Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Exercise – Operation Summer Strike – Saturday 8/2/25 – 10 AM-1230 PM EDT

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

Eastern Massachusetts ARES will conduct a section exercise on Saturday 8/2/25 from 10 AM-1230 PM dubbed “Summer Strike”. The exercise will practice similar skills as previous exercises conducted over the course of 2024 into 2025.

The detailed drill document can be seen at the following link:
https://ema.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EasternMA-ARES-Summer-Exercise-2025-V1.5-07-27-25.pdf

If necessary for any last minute critical changes, we will update the document by Friday 8/1/25 with those updates and note what the updates are here.

While we encourage participation by Eastern Massachusetts ARES members, RACES/AUXCOMM/USCG Auxiliary Operators and Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters, all are welcome to participate including those outside of the Eastern Massachusetts section.

Thanks in advance for your support of this exercise and Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
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All

Massachusetts – Rhode Island STM Report for June 2025

- by kw1u - Leave a Comment

The Section Traffic Manager’s report for the combined sections of Eastern and Western Massachusetts and Rhode Island is now available at https://ema.arrl.org/massachusetts-rhode-island-stm-report-for-june-2025/. Note the annual traffic handlers picnic, Sunday August 3 in Concord MA beginning at noon. Anyone interested in NTS traffic handling is welcome. Also note a new Memorandum of Understanding between ARRL and Radio Relay International (RRI) as we combine forces to improve NTS to become a valuable source of service to the public especially in times of emergencies. See also notes on message delivery by our own Shawn, N1CVO.

Regulation & Advocacy

Request for Commercial Use of 430-440 MHz

- by W1IZZ - Leave a Comment

It is important for amateurs to submit comments regarding the use of the amateur 430-440 MHz bands by a commercial satellite operation.  Comments may be submitted on-line–the information is shown below.

SPACE BUREAU ACCEPTS FOR FILING AST & SCIENCE, LLC MODIFICATION
APPLICATION
SB Docket No. 25-201
ICFS File No. SAT-MOD-20250612-00145
Comment Date: July 21, 2025
Reply Comment Date: August 5, 2025

This application is accepted for filing for TT&C in the 430-440 MHz (space-to-Earth and Earthto-space), 2025-2110 MHz (Earth-to-space), and 2200-2290 MHz (space-to-Earth) bands and the 45.5-47
GHz (Earth-to-space) band. The Space Bureau does not at this time accept for filing AST’s request for
operations other than TT&C.

Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS, https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs, and ICFS, https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/icfs.

Organization

Section Update, July 2025

- by Jon McCombie - Leave a Comment

HAPPY SUMMER, AGAIN!   Here on the Cape, we’re deep into left-turns-only-at-traffic-lights season (yes, it really is that bad!). As much as possible, we estivate (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/estivate). But that’s just me HIHI. On the Cape beach webcams, I see plenty of folks having a grand time, and I’m happy for them. 

With more hours of sunlight and a hyperactive Sol, propagation has gotten squirrely. I participate in a daily, first call district on 40m. One day, the net only worked with the help of a gracious ham in South Carolina who acted as a relay, since none of us could hear each other, but he could hear everyone! Crazy! Please, send me your “crazy band conditions” stories, for inclusion in the next Section Update. OK, on with it! 

 

* Field Day 2025: SM’s Report 

Field Day 2025 has come and gone, and I believe it was an unqualified success. I hope you had as much fun as I had! Over the FD weekend, I visited 10 FD sites, from Cape Ann to Cape Cod, and a bunch of them in between. What a rush! I’m proud of – and thrilled by – ALL the clubs in our section. I wish I could use the Starship Enterprise transporter to visit every one of you, and not just for FD. A few highlights: 

The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association has an outstanding clubhouse that doubles as an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), enabling them to operate FD as Class F. What a fantastic setup! 

New England Sci-Tech is (at least) one of the crown jewels of our section, if not the entire USA. As always, the team hosted a fantastic Field Day experience. The fully decked-out emergency communications trailer was in use and on display, and there were countless younger hams – and their parents – enjoying Field Day. What a treat! 

And finally, a tip o’ the hat to the Brooksby Village Amateur Radio Club, who mounted a Field Day 2025 operation. Brooksby Village is a senior living community located in Peabody, MA. Hams at Brooksby are re-energizing their club after the passing of the club’s president. Clubs like this one are an important part of keeping the hobby alive. Well done, gents! 

 

* FD Proclamation 

Once again, a big tip o’ the hat and a serious thank-you to our State Government Liaison (SGL) Steve KC1KEZ, for his efforts to get an official Proclamation from MA’s governor, Maura Healey, officially recognizing June 28-29 as Amateur Radio Field Day in MA. I took an original copy of the proclamation with me on my FD site visits, and it was a big hit. Thanks again, Steve! 

 

* 2025 Northeast HamXposition is Coming! 

Mark your calendars! The 2025 Northeast HamXposition is coming SOON: August 21-24, 2025, in Marlborough, MA. This is New England’s premier ham gathering. I hope to have an eyeball QSO with YOU at HamX! Full info at https://hamxposition.org/  

PS: HamX still needs volunteers. Volunteers get perks: 

  • If you work 2 x 2 hr shifts: 
    • Free admission (or)
    • Lunch voucher for Friday or Saturday (no lunch on Thursday or Sunday) (or)
    • Another ticket for the Sunday drawings
  • If you work additional 2 x 2 hr shifts, you can get one additional lunch voucher-if you haven’t taken the admission option. 

Volunteer at https://registration.hamxposition.org/volunteer/ ) 

 

* Still Recruiting a New Section Youth Coordinator  

Sadly, our former Section Youth Coordinator, Paul K1YUB, is now a Silent Key. I need to fill this important position on the EMA Section Staff. The SYC requirement and job description is at https://www.arrl.org/section-youth-coordinator  If you are interested in this volunteer position, please contact me at n1ilz@arrl.org  – I’ll appreciate it greatly!  

  

* N1ILZ for a Final   

I hope you’re all enjoying the joys that Summer brings, and – did I mention this last time? – ice cream!! Get out there and get those new antennas up or fix the damage from the ravages of winter. Stay cool and – especially – stay hydrated. Most of all, get on the air and have fun! 

Can you write a paragraph or two about what you’re up to, so I can publish it in the Section Update? Do you have fun stories and pictures from Field Day? Did you activate a POTA? Some other event? Shoot me an email at n1ilz@arrl.org!     

 

* For always up-to-date news, please visit the EMA Section website at http://ema.arrl.org   

This Section News Update was brought to you by Section Manager Jon N1ILZ.  

 

Clubs / Youth

K1WPI: “Ham Radio Decathlon” at Sci-Tech ARS Hybrid Meeting, July 22, 2025

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

New England Sci Tech logoTuesday, July 22, 2025 at 7 PM:  “Ham Radio Decathlon” by Mike Radzicki, K1WPI

The HAM Radio Decathlon (HRD) is a proposed, collegial, HAM radio competition designed to motivate HAM radio operators to practice their skills, work as a team, motivate their interest in public service, enhance their understanding of the breadth of STEM fields, and … ultimately … to have fun. Although in principle HAM radio operators of all ages and skill levels can participate in the HRD, initially it will be aimed at middle school students. This talk will provide an overview of the proposed decathlon and make suggestions for moving things forward. In addition, the use of artificial intelligence in the initial design of the decathlon will be illustrated.

Bio: Mike is a Professor of Economics and System Dynamics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, creator of WPI’s program in system dynamics, and director of the university’s Complex Systems Laboratory. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Notre Dame and his training in system dynamics modeling from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, he is a certified Rapid-I Predictive Analytics Analyst. His research focuses on predictive analytics, simulation science, and the application of techniques from these areas to problems in economics, finance, and healthcare policy. He has been invited to speak around the world in venues such as the White House, the Royal Society, the New York Stock Exchange, the United States Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Homeland Security, and Sandia National Laboratories. He has also served on the editorial board of four professional journals, as an expert witness in several court cases, and as a consultant to numerous Fortune 500 corporations. In addition to his work in economics and simulation, Mike is an avid golfer, woodworker, and HAM radio operator. 

 
Public Service

Cape Ann ARA-YuKanRun Half-Marathon Races Remaining

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

CAARA logoThe CAARA-YuKanRun Half-Marathon Radio Safety Team Has 7 Races Remaining This Year

The first half of the season has been a great success. We have learned new skills to meet challenging situations, and we have significantly contributed to participant safety. Each race has had 700+ participants.

In addition to assisting with the safety of race participants, an important part of our mission is to practice Emergency Communication (EmComm) in real situations. Our race volunteer work allows us to test and practice with field setups, operate from power sources off the grid, and to practice teamwork and radio communications skills as required by emergency communications.

With 7 remaining races this season, we have 4 open positions for which we need volunteers. Please step forward if you can!  Haven’t volunteered for a race before? We’ll coach you so you are comfortable doing your first one.

Triple Threat   August 3          Rockport                                 1 Open Checkpoint
By The Sea     Sept. 14           Manchester-By-The-Sea         1 Open Checkpoint
Port Run          Sept. 28           Newburyport                           2 Open Checkpoints

If you can volunteer again or volunteer for your first race, Please email W1TAT, Chris.

W1TAT@outlook.com

CAARA-YuKanRun Race Volunteer Site

Thank you!

W1TAT, Chris and K1KL, Kevin

Clubs / Mentoring

New Ham Report for July 1, 2025

- by Jon McCombie - Leave a Comment

Here is the new ham report as of July 1, 2025, listing newly licensed hams in the Eastern MA Section. Club officials, please review the list and reach out to those in your footprint and invite, welcome them. To all: please welcome these folks when you hear them on local repeaters. Offer assistance as well!

Report for 2025-07-01

Ben McPherson, KC1WXO – FCC
38 Lawrence St
Pepperell, MA 01463-1006

Noah Lloyd, KC1WXB – FCC
25 Davis Farm Rd
Ashland, MA 01721-1828

Sean P Neary, KC1WYZ – FCC
32 Elm St
Marlborough, MA 01752-2164

Charles Simmons, AC1UO – FCC
52 Greendale Ave
Marlborough, MA 01752-3219

Daksh Bharat, KC1WZC – FCC
19 Speen St
Natick, MA 01760-4153

Ivan Qin, KC1WYM – FCC
3 Karlton Cir
Andover, MA 01810-4111

Dwight C Doane, KC1WXT – FCC
4 Sandberg Rd
Billerica, MA 01821-2928

Jason Brown, KC1WXC – FCC
6 Colby St
Haverhill, MA 01835-7915

Michael Benton, AC1US – FCC
220 Fayette St
Lowell, MA 01852-2319

Pearce A Deal, KC1WWX – FCC
12 Middleton Rd
Boxford, MA 01921-2316

Nikolay Buzhin, KC1WWM – FCC
31 Clough Rd
Dedham, MA 02026-2705

Gabriel W Synnott, KC1WWL – FCC
21 Bradley Park Dr
Hingham, MA 02043-2163

Caleb Pascale, KC1WYO – FCC
290 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139-4130

Colin E Clark, KC1WYP – FCC
119 Bay State Rd
Boston, MA 02215-1700

Tanvir Hussain, KC1WZH – FCC
8 Alberta Rd
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3171

Konstantin Radojevic, KC1WYN – FCC
82 Tobey Rd
Belmont, MA 02478-4227

Lance K Giuffrida, KC1WYK – FCC
13 Pridemark Ln
Attleboro, MA 02703-1129

Joseph Raviele, KC1WXA – FCC
71 N Main St
Attleboro, MA 02703-2219

Harold R Terpeny, KC1WYS – FCC
11 Hermitage Rd
Marion, MA 02738-1301

Eric J Vanasse, KC1WXQ – FCC
20 Paul Rd
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-3623

Evan T Gagnon, KC1WYJ – FCC
32 Scott Dr
Raynham, MA 02767-1836

Russell Boudreau, KC1WZB – FCC
204 Anawan St
Rehoboth, MA 02769-2647

Brandon H Saunders, KB1BHS – FCC
1 Inearth Ln
Westport, MA 02790-1383

 

 

 

Clubs / Public Information

Whitman ARC Ham Radio Open House

- by W1IZZ - Leave a Comment

The Whitman Amateur Radio Club is having its FIRST Ham RWhitman ARC logoadio Open House on Saturday July 19th at the Knights of Columbus on Rte 18 in Whitman. We’ll be promoting and explaining Amateur Radio to the public from 8- Noon. You are welcome to attend, the event is FREE and we can supply your club with a table indoors if you want to display any equipment/demonstrations or information. If you have any questions, please email me.

Thanks, Ross W1EKG 73

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts Hospital Net (EMHN) – Saturday 7/12/25 – 1000 AM

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Jeff-N1SOM and the South Shore Hospital Group W1SSH writes:

Good Evening,

On Saturday July 12, 2025 the South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Group will hold an Eastern MA Hospital Net commencing at 10:00AM.

Home or alternative locations are also welcome to check into the net. Even if you cannot reach all the systems being used, please check-in on those you can.

1. West Bridgewater repeater 146.775 dcs 244
2. Norwood Repeater 147.210 tone 100.0
3. DMR -Talkgroup 8851 Time Slot :1 on the following NEDECN repeaters: Boston 449.175 -5.M CC:1, Hingham 146.430 -1.5M CC:1, Sagamore 145.200 – 0.6M CC:10, Dennis 146.470 -1.5M CC:11, East Falmouth 145.210 -0.600 CC:9, Martha’s Vineyard145.180 -0.600 CC:10, and Walpole 145.380 -0.600 CC:12.
4. Sharon Repeater 146.865 tone 103.5
5. Simplex 147.420

We will then return to the West Bridgewater Repeater for Net closing.

NET Protocol: Please wait for Net Control to ask for Check-ins. When asked to check in please use the standard net check-in procedure which is: Here is.., un-key, wait 3 seconds to check for doubling, then give your or your facilities call sign, your first name, and your facility’s name.

We extend an invitation to any health care facility, EOC of any city or town as well as RACES or ARES members to check in during the NET.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand at Net Control please let us know. We can be reached by sending an email to ssharg@outlook.com or replying to this message. The goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many individuals and groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct these monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event.

We hope to hear you Saturday.

73,

Jeff N1SOM and the South Shore Hospital Group W1SSH

Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Reminder: July 7th, 2025 MEMA RACES/ACS Communications Test Net

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment
Mike “Sparky” Leger, N1YLQ, ARES DEC – MEMA Region 2 RACES Radio Officer writes:
 
Hello to all,
 
    This email is the typical monthly message to let everyone know that Monday evening, July 7th, 2025 is our first non-holiday Monday of the month and, as such, will be the next RACES/ACS/Preparedness Net night. 
 

  I will be unable to reliably be NCO for the Sector 2A net due to work requirements, so I am looking for someone to act as the Sector 2A NCO for the night.

     For those who participate in the WinLink net, please note that there is a different NCO noted for the WinLink net this month with messages being routed to KC1VMZ with a copy to AB1PH. 
 
      For any operators interested in performing the duties of Net Control Station (NCS), there are materials available to make the task fairly simple and straight forward. The net pre-amble and role call lists are available at http://wc1mab.org/RACES_R2_Interim_Preamble.pdf and http://wc1mab.org/Month.php with the role-call lists on the left column near the bottom. If anyone is worried that they may mess up running a net, please remember that, in many cases, a less than perfect net is WAY better than no net at all! At the conclusion of any net, any operator that acted as Net Control Operator is asked to please send a note to WC1MAB@gmail.com <mailto:WC1MAB@gmail.com>  letting me know who ran the net and who checked in so that the proper numbers can be reported to our served agencies. We cannot always count on our normal net control operators to be available in the event of a large scale emergency, so every RACES operator should be prepared to act as NCO if needed when disaster and emergency strikes!
 

The Region #2 and State Net Schedule for this evening is as follows:

Net Frequency/Offset Time
Sector 2A 147.00 /+0.60  PL 19:30 Local
Sector 2B 145.39/-0.60  PL 67.0 20:00 Local
Sector 2C Winlink Net Check-In – 

NCO: KF1D with copy to AB1PH

 6AM-Midnight Local Time
Sector 2D 146.865/-0.60  PL 103.5 19:30 Local
6-Meter State Net 53.31 / -1.0  PL 71.9  

 

Note: Net activity on this repeater has been hit and miss. Please report any activity.

 19:00 Local
MA RACES HF Net 3930 KHz LSB moving up to 3955 KHz until there is a clear frequency 18:45 Local
MA MEMA NBEMS Net Frequency:  3584.5 MHx, Center Frequency: 1500 Hz, Initial mode: THOR22 19:00 Local
Winlink Net Instructions From Don Rolph: 
 
*Winlink Net*
 
To participate:
 
– create a check-in form using the Winlink standard check-in form
 
– send via Winlink after 6 AM EST Mon. July 7th and before midnight EST July 8th
  (any mode, but include mode in check-in form) to KC1VMZ with a copy to AB1PH.
 
 I continue to ask that any operators who have the time, please try to
check into sector nets from near-by sectors. This will allow our Net
Control Operators to practice fielding nets with a strong check-in count and
will also serve to help practice with relays or modified sector assignments
in the event that a single repeater is out of service.
 
 For those operators who serve as Net Control Operators, please try to
remember to send me a list of the stations and communities that check into
your nets. The numbers are reported to MEMA to show them our level of
participation. I am continuing to work on a graphical map based report to
show which parts of our section have strong coverage and which areas may
need a more targeted recruitment campaign to improve our ability to provide
back-up communications in an emergency.
 
I appreciate you all answering the call to help our communities remain
prepared as we close out the year for RACES/ARES operations. Thank you all for helping us keep things on track and prove that we remain a consistent source of communication capability to the Commonwealth. This net provides a monthly reminder to our communities and served agencies that we stand ready with a quiet professionalism prepared to serve as a voice to whomever needs one to get help and resources to where they need to be.
 
 If you know someone who would benefit from being on this list, please have them contact me at   <mailto:WC1MAB@gmail.com> WC1MAB@gmail.com and I will add them to this distribution. Thank you all!
 
If anyone has any questions or comments I can be reached by e-mail or cell phone. Thanks for being a part of our team and I look forward to hearing back on who can participate this month.
 
Sincerely,
 
Michael Leger (N1YLQ)
MEMA Region #2 RACES Officer
C: 508_995_0203 
Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Net – Monday July 7th, 2025 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater System

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Hello to all…

The July Eastern Massachusetts ARES section net will be Monday July 7th, 2025 at 830 PM on the MMRA Repeater system.

For frequencies that will be linked into the ARES Net on the MMRA Network, please see the following link from the MMRA web site detailing the repeaters that will be linked in through Hub 1:
https://mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_linking.html (Click the ARES box to see the repeaters and other systems linked)

We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net. We will have several announcements for the net.

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
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Emergency Communications / NTS / Operating / Public Service

Massachusetts RACES Nets – Monday 7/7/25 for HF, Region 2D VHF, NBEMS & Winlink – Times and Details Below

- by kd1cy - Leave a Comment

Don Rolph, AB1PH, Walpole area ARES Emergency Coordinator writes:

The MEMA RACES nets are held on the first Monday of the month, unless the first Monday is a holiday, when it is delayed one week, For July 2025, the MEMA RACES nets will be held on Mon July 7 at:

********************************************************************************
80 meter Voice net
6:45 PM
Frequency: 3930 KHz working up until the first free frequency
Matt KC1PFA will be net control

*********************************************************************************
Region 2D VHF net:
7:30 PM ET VHF net on 146.865 MHz PL 103.5 (Sharon Repeater)
We will have a general call up of any RACES, ARES, or other interested stations. If there is time, we will have a simplex test.
Jeff N1JCM will be net control.

********************************************************************************
HF 80 meters NBEMS net:
7:00 PM ET
Dial Frequency: 3584.5 MHx
Center Frequency: 1500 Hz
Initial mode: THOR22

We will have checkins, followed by an ICS-213 format message using FLMSG.
Alan WA1AR will be net control

*********************************************************************************
Winlink Net:
John KC1VMZ will be net control.
Send a winlink checkin form to KC1VMZ , copy AB1PH, between 0600 Monday July 7 and 2400 Monday July 7..

We look forward to you checking in!

—

73,
AB1PH
Don Rolph

Public Service

Paul White Raod Race Communications Support

- by W1IZZ - Leave a Comment

Falmouth ARA (FARA) volunteers supplied communications and medical support for the 46th Annual Paul White Road Race in North Falmouth. This is a new volunteer opportunity for FARA.

Held every July, the 4.81-mile race begins and ends on Chester Street between North Falmouth Library and Megansett Park (the site of the market owned by Paul White and his wife, Audrey, for many years). This race was created to commemorate local legend Paul White. The Race is the main fundraiser for the North Falmouth Village Association. The monies raised will be used to fund NFVA operating costs and four college scholarships for North Falmouth graduating seniors.

FARA members Mel-K1ELB, Barry-KB1TLR, Ralph-N1YHS, Jeremy-WA1JRC, Matt-KB1MLP, Tim-W1TCD, Chris-WA1CMR, Tegan-KC1VOS, Henry-K1WCC, Alden-K1IZB, Phil-KB1DOS, and Glen-KC1GKT volunteered to assist with the event. Mel and Alden worked with the Medical Team. Phil and Glen did double duty with both Communications and Medical.

 

Clubs / Field Day / Public Information

The Acton Exchange: “Anyone out there? Ham radio operators participate in nationwide field day”

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

PART of Westford logoThe American Radio Relay League (ARRL) hosted its annual Field Day over the June 28-29 (2025) weekend at the Concord Rod and Gun Club on Strawberry Hill Road, within handheld radio broadcasting distance from the Acton town line. Around 40,000 amateur radio operators, also known as “hams,” participate each year over the fourth weekend of June in the most popular on-the-air event in North America. The event has been running since 1933, interrupted only by World War II, and the operators who set up at the Concord site are members of the PART (Police Amateur Radio Team) of Westford club. [Full story]

Clubs / Technical

W1IS, KC1DSQ: “An All-Band 160-Meter OCF Antenna” in August 2025 QST

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

PART of Westford logoGeorge Allison, K1IG, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:

Congratulations to the two Bobs: W1IS and KC1DSQ, for their article “An All-Band 160-Meter OCF Antenna,” published in the August 2025 issue of QST. This antenna design is the first-place winner in the 160 meter, LF or VLF category of the 2024 WST Antenna Design Competition, and this issue is now available for ARRL members on the ARRL website.

If you like this article (and if you’re an ARRL member), you can cast your vote for the QST cover plaque award, starting on August 1. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you.

73,
George, K1IG

Operating

Two Operating Events

- by W1IZZ - Leave a Comment

From Tim, K1DC:

If you didn’t have enough fun last weekend during Field Day there are two events running this week to feed your addict… err.. radio hobby.

– 13 Colonies ( http://www.13colonies.us/ ). This event has been around awhile and is very popular! There are teams representing each of the 13 original colonies plus 3 ‘bonus’ stations. The goal is contact each of them at least once during the week long event. It is in progress now and runs through July 7 Midnight (Eastern time).

– World Wide Award ( https://hamaward.cloud/wwa/award ). This is a new event patterned after the month long event in Jan. It runs for 7 days\ (Jun 30-Jul 6). The goal is to contact as many of the activating stations (there are over 100 teams all over the world) on any band, any\ mode, every day! The scoring is done in real time so you can be sure you contact made it into the log. I believe this is the future of ham radio contesting.

I’ll be activating both events (Yeah, I’m a glutton) at various times over the week.

Field Day

Falmouth ARA Field Day 2025

- by W1IZZ - Leave a Comment

FARA’s Field Day (FD) began on Friday, 27 June. The setup group met at the club storage container, which holds the club’s FD materials. The group loaded up and transported the towers, beams, coils of coax cables, dipoles, tools, tables and related items to the FD location at the Morse Pond School.

Once at the FD location, the primary tasks were to setup the communications trailer and generators, assemble and test three beams, setup three towers with beams and dipole halyards, and run coaxial cable between the towers and the trailer. The goal was to have the towers ready to raise on Saturday. Setup went smoothly and was quickly done.

On Saturday morning, the SSB and CW stations were setup in the communications trailer. The towers were raised. The generators were started early to allow for testing. The GOTA station was setup under the fixed shelter to be more publicly accessible. A VHF station, primarily for use for Winlink message traffic, was also setup under the fixed shelter. In addition, a VHF/UHF station for satellite operation was setup when satellite passes were available.

Operations commenced at 1400 local time and continued until 1400 on Sunday, 29 June. The SSB station operators made 839 contacts and the CW station operators made 1,439 contacts. Contacts were made with all US ARRL sections and nine of the fourteen Canadian sections. Two DX contacts were made via CW.

The GOTA station had one youth operator who made eleven contacts. Messages were sent via Winlink to the EMA section manager and to ten local and state officials. Two satellite contacts were also made during FD.

FARA’s total contact points, which include a 2X multiplier for CW contacts and another 2X power multiplier for all contacts, are 7,434 points. We also qualified for bonus points totaling 1,625 points. FARA’s total claimed score is 9,059–a great score.

We had a nice cookout on Saturday with hot dogs, burgers, and sausages. A sausage, hash browns, and egg breakfast was served on Sunday morning for the overnight crew and anyone else that attended. Mike, KC1HKW, kept us all well fed and hydrated throughout the FD weekend.

Sunday afternoon, the teardown crew took everything down, packed it into vehicles and transported the equipment to the storage container. The container was loaded and locked by approximately 1600–a very quick and efficient disassembly operation!

A gallery of photo’s taken by Ralph, N1YHS and Larry, W1IZZ can be viewed at this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rbASMK1z3iH2Eaxx8

Emergency Communications / Operating / Public Service

Amateur Support Requested for Blackburn Challenge – July 19th, 2025

- by n1wbv - Leave a Comment

Eric, KA1NCF, writes on the NSRA Mailing list:

The Blackburn Challenge is coming up in just a few weeks, in Gloucester, MA and I need to find out how many hams I have that can help this year.
 
I have not found out yet how many boats they have that need ham radio communicators yet, but hope to know soon.  Then I can match operators with boaters, and support communications for the Backburn committee for the race.
 
Please let me know if you are available and would like to help on Saturday July 19th, the race starts around 7 am and runs until around 3 pm, although some boats are done earlier.
Eric can be contacted at ka1ncf@ka1ncf.org
Field Day / Foxhunting

W1MJ Fox at Nashoba Valley ARC Field Day, Pepperell, June 28-29, 2025

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment
Eliot Mayer, W1MJ, writes on NEMassFoxHunters:
 
I will be deploying my fox this morning in the Heald Street Orchard in Pepperell, MA.  I hope to get it on the air by 10 AM, and leave it on until 2 PM on Sunday.  It will sleep from 9 PM to 7 AM.
 
The fox transmits once per minute on 147.540 MHz.  It outputs 4 watts to a roll-up J-pole.
 
If there is cell service at the orchard, I will send a brief follow up here to confirm deployment.
 
This fox hunt is a side activity of the Nashoba Valley ARC’s Field Day.  If you come to hunt, please stop by the FD site in the orchard to say hi.  You can even make a few contacts if you’d like.  If you are not an HF operator, visit the “Get on the Air” station, set up specifically for you.