representatives will briefly describe the concept of the exercise and how amateurs and Auxiliary communications personnel can participate in this training event.
Zoom info:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8639
For more information connect to:
https://www.dodmars.org/mars-c
Tom Kinahan
US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System
Region One Director
aaa1rd at usamars.us
Eric Horwitz, KA1NCF, writes on the North Shore RA mailing list:NEAR-Fest XXXI, April 29-30, 2022, Deerfield, NH
ATTENTION: two weeks to go! A Two-Fox Hunt in Carlisle, April 9-10, 2022
Eliot Mayer, W1MJ, writes on NEMassFoxHunters and Waltham ARA lists:
Two foxes will be transmitting this weekend (April 9-10) from Greenough Land in Carlisle, MA. This conservation area is only 15 minutes from the center of Westford and 25 minutes from beautiful downtown Waltham. The parking lot is more-or-less across the street from 811 Maple Street. If you come from Route 3, Maple Street is actually the same street as Treble Cover Road, so it’s a straight shot 2 miles from the highway. A map of Greenough Land is available here: https://www.carlislema.gov/
Both foxes will be on the air from Saturday at 9:30 AM until Sunday at 5:00 PM.
Call / Frequency / TX Power
K1MJC / 146.565 MHz / 15 mW
W1MJ / 147.54 MHz / 5 W
N1NS: “A Little Bit About Forest Fires” at the Boston ARC Meeting Online, April 21, 2022
The next general meeting of the Boston Amateur Radio Club will be held on Thursday, April 21, at 7:30 PM. The meeting room will be opened at 7:00 PM for a period of socializing. The speaker will be Barbara Dougan, N1NS, who will present “A Little Bit About Forest Fires.”
A link will be published in the upcoming issue of The SPARC and will appear on www.barc.org on the day of the meeting.
73,
Joe Chapman NV1W / Secretary, Boston Amateur Radio Club
K1NKR: “Amateur Image Modes” at Algonquin ARC Hybrid Meeting, April 14, 2022
The next [Algonquin Amateur Radio Club] meeting will be hybrid held on April 14 at 7:30 PM in the library of the 1st Lt. Charles W. Whitcomb Middle School, 25 Union Ave, Marlboro. Enter from Agoritsas Drive next to police station and use door #1 at rear of building.
AARC Vice President “Skip” Youngberg, K1NKR, will present on amateur image modes.
VARA HF Modem Group License Purchase
Gregory Kenley, KC1NRJ, writes on the Boston Amateur Radio Club list:
K1IG: “How to Precisely Calibrate Your Transceiver, Measure Frequencies Over the Air, and Participate in the Semi-Annual ARRL Frequency Measuring Test” at Sci-Tech ARS Hybrid Meeting, April 5, 2022
The New England Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society (NEST) will meet on-line and in-person on April 5, 2022 at 7 PM and feature George Allison, K1IG, who will present “How to Precisely Calibrate Your Transceiver, Measure Frequencies Over the Air, and Participate in the Semi-Annual ARRL Frequency Measuring Test.” Cape Ann ARA EmComm Group Meeting, Gloucester, April 5, 2022
Dean Burgess, KB1PGH, writes:
This is a reminder that [Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association‘s] emergency communications group will be holding a meeting at the clubhouse on 6 Stanwood Street in Gloucester at 7 PM this Tuesday night, April 5th.
The topic of discussion for the meeting will be disaster go bags and I will be doing a presentation on them. Others are welcome to bring their go bags in as well to show them off.
73,
Dean Burgess KB1PGH
ARRL Emergency Coordinator
Blue Hills Observatory Wireless Society Online Meeting, April 6, 2022
My name is Steve Hoberman, KC1MWF, and I am writing to you about the Blue Hill Observatory Wireless Society which is just getting started, in case you have any interest in getting involved.
Those of us helping to get the club underway are in no way whatsoever trying to take you away from any club(s) to which you currently belong but, rather, just trying to be supportive of Blue Hill Observatory and help them get their club and initial activities started. In fact, for all of us currently involved, it will represent the second, third, or more clubs of which each of us individually are concurrently members.
Below for your info is the initial newsletter which Bob Phinney, K5TEC, and Rusty Moore, K1FVK, sent out in late February so you can get some more background. We have had two Zoom meetings to-date in recent weeks getting things started. Elections have been postponed a bit relative to what’s in the newsletter, but there is a lot of interest in beginning to plan for the May 14 Mt. Washington event described in the newsletter.
If you have any interest in hearing about or participating in this new club, please join us for the next Zoom meeting. It is scheduled for Wednesday, April 6, from 7:00 – 8:00 PM using Zoom link: […]. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks and 73,
Steve
KClMWF
Steve Hoberman
53 Allen Ave
Waban MA 02468
Important Message from ARRL VEC
Important Message from ARRL VEC
By Maria Somma, AB1FM, ARRL VEC Manager
The FCC released a Public Notice on March 23, 2022, stating that the amateur radio application fees, including those associated with Form 605 application filings, would become effective on April 19, 2022. The Federal Communications Commission’s authority to impose and collect fees is mandated by Congress.
The $35 application fee, when it becomes effective on April 19, will apply to new, renewal, and modification applications that request a new vanity call sign. The fee will be per application.
Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, and modification applications to upgrade an amateur radio licensee’s operator class*, will be exempt from fees. (*this new information was just confirmed by FCC staff on Tuesday, March 29.)
VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not have to collect the $35 fee at exam sessions.
Once the FCC application fee takes effect, new applicants will pay the $15 exam session fee to the ARRL VE team as usual and pay the $35 application fee directly to the FCC by using the CORES FRN Registration system. VEC and VE team licensing procedures will not change.
When the FCC receives the examination information from the VEC, it will email a link with payment instructions to each qualifying candidate. The candidate will have 10 calendar days, from the date of the application file number being issued, to pay. After the fee is paid, and the FCC has processed an application, examinees will receive a second email from the FCC with a link to their official license or, in very rare instances, an explanation for why the application was dismissed or denied. The link will be valid for 30 days.
Per usual procedures, examinees that pass multiple exams at one session, will have one application transmitted to the FCC reflecting the highest-level license class earned. Again, our procedures will not change. The new license candidates will have an extra step before the license is issued. VE teams can point candidates to our FCC Application Fee webpage. Our new ARRL VEC CSCEs also include information about the application fee and points candidates to the webpage. The FCC rule pertaining to CSCEs will not change. CSCE credit will continue to be valid for 365 days, starting from the date of issuance.
For VE teams holding exam sessions the weekend before April 19, the FCC advised that applications not received by the FCC before April 19 will be subjected to the fee. The ARRL VEC urges teams to upload sessions via our documents upload page to get your sessions to us as quickly as possible. Assuming the FCC electronic batch filing (EBF) system is functioning properly on Monday, April 18, the VEC staff will work to get these to the FCC before April 19. Email the VEC department at VEC@arrl.org for the upload instructions.
Additionally, the FCC stated that the fee for applications processed and dismissed will not be refundable. This includes vanity requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. However, returned applications that are missing information will not require an additional fee, if the missing information is submitted to the FCC within the proper amount of time.
Youth Licensing Grant Program
Anticipating the implementation of the fee in 2022, the ARRL Board of Directors, approved the ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program in July 2021. Under the program, ARRL will cover a one-time $35 application fee for license candidates younger than 18-years old for tests administered under the auspices of the ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (ARRL VEC). Qualified candidates also would pay a reduced exam session fee of $5 to the ARRL VEC. ARRL is finalizing details for administering the program.
Further news and instructions will follow as the FCC releases them. Details for the ARRL Youth Licensing Grant Program will be posted when available. For additional information, visit the resources below.
ARRL VEC Application Fees webpage:
ARRL News Story: arrl.org/news/new-amateur-
FCC CORES Video Tutorials: fcc.gov/licensing-databases/
FCC Registration Help: apps.fcc.gov/cores/publicHome.
AB1OC: “Helping HAMs and Young People to Develop New Skills and Get On The Air” at Waltham ARA Meeting Online, March 30, 2022
Please join the Waltham Amateur Radio Association at 7 PM on March 30, 2022 when Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, will present “Helping Hams and Young People to Develop New Skills and Get On The Air.”
[Contact Waltham Amateur Radio Association President Ron Senykoff, KG1T, at <rsenykoff@gmail.com> for video conference details.]
New FCC Application Fee Will Not Apply To Amateur Radio License Upgrades
From ARRL News: