Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

Frank Murphy, N1DHW writes on CEMARC list:

Mark your HF future event calendar for the “Museum Ships Weekend” commencing July 19th 0001Z thru 23:59 Z July 21st. Operating modes, and bands, will vary by ship, but all will operate SSB and CW. This will be a QSL card, special certificate event.

Here’s an event that honors the service of both military and merchant vessels that have been preserved as Museum Ships around the world. Here in the Northeast U.S., we’re fortunate to have at least four ships that will be on the air for the event weekend. In fact there are 57 registered participant Museum ships thus far, with more expected to join before the event.

This years event is sponsored by the USS Cassin Young radio group, callsign “WW2DD”. The ship is berthed in Charlestown Navy Yard, directly across from Old Iron Side, and is open to public tours thru the National Park Service. (click on NPS link on ships page below)

For more information, visit: http://www.qsl.net/ww2dd/event.html

If you haven’t worked “Museum Ship’s Weekend” before, be aware it’s more of a challenge than you think to get all the ships. But great fun. Give it a try.

These local ships would also be a great club visit event.

From the ARRL:

When the five new 60-meter channels become available to US Amateur Radio operators at midnight (12 AM) local time on July 3, the rules will impose a new record-keeping requirement for hams. The requirement applies only to those using something other than a simple half-wave dipole on the 5 MHz allocation.

According to Part 97.303(s), a half-wave dipole on the 5 MHz allocation will be presumed to have a gain of 0 dBd. ”Licensees using other antennas must maintain in their station records either manufacturer data on the antenna gain or calculations of the antenna gain,” states the newest addition to the FCC’s Amateur Service rules.

Because the new rules also require hams to run no more than 50 W effective radiated power (ERP) on the new channels, the choice of antenna becomes an important compliance factor. The FCC rules stipulate, ”For the purpose of computing ERP, the transmitter PEP will be multiplied (by) the antenna gain relative to a dipole or the equivalent calculation in decibels.”

ARRL has posted a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ)concerning 5 MHz operation on the ARRL Web site, www.arrl.org/fandes/field/regulations/faq.html#sixty .

N1XRS wrote on semara-ares:

The ARC New Bedford Area Office announced upcoming disaster training opportunities in Wareham and New Bedford:

WAREHAM (Church in the Pines)
July 12:
9-12 Introduction to Disaster
1-4 Mass Care

July 19:
9-12 Shelter Operations
1-4 Damage Assessment

NEW BEDFORD (ARC Office)
July 26:
9-12 Introduction to Disaster
1-4 Mass Care

Aug. 2:
9-12 Shelter Operations
1-4 Damage Assessment

Note: Intro to Disaster is a prerequisite for all other ARC disaster courses.

If anyone would like to take these classes please let me know. I will also post these dates at the club. I will be attending the Wareham trainings.

Antone D Duarte Jr N1XRS
Assistant Coordinator
SEMARA ARES Team
tdduarte@attbi.com

K1TW wrote via bars-list:

WBUR Boston, 90.9 MHz, plans an hour on their program called “The Connection” devoted to Ham Radio at 11 AM EDT, Thursday June 12, 2003. It will be repeated at 10 PM. If you aren’t in range of the signal, you can listen live on RealAudio by going to their web site, http://www.wbur.org.

Lots of NPR stations around the country also carry this program. You can check the list at http://www.theconnection.org/stations/.

If you miss the program, it is archived so you can still hear it. Following the broadcast you can the archives at http://www.theconnection.org/shows/.

Finally, here is the description of the program from the WBUR web site:

Tuning in to the World
Host: Richard Gordon
Far-flung frequencies. Long before the Internet brought the global village home, ham radio connected counties, and continents. Why digital age hams still thrill to a ride on radio’s bandwidth.

—
This is going to be fun,

7e,

Tom K1TW

From: Tom Frenaye, K1KI, ARRL New England Division Director

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

I’d like to invite you to an ARRL New England Division Cabinet meeting on Sunday, July 13, 2003 in Portsmouth NH. We usually have 30-35 people from all ends of New England – this will be an opportunity for you to provide direct input to the ARRL on policy issues. The meeting will run from 9:00 AM until 4:30 PM, with a break for lunch at noon – and as in the past we’re asking for your contribution of $15 to help cover part of the cost for the room, snacks and for lunch.

There is an ARRL Board meeting scheduled for July 17-18 (and starting a strategic planning review on July 16th) – this will give us a chance to talk about issues you think the Board should be working on. What would you like to see on the agenda for our meeting?

By meeting time we will know what the results are from the ITU’s WRC-2003 conference maybe we’ll have good news about the 40-meter band. Other “hot” topics as this is written include the FCC’s continuing effort to add unlicensed (Part 15, UltraWideBand, WiFi, Power Line Communications) devices to spectrum used by licensed services in a way that will likely cause interference problems to the Amateur and Amateur Satellite Services.

The meeting will be at the Comfort Inn Yokens (800-552-8484) at 1390 Lafayette Road (Route 1) in Portsmouth NH. Take Interstate 95 to Portsmouth and at exit 5 follow the signs for Route 1 Bypass South — the Comfort Inn – Yoken’s Conference Center is about two miles to the south on the right side.

Please let me know by July 8th (earlier is better!) if you will be coming so we can plan for a big enough room and enough food. Both Vice Director Mike Raisbeck, K1TWF, and I are looking forward to seeing you there!

Very 73!
— Tom

Last month’s Wellesley ARS meeting featured a highly informative presentation by Gary Schwartz, N1ZCE about the Global Positioning System, or GPS and its many applications for general and Amateur Radio use. Schwartz described how the constellation of satellites can pinpoint objects and is used in boating, automotive travel, hiking, and outdoor activities. He also explained how Amateur Radio can be ehanced by GPS as part of packet radio (APRS) emergency response, search and rescue, and public service events. —Wellesley ARS The Sparkgap

KA1MOM writes on barc-list:

AIR & SPACE DAY 2003
June 21, 2003 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Livingston Recreational Field, Livingston St., Tewksbury, MA

AIR & SPACE DAY 2003 is a free, fun, family, educational event, created to
show children that science, math, and history can be fun. Optional donations
will be used to build an observatory for Tewksbury schools.
Invited Guests
· %@!#%& Gordon Gemini XI and Apollo XII Astronaut
· John Dobson Inventor of the Dobsonian telescope
· Lt. Col. Mike Stockwell Dual qualified jet and helicopter pilot
· Cliff Reed Tuskegee Airman (pilot 332nd Squadron WWII
)
· Arlene Marland Pilot, The Ninetynines aircraft ferry squadron
WWII
· Jessa Piaia Amelia Earhart Impersonator
· Don “Dr. Flush” Rethke Inventor of the space shuttle toilets

Planned Events & Displays
· 10 hot air balloons, including the largest freeform Hot air balloon in the
world
· Blimp – Kermit Kraft 1 – gondola
· NASA Glenn Research Center Mobile Aeronautics Education Laboratory
· F-22 attack jet flight simulator
· Skydivers – 2 jumps – All female skydiving team
· Paragliders, including a powered paraglider smoke show
· Ultralights
· Hang Gliders
· 9 helicopters, including State Police, Coast guard, National guard, TV
channels
4, 5 and 7, and helicopter rides
· Model Rocket Launching Clinic – 300 kits
· Radio Control and Control-line flying model airplanes
· StarLab planetarium
· Astronomy and Telescope Making ( stargazing party now planned for
8:00pm to 10:00pm )
· FAA Portable Control Tower
· Boston Museum of Science display
· Universe Productions DVD tour of the solar system
· Apollo Space Suit
· Paper Airplane Making
· American Radio Relay League – Ham radio, with Kids’ Day special event
station
· Robotics demo (Lawrence and Lowell high schools )
· Gyro Ring Ride
· Concessions
· Bounce houses
· Rocket car

Colleges
· WPI MIT Harvard BU Northeastern Daniel Webster College

Authors Row
· Authors of Space and Aviation books including 1000 “make your own
Hovercraft” books being given to children (donated by Lockheed)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There’s more detail, as well as updates to th participant list as more are
added, at:
http://spacemanning.net/sd2003.htm

This one sounds like a lot of fun for the entire family.

-= Bill McIninch, Jr. =-
KA1MOM

Roland, N1JOY writes on bcra-club:
Hey Gang,

It’s that time of the year again! “Geek Fest 2003” is happening on
Saturday July 26th, and things are ramping up for a great event! Once
again, it will be held at the Swansea American Legion hall right off Rt.
103, and the flea market will start at 10 AM. Entrance will be $2 per
person, and outdoor flea market tables will be $10 each.
As has been offered in the past, ANY Ham Radio club wishing to have a
club sponsored table gets a FREE flea market spot. Contact George
(KB1CNA) for your flea market spots: kb1cna@msn.com. There will be
several door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. This is also an ARRL
Affiliated Club event.

The Raffle Tickets are now available for the 3 main prizes. You need
not be present to win! Tickets are 1 for $3, 3 for $5, and 10 for $10.
Contact Roland (N1JOY), Dave (W2DAN), or Chris (K1CJS) for raffle tickets.

1st – Hewlett Packard PSC-2210 all in one printer/scanner/fax.
2nd – Icom IC-V8 2 Meter HT
3rd – KLH Home DVD Player

For photos of the prizes go to:
http://home.mindspring.com/~roland-d/Amateur_Radio/Geekfest_2003_Mailing.htm

We will again be offering a delicious New England Clam Boil, or
Chicken BBQ dinner inside the American Legion hall. Tickets will be
available ‘very’ soon, but seating will be limited. Dinner will be
served at 1 PM. Contact Roland (N1JOY) for dinner tickets: n1joy@arrl.net.

Clam Boil Dinner $15/ticket

Clams (minimum 1 quart each)
Potatoes
Sausage
Hot Dogs
Chourico
Onion
Broth or Butter
Corn on the Cob
Dinner Rolls

Chicken BBQ Dinner $10/ticket

½ Chicken with BBQ sauce
Dinner rolls
Baked potato
Cole slaw
Corn on the cob
Butter or sour cream

Soda & alcoholic beverages will be supplied by the American Legion
bar tending staff.

For complete directions to the American Legion hall, go to:
http://www.qsl.net/bcra/americanlegion.html

I hope to see you there!

Roland – N1JOY@arrl.net