Tag: #public-service

MASSACHUSETTS TRAFFIC REPORT FOR MARCH 2018

Attached here is the section traffic report for both East and West Mass. It is good to know that the nets are not dependent on any one person and function very well such as when your STM was off the air. As many of you know my station has had its problems for the past few months and I have had to replace various pieces of equipment. Many improvements including a new antenna are now in place thanks to Greg KC1CIC (and the N1OTC bow and arrow), to whom I am greatly indebted. I am now back and hopefully with an almost entirely new station I will be in business for another couple years or more.
I would also like to mention an article now posted on our section website written by our own KC1CIC regarding his experience during a recent New England nor’easter and all his emergency preparations prior to the storm. Good reading and good advice. Look for it at https://ema.arrl.org/2018/04/13/gaining-experience-and-confidence-through-a-storm/.   Thanks to all for your support of the nets.

MA STM REPORT       MARCH 2018    
               
               
NET SESSIONS  QTC QNI QTR NM FREQ Net Time
WMTN C1 29 5 294 160 KD2JKV 146.91 10:00 Daily
WMTN C2 26 10 184 174 N1YCW 146.91 13:00 Daily
MARI 30 73 89 391 KW1U 3565 KHz 19:00 Daily
EM2MN 31 154 228 737 KC1CIC 145.23 20:00 Daily
CM2MN 27 45 272 278 KK1X 146.97 21:00 Daily
MARIPN 14 7 45 122 N1LAH 3978 KHz 18:00 Tu,Th,Sa
CITN 23 1 70 277 N1SYC 147.375 19:30 M,T,T, F,Sa
HHTN 17 14 65 208 W1HAI MMRA Rptrs 22:00 Su,M,W,F
WMEN 4 0 97 NA W1JWN 3944 KHz 08:30 Su
WARPSN 4 8 76 NA N1IQI 147.225 08:30 Su
               
               
SAR ORG REC SENT DEL TOTAL BPL  
KW1U 0 397 348 5 750 X  
N1IQI 0 95 435 3 533 X  
KC1CIC 0 105 70 11 186    
N1TF 0 45 61 3 109    
WA1LPM 0 26 46 0 72    
N1LAH 0 32 35 1 68    
W1RVY 0 30 34 4 68    
KC1HHO 0 25 21 21 67    
NV1N 0 17 32 0 49    
N1LKJ 0 17 23 0 40    
N1SYC 0 10 15 6 31    
W1PLK 0 6 4 3 13    
K1BML 0 2 0 1 3    
               
               
PSHR  (Min 70 Points) 1 2 3 4 5 6 TOTAL
KC1CIC 40 40 30 5 0 20 135
KW1U 40 40 30 0 0 20 130
N1IQI 40 40 10 10 15 10 125
N1TF 40 40 30 5 0 0 115
W1RVY 40 40 20 0 5 0 105
N1LAH 40 40 20 0 0 0 100
N1SYC 40 31 20 5 0 0 96
WA1LPM 40 40 10 0 0 0 90
KC1HHO 30 40 10 0 5 0 85
NV1N 34 40 10 0 0 0 84
K1BML 27 1 10 0 0 0 38
               
               
DRS RCV FWD TOTAL        
KW1U 870 1265 2135        
N1IQI 95 435 530        
KC1CIC 42 33 75        
KC1EGK 0 5 5        
W1RVY 3 2 5        
               
BPL = 500 POINTS EARNED              
               
MARCIA FORDE STM MA            
GREG BENNETT KC1CIC ASTM            
Emergency Communications / Public Service

ARES & SKYWARN Prepare for the 2018 Boston Marathon

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

SKYWARN link: http://www.wx1box.org/node/4071
EMA ARRL link: https://ema.arrl.org/2018/04/14/marathon-2018-1/

Hello to all…

..Winter to be felt late tonight through early Monday Morning followed by heavy rain and strong winds for Patriots Day/Marathon Monday. This is a combined Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message and these will continue to be combined through Sunday Evening/Monday Morning..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 8 AM Monday for Franklin, Western Hampshire, Western Hampden, Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts for up to 0.20″ radial ice accumulations and result in slippery road conditions. If 0.20″ or more of icing occurs, isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages may develop..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 4 AM Sunday Morning to 8 PM Sunday Evening for Central Middlesex, Western Essex, and Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts  for light icing and accumulations up to 0.10″ inches and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 6 AM Sunday Morning to 8 PM Sunday Evening for Northern Connecticut, Eastern Hampden and Eastern Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts for a light glaze of ice and slippery road conditions..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 6 AM Sunday Morning to 5 PM Sunday Evening for Providence and Kent Counties of Rhode Island, Norfolk, Suffolk and Northern Bristol Counties of Rhode Island for a trace of radial ice accumulation and slippery road conditions..
..Patriots Day/Marathon Monday will have widespread rainfall with the heaviest rainfall during the late morning to early evening timeframe. Strong wind gusts of 30-45 MPH are possible across interior Southern New England with wind gusts of 45-50 MPH possible in Southeast New England. Isolated thunderstorms and lightning are also possible. This is detailed in the Boston Marathon Weather portion of this coordination message..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening..

The light icing conditions for late tonight through early Monday Morning are covered in the headlines of this coordination message. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the icing conditions Sunday into early Monday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

The second part of this message is a special announcement – Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message as issued in prior years:

While this may be a bit off topic for some SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and Red Cross volunteers, many of which are SKYWARN Spotters, will be involved in the Boston Marathon on Monday April 16th. To reach out to the highest level of Amateur Radio Operators involved in the event, this coordination message is being sent out to the SKYWARN email list and posted to the various Amateur Radio lists. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this message. This is a joint message between the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)-SKYWARN program at NWS Boston/Norton and Eastern Massachusetts ARES. Due to the storm conditions and the fact some level of SKYWARN Activation will occur, messages will occur through at least Sunday Evening on the storm event.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES members not participating in the Boston Marathon are requested to be on standby for marathon activities on Monday April 16th from 6 AM-7 PM for any significant issues outside of the Boston Marathon that may require Amateur Radio Emergency Communications support and for any unexpected issues on the Boston Marathon route. With over 280 Amateur Radio Operators staffing the Boston Marathon route, the start line and the finish line, if an issue arises needing Amateur Radio support outside of the Marathon route or an unexpected issue arises in marathon operations, it is important that any ARES members not involved in the marathon can help with any response that is required. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, WX1BOX, will be active on Monday April 16th for the Boston Marathon to provide weather support to the Amateur Radio community participating in the marathon and to gather any weather reports of significance during the marathon. This station will also be used to coordinate any ARES response to any significant incidents regarding Amateur Radio support outside of the marathon zone including any incidents that need to be provided to the State EOC for situational awareness information.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) at the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) will be active for the Boston Marathon. Amateur Radio Operators will be at the SEOC to support Amateur Radio communications and will be on the air under call sign, WC1MA, while many agencies will be there performing primary operations for the marathon.

The weather outlook is definitely less than ideal for volunteers and is also not ideal for runners though not as significant as a warm weather event would be for the runners. Rain will be widespread across the marathon route in the morning hours and the heaviest rain is expected in the late morning through early evening. This may result some poor and drainage street flooding in the region. Strong winds are also possible with wind gusts in the 30-45 MPH range in the interior with the highest gusts as you get closer to the Metro Boston areas. Areas of Southeast New England will have wind gusts to 45-50 MPH and this may result in Wind Advisories as we get closer to the event. This could result in isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. An isolated thunderstorm or two with attendant lightning risk is also possible but exact locations and whether they would occur on the marathon route are difficult to determine. All runners, volunteers and spectators should monitor future weather forecasts and should prepare accordingly for these conditions. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening.

From a SKYWARN perspective, the 146.64-Waltham Repeater and 145.23-Boston Repeater are being utilized for Marathon operations. From an ARES perspective, the Minutemen Repeater Association Repeater Network is being utilized for marathon operations. Please review the SKYWARN Frequency listing for your closest alternate repeater from a SKYWARN or ARES perspective.
http://www.wx1box.org/node/37

For Amateur Radio, Red Cross and all other volunteers along the route, it is recommended that you dress in layers for this event so that you can put on or take off clothes as needed for comfort. Rain gear is a must either with a clear poncho or a rain coat where you can still display appropriate credentials outside of the raincoat. Be sure to drink liquids and eat properly during the event and that you are self-sufficient so that you can be of full help to the function and not distract everyone from the main purpose of supporting the runners by having a health issue on your end that can be avoided. For volunteers, the BAA has sent around via email weather safety tips and suggestions on clothing and other safety tips.

For those people that are planning to go to the Boston Marathon as spectators, the following link details guidelines for spectators for the 2018 Boston Marathon:
http://www.wx1box.org/local/2018_Marathon_Spectator_Guidelines_Final.pdf

Another coordination message will be posted by 1100 AM Sunday Morning. We appreciate everyone’s support in this event and hope those that volunteer enjoy themselves and feel the self-satisfaction of supporting this historic event and those that are monitoring the Marathon or events outside of the Marathon realize that the monitoring is an important function as well and is a testament to being able to scale other incidents beyond the marathon if required. Thanks to all for their support!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Email Address: kb1ncg@gmail.com

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Emergency Communications

Monthly EMA ARES Net 4/2 8:30pm

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment
Hello to all…

We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in April. The monthly ARES Net for April is Monday the 2nd, at 8:30 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:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html

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

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications / Public Service

Eastern MA Hospital Net Invites New NCSes

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

John O’Neill, K1JRO writes:

The April 7,2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net is approaching. We are seeking groups and organizations to take a turn at Net Control duties. If you are interested in trying your hand as Net Control please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

Below are the repeaters we have available for our use. Let us know which 3 or 4 repeaters you would like to use and we will make all the notifications. We’ll also send you a copy of our net preamble if you desire which you may modify for your own use.

—

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2
Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0
Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9
Mansfield EMA  446.925 tone 100.0
Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0
Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)
W. Bridgewater 146.775 dpl 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

Emergency Communications / Public Service

NWS Forecast Office, WX1BOX Move to Norton Complete

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

SKYWARN logoRob Macedo, KD1CY writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

The National Weather Service Forecast Office has now moved to its new facility in Norton Massachusetts and has been renamed to the National Weather Service Forecast office Boston/Norton. A Public Information Statement and a few photos of the facility can be seen at the following link:

https://www.weather.gov/box/moveday

The Amateur Radio Station at the new weather office will be brought online likely over the next couple of weeks as there are still a few important communications issues that are still in the process of being resolved for NWS operations and they will take priority. Once those are resolved, the Amateur Radio Station will be brought online. On the nearest weekend or weeknight that work is completed, we will hold a communications test of the Amateur Radio equipment to test out the station.

It is very important to note that WX1BOX, the Amateur Radio station at NWS Boston/Norton, will feature all new Amateur Radios and antennas. The Eastern Region and national headquarters of NWS made it a point to get the new facility and our station, all new Amateur Radio equipment, as a thanks and in recognition to ongoing efforts to support the NWS Forecast Office during times of severe weather and understanding the high utilization that it has due to the dedicated volunteers that man the station and the thousands of Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters who report in during severe weather. This could not be done without your continued support.

We have renamed our WX1BOX Twitter to the Boston/Norton name and the Facebook name change to Boston/Norton is pending approval. We will also make appropriate changes to the static pages on the wx1box.org web site.

We will send out another special announcement when the new Amateur Radio station at the NWS Boston/Norton facility is on air. Thanks to all for their continued support of the now NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program and thanks to the city of Taunton for their support over the last 25+ years.

Clubs / Emergency Communications / Public Service

Cape Ann ARA: “Go Kits” Open House, March 20, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

CAARA logoGardner H. Winchester II, KA1BTK writes on CAARA list:

“Please join us at [the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association] for Tuesday evening’s Open House, 4:00 – 9:00 PM or any time in between!

This week, we want to try something new.  We’re going to try to run a bit of an info session.  The topic will be Amateur Radio “Go-Bags” for emergency and public service operations.  Several members have assembled Go-Bags and Go-Kits and we would like to see what you have and share your thoughts.”

The Cape Ann ARA club station is located at 6 Stanwood Street, in Gloucester Massachusetts, Tel. # 978-282-7645. They operate the 2-meter W1GLO repeater on 145.130  MHz (– input,  with a 107.2 PL tone) 

Emergency Communications

ARES ending Stand-By and Active Service 1500 March 15th, 2018

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

See this message on the web at https://ema.arrl.org/2018/03/15/ares-stand-by-ends-20180315/

*** EFFECTIVE AT 1500 THURSDAY MARCH 15TH ARES WILL END STAND-BY AND ACTIVE OPERATIONS ***

The ARES leadership would like to thank all the amateur operators who volunteered their time and equipment during this last major blizzard. Operations on Cape Cod covered 7 operators across the Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) and 3 active shelter locations. Operations included overnight operations as nearly 200,000 customers were without power, AT&T cell service was down, as well as numerous tree and wire damage. ARES would also like to thank the amateurs who volunteered for the ARESMAT to the Cape and provided your support to the operations. The HF net was active during the storm and was active from 0600 Tuesday through 2300 Tuesday on 75 meters.

Additionally everyone’s SKYWARN reports that made it to the SKYWARN operations center at the NWS Taunton office were of tremendous value and help give a broadened situational awareness across the region to this storm. Storm totals topped out at 25.5 inches in Dracut, MA. Snow fall rates hit 3-4 inches/hour in multiple areas. Wind gusts hit 88 MPH at Davis at Otis AFB, 81 on Nantucket, 76 at the Barnstable County EOC, and 75 MPH at Woods Hole, MA.

If anyone has pictures from this storm please send them to pics@nsradio.org to be included in the SKYWARN photo album and for damage assessment. Please include picture credit, date/time taken, and location.

Thanks again to all the amateurs who helped out and stood by on various repeaters to allow the ARES and SKYWARN nets to pass their traffic and to the clubs and organizations that maintain our repeater network in Eastern Massachusetts.

Respectfully submitted,
Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA ARES SEC
kb1ncg@arrl.net

Emergency Communications

ARESMAT Requested for Cape Cod Shelter Support for March 13th

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

*** ARES SUPPORT REQUESTED FOR SHELTERS ON CAPE COD ***

At the current time three shelters are being opened on Cape Cod and an ARES Mutual Aid Team (ARESMAT) has been requested for Cape Cod support. There are wide spread outages with AT&T cellular service, power outages covering approximately 125,000 customers, etc. Communications support is requested for the Sandwich, MA and Barnstable, MA shelters and it is possible a fourth shelter will open Wednesday that may also need ARESMAT support.

If you are available to help with the shelter in Sandwich, MA or Barnstable, MA for this evening’s overnight or possibly other locations on the Cape please email blizzard@nsradio.org, with your availability for tonight and tomorrow, what equipment you are able to bring, and what ability to travel to the Cape you have.

We are currently looking for volunteers for this evening overnight and planning for the possibility of continued operations Wednesday.

Do not self-deploy, please only respond to requests for support from ARES leadership. ARES leadership will tell you where to go and who to contact when you arrive.

Respectfully submitted,
Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA ARES SEC
Emergency Communications

EMA ARES on Stand-By for Coastal Blizzard Starting 2300 Monday March 12th

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

See this message on the web at https://ema.arrl.org/2018/03/12/ares-standby-20180312/

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS EFFECTIVE 2300 MONDAY, MARCH 12TH UNTIL CANCELED DUE TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM FORECAST COASTAL STORM AND BLIZZARD ***

*** BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 2300 MONDAY EVENING THROUGH 2000 TUESDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN ESSEX, PLYMOUTH, BARNSTABLE, AND DUKES COUNTIES FOR 10-18 INCHES OF SNOW WITH ISOLATED 20+ INCH AMOUNTS WITH 30-40 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 65+ MPH ***

 

*** SNOW IN THE BLIZZARD WARNING AREA IS LIKELY TO BE HEAVY AND WET WITH THE STRONG WINDS COULD RESULT IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POCKETS OF TREE AND WIRE DAMAGE AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ***

 

*** WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS FROM 2300 MONDAY TO 2000 TUESDAY FOR 10-18+ INCHES OF SNOW WITH WINDS 20-30 GUSTING TO 50-55+ MPH ***

 

*** SNOW IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN ARES OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING COULD BE WET AND HEAVY WITH THE STRONG WINDS COULD RESULT IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POCKETS OF TREE AND WIRE DAMAGE AND SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ***

 

*** COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 0800 TUESDAY TO 1200 TUESDAY FOR EASTERN PLYMOUTH COUNTY, CAPE COD,  NANTUCKET, EASTERN ESSEX, AND DUKES COUNTY FOR MINOR COASTAL FLOODING DURING THE HIGH TIDE CYCLE ***

 

*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-TAUNTON TO COMMENCE AROUND 0400 TUESDAY ***

A major storm will be impacting the region Monday evening through Tuesday evening. All amateurs are asked to prepare for a powerful coastal storm which will bring blizzard conditions along the coastal parts of Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Across the region 12-18 inches of snow is forecast with isolated amounts reaching 20+ inches. The snow may be wet and heavy causing additional strain on already weakened trees and infrastructure from the previous two Nor’Easters especially in the eastern and southern areas of the warning area. Some coastal flooding is expected during the Noon Tuesday high tide cycle. A high wind warning is also in effect for Nantucket for sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts to 65 MPH.

Please notify ARES leadership of availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage; infrastructure issues; coastal, river, and urban flooding; change over to snow; and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation. Secure any loose objects that can blow around easily.

The Cape Cod MACC (Multi-Agency Coordination Center) will be operating starting around 0600 Tuesday. Nets will be run on 146.955- PL88.5 Dennis repeater. The ARES HF net will also be running on 3.930 +/- 5 kHz QRM with calls at the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of the hour starting at 0600 Tuesday. SKYWARN will be running various nets across our section on the assigned SKYWARN repeaters.

The list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/node/37

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm is at: http://wx1box.org/node/4054

For the latest bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime over the weekend. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ema.arrl.org/ares and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to another part of the Eastern Massachusetts section as this will be a large area impact storm for this anticipated blizzard. We ask that as you contact your DEC, please send a copy of the message to blizzard@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
ASEC – KD1CY – kd1cy@comcast.net

DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

Emergency Communications

EMA ARES Ends Stand-By Status

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment
*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES ENDS ITS STAND-BY STATUS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY ***
The Eastern MA ARES staff would like to thank all the amateur radio volunteers who supplied their availability and for those who helped out during the back-to-back severe weather events that impacted the section. Everyone’s SKYWARN reports greatly helped expand the situational awareness for the National Weather Service, MEMA, the cities and towns, and media for coverage of these significant events.
At the peak of the first storm there were 450,000+ customers without power and various shelters and warming centers opened across the section. As of this note there remains about 66,000 customers without power but service is expected to be restored by the end of day Sunday at the latest.
SKYWARN operations were conducted at the National Weather Service office in Taunton, MA and photo albums have been made for both storms:
The ARES and SKYWARN staff are keeping an eye on a possible storm in the Monday/Tuesday timeframe. However it is too early to say what this storm might bring to the region.
Thanks again to all the operators and spotters who helped collect information and aid with communications during these severe winter storms.
Respectfully submitted,
Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
Eastern MA ARES SEC
Emergency Communications

ARES Stand-By Update for Wednesday Winter Storm

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

See this message on the web at https://ema.arrl.org/2018/03/05/ares-standby-update/

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES CONTINUES TO BE ON STAND-BY FOR THE SECTION DUE TO LINGERING DAMAGE FROM LAST WEEKENDS STORM AND THE POTENTIAL FOR WEDNESDAY’S STORM TO INTERFERE WITH REPAIR CREWS AND HIGHER IMPACT TO WEAKENED INFRASTRUCTURE ***
*** WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK COUNTIES AND REGIONS NORTH FOR 6″+ OF SNOW ***
*** STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO 50+ MPH ARE POSSIBLE WHICH COULD HAVE HIGHTENED IMPACT ON WEAKENED TREES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ***
*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-TAUNTON ARE LIKELY, UPDATED SKYWARN MESSAGE WILL BE POSTED LATER THIS EVENING ***

A major storm impacted the region Friday morning through Saturday. As crews continue to repair the damage from that storm another storm will impact the region on Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. Various shelters across the region have been closing as of Monday morning, however with the risk of increased damage from this upcoming storm it is possible more shelters and warming centers will be needed. All amateurs are asked to prepare for a significant snow fall event of 6-12″+ of heavy wet snow, especially in the northern part of the section. Trees and various infrastructure are still in a weakened state, with the possibility of heavy snow combined with moderate winds there is a higher risk for impactful damage. The location of the rain/snow line is still uncertain and will greatly affect how much snow impacts the region as well as where the maximum snow will hit.

Please notify ARES leadership of availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage; infrastructure issues; coastal, river, and urban flooding; snow amounts; precipitation type; and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation. Secure any loose objects that can blow around easily.

The ARES HF net will be running on 3.930 +/- 5 kHz QRM with calls at the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of the hour. SKYWARN will be running various nets across our section on the assigned SKYWARN repeaters.

The list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/node/37

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm is at: http://wx1box.org/node/4047

For the latest bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime through the weekend. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ema.arrl.org/ares and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to another part of the Eastern Massachusetts section as this will be a large area impact storm for this anticipated storm. We ask that as you contact your DEC, please send a copy of the message to blizzard@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
ASEC – KD1CY – kd1cy@comcast.net
DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

Emergency Communications

Monthly EMA ARES Net 3/5 8:30pm

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment
*** NOTICE ***
The standard RACES nets on the first business Monday of the month have been canceled due to on going operations supporting clean up after the severe coastal storm last weekend.

The monthly ARES net however will go on as scheduled. ARES remains in a stand-by operational state as clean up continues and another storm is predicted to impact the region on Wednesday. A separate stand-by update notice will be sent out later this evening.

*** Standard monthly notice continues below with RACES net information removed. ***

Hello to all…

We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in March. The monthly ARES Net for March is Monday the 5th, at 8:30 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:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html

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

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications

EMA ARES on Stand-By for Major Costal Storm Starting 0900 Friday March 2nd

- by KB1NCG - Leave a Comment

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS EFFECTIVE 0900 FRIDAY, MARCH 2ND UNTIL CANCELED DUE TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM FORECASTED COASTAL STORM ***
*** COASTAL FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR EAST COASTAL MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS FROM 9 AM FRIDAY TO 3 AM SUNDAY FOR THE POTENTIAL OF MAJOR COASTAL FLOODING OVER MULTIPLE HIGH TIDE CYCLES ***
*** HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM SATURDAY FOR NORFOLK, BRISTOL AND PLYMOUTH COUNTIES FOR 20-40 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 70+ MPH ***
*** HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM SATURDAY FOR CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS FOR 30-40 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 75+ ***
*** HIGH WIND WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM FRIDAY TO 7 AM SATURDAY FOR MIDDLESEX AND ESSEX COUNTIES FOR 25-35 MPH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 65+ ***
*** THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS TREE AND WIRE DAMANGE WITH POSSIABLE POWER OUTAGES ***
*** A WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM NOON FRIDAY TO 4 AM SATURDAY FOR NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY FOR 4-7″ OF SNOW, WITH AMOUNTS TO 10″ POSSIBLE ***
*** ANY SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AND WET AND COUPLED WITH THE STRONG WINDS COULD DOWN SCATTERED TREES AND POWER LINES CAUSING SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES ***
*** THE AMOUNT AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW REMAINS LOW CONFIDENCE AND SNOWS AMOUNTS COULD BE SUBJECT TO REVISION ***
*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-TAUNTON TO COMMENCE AROUND 0800 FRIDAY ***

A major storm will be impacting the region Friday morning through Saturday. All amateurs are asked to prepare for a powerful and long duration coastal storm which will bring during multiple high tide cycles significant major coastal flooding to East Coastal Massachusetts along with the potential for strong to damaging winds including hurricane force wind gusts for Cape Cod and the Islands, heavy rainfall (up to 3-4″) that could lead to urban, poor drainage, and potentially river and stream flooding, and rain changing to snow with the potential for significant snow accumulations in portions of interior Southern New England. The potential for heavy snow remains the lowest confidence portion of the forecast.

Please notify ARES leadership of availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage; infrastructure issues; coastal, river, and urban flooding; change over to snow; and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation. Secure any loose objects that can blow around easily.

The Cape Cod MACC (Multi-Agency Coordination Center) will be operating starting around 0900 Friday. Nets will be run on 146.955- PL88.5 Dennis repeater. The ARES HF net will also be running on 3.930 +/- 5 kHz QRM with calls at the top (:00) and bottom (:30) of the hour. SKYWARN will be running various nets across our section on the assigned SKYWARN repeaters.

The list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/node/37

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm is at: http://wx1box.org/node/4045

For the latest bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime over the weekend. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ema.arrl.org/ares and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to another part of the Eastern Massachusetts section as this will be a large area impact storm for this anticipated blizzard. We ask that as you contact your DEC, please send a copy of the message to hurricane@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.

What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES!

Respectfully Submitted,

Marek Kozubal (KB1NCG)
ARES Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
ASEC – KD1CY – kd1cy@comcast.net

DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1NCG – kb1ncg@arrl.net
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

MASSACHUSETTS TRAFFIC REPORT FOR JANUARY 2018

The big news of the day is our new section website which Phil K9HI has spent many hours getting ready for us.  Many thanks to Phil and to Tom K1TW, our section manager for his inspiration in bringing this project to fruition.  It is bringing all the section activities together in one place and I hope you will find it interesting, helpful and easy to use.  Any suggestions on topics for the NTS page can be addressed to kw1u@arrl.net. This is your page for training and news in the world of message handling.

To those in the West Mass section (and that includes the folks in central Mass) we welcome a new Section Manager, Ray Lajoie KB1LRL. Ray has been active on the CM2M Net.

New amateurs are becoming involved in the traffic nets and they are most welcome. Congrats to Peter KC1HHO on his new ORS (Official Relay Station) appointment.

Below is the traffic report for East and West Mass sections with thanks to Greg KC1CIC for it’s compilation. You all are great. Keep up the good work.

Marcia KW1U STM East and West Mass

MA STM REPORT       JANUARY 2018    
               
               
NET SESSIONS  QTC QNI QTR NM FREQ Net Time
MARI 28 27 61 267 KW1U 3565 KHz 7PM Daily
EM2MN 31 142 225 740 KC1CIC 145.23 8 PM Daily
CM2MN 29 24 198 279 KK1X 146.97 9PM Daily
WMTN C1 31 3 249 198 KD2JKV 146.91 10AM Daily
WMTN C2 31 7 256 203 N1YCW 146.91 1PM Daily
MARIPN 12 0 18 60 N1LAH 3978 KHz 6PM Tu,Th,Sa
HHTN 18 21 72 219 W1HAI MMRA Rptrs 10PM Su,M,W,F
CITN 22 10 65 284 N1SYC 147.375 7:30PM M,T,T, F,Sa
WMEN 3 0 82 NA W1JWN 3944 KHz 8:30AM Su
WARPSN 4 8 69 NA N1IQI 147.225 8:30AM Su
               
               
SAR ORG REC SENT DEL TOTAL BPL  
KW1U 0 257 201 0 458    
KC1CIC 0 76 52 11 139    
N1LAH 0 49 56 3 108    
N1TF 0 32 59 1 92    
NV1N 0 14 46 0 60    
N1SYC 0 21 22 10 53    
W1RVY 0 18 26 0 44    
W1PLK 0 5 3 2 10    
KC1HHO 0 2 5 2 9    
               
               
PSHR  (Min 70 Points) 1 2 3 4 5 6 TOTAL
KC1CIC 40 40 30 5 0 20 135
KW1U 40 40 30 0 0 20 130
N1TF 40 40 30 5 0 0 115
N1SYC 40 40 20 10 5 0 115
W1RVY 40 40 20 0 0 0 100
N1LAH 40 40 20 0 0 0 100
NV1N 38 40 10 0 0 0 88
KC1HHO 28 7 30 0 0 0 65
               
               
DRS RCV FWD TOTAL        
KW1U 741 953 1694        
KC1CIC 13 42 55        
KC1EGK 0 4 4        
W1RVY 0 0 0        
               
BPL = 500 POINTS EARNED              
               
               
MARCIA FORDE STM MA            
               
Emergency Communications

Reminder: Monthly EMA ARES Net 2/5 8:30pm

- by admin - Leave a Comment
Hello to all…
We will be continuing our monthly ARES Net in February. The monthly ARES Net for February is Monday the 5th, at 8:30 PM on the MMRA Repeater system. This is after the MEMA Nets earlier in the evening. 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:

http://www.mmra.org/repeaters/repeater_index_by_linkstate.html


Make this first Monday of the month, “Emergency Communications Night” and check into your local RACES Net and then check into the ARES Net on the MMRA Repeater System. We look forward to your participation and remember, we are always looking for Net Controls to run the ARES Net.

As part of our relationship with MARS and our own situational awareness gathering we will be asking for any known infrastructure issues that you are aware of. The information must either be personally observed, or obtained “over the air” via amateur radio. Items considered to be infrastructure include but are not limited to: electrical power, water, medical facilities, sanitation, communications, and transportation. Examples of failure would be: small or large area power failure, water main breaks, hospitals’ ER closed, sewage issues, TV/radio station off the air (including public safety), interstate highway or major road closed. No known issues are just as important as reporting failures.

Additionally we are interested in relay of any weather information from airport ATIS/ASOS stations that you can directly receive via radio. These stations broadcast continuously in the 120.000 – 138.000 MHz frequency range using amplitude modulation. Information from the ATIS should include airport, temperature, altimeter (barometer), wind, precipitation, and visibility.

A list of stations with their frequencies and a map can be found at: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/weather/asos/?state=MA

We will have several interesting announcements for the net that evening and we look forward to everyone’s participation. Updates will be posted via email and on the Eastern Massachusetts ARES Web Site at http://ares.ema.arrl.org

Thanks for your continued support of ARES!

Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG
EMA Section Emergency Coordinator

Emergency Communications

February 3, 2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net

- by admin - Leave a Comment

Good Evening Everyone,

Net Control for the February 3,2018 Eastern MA Hospital Net will be W1SSH The South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club. The net will commence at the usual time of 10:AM using the following repeaters in the order listed.

 

1. Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0

2. Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5

3. Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9

Simplex 147.42

The Net will than return to the Bridgewater Repeater for final comments and 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 the EOC of any city or town that is served by one of the participating hospitals to join the Net. We also extend an invitation to any RACES or ARES member to check in during the NET.

Any hospital wishing to join the net that needs assistance with equipment or personnel should contact us at ssharc@gmail.com. We can assist you with getting your location on the air.

We are always looking for groups or organizations to try their hand at Net Control duties. If you are interested please let us know. Our goal is to rotate Net Control practice and the experience among as many groups as possible.

We thank the repeater trustees for their generosity in allowing us to conduct the monthly nets and the use of their systems in an actual event. The following list of repeaters are available for our use. Only a few systems are used each month with the selection of those used made by Net Control for that month.  More systems are being added to the list on a regular basis.

 

Attleboro 147.195 tone 127.3 (Sturdy Memorial Hospital)
Belmont 145.430 tone 146.2

Boston 145.230 tone encode 88.5 tone decode 100.0

Bridgewater 147.180 tone 67.0
Danvers 145.47 tone 136.5
Dartmouth 147.000 tone 67.0
Fall River 146.805. tone 67.0
Falmouth 147.375 tone 110.9

Mansfield EMA  446.925 tone 100.0

Mansfield 147.015 tone 67.0

Marshfield 145.390 tone 67.0
Norwood 147.210 tone 100.00
Plymouth 146.685 tone 82.5
Salem 146.88 tone 118.8
Sharon 146.865 tone 103.5
Weymouth 147.345 tone 110.9 (South Shore Hospital)

W. Bridgewater 146.775 dcs 244
Wrentham 147.09 tone 146.2

We look forward to hearing you all on the Net.

Respectfully,
John O’
K1JRO

 

—

South Shore Hospital Amateur Radio Club – W1SSH
Licensing Education & Training / NTS

TRAFFIC AND TRAINING SYMPOSIUM SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10

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Here is an opportunity to learn more about basic traffic handling techniques, net operation with an introduction to the use of Winlink in Emergency Comms.  It is presented by the New Hampshire traffic folks, but anyone interested is invited to register.  This is a half day event in Concord NH.  I plan to be there and hope I can see some folks from Massachusetts there as well.  Note the information below.

73, Marcia KW1U STM EMA/WMA

The 2018 NH Traffic and Training Symposium will be  held Saturday, February 10 from 9a until noon at Concord Bible Fellowship 25 Rockingham St. in Concord, NH. This year’s symposium will focus on basic traffic handling techniques, net operation and an introduction in the use of Winlink in Emergency Communications.  Registration is requested. Simply send an email to peter@k1pjs.com with “I would like to attend” in the subject line.

National Traffic System

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Contact

Marcia Forde, KW1U
Section Traffic Manager
10 Digital Way Unit 10117
Maynard, MA 01754
kw1u@arrl.net

NTS Leadership

Introduction

The National Traffic System (NTS) is an organized network of amateur radio operators sponsored by the American Radio Relay League for the purpose of relaying messages throughout the U.S. and Canada.

During normal times, these messages are routine greetings (“Happy birthday Aunt Mary”) and keep the system well oiled and the operators trained so that everything works when needed. When there is an emergency or disaster NTS works closely with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service to provide emergency communications. The most common type of disaster-related messages are “health and welfare” inquiries and notifications into and out of the area affected by the disaster. In time of disaster, it is easy to expand the system by simply creating additional meeting times for the nets with high volume, or by setting up a specific “trunk line” between two points.

History

Traffic passing by formal relay (via amateur radio) originates from the founding of the American Radio Relay League. The NTS as it exists today was first outlined by George Hart, W1NJM in “New National Traffic Plan: ARRL Maps New Traffic Organization for All Amateurs” as part of the September 1949 issue of QST. While traffic passing between amateur radio operators was nothing new, Hart’s system extended coverage of traffic capability in a uniform manner across the U.S. and Canada, creating formal section and area nets devoted to handling NTS-organized traffic.

Organizational structure

Diagram showing a message routed through the National Traffic SystemNTS is defined using geographic areas. The U.S. is divided into areas that approximate time zones. Areas are divided into regions, and regions into sections that correspond to a state. Each of these subdivisions has nets for collecting and distributing traffic. A net is nothing more than a time of day and a radio frequency where the appropriate group of amateur operators can meet to send the messages on their way. ARRL Radiogram traffic typically begins and ends its journey at local nets, often through nearby repeaters. Local nets typically involve city or county-wide coverage on VHF (2-meter band) or UHF (70 cm band), and although the ARRL does not endorse a single mode for traffic passing, messages are typically relayed by voice at this level.

Representatives from section nets relay traffic collected from local nets up to the appropriate region net, or relay to a nearby section for further delivery. Messages are exchanged between section and region representatives, which are then passed to area nets, the highest level in the system. Nets at these upper levels usually take place on HF band modes for their distance capabilities (e.g. 80, 40 meters) and can be passed by voice, CW, digital, and even packet modes.

As traffic trickles back down through the area, region, section, and local nets, messages are typically delivered via a local telephone call, depending on handling instructions. Messages can also be delivered by hand or via message carrier, including the postal service, however Part 97 dictates that ham radio operators cannot receive financial restitution for their service. If a message is undeliverable, handling instructions may dictate that a service message be originated back to the sending station.

[from Wikipedia.org]

Public Service Honor Roll

Each month in QST‘s Field Organization Reports column, the Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR) recognizes the efforts of Amateur Radio operators who are active in many aspects of public service. This includes net operations, traffic handling, emergency operations and public service communication support. There are chances that you’re already involved with some aspect of Amateur Radio that would apply to the Public Service Honor Roll (PSHR).

Take a look at these categories and descriptions to see where your Amateur Radio activities fit in. At the end of each calendar month, just add up your qualifying points. If it reaches the 70-point level (or more), you’ve qualified for the Public Service Honor Roll! Report the good news with your call sign and monthly PSHR point total to your ARRL Section Manager or Section Traffic Manager.  The ARRL section leaders, in turn, would forward the report onto ARRL Headquarters so that Headquarters staff may prepare these for listing in the Field Organization Reports segment of QST‘.  [via http://www.arrl.org]

For additional details, see http://www.arrl.org/public-service-honor-roll.

NTS Nets in Massachusetts

The Eastern and Western Massachusetts and Rhode Island sections operate these traffic nets to relay formal radiogram traffic:

NTS Leadership

 

Official Relay Station Appointees

A list of Eastern MA Official Relay Stations can be found on the ARRL Hq. appointee database.

Public Service

BAA 5K Volunteer Registration Deadline, Feb. 5, 2018

- by k9hi - Leave a Comment

Brett Smith, AB1RL writes: Volunteer registration is open for the BAA 5K! The race is the Saturday before Marathon Monday, April 14. Registration is scheduled to close on February 9, so please sign up soon to make sure we can get you on the team.

The 5K and the Marathon use the same volunteer registration system. If you’re volunteering at the Marathon, please register and request a Marathon assignment. After you’re done, please e-mail BAA volunteer coordinator Mary Miller and CC: me to request to be added to the 5K roster as well. If you can include your BAA volunteer loyalty number or registration confirmation number that helps.

If you just want to volunteer at the 5K, go through the volunteer registration and choose “5K Hams” as your assignment preference when asked. You’ll know you’re done when you get a confirmation number.

The BAA always appreciates support from amateur radio volunteers. We wouldn’t have that great relationship if you didn’t come and put in the work to make these races possible. I hope you’ll join us to help kick off another great year of public service.

If you have questions about either event, please reply by e-mail, or phone (859) 466 5915.

Thank you, and 73.

MASSACHUSETTS TRAFFIC REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2017

I hope everyone is enjoying a good start to the new year despite the cold and low number of sun spots.  December turned out to be a good month traffic-wise. It seemed holiday messages increased over the past few years and that was nice to see.   This station continues to have issues with 80 meters and therefore not able to make evening HF nets but efforts continue to find a solution.  Thanks to all who are covering.  We in Eastern Mass are seeing some new folks checking into our local nets and handling traffic.  This is always most welcome and we especially welcome Peter KC1HHO, John W1JWM and Paul KC1HHK.  Just remember making mistakes is not a bad thing.  It is how we all learn.  Fellow traffic handlers are glad to help.  So jump in, learn and get experience.  If it is ever called for you will be ready, and you can have fun in the process making friends. See you on the nets.
73, Marcia KW1U

 

MA STM REPORT DECEMBER 2017
NET SESSIONS QTC QNI QTR NM FREQ Net Time
WMTN C1 30 3 227 233 KD2JKV 146.91 10:00 Daily
WMTN C2 31 7 185 153 N1YCW 146.91 13:00 Daily
MARI 30 103 91 531 KW1U 3565 KHz 19:00 Daily
EM2MN 31 139 199 688 KC1CIC 145.23 20:00 Daily
CM2MN 23 20 129 212 KK1X 146.97 21:00 Daily
MARIPN 14 7 51 129 N1LAH 3978 KHz 18:00 Tu,Th,Sa
CITN 22 7 44 232 N1SYC 147.375 19:30 M,T,T, F,Sa
HHTN 18 31 67 214 W1HAI MMRA Rptrs 22:00 Su,M,W,F
WMEN 4 0 113 NA W1JWN 3944 KHz 08:30 Su
WARPSN 5 10 83 NA N1IQI 147.225 08:30 Su
SAR ORG REC SENT DEL TOTAL BPL
KW1U 0 419 395 2 816 X
N1IQI 0 92 570 4 666 X
KC1CIC 0 79 61 21 161
N1TF 0 38 65 12 115
NV1N 0 21 66 0 87
W1RVY 0 33 41 1 75
N1LAH 0 29 25 5 59
N1SYC 0 19 25 7 51
W1PLK 0 6 5 5 16
PSHR (Min 70 Points) 1 2 3 4 5 6 TOTAL
KC1CIC 40 40 30 20 0 20 150
N1IQI 40 40 10 10 20 10 130
KW1U 40 40 30 0 0 20 130
N1SYC 40 40 20 20 0 0 120
N1TF 40 40 30 5 0 0 115
N1LAH 40 40 20 0 0 0 100
W1RVY 40 40 20 0 0 0 100
NV1N 39 40 10 0 0 0 89
DRS RCV FWD TOTAL
KW1U 1137 1568 2705
N1IQI 92 570 662
KC1CIC 29 12 41
KC1EGK 0 10 10
W1RVY 0 1 1
BPL = 500 POINTS EARNED
MARCIA KW1U STM
GREG KC1CIC ASTM