ARRL EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION Section Manager (SM) - Phil Temples, K9HI Assistant Section Manager (ASM) – Jeremy Breef-Pilz, KB1REQ Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) - "Bo" Budinger, WA1QYM Official Observer Coordinator (OOC) - Ed Parish, K1EP Public Information Coordinator (PIC) - Bob Salow, WA1IDA Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) - Rob Macedo, KD1CY Section Traffic Manager (STM) – Marcia Forde, KW1U State Government Liaison (SGL) - Shawn O'Donnell, K3HI Technical Coordinator (TC) - Eric Falkof, K1NUN MARCH 2012 SECTION NEWS The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has implemented a new Auxiliary Communications System (ACS) to operate MEMA's radio system. ACS will replace the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) as the primary communications organization serving MEMA. Acting State RACES Officer Mike Neilsen, W1MPN, outlined the changes at a statewide meeting in Sutton, MA on Feb. 25, 2012. While MEMA relies primarily on the Web-based WEB EOC system for reporting and communications, ACS volunteers will operate MEMA's backup radio network that operates on non-amateur frequencies. The volunteers will not be required to hold Amateur Radio licenses. Amateur Radio will continue to play an important part in disaster intelligence gathering through its SKYWARN program and MEMA has asked Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) leadership to help develop the new ACS program, criteria and training for delivering damage reports from the local cities and towns to MEMA. Regional EMA headquarters will continue to operate, and RACES operations will continue in the cities and towns that support the Plymouth, Seabrook and Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant Evacuation Plans. According to Neilsen, "these same RACES operators will likely continue to be involved with ACS at the local town and city level in other disaster related scenarios at the discretion of the Emergency Management Agency Director." –Thanks, W1MPN & Whitman ARC "Spectrum." The Genesis ARS in Plymouth is conducting an Amateur Radio license class on March 9-10, and 17, according to GARS' KA1GDQ. If you are interested, please contact Joe at <ka1gdq@gmail.com> or Chris, N1IR at <n1ir@arrl.net>. Marathon Amateur Radio Communications, a consortium of amateurs from the Framingham ARA, Minuteman Repeater Association and other groups, is looking to fill a few remaining positions for communications for the 116th Boston Marathon on April 16. To volunteer, visit <http://marc.mmra.org/>. The Cape Ann ARA is working with the Gloucester Emergency Management Agency to obtain a utility trailer. CAARA will use it to store Field day supplies and other items. TC Eric Falkof, K1NUN's presentation on "stealth antennas" at the PART of Westford's Feb. 21 meeting was well received. As reported in last month's Section News column, the Framingham ARC flea market will be held on March 25. See <http://fara.org/flea> for more info. Mark your calendars for the Spring 2012 NEAR-Fest in Deerfield, NH on May 4-5, 2012. Details can be found at <http://www.near-fest.com>. Pilgrim ARC's repeater in Truro is experiencing intermittent noise problems. PARC president WA1KYU says a tower climb and inspection of a jumper cable that connects the antenna and hard line is planned for the near future. According to Southeastern MA ARA's N1IXC, applications for the club's scholarship are currently being solicited. Special event station W1S will operate May 11-12, 1300-2300 UTC from the annual Steampunk City Festival in Waltham. Frequency: 14.280 MHz. QSL or certificate with SASE to Bill McIninch, KA1MOM at his QRZ.COM address. Bill is seeking General class operators and higher, and loggers (any class) to help with the operation. KB1KVL would like to announce the new "FMers Ragchew Net" which meets each Thursday night at 8 PM on 29.680 MHz. The Boston ARC is looking for hams for the Multiple Sclerosis Society's MS Walk on April 1 in Boston. Contact <wa1ida@arrl.net> if you can assist. New FCC rules for the Amateur Radio 60-meter band go into effect on March 5, 2012. See <http://tinyurl.com/6onq4dc>. The South Shore Hospital ARC will provide communications support for road races on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. If you can help, drop an email to <ssharc@gmail.com>. John Thompson, W1BIH/PJ9JT, of Plymouth, a lifetime ARRL member and a CQ Contest Hall of Famer, will be celebrating his 97th birthday in March. John is in a nursing home and the latest news is that he is not doing very well. Please take a minute and write John to wish him a happy birthday to his QRZ.com address. A short note in very large type or print would be best, as his eyesight is not so good. Congrats are in order to the Nashoba Valley ARC -- 20 years young in April 2012! The Antique Radio flea market in Westford on Feb. 19 attracted approximately 70 vendors and 400 buyers. W1EKT was among those who helped to organize the flea. On the lighter side: this cute YouTube video of the cartoon character Dilbert as a child, who grows up to become a ham and an engineer: <http://tinyurl.com/3xtra2>. From the "Oooo-kay-department": An Austrian professor has built something he calls a Tworse Key that allows you to post to Twitter using Morse code. To learn how to make your own tweeting telegraph key, visit <http://tinyurl.com/7kz8gvu>. WB1HGA passes along this interesting historical trivia (from 73 Magazine, Sept. 1988): The numerals 88 and 73 have been a tradition in communication languages for almost 130 years. The older of the two, 73, appeared in 1853 meaning "My love to you." In 1857, the first official definition made it a "fraternal greeting between operators." Two years later, Western Union made 73 a part of their "92 code" to indicate "Accept my compliments." The final change came in 1895, when 73 meant "Best Regards" for the telegraph and later, for radio operators. 88 never received the formality of an official listing until it was adopted as one of the ham abbreviations. It had been one of the telegraphers' traditional terms since well before the turn of the century. During the first World War, 88 was used by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, again strictly as an operator's abbreviation in unofficial communications. But at the close of the WWI, 88 achieved official status as part of amateur radio terminology, "Love and Kisses." 73, K9HI -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Section Manager: Phillip Temples, K9HI k9hi@arrl.org --------------------------------------------------------------------
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