Author: k9hi
Blue Hill Observatory Radio Club Forming
New England Sci-Tech writes on its website:
New England Sci-Tech and New England Amateur Radio are working with Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center to establish an educational amateur radio club. You can be a charter member!
The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory has a long history of amateur radio going back to the turn of the last century. We are working to help BHO establish a new club that can meet occasionally on top of Blue Hill and more regularly in locations around greater Boston.
If you are interested in finding out more, please fill out the form below. Be patient as we send out updates occasionally. The main building and weather tower are closed for renovations, so it will be a while before the radio club will have a permanent home. [Full story]
Algonquin ARC Flea Market is Still On! February 19, 2022
February 2022 Section News Now Available
The February, 2022 Section Newsletter is now available at https://ema.arrl.org/february-2022-section-news/.
Matt Zullo: “U.S. Navy Telegraphic Code” at PART of Westford Meeting Online, February 15, 2022
George Allison, K1IG, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:The February PART meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, beginning at 7:30 PM via Webex 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. We will NOT be meeting in person at the Senior Center until further notice.
The Flea at MIT is Back
Mike Crestohl, W1RC, writes:ARRL Foundation Grant Program Accepting Proposals
From ARRL Web:
The ARRL Foundation grants program awards limited funding to organizations for eligible amateur radio related projects and initiatives, particularly those with a focus on educating, licensing, and supporting Amateur Radio activities. Youth-based projects and initiatives are especially encouraged. The ARRL Foundation grants program accepts proposals on a cyclical model three times a year.
Grant proposals are accepted from:
- February 1 – February 28
- June 1 – June 30
- October 1 – October 31
All proposals will be reviewed by the Grant Committee at the close of each cycle. Once the Committee agrees on the proposals to fund, they will be sent to the full Foundation Board for a formal vote. Awardees will be notified approximately one month after the closing of each cycle. [Full story]
KW1U: “National Traffic System (NTS) & Message Handling” at New England Sci-Tech ARS Meeting, February 8, 2022
The New England Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society (NEST) will meet on-line and in-person on February 8, 2022 at 7 PM and feature “National Traffic System (NTS) & Message Handling” by Marcia Forde, KW1U.KM1NDY: “Parks On The Air” at Wellesley ARS Meeting, February 15, 2022
The next Wellesley Amateur Radio Society Zoom meeting on Tuesday, February 15 will feature Mindy Hull, KM1NDY, presenting on Parks On The Air.
WARS President Dan Brown, W1DAN, will email a Zoom meeting invite link before the meeting. If you are not by your computer, you can call in to the meeting via telephone.
PART Members’ Antenna Article Featured in March 2022 QST
George Allison, K1IG, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:
The two Bobs have done it again!
The March 2022 issue of QST (available now on the ARRL website) has another antenna article written by the prolific team of PART club member Bob Glorioso, W1IS, and Bob Rose, KC1DSQ! This article, “Portable 20-Meter Phased Dipole Beam,” describes a two-element wire beam antenna that can be electrically reversed 180 degrees. We used this antenna at Field Day last year and it’s very effective.
As usual, you can vote for this article for the QST Cover Plaque award. The award website should be available for voting in a week or two.
—
George K1IG
PART President
WB1GOF.org
Major Northeast Winter Storm Prompts ARES, SKYWARN Activations
From ARRL Web:
02/04/2022 – Volunteer radio amateurs across New England got down to business over the final weekend in January, as a major winter storm and blizzard dropped up to several feet of snow in the face of hurricane-force wind gusts along the coast. The combination of wet snow and damaging winds felled trees and power lines in coastal portions of eastern Massachusetts, particularly in Cape Cod and the Islands, and caused minor-to-moderate coastal flooding at high tide. The record-breaking blizzard made the top 10 list of major snow events in the cities of Boston and Providence. [Full story]
W1GBH: “Working at WGBH” at Boston ARC Meeting, February 17, 2022
The next general meeting of the Boston Amateur Radio Club will take place on Thursday, February 17, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. on the Zoom teleconferencing program. Our speaker will be Christopher Kelly, W1GBH. Chris is the broadcast engineer for WGBH and its affiliated stations, and he will give a talk about his job and responsibilities.
Joe Chapman NV1W / Secretary
Boston Amateur Radio Club
[For Zoom conference information, email Joe Chapman, NV1W, at nv1w -at- arrl -dot- net]
“SOS Sounded for Historic Radio Towers”
CHATHAM – Driving along Ryder’s Cove on Route 28, it’s impossible to miss the three tall, steel lattice antennas once used by the Marconi-RCA ship-to-shore radio station. Home to ospreys during the spring and summer, the structures are an imposing reminder of the power the station once had to send and receive signals from halfway around the world, keeping in touch with ships at sea for more than 70 years.
Built in 1921, seven years after the rest of the station, the 100-year-old towers are still apparently structurally sound, but there is concern that they may not be receiving the maintenance necessary to keep them that way.
One of the towers, especially, faces an uncertain future unless something is done to arrest erosion along the Ryder’s Cove shore.
[Full story]Volunteers Sought for MS Walk Boston, April 3, 2022
* Your call sign, full name, and name you prefer on the air
* Contact information: your e-mail address, and phone numbers where you can be reached (cell, home, office)
* Your shirt size
* The transmit band(s) of your radio(s), and other equipment you could bring
* Do you have any needs or requests we should consider when making your assignment?
Ethan Hansen – KC1OIP
BARC Public Service Chair
Amateur Radio Demo at Boy Scouts Klondike Derby, Dunstable, February 5, 2022
Mindy Hull, KM1NDY, writes in K1USN Happenings:
Jon Lyna, KC1MII, is one of the organizers of the Boy Scouts of America’s Klondike Derby this Saturday, February 5th! And he is looking for any hams who would like to come and help out, play radio, and inspire some Scouts to get on the air.
Thanks to Pi, K1RV, for letting the group borrow W1BSA as our call sign for this event!
Limey (my green van) will be decked out in full radio apparel, and we will be setting up a couple HF stations, along with UHF/VHF. AA1F and I plan on getting there for the 2 pm set-up.
Hope to see you there!
Mindy – KM1NDY
km1ndy.km1ndy@gmail.com
This is from Jon KC1MII:
——————————
WHO:
Anyone interested in introducing HAM radio to local boy scouts
WHAT:
HAM radio exhibition at the local Boy Scouts Klondike Derby
WHERE:
Larter Field, 80 Groton St, Dunstable, MA 01827
WHEN:
Saturday, February 5, 2022 Set up starts at 2pm. Exhibition from 4pm to 6pm, later if there is still interest.
WHY:
To introduce local boy scouts to the hobby of HAM radio, and any potential application is scouting.
WEATHER:
Friday night there is rain and wintery mix predicted. The high temperature for Saturday is predicted to be 23 with a low of 5.
WHAT TO BRING?
Dress for the weather, and something from the HAM radio hobby that could apply to boy scouting.
GOAL OF THE EXHIBITION:
We are going to set several information stations, that can explain and demonstrate several aspects of HAM radio, and why the could be interesting or useful to boy scouts. Topics to include but are not limited HT’s and local repeaters, Morse Code, and Parks on the Air (POTA) and Summits on the Air (SOTA).
<…>
All the best,
Jon Lyna, KC1MII
Amateur Radio and AUXCOM Support to the Department of Defense
ARRL will present a webinar on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 8 pm ET (0100Z Feb 18) on Amateur Radio and AUXCOM support to the Department of Defense.
Use this zoom link to attend:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Check out the ARRL link below for more detail:
This webinar will coincide with the start of MARS Exercise 22-1, which should provide opportunity to practice these skills.
Tom Kinahan
US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System
Region One Director
aaa1rd@usamars.us
W1UE: “HF Propagation – A Different Look” at Billerica ARS Meeting Online, February 2, 2022
Next [Billerica Amateur Radio Society] Meeting: Wed Feb. 2, 7 PM on Zoom
Speaker: Dennis Egan, W1UE
Topic: HF Propagation – A Different Look
Dennis Egan, W1UE, has been licensed for 53 years. He is an avid contester, and his main interest in propagation is to improve his contest scores. He is Past President of the Yankee Clipper Contest Club (YCCC) and is Past Chairman of the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee. While Dennis has no transmitting antennas at his residence, he has used Remote Stations for the past 12 years to satisfy his need for contesting.
BARS will announce the link to join the Zoom meeting before the meeting, and it will be posted to the BARS email list and should not be shared outside our Club. Are you on the email list? If not, please send an email to bars-subscribe@w1hh.org and then simply reply to the robot response from the server and you will be subscribed.
Observing our Zoom meeting requires only a web browser and headphones/speakers. You do not need a webcam or microphone unless you want to speak or be seen.
Before our meeting date, please go to https://zoom.us/test and see if it will function for you. If you have problems, we can try to assist – feel free to ask questions on the BARS email list.
[For Zoom conference details, email Bruce Anderson, W1LUS, at w1lus -at- hotmail -dot- com.]W1MJ Fox QRV in Waltham, January 23, 2022
Eliot Mayer, W1MJ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters and Waltham ARA mailing lists:
I recently assembled a 5-watt fox, and plan to put it out this Sunday, January 23, from 10 AM (or earlier) to 4 PM. I will make another post here on Sunday morning to confirm successful deployment (or not).
The suggested starting point is Elsie Turner Field on Trapelo Road in Waltham, across from the National Archives.
Since a 5-watt fox can be heard from some distance, and since it is winter, I offer this clue: I reached the hiding place with less than a ½ mile walk from Elsie Turner Field. The fox makes transmissions on 147.54 MHz at approximately 1 minute intervals, mostly in voice, but some in Morse code. If you want to know a bit about what you are looking for, see http://w1mj.com/fox.
Good luck DE W1MJ
KM1CC QRV for Marconi’s First Transatlantic Wireless Message Anniversary, January 18, 2022
Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club writes on Facebook:
“The History, Renovation, and Future of MIT’s Green Building’s Radomes” at New England Sci-Tech ARS Meeting, January 18, 2022
The New England Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society (NEST) will meet on-line and in-person on January 18, 2022 at 7 PM and feature “The History, Renovation, and Future of MIT’s Green Building’s Radomes” by MIT Professor Kerri Cahoy, Daniel Sheen, KC1EPN, and members of the MIT Radio Society.