December 2019 Section News – Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

December 2019: EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS (EMA) SECTION NEWS

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Welcome to the Eastern Massachusetts ARRL section newsletter.

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To see all the monthly section news, which is updated regularly, visit

<https://ema.arrl.org/>.

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UP FRONT

EMA SECTION STAFF CHANGES

As we close out 2019, I have a couple of changes to the section staff to announce.

Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ has stepped down as the Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC). Andy is taking a well-earned break after almost three years as our Affiliated Club Coordinator. Andy did an outstanding job, reaching out to the clubs, helping clubs maintain their status as active ARRL affiliated clubs, and encouraging clubs to apply for or maintain their Special Service Club status. He did this while also serving as President of the PART of Westford club over many years. Andy hosted a very popular session each year at the Boxboro Convention aimed at helping clubs stay healthy. On behalf of the section, my thanks to Andy for his attention to the local clubs.

Bruce Blain, K1BG, has been appointed as a EMA Assistant Section Manager (ASM). Bruce has established himself throughout the area as a champion of entry level licensing and new hams. Effective immediately, Bruce will take on the role of Affiliated Club Coordinator for EMA along with promoting and mentoring amateur radio in our section.

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ARRL NEW ENGLAND DIVISION CABINET MEETING

Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, plans to hold a division cabinet meeting on January 12, 2020 to precede the ARRL Board of Director’s meeting the following week. Fred is “seeking guidance” from section managers and club leaders, and wishes to have representatives in attendance from the various affiliated clubs throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New England. To keep the attendance to a manageable level, the objective is to have one representative per club attend. This is usually the Club President. A club President may however designate someone else in their stead. In the past, several clubs have sent multiple representatives, making the meetings unwieldy. Please RSVP to k1vr@arrl.org for details on time and location.

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MASSACHUSETTS DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW

ARRL Letter summary

Massachusetts has settled on a one-hand-on-the-wheel rule for mobiles. The Bay State’s two ARRL Section Managers report they have received confirmation that the Commonwealth’s distracted driving law does not apply to two-way mobile radio operation. The new law “permits use of a federally licensed two-way radio, provided that one hand remains on the steering wheel at all times,” except as provided in sections 8M, 12A, and 13B of the law. — Thanks to Western Massachusetts SM Ray Lajoie, KB1LRL, and ARRL Eastern Massachusetts SM Tom Walsh, K1TW

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JANUARY SOUTH SHORE HOSPITAL NET

Net Control for the January 4, 2020 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH, the South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Group. The net will commence at the usual time of 10:00 AM using the following repeaters / frequencies in the order listed.

1. Plymouth 146.685 tone 131.8

2. W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244

3. Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0

4. Simplex 147.42 Mhz

The Net will then return to the Plymouth Repeater for final comments and Net closing.

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K1IR TOWER SAFETY TALK VIDEOS AVAILABLE

K1IR Promotes Tower Safety Month on “Ham Nation” Broadcast
https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/11/k1ir-promotes-tower-safety-month-on-ham-nation-broadcast/

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NEW AFFILIATED CLUB SERVICE OFFERED: YOUR CLUB ON THE WEB!

We understand it’s difficult to recruit and retain a webmaster for your club. In fact, some clubs’ web sites have fallen into disrepair. That’s why we’re excited to offer this new service to ARRL affiliated clubs—a hosted page on the EMA ARRL web site. The address is of the form, https://ema.arrl.org/<Your Club Name>. The pages would be maintained by our webmaster, with input from your club officers.

What would the page look like? We’ve set up an example featuring the fictional “No Name” Amateur Radio Club, at https://ema.arrl.org/affiliated-club-template/ .

Questions? Contact ASM Phil Temples, K9HI, at k9hi@arrl.org.

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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT RADIO CLUB?

Please visit <https://ema.arrl.org/affiliated-clubs/radio-clubs-of-yesteryear/> and send any information you might have to our Assistant Section Manager (ASM) Phil Temples, K9HI, at <k9hi@arrl.org>.

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FLEA MARKETS:

January 18, 2020 Whitman MA @ Knights of Columbus Rt18 Chris N1CFB

508-224-8528 http://www.wa1npo.org/WF/WinterfestFlyer2020.pdf

February 15, 2020 Marlboro MA Algonquin ARC 25 Union St Tim KA1OS

508-919-6136. https://www.qsl.net/n1em/

A full list of New England flea markets can be found at https://ema.arrl.org/2019/10/11/new-england-area-flea-markets-october-4-2019/

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PUBLIC SERVICE EVENTS

There are no known public service events for the coming month.

Ham radio volunteer registration for the 2020 BAA Marathon on April 20 will open in January. Stay tuned to the Eastern MA ARRL website for information on how to register.

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NEWS FROM EMA.ARRL.ORG:

Each day on the section web site we bring you news and information from Eastern Massachusetts and beyond. Visit https://ema.arrl.org for the latest.

Here’s a recap of the stories from December, 2019:

– Area Clubs Celebrating Holiday Cheer, Part II https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/27/area-clubs-celebrating-holiday-cheer-part-ii/

– Pilgrim ARC Meets Monday, January 13, 2020 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/26/pilgrim-arc-meets-monday-january-13-2020/

– Special Announcement: Merry Christmas/Happy New Year/Happy Holidays to All SKYWARN Spotters & Amateur Radio Operators https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/25/special-announcement-merry-christmas-happy-new-year-happy-holidays-to-all-skywarn-spotters-amateur-radio-operators/

– Cape Cod CW Operators Club Operating Event https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/24/cape-cod-cw-operators-club-operating-event/

– Virginia Radio Amateur will Recreate 1906 Fessenden Christmas Eve Broadcast https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/23/virginia-radio-amateur-will-recreate-1906-fessenden-christmas-eve-broadcast/

– December “Youth on The Air” Month https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/20/december-youth-on-the-air-month/

– Massachusetts Rhode Island Phone Net Time Change https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/20/massachusetts-rhode-island-phone-net-time-change/

– Yankee Clipper Contest Club DMR Net, December 18, 2019 and Each Wednesday, 8 PM-9 PM https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/18/yankee-clipper-contest-club-dmr-net-december-18-2019-and-each-wednesday-8-pm-9-pm/

– Nashoba Valley ARC Meets December 19, 2019 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/18/nashoba-valley-arc-meets-december-19-2019/

– Amateur Radio Antennas To Be Installed at New School on Cape Cod https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/16/amateur-radio-antennas-to-be-installed-at-new-school-on-cape-cod/

– Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC Technician Course Begins January 15, 2020 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/15/sturdy-memorial-hospital-arc-technician-course-begins-january-15-2020/

– “Neighbors are fighting a Framingham man’s OK to erect an 80-foot ham radio tower” https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/12/neighbors-are-fighting-a-framingham-mans-ok-to-erect-an-80-foot-ham-radio-tower/

– NOAA/NASA Panel Concurs that Solar Cycle 25 will Peak in July 2025 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/11/noaa-nasa-panel-concurs-that-solar-cycle-25-will-peak-in-july-2025/

– K1IR Promotes Tower Safety Month on “Ham Nation” Broadcast https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/11/k1ir-promotes-tower-safety-month-on-ham-nation-broadcast/

– Whitman ARC General License Class Begins December 10, 2019 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/11/whitman-arc-general-license-class-begins-december-10-2019/

– ARRL Rookie Roundup, December 22, 2019 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/11/arrl-rookie-roundup-december-22-2019/

– Next Kids Day is Saturday, January 4, 2020 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/10/next-kids-day-is-saturday-january-4-2020/

– Mystic Valley ARG Meets December 15, 2019 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/10/mystic-valley-arg-meets-december-15-2019/

– Dan’s Tech Night: Transistors, December 12, 2019 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/10/dans-tech-night-transistors-december-12-2019/

– New England Sci-Tech Technician License Course, January 11-12, 2020 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/10/new-england-sci-tech-technician-license-course-january-11-12-2020/

– New England Sci-Tech Technician Course, Five Weekdays, January 8-February 5, 2020 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/10/new-england-sci-tech-technician-course-five-weekdays-january-8-february-5-2020/

– Radio Amateur’s “Tribute to a Century of Broadcasting” Video Debuts on YouTube https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/06/radio-amateurs-tribute-to-a-century-of-broadcasting-video-debuts-on-youtube/

– Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net — Saturday 12/7/19 at 1000 AM ET https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/06/eastern-massachusetts-hospital-net-saturday-12-7-19-at-1000-am-et/

– Billerica ARS Outreach to New Hams https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/03/billerica-ars-outreach-to-new-hams/

– WQ1O: “Emergency Go-Kits” at New England Sci-Tech ARS, December 17, 2019 https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/03/wq1o-emergency-go-kits-at-new-england-sci-tech-ars-december-17-2019/

Please visit the website for the latest news stories.

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EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES

The first Monday of every month is a test of the Massachusetts RACES and ARES communication capabilities. The monthly ARES VHF Net is at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system.

To see all the recent news on Eastern Massachusetts ARES please visit <https://ema.arrl.org/category/emcomm/>. This site is constantly maintained with the latest happenings by our EMA SEC, Rob, KD1CY.

If you are interested in joining Eastern Massachusetts ARES, visit <https://secure1.ema.arrl.org/qilan/ares/EMA/ARES_about>.

To find out more about EMA ARES visit <https://ema.arrl.org/ares/>.

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Section Traffic Manager (STM), Marcia KW1U

The November section traffic manager report may be viewed at <https://ema.arrl.org/2019/12/27/massachusetts-traffic-report-for-november-2019/>.

This report lists all the PSHR and BPL recognitions for the month and details the very extensive level of NTS activity across the state.

November BPL recipients: KW1U, N1IQI

November PSHR recipients: KW1U, N1TF, N1IQI, W1RVY, KD2JKV, N1LAH, KE1ML, KC1HHO.

Find the list of all NTS daily nets in Massachusetts here: <https://ema.arrl.org/national-traffic-system/net-schedule/>.

To see more news on Eastern Massachusetts Traffic Handling and Nets visit <https://ema.arrl.org/category/nts/>.

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NET REPORTS

FIRST REGION NET (1RN) REPORT (CW)

Eric, W1RVY, is manager of 1RN Cycle 4, the evening CW net. Eric reports the November net had 57 sessions that handled a total of 61 pieces of traffic and a total of 160 check-ins for the month.

FIRST REGION NET (FRN) REPORT (SSB)

Betsey, K1EIC, is manager of FRN Cycle 2, the daytime SSB net. Betsey reports the November net had 60 sessions that handled a total of 120 pieces of traffic and a total of 275 check-ins for the month.

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Section website:

<https://ema.arrl.org/>

Section Facebook page:

<https://www.facebook.com/easternmaarrl/>

Section Leadership:

<https://ema.arrl.org/organization/#Section_Leadership>

Section Public Service List:

<https://ema.arrl.org/2019/03/05/ema-public-service-list/>

Section Speaker List:

<https://ema.arrl.org/2018/04/16/eastern-ma-club-speakers-list/>.

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