Clubs / Operating / Public Information

Whitman ARC Plimoth Plantation Special Event Operation, November 24-25, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Whitman ARC logoWhitman Amateur Radio Club members, assisted by other area amateurs, will set up tables and a portable station over the Thanksgiving weekend and operate a special events station at the Plimoth Plantation, the home of the Mayflower II in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  The participants will demonstrate Amateur Radio to tourists and visitors.  In the past the group has logged over a hundred HF and VHF contacts with US and foreign amateurs, including a contact with Plymouth, England.

This year’s event will be held on November 24-25, 2018. Setup takes place on Friday, November 23 at 10 AM at the Plantation’s lower parking lot. On-air operations run from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM on Saturday, November 24, and Sunday November 25. The “take down” begins at the conclusion of the Sunday operations.

The station will be operating on or near the following frequencies: 18.160 14.260 7.260 and 3.860, as well as the Whitman 147.225+ PL 67.0 repeater (EchoLink: WA1NPO-R and IRLP node 8691).

“Anyone wishing to operate at a specific time is encouraged to email wa1npo@gmail.com with dates/times and station preference and they will be added to the schedule; or,  just show up at the Plantation and find your way to either station.”

Additional information about the special event can be found at http://www.wa1npo.org/Plimoth/Plimoth2018.html.

Clubs

Quannapowitt Radio Association Turns 70 Years “Young” on November 19

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

QRA anniversary cakeDon Melanson, KA1MAP, QRA President writes:

The ARRL-affiliated Quannapowitt Radio Association (QRA), a general interest ham radio club founded November 19, 1948, is still active and open to new members. The club celebrates its 70th birthday at the December 20, 2018 meeting at 7 pm. In this current day of computers and the internet, this is a truly unusual achievement.

The QRA was founded by members of a World War II home front emergency communications organization known as the War Emergency Radio Service. After the end of WWII the WERS was disbanded, but the members reorganized themselves as an amateur radio club. From a core of ten members the club has waxed and waned through the years and currently has 20 actives and another 20 members at large. It continues the tradition of promoting radio technology, education about amateur radio, and being able to provide emergency communications when (fortunately rarely) needed.

Members of QRA are active in all facets of ham radio operation. Imagine the difficulty of sending a radio signal to the moon, and detecting its return two and a half seconds later. Imagine the difficulty in communicating with Europe using a signal with only the power of the nightlight in your bathroom. Imagine the difficulty of making radio waves, with the speed of light and with a crest-to-crest length of your knuckle, and then using those radio waves to communicate from the top of Mount Washington to Pennsylvania. These are the challenges that motivate and involve the members of the Quannapowitt Radio Association.

QRA is a general interest radio club serving the Boston and Boston-North suburb radio amateurs, computer enthusiasts and communities for seventy years. “QRA” stands for “amateurism” at its best. Membership meetings are autumn, Winter, and Spring months, third Thursday of the month, 7 PM, at the Pleasant Street Center, 49 Pleasant Street, Reading. Come on by and see what will keep us going to our club’s 100th birthday.

 

Organization

ARRL New England Director Election Results Announced

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ARRL flagARRL has announced the results of contested elections for Director and Vice Director. Ballots were opened and counted on November 16 in seven contests within five ARRL Divisions.

In the New England Division Director contest,  Lincoln, MA amateur Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, edged out incumbent Tom Frenaye, K1KI, by a count of 1,432  to 1,383. 

Hopengarten will take office at noon on January 1, 2019.  

 
 
[Full story]
Clubs / Operating

Boston ARC QRV for SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 1, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

W1BOS/MQE operation, Blue Hills, December 6, 2003On December 1, 2018, and for the 16th consecutive year, [the Boston Amateur Radio Club] will once again participate in SKYWARN Recognition Day. SRD is a joint event support by the ARRL and the National Weather Service where weather stations and weather buffs from across the country contact each other for fun and to promote the SKYWARN Program.  Our station, WX1BHO, will be located at the summit of Great Blue Hill in Milton.

For several decades, hams have assisted the National Weather Service by providing real-time reports of severe weather and storm conditions. Although the NWS operates a network of 120 Doppler radars to track severe storms, at greater ranges weather radar has a difficult time sampling conditions close to the ground. The information radio operators located near a storm provide plays a key role in aiding forecasters.

SRD stations will exchange signal reports, location and a brief description of the current weather at their respective locations (“sunny,” “partly cloudy,” “windy,” etc.). BARC will be on the air from approximately 0900 to 1500 local time. The event itself is a great way in a low-key environment to make HF contacts and get your feet wet in the HF Spectrum.

In past years we have endured all kinds of weather including warm and cold days, clear and cloudy days, and yes, even a blizzard. Access to the summit is gained by a 20 minute hike from the base of Great Blue Hill located on Route 138 next to the DCR Trailside Museum or (if you arrive early in the day) by car.

Further information is available by contacting Mark Duff, KB1EKN, at emgmgt@comcast.net. If you’re interested in hiking up the hill, contact Joe Chapman, NV1W, at nv1w@arrl.net. 

[Boston ARC’s “The SPARC”, November, 2018, by Mark Duff, KB1EKN]
Operating / Public Information / Youth

Western MA ARISS School Contact Draws ARRL Staffers, State, Local Officials

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ARISS logoARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology alumnus Mariusz Zielinski, KB1MDS, invited ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC, Lifelong Learning Administrator Ally Riedel, KM3ALF, and ARRL Communications Content Producer Michelle Patnode, W3MVP, to witness an exciting November 2 Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School in Palmer, Massachusetts, where Zielinski teaches. [Full story]

Emergency Communications

Falmouth CERT Class Begins January, 2019

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

CERT logoThe Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office has announced dates for its next winter Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program for volunteers interested in becoming a CERT member. Classes start January 15, 2019 and run six consecutive Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:30 PM through February 19, 2019. Classes are held at the Harborview Conference Room, 3195 Main Street, Barnstable Village. To qualify for CERT you must be at least 16 years of age and willing to attend each session.

The BCSO CERT Program is taught by emergency personnel to train residents, community organizations or workplaces in basic response skills. CERT members are then integrated into emergency response capability for their area so that if a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community’s professional response, CERT members can assist by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned during training.

There is no charge to participate in the program. All participants must complete and submit a CERT application and CORI form which can be found on the Community Programs page on the BCSO website at www.bsheriff.net. For questions please contact the BCSO Emergency Management Director Joe Gordon at (508) 563-4319 or jgordon@bsheriff.net.

Falmouth CERT manages the Falmouth High School’s shelter which is equipped with an Amateur Radio station.

Public Service

KD1CY Receives Blue Hills Observatory Outstanding Service Award

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The Blue Hill Observatory awarded Rob Macedo, KD1CY, with their Outstanding Service Award on November 9, 2018. The award was presented at a Blue Hills Observatory fundraising event by meteorologist and Weather Channel personality Jim Cantore and former Weather Channel meteorologist Mish Michaels. The honor was especially meaningful for Macedo as it coincided with his birthday.

“It’s both rewarding and humbling to receive [the award] in the presence of some of the most respected people in the meteorology profession,” remarked KD1CY. “It wouldn’t be possible without the support of hundreds to thousands of SKYWARN spotters and Amateur Radio operators who support the program and give their reports during times of severe weather…”

Macedo serves as the ARES SKYWARN Coordinator, and Section Emergency Coordinator for Eastern Massachusetts.

Clubs

Quannapowitt Radio Association 70th Anniversary Celebration

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

QRAThe ARRL-affiliated Quannapowitt Radio Association is seventy years young this November, according to QRA President Don Melanson, KA1MAP.

Melanson reports the club has decided to “combine their November 70th anniversary and December Christmas celebrations at the December meeting, to be held on December 20, 2018.” QRA’s actual birthday is November 18. The club meets at the Reading Senior Citizens Center, 49 Pleasant Street, in Reading.

Kudos to QRA and its membership on this historic occasion.

Emergency Communications

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net for Monday November 5 at 8:30 PM

- by kc1cic - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in November. The monthly ARES Net for November is Monday the 5th, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. 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 http://ema.arrl.org/ares

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Rob Macedo, KD1CY
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

Licensing Education & Training

Technician Licensing Class, Middleton, January, 2019

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ARRL Ham Radio License Manual book coverRon Draper, WA1QZK, writes:

A Technician class course will be conducted in January, 2019, spanning three 3-hour sessions on January 2, 16, and 30, 2019 at the Middleton Council on Aging, 38 Maple Street, in Middleton. 

Those interested can sign up and pay at the Senior Center. The deadline is December 16, 2018. The class is intended for “scouts and citizens ages 15 and up.” The cost is $35 and includes all training materials. The FCC Technician exam session will be offered at the conclusion of the course for an additional $15. 

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

November 3, 2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net Announcement

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

John O’Neill-K1JRO writes:

Good Morning Everyone,

Net Control for the November 3,2018 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 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
2. Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
3. Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
4. Simplex 147.42

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

Public Service

Norton Halloween Parade, October 28, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Ray Cord, K2TGX, writes on the Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC list:

Just a reminder to those who signed up or those who now want to help stage the Annual Norton Halloween Parade.

We will meet this Sunday October 28th at 10:30 AM in the Parking lot behind the Oasis Night Club on Pleasant St at the Norton Attleboro Line. The parade steps off at Noon and goes down Route 123 to Saint Mary’s Church. We should be done by 1:00PM

Uniform of the day is [high visibility] jackets or vests, baseball cap, and comfortable shoes.

Hams will use 147.42 direct, no tone; all others, FRS Channel 4, no tone.

Hope to see you all there.

Clubs / Public Service

Volunteers Requested, PART of Westford Pumpkin Patrol, October 31, 2018

- by k9hi - 1 Comment

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

A couple of weeks ago I thought it was time to start thinking about our annual Pumpkin Patrol on Halloween Night in Westford. Well, it is next week and I am still looking for a few more volunteers!

As we have done for many years, PART provides additional eyes and ears around our cemeteries and public buildings. We are looking for some hams to watch for tricksters and let us know (NCS is stationed at Police HQ) when there are issues so we can get a police officer dispatched if necessary.

Halloween Night is next week, Wednesday October 31st. Our Pumpkin Patrol runs from 5:45 until 10 PM. but we’ve been known to be released by 9:00 PM if the weather is cool and activity on the street low. You do not have to be there for the entire event. Some folks have come in for the 2nd half of the evening, after 8 when Trick or Treat official hours are over.

We’d love to have you join our crew. Got any questions, drop me a note.

Operating

W1HFN Fox Deployed in Littleton, October 20, 2018

- by k9hi - 1 Comment

Barry Fox, W1HFN, writes on the fox hunting list:

The W1HFN fox was deployed at the Hartwell Family Memorial Preserve (in Littleton) at 10:30 AM Sat 20 Oct, see link:

https://littletonconservationtrust.org/tws_holding/hartwell-family-memorial-preserve/

The fox broadcasts continually on 146.565 with a 20 second voice ID every minute.  The battery pack is freshly charged and should last 4 1/2 days.

Happy hunting!

Operating

KC1DKY Fox Deployed in Billerica, October 19, 2018

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Nicholas J. Mollo, KC1DKY, writes on the fox hunter list on October 19, 2018 at 1:07 PM:

With the crisp autumn air and changing leaves, what a great time to get out on a trail and find a fox!  The KC1DKY fox is out in Billerica on conservation and recreation land.  It’s a nice quarter of a mile walk from the parking location, if you go to the right trail head.  The fox is less than 50 feet from the trail.  Fox frequency is 146.565 MHz.  Transmit a DTMF tone of 1 to activate the fox.  It will jingle for 30 seconds and be quiet for 15 seconds.  This will repeat for 20 minutes.  It should be available until middle next week.  If you happen to be in the right location and it does not active, try transmitting a few # tones, but only if you are in the correct general area and still cannot seem to turn it on.

Good luck!

******SPOILER ALERT*****

daeh liart daor evoc elbert

tserof etats acirellib

 

NTS

NEW 1RN NET MANAGER – W1RVY

- by kw1u - Leave a Comment

After serving as manager of the First Region Net Cycle 4 (1RN) since 2011 , Bill Mann W1KX of Monmouth ME is stepping down.  Bill took over following the passing of W1UD and has done a tremendous job of keeping the net active,  and we are very grateful to Bill for all he has done for NTS.  We expect to see him continue as a regular net participant, but Eric Wilhelm W1RVY of Southbridge MA has volunteered to assume net leadership and will take over as manager effective November 1, 2018.  Eric has been a regular participant on both Massachusetts Rhode Island (MARI) CW net and Central Mass 2 Meter net (CM2MN) as well as 1RN and we look forward to his leadership.  Thanks to Eric for stepping up.

Operating

N1Y / USS Cassin Young 75th Anniversary Special Events Operation, October 20-21, 2018

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USS Cassin Young/ WW2DDPi Pugh, K1RV, Mike Rioux, W1USN, along with other members of the USS Cassin Young Radio Club will activate the USS Cassin Young as N1Y from 0900-1600 ET at the Boston National Historical Park on October 20-21, 2018.

K1RV will be on CW using his KX3/KPA100 rig and one of the existing shipboard verticals.  CW operation will be primarily on 14.050 and 7.050 MHz. SSB operation will occur on 14.250 and 7.225 MHz.

This event is held in conjunction with the National Park Service and US Navy to recognize the 75th Anniversary of the Commissioning of the USS Cassin Young DD 793, a World War II Fletcher-class destroyer, and the birthday of the United States Navy. The USS Cassin Young is located at the Boston National Historical Park (HP-04) in Charlestown, MA.