Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

The command vechicle demo portion of the 2005 hurricane briefing has been cancelled. This is due to budget constraints with some of the main public safety entities and also because the MEMA Mobile EOC was repositioned for another event at the request of the state director. The Hurricane Drill Briefing will still be done and Amateurs that attend the briefing can get a tour of the State EOC in Framingham.

Mr. Tom Kinahan, N1CPE, State RACES Officer will be hosting a briefing for the upcoming statewide Hurricane Exercise at the State Emergency Operations Center, 400 Worcester Road, Framingham, Massachusetts beginning at 10:00 A.M. This briefing is very important for radio amateurs to attend to learn about the details of the statewide Hurricane Exercise planned for Monday June 6, 2005. All are welcome to attend though this briefing will be geared toward participants in regions 1 and 3 due to a different reporting form utilized in Region II. For Region II participants, a briefing will be held at the Region II HQ in Bridgewater Mass. on Monday May 16th at 7 PM.

The June 6th statewide hurricane exercise is a wonderful opportunity for ARES Operators to practice their emergency communications skills alongside the RACES Officers in their hometown.

If you are interested in attending the briefing and demonstration, please either send an email to Tom Kinahan, n1cpe@arrl.net or call the RACES line at MEMA – 508-820-1428 by Thursday May 12, 2005 so that he can obtain clearance for you to attend the briefing in the SEOC. You will need a government issued photo ID to enter the SEOC. No Walk-ins can be accepted for this event so please pre-register by the deadline of Thursday May 12th, 2005.

We look forward to seeing you on the 14th.
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Bob Salow, WA1IDA, writes:

[It’s] short notice, but it’s important that we continue this community service. Last year, the non-profit organization, Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) realized that ham radio was the way to support riders on the three courses in and around Greater Boston. BNB rehabilitates bicycles and provide them to youths here and abroad. Their present focus locally is to help kids learn mechanics and safety and get to own a bike they work on. The health advantages of bike riding are proven.

There will be concurrent 15, 25 and 62 mile rides on Sunday, 15 May 2005. More than 185 riders are expected. All three rides start near Jamaica Pond, but we will meet at 0800 at a secure parking area in Roxbury Crossing to be transported to the start or to assignments. We have been asked to staff rest stops, follow vehicles and a few shadows. There will be no assignments on the streets.

The shorter courses should be finished by 1400, and the long course should finish by 1630. All finishes are at Mississippi’s Restaurant where an excellent gourmet dinner will be provided.

We want to make a good showing at this local event and demonstrate the community value of ham radio. If you can help for this event, please respond with the following information as soon as possible.

Full name
On-air name
Call sign
Postal mailing address (including 9-digit ZIPcode)
Evening phone
Day phone
Cell phone
Email address
Does your 2-meter radio have CTCSS (PL)?
Do you have a dual-band radio?
Do you have a magnetic mount antenna?

Because of the limited time, let me know as soon as you can. Questions? Just ask.

Bob Salow, WA1IDA
wa1ida@arrl.net
508.650.9440

Roland Daigault, N1JOY, writes:

Just a reminder that the Fall River gang (and a few SEMARA die-hards) will be on Martha’s Vineyard next weekend for the annual DXpedition to the Gay Head lighthouse. Friday will be a fun operating day providing contacts for IOTA (Islands On The Air) and Lighthouse contacts, then Saturday and Sunday will be for the New England QSO Party. Hopefully you can catch us on the air and give us a few contacts!

We will be operating all HF bands, 6m, 2m, and 432 Mhz, including ATV! The camper should be monitoring 144.34 MHz simplex most of the time if you’d like to get hold if us.

[Although this project is being conducted by a radio club outside of our section, it is quite innovative–and, worthy of emulation by clubs in Eastern MA. Kudos to our neighbors to the north. -Ed.]

Dave Murphy, KB1LKE writes on Members@n1fd.org:

[Nashua Area Radio Club] is now placing marked-up copies of QST in waiting areas or rooms within the greater Nashua area. These copies are designed to appeal to anyone that may be interested in obtaining a ham radio license.

NARC needs back issues of QST for this magazine campaign. If you have 2003 thru 2005 issues that you will not be saving, please donate them. Your mailing info on the front cover will be marked out and covered by a label. Please do not cut the front cover.

Please bring issues to the upcoming monthly meeting this Monday. If you cannot be there, call 603/943-1512 or email . The issues of QST will be picked up. Thanks for your help.

New England DX Century Club members W1ZT, W1FJ, W1CWU and W1CPR lent a “helping hand” to Ray, KM1D, in the removal of his tower in North Andover recently. The dynamic duo of W1ZT and W1FJ climbed the 70-foot tower and “made this very scary job look easy” according to those present. [Additional photos]

KM1D hopes to have his tower back up after some ground work to his yard.

—Thanks, http://www.nedxcc.org

Members of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club participated in their first highway cleanup of 2005 on April 10th. The group collected a total of 21 bags of trash.

Those helping were: John, KB1HDO; Peter, N1ZRG; Linda, N1UPR; Larry, KB1ESR; Jim, AA1PO; Earl, WR1Y; Ralph, KD1SM; Stan, KD1LE; Gary, K1YTS; Nancy, KB1KEF; Peter, N1ZRG; and John, KB1HDO.

The Nashoba Valley ARC is registered with both MassHighways and the Town of Groton for road cleanups.

The club’s next cleanup is scheduled for May 22, 2005.

—Nashoba Valley ARC The Signal, April, 2005

Bill O’Hara, N1EY, writes:

We are canceling the scouting program left and right. There is no way that JC, Pi, or myself can sit there by ourselves. We can not handle the crowd and run the radios to give the scouts a demonstration. An optimal presentation requires at least four persons.

April 30th has no one signed up. I want to take my vacation and I’m headed for New York State.

We have one person signed up for May 7th to do the Morse Code demo, but I do not have anyone to help me in Radio Room 5.

Pi is covering the May 14th date. He needs help from someone.

Please email me at who_icrr@adelphia.net or call me at 781-857-0125 to help out. Thanks.

The Marconi Radio Club will operate W1AA/MSC, representing the 1901 Marconi Nantucket ship-to-shore station for International Marconi Day, April 23, 2005.

“The operation will be on CW only–the only mode used at the Marconi station MSC on Nantucket Island,” writes club president Robert “Whitey” Doherty, K1VV.

DX stations contacting W1AA may QSL via the W1 bureau, while W/K QSLs should be sent direct to W1AA’s callbook or QRZ.com address. Self-addressed, stamped envelopes are requested.

Constructed in 1901, MSC communicated with the Nantucket Shoals lightship 50 miles southeast, and also with ocean-going steamers. MSC was instrumental in saving numerous lives following a collision between two steamers–the Florida and the Republic–in a dense fog 70 miles south of the island in 1908.

For further information about operating in the IMD event, please visit http://www.gb4imd.co.uk/operatio.htm.

“After much debate and the two closest votes of this year’s Town [of Acton] Meeting, residents chose to adopt the more stringent of two zoning bylaw amendments governing amateur radio towers,” states an article in the April 7, 2005 issue of The Beacon in TownOnline.com. [Full text]

The amendment, known as Article 25B, allows “not more than two antenna towers of no more than 100 feet in height by right.”

“If someone would like to build a tower taller than 100 feet or would like more antennas, they can apply for a special permit,” said Dore’ Hunter, Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. An alternative amendment, known as Article 25A would have set no height limits on Amateur Radio towers. It was defeated.

“I was saddened, but not surprised, at the outcome last night,” commented Scott Andersen, NE1RD, in an email to the Billerica ARS mailing list. “My fear is that this will cost the town time and money. Of course, if it is found to be unworkable, we’ll just end up in town meeting again repeating the discussions.”

According to the TownOnline article, “Selectmen, backed by Town Counsel, felt that federal and state laws would permit the town to require a special permit for towers over 100 feet, and they believed that such a process would provide a forum for neighbors to communicate with each other, even if the town was unlikely to deny any request to build a radio tower.”

Town Finance Committee member Gim Hom, WB2QNL, is also quoted in the article: “We’re starting to talk about a lot of money that the applicant has to pay,” referring to the special permit application fees and the “costs of notifying all abutters and affected parties of a special permit hearing.”

(See also “Acton Hams Rally On Tower Zoning”.)

The Framingham Amateur Radio Association is now accepting nominations for the FARA Scholarship.

Applicants receive points for attending monthly meetings, license classes, and general club activities including: shack nights, picnic, field day, and flea market. Applicants must remain active as a ham in FARA (vacations and breaks) and their school’s club, if the school has one. Preference will be given to graduating high school seniors.

The deadline date for submissions is May 15, 2005. For more information, contact Richard Cosma, AA1VI, at (508) 877 8241 or visit http://www.fara.org/scholarship.html.

—The Framingham Circuit, April 2005

The March, 2005 EMA traffic net and Public Service Honor Roll totals have been posted to http://nts.ema.arrl.org under “Main Menu | STM Monthly Report“.

Taunton-area volunteers participated in a three-night American Red Cross course that included Introduction to Disaster Services, Mass Care—An Overview, and Shelter Management.

The classes were sponsored by Rick Ferreira, KB1KWF, who is the Director of the Taunton Emergency Management Agency. They were conducted by Dawn Snow from the American Red Cross.

Several Amateur Radio operators—including six Whitman ARC members—attended the courses: Peter Ferreira, KB1LZG; Bruce Hayden, NI1X; Carlos Wharton, WP4US; Neal Harrington, KB1LXL; Don Burke, KB1LXH; Rick Ferreira, KB1KWF; Rudy Burer, KB1LXI; George Pereira, KB1KZV; Barbara Foster, KB1KZX and Steven Foster, KB1KZW.

Providing backup, emergency communication from the Taunton Emergency Operations Center during shelter activation was of particular interest to the amateurs in attendence.

The ARRL and the American Red Cross maintain a Memorandum of Understanding at the national level.

—Whitman ARC Spectrum, April 2005

The fourth New England QSO Party will be held on May 7-8, 2005. It’s a great operating event and it is easy to participate in. The object is to contact as many New England stations in as many New England counties as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.

The contest periods are:

2000Z (1600 EDT) Saturday until 0500Z (0100 EDT)
Sunday

1300Z (0900 EDT) Sunday until 2400Z (2000 EDT) Sunday

Join in the fun—at least for a short period of time to make some QSOs. The full set of rules, suggested frequencies, maps, awards and related tools can be found at http://www.neqp.org.

—Thanks, Boston ARC’s The SPARC, April, 2005

Hello to all….

….Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistance Requested by the Massachusetts Bay Red Cross for the Operation Atlas Boston Logan Airport Drill….
….Drill Rescheduled for Saturday June 4th, 2005 with the same timeline to be utilized. A backup date of Sunday June 5th, 2005 has already been defined as well….

The Operation Atlas, Boston Logan Airport Drill, has been rescheduled for Saturday June 4th with the same timeline to be utilized by Massachusets By Red Cross. A backup date of Sunday June 5th has also been designed in case of weather issues on Saturday June 4th. The Red Cross has defined their timeline and we had 10-20 Amateurs assigned for this exercise for the orignial date, however, given the new rescheduled date of June 4th, we may need different Amateurs to step forward in case the ones previously assigned cannot make the new data. In particular, we are looking for Hams in the Metro Boston area to provide additional support for the drill.

The Massachusetts Bay Red Cross Chapter has requested Eastern Massachusetts ARES to assist in the Operation Atlas-Boston Logan Airport Drill. This drill is being conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and the Red Cross has a role in the drill to provide a Disaster Mental Health Services Team, Mass. Care Team, and will have their Boston and Waltham offices active for this exercise. The Red Cross has requested communications assistance from Eastern Massachusetts ARES for this drill.

Currently, we are anticipating a need for approximately 15-20 Amateurs. The town of Bridgewater EOC will be setup as a Net Control center similar to what was done for the Democratic National Convention. Amateurs will be needed at the Waltham and Boston Red Cross chapters and several Amateurs will be needed on “Go” teams that will be going into the city or to the airport itself. Home stations will also be needed for this exercise.

This is the first major drill that we have participated in with Red Cross since the Democratic National Convention. While not as large as the TOPOFF exercise just completed in Connecticut, the Department of Homeland Security is running the Operation Atlas-Logan Airport Drill and all eyes will be on the performance of Amateur Radio during this drill. It is widely known through several federal government agencies of the tremendous effort that the ARES/RACES/SKYWARN and MARS operators played during the Democratic National Convention and this is an opportunity to prove that the high level of organization that existed last year has been sustained since the DNC by a strong performance in this exercise.

Please contact your DEC or myself if you’re interested in participating in this exercise. Please note that deployments to the Red Cross and as go teams for the Red Cross will have requirements set forth by our ARES staff. For Net Control duties in Bridgewater, please contact Carl Aveni-N1FY at caave@peoplepc.com or myself.

This is a worthwhile event to practice deployment skills not utilized since the Democratic National Convention. Also, remember that in this drill, much like a real emergency communications situation, unexpected things may happen so remember one of the most important aspects to supporting a drill or real emergency communications situation, Blessed are the flexible for they will not get bent out of shape.

This announcement will be updated again as further information becomes available.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo
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