Clubs

There will be no  Boston Amateur Radio Club meetings for the months of January and February. The next general meeting will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. at a location still to be determined. Stay tuned to The SPARC for details.

The North Shore Radio Association will hold its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, in the Peabody Municipal Light Plant auditorium, 201 Warren St Extension, in Peabody  (talk-in 145.470 repeater).

The Minuteman Repeater Association meeting will feature a presentation by Paul Topolski, W1SEX, entitled, “Heath History, the GI Bill, and Economics of Restoration” on Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 7:30 PM.  MMRA meets this month in the Leominster Emergency Management Agency Amphitheater, 37 Carter Street, in Leominster, MA 01453.  Directions

“Heath Company was a major player in the electronics industry with hundreds of Heathkit products that educated customers and provided the satisfaction of building and enjoying their own equipment. Heath started with aircraft and transitioned to electronics with test equipment after World War II. Heath added HiFi and ham radio gear within a few years.

“Paul Topolski, W1SEX, of Gardner, Massachusetts will speak about the interesting and colorful history of Heath Company. Paul will speak about the company founder and the subsequent owners of Heath and how the Company’s rapid growth was bolstered by numerous economic factors that came to fruition at the close of World War II. Paul will outline these intertwined factors which lead to tremendous success and the ultimate failure of the company. Finally, Paul will show why Heathkits are among the best ham radio products to restore from both a practical and economical basis.”

The next Pentucket Radio Association meeting will be held on January 16, 2020 at 7:30 PM at the West Newbury EOC/Fire station, 401 Main Street, West Newbury, MA. 

Talk-in will be on our repeater: 146.625 MHz PL 131.8.

PRA meets on the third Thursday during the months of: January, March, May, September, November.

The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association will hold a membership meeting on Saturday, January 11, 2020  at 12 noon at the clubhouse. Lunch will be served.   All members are welcome and invited to attend.   

CAARA is an ARRL affiliated Special Service Club, located at 6 Stanwood Street in Gloucester Massachusetts, Telephone 978-381-5008. It operates the 2-meter W1GLO repeater on 145.130  MHz (– input,  with a 107.2 PL tone).

The Whitman Amateur Radio Club will hold its January  monthly meeting on a different date this month–Wednesday, January 8 instead of the first Wednesday of the month–to avoid a conflict with New Year’s Day.

WARC holds a winter flea market,  conducts licensing classes, and participates in a number of high-profile public service events. Meetings are held at the Whitman Knights of Columbus Hall on route 18 just south of the Abington line. The meetings start at 7:00 PM.

The Framingham Amateur Radio Association will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, January 2, 2020. The meeting will feature, “show and tell, CW with left foot.” Also, a video of the VP8ORK DXpedition to the South Orkney Islands will be shown.

FARA meets the first Thursday of the month (except in July and August), 7:30 pm at the Framingham Police Station, 1 William Welch Way (corner of William Welch Way and Union Ave) in the first floor training room. Enter through the front door on Union Ave. and the room is to the left.  All area hams and those not yet licensed but interested in amateur radio are welcome to attend.

The Barnstable Amateur Radio Club will hold its next monthly meeting on Monday, January 6, 2020  in the Dennis Police Department conference room. Entrance to the meeting area is to your right after entering through the main entrance.  The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. All radio amateurs and people interested in amateur radio are welcome to attend. 

The Bristol County Repeater Association and Fall River Amateur Radio Club will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, January 6, 2020 from 7 to 9 PM at the Stop and Shop, 816 Grand Army Highway, Somerset, MA in the Community Room (2nd floor).

(Enter on the Fall River side near the Dunkin Donuts in the store. The stairs and elevator will be on the right. Go left on second floor.)

Ray Cord, K2TGX, writes:

Just a reminder that the December meeting of [the Sturdy Memorial Hospital Amateur Radio Club] will be held this coming Tuesday, December 17th in Conference Room D&E at the hospital. The ARES EmCom Team will meet at 7:00 PM; the business meeting will start at 8:00 PM.

Nominations and elections of officers will be held that night. A reminder that dues are due. The new dues structure is $25.00. Retirees may pay $20.00.

Ray K2TGX
Secretary/Treasurer SMHARC