Visit our section website for up-to-date section news.
<https://ema.arrl.org/>.
Section Leadership may be found at
<https://ema.arrl.org/organization/#Section_Leadership>
NEW EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARRL SECTION WEBSITE
Visit the new Eastern Massachusetts ARRL Section website at <https://ema.arrl.org>. We have completely replaced the old website which served our section for more than a decade.
The new website offers many advantages including improved organization and a consistent look-and-feel across all section activities. There is now just a single URL for the section as we have integrated our separate ARES, NTS, and State Government pages into one unified site.
We have improved graphics and added tags to facilitate searches for specific topics such as #arrl or #public-service. Try it out!
Want to see “ALL” the latest news posts? Look at “Posts by Date” on the right side, or select “Posts by Category” followed by “ALL” if you prefer to see the latest news on a page by itself.
Interested in events happening near you? Then check out the Events Calendar! Nets, club meetings, and other events are displayed in Agenda, Week, and Month formats. To request listing of an activity, send an email with date, time, and event name to <emaarrl@gmail.com>.
This site is a major improvement to the section. Phil K9HI, with support from Jesse W1DEA, invested significant time and effort to create the new web presence. They had additional help from Phil, N1XTB. The transition was finished around the middle of February and the new site is now live. My sincere thanks to everyone involved for their hard work, and to the many other hams who provided feedback and guidance along the way.
ARES “ICE ASSAULT” EXERCISE COMPLETED
Congratulations to Frank O Laughlin, WQ1O (DEC, Cape and Islands); Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG (SEC); and all participating members of Eastern Massachusetts ARES on the “Ice Assault” Exercise this month.
As reported by Marek: Eastern MA ARES held a section-wide exercise on February 10th, dubbed “Operation Ice Assault”. Cape Cod and the Islands simulated a severe ice storm causing widespread fixed infrastructure damage to the region. The Cape field teams ran on generators using only equipment they brought with them. Frank O’Laughlin, WQ1O, Cape Cod & Islands DEC organized field stations that were set up at the Sandwich EOC (outside in the parking lot), Falmouth Hospital, Falmouth High School, Cape Cod Tech School in Harwich, and the Falmouth ARA on Joint Base Cape Cod. Marek Kozubal, SEC KB1NCG coordinated activity outside of the Cape and Islands. EOC and field sites included the Marlborough EOC (also designated off Cape command), Stow EOC, Cape Ann ARA in Gloucester, Walpole field EOC, South Shore Hospital, Acushnet EOC, and the MIT Radio Society. Stations communicated within, throughout, and outside of the section utilizing 80m and 40m USB, 2m and 70cm FM simplex & repeater communications. HF communications were established between Marlborough, Stow, Acushnet, and Cape Cod stations including Nantucket, as well as stations as far away as New York and Ohio.
SECTION MANAGER TRAVELS
February isn’t quite finished yet! First, I enjoyed visiting the Nashoba Valley ARC (NVARC) meeting on February 15. I followed that up with a visit to the always exceptional Algonquin Amateur Radio Club (AARC) Flea Market in Marlborough on February 17.
FLEA MARKETS
Sunday, April 8, 2018, 9 AM to 12 noon
Framingham ARA flea market at the Keefe Technical School. Go to <www.fara.org/flea> for more info.
SPECIAL EVENTS
APRIL 12, 2018: “The 103rd Anniversary of the Titanic Sinking”
A special event station will be set up at the old Coast Guard Station in Eastham on Cape Cod from April 12th until 1:46 AM on the 15th to commemorate this tragic loss. This event is put on by the Titanic / Marconi Memorial Radio Assoc. of Cape Cod and hosted by the Cape Cod National Seashore. The event will be open to the public on Saturday the 14th. (Info via Barry/ KB1TLR; Trustee / W1MGY)
April 28, 2018: W1BSA on the USS Massachusetts
The annual W1BSA event will take place April 28, 2018, from 10:00-15:00. Visit the USS Massachusetts ward room to operate this great event. (Info via Rick Emord, KB1TEE)
June 1-3, 2018: NE1PL on the USS Massachusetts 2018
The USS Massachusetts will participate on June 1-3 for Museum Ships On The Air. Anyone interested in coming out and operating please contact Rick, KB1TEE at <kb1tee@gmail.com> In addition to radio operators they are seeking people to help log contacts, speak to guests and other duties. Check out the website <www.ne1pl.org> for updates on operations. (Info via Rick Emord KB1TEE)
THIS MONTH’S CLUB NEWS
Barnstable ARC (BARC): <https://www.barnstablearc.org/>
The Barnstable Amateur Radio Club (BARC), sponsor of an Amateur Radio Explorer Club at the Lighthouse Charter School in Harwich, is now conducting a Technician Radio License Seminar at the school for interested students along with semi-monthly club meetings. This seminar will be completed in March. BARC will also be taking part again in the ARRL’S ‘School Club Roundup’ event in February. (Info via Paul Laconto-W1NP club advisor)
Billerica ARS (BARS): <https://www.w1hh.org/>
The February Billerica ARS (BARS) meeting was postponed due to inclement weather. ARRL New England Division Vice Director Mike Raisbeck K1TWF, will speak at the March 6 BARS meeting in Chelmsford about the January ARRL Board of Directors meeting.
The Billerica ARS now has a new and much improved website at <https://www.w1hh.org/>.
Falmouth ARA: <http://www.falara.org/>
The Falmouth ARA tells us that planning for the Falmouth road race and Cape Cod Marathon is already in progress.
PART OF WESTFORD <http://www.wb1gof.org/>
Lots of news from PART this month including:
– starting Saturday, March 3rd, the monthly breakfast will move to Paul’s Diner, 6 Carlisle Road, Westford.
– PART is planning a kit building activity, tentatively scheduled for March 10th, 2018. We will be building the Cricket80A QRP CW transceiver for the 80m band.
– Kit info here: http://www.4sqrp.com/cricket.php. If you are interested in participating, please contact Andy (KB1OIQ) at
kb1oiq@arrl.net.
– The speaker at PART’s February 20 meeting, Frank (KC1HSC) planned a display, presentation and discussion of military radios from World War II to Vietnam.
MONTHLY SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATOR REPORT
SEC Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG reports 670 registered Eastern MA ARES members, 17 active nets and 5 DECs reporting in January. Contact Marek KB1NCG, at <kb1ncg@gmail.com> to register with ARES.
MONTHLY SECTION TRAFFIC MANGER REPORT
Contact STM Marcia Forde, KW1U, at kw1u@arrl.net or join one of the many nets below to learn more about traffic handling.
The National Traffic System (NTS) January Recognitions:
(1) Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR): Recognition for January: KC1CIC (135), KW1U (130), N1TF (115), N1SYC (115), W1RVY (100), N1LAH (100) and NV1N (88).
(2) Brass Pounder League (BPL): Recognition for January: None this month
See the monthly “Public Service” column in QST for more information about the BPL and PSHR recognitions.
NTS NETS (COMBINED EMA/WMA)
EMA/WMA NTS Nets are listed below. Please support the nets and check in.
EM2MN 145.230 MHz 8 PM Daily
MARIPN 3978 KHz 6PM Tu, Th, Sa
HHTN MMRA Repeaters 10PM Su, M, W, F
CITN 147.375 MHz 7:30PM M, Tu, Th, Sa
MARI 3565 KHz 7PM Daily
CM2MN 146.970 MHz 9PM Daily
WMTN 146.910 MHz 10AM Daily
WMTN 146.910 MHz 1PM Daily
WMEN 3944 KHz 8:30AM Su
NEPN 3945 KHz 8:45 Su
FIRST REGION NET (1RN/FRN) JANUARY REPORTS (NTS)
Bill, W1KX, manages 1RN Cycle 4, the evening CW net. Bill reports in January there were 62 sessions, 179 check-ins, and 82 pieces of traffic handled.
Betsy, K1EIC, manages FRN Cycle 2, the daytime SSB net. Betsy reports in January there were 62 sessions, 268 check-ins, and 125 pieces of traffic handled.
Until next month,
73,
Tom, K1TW
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ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Thomas D Walsh, K1TW
k1tw@arrl.org
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The Whitman Amateur Radio Club will hold a weekly General license class for eight sessions beginning Tuesday, December 10, 2019 from 7-9 PM at the Whitman Police Station. The class will conclude on January 28, 2020. A volunteer exam session will follow, date to be determined. Material will be based on the ARRL General Class License Manual.
The March, 2018 Section Newsletter is now available at 
