Operating

Adams National Park K-0725, Quincy, Activated for POTA

October 17, 2021October 18, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Rusty Moore, K1FVK, writes:

Lorena and I set up [on October 16, 2021] at Adams National Historical Park [in Quincy, MA] and activated K-0725, with contacts in TN, GA, MS, SC, WI, MN, AR, IL, FL, and Spain. Twenty meters was standing room only and at times I heard three or more QSOs taking place on the same frequency at the same time—mostly JOTA stations. […]

JOTA Operations on 145.39 Marshfield Repeater, October 17, 2021

October 16, 2021October 16, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Stephen Johnson, KC1HO, writes on the W1ATD Marshfield Facebook page:

Reminder: The 145.390 Marshfield repeater will be used by W1BSA for JOTA (Jamboree On The Air) on Sunday, October 17 from 12:30-2:30 EDT. Please refrain from using the repeater for chit-chat during this time.

Bristol County RA Fox Hunt (Two Foxes), Vicinity of Fall River, MA, October 23, 2021

October 14, 2021March 17, 2023 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Fox Hunt #3 of 2021 This hunt will include 2 Foxes. The first Fox will activate at 10:00 am on 146.565 MHz FM and the second at 10:02:30 on 146.430 MHz FM

When:
Saturday, October 23, 2021
10:00am to 3:00pm
(UTC-04:00) America/New York

Where:
The Foxes will be located within a 10-mile radius of the center of the Veteran’s Memorial bridge connecting Fall River and Somerset on US Route 6 (41.7266508, -71.1516237).

Organizer: Skip Denault and Jay Hodkinson Skip – kb1cnb@bcra.club and Jay – kb1nyt@bcra.club. Check-ins will begin at 9:45 am on the BCRA repeater, 145.150 MHz PL 123. Chat and help on the repeater also.

View Event

Description:

NOTICE NEW DETAILS BELOW WITH A NEW CHALLENGE!

Communications with “Fox Control” can all be done over the BCRA repeater, including checking in when you have found the fox. You may also speak with us in the control vehicle using physical distancing if you wish.

The here will be TWO foxes – one manned by KB1CNB, Skip, and one by KB1NYT, Jay. When you find one of the foxes, you will get a hint to help you find the second (if you want!).

Check-ins will begin at 9:45 am on the BCRA repeater, 145.150 MHz PL 123. Chat and help on the repeater also.

The first Fox will activate at 10:00 am on 146.565 MHz FM and the second at 10:02:30 on 146.430 MHz FM with a 5-watt signal and both will transmit 1 minute of tone followed by Morse Code ID and 4 minutes of silence. As the hunt progresses we may increase the transmission times – that will be announced on the BCRA repeater. The hunt will last until 3:00 pm or until all checked-in participants have found the transmitters, whichever comes first.

The Foxes will be located within a 10-mile radius of the center of the Veteran’s Memorial bridge connecting Fall River and Somerset on US Route 6 (41.7266508, -71.1516237).

The first Fox (in my vehicle, a blue/grey Jeep Commander marked BCRA) will be in a public place and will be manned at all times. When you have found the fox your time and order of arrival will be recorded and a personalized certificate will be emailed to each participant.

Participants are encouraged to work in teams and are asked to drive carefully and observe all applicable guidelines, both from the FCC and the state & local governments. Since participants are receiving only (except for radio check-ins) an amateur radio license is not required.

Email questions to Skip at kb1cnb@bcra.club or text to 774-644-3469. After the hunt, your comments, impressions, and suggestions will be welcome!

Join us and have some good amateur radio fun!

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Public Service Event: Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) 2021 Call for Volunteers – Friday 10/22/21-Sunday 10/24/21

October 13, 2021 - by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

KC1AEI-Matt Knowles writes:

Hi all!

I’m passing along this message in hopes that there are some more amateur
radio operators interested in volunteering at the 2021 Head of the
Charles with special attention for those willing to work on safety
launch boats.

In keeping with the theme of creating a safe environment to hold W1R,
the World’s #1 Regatta, and after consulting with a team of experts from
Massachusetts General Hospital, we’ve updated our COVID-19 guidelines.
Only individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be
eligible to volunteer. We may require proof of vaccination closer to
race weekend. “Fully vaccinated” individuals are those who have received
two doses of an mRNA vaccine series (Pfizer or Moderna) or a single dose
of the Johnson&Johnson vaccine, with at least two weeks having elapsed
since the final dose. A third “booster” dose is not required for
participation.

Perks of volunteering: A nice Vineyard Vines quarter zip, branded with
the Head of the Charles Regatta logo. You’ll also get a boxed lunch
delivered to you (or to the dock where a safety launch can come in and
pick up), and gluten free and vegetarian options are available. Aside
from that, all I can offer is a fun day on or near the water with a
great crew of volunteers!

Here is the link for Regatta Central.
https://volunteer.regattacentral.com/hocr/browse This is where you will
go to register to volunteer.

There are lots of exciting updates about this year’s event being posted
on social media, so be sure to like and/or follow Head of the Charles
Regatta on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hocr1965/, Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HOCR1965 , and Twitter https://twitter.com/HOCR
to stay in the loop. If there are any questions with this, please send
them my way and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability. I know that
this is short notice, and I appreciate your consideration and hope to
hear from you. Thanks!

Matt Knowles
KC1AEI
Matt Knowles <matthewsknowles@gmail.com>

https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Sector_2C_RACES_Net_K1BTH-Blake-Tribute.mp3

Possible JOTA Effort at Southeastern MA ARA, October 15-17, 2021

October 11, 2021October 11, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Doug Belcher, KC1NFL, writes on the Southeastern MA ARA mailing list:

This coming weekend 10/15-17 is the Scouting World Wide Jamboree On The Air and Internet. There will be scouts from all over the world tying to connect with each other. Are there any members who would be able to help me get the Scouts on the Air this Friday from 5-8 at the club? I will also be having a Zoom session with Rob Macedo to go over SKYWARN, ARES, and RACES. I’m hoping to get some new hams out of this by offering HT Baofengs to any scout who gets their Tech license.

73!
Doug Belcher
KC1NFL

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Report – September Through Early October 2021

October 10, 2021October 10, 2021 - by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

This is the second in a series of monthly Eastern Massachusetts ARES reports that we have published on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES web site and will redistribute via the ARRL Section News provided we can meet the Section News deadline with our report. In the future, we plan to include additional statistical information on number of SKYWARN and ARES activations, total number of ARES members in the section as well as a narrative report in key happenings in Eastern Massachusetts ARES. We hope everyone finds these reports informative.

As this ARES report is being written, the 125^th running of the Boston Marathon will take place on Monday 10/11/21. We thank all Amateur Operators and those that are Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters and ARES members for their participation in race day despite COVID and dealing with the COVID precautions. We wish everyone a great and fun race day on Marathon Monday. Also upcoming for public service events are the Baystate Marathon and the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES has lost a key member of its staff. Metro Boston ARES District Emergency Coordinator, K1BTH-Blake Haskell is now a silent key along with his wife Deb Haskell. Eastern Massachusetts ARES honored Blake with a last call on the October Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net and on many of the RACES nets that took place. The ARES Net and Sector 2 RACES Net last calls were recorded and can be heard here:

https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Eastern_Mass_ARES_Net_K1BTH-Blake-Tribute.wav

The Eastern Massachusetts ARES staff will review his vacancy and announce a replacement over the course of the next 1-2 months. Our sincerest condolences are extended to the friends and family of Blake and his wife Deb and to all in the Amateur Radio and Public Safety community that knew them.

The month of September after Labor Day was a bit less active from an ARES-SKYWARN perspective as the weather pattern changed allowing for less activations. Nonetheless, the weather pattern remained fairly wet across the region with 6 self-activations for SKYWARN during the period mostly for heavy rainfall events but also for isolated severe thunderstorms on 3 of the self-activation for SKYWARN. More information on the larger activations with post storm reports and photos from the 2021 tropical and severe weather season will be posted on wx1box.org over the course of the next week.

ARES/SKYWARN members from across the country including Eastern Massachusetts support the VoIP Hurricane Net as Hurricane Larry made landfall in Newfoundland Canada. Details on this activation can be seen here:

https://ema.arrl.org/2021/09/16/voip-hurricane-net-lauded-for-efforts-during-hurricane-larry/

As we go through the month of October, the threat of direct impacts of tropical systems to our region is less as water temperatures cool but strong hybrid coastal storms become a potential concern. Given the continued very wet weather pattern of the last few months, we will need to monitor this potential for both SKYWARN and ARES activations.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES will conduct its Simulated Emergency Test (SET) coincident with the national Winlink exercise on Saturday 11/13/21 from 1000 AM-1200 PM. Further details will be posted on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES/ARRL section web site towards late October.

Thanks to all for their continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

https://walthamlandtrust.org/trail-guides/

K1MJC Fox is On the Loose in Waltham, October 8, 2021

October 8, 2021March 17, 2023 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Mike Cormier, K1MJC, writes on the Waltham ARA list and NEMassFoxHunters list at 2:40 PM on October 8, 2021:

Yes, the K1MJC Fox is out yet again!

Got out of work early, so it’s out early.

Well, I checked the weather and decided to take a chance it’s looking OK, perhaps maybe some sprinkles Sunday afternoon.

The fox is in somewhere in a conservation area within the city limits of Waltham, MA.

I don’t want to give away the store, but it is within one I have placed it before!

As usual, it will be retrieved before sundown Sunday; if raining, sometime Monday. Maybe the batteries will last until at least Monday morning.

One of the maps on this page would prove useful!

Happy hunting!

Mike C. K1MJC 73

p.s. — If the clue is way too vague, I can usually be found on the Waltham UHF repeater, input 444.0750, output 449.0750, tone in 88.5, tone out , none.

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Baystate Marathon/Half-Marathon support Sunday October 17, 2021

October 7, 2021 - by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

KA8SCP-Terry Stader, MEMA Region 1 RACES Radio Officer & ARES District Emergency Coordinator writes:

I apologize for this late notice on this.

Amateur Radio operators have been asked once again to support the Baystate Marathon and Half Marathon. This year the event is on Sunday, October 17th. Our operational time period is from approximately 0700 until event completion (estimated 1400). Our assistance has been requested by Lowell Office of Emergency Management and Lowell Fire Department. The communications team will be employing Amateur Radio to provide this communications asset.

Amateur Radio will be used for:
* Accountability net: the purpose of this net is to coordinate with a race public information booth the status of runners who are unable to complete the race for any issue to any one is seeking this information.

Race info may be found at http://baystatemarathon.com. Course map is found at https://www.baystatemarathon.com/course-map-description-spectator-info

Please contact me if you are able to assist or would like more information.

Please share with others that may be interested. This is a pretty laid back event and suitable for first time public event participation.

Terry-KA8SCP

Terry M. Stader – KA8SCP
MEMA Region 1 RACES Officer
EMA District Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday October 4th, 2021 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater Network

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021 - by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

The October Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday October 4th, 2021 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. For this month’s ARES Net, we will be doing a “last call” for Metro Boston ARES District Emergency Coordinator, Boston Amateur Radio Club member, town of Hull RACES/Communications Officer, friend and Amateur Radio Operator, K1BTH-Blake Haskell who became a silent key Thursday 9/30/21. We will also announce our plan to conduct our Eastern Massachusetts ARES SET (Simulated Emergency Test) drill for Saturday 11/13/21 from 1000 AM-1200 PM along with several other announcements.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

https://discord.gg/fQRpHG8n

W0MXX Balloon Launch, Cummington, MA, October 2, 2021

October 2, 2021October 2, 2021 - by k9hi - 1 Comment

Seth Kendall writes on the STARS mailing list:

Max [W0MXX] and family are tentatively targeting a launch of our latest high altitude balloon on:

Saturday, Sept. 25th October 2, 2021

TENTATIVE launch location: Around Stafford, CT Cummington, MA

Note: This will change on the morning of launch, so keep an eye out for posts!
Launch prep begins at 9:30 am with a launch time at around Noon.

(If Saturday is scrubbed, we will shoot for Sunday, and if that’s scrubbed, then next weekend. We will try to keep this thread updated.)

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Pick and choose from…

Come to the Launch!
1. We start our prep at 9:30 am and aim to launch by noon.
2. Keep an eye on our posts on the morning of launch for an updated location.
3. Stream the prep and launch action for those that can’t make it using your phone. We’ve never done this before, but always been interested, since most people aren’t able to come in person. Our discord server has a Voice Hangout section that could be used for this, though we’re fine with any platform. (this is not expected if you show up haha, just a fun idea)

Track the balloon online!
1. https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FW0MXX-11&timerange=3600&tail=3600
  1. This gives live updates directly from the transmitter.
2. https://tracker.habhub.org/
  1. This is very useful for us, because it will give a predicted landing location. As it gets close to landing, we can really benefit from people tracking it here, and letting us know where to look. You can post locations here on groups.io, or if you are tracking it live and able to talk, give us your phone number to keep in touch while we’re on the road.
3. Join our discord server for the most frequent updates. We’d love to have you there in general as we work on weather balloons and try to troubleshoot problems! It’s especially useful on launch day though.
  1. Step 1 – Make a Discord account: http://discord.com/app
  2. Step 2 – Join our server. This invite will expire in 7 days:

Watch this thread on groups.io, or better yet, track the balloon and contribute to it!
Come track the landing beacon!
1. Bring your 2m mag mount antenna, SDR, and laptop (with wifi access – we use our phone as a mobile hotspot), and try to pick up those final beacons just before (or after) it hits the ground (read: tree). This can really help us to pinpoint where it actually landed.
2. Max will post tomorrow with more details about using HDSDR and Direwolf to receive, decode, and publish the GPS data online.
3. Keep up to date on the predicted landing location using tracker.habhub.org (above) or just tuning into others’ posts on our Discord or groups.io. I’m not sure where people will post, but we find Discord easier for these kinds of things.

Come help us physically search for and recover it.
1. Keep up to date on landing location via groups.io
2. We’ll agree on a meeting point from which to conduct the search.
3. Bring some basic survival stuff
  1. Boots, bug spray, water, etc.
4. Bring your handheld to maintain contact during the search!
5. We have a slingshot, and are trying to grab a fishing reel in time in order to try and fish it out of a tree should the cutdown system not work. If you have any other tools you think could help with that, bring em!
6. If you are a tree climber, bring your gear! We’ll put you to use!

Updated prediction: http://predict.habhub.org/#!/uuid=7e1987bee1795b91160557b9fc03b86a1526161a

We’ve seemed to zero into a final launch location:

William Cullen Bryant Homestead

207 Bryant Rd

Cummington, MA 01026

https://www.southshorehealth.org/give/friends-south-shore-health/set-pace-road-race

KD1D Fox is Transmitting, Westford, MA, October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021March 17, 2023 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Alan Hicks, KD1D, writes on NEMassFoxHunters list on October 1, 2021 at 4:29 PM:

The KD1D Fox is on the air: 146.565 MHz FM, transmitting for about 20-30 seconds every 60 seconds

You may be able to hear it from the Westford Town Common (Boston Road and Main Street), but you may have better luck taking a bearing from the park near the top of Parkhurst Drive.

The approximate location is One of the Conservation Lands listed at:
https://westfordconservationtrust.org/trust-land/

73 and Happy Hunting from Alan, KD1D

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

No Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net for Saturday 10/2/21 – Net Resumes Saturday 11/6/21

October 1, 2021 - by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Good afternoon Everyone,

Tomorrow October 2, 2021 we WILL NOT be holding an Eastern MA Hospital Net. The members of the SSHARG will be providing communications support for the annual Set the Pace Road Race.

We will resume our monthly net in November on the 6th , the first Saturday in November at 10am.

73s,
South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Group

K1MJC Fox is On the Loose in Waltham, September 24, 2021

September 25, 2021March 17, 2023 - by k9hi - 2 Comments.

Mike Cormier, K1MJC, writes on the Waltham ARA list and NEMassFoxHunters list at 5:33 PM on September 24, 2021:

Yes, the K1MJC Fox is out yet again! I watched the weather and decided to take a chance.

The fox is in somewhere in a conservation area, and for all those eager Beavers you might be able to locate it before Sundown today.

As usual, it will be retrieved before Sundown Sunday.

One of The maps on this page would prove useful! https://walthamlandtrust.org/trail-guides/

Happy hunting!

<http://www.bellevuearc.org/docs/WhatisHamRadioFlyerA.pdf>

<http://www.arrl.org/file/file/Brochures%20and%20Exhibit%20Materials/What%20is%20Amateur%20Radio%20flyer%208_5x11.pdf>

<https://flysnf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ham-Radio-Flyer.pdf>

First Annual New England Parks On The Air Event, October 16, 2021

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

The K1USN Radio Club has announced the 1st Annual Autumn New England Parks On The Air event on Saturday, October 16, 2021 from 0000-2359 UTC. Activate as many different POTAs as possible.

The goal is to have one group/individual at each site to enable the activation of as many NE POTAs as possible.

Officially listed POTAs from throughout New England are required.

Maps and lists can be found at <https://parksontheair.com/>.

Since this is not a “contest” official log submissions will not be required but summaries would be encouraged. A post-event link will be available at <www.k1usn.com>.

We hope to give the public a chance to learn a bit more about Amateur Radio by obtaining some free pre-event publicity and with the use of informational handouts. Here are samples you could use:

The weekend of Oct 16 – 17 is also JOTA weekend and all participants are encouraged to reach out to local Scouting groups: <https://www.jotajoti.info/>.

Remember that this will be a New England-wide event so folks that attend NEAR-Fest on Saturday, October 16th in Deerfield, NH may wish to activate a NH park on the way home.

Okay, who is interested in jumping onboard the NE Autumn POTA event?

BTW, Bob, WC1N, has created a spreadsheet so that we can keep track of individuals/clubs as they sign on. You can sign up at: <http://www.ilovepota.com/index.php>.

For those of you with additional questions or comments please reply to <k1rv@arrl.net>.

Clubs / Operating

POTA Activation: Magazine Beach (Cambridge), Charles River Reservation, K-8405, September 25, 2021

September 21, 2021September 21, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Brendan Baldonado, NW1S, writes on the Boston Amateur Radio Club mailing list:

Hello All,

No doubt your email has been full of the tales of our last Parks On The Air (POTA) activation. Well, let’s do it again!

I am planning to go to Magazine Beach in Cambridge to activate. I visited around the 4th of July and thought it was a great little park. It happens to be part of the Charles River Reservation, Park K-8405.

I am planning on going Saturday, September 25th at 11:00 AM. Bring your own food, snacks and water, I will bring four chairs and a small metal table to operate on. ALL are welcome.

They have parking, ” Magazine Beach Car Top Launch, ” https://goo.gl/maps/pvvqWu2KaQkkZvvg7. The parking Limit is 4 hours which should be more than enough time.

Also the location is just off the #47 Bus. or a short walk across the BU Bridge from the Green Line, BU West Stop.

There are Porta Potties nearby and a Trader Joe’s for food and beverage.

We will use the Boston repeater to coordinate arrival and meet up.

It may rain on Saturday, if that happens I won’t be able to go Sunday due to a previous engagement but anyone else I will encourage to go.

Brendan – NW1S

Boston ARC Parks On The Air Operation: Torbert Macdonald State Park, Medford MA, September 19, 2021

September 18, 2021September 19, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Boston ARC logo Inspired by KM1NDYs recent club presentation on Parks On The Air (POTA) and portable radio operation, members of the Boston Amateur Radio Club are planning a last-minute POTA Activation this Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 2 PM.

BARC members will meet at Torbert Macdonald State Park, 4253 Mystic Valley Parkway, in Medford, MA–part of the Mystic River Reservation, K-8418, near the Wellington T station.

“Bring your own sandwich, bring your own rig and antennas, and as before if you don’t have power or an appropriate antenna bring a PowerPole adapter and/or a BNC feedline,” writes BARC Secretary Joe Chapman, NV1W.

Joe Chapman, NV1W, writes on September 19, 2021 at 8:25 AM:

One more thing: talk-around will be on the 146.640 MHz Waltham repeater, PL 136.5, and the BARC Simplex frequency, 147.420 in the vicinity of the Reservation.

WBZ 100th Anniversary Special Event Operation, September 17-19, 2021

September 16, 2021 - by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Larry Krainson, W1AST, writes:

Just a reminder that this weekend is the WBZ 100th Anniversary special event! There will be four special event stations (W1W, W1B, W1Z & WB1Z) in total and a very nice QSL card will be made available whether you work one station or all four. Be sure to get on the air and work these stations this weekend! The event starts at 1300z/9:00 AM EDT September 17 and ends at 0359z September 20/11:59 PM EDT September 19. There will be operations on SSB, CW, FT8 & digital modes and satellites as well as all bands and all modes. You should hear the stations on FM, DMR and D-star too.

There will be many opportunities to work one or all of the stations and earn a very special QSL card commemorating the 100th anniversary of WBZ’s first transmission on September 19, 1921.

More info on the event at https://nediv.arrl.org/wbz100/ and on the QRZ pages for the four callsigns.