HF Operations on Marathon Monday

Marc Stern, WA1R, writes:
 
The Massachusetts HF Net will open sign-on Monday morning at 6 a.m. in standby mode in support of Marathon operations and will remain in this mode until at least 1800 hours local time. Eastern Mass. ARES leadership has asked all amateurs not involved directly to also standby.
 
This year, like last year, there will likely be rain starting about the time runners gather for the morning’s run. Unlike last year, which was complicated by energy-sapping cold and rain, this year’s rain is supposed to be warm and there is a chance of thunderstorms and lightning that will potentially cause runners problems.
 
For HF operations, the Weather Service station, WX1BOS, will be on the air and MEMA HQ will be on the air under the call WC1MA. The HF net will operate on its primary frequency, 3.930.
 
Thanks in advance,
 
73,
 
Marc, WA1R
DEC-HF EMA ARES

HF Coord/MEMA

Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message #2 – Monday April 15th, 2019

Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on wx1box.org:

.Strong Storm System will bring mild temperatures through Southern New England including along the Boston Marathon route along with the potential for rain and heavier downpours and potentially isolated thunderstorms with attendant lightning risk. There is also the potential for strong winds during Marathon Monday under any heavier rain showers and thunderstorms and then as a cold front pass through the area late Monday Afternoon as the marathon ends, through Monday Night and into early Tuesday Morning..

..Boston Marathon volunteers and runners should prepare for the rain and changeable temperatures with largely mild conditions but a slightly cool start and a cooler mid to late afternoon from west to east across the marathon route..

[Full story]

Request For Operators, YuKanRun Twin Lights Half Marathon, Gloucester, April 27, 2019

Christopher Winczewski, K1TAT, writes on the CAARA list:

It’s that time of the year again. Public service 2019 is starting with the YuKanRun Twin Lights on April 27, 2019.

CAARA has a great public service team. Come out and have some fun with us. Why?  You are using Amateur Radio to provide a needed public service to ensure the safety and smooth running of a public event in local communities.

“I would but I do not have a radio.” No excuse, we have loaner radios available with a magnetic mount that will work in your car just by just plugging it into the cigarette lighter socket. We have loaner hand held radios as well!

“I don’t have transportation.” No excuse, we will pick you up and drop you off at your house.

“I do not have the time to spare for a whole race.” Well, you can commit to a time slot for just two hours. We will bend over backwards to get you to participate.

YuKanRun Twin Lights Half Marathon. Good Harbor Beach April 27, 9:00am Half Marathon Start Thatcher Road, Gloucester, MA.

Please let us know what type of equipment you plan to use ( mobile; HT; ¼-wave mag mount; rubber duck, etc.) so we have a better idea of where to locate you along the event course per the potential of your equipment.

The course will be open and supported by CAARA  for four hours. Runner safety is everyone’s top priority.  Local EMT crews and ambulances will be available for three hours to help.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Chris K1TAT

Twin Lights Communications Team.
Gloucester, MA. Good Harbor Beach.
Last Updated: 4/10//2019 9:50pm
Event date: April 27,
On Location: 8:30 am
Starts: Half Marathon Run = 9:00am
Freq: W1GLO Repeater 145.130 – PL:107.2 Back up:Simplex 146.565

KD1CY to Participate in 2019 National Hurricane Conference

Rob Macedo, KD1CY
Rob Macedo, KD1CY

Eastern Massachusetts ARRL field organization staffer Rob Macedo, KD1CY, will participate in the National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Workshop  in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 23, 2019.

According to Rob, “All Amateur Radio sessions are free. They will be on Tuesday April 23, 2019 from 11:30 AM-1:15 PM EDT (10:30 AM-12:15 PM CDT) and 2:30-6:00 PM EDT (1:30 PM-5:00 PM CDT). Each presenter will not only give an overview of their respective group but also how their group handled both the historic 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season and the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season.”

KD1CY is Section Emergency Coordinator and ARES SKYWARN Coordinator. He will present on “VoIP (Voice over IP) Hurricane Net and Best Practices in SKYWARN for Tropical Systems.”

Further details can be found at <http://wx1box.org/2019/04/10/special-announcement-national-hurricane-conference-in-new-orleans-louisiana-amateur-radio-workshop-to-be-livestreamed-tuesday-4-23-19-amateur-radio-workshop-1130-am-600-pm-edt-1030-am-500-pm-cdt/>.

Westford Kiwanis Apple Blossom Parade, Ham Volunteers Requested, May 18, 2019

PART of Westford logoTerry Stader, KA8SCP, writes on the PART-L mailing list:

PART of Westford – WB1GOF for many years now has supported the Westford Kiwanis by providing communication support of their parade. So once again, PART been asked to provide communications for the Westford Kiwanis Apple Blossom Parade. This year the parade is on Saturday, May 18th, 2019.
 
The parade starts around 10 AM near the junction of Graniteville Rd and Main St. and ending at Abbot School. Volunteer hams will need to be available from 8:30/9:00 AM until 11:00 AM/noon at the latest. All you need to bring is a 2 meter handheld and some good walking shoes. We need about a dozen operators for this event.
 
Most volunteers will be assigned to “shadow” various members of the AB Parade committee. Our actual duty will not start till about 9:00 AM but we need to get into the center of town before the roads are closed and we need to establish our assignments by 8:30 AM or so.
 
If you’ve never done public service events, this is a great first time event. We will pair you up with a “veteran” ham so you get the chance to be part of a team. Parades are always fun… so why not join us on a Saturday morning, bring the kids and your XYL, bring mom and dad, enjoy.
 
Please contact me if you are interested and can assist or need more information.
 
Thanks in advance for your help.

MASSACHUSETTS TRAFFIC REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 2019

Greetings All.  Below is the February Traffic Report,  just in time before we start on the March reports.  Your STM was distracted by a vacation, a computer hack while on vacation and a period of post vacation catch-up.  This traffic report was submitted to ARRL March 15 but due to an early QST deadline it will have to wait to make the next QST. 
 
Just a word about the use of pro-words and non pro-words.  Here is a link to our section website where you will find a list of common prowords and introductory words/phrases: https://ema.arrl.org/prowords-and-introductory-words-phrases/.  You will notice it is introduced with a quote from the “Methods and Practices Guidelines (MPG) available on the ARRL website.
“Do what the trained receiving operator expects and confusion and errors will be minimized.”  As our local and section nets are for training, let me stress that we are all learning and do not expect perfection.  Remember the goal is to learn how to do things better, more accurately and more efficiently.  I encourage all to refer to the information in this article.
 
Also in the interest of good practice and efficiency we strive to eliminate extraneous and unnecessary words or phrases, such as “check of”, “going to”, “break for text”, “and the signature is” , and perhaps most widely used “how copy”.  We should know the order of the format and shouldn’t need to introduce each part of the radiogram.  At the end we say “end no more” or “end more”.  If the receiving station needs fills he/she will ask.  If no fills are needed, he/she will respond with “roger”.
 
All on our nets are doing a great job and it is much appreciated.  These are just a few tips that can help us to do even better. 
 
Thanks for your support and 73,
 
Marcia KW1U STM
 
MA STM REPORT       February 2019    
               
NET SESSIONS QTC QNI QTR NM FREQ Net Time
WMTN C1 28 3 235 161 KD2JKV 146.91 10:00 Daily
WMTN C2 19 0 154 117 N1YCW 146.91 13:00 Daily
MARI 28 106 120 534 KW1U 3565 KHz 19:00 Daily
EM2MN 28 102 164 518 KC1CIC 145.23 20:00 Daily
CM2MN 19 21 111 164 KK1X 146.97 21:00 Daily
MARIPN 12 10 36 103 N1LAH 3978 KHz 18:00 Tu,Th,Sa
CITN 16 3 52 180 AC7RB 147.375 19:30 Tu,Th, F,Sa
HHTN 16 27 108 233 W1HAI MMRA Rptrs 22:00 Su,M,W,F
WMEN 4 0 113 80   3944 KHz 08:30 Su
WARPSN 4 8 71 NA N1IQI 147.225 08:30 Su
               
SAR ORG REC SENT DEL TOTAL BPL = 500+ pts  
N1IQI 0 157 470 4 631 X  
KW1U 1 263 251 2 517 X  
N1TF 0 33 46 5 84    
KC1CIC 0 46 22 3 71    
W1RVY 0 53 16 2 71    
WA1LPM 0 26 37 0 63    
KD2JKV 0 21 21 0 42    
KC1HHO 0 12 23 6 41    
N1LAH 0 20 19 0 39    
WA1VAB 0 13 6 11 30    
NV1N 0 4 13 0 17    
W1PLK 0 2 4 4 10    
K1BML 0 2 0 1 3    
               
PSHR (Min 70 Points) 1 2 3 4 5 6 TOTAL
KC1CIC 40 40 30 10 0 20 140
KW1U 40 40 30 0 0 20 130
N1TF 40 40 30 5 0 0 115
N1IQI 40 40 10 10 0 10 110
W1RVY 40 40 30 0 0 0 110
KD2JKV 40 40 30 0 0 0 110
N1LAH 40 39 20 0 0 0 99
WA1LPM 40 40 10 0 0 0 90
KC1HHO 28 40 10 0 0 0 78
               
DRS RCV FWD TOTAL        
KW1U 1011 1338 2349        
N1IQI 157 470 627        
KC1CIC 30 42 72        
KC1EGK 0 1 1        
W1RVY 0 0 0        
               
Marcia KW1U STM; Greg KC1CIC ASTM EMA; Peter KD2JKV ASTM WMA    
           
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
     

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net for Monday April 1 at 8:30pm

Hello to all…

The monthly ARES Net is Monday April 1, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system.

We had an issue with last months net but that has been resolved.

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:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: <https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA>. A brief introduction to ATIS can be found at: <https://www.vatsim.net/pilot-resource-centre/general-lessons/understanding-atis>. We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation.

Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at <https://ema.arrl.org/ares>. Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Rob Macedo, KD1CYEastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

2019 SKYWARN Training Schedule Posted

SKYWARN logoRob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on WX1BOX.org:

The 2019 NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Training Class Schedule for the spring season [has been posted]. Please distribute widely to anyone interested in becoming a SKYWARN Spotter! Additional SKYWARN Training classes are in planning. This includes a class in the Rowe/Charlemont, Mass area, Granby/Hartland, CT area, Western Hampshire County Massachusetts, Eastern Franklin County Massachusetts and potentially other locations in Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts. Another update will be posted to the schedule in one to two weeks. There will also be a slate of SKYWARN classes in the Fall of this year. [Full story]

“Ham Operators Train for the Worst”

The Maynard Wicked Local online newspaper featured a story with numerous photos on March 18, 2019 entitled, “Ham Operators Train for the Worst.”

“Ham Radio operators from around the area held a drill Monday morning, March 18, 2019, to coordinate coverage in a simulated case of a tornado strike in Hudson, Maynard, Stow and Acton. With the Amature (sic) Radio Emergency Service base in the Stow Fire Department, participants logged in from towns around the area, thereby confirming the coverage available in times of emergency. “

Run of the Charles, Volunteers Sought, April 28, 2019

Brett Smith, AB1RL writes:

The annual Run of the Charles is a fundraiser for the Charles River Watershed Association to support river cleanup and research efforts. This year the event will have completely new routes. The longest route is 14 miles and begins at the Newton Boathouse. All routes end at Artesani Park in Brighton. There are assignments available at various times throughout the morning into the mid-afternoon along the river between Newton and Brighton.

To sign up, simply write me back and let me know:

  • Your cell phone number
  • Your shirt size
  • Any time or location constraints on your volunteer availability

If you have questions about either event, please feel free to ask. You can also call or text me at (859) 466 5915.

MS Walk Boston Volunteers Needed, April 7, 2019

The annual MS Walk Boston raises funds for multiple sclerosis research and patient advocacy. The event uses amateur radio spotters to track participant progress and ensure their safety. This year’s event features a streamlined, more accessible route. The MS Walk Boston is on Sunday, April 7. You’ll check in at 8:00 AM and stay until the early afternoon. Lunch is available at the finish for volunteers.

To sign up, register online, then mail Rick Savage, KB1LYJ to let him know you’re on the team.

Groton Road Race Requests Amateur Radio Support, April 28, 2019

Ralph Swick, KD1SM writes in the March, 2019 issue of NVARC “Signal”:

Sunday, April 28 will be the 28th running of the Groton Road race. The Groton Police Department and the Race Committee are again formally requesting support from the Amateur Radio community for logistics and safety communications for this high-profile event. The Groton Road Race has been a major event for Amateur Radio in North Central Massachusetts. [The Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club] has been coordinating the ham participation since the second year of the event. Many NVARC members are 26-year (soon to be 27-year) veterans. Those of you who have joined us in past years know that the runners sincerely appreciate our presence. Many say so as they run past. This event is so large that Police Departments from several other communities come to assist the Groton PD. Part of our role is to provide the communications from the Groton Police to these out-of-town officers who come to help with the event. 

Contributing to the public good is one of the reasons Amateur Radio exists. Our public service events are a key opportunity for us to show our colors, volunteer our skills and equipment, and demonstrate why it is in the public’s interest to continue to allocate precious RF spectrum to our the Amateur Radio service. The Groton Road Race is a low-stress event and a great way to gain more experience with the public service aspect of Amateur Radio. Please consider joining us on the 28th. If you are interested in helping at events like this but are unsure of what is expected of you or what equipment you may need, please do not hesitate to ask Ralph KD1SM, Stan KD1LE, or John, KK1X. You can also find detailed information about the operations in previous years at <https://www.n1nc.org>.

YuKanRun Fool’s Dual 5K Run, Gloucester, March 31, 2019

Christopher Winczewski, K1TAT, writes on the CAARA list:

It’s that time of the year again. Public service 2019 is starting with the YuKanRun Fool’s Dual 5K on March 31.

CAARA has a great public service team. Come out and have some fun with us. Why?  You are using Amateur Radio to provide a needed public service to ensure the safety and smooth running of a public event in local communities.

“I would but I do not have a radio.” No excuse, we have loaner radios available with a magnetic mount that will work in your car just by just plugging it into the cigarette lighter socket. We have loaner hand held radios as well!

“I don’t have transportation.” No excuse, we will pick you up and drop you off at your house.

“I do not have the time to spare for a whole race.” Well, you can commit to a time slot for just two hours. We will bend over backwards to get you to participate.

YuKanRun Fool’s Dual 5K
March 31, 9:00 AM 
5K Race Start 10:00 AM Half Marathon
O’Maley Middle School
32 Cherry Street Gloucester, MA

SKYWARN Training, Natick, May 4, 2019

SKYWARN logoThe National Weather Service (NWS) in Boston/Norton Massachusetts will be sponsoring a severe weather spotter training session, part of its SKYWARN program.

The session is open to the public at no charge. Amateur Radio operators, emergency managers, police, fire, and other first responders are encouraged to attend. Everyone age 16 and older who stays to complete the training will be able to become trained NWS weather spotters.

The training session includes a two-hour thirty-minute computer-based presentation, which discusses the development of thunderstorms, the criteria for “severe” thunderstorms, as well as the cloud features associated with severe thunderstorms and tornados. Additional information will be presented about winter storms and proper snow measurement and reporting of coastal flooding, river, stream, and urban flooding and rainfall measurements. The session will also present the procedure for reporting weather information to the National Weather Service. Safety procedures for the various forms of summer severe weather (severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning), winter storms, and flooding will also be covered in the training session. Anyone attending should bring a pen or pencil and bringing a notebook is optional.

To register, visit <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skywarn-training-class-natick-ma-tickets-57356953191?aff=ebapi>

Contact Rob Macedo, KD1CY, at rmacedo@rcn.com for any questions or further info on the SKYWARN training class.

EMA Public Service List

photo of Start line, Walk for HungerThanks to input from: Chris Winczewski, K1TAT; the Cape Ann ARA; Eric Horwitz, KA1NCF; the North Shore RA; Brett Smith, AB1RL; PART of Westford; and the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association we’re pleased to present a comprehensive list of public service events in Eastern Massachusetts. 

If your club is sponsoring a public service event and would like to be listed, please contact Phil Temples, K9HI, at <k9hi@arrl.org> for inclusion.

March 2, 2019 Eastern MA Hospital Net

Hello Everyone,

Net Control for the March 2,2019 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH, The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club . The net will commence at the usual time of 10:AM using the following repeaters in the order listed.

1. Attleboro 147.195 Mhz tone 127.3
2. Boston 145.230 Mhz tone encode 88.5 decode 100.0
3. Plymouth 146.685 Mhz tone 131.8
4. Simplex 147.42 Mhz

The Net will then return to the Attleboro Repeater for final comments and 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 or EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the NET.

Any hospital wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month. More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

REMINDER: The BARC Repeater is now using split tone. Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0

Repeaters
Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Mansfield EMA 446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 131.8
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Respectfully,

John O’
K1JRO

South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club – W1SSH
55 Fogg Road, Box 42
South Weymouth, MA 02190

New ARES Plan Approved by ARRL Board of Directors Press Release

The ARRL Board of Directors at their last board meeting approved the new ARES Strategic Plan and on Tuesday 2/19/19 put out a press release on the strategic plan and a link to the finalized ARES plan. Details can be found at the following links:

New Plan Aligns ARES with the needs of served agencies
ARES Strategic Plan

Eastern Massachusetts ARES will be following these plans and will make adjustments to the ARES workshop materials to reflect the new ARES structure and strategic plan.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Has a New State Director – Samantha Phillips

The Massachusetts Governor’s office announced on Wednesday 2/20 that Samantha Phillips will be the new state director of the agency replacing Kurt Schwartz after 30 years of public service in various roles in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Details on the new state director and the changes in MEMA leadership can be seen in the following state press release:

Baker-Polito Administration Names Samantha Phillips as MEMA Director

Volunteers Still Needed for 2019 Boston Marathon

Registration has been open for the 2019 Boston Marathon for Amateur Radio Operators across the start, course, finish and with transportation medical buses. Volunteer registration is open through Wednesday February 6th and though arrangements can be made with the Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Committee to volunteer after this deadline, we are hoping to get all needed volunteers prior to the February 6th deadline. For volunteer information registration and information, please see the following link:
 
http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/event-information/volunteer-information/volunteer-registration.aspx

If you are interested in volunteering for the 2019 Boston Marathon but are not sure at this stage about whether you can participate, we encourage you to register now. If it turns out you cannot volunteer, send notification that you can no longer volunteer as early as possible. It will be very difficult to bring in volunteers once registration closes. If you register and can no longer volunteer at the event, please let us know as early as possible so contingency planning can be completed.

For Amateur Radio/ham radio operators, you don’t need to specify any group name or passcode. Just make sure you request at least one ham radio assignment in your preferences. Once you get your application confirmation number, you’re all set.

If you’re a returning volunteer (whether an Amateur Radio or non-Amateur Radio assignment), you’ll be asked to provide your BAA Volunteer Loyalty Number. You should’ve received that in a separate e-mail from the BAA today. There’s also a tool to look it up on the BAA volunteer site. If you still have trouble finding it, e-mail us and we can help you out.

Don’t delay! Volunteer registration closes on Wednesday February 6th. Help us get the word out by forwarding this e-mail to your club and other hams who might like to volunteer and for non-hams to any volunteer groups who might be interested in supporting the event. Most volunteers first learn about the event through word of mouth. If you know new amateurs involved in volunteering for events who might like to volunteer, make sure to let them know about it. Even just a quick mention at your club meeting or regular meeting of your organization can be a big help.

If you have any questions about volunteer registration, or the 2019 Marathon generally, please get in touch anytime. Volunteering at the Marathon is a big job, and we appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into it. We’re happy to do what we can to make your work more comfortable or effective.

-Matthew Forman/Rob Macedo
-Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Communications Committee