Emergency Communications – Page 24 – Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

Eastern MA 2018 Field Day Directory

May 9, 2018October 7, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

The 19th Annual Eastern Massachusetts Field Day Directory contains some of the most comprehensive Field Day resource pages of its kind.

According to Bill Ricker, N1VUX, the Directory offers both detailed historical and current information on individual field day club operations along with the complete event operating rules and helpful safety tips. The Directory’s software will automatically compute your field day site’s Maidenhead Grid locator for VHF recommended ‘Grid Chase’ extra exchange. “We report third level, six-character grid; for example, LL99ii–which is useful for some microwave aiming tools–but you only need four (LL99) in the on-air exchange.”

“Clubs which are reactivating a previous Class A or F site can confirm to the EMA Directory by simply putting their pin in at the ARRL Field Day Locator – also conveniently linked from our directory. I’ll pick that up and mark them confirmed. I would appreciate an email from new clubs in Class A or F, clubs with new sites, clubs whose details on their EMA directory need updating, or who are definitely not using the site they had last year.”

The Directory also links to updated information on how to handle NTS radiogram traffic, and score bonus points during the event.

“A major goal always has been helping (and encouraging) EMA ARRL staff and leadership to plan visits to nearby field day sites, as is our custom — and helping us hit as many different ones as possible. From the staffs’ comments last year about how many sites they didn’t find, I’d like to suggest that if your big banner isn’t visible from the road, place some Realtors(tm)-style foamcore and wire signs at the entrance and leading visitors through the maze.” Bill adds, “‘Public Welcome’ and an arrow are recommended. If you’re not conducting a 24-hour operation, a statement of hours would be good on both the sign and on the EMA FD Directory and Headquarters Locator.”

N1VUX also invites you to post your comments and memories from field day on the ARRL Soapbox. “We’ll link them in the Directory for history. If your club has memories on a website or Facebook page that we don’t have linked, send me the link and I’ll make sure it’s included.”

The Eastern MA Field Day Directory can be viewed at http://fd.ema.arrl.org. N1VUX can be reached at his arrl.net address.

Emergency Communications

MEMA Region 2 RACES/ACS Drill Night, May 7, 2018

May 6, 2018May 6, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

On Sunday, May 6, 2018, MEMA Region 2 RACES/ACS <wc1mab@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello to all,

I am writing to remind everyone that tomorrow Monday May 7th, 2018 is the first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, is our monthly RACES/ACS drill night. I would like to thank all operators who assisted with the Boston Marathon operations in April and those who participated in the ARES standby for the day. As you probably already know, the event was a great success, both for the BAA and from an Amateur Radio perspective. Everyone performed impressively under very adverse conditions.

While we are a separate entity from ARES, we often do have ARES operators check into our nets for training and awareness purposes. I would like to ask all Net Control Operators to continue to ask any ARES operators to identify themselves when checking in and annotate on the net log which stations did. I can pass this information along to their local EC’s and DEC’s to show them that their operators are indeed staying active and current which can be a challenge in the winter months.

I will again attempt to activate an APRS station as WC1MAB-1 from Region #2 HQ tomorrow night and I invite operators who have APRS capabilities to send me a message during the communications test activities. Any operators who are able, please attempt to make contact to help test our capabilities with this tool.

I have continued to be contacted by individuals who are very interested in getting RACES “on-line” in their communities. This is a fantastic thing! I am working with the MEMA Region #2 staff to try to get these operators connected with willing EMDs to continue growing our net community.

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	146.955/-0.60 PL 88.5	20:00 Local
Sector 2D	146.865/-0.60 PL 103.2	19:30 Local
6-Meter State Net	53.31 / – 1.0 PL 71.9	19:00 Local
MA RACES HF Net	3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency	18:45 Local

For the Region 2 operators and Net Control team members, I would like to know who may be available to assist from the Region 2 bunker or who may be able to assist as a NCO from home. Any operators who would like to take a net, please respond and let me know if and how you might be participating. While we do try to keep a log at Region 2 Headquarters, it would be very helpful for Net Control Stations to please e-mail their net reports to me at WC1MAB@gmail.com in the days following the nets.

As always, if anyone has been interested in participating as Net Control Stations, the call for operators is an open one. This is a great skill to practice and can be a big help for our region in the event that the State EOC is operating in lieu of the Region Office, but communications still need to happen. If any local RACES operators who have participated in nets recently are interested in acting as NCO please let me know and we will see how we can get you into the fray. As always, if anyone is receiving this note and does not wish to receive further messages of this kind, please reply and let me know. Also, 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
Emergency Communications Officer
C: 386-566-7666

Emergency Communications

Eastern MA Hospital Net, May 5, 2018

May 4, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John Barbuto, KS1Q writes on the South Shore Hospital ARC mailing list:

Net Control for the May 5, 2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be Greg Bennett, KC1CIC. The net will commence at the usual time of 10:00 AM using the following repeaters in the order listed.

Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67
Sharon146.865 tone 103.5
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5, tone decode 100.0

There will not be a simplex test this month.

The Net will then return to the Bridgewater repeater for final comments and 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 or EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the NET.

Any hospital wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month. More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

REMINDER: The BARC Repeater is now using split tone. Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Mansfield EMA 446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 131.8
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Emergency Communications

Eastern MA Hospital Net, May 4, 2018

April 30, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club will not be able to participate in the May 4, 2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net due to problems with our antenna/cable. We would appreciate it if another Hospital Group or EOC would take Net Control duties for the May Net. Please let us know if you are able to do so.

Below are the repeaters we have available for our use. Let us know which three or four repeaters you would like to use and we will make all the notifications. We’ll also send you a copy of our net preamble if you desire which you may modify for your own use.

Thank you,

John, KS1Q

John Barbuto

– – – –

South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club – W1SSH
Box 42
55 Fogg Road,
South Weymouth, MA 02190

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tond EMA 446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dpl 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

Emergency Communications / Licensing Education & Training

SKYWARN Training at Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC, May 15, 2018

April 26, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

SKYWARN training will be offered at the Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC on May 15 from 7-9 PM.

According to SMHARC’s Ray Cord, K2TGX, “This is both training for new SKYWARN spotters as well as re-certification training for existing spotters.

The training is in lieu of the regular ARES and general club meetings. It will be conducted by the Amateur Radio SKYWARN Coordinator in the Sturdy Memorial Hospital Rice-Webb Auditorium, 211 Park Street, Attleboro.

Clubs / Emergency Communications / Public Service

Sturdy ARES Exercise at World War 1 Memorial Park, April 22, 2018

April 24, 2018April 24, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Members of the Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC ARES group held a drill in World War 1 Memorial Park in North Attleboro on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 10:30 AM. As it coincided with Earth Day, the participants also volunteered to help clean up the park.

For many years the venue has used by SMH ARC for its annual Field Day event.

(Thanks, sturdyradioclub.org)

Emergency Communications / Licensing Education & Training

2018 NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Training Class Schedule

April 20, 2018August 12, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Rob Macedo, KD1CY writes on the SKYWARN_Announce list:

The following is the 2018 NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Training Class Schedule for the spring season. Additional SKYWARN Training classes are in planning. This includes a class in Waltham which will be posted by the end of next week. a class in Windham County CT and a class in the Swanesa, Mass area. There will also be a slate of SKYWARN classes in the Fall of this year. Links to the classes schedules are listed below:

NWS Boston/Norton Web Site SKYWARN Class Schedule:
http://www.weather.gov/box/skywarn#fragment-2

WX1BOX SKYWARN Training Class Schedule:
http://wx1box.org/2018/04/20/special-announcement-2018-nws-boston-norton-skywarn-training-class-schedule/

The complete listing is also provided below for convenience:

Tuesday, April 24th, 2018 – 7:00-9:00 PM:
Braintree Police Department
282 Union St
Braintree, MA
Taught by: NWS Forecaster
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nws-spotter-training-session-braintree-ma-tickets-43555653131

Wednesday April 25th, 2018 – 7:00-9:30 PM:
Foster Center Volunteer Fire Company
86 Foster Center Rd
Foster RI
Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-training-class-foster-ri-tickets-44382961633

Saturday April 28th, 2018 – 10:00 AM-12:30 PM:
Manchester RCC
321 Olcott Street
Manchester, CT
Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-training-class-tickets-43915232643

Saturday April 28th, 2018 – 2:00 PM-4:30 PM (Afternoon Session as morning session is full):
Manchester RCC
321 Olcott Street
Manchester, CT
Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-traning-class-manchester-ct-afternoon-class-tickets-45194505984

Tuesday May 8th, 2018 – 7:00-9:00 PM:
Worthington Town Hall
160 Huntington Road
Worthington, MA
Taught by: NWS Forecaster
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nws-spotter-training-session-worthington-ma-tickets-43858400657

Thursday May 10th, 2018 – 7:00-9:30 PM:
Ipswich Town Hall – Lower Level
25 Green Street
Ipswich, MA
Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-training-class-tickets-43915331940

Saturday May 12th, 2018 – 1000 AM-1230 PM:
Middletown Fire Department – Community Room
239 Wyatt Road
Middletown RI
Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator
Registration Required via Eventbrite the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-training-class-middletown-ri-tickets-44373833330

Tuesday May 15th, 2018 – 7:00-9:30 PM:
Montague Public Safety Complex Community Room
180 Turnpike Road
Turners Falls, MA
Taught by: NWS Forecaster
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nws-spotter-training-session-turners-falls-ma-tickets-43564640011

Tuesday May 15th, 2018 – 700-930 PM:
Sturdy Memorial Hospital – Rice-Webb Auditorium
211 Park Street
Attleboro, MA
Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-training-class-attleboro-ma-tickets-44562542765

Wednesday May 16th, 2018 – 7:00-9:30 PM:
Great Hall on 2nd floor at the Halifax Town Hall
499 Plymouth Street
Halifax, MA
Taught by: NWS Forecaster
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nws-spotter-training-session-halifax-ma-tickets-43563686158

Tuesday May 22nd, 2018 – 7:00-9:30 PM:
Theater Room North Brookfield Jr/Sr High School
10 New School Street
North Brookfield, MA
Taught by: NWS Forecaster
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nws-spotter-training-session-north-brookfield-ma-tickets-43555173697

Saturday June 2nd, 2018 – 10:00 AM-1230 PM:
Littleton Fire Department
20 Foster Street
Littleton, MA
Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator
Registration is required via Eventbrite at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-training-class-littleton-ma-tickets-45378324791

Will provide updates when new SKYWARN training classes are added to the schedule. Thanks to all for their support of the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Emergency Communications / Public Service

Amateurs Provide Communications at Seabrook Graded Exercise, April 4, 2018

April 19, 2018April 30, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Amateurs at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Region One Headquarters in Tewksbury provided communications resources during a recent Seabrook Station Graded Exercise.

“Since 1991, when the Seabrook nuclear power plant first came online, local hams have provided communications resources to the various local and state emergency management agencies,” writes Terry Stader, KA8SCP, Communications Coordinator. “This is a different role than some of the public service events many hams participate in. Our role as communicators is varied from the typical using two way radios to FAX, TTY and telephone switchboard operations. Our regular single-shift operations require five communicators. All operators get cross trained in all communications center operations.”

The event required the Emergency Operations Center staff to be “in the area” but not pre-staged at the Region One EOC. “We were paged via the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Health & Homeland Alert Network System (HHAN).”

Approximately forty people were involved with coordination from state agencies like the Massachusetts State Police, the MA Department of Transportation, MA Department of Public Health, American Red Cross as well as volunteers who act as community liaisons, transportation, emergency medical services, radiological monitoring, technical resources and many other roles in support of the exercise. “Multiple FEMA representatives were present to evaluate/grade us on our ability to respond to the changing scenario at the plant and elsewhere,” added Stader. The event lasted six hours from the initial callout to exercise termination.

Various Massachusetts and New Hampshire towns and cities in the Emergency Planning Zone participated in the April 4 exercise. Massachusetts communities included: Amesbury, Merrimack, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, and West Newbury.

Although Amateur Radio was not used for this particular exercise, KA8SCP explained they are required to review how ham radio could be used. “We have the capabilities to operate from 75 meters through 440 MHz.”

Participants at MEMA Region One Headquarters in Tewksbury included: Communications Officer Charles Suprin, AA1VS; radio operators Dave Welsh, WI1R; Rich Cuti, N1HY; Bob Snyder, W1RS and Communications Coordinator Terry Stader, KA8SCP.

Thanks, Terry Stader, KA8SCP and PART of Westford PARTicles, April 2018

Photos courtesy Terry Stader, KA8SCP

[Show slideshow]

Emergency Communications / Public Service

Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message #3 – Sunday Evening April 15th 2018-Monday April 16th 2018

April 15, 2018April 16, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

..Winter to be felt through early Monday Morning followed by heavy rain and strong winds with isolated thunderstorms for Patriots Day/Marathon Monday. This is a combined Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message and these will continue to be combined through potentially Monday Morning..
..A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through 8 AM Monday for Franklin, Western Hampshire, Western Hampden, Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts for up to 0.20″ radial ice accumulations and result in slippery road conditions. If 0.20″ or more of icing occurs, isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages may develop..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 2 AM Monday Morning for Central and Southeast Middlesex, Essex, and Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for light icing and accumulations up to 0.10″ inches and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 2 AM Monday Morning for Northern Connecticut, Eastern Hampden and Eastern Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts for up to 0.10″ radial ice and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 2 AM Monday Morning for Northwest Providence and Western Kent Counties of Rhode Island for a trace of radial ice accumulation and slippery road conditions..
..Patriots Day/Marathon Monday will have widespread rainfall with the heaviest rainfall during the late morning to early evening timeframe. Strong wind gusts of 30-45 MPH are possible across interior Southern New England with wind gusts of 45-50 MPH possible in Southeast New England. Isolated thunderstorms and lightning are also possible. This is detailed in the Boston Marathon Weather portion of this coordination message. Also, a coastal flood advisory is now in effect for Eastern Essex County Massachusetts from 10 AM-2 PM for Eastern Essex County for minor flooding of coastal shore roads at the time of high tide cycle..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening..

The light icing conditions for late tonight through early Monday Morning are covered in the headlines of this coordination message. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

The second part of this message is a special announcement – Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message as issued in prior years:

While this may be a bit off topic for some SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and Red Cross volunteers, many of which are SKYWARN Spotters, will be involved in the Boston Marathon on Monday April 16th. To reach out to the highest level of Amateur Radio Operators involved in the event, this coordination message is being sent out to the SKYWARN email list and posted to the various Amateur Radio lists. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this message. This is a joint message between the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)-SKYWARN program at NWS Boston/Norton and Eastern Massachusetts ARES. Due to the storm conditions and the fact some level of SKYWARN Activation will occur, messages will occur through at least Sunday Evening on the storm event.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES members not participating in the Boston Marathon are requested to be on standby for marathon activities on Monday April 16th from 6 AM-7 PM for any significant issues outside of the Boston Marathon that may require Amateur Radio Emergency Communications support and for any unexpected issues on the Boston Marathon route. With over 280 Amateur Radio Operators staffing the Boston Marathon route, the start line and the finish line, if an issue arises needing Amateur Radio support outside of the Marathon route or an unexpected issue arises in marathon operations, it is important that any ARES members not involved in the marathon can help with any response that is required. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, WX1BOX, will be active on Monday April 16th for the Boston Marathon to provide weather support to the Amateur Radio community participating in the marathon and to gather any weather reports of significance during the marathon. This station will also be used to coordinate any ARES response to any significant incidents regarding Amateur Radio support outside of the marathon zone including any incidents that need to be provided to the State EOC for situational awareness information.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) at the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) will be active for the Boston Marathon. Amateur Radio Operators will be at the SEOC to support Amateur Radio communications and will be on the air under call sign, WC1MA, while many agencies will be there performing primary operations for the marathon.

The weather outlook is definitely less than ideal for volunteers and is also not ideal for runners though not as significant as a warm weather event would be for the runners. Rain will be widespread across the marathon route in the morning hours and the heaviest rain is expected in the late morning through early evening. This may result some poor and drainage street flooding in the region. Rainfall will be in a 1-2″ range with isolated higher amounts to 2.5″ possible. Strong winds are also possible with wind gusts in the 30-45 MPH range in the interior with the highest gusts as you get closer to the Metro Boston areas. Isolated higher wind gusts are possible in hilly interior areas and potentially in East and South Coastal Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This could result in isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. An isolated thunderstorm or two with attendant lightning risk is also possible but exact locations and whether they would occur on the marathon route are difficult to determine. It is notable that thundersleet were reported in a few areas Sunday Evening in Western Massachusetts. All runners, volunteers and spectators should monitor future weather forecasts and should prepare accordingly for these conditions. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Coastal Flood Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook and snow and ice maps:

NWS Boston/Norton Coastal Flood Advisory Statement:

http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:

http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

NWS Boston/Norton Snow/Ice Maps:
https://www.weather.gov/box/winter

From a SKYWARN perspective, the 146.64-Waltham Repeater and 145.23-Boston Repeater are being utilized for Marathon operations. From an ARES perspective, the Minutemen Repeater Association Repeater Network is being utilized for marathon operations. Please review the SKYWARN Frequency listing for your closest alternate repeater from a SKYWARN or ARES perspective.
http://www.wx1box.org/node/37

For Amateur Radio, Red Cross and all other volunteers along the route, it is recommended that you dress in layers for this event so that you can put on or take off clothes as needed for comfort. Rain gear is a must either with a clear poncho or a rain coat where you can still display appropriate credentials outside of the raincoat. Be sure to drink liquids and eat properly during the event and that you are self-sufficient so that you can be of full help to the function and not distract everyone from the main purpose of supporting the runners by having a health issue on your end that can be avoided. For volunteers, the BAA has sent around via email weather safety tips and suggestions on clothing and other safety tips.

For those people that are planning to go to the Boston Marathon as spectators, the following link details guidelines for spectators for the 2018 Boston Marathon:
http://www.wx1box.org/local/2018_Marathon_Spectator_Guidelines_Final.pdf

Another coordination message will be posted Monday Morning if time allows and a significant upgrade to the situation occurs otherwise this will be the last Storm and Boston Marathon weather coordination message for this event. We appreciate everyone’s support in this event and hope those that volunteer enjoy themselves and feel the self-satisfaction of supporting this historic event and those that are monitoring the Marathon or events outside of the Marathon realize that the monitoring is an important function as well and is a testament to being able to scale other incidents beyond the marathon if required. Thanks to all for their support!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Email Address: kb1ncg@gmail.com

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Emergency Communications / Public Service

Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message #2 – Sunday April 15th 2018-Monday April 16th 2018

April 15, 2018April 16, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

..Coordination Message updated for Winter Weather headlines. No changes to current thinking for Marathon Monday. Updates on Marathon Monday Forecast will be posted in the evening coordination message update..
..Winter to be felt through early Monday Morning followed by heavy rain and strong winds for Patriots Day/Marathon Monday. This is a combined Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message and these will continue to be combined through Sunday Evening/Monday Morning..
..A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect through 8 AM Monday for Franklin, Western Hampshire, Western Hampden, Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts for up to 0.20″ radial ice accumulations and result in slippery road conditions. If 0.20″ or more of icing occurs, isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages may develop..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 2 AM Monday Morning for Central and Southeast Middlesex, Essex, and Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for light icing and accumulations up to 0.10″ inches and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 2 AM Monday Morning for Northern Connecticut, Eastern Hampden and Eastern Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts for up to 0.10″ radial ice and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 9 PM Sunday Evening for Providence and Kent Counties of Rhode Island, Norfolk, Suffolk and Northern Bristol Counties of Rhode Island for a trace of radial ice accumulation and slippery road conditions..
..Patriots Day/Marathon Monday will have widespread rainfall with the heaviest rainfall during the late morning to early evening timeframe. Strong wind gusts of 30-45 MPH are possible across interior Southern New England with wind gusts of 45-50 MPH possible in Southeast New England. Isolated thunderstorms and lightning are also possible. This is detailed in the Boston Marathon Weather portion of this coordination message..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening..

The light icing conditions for late tonight through early Monday Morning are covered in the headlines of this coordination message. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

The second part of this message is a special announcement – Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message as issued in prior years:

While this may be a bit off topic for some SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and Red Cross volunteers, many of which are SKYWARN Spotters, will be involved in the Boston Marathon on Monday April 16th. To reach out to the highest level of Amateur Radio Operators involved in the event, this coordination message is being sent out to the SKYWARN email list and posted to the various Amateur Radio lists. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this message. This is a joint message between the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)-SKYWARN program at NWS Boston/Norton and Eastern Massachusetts ARES. Due to the storm conditions and the fact some level of SKYWARN Activation will occur, messages will occur through at least Sunday Evening on the storm event.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES members not participating in the Boston Marathon are requested to be on standby for marathon activities on Monday April 16th from 6 AM-7 PM for any significant issues outside of the Boston Marathon that may require Amateur Radio Emergency Communications support and for any unexpected issues on the Boston Marathon route. With over 280 Amateur Radio Operators staffing the Boston Marathon route, the start line and the finish line, if an issue arises needing Amateur Radio support outside of the Marathon route or an unexpected issue arises in marathon operations, it is important that any ARES members not involved in the marathon can help with any response that is required. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, WX1BOX, will be active on Monday April 16th for the Boston Marathon to provide weather support to the Amateur Radio community participating in the marathon and to gather any weather reports of significance during the marathon. This station will also be used to coordinate any ARES response to any significant incidents regarding Amateur Radio support outside of the marathon zone including any incidents that need to be provided to the State EOC for situational awareness information.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) at the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) will be active for the Boston Marathon. Amateur Radio Operators will be at the SEOC to support Amateur Radio communications and will be on the air under call sign, WC1MA, while many agencies will be there performing primary operations for the marathon.

The weather outlook is definitely less than ideal for volunteers and is also not ideal for runners though not as significant as a warm weather event would be for the runners. Rain will be widespread across the marathon route in the morning hours and the heaviest rain is expected in the late morning through early evening. This may result some poor and drainage street flooding in the region. Strong winds are also possible with wind gusts in the 30-45 MPH range in the interior with the highest gusts as you get closer to the Metro Boston areas. Areas of Southeast New England will have wind gusts to 45-50 MPH and this may result in Wind Advisories as we get closer to the event. This could result in isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. An isolated thunderstorm or two with attendant lightning risk is also possible but exact locations and whether they would occur on the marathon route are difficult to determine. All runners, volunteers and spectators should monitor future weather forecasts and should prepare accordingly for these conditions. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening.

From a SKYWARN perspective, the 146.64-Waltham Repeater and 145.23-Boston Repeater are being utilized for Marathon operations. From an ARES perspective, the Minutemen Repeater Association Repeater Network is being utilized for marathon operations. Please review the SKYWARN Frequency listing for your closest alternate repeater from a SKYWARN or ARES perspective.
http://www.wx1box.org/node/37

For Amateur Radio, Red Cross and all other volunteers along the route, it is recommended that you dress in layers for this event so that you can put on or take off clothes as needed for comfort. Rain gear is a must either with a clear poncho or a rain coat where you can still display appropriate credentials outside of the raincoat. Be sure to drink liquids and eat properly during the event and that you are self-sufficient so that you can be of full help to the function and not distract everyone from the main purpose of supporting the runners by having a health issue on your end that can be avoided. For volunteers, the BAA has sent around via email weather safety tips and suggestions on clothing and other safety tips.

For those people that are planning to go to the Boston Marathon as spectators, the following link details guidelines for spectators for the 2018 Boston Marathon:
http://www.wx1box.org/local/2018_Marathon_Spectator_Guidelines_Final.pdf

Another coordination message will be posted by 1100 PM Sunday Evening. We appreciate everyone’s support in this event and hope those that volunteer enjoy themselves and feel the self-satisfaction of supporting this historic event and those that are monitoring the Marathon or events outside of the Marathon realize that the monitoring is an important function as well and is a testament to being able to scale other incidents beyond the marathon if required. Thanks to all for their support!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Email Address: kb1ncg@gmail.com

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Emergency Communications / Public Service

ARES & SKYWARN Prepare for the 2018 Boston Marathon

April 14, 2018April 14, 2018 - by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

SKYWARN link: http://www.wx1box.org/node/4071
EMA ARRL link: https://ema.arrl.org/2018/04/14/marathon-2018-1/

Hello to all…

..Winter to be felt late tonight through early Monday Morning followed by heavy rain and strong winds for Patriots Day/Marathon Monday. This is a combined Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message and these will continue to be combined through Sunday Evening/Monday Morning..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 8 AM Monday for Franklin, Western Hampshire, Western Hampden, Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts for up to 0.20″ radial ice accumulations and result in slippery road conditions. If 0.20″ or more of icing occurs, isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages may develop..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 4 AM Sunday Morning to 8 PM Sunday Evening for Central Middlesex, Western Essex, and Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for light icing and accumulations up to 0.10″ inches and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 6 AM Sunday Morning to 8 PM Sunday Evening for Northern Connecticut, Eastern Hampden and Eastern Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts for a light glaze of ice and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 6 AM Sunday Morning to 5 PM Sunday Evening for Providence and Kent Counties of Rhode Island, Norfolk, Suffolk and Northern Bristol Counties of Rhode Island for a trace of radial ice accumulation and slippery road conditions..
..Patriots Day/Marathon Monday will have widespread rainfall with the heaviest rainfall during the late morning to early evening timeframe. Strong wind gusts of 30-45 MPH are possible across interior Southern New England with wind gusts of 45-50 MPH possible in Southeast New England. Isolated thunderstorms and lightning are also possible. This is detailed in the Boston Marathon Weather portion of this coordination message..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening..

The light icing conditions for late tonight through early Monday Morning are covered in the headlines of this coordination message. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

The second part of this message is a special announcement – Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message as issued in prior years:

While this may be a bit off topic for some SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and Red Cross volunteers, many of which are SKYWARN Spotters, will be involved in the Boston Marathon on Monday April 16th. To reach out to the highest level of Amateur Radio Operators involved in the event, this coordination message is being sent out to the SKYWARN email list and posted to the various Amateur Radio lists. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this message. This is a joint message between the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)-SKYWARN program at NWS Boston/Norton and Eastern Massachusetts ARES. Due to the storm conditions and the fact some level of SKYWARN Activation will occur, messages will occur through at least Sunday Evening on the storm event.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES members not participating in the Boston Marathon are requested to be on standby for marathon activities on Monday April 16th from 6 AM-7 PM for any significant issues outside of the Boston Marathon that may require Amateur Radio Emergency Communications support and for any unexpected issues on the Boston Marathon route. With over 280 Amateur Radio Operators staffing the Boston Marathon route, the start line and the finish line, if an issue arises needing Amateur Radio support outside of the Marathon route or an unexpected issue arises in marathon operations, it is important that any ARES members not involved in the marathon can help with any response that is required. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, WX1BOX, will be active on Monday April 16th for the Boston Marathon to provide weather support to the Amateur Radio community participating in the marathon and to gather any weather reports of significance during the marathon. This station will also be used to coordinate any ARES response to any significant incidents regarding Amateur Radio support outside of the marathon zone including any incidents that need to be provided to the State EOC for situational awareness information.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) at the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) will be active for the Boston Marathon. Amateur Radio Operators will be at the SEOC to support Amateur Radio communications and will be on the air under call sign, WC1MA, while many agencies will be there performing primary operations for the marathon.

The weather outlook is definitely less than ideal for volunteers and is also not ideal for runners though not as significant as a warm weather event would be for the runners. Rain will be widespread across the marathon route in the morning hours and the heaviest rain is expected in the late morning through early evening. This may result some poor and drainage street flooding in the region. Strong winds are also possible with wind gusts in the 30-45 MPH range in the interior with the highest gusts as you get closer to the Metro Boston areas. Areas of Southeast New England will have wind gusts to 45-50 MPH and this may result in Wind Advisories as we get closer to the event. This could result in isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. An isolated thunderstorm or two with attendant lightning risk is also possible but exact locations and whether they would occur on the marathon route are difficult to determine. All runners, volunteers and spectators should monitor future weather forecasts and should prepare accordingly for these conditions. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening.

From a SKYWARN perspective, the 146.64-Waltham Repeater and 145.23-Boston Repeater are being utilized for Marathon operations. From an ARES perspective, the Minutemen Repeater Association Repeater Network is being utilized for marathon operations. Please review the SKYWARN Frequency listing for your closest alternate repeater from a SKYWARN or ARES perspective.
http://www.wx1box.org/node/37

For Amateur Radio, Red Cross and all other volunteers along the route, it is recommended that you dress in layers for this event so that you can put on or take off clothes as needed for comfort. Rain gear is a must either with a clear poncho or a rain coat where you can still display appropriate credentials outside of the raincoat. Be sure to drink liquids and eat properly during the event and that you are self-sufficient so that you can be of full help to the function and not distract everyone from the main purpose of supporting the runners by having a health issue on your end that can be avoided. For volunteers, the BAA has sent around via email weather safety tips and suggestions on clothing and other safety tips.

For those people that are planning to go to the Boston Marathon as spectators, the following link details guidelines for spectators for the 2018 Boston Marathon:
http://www.wx1box.org/local/2018_Marathon_Spectator_Guidelines_Final.pdf

Another coordination message will be posted by 1100 AM Sunday Morning. We appreciate everyone’s support in this event and hope those that volunteer enjoy themselves and feel the self-satisfaction of supporting this historic event and those that are monitoring the Marathon or events outside of the Marathon realize that the monitoring is an important function as well and is a testament to being able to scale other incidents beyond the marathon if required. Thanks to all for their support!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Email Address: kb1ncg@gmail.com

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Emergency Communications

EmComm Vehicles Showcased at Dayton

April 14, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

EmComm Vehicles Showcased at Dayton

From across the country EmComm vehicles will gather this year at the 2018 Hamvention to showcase Amateur Radio Emergency Communications and Community Services. Emergency communications groups such as ARES, RACES, MARS, CERT, SALVATION ARMY, DHS, NATIONAL GUARD, CGAUX or any groups who have a sincere interest in emergency communications are invited to display their emergency communications TRAILERS, VANS, TRUCKS or other displays at Dayton Hamvention®.

Emergency Communications

WX1BOX Communications Test, April 14, 2018

April 14, 2018April 14, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Rob Macedo, KD1CY writes:

WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio Station at NWS Boston/Norton, will conduct an Amateur Radio VHF/UHF Communications Test this SaturdayAfternoon/Evening 4/14/18 to test out the VHF/UHF Amateur Radio Gear at the NWS office..

Over the last 2 weeks, NWS Boston/Norton Electronics Technician staff installed and connected up the 2 VHF/UHF antennas for the WX1BOX Amateur Radio Station. On Thursday 4/14/18, a very brief test was run and proved that one of the antennas is in proper working order for at least VHF if not UHF.

For Saturday Afternoon into early this evening, two Amateur Radio Operators will be at the NWS Boston/Norton office. The purpose will be to do a full communications test and to look for any problems with the current installation and assess capabilities. An initial assessment is that there will be a slight reduction in coverage due to the fact that the new NWS office facility is at a somewhat lower elevation. The original facility was on top of a hill in the Myles Standish Industrial Park. The newer facility does not have the same height above sea level. The antenna tower is the same height (if not higher) than the prior facility. The antennas are on the top of the antenna tower.

We will be doing a rotation around various SKYWARN Amateur Radio repeaters to conduct testing. Due to the fact that we will likely be doing radio programming, potentially debugging any issues with the setup and doing other setup work as part of the communications test, we can’t commit to a set schedule for this testing, however, the rough time window of testing will likely be from 3-8 PM this evening. Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters are encouraged to monitor local SKYWARN frequencies per the WX1BOX Amateur Radio frequency listing via the link below:

http://www.wx1box.org/node/37

We will announce that we are testing and feel free to answer back to us and give us signal reports. We will also try and post to our Facebook/Twitter feeds the frequencies we will be moving to as part of this testing.

The HF antenna installation is not complete yet. This will likely take place some time in May. When that is completed another communications test will be done specifically for the HF capability.

Depending on any issues detected in this VHF/UHF Communications test, we could potentially run another test once any issues that we cannot address on the Amateur Radio side is completed. Communications Test results will be posted if not over the weekend/Monday timeframe, by Thursday 4/19/18.

We appreciate everyone’s support of the NWS Boston/Norton overall SKYWARN program and the Amateur Radio component of the SKYWARN program.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Emergency Communications

Eastern MA Hospital Net, April 7, 2018

April 6, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John O’Neill, K1JRO writes:

Net Control for the April 7, 2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH, The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club . The Net will commence at the usual time of 10:00 AM using the following repeaters in the order listed:

Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Simplex 147.42

The Net will then return to the Sharon repeater for final comments and 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 facility’s call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to any health care facility or the EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the Net.

Any hospital or EOC wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month. More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

PLEASE NOTE: The Plymouth Genesis Amateur Radio Society’s Repeater 146.865 is now a dual mode repeater. The analog CTCSS (PL) tone has been changed to 131.8. The Eastern MA Hospital Net will continue to use this repeater in analog mode with the new tone. Also a reminder that the Boston ARC 145.23 repeater uses split tone of encode 88.5, decode 100.0.

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Mansfield EMA 446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 131.8
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Clubs / Emergency Communications / Public Service

Plymouth Repeater PL Tone Change

April 3, 2018April 3, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John O’ Neill, K1JRO writes on the South Shore Hospital ARC list:

The Genesis Amateur Radio Society‘s repeater, N1ZIZ, has a new PL tone as of April 1, 2018 . The PL has been changed from 82.5 to 131.8 CTCS.

It is recommended you change both encode/decode on all your radios since the repeater is transmitting both analog FM and digital FM. This will help listeners to avoid hearing the noise digital operation produces on the analog side.

Short story: change your PL associated with 146.685 the N1ZIZ repeater to 131.8 CTCS post haste.

Please note the Eastern MA Hospital Net will continue to use analog communications.

Emergency Communications

Monthly EMA ARES Net 4/2 8:30pm

April 2, 2018 - by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in April. The monthly ARES Net for April is Monday the 2nd, at 8:30 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:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net.

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

A brief introduction to ATIS can be found at: https://www.vatsim.net/pilot-resource-centre/general-lessons/understanding-atis

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications

Update on NOAA Weather Radio Outage Since the Office Move

March 28, 2018April 2, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Rob Macedo, KD1CY writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

NWS Boston/Norton issued a Public Information Statement regarding the NOAA Weather Radio outage and that a couple transmitters are back on air. Details can be seen at the following link:

http://www.wx1box.org/local/PNS_noaa_wx_radio_move_3_28_18.txt

We will provide updates on the NOAA Weather Radio status as time allows. We’ll provide an update on the Amateur Radio station setup at the new NWS office building by this weekend.

Emergency Communications / Public Service

Eastern MA Hospital Net Invites New NCSes

March 28, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John O’Neill, K1JRO writes:

The April 7,2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net is approaching. We are seeking groups and organizations to take a turn at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand as Net Control please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

Below are the repeaters we have available for our use. Let us know which 3 or 4 repeaters you would like to use and we will make all the notifications. We’ll also send you a copy of our net preamble if you desire which you may modify for your own use.

—

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Mansfield EMA 446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dpl 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

Emergency Communications / Public Service

NWS Forecast Office, WX1BOX Move to Norton Complete

March 22, 2018April 1, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Rob Macedo, KD1CY writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

The National Weather Service Forecast Office has now moved to its new facility in Norton Massachusetts and has been renamed to the National Weather Service Forecast office Boston/Norton. A Public Information Statement and a few photos of the facility can be seen at the following link:

https://www.weather.gov/box/moveday

The Amateur Radio Station at the new weather office will be brought online likely over the next couple of weeks as there are still a few important communications issues that are still in the process of being resolved for NWS operations and they will take priority. Once those are resolved, the Amateur Radio Station will be brought online. On the nearest weekend or weeknight that work is completed, we will hold a communications test of the Amateur Radio equipment to test out the station.

It is very important to note that WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio station at NWS Boston/Norton, will feature all new Amateur Radios and antennas. The Eastern Region and national headquarters of NWS made it a point to get the new facility and our station, all new Amateur Radio equipment, as a thanks and in recognition to ongoing efforts to support the NWS Forecast Office during times of severe weather and understanding the high utilization that it has due to the dedicated volunteers that man the station and the thousands of Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters who report in during severe weather. This could not be done without your continued support.

We have renamed our WX1BOX Twitter to the Boston/Norton name and the Facebook name change to Boston/Norton is pending approval. We will also make appropriate changes to the static pages on the wx1box.org web site.

We will send out another special announcement when the new Amateur Radio station at the NWS Boston/Norton facility is on air. Thanks to all for their continued support of the now NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program and thanks to the city of Taunton for their support over the last 25+ years.

Clubs / Emergency Communications / Public Service

Barnstable ARC Members Provided EmComm At Shelters

March 22, 2018March 27, 2018 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Barnstable Amateur Radio Club members were active with the Cape and Islands ARES call-up. “They were the primary operators at the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich, and the Barnstable Intermediate School in Barnstable,” reports Barnstable ARC president Mark Petruzzi, WA1EXA. Both of the locations were opened to shelter individuals affected by the nor’easters that struck Cape Cod. The BARC members provided 90 hours of communication services during the storms.