Whitman ARC to Operate at Plimoth Patuxet, November 27-28, 2021

Whitman ARC logoMembers and friends of the Whitman Amateur Radio Club will operate amateur radio at the Plimoth Patuxet [formerly known as Plimoth Plantation]. Setup time is scheduled for 10 AM on Friday, November 26. The group will operate on Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 3 PM.

“We really need anyone who is going to please email us this weekend the days and times you can be there,” writes WARC president Bob Azanow, WA1Q. “I would like to submit the schedule to Plimoth Patuxet on Monday [November 22].”

New England Sci-Tech ARS Crew to Participate in JOTA, Lexington, October 16, 2021

JOTA-JOTI logoTate Aldridge, K1MKD, writes:

With Bruce [N9JBT], Mindy [KM1NDY], and Marc’s help (and flyers from Rusty and Bob), we are hosting a Jamboree On The Air for scouts in Lexington. We will have several radios out and will be making contacts and educating scouts about amateur radio. We would be very happy to see you there!

https://www.jotajoti.info/
Lexington Visitor Center lawn, Lexington, MA
Saturday Oct 16
Scouts are coming from 1-4 and we start set up around 11 – STARS friends are welcome any time!

73,
Tate, K1MKD

KM1NDY Featured on Pittsfield Community TV, WTBR-FM, October 13, 2021

Mindy Hull,  KM1NDY, South Boston, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7 on October 13, 2021 at 9 AM.  The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV.
 
Mindy will speak on a wide variety of topics including: Summits On The Air (SOTA); Parks On The Air (POTA); her work with New England Sci-Tech in Natick, MA; and operating in Winter Field Day. 
 
The show will also be available as a podcast.
 

Barnstable ARC Exhibit at Harwich Cranberry Festival, September 18-19, 2021

Barnstable ARC logoThe Barnstable Amateur Radio Club (BARC) will conduct a special event this Saturday and Sunday, September 18 and 19, 2021 at the Harwich Cranberry Festival in Harwich Center on Cape Cod.  BARC will operate W1MA, the club’s new callsign, honoring BARC member Ed Lajoie who became a silent key on February 3, 2021. 

Operation is expected on 10, 15 and 20 meters with a tri-band beam on a tower.  The operators will engage the public at the entrance to the event.  Talk-in for any hams who would like to drop by will be on the W1MA 146.955 repeater (88.5 Hz tone).

 

Amateur Radio To Be Discussed on WBZ 1030, September 18, 2021

Due to a scheduling snafu, Fred Kemmerer will not be appearing on the Morgan White show on September 18.  A new date is currently being negotiated.

 

WBZ 100th anniversary logoAmateur Radio will be the topic of discussion on the Morgan White show on Boston’s WBZ radio 1030 kHz, on Saturday, September 18 between the hours of 10 PM and midnight.

“With thanks to Cory Golob, KU1U [Sabattus, Maine], he put me in touch with another ham who has us on the Morgan White show–right in the middle of our WBZ special event operation,” writes Hampden County Radio Association President Larry Krainson, W1AST.

The Morgan White interview was organized in conjunction with a special event commemorating the 100th anniversary of WBZ radio. From September 17-19, New England amateurs will use the 1×1 callsigns W1W, W1B, and W1Z, in addition to the Hampden County Radio Association’s club callsign, WB1Z. 

The 50,000 watt, clear channel station is the oldest commercial radio station in New England. It began operations on September 15, 1921 at the Westinghouse Works building on Page Boulevard in East Springfield, Massachusetts broadcasting with just 100 watts. 

The special event is a joint effort of the Billerica Amateur Radio Society and the Hampden County Radio Association (HCRA). It’s being coordinated by W1AST. [See <https://nediv.arrl.org/wbz100>.]

Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, President of the Nashua Area Radio Society, has been invited to speak on the show along with prominent Boston-based radio historian Dr. Donna Halper from Lesley University in Cambridge.

Topics to be discussed will include the history of WBZ, the WBZ ham radio special event, and Amateur Radio in general. At this time, it is not known how many minutes of air time will be alloted to Kemmerer and Halper.

“Fred is an excellent speaker. He’ll be a great representative of the ham community,” adds Krainson.

ARRL Responds to Story of Radio Amateur Told to Remove His Antenna

From ARRL Web:

09/02/2021 – ARRL has responded to an Orlando, Florida, news story on August 23, 2021 by WFTV Channel 9 alleging a radio amateur was told to remove his antenna by the management of his subdivision following a complaint made by a neighbor.

“The news story appears to stem from a 2-year-old complaint from a neighbor who believed her insulin pump had malfunctioned due to the radio amateur’s operations ‘a few doors down,’” said ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI. “The story is lacking any details or timeline, so I contacted the radio amateur involved for information, and volunteered ARRL’s assistance.”

Hare explained that medical devices such as insulin pumps are regulated by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) purposes and are expected to be capable of operating in all the RF environments likely to be encountered by consumers. FDA published guidance for its staff and industry defines EMC with respect to electrically powered medical devices “as the ability of a device to function safely and effectively in its intended electromagnetic environment, including immunity to electromagnetic disturbance (interference).” FDA review of EMC information submitted with a device for approval “is based on the risk associated with EMC malfunction or degradation of the device under review, as well as the use of appropriate FDA-recognized standards or appropriate consensus standards.”

Hare noted there is an FDA recall for the model number of the insulin pump in question, in approximately the same time frame. “But with so few details, there is no way of knowing whether that recall applies to the serial number used or whether the exact unit has the mechanical defect indicated in the recall notice that could cause the malfunction,” explained Hare.

It also became apparent that there is no actual evidence connecting the amateur’s transmissions to operation of the insulin pump. Hare was told that the amateur agreed to run tests to establish whether there was a cause and effect, but the neighbor declined. 

Hare commented, “While there are no requirements for a radio amateur to stop transmitting due to alleged interference to a non-radio device, the preferred path with any complaint is for neighbors to work together.”

 

Cape Cod ARES District Exercise Receives PR from Barnstable County Government Web Site Article

Frank O’Laughlin-WQ1O writes:

Our Cape Cod ARES district exercise “Operation Big Blow” made the Barnstable County web site news page. Thanks to Chip Reilly who is the Barnstable County Emergency preparedness and sheltering lead for being at our exercise. Article link below:

https://www.barnstablecounty.org/2021/08/10/local-volunteer-ham-operators-integral-part-of-regions-emergency-response-complete-summer-field-exercise/

 

“Peabody Historical Society Scores a Ham Run”

K1III QSL cardFrom Southgate Amateur Radio Society News:

The Daily Item reports on a collect of QSL cards going back to the late 1950’s that was donated to the Peabody Historical Society in Massachusetts.

The newspaper says:

Ham radio operation might seem like a blast from the past but, according to the Peabody Historical Society, the pastime is actually still quite popular.

In fact, according to the Historical Society’s Associate Curator, Nora Bigelow, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided people with a perfect opportunity to kindle — or rekindle — their fascinations with it.

To get started with this hobby, one simply has to be a non-professional radio operator. Still, these radio enthusiasts still need to pass an FCC test to become licensed. After that, they are assigned a call sign — in other words, a group of identifying letters and numbers that serves as an address for the radio station’s transmission signal.

Operators also need to have a radio, transmitter and receiver in order to get started. If you were to balk at the price tag of such an endeavor, never fear — some beginners even start by building their own equipment.

The Peabody Historical Society recently received a donation from the estate of longtime resident Michael Schulze, which included a collection of call-sign cards from the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Of the peculiar properties of the ham radio, Bigelow noted that it’s interesting that people from bygone eras were able to communicate with both locals and those from farther afield depending on the range of their radios.

“So it’s sort of like Facebook,” she said. “I mean it’s a connection between two people.”

Bigelow said that while people usually conjure up images of the American Revolution when they imagine our country’s history, the call-sign cards offer a more intimate look into Peabody’s own past. She added that by studying ham radio use, we can begin to understand more of how people choose to communicate.

Read the full story at:
<https://www.itemlive.com/2021/08/02/peabody-historical-society-scores-a-ham-run/>.

National Weather Service, SKYWARN Acknowledged at ARRL Re-Opening Ceremony, July 15, 2021

In addition to ARRL board members and political dignitaries attending the ARRL Re-opening Ceremony at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut: Glenn Field, KB1GHX, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NOAA / National Weather Service in Taunton, Massachusetts; and Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator and ARES SKYWARN Coordinator.

Field and Macedo were both acknowledged in the public ceremony by ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA. 

photo of Rob Macedo, Glenn Field, Dahlia Field
Foreground: Rob Macedo, KD1CY; Glenn Field, KB1GHX; Dahlia Field. -K9HI photo

 

[See also: ARRL Re-Opening Ceremony Featured Dignitaries, Full Board and Newington Staff, July 15, 2021]

New England Sci-Tech “Natick Nights” with Amateur Radio on Display

From New England Sci-Tech Leadership Team news:

Bob Phinney and Rusty Moore have cleared their schedules for summer Thursdays 5:00-7:30pm to be in Natick Common to meet families and provide educational and entertaining STEM topics. We have activities planned for kid’s nights, family nights, history nights, art walk, and more. Thank you to Steve Palmer, Greg Moore, and David Kahn as well as teens Nolan Palmer, Jonathan Godfrey, and David Camaforte for helping at various times at the last two events. We welcome more helpers, so come and see us.

NEST Natick Nights display
Above: Natick Nights on June 10 was buzzing with activity. Steve Palmer mans the paper rocket launcher. Rusty makes radio contacts all over Europe. Greg and Bob run the NEST table.

 

“Connecting With Strangers Over Ham Radio Cleared My Family’s Static”

SU1CR QSL Card imageBoston Globe reporter Gabriella Gage writes this nice human interest story in the May 22, 2012 issue of The Boston Globe:

“On a rainy October night during the pandemic, my husband, David, searches for a faint voice in the distance. He doesn’t know who’s calling, but he knows he wants to speak to them. David adjusts the tuning knob on the decades-old transceiver ever so slightly, as if cracking a safe. Outside, a homemade antenna bobs in the wind. On his computer, pulsating lines tell him the voice is one of hundreds calling out on this busy night. The voice gets clearer: ‘CQ,’ the magic letters he’s been awaiting — the amateur radio operators’ invitation for a response — followed by a call sign. David jumps on his mic, repeating the stranger’s call sign and adds: “This is KB1TOY, Kilo-Bravo-1-Tango-Oscar-Yankee. You’re light but I can hear you!”  [Full story]

 

 

“Saving the MIT Radome”

Green Bldg rooftop MIT campusPerched atop the MIT Cecil and Ida Green Building (Building 54), MIT’s tallest academic building, a large, golf ball-like structure protrudes from the roof, holding its own in the iconic MIT campus skyline. This radar dome — or “radome” for short — is a fiberglass shell that encases a large parabolic dish, shielding it from the elements while allowing radio waves to penetrate. First installed in 1966, it was used initially to pioneer weather radar research. As the years passed and technology evolved, the radome eventually fell out of use for this purpose and was subsequently slated for removal as MIT began a major renovation and capital improvement project for the building. That’s when the student-led MIT Radio Society, who had found creative new uses for the radome, sprang into action to save it — and succeeded. [Full story]

Nantucket ARA Members Show Their Appreciation to Sconset Trust for Use of Sankaty Head Lighthouse

The Nantucket Amateur Radio Association membership recently voted to make a donation to the Sconset Trust in a show of appreciation for allowing the use of the Sankaty Head Lighthouse for last year’s International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. [See: International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend on Track for 2020.]
 
In a March 29, 2021 letter, ‘Sconset Trust’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Grubbs, wrote to NARA Treasurer Greg Cokorinos, K1UH, on behalf of the ‘Sconset Board of Trustees, “Thank you for your 2021 membership contribution … we were pleased to collaborate with NARA for the 2020 International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend last August. Apart from our enjoyment of this collaboration, this may have been the most activity Sankaty Head Lighthouse saw last year!”
 
The ‘Sconset Trust has worked since 1984 to preserve historic buildings and lands in the Village of Siasconset.
 

N1DM Featured on Pittsfield Community TV, WTBR-FM, March 25, 2021

From nediv.arrl.org:

Natick amateur Dom Mallozzi, N1DM, was the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield (MA) Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7 on March 25, 2021. Dom spoke about amateur satellites. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV.  A recording of the show can be heard at <https://anchor.fm/peter0190/episodes/working-amatuer-sats-etgl31>.

N1DM is active on HF CW , FT8, FT4, satellites, DMR, emergency communications  and contesting. He serves as secretary for the Providence (RI) Radio Association, W1OP.

K9HI to be Featured on Pittsfield Community TV, WTBR-FM, March 10, 2021

Eastern MA Assistant Section Manager Phil Temples, K9HI, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7 on March 10, 2021 at 9 AM. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV. Phil will speak on ARRL matters and other wide-ranging topics.

W1DAN to be Featured on Pittsfield Community TV, WTBR-FM, March 3, 2021

WTBR-FM studio

Eastern Massachusetts Technical Coordinator Dan Brown, W1DAN, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7 on March 3, 2021. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV.

Dan will speak about how ham radio has influenced his career in the broadcast industry.
 

“Students Talk to Astronauts in Space”, WCVB-TV

Nashua, N.H.–Four years ago, an organization of ham radio operators in New Hampshire teamed up with a local high school so the students could learn more about the power of connecting people through the airwaves. Now that connection led the students all the way to outer space. It was an out-of-this-world experience for students at Bishop Gurtin High School in Nashua. On Friday, they make contact with the International Space Station. For members of the school’s STEM Club, it was a chance for them to chat directly with Astronaut Shannon Walker onboard the International Space Station. “It was really quite something to be able to speak to an astronaut that far away in space,” one of the club members said. [Full story]

screenshot of Nashua ARS ARISS school contact, WCVB.com

W1HAI to be Featured on Pittsfield Community TV, WTBR-FM, February 17, 2021

WTBR-FM studio

Eastern Massachusetts Heavy Hitters Traffic Net Manager Joe Weisse, W1HAI, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV. Joe will speak about his upcoming presentation at the Bacon Free Library along with Dan Brown, W1DAN.