Eastern Massachusetts ARRL

..The following is the second in a series of messages on Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend and providing information on the weather during this period. This is a tradition spanning over 20 years for Amateur Radio Operators involved with Field Day and the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Program..
..2023 Field Day weekend, unlike the past few years, will have the potential for showers, thunderstorms and isolated severe weather. Not every Field Day site will see a shower, thunderstorm or severe weather and a widespread washout is not expected. Some Field Day sites could be dry all weekend but other Field Day sites could be quite wet depending on where showers and thunderstorms develop..
..With the thunderstorms, a few of them could be strong to severe with strong to damaging winds, hail, and heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding. The severe weather potential remains focused on Saturday and Sunday Afternoon and Evening though some showers and isolated thunderstorms may occur late Friday Night into Saturday Morning making any shower and thunderstorm redevelopment Saturday Afternoon and Evening more uncertain..

The Braintree Emergency Management Agency will conduct a Field Day event at the BEMA Sunset Lake Annex at 38 Safford Street in Braintree.  The group will use the call sign KC1KWC. They will operate a “GOTA” (Get On The Air) station. 

For more information, contact Robert Millette, KC1KWC, at 781-983-3233 or Rmillette@braintrema.gov.

The Waltham Amateur Radio Association is partnering with the Montachusett Amateur Radio Association  for Field Day, June24 – 25. We will operate on the summit of Mt. Wachusett in Princeton, MA. Setup will begin at 9 AM on Saturday, the 24th. We hope to have enough participation to support 3 HF stations and a VHF station, providing plenty of opportunity for phone, CW, and digital operation from 2 PM Saturday until 2 PM on Sunday. There will also be a  “Get on the Air” (GOTA) station for new hams, future hams, and any Technician class operator.

Field Day participation has numerous facets:

·        This is a wonderful opportunity to participate first-hand in an emergency communications preparedness event at a national level. 

·        Field Day provides a ready-made opportunity to introduce family and friends, to what we, as amateu rradio operators, find rewarding in these endeavors. 

·        It’s a perfect event to introduce young / new folks to the amateur service.

Come for an hour… or come for the whole event.  Combine it with a day out on the mountain.  Don’t worry about rain in the forecast… it’ll be warm, plus we all drip dry   

This is the first big chance, post-COVID, for a radio in-person social event!!

Looking forward to seeing you there.

73,
W1ENB

Open to all licensed amateur radio operators worldwide, ARRL Field Day is both a contest and a practice exercise of radio skills. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.

WHAT:
Family Friendly Event! Ham Radio Field Day has Educational Demonstrations, Maker Activities, Telescopes (weather permitting). Hosted by members of Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society (STARS), New England Amateur Radio (NEAR), and New England Sci-Tech (NEST).

WHEN:
2023, Sat June 24, 2pm to Sun, June 25, 2pm.
Public is welcome: Sat 2 pm – 5 pm and Sun 10 am to 2 pm for tours, soldering workshop, maker activities, hidden transmitter hunts, and license testing. (License exam is 7 pm Saturday)

WHERE:
New England Sci-Tech, 16 Tech Circle, Natick. (Field Day runs outside in vans and tents running off alternative power to simulate emergency conditions. However, the building is open for tours, restrooms, maker activities, etc.)

WHO MAY PARTICIPATE:
Members of the general public, radio amateurs, scouts, and their friends and families are welcome to participate. You don’t need a radio license to participate, as you can operate with one of the club’s General or Extra class licensees as the control operator. On-site training will be provided.

SMHARC Secretary/Treasurer Ray Cord, K2TGX, writes:

On Saturday, June 25th, we would like to see a better turnout for Field Day this year than last. We need setup people on Saturday morning, We need pack up people on Sunday afternoon. BUT MOST OF ALL, WE NEED OPERATORS FOR ALL HOURS OF THE 24 HOUR OPERATION!

We would love to see all those members that we haven’t seen at a meeting lately at the June meeting but at Field Day, also. You don’t have to be a “contester” to operate any of the stations, We are not super competitive, we just want to have a good time. We can have an experienced operator with you to log and guide you. Even if you don’t have your license yet, you can operate with one of our licensed members as control operator.

DON’T BE THE SILENT MAJORITY!! Come on out and renew old friendships, relearn some rusty skills and have a GOOD TIME!

Hope to see you there.

Tnx 73,

Ray, K2TGX
Secretary/Treasurer

Bruce Blain, K1BG, writes:

Once again, the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club will participate in this year’s ARRL Field Day, operating in Pepperell’s Heald Street Orchard. The event starts this coming Saturday, June 24th at 2 PM and finishes on Sunday, June 25th at 2 PM.

Setup begins on-site around 8:30 AM on Saturday, and some of us have breakfast at Charlotte’s Cozy Kitchen in Pepperell at 7:30 AM.

We will be using the club callsign, N1NC. Plans are to have two transmitters operating simultaneously on amateur bands between 80 and 10 meters (and a third station on 6 and 2 meters and satellite). There will be plenty of opportunity for anyone who “walks up” to operate the stations and meet other members of the club.

NVARC has a casual Field Day that members and friends use as a social gathering – not just operating. There is a covered gathering area with tables, chairs, lemonade, and snacks. Feel free to help us set up, operate, or just have a look and make some friends..

To get there, put “112 Heald Street, Pepperell, MA” into your GPS. You will find a sign at the entrance to the Heald Street Orchard. Head south through the open gates onto an unpaved road for about 0.1 mile to the mowed parking area in the meadow.

PLEASE NOTE: There is work being done to a bridge on Heald Street, and you may have a detour, depending on how you get there. The detour is well marked and you should have no problems finding the site.

Talk in wil be on the N1MNX repeater (the same repeater we use for our club nets). 147.345+, PL 100.0 Hz

I plan on being there most of the time, and I look forward to meeting YOU. Thanks and 73. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Bruce, K1BG

978-772-2773 or bruce.blain@charter.net

PS. Feel free to call me on this number during field day.