a field organization of the National Association for Amateur Radio®
Due to COVID-19 concerns, SKYWARN Training classes will again be held virtually in 2021. SKYWARN Training sessions will occur on three weeknights and two weekends in April and May. The weeknight sessions will be taught by NWS forecasters and the weekend sessions taught by Amateur Radio operators.
[Algonquin Amateur Radio Club] member Dennis Egan, W1UE, will speak on the topic of “Using Propagation Prediction Software” at the March 11, 2021 AARC meeting at 7:30 PM online via Zoom. Information on joining this virtual meeting will be sent out in advance via email.
A Taunton, MA amateur is among twelve US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) volunteers being honored with gold-level recognition for the President’s Volunteer Service Award for 2020.
Bob Mims, WA1OEZ, the former Director for Region One (New England) along with eleven other award recipients will receive a letter signed by the President of the United States, a certificate of achievement, and a presidential volunteer service lapel pin. Volunteer awards are based on the certifying organization’s recommendation and the number of documented volunteer hours for the year.
[Full story]
New England Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, will present an “ARRL Update” talk at the the Nantucket Amateur Radio Association‘s quarterly meeting on March 6, 2021 at 12 Noon.
Douglas Bruce, KC1MJK, writes on the W1HH.org website:
Come join [the Billerica Amateur Radio Society] for an informative presentation on the Fusion digital mode by Brian, WO1VES. Brian runs the growing Wolfpack Repeater Network featuring the System Fusion digital technology by Yaesu. This is a must see presentation so please mark this on your calendar!
73, Doug
On Tuesday March 9 at 19:00 Wayne Hansen, KC1MCW, and Mark Rudd, KC1LOM, will present,“Flying the Beam: Navigation by Air & Space.”
Wayne will cover past and present methods to use radio for aircraft communication and navigation. Mark will cover how the Apollo 1967 mission used radio for the space mission’s communication and navigation to the moon and back.
For Zoom conference information, email Bob Phinney, K5TEC, at bobphinney -at- nescitech -dot- org or call 508-720-4179.
The February, 2021, Section Newsletter is now available at https://ema.arrl.org/february-2021-section-news/.
At its February 27, 2021 board meeting, the Framingham Amateur Radio Association voted to donate $500 to the Framingham Police Association, naming Sgt. Paul Patriarca, K1PMP, and family as beneficiary. Patriarca’s Grafton home was tragically involved in a home fire; thankfully, no one was hurt.
According to FARA president John Iwuc, KB1VXY, “Paul received his technician class license through FARA and periodically attends the Saturday morning Shack openings.”
Two club members agreed to donate $100 each to FARA to help defray this cost.
Eastern Massachusetts Technical Coordinator Dan Brown, W1DAN, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7 on March 3, 2021. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV.
Dan will speak about how ham radio has influenced his career in the broadcast industry.
“Pi” Pugh, K1RV, writes in K1USN “Happenings”, February 25, 2021:Maybe you just received your Technician license, or perhaps you have had it for a while and burnt out on sparse FM Repeater contacts. Take a new look at the possibilities available to you beyond repeaters. Explore Tech HF and 6 Meter privileges for SSB, CW and Digital Modes (FT8/FT4/RTTY) to expand your operating modes and the distance covered in contacts. Explore other VHF/UHF uses, including SSB, Satellite Operation, FM Simplex, Digital Modes, Contesting, and more.
We are fortunate to have Anthony, K8ZT, back with us as we kick off the month of March.
This presentation will be of interest to everyone as well as for Technicians. There are many Hams who may have gotten licensed years ago and have just not found the time or guidance needed to assemble a station to get on the air. There are also many others who have perhaps gotten into a “rut” of just following the same pattern of operating over and over again without change.
Anthony has a great way of presenting his thoughts which should give us all a chance to hit the Refresh Button!
Here is one of Anthony’s recent presentations for the 2021 Virtual Hamcation about operating in State QSO parties – https://www.youtube.com/watch?
If you have previously received our K1USN Zoom invitations then you are already on that list and will receive your Zoom invitation on Sunday for the March 2nd session. If you would like to be added to that list or you know someone else who might like to join us, please contact me (k1rv@arrl.net) to be added to the K1USN Zoom invitation list. We do ask that you do not share the Zoom invite information which will help us to minimize the possibility of “Zoom Bombing” issues.
By the way, I know that I’ve mentioned Anthony’s website before, but every time I visit it I become even more impressed at the vast amount of resource material available – http://www.k8zt.com/
Check it out and I guarantee that you will be impressed!
Nashua, N.H.–Four years ago, an organization of ham radio operators in New Hampshire teamed up with a local high school so the students could learn more about the power of connecting people through the airwaves. Now that connection led the students all the way to outer space. It was an out-of-this-world experience for students at Bishop Gurtin High School in Nashua. On Friday, they make contact with the International Space Station. For members of the school’s STEM Club, it was a chance for them to chat directly with Astronaut Shannon Walker onboard the International Space Station. “It was really quite something to be able to speak to an astronaut that far away in space,” one of the club members said. [Full story]
RATPAC’s scheduled Thursday February 25 Zoom presentation will be at:
10:00 PM AST / 9:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM CST / 7:00 PM MST / 6:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM AKST / 4:00 PM HST
Topic: SKYWARN
Speaker/Presenter: Rob Macedo KD1CY
Hey folks: These Zoom sessions are left open after the presentation.
After the Zoom presentation has been closed, sign back into Zoom to visit.
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Michael Bennett, KG1U, writes on the GARS Now mailing list:Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV. Rob will speak about the ARES program and SKYWARN.
Dom Mallozzi, N1DM, will present the “History of Radio in Maine back to World War I” on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 19:00 ET.
This talk is a discussion of historic radio sites in Maine from World War One through the 1960s. This discussion includes some radio sites that have long disappeared but had a major influence on radio, like the site of the first major commercial use of single sideband. As with any such history discussion, we will also cover a few technical details on the progress of technology over the years from long waves to satellites.
For Zoom conference information, email Bob Phinney, K5TEC, at bobphinney -at- nescitech -dot- org or call 508-720-4179.
Mike Powell, W1KU, writes on the Algonquin ARC mailing list:
After this week’s Sunday net, I plan to operate 70 cm FM (maybe 2 m, too) from my lantern batteries. I plan to be at my employer’s parking lot at a high point in Hudson (77 Reed Rd), so I’m hoping for decent simplex coverage to the local area.
This is an opportunity for club members with technician or above licenses to make LBC contacts (2 points for contacting a member). My goal is also to check my simplex range from this location, so even if you don’t have lantern batteries set up, a QSO would be great.
I will announce myself on the repeater during and after the net.
Planned frequency is 446.0 MHz FM (alternate: 446.5 MHz FM). If there are requests for 2 meters, I plan to operate at 146.52 MHz FM (alternate 147.42 MHz FM).
from nediv.arrl.org:
At its Annual Meeting in January, the ARRL Board of Directors considered a motion to offer a new plan that would pay the new but not-yet-implemented $35 FCC application fee for a limited number of new radio amateurs younger than age 18 who, at the time of testing, belonged to an ARRL Affiliated 501(c)(3) charitable organization and passed their tests through an ARRL VEC-sponsored exam session. The proposal called for reducing the VEC fee for these candidates to $5. The initial proposal came from ARRL Southeastern Division Director Mickey Baker, N4MB. Other Board members offered subsidiary motions. Supporters said the purpose behind the motion was to ameliorate the potential financial hardship the pending FCC application fee posed on certain minors applying for their first license, and to encourage new youth membership. [Full story]
The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club’s February meeting is Thursday, February 17, 2021 at 7:30 PM. This meeting will be conducted via Zoom. Meeting details are below. Thanks to Jim Hein, N8VIM, and Medtronics for the Zoom conference. I apologize for such late notice.
The February meeting will feature Brint Ferguson, W3NOZ, who will speak on radar and stealth technologies.
Thanks and 73. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Bruce, K1BG
978-772-2773 or bruce.blain@charter.net
Dan Brown, W1DAN, writes in the Wellesley ARS Spark Gap:
Our next Zoom meeting will be Tuesday, February 16 where we’ll have Dom, N1DM, discuss the history of radio.
I will email a Zoom meeting invite link before the meeting. Also, if you are not by your computer, you can call in to the meeting via telephone.