Whitman ARC Ham Radio Open House

The Whitman Amateur Radio Club is having it’s FIRST Ham RWhitman ARC logoadio Open House on Saturday July 19th at the Knights of Columbus on Rte 18 in Whitman. We’ll be promoting and explaining Amateur Radio to the public from 8- Noon. You are welcome to attend, the event is FREE and we can supply your club with a table indoors if you want to display any equipment/demonstrations or information. If you have any questions, please email me.

Thanks, Ross W1EKG 73

The Acton Exchange: “Anyone out there? Ham radio operators participate in nationwide field day”

PART of Westford logoThe American Radio Relay League (ARRL) hosted its annual Field Day over the June 28-29 (2025) weekend at the Concord Rod and Gun Club on Strawberry Hill Road, within handheld radio broadcasting distance from the Acton town line. Around 40,000 amateur radio operators, also known as “hams,” participate each year over the fourth weekend of June in the most popular on-the-air event in North America. The event has been running since 1933, interrupted only by World War II, and the operators who set up at the Concord site are members of the PART (Police Amateur Radio Team) of Westford club. [Full story]

Camp Greenough Amateur Radio Station Grand Opening, Yarmouth Port, May 31, 2025

Barnstable ARC logoBarnstable Amateur Radio Club Press Release:

GRAND OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT – CAMP GREENOUGH AMATEUR RADIO STATION

We are very excited to announce the Grand Opening of the newly constructed Camp Greenough Amateur Radio Station scheduled for Saturday May 31st starting at 2PM, in conjunction with the Chuck Wagon Event.  The station is located in the basement of the Maushop Lodge.  Today’s amateur radio is a mix of cutting-edge computer technology and broadcast engineering offering a chance for Scouts to get a start on a science or engineering career.

This station is the culmination of the efforts by members of the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club, contributions of the American Radio Relay League, and many local businesses and the support of the Cape and Island council leadership.

The station provides an opportunity for scouts to experience and learn about the wonders and excitement of Amateur Radio also known as Ham Radio.  Volunteers from the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club will be providing Radio Merit Badge training and Amateur Radio Licensing courses on an ongoing basis.

Amateur radio is grounded in wireless communications, community service and technology experimenting.  There are endless opportunities to explore the many facets of radio from talking across town, around the world and even to astronauts on the International Space Station.

Please join us to experience this exciting new learning opportunity for Scouts and find out more about today’s amateur Radio.  We will have refreshments and live on-air demonstrations.

“Small Talk, From Afar”

W1AF ham shack

From Harvard Magazine, May-June 2025:

“As Leo Koerner ’26 trudged upstairs with Declan Deady ’27, a three-minute timer started in his head. Once Koerner opened the door to the “radio shack,” its walls paneled with wood veneer and plastered with Soviet-era maps, he had just a few moments to convince Deady that this endeavor was magical.

“Koerner is trying to revive the Harvard Wireless Club, a group of amateur (“ham”) radio enthusiasts. Unlike the student DJs at WHRB, Koerner’s crew operates two-way radios: essentially superpowered, imprecise walkie-talkies. Harvard’s ham radio station is the sixth-oldest in the country, founded in 1909. But this 116-year-old club is at risk of disappearing. Few young people express interest in amateur radio, with waves (generally) full of old men. Can Koerner keep this time capsule alive?”

[Full story]

 

UPDATED: World Amateur Radio Day Open House and Club POTA at PART of Westford, May 3, 2025

PART of Westford logo

Courtesy PART of Westford website:

 

Due to inclement weather, the PART POTA event scheduled for April 26 has been moved to May 3, 2025. All other details remain the same.

World Amateur Radio Day is Friday April 18th, celebrating the founding of the IARU 100 years ago.  ARRL has suggested that member clubs hold “open house” events in April in recognition of the event, and in collaboration with HamSCI and SciStarter for “One Million Acts of Science” in April.

Conveniently, PART POTA [Parks On The Air] activators had been looking for a time to hold a first Club POTA activation, so we’re combining the events on a Saturday in April (weather permitting).   Given our past activation experience, we’ll activate Great Brook Farm State Park (US-2435), at the area near the ski barn / ski touring center parking lot at 1018 Lowell Road, Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle, MA

We anticipate setting up three stations at the Park, to welcome both club members and the public to the Open House and POTA events. 

[More]

Massasoit ARA Open House, April 26, 2025

Massasoit ARA logoThe Massasoit Amateur Radio Association will hold an open house on April 26, 2025 at the Bridgewater Public Library, 15 South Street in Bridgewater from 10 AM until  3 PM.

Weather permitting, club members will set up a station outside in back of the library near the pavilion. In the event of inclement weather, the Judith Gabriel Room will be used.

“We hope to set up a HF Parks On The Air (POTA) station which is a ham radio activity to establish contacts with parks all over the US. We will also have portable radio go-kits and should have at least one of them talking to the local repeater.”

The group also intends to distribute flyers with information about amateur radio and, possibly,  have a portable solar power supply on hand for the radios. The equipment will showcase how amateurs can communicate in situations where power, phone and internet are unavailable.

Girl Scout STEM Festival, Waltham, May 3, 2025

Jessie Kneeland, KC1SLQ, writes:
 
Call for Volunteers! The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is hosting a STEM Festival on Saturday May 3rd from 9 am – 1 pm at Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham MA, and local hams will be hosting an amateur radio themed event station. We are looking for more on-site volunteers to answer questions about amateur radio and help event participants format and send radiogram messages to their family members. No prior experience in traffic handling is needed, just your presence and enthusiasm. We expect more than 300 Scouts to participate and would love more volunteers to represent the hobby. Contact me (Jessie KC1SLQ at kc1slq@gmail.com ) for more information or to volunteer!

Ham Radio Open House Coming in April

Mike Walters, W8ZY writes:

Ham Radio Open House is coming in April and clubs across the country are urged to participate.

It’s now possible for a radio club or school to add their station open house to the ARRL Ham Radio Open House Locator.

The Open House Locator is linked from the World Amateur Radio Day page at www.arrl.org/world-amateur-radio-day, or go directly to the locator at www.arrl.org/open-house.

Details about Ham Radio Open House are at World Amateur Radio Day

 

AG1A Interview on HamNation Podcast

George Allison, K1IG, write on the PART of Westford mailing list:

PART member Wayne, AG1A, is a featured guest on the latest episode of the bi-weekly HamNation video podcast. Wayne is interviewed about the home seismograph he built that recorded the earthquake that occurred off the coast of Maine last week, but then he also discusses his ham radio activities, horses, and of course, his DeLorean.

You can view the show at this link; Wayne’s interview starts at the 43:40 point.
 
73,
George, K1IG
 
Wayne AG1A, on HamNation

Free Extra Class Course on Zoom starting Thursday, January 16, 2025 

Rol Anders, K3RA writes:

If you or anyone you know is interested in attending an Amateur Extra Class licensing course, please pass along the following information, and feel free to publicize it with your radio club or any group you feel would benefit. 
 
A free, weekly, live, Amateur Radio Extra Class Licensing course on Zoom will begin on Thursday, January 16, 2025, and will run through Thursday, March 27.  There will be 11 sessions.  The three-hour sessions will start at 6:30 PM Eastern Time.  Sessions will be recorded.  Those attending should hold (or be studying for) the General Class Amateur Radio License.  These are the classes that we have been holding for years sponsored by the National Electronics Museum.  Please publicize this with anyone that you think would be interested.  Those wishing to sign up should email roland.anders@comcast.net
 
Thanks. 
 
73,
Rol Anders, K3RA
 

Swampscott High School Special Event Station W1B “Permission for Fun Day,” November 27, 2024

Swampscott High School logoEric Cottrell, WB1HBU, writes on the Billerica ARS mailing list:

Swampscott High School , MA, USA . SPECIAL EVENT

Listen for us on the on the Air today Wed 11/27 as W1B

2024 Permission For Fun Day! Wed 27 Nov, 2024

Each year on the day before Thanksgiving break, our school holds a “Permission for Fun” day where teachers and students share their hobbies and interests and take part in fun and creative activities together.

This year we will be hosting an amateur radio station using the special event 1×1 callsign, W1B and having students try their hand at making contacts around the globe!

Control operator for the station is Brian, KC1OOH, a Chemistry/AP Environmental Science/Earth Sciences teacher at the school.

We will be operating voice on 10m SSB (possibly 17m, and 20m) depending on band conditions and propagation.

Some local VHF/UHF possible too.

No digital modes

Cape and Islands ARES AREDN Test Nets Press Coverage in Sandwich’s “The Enterprise”

Screenshot from Sandwich's "The Enterprise"Lem Skidmore, W1LEM, writes on the Barnstable ARC mailing list:
 
Members of the Cape And Islands Emergency Communications Network–Frank WQ1O, Bruce WA3SWJ, Al WW1RF, Rich KC1TCA, Rob K1UI, Chris WA1CMR, and Paul NM1Z–assisted Sandwich Public Safety with a successful exercise.
 
Here’s some press coverage of the event (focus is on the Sandwich personnel, which is where it should be):
 
 

“Foxboro family makes worldwide connections with ham radio”

Joanne McLaughlin, KB1FVNFrom The Foxboro Reporter, September 26, 2024:

A local woman found a unique skill to be helpful to the community and beyond.

Joanne McLaughlin of Foxboro, a retired teacher, has been a licensed amateur radio operator since October 2000 when the Federal Communication Commission issued her call sign, KB1FVN.

McLaughlin said she started the hobby because she saw first hand some family members who are licensed amateur radio operators. Amateur radio operators can talk across town or across the world without a phone or internet.

“It also allowed me to learn something new and share a hobby with my husband and son,” she said.

[Full story]

Amateur Radio Presentation to Middle Schoolers, Mass Maritime, July 15, 2024

Barnstable ARC logoLem Skidmore, W1LEM, writes on the Barnstable ARC mailing list:

[Barnstable Amateur Radio Club] members will be presenting to  approximately 200 seventh and eighth graders at Mass Maritime on Monday, July 15, 2024.  This is a two-week program for “very smart” junior high schoolers. Evening programs are presentations o a variety of topics–ours will be Amateur Radio.

We will present from 6 PM to about 7 PM, then do Q&A and demonstration. We will be on 2m (both the BARC 146.955 repeater, and the FARA 147.375 repeater as well as HF on 10m on 28.300 and upwards, depending on band activity, and 20m 14.225 and upwards. We should be on from about 7 PM to about 8 PM .

Please look for W1MA on the air. We did this last year and the students loved it. In particular, the female students enjoyed talking with Shannon, K1WIT, on VHF, so it would be great if some of our women members could join us.

Harwich Brooks Park Craft Fair, Harwich, July 13-14, 2024

Barnstable ARC logoLem Skidmore, W1LEM, writes on the Barnstable ARC mailing list:

We will be setting up HF and VHF stations for GOTA and general contacts. 

The objectives are: public awareness of BARC and Amateur Radio, operating practice, team building, and fellowship.

We will need [Barnstable ARC] members to set up Saturday AM and teardown Sunday PM, as well 4-hour shifts all all day Saturday and Sunday to operate, and to meet and greet the public.

Please contact Mark, K4LFL, the event leader.

Field Day Publicity Suggestions

ARRL Field Day 2024 logoBill McIninch, KA1MOM, writes:

This is from the Facebook open group for Field Day, a page read almost entirely by hams:

1) Posting in the Field Day group on Facebook is not likely to get you any more visibility with the public or get people to come visit your site. So if your goal is to get visitors, especially non-ham visitors, rethink where you are posting.
 
2) Make sure that your posts contain all the necessary information such as:
 
  • What the event is all about (make it understandable for non-hams)
  • Why someone might want to visit
  • Where the event is (include an address)
  • When the event is (use local times), especially when it’s open for public tours
  • Who is involved (include point of contact info) and who is invited
  • How to get more info (maybe use a QR code that takes people to a website)
3) Consider creating an Event, not just a post. Events are shared by Facebook.
 
4) Avoid technical jargon.
 
5) For other hams to find you, make sure you put your location in the Field Day Locator.