ARRL EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION
Section Manager (SM) – Tom Walsh, K1TW
Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Phil Temples, K9HI
Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) – Arthur “Bo” Budinger, WA1QYM
Official Observer Coordinator (OOC) – Ed Parish, K1EP
Public Information Coordinator (PIC) – Bob Salow, WA1IDA
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) – (open)
Section Traffic Manager (STM) – Marcia Forde, KW1U
Section Youth Coordinator (SYC) – Jeremy Breef-Pilz, KB1REQ
State Government Liaison (SGL) – Hank Mc Carl, W4RIG
Technical Coordinator (TC) – Dan Brown, W1DAN
JUNE 2015 SECTION NEWS
Mike Neilsen, W1MPN, has resigned as our Eastern Massachusetts Section
Emergency Coordinator (SEC). Mike has served the EMA section for many
years. He originally served as EMA SEC from 2001-2005, followed by two
terms as EMA Section Manager (SM) from 2005-2006 and again from
2008-2010. It has been my privilege to work with Mike since becoming
SM. I am sure I speak for many who will miss Mike. He leaves us with a
strong ARES and EMCOMM organization. His successor will benefit from
that, and I am proud of Mike’s outstanding service to ARRL and our
community for so many years. Thank-you Mike for a job well done.
Congratulations to Jim Palmer, KB1KQW, who received the ARRL Service to
Scouting Award at the NSRA meeting in May. Jim is the second recipient
of this award in the EMA section.
Marcia Forde, KW1U, EMA STM in her May report identifies the following
EMA amateurs have qualified for:
– BPL: KW1U, N1IQI
– PSHR: KW1U, N1IQI, N1TF, KC1CIC, N1LKJ
Jeremy, KB1REQ, Section Youth Coordinator reports the Clay Center ARC
at Dexter Southfield School, Brookline, MA, has been a big attraction
this year with 42 students participating in licensing classes offered
to grades 4 through 8. Thirty-seven passed Technician, 15 later
upgraded to General, and 4 continued to Amateur Extra. All students
were under the age of 14. For more details about the club, visit
<http://www.cc-arc.org>. Contact – Bob Phinney, <K5TEC@arrl.net>.
Jeremy, KB1REQ, EMA SYC also reports that Northeastern University
Wireless finished off the semester strong. “We had 7 student members
get their Amateur radio Licenses, with one to General. Sponsored a
Club table at the May Flea at MIT. We also hosted a very successful New
England QSO Party effort, we had a blast putting Suffolk County on the
air. Our Student operators were KB1REQ and KC1DTB along with alumni
member N1QD”.
June 27-28 is ARRL Field Day, an opportune time for clubs and
individuals to demonstrate the many capabilities of Amateur Radio to
the general public. As part of your field day planning, are you taking
advantage of the benefits of promoting your operation to visitors, the
press, elected officials, and attracting potential new hams?
Make sure you have the ARRL 2015 Field Day packet which details all the
bonus points and is available at
<http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Field-Day/2015/2015%20Field%20Day%20Packet%20ver%201.pdf>
Also be sure you have contacted Bill Ricker, N1VUX, <n1vux@arrl.net> to
be included on the EMA Section Field Day Locator Map
<http://fd.ema.arrl.org/>.
BOXBORO
BOXBORO! 2015, the ARRL New England Division Convention, is now just 2
months away (August 21-23, 2015). A final call for speakers was sent
out recently in the New England Division Newsletter by Division
Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI. Highlights of the program and forums are
posted on the Boxboro web page at <http://www.boxboro.org/>. Check the
web pages frequently as more updates are added.
COURSES
TECH-IN-A-DAY, August 22, 2015, 9 AM – 5 PM
The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association is holding a free Technician
study course at the Boxboro 2015 convention. Registration and full
details are at <http://www.boxboro.org/techcourse/>
FLEA MARKETS
June 21, Cambridge MA
Flea at MIT <http://w1mx.mit.edu/flea-at-mit>
August 22-23, Boxboro Convention
SPECIAL EVENTS ON THE AIR
June 27-28: ARRL Field Day
June 30-July 5: The 13 Colonies Special Event. Details at
<http://www.13colonies.info/>
August 8: W1NAS at the site of the former Weymouth Naval Air Station.
August 21-23: W1A at the Boxboro Convention
CLUB AND OTHER NEWS
Members of the Algonquin ARC provided communications in support of the
joint Marlborough/Hudson HazMat Day on May 29. They used FRS radios,
along with 440 MHz transceivers for backup. They also held a Project
Night on June 11 featuring member presentations.
Cape Ann ARA members activated Thacher Island Lighthouse as W1T on June
5-7. The crew brought in their own food, and radio gear. Ruth, WW1N led
the event. Says Ruth: “If you’ve never stayed out on the island with
the twin lighthouses and the seagulls (that can be heard over the
radio!); it’s worth the experience at least once.”
Eleven boy scouts working on their Radio Merit Badges visited the
Westford QTH of Andy, KB1OIQ recently. The PART of Westford President
says, “It was a contest weekend, so we heard lots of DX call signs,
and many different accents. The boys heard the phonetics, and typed the
call signs into the QRZ website. There were many countries that were new
to the Scouts, but the map on that website showed the country’s
location. This helped the Scouts learn something about geography.” In
addition, several of the scouts made contacts over the local 146.955
repeater with PART members.
The Zola Center ARC conducted a VE session on June 13 in Newton
Highlands to accommodate several members who are blind.
New England Amateur Radio Club (NEAR) is a new organization which
provides educational support and training, license testing, and
assistance to start-up groups. NEAR is a non-profit 501(c)(3)
corporation whose purpose is to promote amateur radio as a STEM
activity (science, technology, engineering, and math), as a
communications hobby, and as support for emergency preparedness and
public service. See <http://www.ne1ar.org> for more information.
Contact – Marek Kozubal, <KB1NCG@ne1ar.org>
A number of Eastern MA amateurs were spotted in the flea market,
meeting rooms, convention halls and hospitality suites at this year’s
annual Dayton Hamvention May 15-17.
The Genesis ARS conducted a foxhunt on June 13 from 10 AM to Noon at
Plymouth airport. Foxhunters will use 146.685 PL 82.5 for coordination;
the fox will transmit on 146.535 simplex.
Assistant SEC Rob Macedo, KD1CY presented on ARES/SKYWARN to the
members of the Genesis ARS at their monthly May meeting.
The South Shore Hospital ARC will provide communications support for
two road races at Wompatuck State Park in Norwell: the “Set the Pace”
Road Race on June 13, and another on June 20 that will benefit the
Weymouth Food Pantry. They need additional volunteers for both events.
Foxes have been cleverly hiding of late in the Town of Westford.
According to John, KB1MGI: “The 2-meter fox is on 146.565, remote
controlled by pressing DTMF tone 2 for two seconds. The 70cm fox is on
432.300, remote controlled by pressing DTMF tone 2 for two seconds.”
The PART of Westford 2-meter repeater hosted two public service events
recently: the annual Apple Blossom Parade in Westford on May 16; and
the northern segment of the annual Brain Tumor Association Boston Ride
on May 17. The Waltham ARA kindly made available its 2-meter repeater
for comms for the latter event’s southern segment.
The Southeastern MA ARA’s new radio room was delivered–actually,
hoisted into place–onto the club property in Dartmouth on June 5!
Congrats.
The K1USN RC will host a special events station, W1NAS, at the site of
the former Naval Air Station in South Weymouth on August 8. Stations at
two separate locations will be QRV.
Kudos to the members of the Cape Marconi Maritime Center (WA1WCC) who
have been doing extensive antenna work and repairs of late. The group
recently built and installed an original “Marconi T” antenna. The
antenna will be dedicated to use on the museum’s restored S.S.
Hope’s radio console.
The Falmouth ARA Scholarship Program announced the award of two $1000
scholarships for 2015 at the FARA April meeting on April 30th. Thanks
Dick, K1MGH.
The Falmouth ARA held a station meeting on June 6 to introduce new
members to the equipment and its proper operation. FARA’s club station,
K1AIR, is located on Joint Base Cape Cod. The club station is “a work
in progress,” with antennas and additional equipment scheduled for
installation in the spring. FARA members wishing to access the club
station must complete an application process and obtain an ID issued by
Joint Base Cape Cod.
W1UE of Marlborough was QRV for the WPX CW contest from VA3CCO. Says
Dennis, “Lots of fun! First time doing a contest from VE3–much
different than from W1!
Just in time for Field Day: here’s an informative YouTube video
describing the N1MM contest logging program simply and effectively:
<http://tinyurl.com/nkcg82d>. Thanks KB1VXY.
Bristol County RA member Steve, KB1VYD, has created an awesome Public
Service Announcement for the club’s Field Day operation. View it at:
<http://tinyurl.com/onlmg6e>.
From Paul, N1OIL, President of the Mystic Valley Amateur Radio Group
(MVARG) comes word that they will not be holding Field Day because of
another public service event.
MMRA is holding a special Town Meeting for Marathon participants in
Brookline on June 16. Open to all.
The Waltham ARA reports plans for a club table at Boxboro to promote
memberships.
Larry W1DYJ is responsible for the 2015 Phillips Amateur Radio Club
(PARC) Field Day project plan for W1HP in Andover.
<http://www.qsl.net/w1hp/>
The Billerica ARS is taking its usual summer break from meetings and
will resume in September. Billerica members this year will support two
field day operations, W1HH Chelmsford and W1HP Andover joining with the
Phillips Amateur Radio Club (PARC).
The Pentucket Radio Association reports they are setting up Field Day
at the West Newbury Public Safety Building at 401 Main Street. The site
is very public and they expect some visitors from the fire and police
departments. Contact: David Robertson KD1NA <kd1na363@gmail.com>.
Thanks John AB1PX.
The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association invites the public to a 24 hour
continuous live demonstration of amateur radio on Field Day. Starting
at 2 PM at the Fuller School in Gloucester, MA on Saturday June 27th
and will end at 2 PM the following Sunday June 28th. Thanks Hank
W4RIG.
Acknowledgement:
Thanks to Assistant Section Manager Phil Temples, K9HI, for his help as
co-author on the June Section News.
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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Thomas D Walsh, K1TW
k1tw@arrl.org
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