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Bob Salow, WA1IDA writes:

It was so good for the past two years that the BAA Half Marathon is now in the category of “Third Annual.” The event got huge acclaim – largely because of the skills and experience of the organizers and support staff (we are definitely a part of that). The Half is run almost entirely in Boston (2% in Brookline), with local, national and international athletes.

We have been asked again this year to support communications for this event doing our usual medical, water and administrative tasks. We definitely need your help. Time is short.The Half Marathon will be held on SUNDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2003. Time and other details are below. The course (as beautiful as you can get in Boston) is along the length of the “Emerald Necklace.” The out-and-back route starts and finishes at Clemente Field in the Fenway. It follows the Riverway, Jamaicaway, and Arborway to the Franklin Park Zoo for a turnaround and return on almost the same route. Last year’s trial of going through Fenway Park will not be used this year.

The weather is likely to be cool and the 13.1-mile course should not be a strain on the athletes. Water and medical stations are spaced appropriately. There are also assignments at several hazardous points. Our duties on the course will be to support these locations, but we also serve as observers of the runners, spectators and local residents (some of their streets are to be closed). Most stations serve both outbound and inbound runners. At Clemente Field, we have a number of fixed and roving medical assignments.

If you are assigned to a station on the course, and presuming you drive, you are encouraged to go directly to the assigned location. A ham course Supervisor will deliver your identity (long sleeve) shirt. If you are willing to drive directly to your station on the course, I will send you a Vehicle Permit for display. Those assigned to course stations must be on site at 0715 so the Supervisor can meet you briefly and move on.

Hams assigned to posts at Clemente Field must be present at 0700 for a briefing. Keep in mind that parking in the Fenway is limited, so allow time to find a space or take the T.

The entire event should be over before 1130, and all roads will be (progressively) opened. This schedule is what is known now. Better details later.

The area is T accessible from several directions. Parking (at that hour ) may be possible on local streets, or at the Landmark Center (formerly the Sears store) on Park Drive at Brookline Ave. I believe there is a charge for the Landmark parking.

Because the entire course is so compact, very few repeaters need be used. Our present plan is to use both 2-meters and 70-cm, both bands with CTCSS.

WE NEED YOU TO VOLUNTEER. As in the past, we are committed to reliable, professional performance, and the requirements below lead to this goal. Please note them and sign up quickly. Each ham must have his or her own radio and accessories – no sharing of equipment can be permitted during the event. Each ham must be self sufficient for the entire period, as we cannot assure partnered assignments.

1. For the duration of this event you are considered a member of the Boston Amateur Radio Club (BARC) and a BAA volunteer. BARC carries a liability insurance policy.

2. To assist in identification and security, you must wear a badge with your name and call sign. Your volunteer credential will be a special long-sleeve shirt provided at the beginning of the day.

3. Our communications support is provided only by licensed Amateur Radio operators, Technician class or above. Be sure to have your valid license (or a good photocopy) with you.

4. Because of the radio traffic congestion, you should have a full size antenna (that is, better than a minimal “rubber duck”) and a battery supply sufficient to run at your maximum power if necessary. While you will mostly listen and rarely transmit, the best guide is for 10 hours of battery capability. The ambient noise level may be high, so an inexpensive headset (not just an ear plug) is strongly recommended.

5. To present ourselves as professional and proficient, you must be neatly dressed. The bright orange “Emergency Communications” cap is essential for identification. Local residents and the media will be watching.

6. Expect the media. If you are interviewed, state that you are an Amateur Radio operator, and give only a very brief statement about what your assignment is. Then refer the interviewer to our public relations staff (call Net Control for direction). Please do not offer prolonged descriptions of the joys of ham radio.

NOTE:

More hams are needed. Please spread the word in your local club and to your on-the-air friends! Anyone interested should contact me directly. We also need you to understand that although we must call for more hams, final staffing needs may not match the number of ham volunteers. Therefore, a very small possibility exists that we still may not be able to give everyone an assignment.

Instead of formal briefings, those who volunteer will receive a later email with the assignment, a detailed description of the assignment site and other information.

If you can give this event your help, please contact me as soon as possible. We also need to know if your radio has 2-meters with CTCSS and if you have the 70-cm band. If you have any questions about participation, do not hesitate to contact me at once.

When you reply, please include the following information:

– Your best email address for last minute information.
– Can you open an MS Word attachment?
– Are you planning to drive, and, if assigned on the course, would you drive there directly?

If you have already informed me that you are available, please reply to this message anyway.

Phone: 508.650.9440
E-mail: wa1ida@arrl.net

73,
Bob Salow, WA1IDA

© 2003 BARC, WA1IDA – S/030911

Ken, WO1N writes:

Art, NF1A and I will be manning a BARS info booth on Saturday, September 13th, all day at the Billerica Yankee Doodle Day Town Celebration.

We will have an operating HF station and will be passing out achievement certificates to the youngsters who successfully send their names via CW on a Code Practice Oscillator.

While we’ve got this down to pretty much a two-man show, we would appreciate it if you could stop by and help out with “Booth Duty” to give us the opportunity for the occasional break. Even a half an hour would be great. While our spouses generally help out, the more the merrier.

As mentioned, Art and I will be there around 8:00 to begin set up. We will be at spot 22, the same spot we have been at for the past four years. It is located on the back side of the Billerica High School, across from the Hallenberg Ice Skating rink.

We will be monitoring 147.12 and look forward to hearing from you.

Ken
WO1N

Doing its part to spread public awareness about Amateur Radio, the Genesis ARS staffed a display table and demonstration station at Plymouth’s “Airport Fun Days” on August 31. The exhibit featured a colorful banner with the club’s name. GARS members report that they gained valuable insight into how to “do it better in the future.”

Several GARS members also assisted with communications in “The Run for the Rock” Road Race.

Thanks, Genesis ARS “Monthly Update” September, 2003

Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator Mike Neilsen, W1MPN recommends that amateurs contact their DECs, update their contact information and indicate their availability should Hurricane Isabel impact our area. See http://ares.ema.arrl.org/article.php?sid=111 for additional information.

Jeff Arnold writes:

I still need about two dozen more people to work this year’s Head of the Charles Regatta

October 17, 18, 19

Friday noon -6
Saturday 7am-6pm
Sunday 7am-5pm

I need 2 more person on land for Friday
I need 4 land people and 3 boats for Saturday
I need 9 land people and 5 boats for Sunday

If you can work more than one day that would be great.

If you already sent me your info, you are all set.
I will post the assignments shortly.
Thanks once again
Jeff

**************************************************
Jeffrey Arnold

RWJeffA@comcast.net
N1FWV@amsat.org
http://home.comcast.net/~rwjeffa/
**************************************************

Bob Salow, WA1IDA writes:

The WGBH Ice Cream FunFest will be held on Saturday, 13 September 2003. Note that this year it is only on Saturday! For many years the Boston Amateur Radio Club has responded to their request for communications to assist and protect the 7000 (now 10,000 are expected) visitors at the WGBH (Public TV and FM) annual Ice Cream FunFest. It is held outside their studios on
Western Avenue in Brighton.

To those who have participated in past years, I can assure you that your service received their greatest praise. To you and any newcomers, your help is needed even more this year to assist with crowd and parking management and emergency needs. Our operation begins at 0900 and should be over before 1500.

The area is compact enough to use 2-meter hand-helds on simplex. Helpful is an antenna better than the rubber duck that came with your radio, as well as battery capacity to last the day.

Not only is this a visible ham public service, but we (and all their visitors) get to sample the wares of the ten ice cream providers FREE. Eat all you can, but don’t get sick!

WGBH is also kind enough to allow BARC booth space to promote and demonstrate ham radio to the visitors of all ages. Every year this proves to be a great opportunity to introduce ham radio to the public. You can be of help here, too.

Time is short and your help is needed. Please contact me as quickly as possible. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Bob Salow, WA1IDA
wa1ida@arrl.net
508.650.9440

Rick Cantin, AA1TI wrote:

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is looking for Ham Radio Operators to help with the MS Challenge Walk on Cape Cod September 12th, 13th and 14th.

The MS Challenge Walk, presented by Biogen/MS ActiveSource, is more than physical endurance, more than a test of mental strength. It is a life-changing event, a celebration of human spirit. Those who accept the challenge believe that one long journey over three days will ultimately shorten the road to the cure for multiple sclerosis.

For more information about the walk please follow this URL: http://www.perfectdaypublicity.com/challengewalk/newEngland/

To volunteer, please contact:

Brenda Barbour
Director of Volunteers
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Central New England Chapter
101 A First Ave., Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451
800-493-9255 x 135
781-890-4990 x 135
781-890-2089 – fax
www.msnewengland.org

Ted T. Wright tedwright@csi.com wrote:

Everything is flight ready in Michigan, and Robert is monitoring the forecasts from different models. Just now he informed me that the models indicate favorable conditions TOMORROW (Friday 8/29/03), if they hold and the surface weather doesn’t prevent a morning launch. However, I fully expect this to change before tonight; that’s just the nature of this particular flight.

UPDATE: HamBONE/GPA-SD2 may fly on FRIDAY AUGUST 29!!! http://frodo.bruderhof.com/hambone/sd2.htm

HamBONE-GPA SD2 Solar tetroon from Michigan

Robert Rochte KC8UCH of the Grosse Pointe Academy in Michigan plans to fly a “Sky Diamond” tetrahedral zero-pressure solar floater carrying one of my beacons, adapted from the HamBONE-LD series. This is our first cooperative flight, and with the right conditions it could set a new record for distance or duration, or both. Solar balloons typically fly through the day and descend slowly after sunset.

We plan to launch the balloon from near Detroit, MI at about 9:00 local time, and ballast it to achieve a float altitude around 35,000 feet, where strong upper level winds will push it east across several states. This should give many people a chance to hear the 10 meter CW signal within about 250 miles of the balloon’s flight path. Likely areas within the radio footprint include northern Ohio and Pennsylvania, New York and New England, as well as southern Ontario, Canada. Tapes or transcripts of any portion of the flight telemetry will be very much appreciated, since no single ground station will be in range of the balloon for the whole duration of the flight. Contact the tracking center using the email address included in the
telemetry.

Recovery of the beacon is not planned, and of course the landing area cannot be predicted with any accuracy. If you hear telemetry from this beacon with increasing altimeter readings, please try to DF the signal using the nulls on the sides of a beam. Since the beacon batteries will last considerably longer than the flight (at least 4 days), there is a slight chance that recovery will be possible. That is, if it doesn’t land in the Atlantic!

The payload package includes:

* An 8-bit microcontroller (PIC 16C715)
* A barometric altimeter (MPX100A/LM358M)
* An outside temperature sensor (DS1721S)
* An insolation sensor (CdS cell in a ping-pong ball diffuser)
* Battery voltage monitor
* CW Beacon on 28.636 MHz (crystal oscillator)
* Vertically polarized 10m dipole antenna
* Eight AA Li-Fe batteries for 12V @ 2500 mAh

Telemetry format (sent every 2 minutes) :

DE KA2QPG BLN GPA/SD2 UP 14H34M A 033 T NEG 55C L 204 B 8.7V
EMAIL PT AT RIFTON.COM AR

where:

UP = flight time in hours and minutes
A = altimeter (absolute pressure, 0 – 255)
T = outside temperature (-99 – 99 degrees C)
L = light level (0 – 255, uncalibrated)
B = battery voltage (0.0 – 9.9 volts)

The remaining time in the 2-minute cycle will have a Morse “dit” and a beep of the piezo sounder every 4 seconds.

Project Bread is again sponsoring the Ride for Hunger on Sunday, September 14. This ride raises funds to support feeding programs all across the Commonwealth. With the high level of unemployment, our efforts are needed more than ever. The Crocker Public Service Group was a vital part of raising over $250,000 last year. Our team provides crucial safety links to the 1,000 cyclists in this tour.

The ride will start at Lake Cochituate in Natick. The MetroWest route goes through Sherborn and Millis, then returns. The TourWest route traverses towns including Holliston, Hopkinton, Grafton, Northborough, Hudson, and Wayland.

We will be supplying communications support along both the 25 and 70 mile routes. Positions include mobile operators, operators at critical intersections with marshals, and rest stop hams. Last year, an injured rider was aided over the noise of Speen Street to the great relief of the Project Bread staff. The 144, 222 and 440MHz bands will be used at different locations, courtesy of the Minuteman Repeater Association.

To sign up or to obtain more information, go to http://cpsg.amateur-radio.net or send mail to rfh2003@amateur-radio.net.

Alexander Rullo, KB1JLU wrote:

“As many of you are aware there will be a new club at the North Attleboro High School this year. The youth-oriented amateur radio club will be taking place after school on a regular schedule to be determined.

The mission of the club is two-fold. First and foremost, the purpose of this club is to get youth interested in this fine hobby so that they may enjoy what we already do. Secondly the overall goal is of helping them obtain an amateur radio operators license.

The teaching philosophy of this club will be the same as the Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Learn-Do-Learn. The way we hope to carry out this teaching philosophy is through teaching from the ever-famous (and almost infamous) Now You’re Talking series. This, accompanied by actual experience on the air, should achieve both our goals.

The club is coming along. There is an initial core of students interested and we have not yet advertised. We expect a few more by the second or third week of this school year. We have also located radio equipment and are in the process of testing the equipment and antennas. On top of this we have located a place to hold our club; complete with a computer supplied by NAHS.

Although we do have full sponsorship from the SMH ARC we would like to keep costs down. We could use some help. If anybody is able to donate anything it would be appreciated. We can always use; radio equipment (even if it does not work; it may be a good hands-on project); teaching aids, including books and pamphlets; monetary donations; and of course experienced operators for presentations and other such activities. If anybody can help in any way please contact me at arullo123@comcast.net . I will also be available if you have any comments, questions or concerns. A copy of the club proposal is also available upon request.

Before concluding I would like to extend a thanks to John V. Bellissimo, KA1EWN. Our teachers at the school are very busy especially with last years budget crisis and recent change in administration. EWN has put forth much more effort than I expected. Initially all I really wanted was a signature, a teacher to officiate for the club. The club hasn’t even started and he has proved to be a more valuable asset than I could ever have imagined. Thanks for all the hard work!

In closing, do not hesitate to contact me if you have ANY comments, questions or concerns. I will try to help you the best I can.

Alexander Rullo

KB1JLU

ARRL’s national web site carried summaries of Amateur Radio operations from the affected areas in the Midwest, New York and New England in the wake of yesterday’s major blackout. The following excerpt pertains to our section. It was based on a timely submission by EMa Public Information Coordinator Jim Duarte, N1IV:

“New England states were far less affected by the blackout since most operate on an altogether different power grid than the one that failed. New England area ARES/RACES operators were in standby mode after the blackout rippled through the system to the south and west. Only Connecticut and sections of Western Massachusetts reported significant outages, and ARES nets activated in both states.

“ARRL Eastern Massachusetts PIC Jim Duarte, N1IV, reports the ARES/RACES response in the Bay State was ‘quick and organized, showing that our recent drills and training sessions have proved beneficial.'”

Thanks to all of the ARES/RACES members in EMa who stood by, ready and willing to serve.

—ARRLWeb: Hams a Bright Spot During Power Blackout

Billed as the largest power blackout in U.S. history, areas around New York City, Hartford, Albany Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland lost power Thursday afternoon, August 14.

EMa SEC Mike Neilsen, W1MPN has placed all ARES/RACES Stations on Standby as of 5:07 p.m. ET this evening. Several RACES stations are already checked in and monitoring our 75 meter frequency.

Most ARES/RACES Teams have been in contact with their respective city/town EMA Directors and are awaiting further instructions.

Please monitor 146.64, 145.23 or http://ares.ema.arrl.org for additional information on possible Amateur Radio efforts.