a field organization of the National Association for Amateur Radio®
Public information, amateur radio publicity
The Massasoit Amateur Radio Association will conduct a “Show & Tell” presentation on April 1, 2023 from 1 to 3 PM with displays of Amateur radio equipment and portable “go-kits” that can be used to support Emergency Shelter operations when phone service is unavailable.
From New England Sci-Tech ARS News, March 14, 2023:
New England Sci-Tech/Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society (STARS) [in Natick, MA] has been invited to run a STEM activity table at [Minor League Worcester Red Sox (“WooSox”) games in Worcester, MA] both pre-game and during the game on July 26, Aug 9, and Aug 16. This is a great opportunity to showcase radio as a STEM activity. Bob, K5TEC, can help organize but cannot attend. Looking for two volunteers per game. Your travel, parking, and snacks allowance will be reimbursed.
Here are the details given to us:
“As far as placement in the ballpark, we have a decent amount of flexibility based on the types of activities and requirements you have.
“We could place activities in more heavily trafficked areas of the concourse with people constantly coming through and stopping by for a few minutes; or we could place activities on Plymouth and Summit St., which fall within the ballpark on game days but provide more space and calm from the hustle and bustle of the concourse for a more in-depth showcase. And we would be able to provide tables and electricity if needed.
“I think ideally we would love to provide both pregame and in-game activities if possible. I could easily imagine us planning a pregame showcase for a larger group of kids, and then perhaps some smaller tabling activations in a couple of places throughout the ballpark.
“All of this is to say that we are very flexible, and open to the ideas and expertise that you could provide!”
Larry Krainson, W1AST, writes:
Project “Big E” is back again and plans are underway to staff an amateur radio display booth this year. Changes will be made to how the booth will be arranged and presented to the public.
This year, the dates are Friday, September 15 thru Sunday, October 1. We will be applying for another grant and if we get one, we will be able to provide admission tickets and parking reimbursement again this year.
Last year was a lot of fun for everyone and we hope you will join again for another Big E.
Stay tuned for updates at https://nediv.arrl.org/project-big-e/ as we get closer.
The volunteer registration form is at: <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YdW57tREYSlDdPp8YSKBYUqNkl6OVrAbpcVCclvT4Hw/>.
From The Boston Globe, February 28, 2023:
“In July, Seth Kendall and his 12-year-old son, Max, plan to fill a giant latex balloon with gas and then launch it into the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
“Once it leaves the ground it will reach a height of around 100,000 feet, where it will expand to more than 40 feet wide. Dangling underneath will be a payload of science experiments designed by students, a device that bounces radio signals for hundreds of miles, and a GoPro camera to capture footage of the curvature of the Earth.
“From there, it will be smooth sailing — at least, that’s their hope.
“A string of recent high-profile, balloon-related incidents, including the military shooting down a Chinese surveillance balloon and several other yet-to-be-identified flying objects, have fueled anxiety among amateur balloonists across the country. Here in New England, where hobbyists and scientists routinely launch balloons for scientific research or kicks — or often both — fears about the fate of their projects are reaching new heights.”
[Full story]
Joe Harris N1QD, writes on the Boston ARC mailing list:
Bob Azanow, WA1Q, writes on the Whitman ARC mailing list:
We want to wish everyone a great Thanksgiving and weekend. I have submitted a tentative list to Rob Kluin, the Marketing Director at Plimoth Patuxet Museums. We have been doing this event for over 30 years.
We will have someone spot us on the DX Cluster. Richard, AG1B, suggested we operate on 10 meters as well since 10 has been open.
We can look at setting up the R7 antenna at the Visitor’s Center if possible. Paul has a Yaesu FT450D in his go kit.
This will be a good opportunity for new hams to get on the air on HF.
We also need to bring out Whitman Club IDs and or a call sign badge to wear while we are on-site there. We will have clip-on writable badges we will provide as well if you do not have one.
Here is who we have so far for Plimoth Patuxet
Bob Azanow, WA1Q, Fri Sat & Sun
Paul Moss, KB1MTW
Chris Babbitt, N1CFB
Mike Davis, WA1MAD, Fri, Sat, and Sun
Jeff Ayres, WK1D, Friday
Mark Hirtle, KC1ITF, on Sunday
Lou Lachance, KC1PXN, Deputy Fire Chief Hingham and his son, Nate
Nathan Lachance, SWL
Jack Foley, N1QE, Saturday, maybe Sunday
Steve Cote, N1STV, Saturday
James Aiu, KC1NBN, Sunday
Larry Kenney, W1VP, Friday setup
More folks will be added as soon as you confirm you will attend. We need more folks to step up.
We will have two locations at the Museum. The Visitor’s Center will have Paul, KB1MTW’s go kit setup. And we will have 2 meters running there.
The second location is the Horticulture building, which is heated and nicer than the attic where we have been in the past.
We will have the HF station setup there with the Windom antenna and a 2-meter station. If possible, we will conduct the Sunday Net at 8:30 AM from the museum, If not, we will still be on site Sunday morning at 8:30 AM.
—
Hours: Setup Friday Nov 25th 10AM to 12PM
On the Air time Sat Nov 26th 9AM to about 3PM
On the Air time Sun Nov 27th 8:30AM to about 3PM
Take down about 3PM
Link to Plimoth Patuxet Museums for directions and info on the Museum.
West Springfield, MA—The BIG E Space Chat was an unqualified success. Many hours of planning and effort went into making the ISS contact a reality.
Thirteen young STEM students who are taking space science workshops at New England Sci-Tech in Natick, Mass., were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Tuesday, September 27, 2022 to ask questions of International Space Station pilot Bob Hines, KI5RQT, orbiting 260 miles above the earth via a ground station in Belgium. Held in The BIG E Arena, a large entertainment venue, the event garnered much news and television coverage at the fair which attracts 1.5 million people during its 17-day run. It was an out of this world experience for the students from across New England.
Following several informative videos, hundreds of people who gathered in the arena, along with a national audience watching via YouTube live stream, heard from: Gene Cassidy, Eastern States Exposition CEO; David Minster, ARRL CEO; Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC; and Bob Phinney, K5TEC. The pre-contact show was choreographed down to the minute in order to assure a smooth transition leading to the contact itself.
At approximately 2:30 PM ET, the audience heard astronaut Bob Hines, KI5RQT, reply to the ARISS ground station, ON4ISS:
“Oscar November Four India Sierra Sierra, this is Oscar Romeo Four India Sierra Sierra. Over.”
Over a dozen questions were asked by the youths and answered.
“The space station has to be flying over one of our ground stations… this one happened to be in Belgium,” said Bob Phinney, President of New England Sci-Tech. He told Springfield Channel 22 News, “The time had to be perfect. So the students got exactly ten minutes to get up and talk.”
“All the new opportunities that there are about new discoveries, new planets, and even new life,” said 11-year-old Harish Sathishkaumar.
Jack Warren told 22 News, “What fascinates me the most is the unknown…. There is just so much to learn!”
“The best thing about this work is that we probably changed one or two lives today,” said Fred Kemmerer. “The biggest takeaway from this momentous day; always to reach for the stars.”
The following day, Bob Hines tweeted this message from the ISS:
The BIG E Space Chat team consisted, in part, of:
Third-parties involved in making the effort a success included: the production company Black Helicopter, Limited; the BIG E Marketing team, and Eastern States Exposition CEO Gene Cassidy; NASA; and Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.
Several ARRL Headquarters staff from Newington, Connecticut attended the event including: ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA; Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1W, Director of Public Relations and Innovation; and Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, ARRL Education and Learning Manager.
At the conclusion of the contact, the youths were presented with certificates confirming their contact with Bob Hines aboard the ISS, signed by David Minster, NA2AA; Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC; and Bob Phinney, K5TEC.
Along with “Space Chat,” NESci-Tech is conducting a 12-month educational space science program that includes:
You can learn more about New England Sci-Tech’s educational space science program by visiting their website.
A recording of the pre-contact show and ARISS space station contact can be viewed on the NESci-Tech YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdxnD8uF8t0.
Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, writes on the ARRL New England Division members list:
Hundreds of The Big E attendees and spectators will be able to watch students make a live contact with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) from The Big E Arena on Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Hams who bring an official copy of their FCC license on the day of The Big E Space Chat will receive free admission for themselves and up to 3 members of their family and friends (see Instructions for Free Admission below).
NASA Astronaut Bob Hines, KI5RQT, will contact the students via a radio link provided by amateur radio ground station ON4ISS in Belgium. The contact is organized through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). Around a dozen New England young people have been selected to participate in The BIG E Space Chat.
Please plan to arrive in time for the pre-contact program, which begins at 1:20 pm ET on Tuesday and will feature a series of videos about space, NASA, ARISS, going to Mars, and more. Pre-contact program speakers will include:
• Gene Cassidy, CEO of the Eastern States Exposition
• David Minster, NA2AA, ARRL CEO
• Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, ARRL Director – New England Division
• Bob Phinney, K5TEC, NEST President
Instructions for Free Admission
Parking and walking to The BIG E arena will take a little time, so be sure to get there early. The arena will hold well over 1,000 people. The BIG E is helping publicize the event and is arranging for TV coverage for the program and the contact. Help us get the word out!
The Big E free admission for amateur radio operators and up to three guests (maximum 4 people) is good on Space Chat Day (Tuesday, Sept. 27) only.
• You must present an official copy of your FCC license to the Gate Captain at The Big E pedestrian gates 1A, 1B, 4, 5, 7, or 9A to receive free admission on Space Chat Day.
• Visit http://www.arrl.org/obtain-lic
• Parking is not included.
• The Big E is at 1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield, Massachusetts.
If you’re attending The Big E, visit the amateur radio booth (#103) inside Door 6 of the Better Living Center for more information. Be sure to spread the word to your friends and fellow radio club members!
You can download and print The Big E Brochure and a Fairgrounds Map. Both are available at https://www.thebige.com/p/gene
Can’t come to The BIG E on Space Chat Day?
A live video stream of the contact will be carried on the New England Sci-Tech YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdxnD8uF8t0.
For up to date information about Space Chat @ The BIG E, please visit https://nediv.arrl.org/big-e-s
——————————
ARRL New England Division
Director: Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
ab1oc@arrl.org
——————————
New England Sci-Tech enjoyed their time at the BIG E [on September 18, 2022]! We had quite a number of club members staffing (thanks to those who stayed for the whole day).
The group attracted attention by strategic Morse Code practice (thanks, Bruce, N9JBT)-getting youth to stop by and try their names in CW, the ISS banner, equipment (including waterfall displays), scrolling videos and our friendly faces!
The cards and flyers gave those who walked by something to refer to later.
Thanks to all who are staffing the booth over the days of the BIG E—it’s rewarding!
From nediv.arrl.org:
Larry Krainson, W1AST, writes on the Project Big E mailing list:
Through a scheduling error, the Big E booth is in need of at least 2 more people for the first session tomorrow/Tuesday, Sept 20th for 9:30 am through 4:00 pm.
IF you are available for all or even part of that time slot, please email Larry, W1AST immediately at W1AST@arrl.net
Thank you!
Larry Krainson, W1AST, writes:
The Big E is coming up fast and the first day is Friday, September 16th.
As of now, there are 12 clubs and around 110 people signed up to staff the ham radio booth. We are looking for a few more to help us lock down the schedule. Are you available on any of these dates and times?
Each day is broken into two sessions. The first runs 9:30 am through 4 :00 pm and the second runs 3:30 pm through 10:00 pm. The overlap is to help the new arrivals for the 2nd session learn what had been working during the first session so they could continue. The sessions are named Session 1 and Session 2.
Here is where we need volunteers as of right now:
Monday, Sept 19, session 1 – need 2 people
Monday, Sept 19, session 2 – need 3 people
Tuesday, Sept 20, session 2 – need 3 people
Sunday, Sept 25, session 2 – need 3 people
Tuesday, Sept 27, session 2 – need 4 people
Friday, Sept 30, session 2 – need 3 people
Saturday, Oct 1, session 1 – needs 1 person
Sunday, Oct 2 (Final Day), session 1 – needs 2 people
Sunday, Oct 2 (Final session), session 2 – needs 2 people
Are you available to help? If yes, please volunteer or add a session to what you have already volunteered for.
As a reminder, everyone that volunteers will have their Big E fairgrounds parking reimbursed and their admission reimbursed (or free tickets provided to them).
Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9_iH1ZucHuCFCNwreEuVPWnmLOT5D_s92vHPuEUASS78Tew/viewform
Learn more here: https://nediv.arrl.org/project-big-e
I hope you are available to help us lock in these last few days of the schedule for the ham radio booth.
Thank you and 73,
Larry, W1AST
From nediv.arrl.org:
London (CNN) – When Isabella Payne heads back to elementary school in September, she’s going to have the best “what I did in my vacation” story to tell.
Algonquin Amateur Radio Club President Ann Weldon, KA1PON, and AARC Emergency Operations Center Liaison Eric Williams, KV1J, were featured on a recent edition of “Marlborough Minute” on cable station WMCT-TV.
Ann and Eric presented a basic overview of Amateur Radio, in addition to describing the club and the club members’ involvement with emergency communications.
Rob Leiden, K1UI, writes:
From nediv.arrl.org:
Amateur Radio will be on public display like never before at The BIG E in West Springfield, MA from September 16 – October 2, 2022. Over a million people will visit the Fair over the 17-day period. We need ham radio “Goodwill Ambassadors” to staff the booth and promote our hobby-service to the public and potential licensees.
Who: Amateurs like you who enjoy interacting with the public
What: You’ll be demonstrating ham radio contacts and sharing Amateur Radio information with the public (talking points will be provided)
When:
Two shifts per day, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM (first session) and 3:30 PM -10:00 PM (second session) on some days
Dates/times available:
Where: Booth #103 inside Door 6 of the Better Living Center
How:—Sign up via the following link, which will list currently-available sessions:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9_iH1ZucHuCFCNwreEuVPWnmLOT5D_s92vHPuEUASS78Tew/viewform
SEE YOU THERE!
The Whitman Amateur Radio Club will sponsor a ham radio booth and special events station at the Annual Marshfield Fair August 19-28, 2022, from 1200-2000 ET. The booth will located behind the grandstand, just up from the first aid station and next to the blacksmith.
The club will operate under the call sign NN1MF on 20 meters. The station will also be active on the Whitman ARC repeater (147.225 MHz +PL67) and on EchoLink .
“We will also be conducting a program at 15:00 (3pm) and 18:00 (6pm) on “Introduction to Ham Radio, how to get on the air,” writes WARC’s Jack Foley, N1QE. “Stop by and find out all that is available to you with your NEW ham radio license! Licensed hams stop by and inquire about our educational licensed advancement classes. Or just to talk Ham stuff.”
Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, writes on nediv.arrl.org:
New England school students will be making live radio contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station from The BIG E during the week of September 26th – October 1st. The “BIG E Space Chat” is part of a program to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) educational activities and Amateur Radio learning activities for young people.
New England Sci-Tech is sponsoring a 12-month STEM education program free of charge to all students grades 4 through 12 and Scouts in New England as part of the contact program. The program will provide hands-on learning about Space Science, Radio Communications, Electronics, Satellites, Rocketry, Astronomy, Amateur Radio, and more. Ten students participating in the Sci-Tech educational program will be chosen to make contact and chat live with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) from the BIG E.
The contact and the associated educational program are a result of a partnership between The BIG E, New England Sci-Tech (a STEM education group in New England), Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), Black Helicopter Creative LLC, the New England Division of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and local Amateur Radio organizations.
Execution planning has been underway for some time, and we are pleased to announce the addition of Ray Lajoie AA1SE, ARRL Western Massachusetts Section Manager, to the contact leadership team. Ray will be responsible for working with the BIG E team and our content production partner Black Helicopter to set up, test, and facilitate the development and delivery of a pre-contact program.
Ray joins and rounds out the existing BIG E space chat planning team consisting of:
The BIG E planning team is being assisted by Dylann Keaney, President of Black Helicopter Creative LLC, Barbara Irby, KC1KGS, Dan Norman, N0HF, and Larry Krainson, W1AST, in planning what expect will be a major Amateur Radio event in New England. You can learn more about the BIG E space chat here.
Fred Kemmerer AB1OC
ARRL New England Division Director
Station WCAP 980 kHz will host a talk segment featuring two Eastern MA amateur radio club presidents today (June 24) at 4:10 PM.
Gary Frascarelli, W1GFF, President of the Billerica Amateur Radio Society and Bruce Blain, K1BG, President of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club, will discuss ARRL Field Day on the program.
The Class B station features a talk/oldies radio format. It covers the Merrimack Valley with 5,000 watts of power.
Listeners outside of the area can tune in to the program on the web at <http://webcastsusa.com/wcap/player.html>.
This link seems to work: <https://streampros.net/980wcap>
An audio recording of the program is also available
From the Marlborough Patch, June 7, 2022:
MARLBOROUGH, MA — A large ham radio exposition will return to Marlborough in 2022 for the second time. The HamXposition event will take place in August at the Best Western.
On Monday, the Marlborough City Council on Monday approved a special license for a charitable flea market to be held alongside the exposition featuring radio parts. [Full story]
Larry Krainson, W1AST, writes:
I’m starting a weekly Zoom meeting every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm EDT to discuss all things for the Big E Booth.
We will start with organization and planning the booth layout as well as the continuation of getting the word out to clubs and volunteers and more.
Please urge your club presidents to join us too and everyone is invited. I hope to see you on.
[For Zoom conference information, contact Larry at w1ast@arrl.net or join the groups.io list at groups.io/g/projectbige]