Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

Tom Kinahan, N1CPE writes on mras_general list:

The following new courses have been added to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s training calendar:

* Ice & Cold Water Safety Awareness at MEMA Headquarters-Operations Room on January 26, 2008

* Incident Command System 200 at MEMA Region III HQ on February 18, 2008

* Incident Command System 300 at Brimfield Elementary School on February 9, 2008

* Incident Command System 300 at Fall River Fire Headquarters on February 13, 2008

* Incident Command System 300 at Grafton Police Station on February 26, 2008

* Small Animal Handling & Pet First Aid at MEMA Headquarters-Operations Room on January 19, 2008

* Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standardized Awareness Course at Mass Highway District 2 Classroom on February 18, 2008

Visit our web site for more details.

Listing public events at which Amateur Radio communications is providing a public service and for which additional volunteers from the Amateur Community are needed and welcome. Please contact the person listed to identify how you may serve and what equipment you may need to bring.

The most up-to-date copy of this list is maintained as http://purl.org/hamradio/publicservice/nediv.

**** Every event listed is looking for communications volunteers ****

Date      Location     Event                       Contact        Tel/Email

Feb  8 Laconia     NH World Champ Dog sled races   Dave KA1VJU   603-398-3667
                                                            ka1vju@dmegin.com
Feb  9 Laconia     NH World Champ Dog sled races   Dave KA1VJU   603-398-3667
                                                            ka1vju@dmegin.com
Feb 10 Laconia     NH World Champ Dog sled races   Dave KA1VJU   603-398-3667
                                                            ka1vju@dmegin.com
Feb 16 Laconia     NH Sandwich Notch 60 sled race  Dave KA1VJU   603-398-3667
                                                            ka1vju@dmegin.com
Jul 12 Woburn      MA New England Classic Tour     Mike K1LJN    978.244.0417 
       see http://www.newenglandclassic.org                    k1ljn@arrl.net
Jul 13 Durham      NH New England Classic Tour     Mike K1LJN    978.244.0417 
                                                               k1ljn@arrl.net
Jul 14 Biddeford   ME New England Classic Tour     Mike K1LJN    978.244.0417 
                                                               k1ljn@arrl.net
Jul 15 North ConwayNH New England Classic Tour     Mike K1LJN    978.244.0417 
                                                               k1ljn@arrl.net
Jul 16 Northfield  VT New England Classic Tour     Mike K1LJN    978.244.0417 
                                                               k1ljn@arrl.net
Jul 17 Killington  VT New England Classic Tour     Mike K1LJN    978.244.0417 
                                                               k1ljn@arrl.net
Jul 18 Rindge      NH New England Classic Tour     Mike K1LJN    978.244.0417 
                                                               k1ljn@arrl.net

This list is published periodically as demand warrants by Stan KD1LE and Ralph KD1SM. Our usual distribution is via Internet mail to the arrl-nediv-list and ema-arrl distribution lists, and on the World Wide Web. If other mailing list owners wish us to distribute via their lists we will be happy to oblige. Permission is herewith granted to republish this list in its entirety provided credit is given to the authors and the Web address below is included. Send comments, corrections, and updates to:

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Refer to http://purl.org/hamradio/publicservice/nediv for the most recent version of the PSLIST.

ARRL section and division appointees and affiliated club leaders attended the winter New England Division Cabinet Meeting in Springfield, Massachusetts on January 5, 2007. The cabinet meetings precede ARRL Board of Directors meetings by 1-2 weeks.

Approximately 30 people from all of the seven New England Division ARRL sections attended the day-long meeting, co-chaired by Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI and Vice Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF. The meeting encompassed a wide-ranging discussion covering numerous issues, including new ham recruitment, the impact of PAVE PAWS on Amateur Radio 440 MHz repeaters, and results from the WRC 2007 conference.

Special guest Mary Hobart, K1MMH, ARRL Chief Development Officer spoke about planning efforts underway to commemorate the 100th anniversary of ARRL in 2014. Mike Raisbeck took the opportunity to update attendees on NEARFest and Boxboro. Numerous items were auctioned at the conclusion of the meeting; $175 of collected funds were earmarked for donation to the ARRL Historical Fund.

Minutes of the meeting are available for viewing.

The Framingham Amateur Radio Association has a number of activities planned throughout the coming months at its location in the Danforth Museum in downtown Framingham.

This past December, FARA taught “crash courses” for General and Amateur Extra class upgrades; it will host a Morse code session on January 19, 2008 and an Emergency Communications orientation class on February 23, 2008. On March 14, the Framingham Amateur Radio Association will once again conduct its highly successful “License In A Weekend” for Technician class candidates.

The Harvard Wireless Club is in the process of establishing a “Centennial Business Plan” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its existence with on-air events and activities throughout 2009, according to HWC President Zane Wruble, W2YL.

As part of the festivities, former HWC members would be encouraged to use their callsigns with the suffix “/100” or “/100HWC”. Non-HWC amateurs would be encouraged to contact “/100” stations who would transmit their graduating class year and calls sign while attending Harvard. Non-undergrads and alumni would send their affiliation. Certificates would be issued to anyone contacting 100, 50, 25 or ten “/100” stations.

Wruble plans to work with ARRL and FCC in the hopes of obtaining a special “W100AF” call sign for use during 2009. She also plans to establish operating schedules for HWC members to ensure that the club station is on the air “at least a few hours every week” during 2009.

A Technician licensing course will be offered in October by the Concord-Carlisle Adult and Community Education program in conjunction with the Colonial Wireless Association. The course will meet on February 12, 14, 26, and 28 at the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School L-Building in Concord. The fee is $20. At this time, the course has openings.

For more information contact Fred Harrington, KB1EMV at fharrington@concordscientific.com or to enroll, please visit http://www.ace.colonial.net/Default.html, then “Browse” for “Communications and Speech” courses, then select “Concord Ham Radio Class”.

Members of the Southeastern MA Amateur Radio Association have some interesting improvements to their repeater to look forward to.

According to SEMARA’s Rick Cabral, W1RJC, new “voice-overs” are being produced by WBZ radio anchor/reporter Greg Jenson. “Once we have them, voice IDs, upcoming events and top of hour announcements will be added to repeater once again.”

Also in the works is a single “boop” courtesy tone will let repeater users know that the IRLP & EchoLink node is idle. “The traditional 3-tone musical ‘stardust’ courtesy tone will let you know that the node is connected,” adds Cabral.

“We will be installing a 2nd computer at the repeater site to remotely control and upload voice messages to the repeater, as well as stream the repeater audio live eventually,” says W1RJC.

Lastly, the club has a long-term goal of installing a 16-channel Motorola remote base radio on the repeater to allow linking to the Minuteman Repeater Association repeaters for the monthly ARES net and to other systems.

–Thanks, SEMARA Zero Beat, December 2007

To: New England Division Section Managers, Assistant Directors,
Advisory Committee members and Affiliated Club Presidents

Subject: New England Division Cabinet Meeting – Saturday, January 5, 2008

I’d like to invite you to the winter ARRL New England Division Cabinet meeting on Saturday, January 5, 2008 – in Springfield MA.

We usually have 35+ people attending from clubs across New England – this will be an opportunity for you to provide direct input to the ARRL on policy issues. The meeting will run from 9:00am until 4:30pm, with coffee/snacks at 8:30am and a break for lunch at noon – and as in the past we’re asking for your contribution of $15 to help cover some of the cost for breaks and for lunch.

There is an ARRL Board meeting scheduled for January 18th and 19th – this meeting will give us a chance to talk about issues you think the Board should be considering. What would you like to see on the agenda for our meeting?

The meeting will be at the Sheraton-Springfield Hotel (800-426-9004) at One Monarch Place, Springfield MA. You can view a map and get driving directions here:

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/area/map.html?propertyID=989

If you park in the hotel garage, we’ll cover the parking charges as part of the meeting cost.

Please let me know by December 30th (earlier is better!) if you will be coming so we can plan for a big enough room and enough food. Vice Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, and I are looking forward to seeing you there!

Very 73!
— Tom

PS: Sometimes the ARRL database hasn’t been updated with current information about your club. If you’re not the current club president – please pass this on to the right person! You can make updates or corrections to your club’s listings by selecting your club from this page on the ARRL web site, then submitting updated information:

http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/clubsearch.phtml

Tom Frenaye, K1KI ARRL New England Division Director k1ki@arrl.org
P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444

Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF ARRL New England Division Vice Director k1twf@arrl.org
85 High Street, Chelmsford MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-1235

Members of the Billerica Amateur Radio Society will contribute food for the club’s annual food drive to benefit the Billerica Food Pantry.

According to BARS’ Secretary Cathy Evans, KB1EET, “the Billerica Food Pantry donation will be collected at the [BARS] December 5th meeting. Non-perishable items are what they are still looking for.”

Billerica ARS has provided food for the Billerica Food Pantry now for a number of years.

—Thanks, Billerica ARS Newsletter, December, 2007

Tom Kinahan, N1CPE writes on mras-leaders list:

The following new courses have been added to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s training calendar:

* Community Emergency Response Team Program at Andover Public Safety Complex on January 16, 2008

* Incident Command System 300 at Swansea Fire Department on January 14, 2008

* Incident Command System 300 at Barnstable County Fire & Rescue Training Academy on January 16, 2008

* Incident Command System 300 at Worcester County Sheriff’s Office on January 29, 2008

* Incident Command System 300 at U.S. Coast Guard Base (Function Room) on February 12, 2008

* Incident Command System 400 at Barnstable County Fire & Rescue Training Academy on January 8, 2008

* Incident Command System 400 at Wellesley Police Department on January 17, 2008

* Incident Command System 400 at Saugus Public Safety Building on January 21, 2008

* Incident Command System 400 at Mirant Canal Plant on January 24, 2008

Visit our web site for more details.