Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

From KD1CY…
Hello to all…

In addition to narrative reports or other report forms that are utilized for
after action reports in the drill, we should utilize the following SET forms
as attached in this email. I attached the two files but they are simply the
same form just in different formats. We can have EC’s, where possible, fill
out the information and if there aren’t EC’s available to fill out the info,
the DEC’s can do it. With these forms, all the data can be tabulated to come
up with district and then a section total for points and record keeping and
then Mike can send it to the ARRL. This should ease the burden on Mike and
if we can push it down to our EC’s, it eases the burden on all of us.Instead of sending this directly to “the first of the first responders” at
ARRL HQ in Newington, CT as instructed in the form, we should request the
EC’s to send the reports to the DEC’s and then we can give them or send them
to Mike to be sent to the ARRL. This way we follow “incident command” as
Mark would like to see.

This is NOT a replacement for our other more meaningful forms and narrartive
reports. Its just a way to record the needed info for ARRL HQ and make Mike
look awesome to our “superiors” or “the first responders”. 😉

Let me know if anyone has any questions. Thanks!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Southeast Massachusetts ARES District Emergency Coordinator
SEMARA ARES 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

Mark Duff, KB1EKN writes:

“Thanks to the efforts of the Eastern Mass Public Relations Section Staff, tomorrow’s (11/8/03) Simulated Emergency Test will be mentioned on WBZ Radio. Yours truly was interviewed today over the telephone for a news release to be aired tomorrow morning. While you are sitting at home reporting the snow totals, you may also want to tune in 1030 AM [that’s frequency, not time] and enjoy the show.”

Mark J. Duff/KB1EKN
Metro-Boston DEC

Thanks to Bill McIninch – KA1MOM, ARRL Metro Boston PIO, for his work in making this interview happen. …N1IV

Contact: Henry Brown, K1WCC , Publicist 508-274-5644
Falmouth Amateur Radio Association

FALMOUTH HAMS USE HIGH TECH DEVICES TO TRACK RUNNERS

Members of the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association combined GPS (Global Positioning System), ham radio and a laptop computer to track the location of the “tired runner” vans during the recent Cape Cod Marathon in Falmouth.

The system, called Automated Position Reporting System or APRS, was developed by a Maryland ham for automated weather and vehicle tracking by amateur radio operators.
Falmouth club members installed the operation in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Falmouth Fire and Rescue headquarters on Main St. Each tired runner van had an amateur operator on board as well as a VHF radio and GPS receiver. The VHF radio broadcast the van’s GPS position via the club’s repeater at Falmouth Hospital to the computer at the EOC. A large map of Falmouth was projected on a wall screen by the computer, with the location of each van indicated on the map within a few feet of its actual position. Knowing the exact location of the vans enabled radio operators at the EOC to more efficiently dispatch the vans to the nearest tired or injured runner. The system updated the van position every 30 seconds.

In addition to the vans, a club member roamed the race course in his own vehicle, also equipped with a GPS/radio combination.

Active during the race were 6 club members at the EOC and 26 more on the race course and at medical facilities as primary communications providers for event. The emergency amateur station at the Falmouth Hospital Emergency room was also activated.

The Falmouth Club decided to invest in the APRS equipment to enhance their capabilities during emergencies and special events such as the Cape Cod Marathon and the Falmouth Road Race. The actual APRS hardware in each van is extremely compact and unobtrusive.

The Falmouth Amateur Radio Association has long been primary communications provider for the Cape Cod Marathon, and also assists at the Falmouth Road Race, special events on Cape Cod and works with Falmouth Emergency Management during emergencies.

Anyone interested in learning more about amateur radio and its role in Falmouth is invited to attend the monthly club meetings held in the basement of Town Hall on the last Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM. FARA is one of the largest amateur radio clubs in New England, with over 200 members.

The Sturdy Memorial Hospital ARC will operate Special Event Station “W1S” from 00:00Z November 19 until 23:59Z November 23. They will be operating from the W1SMH Club Radio Room at Sturdy Memorial Hospital to celebrate their 25th Anniversary as an Amateur Radio Club. Approximate frequencies are 28.350, 21.400, 14.300, 14.050 and 7.250… these will probably vary. A nice Certificate will be available to anyone working the Station. Please send S.A.S.E. (9″x12″) and QSO info to our W1SMH Callbook address. More info is available on the club’s web site at www.w1smh.com

The Waltham Amateur Radio Association and the 1200 Radio Club will hold its annual Amateur Radio and Electronics Auction on Saturday, November 15, 2003, 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Newton Masonic Hall (second floor), 460 Newtonville Avenue, at the corner of Walnut Street, in Newtonville. (This is a large red brick building. It is near the Star Market that stands astride the Mass. Turnpike.)

Seller check-in starts at 9:00 a.m. Free parking is available in municipal lot across Walnut Street; metered parking on street. Please do NOT park in the lot next to the Masonic Hall, or in the Star Market parking lot. (They tow!)

For auction rules and additional information, please see http://www.walthamara.org/auction/index.htm.

[Above: K1OJH actioning off an oscilloscope at the 1998 Waltham ARA/1200 RC Auction. Photo courtesy WARA]

It was announced today that Tim Lewallen – KD5ING has been chosen to receive the 2003 Phillip J. McGan “Silver Antenna Award”. Lewallen has been licensed since 1999, and is an ARRL Public Information Officer (PIO) for the League’s North Texas Section. He also serves as a PIO for the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club.

Tim handled a tremendous amount of PR responsibilities for the Nacogdoches, TX club in the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. He brought Amateur Radio’s role to light on a Local, State and National level and continues to promote our hobby/service. Congratulations to Tim on his award!Complete ARRL Story at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/11/05/3/?nc=1

The Minuteman Repeater Association’s repeater linking capability has been greatly improved, thanks to the efforts of Bob De Mattia, K1IW. According to MMRA President Kevin Paetzold, K1KWP, De Mattia has been working on the repeater controller firmware to “make the local linking capability at Weston 146.82 and 224.70 more accessible, fix the timeout defaults for the user link codes, and [correct miscellaneous] bugs.” Thanks, The Minuteman, November 2003

Don’t miss the Framingham Amateur Radio Association’s Fall Flea Sunday, November 2, 2003 at the Walsh Middle School in Framingham. Doors open at 9 a.m. Admission for buyes is $5 (under 12, free accompanied by adult). A volunteer exam session will be conducted on the premises. Door prizes will be drawn; the winner of the grand prize will win a new two-meter HT.

For further information and directions, see http://fara.org/flea/.

Chris Smith, K1CJS writes:

“There will be an simulated emergency communications drill on November 8th between 9 AM and 1 PM that is being staged by the SE Mass ARES/Skywarn leadership. [The Bristol County Repeater Association] will be participating and will be providing input to the National Weather Service in Taunton.

The club emergency communications group and anyone else who is interested in participating is welcome to do so.

We will be utilizing the 440 machine primarily for the exercise as a test of the effective communications coverage in the city (especially the waterfront and low lying areas) and will use the 2 meter machine if needed for backup and for any participant who doesn’t have 70 cm capability.

Further details of the exercise will be posted on the reflector in the coming week, as well as the area frequencies that will be used.

73 and take care,
Chris, K1CJS

The Patriot DX Association has decided to rename itself the New England DX Century Club, according to the club’s PR officer, Jim Tumelty, W1CWU. NEDXCC offers the latest DX videos, DXCC card checking, as well as information on sunspots and propagation.

According to the club’s web site, “This name was chosen to reflect the current trends of the organization to move toward a regional from a more local organization.”

The NEDXCC is sponsoring a “DX Challenge” from Oct. 20-26 and Nov. 24-28, 2003. It meets at 221 Cabot Street, Beverly at 7 p.m. The next two meeting dates are November 24 and December 22.

For more information, visit http://www.nedxcc.org.

There will be an Emergency Communications Workshop on Saturday, October 25th, 2003 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Littleton Town Hall, 41 Shattuck Street in Littleton, Massachusetts. This session is sponsored by the ARES Section Staff and through the efforts of ARES DEC for Field Operations Ed Berg, N1VSJ and Northern Middlesex County ARES Emergency Coordinator Darrel Mallory, K1EJ. [Full story]

First, notes from tonight’s conference call WRT the Schlotzsky Regional Exercise

*7280 daytime secondary
*3965 CT working
*Balloon named Waldo. When sighted, use 28380 2100-2300 local low power and report contact as emergency traffic. People join from ENY, MA to pass the word
*3943/3937 for eastern and western MA per K1VSJ
*3915 RC
*3918 ENY. ENY wants to work other section freqs
*3948 where to meet interstate/interagency
*3968 ENY is now trying
*Internet stay up in real time for email. May be “taken down” for exercise
purposes
*Rob says test internet then transfer to HF
*Ron ? Echolink in CT
*Wilberham and Vernon CT on IRLP
*Rob recommending IRLP and Echolink
*Rob briefing on wx disclosures
*Regional comms IRLP
*Regional comms HF
*Bulletins on HF and Packet
*Rob says BBS is good at NWS. CT people need to set one up?

General Info:

*The exercise scenario is regionwide impairment caused by release of massive cloud from Schlotzsky brewery in eastern PA. Theme of exercise is regionwide coordination of ARES response.
*The exercise starts at 1700 Friday 17 Oct, and ends approximately 1300 Saturday 18 Oct.
*Exercise docs in Schlotzsky Yahoo! site.
*Many of the emails there as well.
*We play mostly reactively. We can do some local improvisation if we want to.
*Use 53.31 to coordinate, and IRLP freqs Rob will announce. Negotiate use of any other appropriate repeater freqs.
*No RACES leadership stations will be up in EMa for this exercise.

Born June 28, 1926 in Jamaica Plain. Graduated from St. Ann’s School Neponset June 1939. Graduated from Mechanic Arts High School (now Boston Tech) June 1943. Served US Army Air Corps as a bandsman and also a broadcaster on the base Armed Forces Radio Station at Fort Pepperell Newfoundland, August 1945 to December 1946. Played the trombone in the Army and also locally with American Legion Bands, but I was a lousy trombone player.

Have been NCS on EM2MN on Friday nights for 25 years.

Priscilla Richardson, N1VQY writes:

“Sunday, October 19th, Mystic Valley ARG will be providing emergency communications for the Boston Fire Department Local 718 Memorial Road Race. All members participating please be at Florian Hall, Hallett St. in Dorchester, MA at 9 a.m. for post assignments. The race starts at 10 a.m. and we should be all through by noon as usual.”

On October 19, the Massasoit ARA will assist with communications for the East Bridgewater YMCA Fall Frolic Road Race 2003. The race will be getting underway at noon. “Helpers should be at the Y by about 11:15–11:30 a.m. to get their T-shirts and get deployed to their respective areas. We can use all the help we can get so come and have some fun with our radios. The food is always good after the race.” —Thanks, MARANews, October, 2003

A ham group that advocates for missing children has been invited to demonstrate Amateur Radio at a fund-raiser in Brockton on November 14. The Radio Operators for Missing Children, KB1HGK, “promotes getting ham operators involved in Amber Alerts and to be available to provide emergency communications in the event that they are requested by law enforcement or legitimate missing person’s organizations,” according to the group’s founder, Sheree Greenwood, K1SQ, of Warren, MA. “This fund-raiser is for missing child Jennifer Fay who will have been missing for 15 years on this date. Money is being raised to help follow up on recent tips to try and locate Jennifer.”

The event will run from 7:30 pm until midnight and will feature snacks, a DJ, and raffles. The Amateur Radio station is planned for the first part of the evening. “If people would like to attend as guests the cost is $25 for tickets.”

For additional information about Radio Operators for Missing Children, contact kb1hgk@lyceumpress.com or visit http://www.lyceumpress.com/ham_radio.htm.

—Massassoit ARA MARANews, October, 2003