Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net (EMHN) – Saturday 6/3/23 – 1000 AM EDT

Good evening,

On Saturday June 3, 2023, the South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10:00AM. We realize that the usual locations for some individuals and groups are still unavailable due to ongoing COVID restrictions. We encourage everyone who is affected by these restrictions to utilize their home or mobile stations to check into the net.

We will use the following repeaters and NEDECN DMR system in the order listed.

1. Sharon Repeater 146.865 tone 103.5
2. Attleboro Repeater 147.195 tone 127.3​
3. DMR -Talkgroup 8851 Time Slot :1 on the following NEDECN repeaters: Boston 449.175 -5.M CC:1, Hingham 146.430 -1.5M CC:1, Bourne 145.200 –0.6M CC:10, Dennis 146.470 -1.5M CC:11, East. Falmouth 145.210 -0.600 CC:9, Martha’s Vineyard145.180 -0.600 CC:10, and Walpole 145.380 -0.600 CC:12.
4. Simplex 147.420
5. Sharon Repeater for 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 any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET. We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible. We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

Jeff N1SOM, Secretary, and the SSH group
N1SOM – W1SSH

South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group
55 Fogg Rd. Mail-Stop 42
South Weymouth, MA 02190

ETO WinLink Exercise – Friday Evening 5/12/23-Early Monday Morning 5/15/23 & Cape Cod ARES District Test Exercise – “Spring Comm” – Saturday 5/13/23 1000 AM-1200 PM EDT

Hello to all…
 
The Emergency Training Organization (ETO) WinLink Exercise begins this Friday Evening 5/12/23 through early Monday Morning 5/15/23 where participants have a wide range of time to send a Winlink message via ETO instructions from 800 PM EDT – Friday Evening 5/12/23 through 259 AM EDT Monday Morning 5/15/23. We encourage all Amateurs in the Eastern Massachusetts and surrounding sections who have Winlink capability to participate in this exercise. Details are available at the following link: https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Semi-Annual-Drill-05-13-2023-ICS-213-v1_6.pdf
 
Coincident to the WinLink Exercise, Cape Cod and Islands ARES will hold its Cape Cod ARES District Test Exercise – “Spring Comm” Saturday 5/13/23 1000 AM-1200 PM EDT. Amateur Operators outside of the Cape Cod ARES district are welcome to participate. The Cape Cod ARES Exercise plan and supporting documents can be seen at the following links:
 
Cape Cod ARES Test Exercise – “Spring Comm” Plan:
 
We hope folks who are available can participate in the ETO Winlink Exercise and Cape Cod ARES District Test Exercise “Spring Comm”. Thanks to all for their support!
 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
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Joint, Marlborough – Stow Mass Local ARES Drill & WinLink Training – 06 May 2023

Marlborough Emergency Management – Amateur Call N1EM
Report of Communications Drill – 06 May 2023
Location – EOC – Central Fire Station – Maple St, Marlborough

This was a drill to activate the EOC, test radio communication setup, train new operators and partner with the Stow/ West Middlesex team. The Stow net information will be in the Stow report.

Setup – 9:30 AM to 10 AM
Drill – 10 AM to 12 Noon

Participants at the EOC:
Geroge Conrad N1ABC
Glenn Ghidaleson WA2KRS
Susan Benua WB2OSY
Frank McInnis K1IX
Eric Williams KV1J
EMA Director Fred Flynn
Participants at the Crow Island auxiliary location:
Ron Lahti N1CNG
Steve Babbitt KC1LPZ
Howard Shpegel AC1MN

VHF – 147.435 MHz (W. Middlesex Net) – 1000 -1030 hrs:
Checked into the net using the W1STO remote base. Jeremy, W1NJD, was the net control from the Stow Fire Station.

UHF – 446.675 MHz (N1EM/R Marlborough) – 1030 – 1045 hrs:
George N1ABC ran the net for area check-ins.
There were a total of 13 check-ins.

VHF – 147.240 MHz (KV1J/R Marlborough) – 1045 – 1100 hrs:
Glen WA2KRS ran the net for area check-ins.
There were a total of 12 check-ins.

HF Radio – 75 Meters – 3930 KHz:
Radio – IC-7300 into the Off-Centered Dipole.
Frank K1IX called for stations. Contacted WG1V, KC1RP and W1STO, all in Stow MA

HF Radio – 60 Meters – 5330.5 KHz:
Radio – IC-7300 into the Off-Centered Dipole.
George N1ABC called for stations. Contacted K1QAR in Fairhaven MA and K1OF in Westport CT.

HF Radio – 6 Meters – 53.310 MHz Mt Wachusett Repeater
Radio – IC-7300 and IC-706 into the Off-Centered Dipole.
Heard W1IS, WG1V and N1WSD. Had problems with the memory setting on the PL tone on the IC-7300 and by the time we had it switched to the IC-706 the stations were gone. The action is that we need to get the memory channels for 75, 60 and 6M programmed in the new IC-7300.

Radios – Non-Amateur:
MEMA State Control was contacted on the State/MEMA 800 MHz frequency for a radio test.

EOC Computer Capability:
We logged into the MEMA WebEOC system. Information was projected on the EOC large display.

We met all our objectives of activating, testing the different communications systems at the Marlborough EOC and collaborating with the Stow ARES team. For our operators running the two nets on UHF and VHF it was a first time for them operating at the EOC. They were given an assignment with no prewarning or preparation and needed to figure out how to make it happen with a minimal instruction. This simulates the reality that we will face when we get called in to assist with communications during an incident especially in an environment that we are not familiar with. Thank you George and Glenn!

After lunch, Carl, WG1V, gave an excellent presentation on Winlink Basics. There were 15 attendees. His slides and more information are on the web at – www.wg1v.org

Submitted by – Eric Williams KV1J
Communication Officer – Marlborough EMA

From Jeremy, W1NJD, with a few comment by Bob, W1IS

The West Middlesex ARES Net was opened at 1000 hours (All times reported as local time) on May 6, 2023. 
Net Control was Jeremy (W1NJD) with Bob (W1IS) assisting, operating from the Stow Fire Station through the remote base, W1STO. 

The following stations checked in:
(1) Stations with Emergency or Priority Traffic:  None
(2) Senior Neighborhoods:  None
(3) New Hams / Newcomers:  None

(4) Portable / Mobile:
W1DJR, Colin, Portable, Crescent St., Stow, All Is Well
W1IS, Bob, Mobile, Parking lot of Stow Fire Station, Stow, No Traffic
KC1LPZ, Steve, Mobile, Stow Cafe, Stow
KC1RP, Mike, Packard Rd, Stow, All is well
KA1GFN, Ken, Mobile, Bolton
N1CNG, Ron, Crow Island, Stow, Erected station for today’s exercises
WB2OSY, Sue, Mobile, Hudson

(5) Others:
WG1V, Carl, Birch Hill, Stow
KB1HKN, Dirk, Lake Boon, Stow, Battery Power
N1EM, Marlborough Emergency Management, Marlborough Fire Station
W1RBO, Glenn, Gleasondale, Stow

Announcements:
[W1STO] – Today’s drill will continue with Marlborough EMA nets at 1030-1045 hrs on N1EM repeater (446.675 MHz, PL 88.5 Hz), 1045-1100 hrs on KV1J repeater (147.240 MHz, PL 71.9 Hz). Followed by HF tests at 1100-1200 hrs on 75 meters (3930 or 3940 Khz+-), 60 meters (5330.5 KHz), and 6 meters through the Mt Wachusett MEMA repeater WC1MA (53.310 MHz, PL 71.9 Hz). At 1200 hrs. We welcome people to travel to Marlborough Fire Station for a 1 – 2 pm presentation about Winlink presented by Carl, WG1V.

The West Middlesex ARES closed the net at 1015 hrs

After the net, W1STO continued operations in the drill with checkins on nets hosted by Marlborough Emergency Management (N1EM) from the following repeaters:
Checked into N1EM repeater (UHF: 446.675 MHz) 1030-1045 hrs.
Checked into KV1J repeater (VHF: 147.240 MHz) 1045-1100 hrs.

75 meter, 60 meter and 6m operations and tests 1100-1200:
Since we’ve had problems interfering with the PA and alert system in the Stow Fire Station we ran only 30 watts on HF.
The noise level from equipment in the building was S-9 making it nearly impossible to hear most stations including N1EM.
Check in was only possible with a relay through WG1V..  The hunt for the noise source will continue.

75 meters (3930 KHz)
60 meters (5330.5 KHz)
6 meters Mt Wachusett Repeater (HF:53.310 MHz) – Checked into N1EM, We ran a 5 watt HT into a tri-band vertical at 25 ft.  Signals were dead full quieting, very much different from HF!

Several of us then traveled to the Marlboro EOC for lunch and an excellent presentation by Carl, WG1V, on WinLink.

73, Jeremy (W1NJD), Bob (W1IS)

MS Ride the Rhode 2023: June 10/11: request for volunteers

AB1PH-Don Rolph writes:
 
MS Ride the Rhode will be happening again this year on: Sat/Sun Jun 10/11.
 
We again hope you will volunteer to participate either as:
– amateur operators in SAG wagons
– operators at Rest Stops
– net control
 
If you would like to sign up go to:
 
and select: – amateur radio operator for Sat/Sun or both
 
 
This year tMS society is providing trackers, so the amateur equipment is simplified.  We anticipate you will bring your own equipment.
 
If you need us to provide amateur radio equipment let us know.
 
Please email me if you sign up as an amateur radio volunteer so I can create the communications plan.
 
Thanks for your assistance in the past and we look forward to your assistance this year!
 


 

73,

AB1PH
Don Rolph

Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net (EMHN) – Saturday 5/6/23 at 1000 AM

John O’Neill-K1JRO, Eastern Mass ARES District Emergency Coordinator – Hospital Liaison writes:

Good evening,

On Saturday May 6, 2023, the South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10:00AM. We realize that the usual locations for some individuals and groups are still unavailable due to ongoing COVID restrictions. We encourage everyone who is affected by these restrictions to utilize their home or mobile stations to check into the net.

We will use the following repeaters and NEDECN DMR system in the order listed.
1. Bridgewater Repeater 147.180 tone 67.0
2. Boston Repeater tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0​
3. DMR -Talkgroup 8851 Time Slot :1 on the following NEDECN repeaters: Boston 449.175 -5.M CC:1, Hingham 146.430 -1.5M CC:1, Dennis 146.470 -1.5M CC:11, East. Falmouth 145.210 -0.600 CC:9, Martha’s Vineyard145.180 -0.600 CC:10, and Walpole 145.380 -0.600 CC:12.
4. Plymouth Repeater 146.685 tone 131.8
5 Bridgewater Repeater for 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 any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET. We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible. We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

Jeff N1SOM, Secretary, and the SSH group
N1SOM – W1SSH

South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group
55 Fogg Rd. Mail-Stop 42
South Weymouth, MA 02190

Reminder: Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday May 1st, 2023 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

Hello to all…

The May Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday May 1st, 2023 at 830 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:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We would also like to encourage any ARES members who have Winlink capability to participate and send a message to WX1BOX@winlink.org and AB1PH@winlink.org as a prep for the National Winlink ETO Exercise scheduled for Saturday 5/13/23. The details can be seen in this document:
https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/EasternMA-ARES-Pre-exercise-0501-V1.7.pdf

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have several announcements for the net Monday evening.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
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Reminder: May 1st, 2023 MEMA RACES/ACS Communications Test Net

Hello to all,

      This email is a reminder that this evening, May 1st, 2023 is the first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, is our RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night. We will be holding our sector nets on the normally assigned frequencies. I have attached the information regarding the upcoming ARES exercise and I would like to encourage all RACES operators to participate if possible. I will be sending out an updated exercise document from Frank, WQ1O soon. Frank is well known for his exercises as they are interesting, challenging and thorough.  

      As always, I am looking for Net Control stations to staff our sector nets for the evening. This month I will not be able to run the Sector 2A net and will be looking for someone to run this net in my absence. I am also looking for NCS operators to lead the Sector 2B (Plymouth County) net. Sector 2D has already arranged for an NCS operator for this month’s net and Sector 2C is a Winlink only net on a monthly basis.

           The 6-meter net has generally been a very informal net. We have received an update that repairs have been implemented on the repeater. Please report any comms testing on the repeater so that those repairs can be verified.

              For any operators interested in performing the duties of Net Control Station (NCS), there are materials available to make the task fairly simple and straight forward. The net pre-amble and role call lists are available at http://wc1mab.org/RACES_R2_Interim_Preamble.pdf and http://wc1mab.org/Month.php with the role call lists on the left column near the bottom. If anyone is worried that they mess up running a net, please remember that, in many cases, a less than perfect net is WAY better than no net at all! At the conclusion of any net, any operator that acted as Net Control Operator should send a note to WC1MAB@gmail.com letting me know who ran the net and who checked in so that the proper numbers can be reported to our served agencies. We can not always count on our normal net control operators to be available in the event of a large scale emergency, so every RACES operator should be prepared to act as NCO if needed when disaster and emergency strikes!  

Winlink Net Instructions From Don Rolph: 

EasternMA ARES Pre-exercise 0501 V1.7

   I continue to ask that any operators who have the time, please try to check into sector nets from near-by sections. This will allow our Net Control Operators to practice fielding nets with a strong check-in count and will also serve to help practice with relays or modified sector assignments in the event that a single repeater is out of service. 

   For those operators who serve as Net Control Operators, please try to remember to send me a list of the stations and communities that check into your nets. The numbers are reported to MEMA to show them our level of participation. I am continuing to work on a graphical map based report to show which parts of our section have strong coverage and which areas may need a more targeted recruitment campaign to improve our ability to provide back-up communications in an emergency.

The Region #2 and State Net Schedule for this evening is as follows:

Net Frequency/Offset Time
Sector 2A 147.00 /+0.60  PL 19:30 Local
Sector 2B 145.39/-0.60  PL 67.0 20:00 Local
Sector 2C Winlink Net Check-In 6AM-Midnight Local Time
Sector 2D 146.865/-0.60  PL 103.5 19:30 Local
6-Meter State Net 53.31 / -1.0  PL 71.9  

 

Note: 53.31 has been reported as being repaired and back online. Please report tests on this repeater so that we can verify the repairs/improvements made to the repeater.

19:00 Local
MA RACES HF Net 3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency 18:45 Local
MA MEMA NBEMS Net Frequency:  3584.5 MHx, Center Frequency: 1500 Hz, Initial mode: THOR22 19:00 Local

    I appreciate you all answering the call to help our communities remain prepared. Thank you all for helping us keep things on track and prove that we remain a consistent source of communication capability to the Commonwealth. This net provides a monthly reminder to our communities and served agencies that we stand ready with a quiet professionalism prepared to serve as a voice to whomever needs one to get help and resources to where they need to be.

 If you know someone who would benefit from being on this list, please have them contact me at   WC1MAB@gmail.com and I will add them to this distribution. Thank you all!

      If anyone has any questions or comments I can be reached by e-mail or cell phone. Thanks for being a part of our team and I look forward to hearing back on who can participate this month.

Sincerely,

Michael Leger (N1YLQ)

MEMA Region #2 RACES Officer

C: 386-566-7666

Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 5/1/23 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

Don Rolph-AB1PH-Norfolk County ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week. For May 2023, the RACES nets will be held on Mon May 1.

The RACES nets will be held on Mon May 1 at:

********************************************************************************
The HF net will start at 6:45 PM ET: using the following frequency plan:
We will start at 3930 KHz moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency,
Marc Stern WA1R will be net control.
*********************************************************************************
Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)

We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.

Don Rolph using WA1PLE will be net control.
********************************************************************************
HF NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22

We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.
Alan Richard WA1AR will be net control.
*********************************************************************************
Winlink Net:

The full instructions for this month’s Winlink Net are available at the following link:
https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/EasternMA-ARES-Pre-exercise-0501-V1.7.pdf

We look forward to you checking in!

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph

Joint Stow-Marlborough ARES Radio Drill and WinLink Training – Saturday 5/6/23 1000 AM-200 PM

To: Stow area ARES and Marlborough ARES Teams
From: Eric Williams, KV1J, Marlborough EMA and Bob Glorioso, W1IS, Stow ARES

We are planning a joint Stow-Marlborough radio exercise the morning of Saturday, May 6, 2023. After lunch, we are planning to hold a training session on the WinLink radio messaging tool at the Marlborough Fire Station Emergency Operations Center. Similar to previous drills, our purpose is test and practice communications capabilities within our region using multiple frequency bands and methods. We will also have a remote station setup at the Crow Island air strip.

One of the areas we want to improve our skills is the ability to communicate text style messages without the dependency of the internet or cellular systems. Over the past couple decades, the WinLink system has been an effective tool for digital message transmission. In the past Marlborough EMA has been using WinLink but the equipment at our EOC used older hardware. We have recently upgraded our equipment as have the Stow ARES group. In the afternoon, Carl Howe, WG1V, will give a presentation to the Stow and Marlborough ARES teams on the use of WinLink.

Schedule for Saturday May 6
1000 – 1030 hrs – Western Middlesex area ARES net on the W1STO Stow Remote Base frequency – 147.435 MHz PL 110.9 Hz
1030 – 1045 hrs – Marlborough EMA net with Stow check-ins – N1EM repeater – 446.675 MHz PL 88.5 Hz
1045 – 1100 hrs – Marlborough EMA secondary freq net – KV1J repeater – 147.240 MHz PL 71.9 Hz
1100 – 1200 hrs – HF tests – 75 meters 3930 or 3940 KHz+- , 60 meters 5330.5 KHz, 6 meters WC1MA MEMA repeater 53.310 MHz pl 71.9 hz
also other bands with Crow Is and also WinLink tests
1200 noon – start to congregate at the Marlborough Fire Station EOC (215 Maple St, Marlborough). Get take-out lunch from Kennedy’s Deli or McDonalds. Both only 400 ft from the station. Eat lunch at the Fire Station.
1300 – 1400 hrs – WinLink presentation by Carl, WG1V, at the Fire Station.

For the Marlborough Team, please let me know if you want to be at the EOC for the morning to operate the radios. Bob will coordinate the Stow operations.

Hope to see you, or at least hear you on the air, on Saturday May 6th. Thank you for your support of our regional emergency radio communications capabilities.

Regards,

Eric Williams, Marlborough Emergency Management, Bob Glorioso, Stow ARES

Massachusetts STM Report for February 2023

A belated report for February 2023 has been posted at https://ema.arrl.org/massachusetts-stm-report-for-february-2023/.

Please note new appointment of Peter Doherty, KC1HHO, as Assistant Section Traffic Manager (ASTM) for Training. Peter has created a training program in message handling and I believe will be a great asset for the section. 

Also note training is beginning in handling of the ICS 213 form as adapted for transport via the National Traffic System. A special session will be conducted Tuesday, April 4 at 7:00 PM on the Boston 145.23 repeater. Note that this format has been in a testing phase before formal documentation is adopted. Traffic nets will be seeing more of this type of messaging in the weeks and months to follow. Come learn what it’s all about.

Reminder: Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday April 3rd 2023 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

Hello to all…

The April Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday April 3rd, 2023 at 830 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:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have several announcements for the net Monday evening.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
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Reminder: April 3rd, 2023 MEMA RACES/ACS Communications Test Net

Hello to all,

      This email is a reminder that tomorrow evening, April 3rd, 2023 is the first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, is our RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night. We will be holding our sector nets on the normally assigned frequencies.

      As always, I am looking for Net Control stations to staff our sector nets for the evening. I will be able to provide net control operations for the Sector 2A net. I am looking for NCS operators to lead the Sector 2B (Plymouth County) net. Sector 2D has already arranged for an NCS operator for this month’s net and Sector 2C is a Winlink only net on a monthly basis.

          The 6-meter net has generally been a very informal net. We have received an update that repairs have been implemented on the repeater. Please report any comms testing on the repeater so that those repairs can be verified.

              For any operators interested in performing the duties of Net Control Station (NCS), there are materials available to make the task fairly simple and straight forward. The net pre-amble and role call lists are available at http://wc1mab.org/RACES_R2_Interim_Preamble.pdf and http://wc1mab.org/Month.php with the role call lists on the left column near the bottom. If anyone is worried that they mess up running a net, please remember that, in many cases, a less than perfect net is WAY better than no net at all! At the conclusion of any net, any operator that acted as Net Control Operator should send a note to WC1MAB@gmail.com letting me know who ran the net and who checked in so that the proper numbers can be reported to our served agencies. We can not always count on our normal net control operators to be available in the event of a large scale emergency, so every RACES operator should be prepared to act as NCO if needed when disaster and emergency strikes!

Winlink Net Instructions From Don Rolph: 

*Winlink Net*

To participate:

– create a check-in form using the Winlink standard checkin form

– send via Winlink after 6 AM EST Mon. Apr 3rd  and before midnight EST April 4th (any mode, but include mode in check-in form) to KF1D

   I continue to ask that any operators who have the time, please try to check into sector nets from near-by sections. This will allow our Net Control Operators to practice fielding nets with a strong check-in count and will also serve to help practice with relays or modified sector assignments in the event that a single repeater is out of service. 

   For those operators who serve as Net Control Operators, please try to remember to send me a list of the stations and communities that check into your nets. The numbers are reported to MEMA to show them our level of participation. I am continuing to work on a graphical map based report to show which parts of our section have strong coverage and which areas may need a more targeted recruitment campaign to improve our ability to provide back-up communications in an emergency.

The Region #2 and State Net Schedule for this evening is as follows:

Net Frequency/Offset Time
Sector 2A 147.00 /+0.60  PL 19:30 Local
Sector 2B 145.39/-0.60  PL 67.0 20:00 Local
Sector 2C Winlink Net Check-In 6AM-Midnight Local Time
Sector 2D 146.865/-0.60  PL 103.5 19:30 Local
6-Meter State Net 53.31 / -1.0  PL 71.9  

 

Note: 53.31 has been reported as being repaired and back online. Please report tests on this repeater so that we can verify the repairs/improvements made to the repeater.

19:00 Local
MA RACES HF Net 3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency 18:45 Local
MA MEMA NBEMS Net Frequency:  3584.5 MHx, Center Frequency: 1500 Hz, Initial mode: THOR22 19:00 Local

    I appreciate you all answering the call to help our communities remain prepared. Thank you all for helping us keep things on track and prove that we remain a consistent source of communication capability to the Commonwealth. This net provides a monthly reminder to our communities and served agencies that we stand ready with a quiet professionalism prepared to serve as a voice to whomever needs one to get help and resources to where they need to be.

 If you know someone who would benefit from being on this list, please have them contact me at   WC1MAB@gmail.com and I will add them to this distribution. Thank you all!

      If anyone has any questions or comments I can be reached by e-mail or cell phone. Thanks for being a part of our team and I look forward to hearing back on who can participate this month.

Sincerely,

Michael Leger (N1YLQ)

MEMA Region #2 RACES Officer

C: 386-566-7666

Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 4/3/23 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

Don Rolph-AB1PH, Walpole area ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week,
For April 2023, the RACES nets will be held on Mon April 3.
The RACES nets will be held on Mon April 3 at:

********************************************************************************

The HF net will start at 6:45 PM ET: using the following frequency plan:
We will start at 3930 KHz moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency,
Marc Stern WA1R will be net control.

*********************************************************************************

Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)
We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.
Jim Repetti WJ1R will be net control.

********************************************************************************

HF NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22
We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.
Don Rolph AB1PH will be net control.

*********************************************************************************

Winlink Net:
Between 0600 ET on Mon April 3 and 2400 ET on April 3, please send a Winlink checkin form to Bryan Marcotte KF1D

We look forward to you checking in!

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph
_._,_._,_

Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net – Saturday April 1st 2023 at 1000 AM ET

Jeff-N1SOM-Secretary of the South Shore Hospital (SSH) group writes:

Good evening,

On Saturday April 1, 2023, the South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10:00AM. We realize that the usual locations for some individuals and groups are still unavailable due to ongoing COVID restrictions. We encourage everyone who is affected by these restrictions to utilize their home or mobile stations to check into the net.

We will use the following repeaters and NEDECN DMR system in the order listed.

1. Attleboro Repeater 147.195 tone 127.3
2. Plymouth Repeater 146.685 tone 131.8​
3. DMR -Talkgroup 8851 Time Slot :1 on the following NEDECN repeaters: Boston 449.175 -5.M CC:1, Hingham 146.430 -1.5M CC:1, Bourne 145.200 –0.6M CC:10, Dennis 146.470 -1.5M CC:11, East. Falmouth 145.210 -0.600 CC:9, Martha’s Vineyard145.180 -0.600 CC:10, and Walpole 145.380 -0.600 CC:12.
4. Sharon Repeater 146.865 tone 103.5
5. Attleboro Repeater for 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 any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

Jeff N1SOM, Secretary, and the SSH group
N1SOM – W1SSH

South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group
55 Fogg Rd. Mail-Stop 42
South Weymouth, MA 02190
_._,_._,_

First Region Net time change to 2:45 and 4:30 EDT

The First Region Net (FRN) Cycle 2 which meets on 3950 Khz daily has changed net times to accommodate the change in local time for Eastern Area Net. EAN meets daily at 1930 UTC throughout the year. However with the change to Daylight Savings Time this net meets at 3:30 EDT (with the exception of Monday, Wednesday and Friday when it meets at 3:15 EDT).   Therefore FRN will now meet at 2:45 and 4:30 EDT daily per K1EIC, net manager. 

Reminder: March 6th, 2023 MEMA RACES/ACS Communications Test Net

Mike Leger-N1YLQ-Region 2 RACES Radio Officer writes:

Hello to all,

      This email is a reminder that tomorrow evening, March 6th, 2023 is the first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, is our RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night. We will be holding our sector nets on the normally assigned frequencies.

      As always, I am looking for Net Control stations to staff our sector nets for the evening. This month I will be on my assigned shift for Acushnet EMS and will be unable to run the Sector 2A net reliably. If anyone is available and interested in covering the net, please let me know.  I am looking for NCS operators to lead the Sector 2B (Plymouth County) net. Sector 2D has already arranged for an NCS operator for this month’s net and Sector 2C is a Winlink only net on a monthly basis.

           The 6-meter net has generally been a very informal net. We have received an update that repairs have been implemented on the repeater. Please report any comms testing on the repeater so that those repairs can be verified.

              For any operators interested in performing the duties of Net Control Station (NCS), there are materials available to make the task fairly simple and straight forward. The net pre-amble and role call lists are available at http://wc1mab.org/RACES_R2_Interim_Preamble.pdf and http://wc1mab.org/Month.php with the role call lists on the left column near the bottom. If anyone is worried that they mess up running a net, please remember that, in many cases, a less than perfect net is WAY better than no net at all! At the conclusion of any net, any operator that acted as Net Control Operator should send a note to WC1MAB@gmail.com letting me know who ran the net and who checked in so that the proper numbers can be reported to our served agencies. We can not always count on our normal net control operators to be available in the event of a large scale emergency, so every RACES operator should be prepared to act as NCO if needed when disaster and emergency strikes!

Winlink Net Instructions From Don Rolph: 

*Winlink Net*

To participate:

– create a check-in form using the Winlink standard checkin form

– send via Winlink after 6 AM EST Mon. Mar 6th  and before midnight EST Mar 7th (any mode, but include mode in check-in form) to KF1D

   I continue to ask that any operators who have the time, please try to check into sector nets from near-by sections. This will allow our Net Control Operators to practice fielding nets with a strong check-in count and will also serve to help practice with relays or modified sector assignments in the event that a single repeater is out of service. 

   For those operators who serve as Net Control Operators, please try to remember to send me a list of the stations and communities that check into your nets. The numbers are reported to MEMA to show them our level of participation. I am continuing to work on a graphical map based report to show which parts of our section have strong coverage and which areas may need a more targeted recruitment campaign to improve our ability to provide back-up communications in an emergency.

The Region #2 and State Net Schedule for this evening is as follows:

Net Frequency/Offset Time
Sector 2A 147.00 /+0.60  PL 19:30 Local
Sector 2B 145.39/-0.60  PL 67.0 20:00 Local
Sector 2C Winlink Net Check-In 6AM-Midnight Local Time
Sector 2D 146.865/-0.60  PL 103.5 19:30 Local
6-Meter State Net 53.31 / -1.0  PL 71.9  

 

Note: 53.31 has been reported as being repaired and back online. Please report tests on this repeater so that we can verify the repairs/improvements made to the repeater.

19:00 Local
MA RACES HF Net 3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency 18:45 Local
MA MEMA NBEMS Net Frequency:  3584.5 MHx, Center Frequency: 1500 Hz, Initial mode: THOR22 19:00 Local

    I appreciate you all answering the call to help our communities remain prepared. Thank you all for helping us keep things on track and prove that we remain a consistent source of communication capability to the Commonwealth. This net provides a monthly reminder to our communities and served agencies that we stand ready with a quiet professionalism prepared to serve as a voice to whomever needs one to get help and resources to where they need to be.

 If you know someone who would benefit from being on this list, please have them contact me at   WC1MAB@gmail.com and I will add them to this distribution. Thank you all!

      If anyone has any questions or comments I can be reached by e-mail or cell phone. Thanks for being a part of our team and I look forward to hearing back on who can participate this month.

Sincerely,

Michael Leger (N1YLQ)

MEMA Region #2 RACES Officer

C: 386-566-7666

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday March 6th 2023 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

Hello to all…

The March Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday March 6th, 2023 at 830 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:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have several announcements for the net Monday evening.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
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Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 3/6/23 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

Don Rolph-AB1PH-Norfolk County ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week, For Mar. 2023, the RACES nets will be held on Mon Mar. 6. The RACES nets will be held on Mon Mar. 6 at:

********************************************************************************
The HF net will start at 6:45 PM ET: using the following frequency plan:
We will start at 3930 KHz moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency,

Marc Stern WA1R will be net control.
*********************************************************************************
Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)
We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.

Jeff Marden N1JCM will be net control.
********************************************************************************
HF NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22
We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.

Bryan Marcotte KF1D will be net control.
*********************************************************************************
Winlink Net:
Between 0600 ET on Mon Mar. 6 and 2400 ET on Mar. 6, please send a Winlink checkin form to Bryan Marcotte KF1D

We look forward to you checking in!

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph
_._,_._,_

Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net (EMHN) – Saturday 3/4/23 at 1000 AM ET

Jeff-N1SOM-Secretary of South Shore Hospital Group:

Good evening,

On Saturday March 4, 2023, the South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10AM. We realize that the usual locations for some individuals and groups are still unavailable due to ongoing COVID restrictions. We encourage everyone who is affected by these restrictions to utilize their home or mobile stations to check into the net.

We will use the following repeaters and NEDECN DMR system in the order listed.

1. W. Bridgewater Repeater 146.775 dcs 244
2. Bridgewater Repeater 147.180 tone 67.0
3. Boston Repeater 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
4. DMR – EMHN Talkgroup 8851 Time Slot 1 on select NEDECN repeaters:
Boston 449.175 CC1, Hingham 146.430 -1.5M CC1, Bourne 145.200 CC10, Dennis 146.470 -1.5M CC11, and Martha’s Vineyard145.180 CC10, Walpole 145.380 -0.600 CC12 repeaters
5. Return to the W. Bridgewater Repeater for 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 any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

Jeff N1SOM, Secretary, and the SSH group
N1SOM – W1SSH

South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group
55 Fogg Rd. Mail-Stop 42
South Weymouth, MA 02190