USCG Auxiliary Division 5 Weekly Sunday Amateur Radio Net Starts Sunday 3/10/24 at 1100 AM

Joseph-Fratto-N1RLO, FCC General Radiotelephone Operator  writes:

I attended the MMRA Minuteman Repeater Association board of directors meeting this evening. They
discussed and approved the “Auxiliary Net” to take place every Sunday morning from 11:00 to 12:00 on
the MMRA repeater network. The MMRA is a nonprofit Amateur Radio Club dedicated to Emergency.
Communications. The MMRA owns about twenty-five repeaters.

We will be using an assignment of eight repeaters all linked together on separate frequencies covering
from the Worcester area to the Boston Harbor. They are waiting for me to give them further areas we
wish to cover. Our members in New Hampshire please let me know of 2 meter machines in your area
so we can determine whether they can be linked to allow you access to the net. Currently we are able
to get into the Nashua area.

147.120-Billerica PL 146.2
146.715-North Reading PL 146.2
146.820-Boston Prudential PL 146.2
146.790-Weston PL 146.2
147.270-Marlboro PL 146.2
146.610-Mendon PL 146.2
146.670-Quincy PL 146.2 (Temporarily off air for a couple of weeks)
442.250-Lowell PL 88.5

There is also an Echo Link system attached to this linked repeater net. The Echo Link can handle up to 100 callers at a time. If you are a licensed Ham with a callsign and you don’t have a radio you can come into the net by Echo Link.

These repeaters will be all automatically linked during the 11 to 12:00 Net times. They are all analog.
Please check online for the PL CTCSS tone codes.

The net control station for the present time will be myself using my Ham radio callsign N1RLO. Ham radio
callsigns only on this net. This is a Ham radio net on Ham radio frequencies NO federal callsigns allowed.
The first “Auxiliary Net” will be held on Sunday 10 MAR 2024 at 11:00 hrs. AM. This is a fellowship net and
NO official business to be discussed.

This is a good time for any members who are not licensed Ham radio operators to become motivated and
get their entry level Ham license. Everything including the FCC exams are online and very convenient. This
system is so robust you should be able to hit one of these repeaters with a portable walkie talkie.

The Prudential Building 146.82 repeater should cover the entire harbor area out to and including P Town.
For help with programming contact captdan3@aol.com Dan Long for help.

Submitted:

Joseph Fratto
FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License

Reminder: Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday March 4th, 2024 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

Hello to all…

The March Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday March 4th, 2024 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater system.

For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have several announcements for the net and we will continue the NTS practice message that we started doing in these nets in October 2023.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
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Reminder: March 4th, 2024 MEMA RACES/ACS Communications Test Net

Hello to all,

    This email is the typical monthly message to let everyone know that Monday evening, March 4th, 2023 is our first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, will be the next RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night. I would like to thank the stations that checked into our nets last month as well as those stations that participated in the section emergency exercise that occurred this past weekend.

      As always, I am looking for Net Control stations to staff our sector nets for the evening. This month expect to be able to run the Sector 2A net. If there is no Net Control Operator at the start of the net I strongly encourage any of the on-frequency stations to take over as NCO and run the net and submit a net report via email. If anyone would like to act as NCO, for the 2A net please let me know! As always I am looking for NCS operators to lead the Sector 2B (Plymouth County) net. Sector 2D has already arranged for an NCS operator for this month’s net and Sector 2C is a Winlink only net on a monthly basis.

              For any operators interested in performing the duties of Net Control Station (NCS), there are materials available to make the task fairly simple and straight forward. The net pre-amble and role call lists are available at http://wc1mab.org/RACES_R2_Interim_Preamble.pdf and http://wc1mab.org/Month.php with the role-call lists on the left column near the bottom. If anyone is worried that they may mess up running a net, please remember that, in many cases, a less than perfect net is WAY better than no net at all! At the conclusion of any net, any operator that acted as Net Control Operator is asked to please send a note to WC1MAB@gmail.com letting me know who ran the net and who checked in so that the proper numbers can be reported to our served agencies. We cannot always count on our normal net control operators to be available in the event of a large scale emergency, so every RACES operator should be prepared to act as NCO if needed when disaster and emergency strikes!

Winlink Net Instructions From Don Rolph: 

*Winlink Net*

To participate:

– create a check-in form using the Winlink standard checkin form

– send via Winlink after 6 AM EST Mon. March 4th  and before midnight EST March 5th  (any mode, but include mode in check-in form) to KF1D

   I continue to ask that any operators who have the time, please try to check into sector nets from near-by sections. This will allow our Net Control Operators to practice fielding nets with a strong check-in count and will also serve to help practice with relays or modified sector assignments in the event that a single repeater is out of service. 

   For those operators who serve as Net Control Operators, please try to remember to send me a list of the stations and communities that check into your nets. The numbers are reported to MEMA to show them our level of participation. I am continuing to work on a graphical map based report to show which parts of our section have strong coverage and which areas may need a more targeted recruitment campaign to improve our ability to provide back-up communications in an emergency.

The Region #2 and State Net Schedule for this evening is as follows:

Net Frequency/Offset Time
Sector 2A 147.00 /+0.60  PL 19:30 Local
Sector 2B 145.39/-0.60  PL 67.0 20:00 Local
Sector 2C Winlink Net Check-In 6AM-Midnight Local Time
Sector 2D 146.865/-0.60  PL 103.5 19:30 Local
6-Meter State Net 53.31 / -1.0  PL 71.9  

 

Note: Net activity on this repeater has been hit and miss. Please report any activity.

19:00 Local
MA RACES HF Net 3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency 18:45 Local
MA MEMA NBEMS Net Frequency:  3584.5 MHx, Center Frequency: 1500 Hz, Initial mode: THOR22 19:00 Local

 I appreciate you all answering the call to help our communities remain prepared. Thank you all for helping us keep things on track and prove that we remain a consistent source of communication capability to the Commonwealth. This net provides a monthly reminder to our communities and served agencies that we stand ready with a quiet professionalism prepared to serve as a voice to whomever needs one to get help and resources to where they need to be.

 If you know someone who would benefit from being on this list, please have them contact me at  WC1MAB@gmail.com and I will add them to this distribution. Thank you all!

 If anyone has any questions or comments I can be reached by e-mail or cell phone. Thanks for being a part of our team and I look forward to hearing back on who can participate this month.

Sincerely,

Michael Leger (N1YLQ)
MEMA Region #2 RACES Officer

Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 3/4/24 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

Don Rolph, AB1PH, Walpole area ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week, For Mar 2024, the RACES nets will be held on Mon Mar 4 at:

********************************************************************************

The HF net will start at 6:45 PM ET: using the following frequency plan:
We will start at 3930 KHz moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency,
Marc Stern WA1R will be net control.

*********************************************************************************

Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)
We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.
Don Rolph using WA1PLE will be net control.

********************************************************************************

HF 80 meters NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22
We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.
Don Rolph AB1PH will be net control.

*********************************************************************************
Winlink Net:
Bryan Marcotte KF1D will be net control.

Send a winlink checkin form to KF1D, copy AB1PH, between 0600 Monday Mar 4 and 2400 Monday Mar 4.

We look forward to you checking in!

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph

Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net – Saturday 3/2/24 – 1000 AM

Jeff N1SOM and the South Shore Hospital Group W1SSH writes:

Good Evening,

On Saturday March 2, 2024 the South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10:00AM.

We realize that some locations, individuals, and groups may be subject to COVID restrictions. We encourage everyone who is affected by these restrictions to utilize their home or mobile stations to check into the net if possible. Even if you cannot reach all the systems being used, please check-in on those you can.

We will use the following repeaters in the order listed.

1. Plymouth Repeater 146.685 tone 131.8
2. West Bridgewater Repeater 146.775 dcs 244​
3. DMR -Talkgroup 8851 Time Slot :1 on the following NEDECN repeaters: Boston 449.175 -5.M CC:1, Hingham 146.430 -1.5M CC:1, Sagamore 145.200 – 0.6M CC:10, Dennis 146.470 -1.5M CC:11, East Falmouth 145.210 -0.600 CC:9, Martha’s Vineyard145.180 -0.600 CC:10, and Walpole 145.380 -0.600 CC:12.
4. Sharon Repeater 146.865 tone 103.5​
5. Simplex 147.420

We will then return to the Plymouth Repeater for Net closing.

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check-in procedure which is: Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facilities call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

73,

Jeff N1SOM and the South Shore Hospital Group W1SSH

2024 Boston Marathon Still In Need of Amateur Radio Volunteers – Volunteer Registration Extended Until End of Day Sunday 2/11/24

BAA Amateur Radio Communications Committee Writes:

The 2024 Boston Marathon is still in need of Amateur Radio Volunteers. Therefore, Amateur Radio volunteer registration for the 2024 Boston Marathon has been extended until end-of-day Sunday 2/11/2024. Register now at register.hamradioboston.org! If you are unsure if you can volunteer but are interested in volunteering, please register now and just let us know within a reasonable amount of time if you ultimately can’t volunteer! Thanks to all for their support!

Sincerely,

BAA Amateur Radio Communications Committee

Reminder: Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday February 5th, 2024 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

Hello to all…

The February Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday February 5th, 2024 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater system.

For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have a number of announcements including a brief verbal wrap-up on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Operation Snow Globe exercise for this month’s net and we will continue the NTS practice message that we started doing in these nets in October 2023.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
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Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 2/5/24 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

Don Rolph, AB1PH, Walpole area ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week, For Feb 2024, the RACES nets will be held on Mon Feb 5 at:

********************************************************************************
The HF net will start at 6:45 PM ET: using the following frequency plan:
We will start at 3930 KHz moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency,
Marc Stern WA1R will be net control.

*********************************************************************************
Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)
We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.
Don Rolph using WA1PLE will be net control.

********************************************************************************
HF 80 meters NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22
We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.
Don Rolph AB1PH will be net control.

*********************************************************************************
Winlink Net:
Bryan Marcotte KF1D will be net control.
Send a winlink checkin form to KF1D, copy AB1PH, between 0600 Monday Feb 5 and 2400 Monday Feb 5.

We look forward to you checking in!

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph

Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net – Saturday 2/3/24 – 1000 AM

Jeff N1SOM and the South Shore Hospital Group W1SSH writes:

Good Evening,

On Saturday February 3, 2024 the South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10:00AM.

We realize that some locations, individuals, and groups may be subject to COVID restrictions. We encourage everyone who is affected by these restrictions to utilize their home or mobile stations to check into the net if possible. Even if you cannot reach all the systems being used, please check-in on those you can.

We will use the following repeaters in the order listed.

1. West Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244
2. Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
3. Plymouth​ 146.685 tone 131.8
4. Whitman Repeater 147.225 tone 67.0

We will then return to the West Bridgewater Repeater for Net closing.

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check-in procedure which is: Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facilities call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

73,

Jeff N1SOM and the South Shore Hospital Group W1SSH
South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group
55 Fogg Rd. Mail-Stop 42
South Weymouth, MA 02190

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Exercise – Operation Snow Globe – Final Exercise Document – Saturday 2/3/24 1000 AM-1200 PM

Hello to all…

Please see the final exercise document for the Saturday 2/3/24 1000 AM-1200 PM Eastern Massachusetts ARES Exercise – Operation: Snow Globe. This includes all frequency information and activities for the drill. The key updates to the exercise document are as follows:

-60m frequency changes (Channel 5 – 5403.5 KHz primary, Fall-back to Channel 4 – 5371.5 KHz)
-Added the 6m 53.31 MHz (PL: 71.9 Hz) Net Operation at 1130 AM
-Added wording to include “This is a drill” disclaimer on NTS health and welfare messages

Link to the exercise document is listed below:
https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/EasternMA-ARES-Winter-Exercise-01-31-24-V1.6-1.pdf

While this is an ARES exercise based in Eastern Massachusetts, the exercise is open to all who would like to participate and you need not be a member of ARES or living in Eastern Massachusetts to participate. Many thanks for all those that participate.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
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Eastern Massachusetts ARES Exercise – Operation Snow Globe Document – Saturday 2/3/24 1000 AM-1200 PM

Hello to all…

Please see the exercise document for the Saturday 2/3/24 1000 AM-1200 PM Eastern Massachusetts ARES Exercise – Operation: Snow Globe. This includes all frequency information and activities for the drill. Please note that this document will be updated once more with final changes and updates to the exercise document. Link to the exercise document is listed below:

https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/EasternMA-ARES-Winter-Exercise-01-25-24-Draft-V1.4-1.pdf

While this is an ARES exercise based in Eastern Massachusetts, the exercise is open to all who would like to participate and you need not be a member of ARES or living in Eastern Massachusetts to participate. Many thanks for all those that participate.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
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Volunteer Registration for the 2024 Boston Marathon is Underway

We are about two-thirds of the way to our goal for Amateur Radio volunteers for the 2024 Boston Marathon. The registration deadline is Friday, February 2, 2024. It is a hard deadline. We’d like to make sure we achieve our goal and have reserves for the myriad of cancellations that we get as we near the event. We prefer folks to register now even if they are unsure they can do the event and if they can’t make it, they cancel within a reasonable period of time versus not registering because they aren’t sure if they can volunteer as after the deadline, we usually can’t accommodate any new registrants per BAA policy. The details on volunteer registration is listed below between the hashtags and please post these details as is to your various email lists (for any credit cited on the email, please credit the Boston Marathon BAA Amateur Radio Communications Committee):
 
###
 

Volunteer registration for the 2024 Boston Marathon is open. Returning volunteers have received an email from the BAA that included registration instructions. In order to make registration as smooth as possible, we are providing specific instructions for our Amateur Radio Operator (ARO) volunteers.

If you haven’t previously volunteered, or have a friend who would like to volunteer, please go directly to the Volunteer Registration page and follow the instructions for new volunteers.
 
Step by Step Sign Up Guide:
https://hamradioboston.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/44002497536-2024-volunteer-registration-step-by-step-guide

A few notes for volunteers:

Almost all amateur radio positions are single person assignments. We are not able to group people on a single assignment, but we will try to accommodate which segment you are assigned to in order to allow for similar start/end times.

Don’t delay! Volunteer registration closes on Friday, February 2 at 5:00 PM EST. It would help our planning processes if you could complete your registration by Friday, January 26.

Help us get the word out by forwarding this email to your club and other amateur radio operators who might wish to volunteer. Most volunteers first learn about the event through word of mouth. If you know new licensees who might like to join us, please make sure to let them know about it. Even just a quick mention at your club meeting can be a big help!

If you have any questions about the upcoming volunteer registration period, or the 2024 Marathon generally, please get in touch anytime. Volunteering at the Marathon is a big job and we appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into it. We’re happy to do what we can to make your work fun, comfortable, and effective.

We look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Thank you, and 73,

Boston Marathon Communications Committee
contact@HamRadioBoston.org

Reminder: Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday January 8th, 2024 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

Hello to all…

Happy New Year to all! The January Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday January 8th, 2024 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. It is on the second Monday of the month due to the New Year’s holiday last Monday.

For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have a number of announcements and items for this month’s net and we will continue the NTS practice message that we started doing in these nets in October 2023.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 1/8/24 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

Don Rolph, AB1PH, Walpole area ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week, since Monday Jan 1 was a holiday, the RACES nets for Jan will be held on Mon Jan 8 at:

********************************************************************************

The HF net will start at 6:45 PM ET: using the following frequency plan:
We will start at 3930 KHz moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency,
Marc Stern WA1R will be net control.

*********************************************************************************

Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)
We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.
Jeff Marden N1JCM will be net control.

********************************************************************************

HF 80 meters NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22

We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.
Alan Richard WA1AR will be net control.

*********************************************************************************

Winlink Net:
Bryan Marcotte KF1D will be. net control.
Send a winlink checkin form to KF1D, copy AB1PH, between 0600 Monday Jan 8 and 2400 Monday Jan 8.

We look forward to you checking in!

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph

Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net (EMHN) – Saturday 1/6/24 1000 AM

John O’Neill-K1JRO, Eastern Massachusetts ARES District Emergency Coordinator – Hospital Liaison writes:

Good Evening,

On Saturday January 6, 2024, the South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10:00AM.

We realize that some locations, individuals, and groups may be subject to COVID restrictions. We encourage everyone who is affected by these restrictions to utilize their home or mobile stations to check into the net if possible. Even if you cannot reach all the systems being used, please check-in on those you can.

We will use the following repeaters in the order listed.
1. Plymouth​ 146.685 tone 131.8
2. Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
3. DMR -Talkgroup 8851 Time Slot :1 on the following NEDECN repeaters: Boston 449.175 -5.M CC:1, Hingham 146.430 -1.5M CC:1, Sagamore 145.200 – 0.6M CC;10, Dennis 146.470 -1.5M CC:11, East. Falmouth 145.210 -0.600 CC:9, Martha’s Vineyard145.180 -0.600 CC:10, and Walpole 145.380 -0.600 CC:12.
4. Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5

Return to the Plymouth Repeater for Net closing.

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check-in procedure which is: Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facilities call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

73,John O’ K1JRO and the South Shore Hospital Group W1SSH

Getting Winlink pat, VARA, and ARDOP working on M1/M2/M3 Macs

Hi all,

I’m sure there are other modern Mac owners who would like to join the Winlink network. As part of my work with the West Middlesex ARES group here in Massachusetts, I worked out a pat configuration that is fully functional with ARDOP and VARA HF modems, despite their being Windows-only applications.

I’ve had this working for about 6 months now, and I’ve finally gotten around to writing the instructions necessary for others to try out. They are in a blog post on my web site at:
https://www.wg1v.org/posts/2023-12-27-Winlink-and-Pat-on-M1-Mac/

It’s also the most recent blog post on my ham radio site, wg1v.org.

A caveat: Before folks get too excited, this does involve a piece of payware software called Crossover, which is a commercial version of WINE. It’s available from codeweavers.com and costs $74, but it is available as a 14-day evaluation for you to see if it’s worth paying the money. I suspect that it is now possible to make this work with the open source version of WINE, but 1) I haven’t done that, and 2) I’m happy to pay the Codeweaver folks who make running Windows stuff on Macs easier.

I’ve made this configuration work with both an Icom IC-7100 and a Flexradio 6600, so I’m pretty certain it’s adaptable to most modern radios with a USB audio and CAT interface.

I hope hams using modern Macs find this useful.
Carl, WG1V

FEMA Region 1 Winlink Testing

KI1U-Mike Corey – FEMA Region 1 Emergency Management Specialist in Disaster Communications writes:

Good afternoon,

FEMA Region 1 will begin conducting monthly Winlink tests starting January 2024. The purpose of this test is to exercise the Regional PACE plan, Winlink is part of the “Emergency” category of the plan. We would like to include Amateur Radio and SHARES stations in New England in this test. Here are the details:

Testing Procedure: Each month FEMA Region 1 Disaster Emergency Communications Branch will generate a Winlink message to participating stations. The message will be sent via Winlink through an Amateur Radio or SHARES gateway. The message will contain simple instructions on how to reply – which form to use, information requested, response time, etc. The receiving stations will reply to FEMA Region 1 via Winlink with the requested information within a set timeframe. The date and time of the monthly test will vary.

Participating Stations – Open to Amateur Radio or SHARES stations in New England. Stations must have Winlink capability and a valid Winlink email address. Participating operators should be aware that this test is conducted without announcement, so it is important that Winlink messages are checked regularly.

How to Sign Up – Stations wishing to participate can sign up online at https://forms.gle/sTibzJjZhftHXR4J9

Please feel free to share the above information with those who may be interested in participating. Any questions, let me know.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike Corey
Emergency Management Specialist | Disaster Emergency Communications
Response Division | FEMA Region I

Reminder: December 4th, 2023 MEMA RACES/ACS Communications Test Net

Hello to all,

     I hope the Thanksgiving Holidays were enjoyable for everyone! This email is the typical monthly message to let everyone know that Monday evening, December 4th, 2023 is our first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, will be the next RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night. I would like to thank all stations that participated in last month’s Section Emergency Test as well as Skywarn Recognition Day this last weekend.

      As always, I am looking for Net Control stations to staff our sector nets for the evening. This month I am planning to be able to run the Sector 2A net. As always I am looking for NCS operators to lead the Sector 2B (Plymouth County) net. Sector 2D has already arranged for an NCS operator for this month’s net and Sector 2C is a Winlink only net on a monthly basis.

              For any operators interested in performing the duties of Net Control Station (NCS), there are materials available to make the task fairly simple and straight forward. The net pre-amble and role call lists are available at http://wc1mab.org/RACES_R2_Interim_Preamble.pdf and http://wc1mab.org/Month.php with the role call lists on the left column near the bottom. If anyone is worried that they mess up running a net, please remember that, in many cases, a less than perfect net is WAY better than no net at all! At the conclusion of any net, any operator that acted as Net Control Operator should send a note to WC1MAB@gmail.com letting me know who ran the net and who checked in so that the proper numbers can be reported to our served agencies. We cannot always count on our normal net control operators to be available in the event of a large scale emergency, so every RACES operator should be prepared to act as NCO if needed when disaster and emergency strikes!

Winlink Net Instructions From Don Rolph: 

*Winlink Net*

To participate:

– create a check-in form using the Winlink standard checkin form

– send via Winlink after 6 AM EST Mon. December 4th and before midnight EST December 5th (any mode, but include mode in check-in form) to KF1D

   I continue to ask that any operators who have the time, please try to check into sector nets from near-by sections. This will allow our Net Control Operators to practice fielding nets with a strong check-in count and will also serve to help practice with relays or modified sector assignments in the event that a single repeater is out of service. 

   For those operators who serve as Net Control Operators, please try to remember to send me a list of the stations and communities that check into your nets. The numbers are reported to MEMA to show them our level of participation. I am continuing to work on a graphical map based report to show which parts of our section have strong coverage and which areas may need a more targeted recruitment campaign to improve our ability to provide back-up communications in an emergency.

The Region #2 and State Net Schedule for this evening is as follows:

Net Frequency/Offset Time
Sector 2A 147.00 /+0.60  PL 19:30 Local
Sector 2B 145.39/-0.60  PL 67.0 20:00 Local
Sector 2C Winlink Net Check-In 6AM-Midnight Local Time
Sector 2D 146.865/-0.60  PL 103.5 19:30 Local
6-Meter State Net 53.31 / -1.0  PL 71.9  

 

Note: Net activity on this repeater has been hit and miss. Please report any activity.

19:00 Local
MA RACES HF Net 3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency 18:45 Local
MA MEMA NBEMS Net Frequency:  3584.5 MHx, Center Frequency: 1500 Hz, Initial mode: THOR22 19:00 Local

    I appreciate you all answering the call to help our communities remain prepared. Thank you all for helping us keep things on track and prove that we remain a consistent source of communication capability to the Commonwealth. This net provides a monthly reminder to our communities and served agencies that we stand ready with a quiet professionalism prepared to serve as a voice to whomever needs one to get help and resources to where they need to be.

 If you know someone who would benefit from being on this list, please have them contact me at  WC1MAB@gmail.com and I will add them to this distribution. Thank you all!

      If anyone has any questions or comments I can be reached by e-mail or cell phone. Thanks for being a part of our team and I look forward to hearing back on who can participate this month.

Sincerely,

Michael Leger (N1YLQ)

MEMA Region #2 RACES Officer

C: 508_995_0203 

Reminder: Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday December 4th, 2023 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

Hello to all…

The December Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday December 4th, 2023 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater system.

For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have a number of announcements and items for this month’s net and we will continue the NTS practice message that we started doing in these nets in October 2023. Also, the first ARES Net of 2024 will be Monday January 8th, 2024 due to the New Years holiday falling on the first Monday of the month.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
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Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 12/4/23 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

Don Rolph, AB1PH, Walpole area ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week, The RACES nets for Dec will be held on Mon Dec 4 at:
********************************************************************************
The HF net will start at 6:45 PM ET: using the following frequency plan:
We will start at 3930 KHz moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency,
Marc Stern WA1R will be net control.

*********************************************************************************
Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)
We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.
Jeff Marden N1JCM will be net control.

********************************************************************************
HF 80 meters NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22
We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.
Don Rolph AB1PH will be net control.

*********************************************************************************
Winlink Net:
Bryan Marcotte KF1D will be. net control.
Send a winlink checkin form to KF1D, copy AB1PH, between 0600 Monday Dec 4 and 2400 Monday Dec 4.
We look forward to you checking in!

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph
_._,_._,_