Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Baystate Marathon/Half-Marathon support Sunday October 17, 2021

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

KA8SCP-Terry Stader, MEMA Region 1 RACES Radio Officer & ARES District Emergency Coordinator writes:

I apologize for this late notice on this.

Amateur Radio operators have been asked once again to support the Baystate Marathon and Half Marathon. This year the event is on Sunday, October 17th. Our operational time period is from approximately 0700 until event completion (estimated 1400). Our assistance has been requested by Lowell Office of Emergency Management and Lowell Fire Department. The communications team will be employing Amateur Radio to provide this communications asset.

Amateur Radio will be used for:
* Accountability net: the purpose of this net is to coordinate with a race public information booth the status of runners who are unable to complete the race for any issue to any one is seeking this information.

Race info may be found at http://baystatemarathon.com. Course map is found at https://www.baystatemarathon.com/course-map-description-spectator-info

Please contact me if you are able to assist or would like more information.

Please share with others that may be interested. This is a pretty laid back event and suitable for first time public event participation.

Terry-KA8SCP

Terry M. Stader – KA8SCP
MEMA Region 1 RACES Officer
EMA District Emergency Coordinator

Public Information

KM1NDY Featured on Pittsfield Community TV, WTBR-FM, October 13, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
Mindy Hull,  KM1NDY, South Boston, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7 on October 13, 2021 at 9 AM.  The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV.
 
Mindy will speak on a wide variety of topics including: Summits On The Air (SOTA); Parks On The Air (POTA); her work with New England Sci-Tech in Natick, MA; and operating in Winter Field Day. 
 
The show will also be available as a podcast.
 
Affiliated Clubs

KC2G: “Propagation Website” at YCCC Meeting, October 6, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

YCCC logoKen Caruso, WO1N, writes on the YCCC mailing list:

The formal meeting time is [October 6, 2021 at] 7:00PM – 9:00PM.

YCCC Member Andrew – KC2G will be giving a presentation on the propagation website he developed:

Prop.kc2g.com <https://prop.kc2g.com/>

Additionally, you may find the presentation by Jose – CT1BOH from the 2021 Spring Contest University interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-esob7BPtc

Check out Jose’s presentation that starts at the 5hr:39min mark and see how he used the data presented on Andrew’s site to improve his analysis/prediction of potential DX paths.

73,

Ken – WO1N

[Contact Ken at wo1n -at- arrl -dot- net for Zoom information]
Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday October 4th, 2021 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater Network

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

The October Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday October 4th, 2021 at 830 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:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. For this month’s ARES Net, we will be doing a “last call” for Metro Boston ARES District Emergency Coordinator, Boston Amateur Radio Club member, town of Hull RACES/Communications Officer, friend and Amateur Radio Operator, K1BTH-Blake Haskell who became a silent key Thursday 9/30/21. We will also announce our plan to conduct our Eastern Massachusetts ARES SET (Simulated Emergency Test) drill for Saturday 11/13/21 from 1000 AM-1200 PM along with several other announcements.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Technical

Andy’s Ham Radio Linux Software Update, Version 24e

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

linux penguin logoAndy Stewart, KB1OIQ, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:

I have just released version 24e of the “Andy’s Ham Radio Linux” software collection.  This is the 20th release since I started this work in 2011.  There are quite a few new pieces of software, as well as all of the other programs to which you’ve become accustomed.

To learn more: https://sourceforge.net/projects/kb1oiq-andysham/

Have fun and 73!

Operating / Youth

W0MXX Balloon Launch, Cummington, MA, October 2, 2021

- by k9hi - 1 Comment

Seth Kendall writes on the STARS mailing list:

Max [W0MXX] and family are tentatively targeting a launch of our latest high altitude balloon on:

Saturday, Sept. 25th  October 2, 2021

TENTATIVE launch location: Around Stafford, CT Cummington, MA

Note: This will change on the morning of launch, so keep an eye out for posts!
Launch prep begins at 9:30 am with a launch time at around Noon.

(If Saturday is scrubbed, we will shoot for Sunday, and if that’s scrubbed, then next weekend. We will try to keep this thread updated.)

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Pick and choose from…

  1. Come to the Launch!  

    1. We start our prep at 9:30 am and aim to launch by noon.

    2. Keep an eye on our posts on the morning of launch for an updated location.

    3. Stream the prep and launch action for those that can’t make it using your phone.  We’ve never done this before, but always been interested, since most people aren’t able to come in person.  Our discord server has a Voice Hangout section that could be used for this, though we’re fine with any platform. (this is not expected if you show up haha, just a fun idea)

  1. Track the balloon online!

    1. https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FW0MXX-11&timerange=3600&tail=3600 

      1. This gives live updates directly from the transmitter.

    2. https://tracker.habhub.org/

      1. This is very useful for us, because it will give a predicted landing location.  As it gets close to landing, we can really benefit from people tracking it here, and letting us know where to look.  You can post locations here on groups.io, or if you are tracking it live and able to talk, give us your phone number to keep in touch while we’re on the road.

    3. Join our discord server for the most frequent updates.  We’d love to have you there in general as we work on weather balloons and try to troubleshoot problems!  It’s especially useful on launch day though.

      1. Step 1 – Make a Discord account:  http://discord.com/app 

      2. Step 2 – Join our server.  This invite will expire in 7 days:

https://discord.gg/fQRpHG8n 

  1. Watch this thread on groups.io, or better yet, track the balloon and contribute to it!

  2. Come track the landing beacon!

    1. Bring your 2m mag mount antenna, SDR, and laptop (with wifi access – we use our phone as a mobile hotspot), and try to pick up those final beacons just before (or after) it hits the ground (read: tree).  This can really help us to pinpoint where it actually landed.

    2. Max will post tomorrow with more details about using HDSDR and Direwolf to receive, decode, and publish the GPS data online.

    3. Keep up to date on the predicted landing location using tracker.habhub.org (above) or just tuning into others’ posts on our Discord or groups.io.  I’m not sure where people will post, but we find Discord easier for these kinds of things. 

  1. Come help us physically search for and recover it.

    1. Keep up to date on landing location via groups.io

    2. We’ll agree on a meeting point from which to conduct the search.

    3. Bring some basic survival stuff

      1. Boots, bug spray, water, etc.

    4. Bring your handheld to maintain contact during the search!

    5. We have a slingshot, and are trying to grab a fishing reel in time in order to try and fish it out of a tree should the cutdown system not work.  If you have any other tools you think could help with that, bring em!

    6. If you are a tree climber, bring your gear!  We’ll put you to use!

 

 
We’ve seemed to zero into a final launch location:
 
William Cullen Bryant Homestead
207 Bryant Rd
Cummington, MA 01026 
Operating

KD1D Fox is Transmitting, Westford, MA, October 1, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
Alan Hicks, KD1D, writes on NEMassFoxHunters list on October 1, 2021 at 4:29 PM: 
 

The KD1D Fox is on the air: 146.565 MHz FM, transmitting for about 20-30 seconds every 60 seconds

You may be able to hear it from the Westford Town Common (Boston Road and Main Street), but you may have better luck taking a bearing from the park near the top of Parkhurst Drive.

The approximate location is One of the Conservation Lands listed at:
https://westfordconservationtrust.org/trust-land/

73 and Happy Hunting from Alan, KD1D

 
Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

No Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net for Saturday 10/2/21 – Net Resumes Saturday 11/6/21

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Good afternoon Everyone,

Tomorrow October 2, 2021 we WILL NOT be holding an Eastern MA Hospital Net. The members of the SSHARG will be providing communications support for the annual Set the Pace Road Race.

https://www.southshorehealth.org/give/friends-south-shore-health/set-pace-road-race

We will resume our monthly net in November on the 6th , the first Saturday in November at 10am.

73s,
South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Group

NTS

Cape and Islands Net (CITN) – New Manager and Schedule Effective Oct 1, 2021

- by kw1u - Leave a Comment

Mark Pereira, AC7RB, has served as CITN manager for several years but has decided to step down effective September 30, 2021.  We thank Mark very much for his years of faithful service to the net,  Effective October 1, 2021 the new manager will be Tim Doyle, W1TCD.  A big thank you to Tim for stepping up.   I know the net will be in good hands.  There will be a slight change in the schedule.  The net will now convene on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  A big thank you also to Jon McCombie, N1ILZ, for his help in assisting as NCS.  For more information about the net see https://ema.arrl.org/cape-and-islands-traffic-net/

 

NTS

Eastern Mass 2 Meter Traffic Net (EM2MTN) Accepting Radiograms via APRS Text

- by kw1u - Leave a Comment

The EM2MTN is a premier amateur radio activity in the Eastern Massachusetts ARRL section.  With numerous Official Relay Stations processing hundreds of Radiograms every month.

The Net will now be offering our messaging services to stations capable of sending APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) text messages. 

Some of the Official Relay Stations involved with the Net have received training and are ready to process your Radiograms sent to them by the APRS network.  Please follow the example explained in the APRS Protocol Reference, Chapter 14 NTS Radiograms (pg.75) http://www.aprs.org/doc/APRS101.PDF. APRS Radiograms can be forwarded to the APRS stations of Bob KC1KVY-5, Loren N1IQI or Peter KC1HHO-9.  

You will receive a confirmation of receipt message via APRS and an APRS message letting you know that your radiogram was processed.  You can check your APRS callsign for messages by going online to https://aprs.fi/?c=message&call=&limit=25 and searching your APRS callsign.  

Radiograms can be sent for confirming QSOs, special occasions, holiday or birthday greetings and announcements related to the amateur radio hobby.  These types of messages are common place and sending them by APRS is an innovative and unique way to utilize your APRS asset more often. 

The Radiograms processed by the EM2MTN relay stations keep them prepared for potential Emergency and Welfare messages. Please consider incorporating your APRS activities into the important function of NTS. 

For more information you can check into the net on the Boston repeater 145.230 MHz PL 88.5 – 2000 hrs daily or email Peter KC1HHO@arrl.net

 

Affiliated Clubs

New England Sci-Tech ARS / Wellesley ARS Joint Meeting, September 28, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
The New England Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society and the Wellesley Amateur Radio Society will hold a joint online and in-person meeting on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at 7 PM at New England Sci-Tech, 16 Tech Circle, Natick MA 01760, Telephone: 508-319-9592.
 
The STARS radio room will be open from 5:00-7:00 PM with informal radio activities.
 
The joint meeting with the Wellesley ARS will begin at 7:00 PM.  Jeremy KB1REQ will demonstrate cabling kits. 
Refreshments will be served.
 
Flea markets & Conventions

NEAR-Fest is ON! October 15-16, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

NEAR-Fest logoMichael Crestohl, W1RC, writes:

NEAR-FEST XXX is ON!  We are looking forward to seeing all our friends, new and old, after a very long two-year absence at Deerfield at 0900 on Friday October 15th.

Although there are no state or local mandates we want everybody to feel safe at NEAR-Fest.  We are asking all attendees to bring their own masks and hand sanitizer.   PLEASE respect the wishes of others and wear a mask when inside any of our buildings and observe a 10’ or 2m distance from others whenever possible.  We also request that you don your mask when interacting with any member of our staff, inside or outside.  They have expressed their concerns.  Remember if we didn’t have them we could not do NEAR-Fest! Kindly honor their wishes.

Tickets will be on sale at the gate.  Admission is $15 per person and $10 for inside parking which includes flea market selling space.  You can save $5 on your admission tickets if you buy them in advance.  They are available BY MAIL (do not mail later than Monday October 5th)Mail to NEAR-Fest, 316 Atlantic Avenue, Marblehead MA 01945, checks or amo payable to NEAR-Fest and a self-addressed stamped envelope.  Also available in person at Ham Radio Outlet in Salem NH and at Ross W1EKG’s clock shop, 40 Walnut Street in Whitman MA.

We look forward to our “Grand Homecoming”.  It has been a very long two years.

73,

MisterMike, W1RC

PS: Don’t forget to attend the ARRL Division Director candidates “Town Hall” meeting on Friday.   See our web site www.near-fest.com for details.

 
 
Public Service

Request for operators YuKanRun Twin Lights Half Marathon, October 3, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Christopher Winczewski, K1TAT, writes on the CAARA list:

CAARA request for operators: we are looking for a few check points and a trail vehicle.

CAARA has a great public service team. Come out and have some fun with us. Why?  You are using Amateur Radio to provide a needed public service to ensure the safety and smooth running of a public event in local communities.

We are looking for operators to staff the YuKanRun Twin Lights Half Marathon at Good Harbor Beach, October 3, 2021 at 9:00 AM. Half Marathon starts at Thatcher Road, Gloucester, MA.

While CAARA’s repeater performance has greatly improved we may still experience some difficulty with communications especially with low-powered HTs, so we’ll be looking for higher powered equipment to staff those areas.

Please let us know what type of equipment you plan to use ( Mobile; HT; ¼-Wave Mag-Mount; Rubber-Duck; etc.) so we have a better idea of where to locate you along the event course per the potential of your equipment.

The course will be open and supported by CAARA. for Four hours. Runner safety is everyone’s top priority. Local EMT crews and ambulances will be available for three hours to help.

Twin Lights Communications Team.
Gloucester, MA. Good Harbor Beach
Last Updated: 9/27//2021 7:50pm
Event date: October 3, 2021
On Location: 8:30 am
Starts: Half Marathon Run = 9:00am
Freq: W1GLO Repeater 145.130 – PL:107.2 Back up 146.505 Simplex

Public Service

Ham Volunteers Sought for “Set the Pace” Road Race, Pembroke, October 2, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John O’Neill, K1JRO, writes on the South Shore Health Amateur Radio Group:

We will be providing communications support for the annual Set the Pace road race / event supporting South Shore Health’s Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Unit.  

This year the event will take place at the Hobomock Elementary School in Pembroke on October 2, 2021 at 9 am.

We are in need of a handful of ham operators stationed along the route.  A 2-meter handheld programmed for 147.42 simplex and the Bridgewater (147.18 tone 67.0) Repeater is all that is required.

You will be stationed along the course on town streets providing race support.   

If you would like to volunteer please reply by this coming Wednesday, September 22.  

Thank You,

John O’Neill
K1JRO
Regards,
John O’Neill
ssharg@outlook.com

Meet up info:
8AM
Hobomock Elementary School
Learning Way, Pembroke.
Soccer Field Parking Lot
(On the right before school)

Frequencies:
Simplex 147.42
Bridgewater Repeater 147.180 T 67.0

Course Map attached

Thanks,
John O’
K1JRO

Affiliated Clubs

New England Director Candidates Night at K1USN Radio Club Meeting Online, September 28, 2021

- by k1tw - Leave a Comment

k1usn qsl card“Pi” Pugh, K1RV, writes on the K1USN mailing list:

I want to remind everyone of our upcoming “Candidates Night” Zoom session @ 7:30 PM on Tuesday, September 28th with the three candidates for ARRL New England Director: Fred Hopengarten, K1VR (current Director); Tom Frenaye, K1KI (former Director); and Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC.

This “Candidates Night” will be an opportunity to learn more about each candidate and to ask them questions about their view for the future of Amateur Radio in New England.

We want to see a good turnout for this Zoom session and hope that you will have some questions for the candidates.

Questions should be addressed to all three candidates. Please forward any questions to Pi – K1RV ( k1rv@arrl.net ) as well as to Thaire – W2APF ( thaire.w2apf@gmail.com ), who will be acting as moderation for the evening. Preference will be given to written questions submitted in advance and we also hope to take live questions via the Zoom chat window during the session as time permits.

[If you would like to join our rapidly growing list of K1USN Zoom attendees then send me an e-mail ( k1rv@arrl.net ) to be added to the master Zoom list which is separate from the K1USN member list.]
Operating

K1MJC Fox is On the Loose in Waltham, September 24, 2021

- by k9hi - 2 Comments.

Mike Cormier, K1MJC, writes on the Waltham ARA list and NEMassFoxHunters list at 5:33 PM on September 24, 2021:

Yes, the K1MJC Fox is out yet again! I watched the weather and decided to take a chance.

The fox is in somewhere in a conservation area, and for all those eager Beavers you might be able to locate it before Sundown today.

As usual, it will be retrieved before Sundown Sunday.

One of The maps on this page would prove useful! https://walthamlandtrust.org/trail-guides/

Happy hunting!

Operating

First Annual New England Parks On The Air Event, October 16, 2021

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Parks On The Air logoThe K1USN Radio Club has announced the 1st Annual Autumn New England Parks On The Air event on Saturday, October 16, 2021 from 0000-2359 UTC. Activate as many different POTAs as possible.

The goal is to have one group/individual at each site to enable the activation of as many NE POTAs as possible.
 
Officially listed POTAs from throughout New England are required.

Maps and lists can be found at <https://parksontheair.com/>.
 
Since this is not a “contest” official log submissions will not be required but summaries would be encouraged. A post-event link will be available at <www.k1usn.com>. 
 
We hope to give the public a chance to learn a bit more about Amateur Radio by obtaining some free pre-event publicity and with the use of informational handouts. Here are samples you could use:

<http://www.bellevuearc.org/docs/WhatisHamRadioFlyerA.pdf>
 
<http://www.arrl.org/file/file/Brochures%20and%20Exhibit%20Materials/What%20is%20Amateur%20Radio%20flyer%208_5x11.pdf>
 
<https://flysnf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ham-Radio-Flyer.pdf>
 

image.png

The weekend of Oct 16 – 17 is also JOTA weekend and all participants are encouraged to reach out to local Scouting groups: <https://www.jotajoti.info/>.

Remember that this will be a New England-wide event so folks that attend NEAR-Fest on Saturday, October 16th in Deerfield, NH may wish to activate a NH park on the way home.

Okay, who is interested in jumping onboard the NE Autumn POTA event?
 
BTW, Bob, WC1N, has created a spreadsheet so that we can keep track of individuals/clubs as they sign on. You can sign up at: <http://www.ilovepota.com/index.php>.
 
image.png

 
For those of you with additional questions or comments please reply to <k1rv@arrl.net>.