Clubs

The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club’s April meeting is Thursday, April 18th (the day after tomorrow) at 7:30 PM at the Pepperell Community Center (in Pepperell). We start gathering at 7 PM to socialize before the meeting starts.

April’s presentation will be “VP9I – Operating from Bermuda.”

As you may or may not know, Les Peters, N1SV, regularly operates SSB DX Contests from the island of Bermuda (VP9). Many of us have worked Les from this DX location, and I’m always excited to get him in my log (and get credit for the new country multiplier in the contest!). Les will talk about his Amateur Radio operating adventures from Bermuda – VP9.

I’m looking forward to this presentation!

Other items on the agenda –

NVARC Elections!
NEARFest April 25th and 26th
New England QSO Party May 4 – 5
The Groton Road Race May 5th
Dayton Hamvention May 17-19
Northeast HamXposition August 22-25 

Need directions? Click here and put your own address in box “A”.

Thanks and 73. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Bruce, K1BG

978-772-2773 or bruce.blain@charter.net

Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes on the Nashoba Valley ARC mailing list:

The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club’s March meeting is TONIGHT, March 21st at 7:30 PM at the Pepperell Community Center (in Pepperell). We start gathering at 7 PM to socialize before the meeting starts.

For our March meeting, Phil Temples, K9HI, will give a presentation on “Project ASCEND.” Project ASCEND (“Amateurs Supporting a Collaborative Environment for New ham Development”) is a comprehensive program designed to advance the Amateur Radio experience for the Technician class amateur and provide the needed mentoring and connection with the active ham community. It is a multi- faceted, high-touch program that leverages the time- honored tradition of mentoring – but with the goal to support and nurture hundreds to thousands of new and inactive hams.

We will also have a report on the Bromfield School Science Fair judging, and talk about the upcoming Groton Road Race.

Need directions? Click here and put your own address in box “A”.

Thanks and 73. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Bruce, K1BG

978-772-2773 or bruce.blain@charter.net

The Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society will meet on-line and in-person on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 7 PM and feature: “”VHF-UHF Test Bench Equipment—A Practical and Cost-Effective Approach” by Don Westacott VE6HQ, 

Description:

Amateur radio operators are sometimes faced with the challenge of making effective test measurements while limiting investment in a large range of expensive test equipment. This presentation is aimed at practical and cost-effective methods that provide useful results for testing radio equipment operating at VHF and UHF frequencies.

Bio:

Don has pursued a lifelong interest in science and engineering beginning as a youth in western Canada, receiving his first amateur radio license at the age of 15. Don has a degree in Electrical Engineering and has worked in the Energy Exploration industry in Canada, the United States, Europe, South America, the Middle East and the Far East. He is the holder of numerous U.S. patents, has been a guest lecturer at the Colorado School of Mines, and received the prestigious Hart Energy Innovators Award. After more than 50 years, he rejoined the amateur radio ranks and is currently active on 20 meters and VHF / UHF bands.

Bruce Anderson, W1LUS, writes on the Billerica ARS mailing list:

The March 6 meeting of the Billerica Amateur Radio Society will be in person, at the Church 182 Gorham Street Chelmsford, and on Zoom.

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Topic: ARRL Club Coordinator Role and Suggestions For Our Club
Time: Mar 6, 2024 07:00 PM

Presenter: Bruce Blain K1BG

Bruce is the ARRL Eastern Mass Affiliated Club Coordinator, past president of the Norwood Amateur Radio Club, founding member, and past Vice President of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club where he currently serves as a board member. He is also a member of the First Operators Club, CW Ops, the Yankee Clipper Contest Club, and the Radio Club of America. Bruce has been a member of the ARRL for over 50 years. He has been “advising” CW Academy classes for the past 4 years, where he is currently a “youth academy” advisor. Attracting and mentoring young people and supporting local radio clubs are areas that Bruce is passionate about.

Rich Comer, K1RBC, writes on the Waltham ARA mailing list:

The next meeting of the Waltham Amateur Radio Association will be on February 28, 2024 at 7:00 pm via ZOOM. (Zoom opens at 6:30 PM.)

We will start with a short business meeting. In the interest of time, the DRAFT minutes from the Jan 2024 meeting are provided below and will not be read during the meeting. Please take a minute and review.

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Following club business, Greg/WA1JXR will give a presentation: Introduction to the NanoVNA Vector Network Analyzer

The presentation is on the NanoVNA Vector Network Analyzer, an inexpensive unit used to measure antennas and other RF devices. The presentation will introduce the NanoVNA and show you how it works and performs RF measurements. Finally we will perform a measurement on an actual Amateur Radio Antenna and demo the free NanoVNA software.

<…>

73,

Rich, K1RBC

Club Treasurer

The [Barnstable ARC] W1MA wide-area repeater lost commercial power last week following the loss of a 4000 volt private line feeder.  After several days of BARC repeater committee members backing up the W1MA BARC repeater’s batteries with a generator,  Eversource has repaired, at its own expense, a failed insulator on a pole feeding 4000 volts to the repeater site in Dennis on Cape Cod.  The insulator failed after a snow  storm but had likely been in service for 70 years. The repeater is a primary Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) facility on the Cape and is used for a variety of other purposes as well, including a 6 AM weather net that many public service officials listen to.

The BARC repeater committee also determined that the affected lines were in contact with some evergreens on the property and those trees had to be trimmed before the line could be re-energized.  It was also determined that the failed component was unable to be serviced with a man-lift and there was only one contractor, not employed by Eversource,  who was qualified to climb the affected pole and perform the repair.  Eversource has those qualified people and no additional Eversource or other inspection is required for Eversource work.

Long-time BARC member and past President Steve Boyson, N1VLG, used his contacts with Eversource to arrange for the repair at no cost to the ham community (saving thousands of dollars) and also arranged for the trees to be quickly trimmed.  With Steve’s quick action and the work of the BARC repeater committee, the repeater has been returned to full service after only a week on battery/generator power.

This is the second time Steve has enlisted Eversource to help the ham community.  Eversource donated the installation of three poles to support the antenna at the Scout Camp Greenough where BARC is installing an amateur radio station using an ARRL club grant.  Eversource showed by its quick response and willingness to help that it supports the ARES mission of amateur radio.

Thanks to the repeater committee work together with the outstanding individual  contribution by Steve, N1VLG, the BARC repeater is again performing its work on Cape Cod.

Phil Temples, K9HI, will give a presentation on “Project ASCEND” at the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club at 7 PM on February 5, 2024.

BARC meetings are held monthly on the first Monday of each month, at 7 PM at the Brewster Police Department – Community Room, 631 Harwich Rd (Rt 124), Brewster, MA 02631.

Meetings are conducted in person with a Zoom session for folks who are unable to travel to Brewster. Invitations with the Zoom invite are emailed prior to the Monthly Meeting.  For contact information, visit https://barnstablearc.org/?q=node/237.

Richard A. Netinho, AC1JG, writes on the SEMARA mailing list:

Just a reminder, we are having a training on the new AED [automated external defibrillator] and hands only CPR. This training will be held on Sunday 2/4/24 after the coffee hour at 11:00AM. There is no cost associated with this training. It should not be longer than 1-2 hours. All are welcome to attend. Try to respond to this email, so we will bring enough handouts and certificates.

Phil Temples, K9HI, will give a presentation on “Project ASCEND” at the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association at 12 noon on February 10, 2024.

The CAARA clubhouse is located at 6 Stanwood Street in Gloucester.