All

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.

My name is Peter Grace, KB1CVH.
I am writing to you about the Volunteer Resources Committee report on the ARRL’s Field Services Organization dated July 18-19, 2003.

My introduction to amateur radio, besides reading the ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook, was listening to the local 2 meter traffic net. I’m certain that traffic nets are a way that the ARRL and Amateur Radio reaches out to many new hams. If there’s an NTS net on a local 2 meter repeater that meets every night like the Eastern Massachusetts 2 meter traffic net, many new hams will hear it.

While participating on traffic nets, I have learned how to participate in a formal net, how to pass traffic, how to receive traffic, how to be a net control station, and how to be part of the ‘System’. These skills are invaluable to amateur radio and to its members. These skills can be used in formal voice nets, in taking and passing traffic for served agencies in both ARES and RACES.

I think the report of the ARRL’s Field Services Organization may have done a disservice to the National Traffic system in comparing the NTS to other services. Some comments indicated that NTS isn’t changing with the times, and that it’s not using new technologies, and that there are delays in passing traffic. These do not reflect an understanding of NTS.

I would like to try to address these comments:

NTS is changing with the times. NTS is suffering by a lack of younger members due in part to the availability of other services to pass formal messages over long distances. Amateur Radio is suffering for the same reason. NTS still provides a valuable training ground for ARES and RACES operators who will need the skills when they are activated. ARES operators may be called upon to pass formal written messages from shelters or other locations for the public or served agencies. How will they know how to do this if they don’t get the experience in NTS ? When participating in ARES SETS and also while participating in local RACES nets, I have tried to work with amateur radio operators who didn’t know how to pass or receive an NTS format message correctly. It was very difficult to work with them as they didn’t have the skill gained from the experience of participating in NTS. NTS is a ‘System’. Systems have structure and procedures.

I know from personal experience that one does not get skilled at participating in a system by reading a book or piece of paper. NTS experience is a great way to learn how to pass formal traffic. Participating in local 2 meter NTS traffic nets that meet nightly are very accessible ways to get skilled at participating in formal nets and passing formal written traffic. Participation in NTS CW nets are wonderful for getting very skilled at CW and CW nets. NTS nets are the gold standard. If anything, ARES and RACES operators who don’t participate in NTS net are missing out on great opportunities to get skilled. Either it’s because there’s no local net accessible to them or they don’t make the time to participate. In ARES, we need to be functional when we are needed. Training is important. NTS traffic nets are training for ARES and any other service where formal nets are required. Monthly or Annual exercises do not train operators but can only give us an idea of how well those services can work. Experience, gained from frequently NTS net participation help operator performance.

NTS uses new technologies. There was one a time when traffic was passed only via CW. Now traffic is passed via voice on SSB and FM. Traffic is passed via packet radio. When a technology is sufficiently available to amateur radio operators and is able to be utilized to pass traffic, NTS uses that method if it helps to get the message through. Frequently though, the method that works is the lowest common denominator. An operator may not be part of NTS with PSK31 ability in the 617 areacode area and thus may not be able to respond to a call CQ NTS MA 617 K on PSK31. Many operators do have FM repeater ability which allows the message to get through. As technologies mature, amateurs make use of them in many ways including NTS.

There are delays in passing traffic. Most traffic is passed with Routine priority. There are additional priorities available for handling priority or emergency traffic. I know that NTS trained operators who do what ever it takes to get such a message through as soon as possible, but that routine traffic is generally not time sensitive or urgent. Perhaps due to a lack of NTS operators in a community, some traffic for that community isn’t delivered without delay. This points out a need to recruit more NTS operators, not a need to remove support for NTS.

The Volunteer Resources Committee report on the ARRL’s Field Services Organization dated July 18-19, 2003 did a disservice to the National Traffic System by not recognizing that NTS is a very important part of the ARRL’s mission and that it may benefit the ARRL and NTS to provide additional resources for recruitment of additional operators, additional local NTS nets, and retainment of NTS operators.

Sincerely yours,
Peter Grace KB1CVH/ORS
ARRL Member

From the “It’s-Only-A-False-Alarm” Department: this newspaper clipping about a fox hunt, courtesy Massassoit ARA MARA News

W1GSL writes:

LAST UPDATE 8-1-03 de W1GSL                                             

   List is normally updated twice a month - look for the latest version

Additions/ Corrections via Internet  w1gsl@mit.edu

                           US Mail  W1GSL POB 397082 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139

(c)2003 W1GSL                                 SASE for updated copy as issued.

unlimited reproduction permitted in entirety

*******************************************************************************New England Area   Ham - Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  *** 2003 P 1 of 2

All events are Ham Radio/ Electronic related except ~_____~

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

2003                                                    Contact          Source

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 Aug Essex Jct VT BARC @EssexHS $5@8 $10/T@7$4w/oT Renee N1UXK 802 893 7660  
2 Aug Union ME PenBayARC                           Scott KB1DSW 207 354 6809 A+
2 Aug E Greemwich RI FARC+NEW+S Antique $10@8             Nancy 401 885 0545 W+
9 Aug St Albans ME PARC                           George WA1JMM 207 965 8864 A
17 Aug             Flea at MIT                             Nick 617 253 3776 F

                Third Sunday April thru October                               
17 Aug Adams MA NBARC                                Alan K1SAV 413 446 8742 A+
24 Aug Enfield CT East V-UHF Conf @Radisson $5B$10S  Mark K1MAP 413 566 2445 W
6 Sept BallstonSpa NY SCRACES fri6P $5+5/T+15cmp  Darlene N2XQG 518 587 2385  
6 Sept Point-Claire PQ WIARC @StJohnCh $5@9 $10@7 Janusz VE2ZHP 450 659 5181 R
7 Sept Bethpage NY LIMARC @Briarcliffe $6@? $15/S  Brian WB2YMC 516 822 0673  
13 Sept Windsor CT VintgeR Museum @33 MechanicsSt $12/S@6  John 860 673 0518  
14 Sept S Dartmouth MA SEMARA Sell@6 $2@7              Tim N1TI 508 758 3680 F
14 Sept Newtown CT CARA @TownHall @7Sell 8:30Buy     John W1JMA 203 438 6782  
20 Sept Forestdale RI RIFMRS @VFW rt146 8A flea+auct Rick K1KYI 401 725 7507  
20 Sept Waterbury VT CVARC @Armory I89x10 $5@8 $10/T Tom WA1YNU 802 476 3116 F
21 Sept            Flea at MIT                             Nick 617 253 3776 F
27 Sept Orange MA MARC @Elks rt2A $3@8 $15/T/tg@6     John AE1B 978 249 5980  
3,4 Oct Hopkinton NH HossTraders @FG x7 I89           Joe K1RQG 207 469 3492 W
5 Oct Queens NY HallofSciARC $5@9 $10/S          Stephen WB2KDG 718 898 5599 F
11 Oct Nashua NH NE Antique RC $5@8 $1@9 @ StStan's Hall    Joe 978 343 5726 F
11 Oct Lake Placid NY NNYARA NNY Conv                Tom WB2KLD 518 827 4800 A
12 Oct Wallingford CT Nutmeg Conv                  Andrew N1XXU 203 235 8440 A

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LAST UPDATE 8-1-03 de W1GSL  http://mit.edu/w1gsl/Public/ne-fleas    P 1 of 2

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

Additions/ Corrections via e-Mail   w1gsl@mit.edu   ***

Page 3 Electronic distribution only.  This page has the overflow if any    P3

from the paper version.

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

2003                                                    Contact          Source

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LAST UPDATE 8-1-03 de W1GSL                                             P 3

   List is normally updated twice a month - look for the latest version

Additions/ Corrections via Internet  w1gsl@mit.edu

                           US Mail  W1GSL POB 397082 MIT Br Cambridge MA 02139

(c)2003 W1GSL                                 SASE for updated copy as issued.

unlimited reproduction permitted in entirety

*******************************************************************************
This list has been posted... as a service of the individual home page

owners,  to the following WWW sites.                                         
        http://flealist.senie.com/

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        http://www.k1ttt.net/flea.html

        http://www.connix.com/~wz1v/ne-fleas.html

        http://www.k1dwu.net/flealist.html

        http://www.mmra.org/~mmra/flealist.htm

        http://www.qsl.net/vhfnews/ne-fleas.html

        http://uhavax.hartford.edu/~newsvhf/ne-fleas.html                    
  List is normally updated twice a month - look for the latest version       
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                             73 Steve F

                                W1GSL
***********************************************************************

New England Area  Ham - Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  ***     P4

Links to New England Hamfest Web Sites                (c) 2003 W1GSL

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

This section is only included in the electronic distribution.
Cambridge MA    Flea at MIT     http://www.swapfest.us                      +
Hopkinton NH    Hosstraders     http://www.qsl.net/k1rqg/
Amherst MA      Mt. Tom ARC     http://www.mtara.org/hamfest/flea.html
Adams MA	N BerkshireARC	http://www.nobarc.org/hamfest                 
Boxborough MA   NE ARRL Conv    http://www.boxboro.org/
Framingham MA	FARA		http://www.fara.org/                          
Newton MA       Waltham ARA Auction    http://www.wara64.org/auction/
S Dartmouth MA  SEMARA          http://www.semara.org/flea/fleamkt.htm       +
Whately MA	FranklinCARC 	http://www.fcarc.org/flea.html                
Enfield CT      VHF/UHF Conf    http://www.newsvhf.com                       +
Southington CT  SARA            http://www.chetbacon.com/sara.htm
Wallingford CT  Nutmeg CT Conv  http://www.qsl.net/nutmeghamfest/
Lewiston ME     AARC		http://www.dlois.com/mainearrl/convent.htm
Portland ME     PAWA            http://www.qsl.net/pawa/fleamarket.html       +
Henniker NH     CVRC            http://www.qsl.net/k1bke/                     +
Bergen NJ	BARA		http://www.bara.org/
Lake Placid NY  NNY ARA	        http://www.geocities.com/nnyara/
Lindenhurst NY  ToB ARES 	http://www.tobares.org/hamfest.html           +
Long Island NY  LIMARC          http://www.limarc.org/fest.htm                +
Massapequa NY   GSB ARA	        http://www.gsbarc.org/flyermay03.pdf          +
Queens NY       Hall of Science http://www.qsl.net/hosarc/hamfest.html
Rochester NY 	AWA		http://www.antiquewireless.org/
Greenwich RI    Fidelity ARC    http://users.ids.net/~newsm/dates.html
Essex Junction VT   Burlington ARC  http://www.vtstetson.net/fest02.pdf
Milton VT       RANV VT Conv    http://www.ranv.org/milton.html
Montreal PQ     MARC            http://www.marc.qc.ca/fest.html
Montreal PQ	WIARC		http://www.pubnix.net/wiarc/hamfest.htm       
Sorel-Tracy PQ  CRAS-T		http://www.hamfest.qc.ca/                     
St Therese PQ	CRALL		http://www.ve2crl.qc.ca/hamfest2002.htm       
Canada          RAC List   http://rac.eton.ca/data/racfleas.taf?function=form
Phila. Area	VARA List	http://www.qsl.net/w2vtm/hamfest.html         +
USA             ARRL List       http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html