a field organization of the National Association for Amateur Radio®
****EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES STAND-BY ACTIVATION REQUESTED FOR POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD RIVER AND STREAM FLOOD EVENT IN OR CLOSE TO THE EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS SECTION BEGINNING AT 7 PM SATURDAY LASTING THROUGH SUNDAY****
****FORMAL SKYWARN ACTIVATION WITH OPS AT NWS TAUNTON TO COMMENCE AT 4 PM EDT****
****FURTHER UPDATES OR STAND-DOWN MESSAGE TO BE POSTED AS NEEDED****
[Full story]
Bruce Pigott, KC1US, writes:
Do you have a two meter hand held radio? Six hours of time? On Sunday May 1st, we can use your help to support the 40,000 walkers participating in the Walk for Hunger. Project Bread will be depending on the skills of hams to tie together the walk coordinators, volunteers and managers. The twenty mile route starts in Boston, goes out to Newton, continues through Watertown and then back to Boston Common. This is the major fund raising event for Project Bread which provides assistance to nearly 400 feeding agencies across the Commonwealth. Last year just over $3 million was raised thanks in part to our efforts.
Assignments include both stationary and mobile positions. You can sign up on line at the Crocker Public Service Group web page http://cpsg.amateur-radio.net/. For more information call Bruce KC1US, at 781 275-3740, or send a message to wfh2005@amateur-radio.net.
Arlene Arruda, KB1KGG writes on SEMARA-list:
“My name is Arlene Arruda (KB1KGG). I live in Acushnet, Mass and I am thinking of running an informal 2-meter YL-only Net. Every woman is welcome.
I would like to get your feedback. Please e-mail me blbomb2@earthlink.net and let me know if you would be interested the net, which repeaters you can use, and what time is best for you.
I think that it would be fun. I hope to hear from you soon.”
(See also “YL Net, 145.11 MHz Repeater on Feb. 9”.)
Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course (EC-001) opens Monday, April 04, 2005, at 1201 AM EST and will remain open until all available seats have been filled or through the April 9-10 weekend–whichever comes first. Class begins Friday, April 22. Thanks to our grant sponsors–the Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation–the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course.
Act now! This is the final year of the grant-subsidized classes! Radio amateurs age 55 and older are strongly encouraged to participate. During this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis.
To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page http://www.arrl.org/cce. For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
Registration for the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level I on-line course (EC-001) opens Monday, April 04, 2005, at 1201 AM EST and will remain open until all available seats have been filled or through the April 9-10 weekend–whichever comes first. Class begins Friday, April 22. Thanks to our grant sponsors–the Corporation for National and Community Service and the United Technologies Corporation–the $45 registration fee paid upon enrollment will be reimbursed after successful completion of the course.
Act now! This is the final year of the grant-subsidized classes! Radio amateurs age 55 and older are strongly encouraged to participate. During this registration period, seats are being offered to ARRL members on a first-come, first-served basis.
To learn more, visit the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education Web page http://www.arrl.org/cce. For more information, contact Emergency Communications Course Manager Dan Miller, K3UFG, cce@arrl.org; 860-594-0340.
The first-grade “HAMsters” at the Winn Brook school in Belmont will soon have a working antenna for a shack in their classroom, according to their teacher, Donna LaRoche.
LaRoche has received invaluable assistance with the project from Chuck Counselman, W1HIS. (See “The Next Generation of CW Operators”.) “[W1HIS] has met with our principal, the custodian, head of buildings and grounds, and even the school electrician.”
According to LaRoche, “We now have a coax cable installed from the classroom to the roof. We are waiting for the school department authorities to bless an antenna up there. [Chuck] is planning a doublet, 70 feet long, fed with 450 ohm line. There will be a balun between the line and the coax. This will be our antenna for 7 MHz and up.” LaRoche isn’t concerned with the lack of 80 meter coverage. “The rig will only be used during the day and 80 meters is not very interesting in the middle of the day.”
“The HAMsters and I are learning CW together!” adds LaRoche. “We practice every day after lunch for twenty minutes. They are becoming very proficient.”
LaRoche, who is a member of the Framingham Amateur Radio Association, earned her ham ticket, KB1LWY, at a Boston ARC VE session in January, 2005. She made her first QSO on February 25, operating from W1AW. Appropriately, it was with Chuck, W1HIS. “Boy, was I excited!” Donna exclaims.
For more information about the HAMsters, visit their web site at http://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/class_pages/laroche/ham_radio/.
[Left: The HAMsters holding an adorable stuffed toy kangaroo, koala bear, Australian Animal Book and wearing Australian icon pins kindly sent by one of their 3YOX ham friends, David Gemmell, VK4GL. Right: HAMsters “operating” and practicing CW. Photos courtesy KB1LWY]
Phil Temples, K9HI writes:
The ema.arrl.org site now features a Guestbook application. (See the Guestbook link in the left-hand column, just under “Photo Gallery.”)
Visitors and registered users alike are welcome to sign in and record their comments, greetings, or constructive criticism. (The site webmaster reserves the right to remove any offensive or “spam” postings.)
Bill O Hara, N1EY writes:
We need people [this weekend, April 2]. Any volunteers? I can not run the show by myself. I need some club members to show up.
Give me a call at 617-792-3126 or email me [at who_icrr@adelphia.net].
Eastern MA ARES members will participate in the upcoming TOPOFF 3 exercise sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security on April 4, according to Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY.
The TOPOFF 3 scenario will depict a complex terrorist campaign beginning in Connecticut and New Jersey and leading to national and international response that will include Canada, where the exercise will be known as “TRIPLE PLAY,” and the United Kingdom, where it will be called “ATLANTIC BLUE.”
“We are sending an ARESMAT team of 4 for the TOPOFF exercise […] at the request of Connecticut ARES and Connecticut ARES Section Emergency Coordinator, Chuck Rexroad, AB1CR,” writes Macedo. “The main client that Connecticut ARES will be serving is the Red Cross. At the time of the meeting, more Amateurs were needed but after the meeting AB1CR stated that they had all the assignments filled.”
[For more information on TOPOFF 3 see “Amateur Radio to Have Role in Largest-Ever Mass Casualty”.]
Bill Ricker, N1VUX writes on CEMARC-List:
The Field Day planning season is well under way. And so the EMA Section Field Day Directory is being updated. But this requires input from the clubs, too.
Please check your club’s listing — if you can confirm same as last year, or have changes, please drop us an email. Also, if you have prior years’ scores (or pictures) that aren’t reflected (or linked), drop us an email on that too.
FD2005_Directory_Enhancements
* Updated ICS/FD memo
* 2005 Logo
* links to 2005 rules changes
* 2004 Scores
* Links to Google Maps for street maps
* History page ehnahnced with past Section site maps or tour-maps linked and preserved, with old logos
* ALL Menus syncronized
* 1999 Scores added to history (Plus HPARC History 1993-Present)
* Commentary on 2005 rules changes
73,
Bill, N1VUX
EMA FD Directory Editor
Plans to establish an internet gateway-accessible remote base in Iraq have hit a snag, according to local amateur Keith Lamonica, W7DXX. (See YI9 Internet Gateway Close to Reality.)
“[The] Voice of America did not come through on their promise to ship the equipment and it is still in Washington, D.C.,” writes Lamonica. “We tried the Army but they can’t help either. I have asked one of our control operators who works for ABC in D.C. to see if they can help.”
The Easton, MA amateur announced plans for the remote base system in Iraq almost six months ago. W7DXX obtained the call sign YI9DXX and identified a location to house the installation. Lamonica also recruited willing Iraqi amateurs to help maintain the remote base.
It is with deepest sympathy that we announce the passing of Erla Schwarm, wife of long time Amateur Radio Operator Ed Schwarm NX1V and mother of the Norfolk County ARES District Emergency Coordinator Steve Schwarm W3EVE who passed away on Tuesday March 22, 2005. A memorial Service will be held on Wednesday March 30, 2005 at 2:00pm at the Federated Church in Hyannis, Ma.
A scholarship fund for Teachers will be setup in Erla Schwarm’s name to be managed by Steve Schwarm’s church.
All our thoughts and wishes go out to the Schwarm family in their time of sorrow
The Pepperell Emergency Management Agency is seeking additional volunteers, according to Pepperell EMA Communications Officer David Peabody, N1MNX.
“We need [individuals who] would like to get involved in emergency communications [using] Amateur Radio, Citizens Band or FRS radio.” Peabody writes, there is also a need for persons with skills in “computers or networking, gas generators, water pumps, lighting and electrical.”
“If you have the knowledge, or urge to learn, then you are welcome to join us,” states N1MNX.
For further information or to volunteer, contact David Peabody at n1mnx@n1mnx.com or call 978-433-2577. Peabody can also be reached at P.O. Box 1309, Pepperell MA 01463-3309.
—Nashoba Valley ARC Signal, March 2005
Rick Zach, K1RJZ writes on FraminghamARA-L:
Free TV gear from WCVB-TV to non-profits. (Ham clubs/orgs are non-profits)
HATV-stations get first refusals, but if gear is still available as of Monday at 2PM, any non-profits, schools, local access cable channels, etc can have certain gear for free. Organizations can come to ch-5 on Monday (March 28) from 3-6pm to look at what is available. Take it away that night. Price: Free.
Item requests go not to me but directly to WCVB-TV Public Affairs Director Karen Holmes-Ward at 781-433-4037 or via email at kholmes@hearst.com . Specific equipment phone and email requests to Karen will be time-stamped on a first-come first-served basis. Requests can go in immediately and a commitment to remove the gear by Thursday is required.
Additional gear is not shown as we are adding to the inventory hourly.
Descriptions with pictures.
The location of the Norwood ARC volunteer exams has changed, according to NARC’s Rick Cantin, AA1TI.
“We are changing the location to the Savage Center, Room 210, at 275 Prospect Street in Norwood,” reports Cantin. Sessions are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm.
Previously, exam sessions were held in the Willett Room of the Norwood Civic Center and at the Walpole Senior Center (May through August).
For further information, contact Rick Cantin at aa1ti@aa1ti.org.
Members of the Town of Taunton RACES routinely accept radiogram training messages from Massachusetts Emergency Managent Agency’s Region II Headquarters in Bridgewater for delivery to EMA Directors in Taunton, Whitman and other Region II towns and cities each first Monday of the month.
Shown at the City of Taunton Emergency Operations Center are (standing, left to right): George Pereira, KB1KZV; Don Burke, KB1LXH; and Peter Ferreira, KB1LXG; (seated, left to right:) Carlos Wharton WP4US; Bruce Hayden NI1X.
—Thanks, Whitman ARC Spectrum, March 2005
Phil Temples, K9HI writes:
Beginning today this web site supports an RSS version 2.0-compatible newsfeed for announcements appearing on the main page.
Radio club web sites with the ability to import news feeds are welcome to incorporate our news stories onto their sites.
Just point your favorite RSS newsreader program to: http://ares.ema.arrl.org/newsfeed.php. Please report any anomalies or bugs you might find.
Terry Stader, KA8SCP writes on PART-L:
PARTers (and anyone else for that matter) are welcome to join any of the several email subscribed “lists” that we have to offer. These lists are email subscriptions to specialized topics. Some are hosted on the WB1GOF.org server and some are hosted with Yahoo Groups. Below are the lists that are available that are applicable to PARTers:PART-l@wb1gof.org – this list. It is the general PART/WB1GOF email list for announcing and discussions about general club activities and business.
NCS-l@wb1gof.org – An email list for matters of the Sunday Night Net and other WB1GOF Net Control topics.
SCAN-l@wb1gof.org – An email list where we have discussions about the scanner/scanning aspect of radio communications.
MEMA_R1_WX@wb1gof.org – automated feed from NWS Taunton weather bulletins.
You can subscribe or unsubscribe to the above by sending a PLAIN TEXT message to listserver@wb1gof.org from the email account you wish to manange with the action you wish to take, for example:
subscribe scan-l
unsubscribe part-l
You can combine multiple listserver commands in one message. You can send the word “help” as a command to get the full list of commands available to you.
The external lists that you may find an interest in:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mema_region1_communications – Yahoo Group for MEMA Region 1 communications discussions. Subscribe: mema_region1_communications-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mass_races_ares_skywarn_general – Yahoo Group for MA statewide discussions of RACES, ARES & Skywarn activities. Subscribe: mass_races_ares_skywarn_general-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Terry Stader, KA8SCP
ka8scp@wb1gof.org
Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, has announced a preliminary SKYWARN training schedule for the first half of 2005 on the Eastern MA ARES web site. [Details]
Half of the 2005 SKYWARN Training sites have been posted. An additional 5 will be scheduled over the next few weeks and those 5 will be at the following locations:
1.) North Shore Massachusetts area.
2.) Brockton, Mass.
3.) Hillsborough County, NH
4.) Pomfret, CT.
5.) Central Hampden County Massachusetts area.
The scehduled can be viewed at the following link:
http://users.rcn.com/rmacedo/trsched.htm 1