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Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Workshop Saturday August 9th, 2003

There will be an Emergency Communications Workshop on Saturday August 9th, 2003 from 9:00 AM-4:30 PM at the SEMARA (Southeast Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association) Club House on 54 Donald Street in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. This session is being put on by the ARES Section Staff, the SEMARA Club, and SEMARA Club Emergency Coordinator and ARES Assistant Emergency Coordinator, KD1CY-Rob Macedo and N1XRS-Tony Duarte. Also, W1EV-Scott Szala, from the SEMARA Activities committee will be providing a lot of assistance for this workshop. More details and map can be found below and at ARES Workshop at SEMARAThis Emergency Communications Workshop will provide the background and information to serve Amateur Radio Operators when they need to respond to a communications emergency. It will feature an Introduction and Conclusion to Emergency Communications, and training sessions on topics including:

Overview of Eastern Massachusetts ARES-RACES-SKYWARN Programs
Basic Overview of ICS
Net Operations
NTS Traffic Message Handling
Go Kits
Interactive Exercises on Field Operations

This training will also feature a special 2 hour lunch that will be provided at no coerced cost to any Amateur who attends the session. The lunch will be combined with a CEMARC BBQ Chicken Lunch that was cancelled in late June. Therefore, there will be BBQ Chicken for those who preregister for the workshop and for CEMARC members who confirm with Frank Murphy-N1DHW their attendance for the luncheon. CEMARC representatives that are also interested in coming to the workshop are more than welcome.

Also, where the SEMARA Club has their own club-house, there will be representatives from the club to give Amateurs a tour of the facility and the club’s plans moving forward.

The Emergency Communications presentations will be given by other Amateur Operators well versed in the topics listed above. The training will be a worthwhile endeavor not just for emergency communicators but for anyone who is an amateur radio operator, and wants to learn more about the hobby.

Preregistration is required for this workshop so that the club can assure enough food is provided so please decide as soon as possible if you would like to attend this workshop.

Directions and a map to the SEMARA Club House:
http://www.semara.org/direct.htm

For any additional information and to preregister for the workshop, please contact:

N1XRS, Tony Duarte by email TDDuarte@comcast.net
KD1CY, Rob Macedo by email rmacedo@rcn.com

This training should be a worthwhile endeavor for anyone interested in learning more about emergency communications and amateur radio in general.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
SEMARA ARES Emergency Coordinator
Southeastern Massachusetts ARES District Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo

All,

This is just a brief note, written shortly after tonight’s 60-meter trial closed, to thank everyone who participated and to especially thank WA1FIA, Chat, for his work, and AA2T, Jerry, for his work.

Other stations who deserve a note of thanks include: W1UD and, Tom, N1CPE, at WC1MA.

Thanks all for the help tonight. Now I just have to put the report together. 73 and have a good night.

Marc, WA1R

You\’ve probably seen the ARRL news by now, but here\’s direct details.

The major change outside of the widely anticipated Morse Code and 40m issues is third party traffic, which will no longer require bilateral agreement; if both national authorities permit third party traffic, that\’s enough. This doesn\’t remove the basic problem of monopoly telcos seeing us as a bigger threat than the internet ;-), but it\’s a start.

Online you can read the full IARU news release (signed by ARRL\’s own K1ZZ) and ham interpretation of the ITU WRC-03 results.

Links above are courtesy of CQ Magazine newsletter mailing list via Ontario DXA mailing list [archives for members only]. CQ\’s news releases are informative, there are 3 bulletins from ITU results there now, worth a read.

73 de Bill N1VUX

July 7—ARRL Headquarters is experiencing problems with its ARRL.NET email aliases for members’ use. (Note: this is a different problem than the one reported on July 3, in which a large internet service provider, Comcast, began blocking all mail from arrl.net addresses as “spam.”)

I noticed intermittent problems with bouncing email saying “Unknown user” Saturday, then late Sunday night. The problem exists for a number of mail servers sending to various aliases @arrl.net. Headquarters is aware of the problem, and is currently working with their internet service provider to resolve it.

-Phil, K9HI

Kevin Paetzold, K1KWP wrote on CEMARC-list:

The MMRA has resumed summertime foxhunts on Tuesdays at 6PM on the input of the Marlborough 147.270 repeater (i.e.. fox transmits on 147.870). The rules are that the fox must be stationary, must be able to be heard by the repeater, and must be within 20 miles of the repeater site (which in this case in more or less on I495 in Marlborough.

All are welcome to join and signal reports from “non hunting” stations are appreciated.

73,

K1KWP

Bill, KB1IUB wrote on CEMARC-list:

The South Shore FoxHunters are conducting their weekly foxhunt on Saturday July 10, 2003 at 1000 hours EST. The South Shore FoxHunters is sponsored by the Massasoit Area Radio Association and the Whitman Amateur Radio Club. We welcome new participants and all area hams are welcome to join.

The hunt consists of locating the fox, whom transmits on 146.565 MHz within the boundaries. The Fox must hide between Route 138, Route 3, and Route 44. Fox Hunters use the Bridgewater repeater (147.180 MHz PL 67) for coordination and relay of beam headings.

Fox Hunting can be conducted using body fading with a handheld. Directional antennas cut for 146 MHz would be a valuable asset.

Check out www.homingin.com for ARDF information. You can build a simple 2 meter tape beam in record time to hunt for the fox this weekend in about one hour or less.

Bill
KB1IUB
Member of WA1NPO, W1MV, K1USN

Please review email traffic from Marc W1AR, concerning testing this Monday night, 7/7, commencing at 2100. Alternatively, you can visit the RACES/ARES/SKYWARN site at YahooGroups.com for more details.

Jim Evans, N1HTS wrote on BARS-list:

Here is a nice conference within driving distance for one day.

jim

—– Original Message —–
From: “Bruce Wood” bdwood@erols.com
To: vhf@w6yx.stanford.edu; packrats@mailman.qth.net;
newsvhf@mailman.qth.net;
wsvhf@mailman.qth.net;
microwave@wa1mba.org
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 8:08 PM
Subject: [NEWSVHF] Re: [VHF] 2003 EASTERN VHF/UHF CONFERENCE

Please see the NEWS WEB site for further info and to download registration forms.

http://www.newsvhf.com

Please register early.

29th ANNUAL EASTERN VHF/UHF CONFERENCE
Date: August 22, 23 & 24, 2003
Location: Radison Hotel
1 Brightmeadow Boulevard
Enfield, CT 06082
Phone: (860) 741-2211

This years conference will kick off with a Friday evening Hospitality suite followed on Saturday with Technical Sessions, Band Rap Sessions, Lab Sessions, homebrew equipment displays and a small vendor display area. The evening will culminate with a banquet dinner, trivia quiz and door prize drawings. Sunday will begin bright and early with an outdoor flea market and antenna measuring session.

A block of hotel rooms is reserved under the “NEWS GROUP” for Friday and Saturday nights, call (860) 741-2211 for room reservations. Double rooms rates are the same $89 rate as a single room, non smoking rooms are available upon request. Conference registration is $25 and includes a Conference

Proceedings and flea market admission for either a buyer or seller. Banquet dinner is $26.

Flea market entrance for those not registered for the Conference is $5 for buyers and $10 for sellers. Bring your own tables if required, no electricity available.

Registration forms will be mailed shortly and are available for downloading on the NEWS GROUP WEB site www.newsvhf.com.

Volunteers are needed to help with all aspects of the conference.

See you there – Bruce Wood – N2LIV

WA1R wrote:

Please help the Mass. State RACES HF Net test the new 60-Meter allocation Monday night at 2100 hours (9pm). We are looking for any stations equipped with HF and 60 Meter capability to check in to a special session of the net from 2100 to 2130. The purpose, as noted, is to begin testing the capability and propagation characteristics of the new allocations. We will be meeting on the first channel 5332 MHz. Everyone is invited to participate.

Also, please note that we would like your assistance with some observations. Please let us know how you hear us and your observations of propagation. A simple email listing the location of your station, the S-signal strength reading, and your antenna setup is all you need.

As a reminder, we are limited to 50 watts into a dipole (unity gain). We must run USB and set our dials 1.5 kHz lower than the frequency listed. This will put us on what the FCC considers the center frequency so to work 5332, you would set your vfo to 5330.5.

Please email your results to wa1r@arrl.net.

Thanks and 73,

Marc, WA1R
RACES HF NCS

July 4—Early this morning, lightning struck the internet service provider that hosts the ema.arrl.org server. Internet connectivity via the T1 line was down until approximately noon time today.

It looks like mother nature got started early on the fireworks ;-( We apologize for the interruption.

ARRL.NET Traffic Blocked by Comcast (Jul 3, 2003) — League members with Comcast.net Internet service are currently having their arrl.net e-mail forwarding service blocked by Comcast. As a result of Comcast’s recent acquisition of AT&T Broadband, those with attbi.com e-mail addresses may also be affected. Several thousand ARRL members are affected by this action. [Full story]

BEDFORD—”The thrumming of power generators echoed throughout the cavernous parking garage at the Bedford campus of MITRE Corp. this weekend.

“It was a sound that mingled with that of crackling voices from far away, and the sounds of laughter, jokes, and the tap-tap-tapping of a device not often heard these days – a Morse code paddle. For the 40 or so ham radio operators hunkered down here over the weekend, the occasion -the annual Amateur Radio Field Day – was serious business. It was also serious fun.” [Full story] K1WD photo

From K1CHC:

Hi Mike,
I wanted to let you know that the Ipswich Public Safety/Emergency Management Dept as of 1500 hrs this date has a 2 meter repeater up and running. It will be available for all amateurs on a 24/7 basis unless it is needed for emergency ops. It is set up on 145.490/144.890 with a tone of 131.8 in and out. It is located at our main public safety repeater site and should offer excellent coverage. Please feel free to pass the word. This freq was coordinated thru NESMC so hopefully it will work out w/o any interference problems.

Charles Cooper K1CHC

Kevin, K1KWP wrote on CEMARC-list:

I ran across this on a TAPR mail list of all places….

73,

K1KWP

Subject: Operation ON-TARGET
From: Bob Bruninga
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2003 00:01:11 -0400 (EDT)
X-Message-Number: 4

Scouts all over the USA (near mountains) will be climbing to the top of
hills and mountains in 3 weeks to use flashing signal mirrors (and HAM
radio) to communicate from mountain-top-to-mountain top or anywhere they
can. Many will use HAM radio and many will use FRS. Some may even use
APRS.

If you like to DO things with HAM radio, contact you scout troop and have
fun! On July 19th. de WB4APR
———- Forwarded message ———-
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 21:34:29 -0600
From: n7tek
Subject: [Scoutradio] Operation On Target is 3 weeks away (Sat.,
7/19/2003)! Have you registered yet?

Greetings!

Operation On Target is 3 weeks away (Sat., 7/19/2003)! Have you registered
for a peak (or some other point)? If you haven’t go to the following
Operation On Target webpage and click on the “Registration” link in the
header:

http://www.ontargetbsa.org/

I’ve provided the following link to see the list of 33 peaks (so far) that
have been registered for:

http://www.xmission.com/~uarc/ontarget/peak.php

Amateur Radio (HAM) operators that want to volunteer to help may learn more
about this event and signup to help at the following webpage:

http://www.ontargetbsa.org/HAM_main.htm

You may have noticed that there are many teams that have signed up that
don’t have a HAM with them and we are encouraging HAMs to contact these
teams directly to offer their services. Some HAMs have already volunteered
to help and are listed on the webpage at the link below:

http://www.xmission.com/~uarc/ontarget/hamops.php

Teams please put them to use!

Mike Nielson, wmnielson9@bigplanet.com, will be finalizing and posting the
simplex frequencies and some of the repeater frequencies that will be used
for this event on the “bsa_on_target@yahoogroups.com” group. Please
register for this group if you are not already a member by going to the
following webpage:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bsa_on_target

Don’t assume that you have to be on a peak to signal with mirrors and by
radio (or cell phone). We realize that some may not want to climb a peak OR
you may not have any mountains or hills in your area. We would love to have
people organize there own version of On Target in your area perhaps
signaling from building to building, elevated structure, or even along
highways. Also we would love to have HAMs in the valley signal teams on
peaks in there areas.

This could be a great after Field Day event for the Amateur Radio community
to get involved in. We would love to see HF radio and other modes used to
coordinate and provide communications between states and areas. We would
also love to see chains of contacts created from coast to coast and from
Canada to Mexico (and perhaps beyond) in North America. I suppose the same
could be done in England and Europe. Each area could tailor the event to
fit their needs and their geography.

Thank you,
John Blackham
_____________________________________________________________
John Blackham, N7TEK
HOME: 384 North 75 East, North Salt Lake, UT, USA 84054-2320
PHONE: (H) 801-295-3036 E-MAIL: n7tek@networld.com