Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

The Boston Amateur Radio Club is hosting its first annual “Mini-Golf Tournament” and welcomes all Amateur Radio operators, their families and Eastern MA Amateur Radio Clubs to join them for an afternoon of competition and comradeship.

Each team will be made up of different club members to balance the field. There may be playoff games for each club. Who knows–just come and have fun! Nify prizes will be awarded.

Please RSVP to Blake T. Haskell, K1BTH at k1bth@arrl.net by July 20, 2006 with the number of members of your family or club planning to attend.

Be advised, BARC has never lost a mini-golf tournament so be very afraid!

The 2006 ARRL New England Division Convention will be held on August 25, 26th and 27th. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend!

A great program is being planned. We are excited to announce that the newly elected ARRL President, Joel Harrison, W5ZN will be in attendance. Here is your opportunity to meet Joel first hand at the ARRL Forums. He doesn’t get off that easy though, as our guest of honor at the Saturday evening banquet, we get the opportunity to hear from him again. Order your tickets early as the banquet seating is limited.

We are also happy to report that Bob Heil, K9EID will be making a return visit with one of his ever popular talks on all things audio. Look for Bob’s presentation early on Saturday, and we’ve left plenty of time of questions and answers after his presentation.

The Special Event station W1A will be in operation. This is a good opportunity to operate the top shelf amateur radio equipment the industry has to offer and havem fun while doing it!

The Boxboro Holiday Inn, located at the junction of Routes 111 and 495 in Massachusetts, will again open its doors to the Amateur Radio community with its spacious parking and comfortable accommodations. Hotel information is available through the boxboro.org website. Room rates are reduced for this year, be sure to ask for the “Boxboro Ham Radio Convention Rate” when making your reservations.

The “Call for Presenters” remains open. Please contact WO1N if you have an Amateur Radio related presentation or represent an organization that would like to reach out to a large population of active Hams. Volunteers are also welcome to help with event planning and execution.

We hope to see you there!

Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF
Convention Chair
K1TWF@arrl.org

Ken Caruso, WO1N
Program Chair
WO1N@arrl.net
(978) 663-3027 (h)
(978) 256-5377 (w)

Tom Walsh, K1TW
Volunteer Chair
K1TW@arrl.net

–Thanks, Billerica ARS Newsletter, Volume I Issue 6 June 2006

Georges Island (NA-148) will be activated this weekend by B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD. Located at N42 19′ 09.96″ W70 55′ 37.14″, the island is comprised of 30 acres with Fort Warren, a Civil War era bulwark against the sea, dominating its center. Andersen hopes to set up a portable station around the periphery of the fort.

According to NE1RD, only 23.3% of IOTA (Islands On The Air) participants have worked stations on one of Boston Harbor islands. Andersen has started a blog to document his DXpeditions.

The Framingham Amateur Radio Association and Sumner Weisman, W1VIV received a very nice write-up on the ARRL Hq. web site for FARA’s Kids Day event in January. The article and accompanying photo can be seen at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/06/15/3/?nc=1.

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

Subject: New England Division Cabinet Meeting – Sunday, July 16, 2006

I’d like to invite you to the summer ARRL New England Division Cabinet meeting on Sunday, July 16, 2006, in Portland Maine – right off I-95 about 45 miles north of the NH/ME border. We’ve never had a cabinet meeting in Maine – and sure appreciate those who have traveled a long ways to previous cabinet meetings!

We usually have 30+ 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, and for parking.

There is an ARRL Board meeting scheduled for July 21-22 – this 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 the meeting?
The meeting will be at the Holiday Inn Portland West Hotel (207-774-5601) at 61 Riverside Street in Portland ME. This is a very busy time of year in the Portland area, so if you need a room, book it early. (The current on-line price for a room is pretty expensive at about $135.)

A map and directions can be found at http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/pwmwe but it’s very easy to find. From the north or south, take exit 48 from the Maine Turnpike/I-95, at the lights turn left and the hotel is on your left.

Please let me know by July 10th (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 (+Mike)

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

The Norwood Amateur Radio Club reports improved sound quality and coverage on its 147.21 repeater, according to NARC president Barry Devine, K1BFD.

“N1UEC and I installed two Motorola Radius GM300 radios to replace the venerable but aging radio that up until recently had performed admirably.” According to Devine, a 100-watt amplifier was taken offline for the time being while the new radios are tested. So far, it appears that the system hears better than the old system according to tests from various locations between Norwood and Foxboro.

On a related note, the club recently received permission from the son of Silent Key and honored member Louis Schall, W1JLI, to obtain the W1JLI call sign for their repeater. The technical committee even plans to use Schall’s voice for the repeater ID on the repeater controller.

–Thanks, NARC K1JMR Newscarrier, April/May 2006

The Southeastern MA Amateur Radio Association will open its club station for operation in the ARRL Kid’s Day event, Saturday, June 17 at 1800 UTC (2 p.m. EDT) to 2400 UTC (8 p.m. EDT). W1AEC will have two positions open for this event. It’s a great chance for newly licensed young hams to get a taste of HF. The exchange is simply name, age, and favorite color. A personalized certificate is available for all participants.

SEMARA urges everyone to “get your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews” down to their club and ham it up!

–Thanks, SEMARA Zero Beat Online, June, 2006

“Governor Romney has designated the week of June 5th through June 12th as Massachusetts Amateur Radio Week. Their efforts are being recognized because the Commonwealth’s more than 13,000 Amateur Radio operators continue to provide vital assistance to the MEMA, as well as local Emergency Management Agencies and Public Safety entities in times of emergency. Amateur Radio operators have donated these services free of charge, in the interest of the citizens of MA, as well as the world, for over 75 years.”

—MEMA Reports, May 31, 2006, Volume 5, Issue 5

A well-known Massachusetts contester and Yankee Clipper Contest Club member has gone on record urging fellow contesters to participate in the upcoming statewide Hurricane Drill on June 5.

“Ham radio has a long tradition of helping during emergencies,” writes David Robbins, K1TTT on the YCCC reflector. “I have at times suggested that emergency coordinators should team up with contest operators and station owners to improve their capabilities. However due to busy contest schedules and having a large station to maintain I have been less than active following through.”

Robbins says he’s “putting his foot where his mouth is” by participating in the upcoming drill. “I will have at least the local SKYWARN coordinator at my station to participate.”

Robbins encourages YCCC members and other contesters to contact their local coordinators who may be participating and invite them to visit and see their stations’ capabilities. “I will almost guarantee that most of [the coordinators] have no idea of what could be done for HF or even VHF communications from even a moderately well equipped contest station.”

National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, May 9, 2006 broadcast a story on the MIT Flea Market. From NPR’s website: “The place to go for computer nerds and transistorheads in New England is the once-a-month flea market in a parking garage at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”

The Flea at MIT is sponsored by the Harvard Wirless Club, the MIT Electronics Research Society, the MIT UHF Repeater Association, and the MIT Radio Society.

N1DT and K1VV plan to activate Three Sisters Lighthouses (ARLHS USA 975, 528 and 976) under the call W1AA on Saturday, May 20, 2006 from 11:30 UTC (7:30 AM EST) until 18:00 UTC (2:00 PM EST).

“These should be new ones for a lot of the members. Middle was last activated in 2001 and Norh and South in 2003,” writes Robert “Whitey” Doherty, K1VV.

Whitey notes that he and Don will begin operations on 75 meters, above 3980 kHz. Later, they’ll move to 40 meters phone–likely below 7270, down to 7225 kHz. “We also will use 20 phone later in the morning above 14310, or 17 meters above 18150 (kHz).”

W1AA will return to 40 meters phone about 1530 to 1600 UTC. Morse code operation will be conducted roughly on the half hour, on 7035, 10116, 14035 and 18080 kHz, plus or minus QRM.

“We will be posting our spots on the DX Summit. but we would appreciate any and all W1AA spots by the members.” He adds, “DX QSLs are via the W1 Bureau and stateside are via W1AA please with an SASE. A photo of the 3 Sisters Lighthouses will be furnished.”

“In 1837, a lighthouse station was established at Nauset Beach – halfway between the single light at Highland, and the twins at Chatham. To distinguish the Nauset Station, a keeper’s house and three small towers of brick were constructed 150 feet apart. This site marked the only station in the U.S. designated by three towers.”

–Thanks, K1VV and Rudy and Alice’s Lighthouse Page

Roland Daignault, Jr., N1JOY writes on bcra-club list:

Great news!! Between the Bristol County Repeater Association‘s last 3 VE sessions, we have passed a gaggle of new hams that are all kids!

Last month a student from KB1CNA’s school passed his Tech exam […] keep an ear open for Sonny on the 145.15 machine.

Last night we had two more students pass their Technician exams, one from KB1CNA’s and one from KB1CNB’s school, respectively. Tonight, four more kids passed their Technician! (Three from Kuss Middle School, and one from Morton Middle School.) That’s seven kids in a month, and even the oldest (by several years) barely has a learner’s permit to drive. All of the others are middle school age, and are plenty excited about ham radio.

Let’s also not forget two brand new adult hams (Technician class) and a passed General written exam for a new ham who has only had his call sign a few days.

Of the seven kids, six took part in the Kuss School program that the BCRA has been supporting for the last three years. So far, we have licensed 12 kids and three adults who have attended the program. How cool is that? It’s so cool that we still have several more kids at Kuss who are planning to take their exams soon. Stay tuned.

Thanks to W2DAN and WA1ESO who came most weeks to help with the classes at Kuss, and especially to the BCRA VE team for conducting two test sessions on consecutive evenings.

So, please keep an ear open for a bunch of new operators, and please welcome them to the hobby in the best ways we know how. Surely we’ll hear a few new voices on the 6 PM youth gathering on the ‘515 repeater.