Affiliated Clubs

From ARRL web:

1/13/22–A new ARRL Foundation Club Grants program, funded by a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), will make $500,000 available to radio clubs. The program will provide up to $25,000 for worthy club projects. Requests for more than that will be referred back to ARDC.

ARRL has long recognized that it is in the best interests of amateur radio to encourage and support amateur radio clubs. Clubs historically have recruited, licensed, and trained new radio amateurs and have provided the community setting for radio amateurs to continue their education and training. The new Club Grants program will help clubs more easily provide and expand their important services.

Beginning in April 2022, amateur radio clubs will be able to apply for these grants by filling out a simple form on the ARRL website. The ARRL Foundation will evaluate the grant proposals. The Foundation was established in 1973 to advance the art, science, and societal benefits of the amateur radio service by awarding financial grants and scholarships to individuals and organizations in support of their charitable, educational, and scientific efforts.

A key criterion for determining awards will be how the project will advance amateur radio in the grantee’s community. In most cases, this process should take no longer than 90 days.

ARRL Foundation President David Woolweaver, K5RAV, shared his enthusiasm about this new program. “This program will substantially contribute to the growth of amateur radio clubs and their efforts to expand and support the amateur radio community,” he said.

ARDC is a California-based foundation and makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radio’s practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. ARDC Executive Director Rosy Schechter, KJ7RYV, noted that this program will streamline the process for getting club projects funded, so that clubs can get started on these projects more quickly.

“We’re very excited about working with the ARRL Foundation on this program,” said Schechter. “We can’t wait to see what kinds of creative things clubs will do with these grants.”

The [North Shore Radio Association] board of directors has decided due to the rise in COVID-19 cases we are returning to ZOOM ONLY Meetings for at least the next two months, maybe more.

Please join us again on Zoom!

Speaker for January: 

Informal DXpedition to French Polynesia – Fred, AB1OC and Anita, AB1QB went on a holiday style DXpedition to Bora Bora less than a year after we were licensed.  In this presentation, Anita will talk about planning for the DXpedition, the destination, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, our station and operations, the results, and what we learned from the experience.

Tom Walsh, K1TW, writes in December, 2021 Eastern MA Section News:

Norm Cantin, WA1NLG, writes on the Barnstable ARC mailing list:

[…] Unfortunately, the Dennis Police Department is still closed to the public.  [The Barnstable ARC] will meet via Zoom [on January 3, 2022 at 7 PM.]

This month’s guest speaker is Greg Algieri, WA1JXR, who will present a very interesting topic:  Introduction to Nano VNA.  Due to Greg’s schedule, he will present at 8 PM.  We will conduct the business meeting prior to Greg’s presentation.

NVARC President Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes:

The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club’s December meeting will be TONIGHT, Thursday, December 16th, at 7:30 PM at the Pepperell Community Center (in Pepperell). Doors will open at 7:10 PM for socializing, etc.

This month’s program will feature “Homebrew Night”. Come in and show off what you’ve been working on over the past TWO years. No project is too small—or too large. If your project is physically too big, don’t fret. Bring along some pictures, JPEG files, or anything else. We’ll find a way to project or display graphics. Homebrew, kits, software, restoration, innovative solutions. Come. Brag. Converse. Have coffee. This is one of the best “social” meetings of the year…

Because last year’s home brew night was conducted over Zoom, feel free to bring (and show!) that item you showed last year. Besides “show and tell”, home brew night tends to be “touchy/feely”. It’s hard to do that over Zoom!

Remember, HB Night and the upcoming Short Subjects Night (the January meeting) both rely on member participation. It’s your hobby; brag about it.

Because of the nature of the meeting, this meeting will not be available on Zoom.

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 Algonquin Amateur Radio Club will hold its Marlborough Flea Market on February 19, 2022 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the 1Lt Charles W. Whitcomb School, 25 Union St., Marlborough, MA. Talk-in is on the MMRA repeater, 147.27+ (PL 146.2). Any COVID-related updates will be carried on the AARC website at http://n1em.org.

A VE session will be held beginning at 9:00 AM. General admission is $5. Vendor tables are $15 before February 9, 2018, or $20 at the door if space is available. Each table includes one admission.

For more information, contact Tim Ikeda, KA1OS at 508-251-9317 (before 9:00 PM), email fleamarket@n1em.org or visit https://www.qsl.net/n1em/2022_flier.pdf.

Don Melanson, W1DM, writes on the QRA website:

It is sad news that I report that the Quannapowitt Radio Association ( QRA ) has ended.

At the October Board of Directors meeting the Board of directors recommended dissolution of the Association due to the number of factors as explained to the remaining QRA membership in a recent letter. The membership subsequently unanimously voted to dissolve the Association at the November Membership Meeting.

The membership also voted to distribute the remaining QRA treasury toFEMARA to support its scholarship programs.

It was also noted the the QRA dissolved on exactly their 73rd Birthday.

I would like to thank all Members, Board of Directors ( both present and Past ) and all others who supported the QRA in its 73 years of service to the Amateur Radio Field. We made a lot of friends both Nationally and Locally. Friends we will never forget. Hopefully we will catch each other on the bands.

73s de

Don Melanson W1DM

QRA President

Tom Walsh, K1TW, writes on the Billerica ARS mailing list:

Bruce Blain, K1BG,  will give an amateur radio software demonstration at the Billerica Amateur Radio Society meeting on December 1,  2021 at 7 PM. 

Bruce, W1LUS, will distribute the zoom link separately.

Bruce, K1BG, will join us with another one of his great presentations. This time Bruce will focus on a couple of software programs (i.e., RufzXP and Morse Runner), along with a demonstration of their use.  “Rufz” is the abbreviation of the German word “Rufzeichen-Hören”, which means “Listening to Callsigns”. RufzXP is an excellent training software for improving code speed and CW practice. Morse Runner is a Windows-based contest simulator developed by Alex Shovkoplyas, VE3NEA. Tools are also available to run Morse Runner on Mac computers.

Both programs are one of the many instruction tools used by CW Ops and CW Academy.

Following the presentation, we will invite the members to offer other suggestions of software they use on a regular basis to enhance their amateur radio pleasure. And, if there is interest, we can look into providing demonstrations at future meetings.

The business meeting and open discussion on any other topics will conclude the evening. So please join us for another friendly and informative BARS meeting.

About our evening speaker:

Bruce K1BG is an instructor for CW Academy, Bruce has recently been elected as President of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club which meets in Pepperell, MA. He is also the Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) in the Eastern Massachusetts ARRL section.

Art Lipatov, W1JAR, will present on “Digital Voice Modes” at the December 2, 2021 meeting of the Framingham Amateur Radio Association.

– DMR, Yaesu System Fusion, D-Star, advantages, shortcomings of each. There are many more modes, but these are the “main” ones
– Internet linked digital voice, talkgroups / rooms / reflectors. NEDECN DMR network (New England Digital Emergency Comm Network)
– Hotspots, connecting to digital voice internet rooms from your shack without a repeater.

Also, Ron, WO1E, will do a shack and equipment visit

Mike Powell, W1KU, writes on the Algonquin ARC mailing list:

The [Algonquin Amateur Radio Club] November 11th meeting will take place at the Marlborough Fire Station EOC (not the Middle School) and on Zoom.  Our guest speaker will be Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, speaking on “Helping Hams and Building Your Club” […].  Fred is planning to attend at the EOC.

Also, the club will be voting on a proposal to collect dues and update membership forms for the current year.  Details of the proposal discussed at the October meeting are included in the newsletter Ken sent out last week.  To vote, you must be present at the November meeting either in person or on Zoom.

73 de w1ku (Mike)

Joe Chapman, NV1W, writes on the Boston ARC mailing list:

The next general meeting of the Boston Amateur Radio Club will take place on Thursday, November 18, at 7:30 p.m. on the Zoom teleconferencing program. Our speaker will be Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, talking about his DXpedition to Bora Bora. […]

Further details will appear in this month’s issue of The SPARC.

73,

Joseph Chapman NV1W / Secretary, Boston Amateur Radio Club