Emergency Communications

Emergency communications and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®)

Emergency Communications

ARESMAT Requested for Cape Cod Shelter Support for March 13th

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

*** ARES SUPPORT REQUESTED FOR SHELTERS ON CAPE COD ***

At the current time three shelters are being opened on Cape Cod and an ARES Mutual Aid Team (ARESMAT) has been requested for Cape Cod support. There are wide spread outages with AT&T cellular service, power outages covering approximately 125,000 customers, etc. Communications support is requested for the Sandwich, MA and Barnstable, MA shelters and it is possible a fourth shelter will open Wednesday that may also need ARESMAT support.

If you are available to help with the shelter in Sandwich, MA or Barnstable, MA for this evening’s overnight or possibly other locations on the Cape please email blizzard@nsradio.org, with your availability for tonight and tomorrow, what equipment you are able to bring, and what ability to travel to the Cape you have.

We are currently looking for volunteers for this evening overnight and planning for the possibility of continued operations Wednesday.

Do not self-deploy, please only respond to requests for support from ARES leadership. ARES leadership will tell you where to go and who to contact when you arrive.

Respectfully submitted,
Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA ARES SEC
Emergency Communications

EMA ARES on Stand-By for Coastal Blizzard Starting 2300 Monday March 12th

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

See this message on the web at https://ema.arrl.org/2018/03/12/ares-standby-20180312/

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS EFFECTIVE 2300 MONDAY, MARCH 12TH UNTIL CANCELED DUE TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM FORECAST COASTAL STORM AND BLIZZARD ***

*** BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 2300 MONDAY EVENING THROUGH 2000 TUESDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN ESSEX, PLYMOUTH, BARNSTABLE, AND DUKES COUNTIES FOR 10-18 INCHES OF SNOW WITH ISOLATED 20+ INCH AMOUNTS WITH 30-40 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 65+ MPH ***

 

*** SNOW IN THE BLIZZARD WARNING AREA IS LIKELY TO BE HEAVY AND WET WITH THE STRONG WINDS COULD RESULT IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POCKETS OF TREE AND WIRE DAMAGE AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ***

 

*** WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS FROM 2300 MONDAY TO 2000 TUESDAY FOR 10-18+ INCHES OF SNOW WITH WINDS 20-30 GUSTING TO 50-55+ MPH ***

 

*** SNOW IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN ARES OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING COULD BE WET AND HEAVY WITH THE STRONG WINDS COULD RESULT IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POCKETS OF TREE AND WIRE DAMAGE AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ***

 

*** COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 0800 TUESDAY TO 1200 TUESDAY FOR EASTERN PLYMOUTH COUNTY, CAPE COD,  NANTUCKET, EASTERN ESSEX, AND DUKES COUNTY FOR MINOR COASTAL FLOODING DURING THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE ***

 

*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-TAUNTON TO COMMENCE AROUND 0400 TUESDAY ***

A major storm will be impacting the region Monday evening through Tuesday evening. All amateurs are asked to prepare for a powerful coastal storm which will bring blizzard conditions along the coastal parts of Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Across the region 12-18 inches of snow is forecast with isolated amounts reaching 20+ inches. The snow may be wet and heavy causing additional strain on already weakened trees and infrastructure from the previous two Nor’Easters especially in the eastern and southern areas of the warning area. Some coastal flooding is expected during the Noon Tuesday high tide cycle. A high wind warning is also in effect for Nantucket for sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts to 65 MPH.

Please notify ARES leadership of availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage; infrastructure issues; coastal, river, and urban flooding; change over to snow; and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation. Secure any loose objects that can blow around easily.

The Cape Cod MACC (Multi-Agency Coordination Center) will be operating starting around 0600 Tuesday. Nets will be run on 146.955- PL88.5 Dennis repeater. The ARES HF net will also be running on 3.930 +/- 5 kHz QRM with calls at the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of the hour starting at 0600 Tuesday. SKYWARN will be running various nets across our section on the assigned SKYWARN repeaters.

The list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/node/37

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm is at: http://wx1box.org/node/4054

For the latest bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime over the weekend. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ema.arrl.org/ares and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to another part of the Eastern Massachusetts section as this will be a large area impact storm for this anticipated blizzard. We ask that as you contact your DEC, please send a copy of the message to blizzard@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
ASEC – KD1CY – kd1cy@comcast.net

DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

Emergency Communications

EMA ARES Ends Stand-By Status

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment
*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES ENDS ITS STAND-BY STATUS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY ***
The Eastern MA ARES staff would like to thank all the amateur radio volunteers who supplied their availability and for those who helped out during the back-to-back severe weather events that impacted the section. Everyone’s SKYWARN reports greatly helped expand the situational awareness for the National Weather Service, MEMA, the cities and towns, and media for coverage of these significant events.
At the peak of the first storm there were 450,000+ customers without power and various shelters and warming centers opened across the section. As of this note there remains about 66,000 customers without power but service is expected to be restored by the end of day Sunday at the latest.
SKYWARN operations were conducted at the National Weather Service office in Taunton, MA and photo albums have been made for both storms:
The ARES and SKYWARN staff are keeping an eye on a possible storm in the Monday/Tuesday timeframe. However it is too early to say what this storm might bring to the region.
Thanks again to all the operators and spotters who helped collect information and aid with communications during these severe winter storms.
Respectfully submitted,
Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
Eastern MA ARES SEC
Emergency Communications

ARES Stand-By Update for Wednesday Winter Storm

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

See this message on the web at https://ema.arrl.org/2018/03/05/ares-standby-update/

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES CONTINUES TO BE ON STAND-BY FOR THE SECTION DUE TO LINGERING DAMAGE FROM LAST WEEKENDS STORM AND THE POTENTIAL FOR WEDNESDAY’S STORM TO INTERFERE WITH REPAIR CREWS AND HIGHER IMPACT TO WEAKENED INFRASTRUCTURE ***
*** WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES AND REGIONS NORTH FOR 6″+ OF SNOW ***
*** STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 50+ MPH ARE POSSIBLE WHICH COULD HAVE HIGHTENED IMPACT ON WEAKENED TREES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ***
*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-TAUNTON ARE LIKELY, UPDATED SKYWARN MESSAGE WILL BE POSTED LATER THIS EVENING ***

A major storm impacted the region Friday morning through Saturday. As crews continue to repair the damage from that storm another storm will impact the region on Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. Various shelters across the region have been closing as of Monday morning, however with the risk of increased damage from this upcoming storm it is possible more shelters and warming centers will be needed. All amateurs are asked to prepare for a significant snow fall event of 6-12″+ of heavy wet snow, especially in the northern part of the section. Trees and various infrastructure are still in a weakened state, with the possibility of heavy snow combined with moderate winds there is a higher risk for impactful damage. The location of the rain/snow line is still uncertain and will greatly affect how much snow impacts the region as well as where the maximum snow will hit.

Please notify ARES leadership of availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage; infrastructure issues; coastal, river, and urban flooding; snow amounts; precipitation type; and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation. Secure any loose objects that can blow around easily.

The ARES HF net will be running on 3.930 +/- 5 kHz QRM with calls at the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of the hour. SKYWARN will be running various nets across our section on the assigned SKYWARN repeaters.

The list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/node/37

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm is at: http://wx1box.org/node/4047

For the latest bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime through the weekend. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ema.arrl.org/ares and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to another part of the Eastern Massachusetts section as this will be a large area impact storm for this anticipated storm. We ask that as you contact your DEC, please send a copy of the message to blizzard@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
ASEC – KD1CY – kd1cy@comcast.net
DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

Emergency Communications

Monthly EMA ARES Net 3/5 8:30pm

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment
*** NOTICE ***
The standard RACES nets on the first business Monday of the month have been canceled due to on going operations supporting clean up after the severe coastal storm last weekend.

The monthly ARES net however will go on as scheduled. ARES remains in a stand-by operational state as clean up continues and another storm is predicted to impact the region on Wednesday. A separate stand-by update notice will be sent out later this evening.

*** Standard monthly notice continues below with RACES net information removed. ***

Hello to all…

We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in March. The monthly ARES Net for March is Monday the 5th, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net.

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications / Licensing Education & Training

New Hampshire ARES Academy Registration Open

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

NH ARES logoThe seventh annual  New Hampshire ARES Academy will be held in Concord, New Hampshire on March 24.

A few of the courses offered at the daylong event include: Net Control, ARES 101, Go Kit Basics, ARESMAT Mutual Aid, and Basic NBEMS, and Tactical Comms for Events and Disasters.

To register, contact Dave, WA1ZCN at wa1zcn@myfairpoint.net and indicate your course choices along with your home or mobile number.

03/21/18: The ARES Academy workshop is open to Eastern MA amateurs.  According to NH Section Manager K1PJS, there are still seats available.

 

 

Emergency Communications

EMA ARES on Stand-By for Major Costal Storm Starting 0900 Friday March 2nd

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS EFFECTIVE 0900 FRIDAY, MARCH 2ND UNTIL CANCELED DUE TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM FORECASTED COASTAL STORM ***
*** COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR EAST COASTAL MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS FROM 9 AM FRIDAY TO 3 AM SUNDAY FOR THE POTENTIAL OF MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING OVER MULTIPLE HIGH TIDE CYCLES ***
*** HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM SATURDAY FOR NORFOLK, BRISTOL AND PLYMOUTH COUNTIES FOR 20-40 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 70+ MPH ***
*** HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM SATURDAY FOR CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS FOR 30-40 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 75+ ***
*** HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 7 AM SATURDAY FOR MIDDLESEX AND ESSEX COUNTIES FOR 25-35 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 65+ ***
*** THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS TREE AND WIRE DAMANGE WITH POSSIABLE POWER OUTAGES ***
*** A WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM NOON FRIDAY TO 4 AM SATURDAY FOR NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY FOR 4-7″ OF SNOW, WITH AMOUNTS TO 10″ POSSIBLE ***
*** ANY SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AND WET AND COUPLED WITH THE STRONG WINDS COULD DOWN SCATTERED TREES AND POWER LINES CAUSING SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ***
*** THE AMOUNT AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW REMAINS LOW CONFIDENCE AND SNOWS AMOUNTS COULD BE SUBJECT TO REVISION ***
*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-TAUNTON TO COMMENCE AROUND 0800 FRIDAY ***

A major storm will be impacting the region Friday morning through Saturday. All amateurs are asked to prepare for a powerful and long duration coastal storm which will bring during multiple high tide cycles significant major coastal flooding to East Coastal Massachusetts along with the potential for strong to damaging winds including hurricane force wind gusts for Cape Cod and the Islands, heavy rainfall (up to 3-4″) that could lead to urban, poor drainage, and potentially river and stream flooding, and rain changing to snow with the potential for significant snow accumulations in portions of interior Southern New England. The potential for heavy snow remains the lowest confidence portion of the forecast.

Please notify ARES leadership of availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage; infrastructure issues; coastal, river, and urban flooding; change over to snow; and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation. Secure any loose objects that can blow around easily.

The Cape Cod MACC (Multi-Agency Coordination Center) will be operating starting around 0900 Friday. Nets will be run on 146.955- PL88.5 Dennis repeater. The ARES HF net will also be running on 3.930 +/- 5 kHz QRM with calls at the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of the hour. SKYWARN will be running various nets across our section on the assigned SKYWARN repeaters.

The list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/node/37

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm is at: http://wx1box.org/node/4045

For the latest bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime over the weekend. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ema.arrl.org/ares and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to another part of the Eastern Massachusetts section as this will be a large area impact storm for this anticipated blizzard. We ask that as you contact your DEC, please send a copy of the message to hurricane@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
ASEC – KD1CY – kd1cy@comcast.net

DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

Emergency Communications

Eastern MA Hospital Net, March 3, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John O’Neill, K1JRO writes:

The March 3, 2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net is approaching. We are always looking for groups or organizations to take a turn at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand as Net Control please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

Below are the repeaters we have available for our use. Let us know which 3 or 4 repeaters you would like to use and we will make all the notifications. We’ll also send you a copy of our net preamble if you desire which you may modify for your own use.

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)

Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2

Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Mansfield EMA  446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dpl 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2
Emergency Communications

ARES Exercise: Operation “Ice Assault” Feb. 10, 2018

- by k9hi

Hello everyone!

This Saturday, February 10, 2018 from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon EMA ARES will be having an operational exercise simulating a severe ice storm hitting Cape Cod. This will be a Cape Cod and Islands centric exercise, however the entire section will be participating and practicing various communications skills. Field sites will be setting up around 9 am.

The operational guide for the exercise is located at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w4eFcma-juG_-vySsXgpw_58GYnD8HrH/view?usp=sharing

Please read the entire document as it contains important information about how the exercise will be conducted. There is an addendum at the end for stations operating on the main land and at the end is an ICS-205 with the frequencies that will be in play for the exercise.

A quick summary of the goals for this exercise are practicing and testing communications on and off the Cape via HF and VHF, collection of weather and infrastructure status back to a central location off the Cape, practice operating on a net, and moving traffic between nets.

We look forward to any and all stations, whether ARES affiliated or not, to get onto our nets and help relay traffic, especially on the HF bands which have had very poor location propogation recently.

A sample of locations with official ARES stations that will be on the air for this drill:• Sandwich

  • Falmouth
  • Acushnet
  • Walpole
  • Marlborough
  • Stow
  • Gloucester

And again to see what frequencies we will be using consult the ICS-205 at the end of the linked PDF document above.

For any questions about the exercise please contact Frank, WQ1O, wq1o@comcast.net for Cape and the Islands items, and contact Marek, KB1NCG, kb1ncg@arrl.net for the rest of the section.

Marek, KB1NCG

Eastern MA ARES SEC

 

All / Emergency Communications

New England Area Flea Markets, Feb. 2, 2018

- by k9hi

New England Area   Ham – Electronic Flea Market  ***  DATES ***   2018 P 1 of 2

All events are Ham Radio/ Electronic related except ~_____~
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2018                                                    Contact          Source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 Feb Springfield VT CVFMA @VFW @8 B/Free $5/T@7     Dave K1ZS 603 446 7312

17 Feb Marlboro MA AARC @MidSch $5@9 $20/T@6:30       Tim KA1OS 508 919 6136 F+

24 Feb S Burlington VT RAoNV @HI  I89x14 $9@8 $15@6  Mitch W1SJ 802 879 6589

24 Feb Augusta ME AARA @ClbCalume                    Bill K1NIT 207 512 0312 A+

25 Feb Hicksvile NY LIMARC @LevitHall$6@9+$22/T@7 Richard K2KNB 516-694-4937 W+

4 Mar Nashua NH NEARC RadioXLIX @CrtYdMarriott antique $10@8    603 772 7516 F+

10 Mar Chicopee MA MtTomARA @Castle $5@8:30 S@6:30 Brian KC1BDF 860 478 6790

18 Mar Southington CT SARA @HS $5@8 $20/T@6:15      John WA1JKR 860 621 8791  +

18 Mar Henniker NH CVRC @CommSch                    Jeff KB!WTI 603 428 7109 A+

30,31 Mar Lewiston ME AARC ME Conv @Ramada @8        Ivan N1OXA 207 784 0350

7 Ap Hampton NH PCARC @Masonic  $5@8 $10/T@7          Mark K1RX 603 231 8965

8 April Framingham MA FARA 9AM@KeefeHS $25/T     Andy KC1DMM at 508 310 5913  +

14 Ap Newton MA PHSNE Photographica Sat Only @AmLegion @9A John 781 592 2553
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LAST UPDATE 2-2-18 de W1GSL         http://swapfest.us                    P 1
List is normally updated twice a month – look for the latest version
*******************************************************************************
Additions/ Corrections via e-Mail   w1gsl@mit.edu  <- SUBSCRIBE
US Mail  W1GSL POB 397082 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139
(c)2018 W1GSL unlimited reproduction permitted in entirety
<FF>
New England Area  Ham – Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  *** 2017  P2 of 2

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2018                                                    Contact          Source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

15 April Cambridge MA           Flea at  MIT              Mitch 617 253 3776 F+
Third Sunday April thru October

21 Apr Gales Ferry CT RASON @FireCo auction         Gary WT1SND 860 884 4218  +

22 April Manchester CT NEWS EVHF/UHF @Baymont 8AM    Mark K1MAP 413 777 9828 +

29 April Thompson CT ECARA @ Raceway  $3 $10/sp      Jon KA1MPG 508 943 4467 F+

29 April Middletown NY  OCARC @ CommCtr             Bruce K2ULZ 845 391 3620 A+

4-5 May Deerfield NH NEARfest XXIII @FG              Mike K1TWF 978 250 1235

12 May E Greenbush NY EGARA FireCo                   Tom KC2FCP 518 272 1494 A+

19 May Goshen CT   SBARC @FG $5@8  $10/T            Stan W2VID  518 369 2863 F+

20 May Cambridge MA             Flea at  MIT              Mitch 617 253 3776 F+

3 June Fishkill MtBARC @DwnStCorr                   Adam KC2DAA 845 849 3666 A+

17 June Cambridge MA            Flea at  MIT              Mitch 617 253 3776 F+

15 July Cambridge MA            Flea at  MIT              Mitch 617 253 3776 F+

11 Aug St Albans VT STARC @VFW                        Arn N1ARN 802 309 0666

19 August Cambridge MA           Flea at  MIT             Mitch 617 253 3776 F+

19 Aug Adams MA NoBARC @FG B$5@7 S$10@6:30          Eric KA1SUN 413 743 9975 F+

8,10 Sept Boxboro MA FEMARA NE Conv                  Mike K1TWF 978 250 1235 A+

9 Sept Ballston Spa NY SCRACES @FG $6@7                Jim KG2H 518 703-9558  +

12-13 Oct Deerfield NH NEARfest XXIV @FG             Mike K1TWF 978 250 1235  +

16 September Cambridge MA        Flea at  MIT              Mitch 617 253 3776 F+

21 October   Cambridge MA        Flea at  MIT              Mitch 617 253 3776 F+

27 Oct Gales Ferry CT TCARC @FireCo auction          Tom WA2RYV 860 464 6555  +

3 Nov Bourne MA FARA @UpperCC VoTech $5@9 $10/S@7   Ralph N1YHS 508 548 0422  +
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LAST UPDATE 2-2-18 de W1GSL         http://swapfest.us               P 2 of 2
List is normally updated twice a month – look for the latest version
Source    F+= Flyer  T= tentative early info     + = new info this month
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This list has been compiled from many sources.
While we believe the info to be accurate the author can not be responsible for
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This list will be posted monthly to USENET.
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New England Area  Ham – Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  *** 2017 -> ***
Page 3 Electronic distribution only.  This page has the overflow if any
from the paper version.

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2019                                                    Contact          Source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3-4 May Deerfield NH NEARfest XXV @FG                Mike K1TWF 978 250 1235  +

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Links to New England Hamfest Web Sites                (c) 2016 W1GSL
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This section is only included in the electronic distribution.

Cambridge MA    Flea at MIT     http://www.swapfest.us

Hopkinton NH    Hosstraders   RIP 🙁    http://www.qsl.net/k1rqg/

Boxborough MA   NE ARRL Conv    http://www.boxboro.org/

Adams MA        N BerkshireARC  http://www.nobarc.org/hamfest.htm

Chicopee MA     MTARA           http://www.mtara.org/

Falmouth MA     FARA            http://www.falara.org/

Framingham MA   FARA            http://www.fara.org/
http://www.n1em.org

Marlboro MA     AARC            http://www.qsl.net/n1em/

Newton MA       Waltham ARA Auction    http://www.wara64.org/auction/

Rockport MA     CAARA           www.caara.net

S Dartmouth MA  SEMARA          http://www.semara.org/

Wakefield MA    Photographica   http://www.phsne.org/

Westford MA     NEAntiqueRC     http://www.nearc.net/
moved to Nashua NH

Whately MA      FranklinCARC    http://www.fcarc.org/news.htm

Whitman MA      WARC            http://www.wa1npo.org

Worcester MA    WPI ACM         http://acm.wpi.edu/swapmeet/

Dayville CT     ECARA           http://www.qsl.net/k1muj/

Gales Ferry CT  RASON           http://www.rason.org/

Gales Ferry CT  TCARC           http://www.qsl.net/tricityarc/

Goshen CT       SBARC           http://www.sberk.org                     +

Hartford CT     ARRL 100th      http://www.arrl.org/convention-volunteers

Manchester CT   VHF/UHF Conf    http://www.newsvhf.com/
was Enfield

Manchester CT   PVRA            http://www.pvra.net

Meriden CT      Nutmeg CT Conv  http://www.nutmeghamfest.com
was Wallingford

Newington CT    NARL            http://www.narlhamfest.org/

Newtown CT      CARA            http://www.cararadioclub.org/

North Haven CT                  http://www.yankeehamfest.com

Southington CT  SARA            http://www.chetbacon.com/sara.htm

Vernon CT       NARC            http://hamfest.na1rc.org/

Wallingford CT  Nutmeg CT Conv  http://www.nutmeghamfest.com
moved to Meriden CT

Windsor CT      Vintage R Mus   http://vrcmct.org/

Agusta ME       AARA            http://www.w1tlc.com/

Alexander ME    StCVARC          http://stcroixvalleyamateurradioclub.org

Hermon ME       PSARC           http://n1me.org/index.php?pr=Hamfest

Lewiston ME     AARC      http://www.w1npp.org/pages/meconvention2018.html       +

S. Portland ME  PAWA            http://www.qsl.net/pawa/hamfest.html

St. Albans ME   PARC            http://www.qsl.net/parc/hamfest/hamfest.html

Thomaston ME    PBARC           http://penbayarc.org/

Windsor ME      AARA            http://www.w1tlc.com/

Brookline NH    NEAntiqueRC     http://www.nearc.net/

Deerfield NH    NEAR-Fest       http://www.near-fest.com/

Hampton NH      PCARC           http://www.w1wqm.org

Henniker NH     CVRC            http://k1bke.org/

Londonderry NH  IRS             www.irs.nhradio.org/

Manchester NH   NEAntiqueRC     http://www.nearc.net/
Moved to Westford MA
Moved to Brookline NH

N Conway NH     WMARC           http://www.w1mwv.com

Nashua NH       NEARC           www.nearc.net
was Westford MA

Rochester NH    GBRA            http://www.w1fz.org/

Bergen NJ       BARA            http://www.bara.org/

Sussex NJ       SCARC    http://www.scarcnj.org/www.scarcnj.org/flyer_2007.htm

Ballston Spa NY SCRACES         http://k2dll.net/

E Greenbush NY  E Greenbush ARA http://www.w2egb.org/

Fishkill NY     MtBARC          http://www.wr2abb.org/
was LaGrangeville

Lake Placid NY  NNY ARA  http://www.northnet.org/nnyham/hamfest_flyer2004.htm

Lindenhurst NY  ToB ARES        http://www.tobares.org/hamfest.html

Lindenhurst NY  GSB ARA         http://www.gsbarc.org/Hamfest.htm

Long Island NY  LIMARC          http://www.limarc.org/fest.htm

Middletown NY   OCARC           http://www.ocarc-ny.org/

Queens NY       Hall of Science http://www.hosarc.org/

Rochester NY    AWA             http://www.antiquewireless.org/

Rochester NY    RARA            http://www.rochesterham.org/hamfest.htm

Staten Island NY CPARA          http://www.wa2cp.org   +

Wallkill NY     OCARC           http://www.ocarc-ny.org/

Greenwich RI    Fidelity ARC    http://users.ids.net/~newsm/dates.html

Forestdale RI   RIFMRS          http://www.qsl.net/riafmrs/Auction.html

Woonsocket RI   BVARC           www.w1ddd.org

Colchester VT   HAM-CON VT Conv  http://www.ranv.org/hamcon.html
Moved to S Burlington

St. Albans VT   STARC           http://www.starc.org/

Springfield VT  CVFMA           http://www.cvfma.org/

Moncton NB      TCARC           http://www.ve9tca.org/

Quispamsis NB   LCARC           http://www.lcarc.ca/

Greenwood NS    GARC            http://www.greenwoodarc.org/

Drummondville PQ  leCRdeD       http://www.raqi.ca/ve2crd/hamfest/index.html

Greenwood PQ    GARC            www.greenwoodarc.org

Laval PQ        CRALL           http://www.ve2crl.qc.ca/

Montreal PQ     MARC            http://www.marc.qc.ca/fest/fest.html

Montreal PQ     WIARC           http://www.wiarc.ca/

Montreal PQ     MS-SARC         http://www.ve2clm.ca/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=120

Montreal PQ     UMS             http://www.ve2ums.ca/agenda/pub_2007_hamf.pdf

Sorel-Tracy PQ  CRAS-T          http://www.hamfest.qc.ca/

St Romuald PQ   ARESdQ          http://raqi.ca/ve2csq/

St Therese PQ   CRALL           http://www.ve2crl.qc.ca/hamfest2002.htm

Summerside PEI  SPARC      http://www.summersidearc.com/fleamarket2009.htm

Greenwood NS    GARC            http://www.greenwoodarc.org/

Halifax NS      HARC            http://www.halifax-arc.org/

Timonium MD     GBHC            http://www.gbhc.org/

Montreal Area   MARC List       http://www.marc.qc.ca/fest/festcal.html

Canada          RAC List        http://rac.eton.ca/events/upcoming.php

Phila. Area     VARA List       http://www.qsl.net/w2vtm/hamfest.html

USA             ARRL List       http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html

*******************************************************************************
P4 LAST UPDATE 7-7-17 de W1GSL                                          P 4
Additions/ Corrections via Internet  w1gsl@mit.edu
US Mail  W1GSL POB 397082 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139
(c)2017 W1GSL   http://www.swapfest.us        SASE for updated copy as issued.
unlimited reproduction permitted in entirety
*******************************************************************************

Emergency Communications

Reminder: Monthly EMA ARES Net 2/5 8:30pm

- by admin - Leave a Comment
Hello to all…
We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in February. The monthly ARES Net for February is Monday the 5th, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. This is after the MEMA Nets earlier in the evening. For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html


Make this first Monday of the month, “Emergency Communications Night” and check into your local RACES Net and then check into the ARES Net on the MMRA Repeater System. We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net.

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications

February 3, 2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net

- by admin - Leave a Comment

Good Evening Everyone,

Net Control for the February 3,2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club. The net will commence at the usual time of 10:AM using the following repeaters in the order listed.

 

1. Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0

2. Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5

3. Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9

Simplex 147.42

The Net will than return to the Bridgewater Repeater for final comments and Net closing.

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check in procedure which is:   Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facilities call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to the EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the NET.

Any hospital wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month.  More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

 

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2

Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0

Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9

Mansfield EMA  446.925 tone 100.0

Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0

Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)

W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Respectfully,
John O’
K1JRO

 

—

South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club – W1SSH
Emergency Communications

ARES Stand Down for Winter Storm/Blizzard

- by admin - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES IS STANDING DOWN ITS STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY ***

Eastern Massachusetts ARES is standing down from its standby status that began on January 4, 2018 at 06:00AM. A Major Winter Storm/Blizzard impacted the region Thursday 1/4/18 with one of the more significant coastal flood events in recent memory in East Coastal Massachusetts including Cape Cod and the Islands. Also there was significant snowfall away from Cape Cod and the Islands with whiteout and near blizzard conditions as well as pockets of tree and power line damage from damaging wind gusts and wet snow on trees and power lines. No requests for ARES support have been requested.

I would like to thank everyone who offered their time and gave their availability for deployment either locally or in an ARESMAT scenario. Even though no deployments were required I hope everyone took this opportunity to check their go-kits, check your supplies, and know that the call could come at anytime.

The NWS Taunton SKYWARN final summary can be seen at:

http://www.wx1box.org/node/4021

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications

ARES Stand-by Activation 0600 Thursday for Winter Storm/Blizzard

- by admin - Leave a Comment

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS EFFECTIVE 0600 THURSDAY, JANUARY 4TH UNTIL CANCELED DUE TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM FORECASTED WINTER STORM/BLIZZARD ***
*** BLIZZARD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EASTERN ESSEX, SUFFOLK, EASTERN NORFOLK, PLYMOUTH AND SOUTHERN BRISTOL COUNTIES OF MASSACHUSETTS FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM THURSDAY ***
*** WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM 10 AM THURSDAY TO 1 AM FRIDAY FOR CAPE COD AND MARTHAS VINEYARD ISLAND ***
*** HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM 7 AM THURSDAY TO 1 AM FRIDAY FOR CAPE COD AND ISLANDS FOR WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH WITH ISOLATED HIGHER WIND GUSTS ***
*** WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE REST OF THE SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND AREA EXCEPT FOR NANTUCKET ISLAND FROM 1 AM THURSDAY TO 1 AM FRIDAY ***
*** COASTAL FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EAST COASTAL MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING CAPE COD AND ISLANDS FROM 11 AM TO 4 PM THURSDAY FOR MODERATE TO ISOLATED POCKETS OF MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING ***
*** EXPECTED IMPACTS ARE HEAVY SNOW AND DAMGING WINDS AFFECTING TREES AND POWER LINES CAUSING INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES AS WELL AS POST-STORM COLD TEMPERATURES ***
*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-TAUNTON TO COMMENCE AROUND 0600 THURSDAY ***
*** MEMA STATE EOC MOVING TO LEVEL-2 PARTIAL ACTIVATION AT 0600 THURSDAY ***

A major storm will be impacting the region on Thursday. All amateurs are asked to prepare for blizzard conditions and to notify ARES leadership of their availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage, snow fall amounts, any updates or relays from ARES/SKYWARN leadership, and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation. Secure any loose objects that can blow around easily.

The list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/node/37

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm is at: http://wx1box.org/node/4020

…with the next update expected Thursday morning. For the latest SKYWARN bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/ For the latest ARES updates please visit http://ares.ema.arrl.org/

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime through the weekend. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to another part of the Eastern Massachusetts section as this will be a large area impact storm for this anticipated blizzard. We ask that as you contact your DEC/EC, please send a copy of the message to blizzard@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
ASEC – KD1CY – kd1cy@comcast.net

DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

Emergency Communications

Intro/Basic ARES Training Jan 20th 2018 in Walpole

- by admin - Leave a Comment
ARES Emergency Communications Workshop
An Emergency Communications Workshop will be held on Saturday, 20 January 2018 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Walpole Council on Aging at 135 School St., Walpole, MA.

This workshop is for active hams and is produced by the EMA ARES Section Staff.

This Emergency Communications Workshop will provide the background and information to support Amateur Radio operators when needed to respond to a communications emergency or when supplemental communications via Amateur Radio is required. It will feature an Introduction and Conclusion to Emergency Communications, and five one-hour training
sessions on topics including:

* Overview of Eastern Massachusetts ARES-RACES-SKYWARN Programs

* Net Operations

* NTS Traffic Message Handling

* Basic Overview of the Incident Command System (ICS)

* Go Kits

This Workshop will also provide a one-hour lunch at no coerced cost to any Amateur Radio operator who attends the session. The presentations will be given by hams well versed in the topics listed above. The training will be a worthwhile experience not just for emergency communicators but for any ham who wants to learn more about our service and hobby.

Even if you have taken the basic class in the past, it is good to take it again as a refresher and some items have been changed and revised.

Preregistration is requested, but is not required in case anyone decides to attend at the last minute. Please try to preregister by Monday, 15 January 2018 to assure the meeting location is set up properly and we have enough refreshments for breaks between lectures and for the lunch break. We will, however, accept any late registrations after that day or any walk-ins provided space permits.

Pre-registration, or if you have questions, can be done by emailing kb1ncg@arrl.net or at the EMA ARRL Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/334677393676467/.

-EMA ARES Staff
Emergency Communications

Eastern MA Hospital Net, December 2, 2017

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John O’Neill, K1JRO writes

Net Control for the December 2, 2017 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club. The net will commence at the usual time of 10:00 AM using the following repeaters in the order listed.

1.Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
2 Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
3.Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0

Simplex 147.42

The Net will than return to the Sharon Repeater for final comments and Net closing.

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check in procedure which is: Here is… un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facility’s call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to the EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the NET.

Any hospital wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air. We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month. More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Mansfield EMA 446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Emergency Communications

Reminder: Monthly EMA ARES Net 11/6 8:30pm

- by admin - Leave a Comment
Hello to all…
We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in November. The monthly ARES Net for November is Monday the 6th, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. This is after the MEMA Nets earlier in the evening. For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html


Make this first Monday of the month, “Emergency Communications Night” and check into your local RACES Net and then check into the ARES Net on the MMRA Repeater System. We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net.

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications

Amateur Radio – MARS interoperability exercise (November 4-6)

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Elements of the US Department of Defense (DOD) will conduct a “communications interoperability” training exercise November 4-6, once again simulating a “very bad day” scenario. Amateur Radio and MARS organizations will take part.

“This exercise will begin with a national massive coronal mass ejection event which will impact the national power grid as well as all forms of traditional communication, including landline telephone, cellphone, satellite, and Internet connectivity,” Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY, explained in an announcement.

During the exercise, a designated DOD Headquarters entity will request county-by-county status reports for the 3,143 US counties and county equivalents, to gain situational awareness and to determine the extent of impact of the scenario. Army and Air Force MARS organizations will work in conjunction with the Amateur Radio community, primarily on the 60-meter interoperability channels as well as on HF NVIS frequencies and local VHF and UHF, non-Internet linked Amateur Radio repeaters.

Again, this year, a military station on the east coast and the Fort Huachuca, Arizona, HF station will conduct a high-power broadcast on 60-meter channel 1 (5330.5 kHz) on Saturday from 0300 to 0315 UTC. New this year will be an informational broadcast on Sunday, on 13,483.5 kHz USB from 1600 to 1615 UTC. Amateur Radio operators should monitor these broadcasts for more information about the exercise and how they can participate in this communications exercise, English said.

“We want to continue building on the outstanding cooperative working relationship with the ARRL and the Amateur Radio community,” English said. “We want to expand the use of the 60-meter interop channels between the military and amateur community for emergency communications, and we hope the Amateur Radio community will give us some good feedback on the use of both the 5-MHz interop and the new 13-MHz broadcast channels as a means of information dissemination during a very bad day scenario. (Thanks Tom, N1CPE)

Emergency Communications

October 7th,2017 Eastern MA Hospital Net

- by admin - Leave a Comment

Good Evening,

Net Control for the October 7th,2017 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club. The net will commence at the usual time of 10:AM using the following repeaters in the order listed. 

1.Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5

2 Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0

3.Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5

 

Simplex 147.42

 

The Net will than return to the Plymouth Repeater for final comments and Net closing.

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check in procedure which is:   Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facilities call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to the EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the NET.

Any hospital wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month.  More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

REMINDER: The BARC Repeater is now using split tone. Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0


Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2

Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0

Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0  
Fairhaven 145.490 tone 67.0    
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9  

Mansfield EMA  446.925 tone 100.0

Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0

Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0      
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8        
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5    
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)

W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244 
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Respectfully,

John O’Neill
K1JRO

— 

South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club – W1SSH
c/o Volunteer Services