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George 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

CAARA is looking for a couple more hams to help provide communications for the Gloucester Horribles parade coming up on Thursday July 3rd at 6 PM. If you can help, please contact Dean Burgess KB1PGH at dburg101@aol.com . Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!  

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 …

To all Field Day participants, best of luck for good weather, good propagation and good fun this weekend. And don’t forget those extra points for NTS radiograms sent from your FD site.  The May STM report for Massachusetts and Rhode Island is now available at https://ema.arrl.org/massachusetts-rhode-island-stm-report-for-may-2025/. Great to see new ARRL Official Relay Station (ORS) appointments for N1HAN, KC1SJK, KC1VXV, AC1TR and W1VEG. who have taken the training and are handling radiogram messages quite professionally on the traffic nets. Also remember the annual Traffic Handlers Picnic in Concord MA on Sunday August 3. Come see the folks you talk to …

On behalf of the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association (CAARA), I’m excited to announce our participation in the 2025 ARRL Field Day, a nationwide annual event that showcases the fascinating world of amateur radio. We invite the public to join us on Saturday, June 28th, 2025, from Noon to 5:00 p.m., at our clubhouse, located at 6 Stanwood Street in Gloucester, Massachusetts. What is Field Day? Field Day is more than just an event for ham radio operators; it’s an emergency preparedness exercise and a chance to highlight the vital role amateur radio plays in our communities, especially during times of crisis. When traditional communication …

Courtesy Needham Patch: Wellesley, MA – 6/20/2025 – The Wellesley Amateur Radio Society (WARS) will participate in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day exercise on 28-29 June 2025, at the Needham Memorial Gazebo, 92 Rosemary St, Needham, MA 02492, demonstrating the critical role amateur radio plays in emergency communications and public service. The public are invited to visit our demonstration between 2-6 pm on Saturday and 9 am – 12 noon on Sunday to learn about amateur radio Field Day and the WARS club. Field Day is amateur radio’s premier annual event, bringing together thousands of radio operators …

By Rick, N8SDR:

Courtesy New England Sci-Tech News: Bob Phinney, K5TEC, Director of New England Sci-Tech, was recently interviewed by The Entrepreneurs’ Guild, a podcast hosted by Thom Stimpel and Tom Fleury. You can listen to the podcast HERE, or visit the Guild webpage and listen to Episode 173.

Hi gang, Summer Solstice approaches! Check out the latest K1USN news and get ready for Field Day! 73, Pi – K1RV / K1USN Latest K1USN News:   

The New England Wireless & Steam Museum will be holding its third annual Tune-Up event on Saturday July 12, 2025. This is a flea market for antique radios, amateur radio gear, and any electronics. It is an outdoor event. If you come to sell, we have reserved a section of our upper field (separate from adjacent attendee parking) for you to sell from your vehicle tailgate, your table, or blanket. This is an ARRL Sanctioned event. (note: the listing in the July QST listed the cost as’free’.  It is actually $5)  

Tuesday, June 17: “Aircraft Tracking using SDR” by Peter Morrison, AC1KY. Description: In this presentation, Peter Morrison will discuss how anyone can use low cost software-defined radios to track aircraft using ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast) signals. He will provide some history of the development of ADS-B and will also talk about aircraft patterns around Beverly. Bio: Peter was first licensed in 1960 in Montreal and still holds a Canadian call sign, VE3IDX. He moved to the U.S. in 1981 and acquired U.S. call sign AC1KY several years ago. Peter is a retired EE who specialized in computer design. His former employers include …

Dean Burgess, KB1PGH, writes on the Cape Ann ARA mailing list: I would like to take this time to ask some more [CAARA] members to help us with the Gloucester Horribles parade communications coming up on Thursday, July 3rd at 6 PM. We have a few people signed up, but we could really need a few more members to join us make it work to cover spots along the entire parade route, so any help would be greatly appreciated. The City of Gloucester requests CAARA`s presence every year to help the parade organizers. If you can join us, please mail …

Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on the SEMARA Mailing List:  I’ll be teaching a SKYWARN Training Class at SEMARA on Sunday 6/22/25 from 930 AM-1130 AM. Details are below:   Sunday June 22nd, 2025 – 930 AM-1130 AM: SEMARA – Southeast Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association 54 Donald Street South Dartmouth, MA 02748 Sponsored by: SEMARA – Southeast Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association Taught by: Amateur Radio Coordinator Rob also states the registration is required and information must be filled out to avoid going over capacity and to ensure that he has enough spotter cards for people in the class.

HAPPY SUMMER!   Wow, time has really flown by quickly. It’s hard to believe it’s officially Summer, but the temperatures are getting reasonable, the flowers are blooming, the pollen level is beyond crazy, and allergy meds have become a required part of the daily regimen! And here on the Cape, the inevitable deluge of tourists has begun. It’s now nearly impossible to make left turns, with the increased traffic. But our favorite restaurants have awakened from their winter slumber and are open once again. Let Summer begin!  * Field Day is June 28-29 – SOON!  I hope your plan for Field …

Eliot Mayer, W1MJ, writes on the NEMassFoxHunters list at 8:04 AM ET on July 15, 2025:   It looks like the weather will be nice today, so I am heading out now to hide my fox in DCR Beaver Brook Reservation North.  It should be on the air by 9:00 AM, and I will confirm deployment here once it is on the air.  I will retrieve it tomorrow (June 16) at 4:00 PM or later.   Parking areas for Beaver Brook Reservation North: Waltham City Dog Ranch Rock Meadow Conservation Area   Fox frequency:  147.540 MHz   The W1MJ Fox transmits with 4 …

Mark it on your calendar – ARRL Field Day is just two weeks away!  Once again this year, the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club will participate from the Heald Street Orchard in Pepperell (entrance is adjacent to 112 Heald Street).  We will be setting up Saturday, June 28th after 9 AM, with operation from 2 PM Saturday June 28 th through Sunday June 29th at 2 PM. We will feature four operating stations – an HF phone station (primarily for voice operation), an HF CW station (primarily for Morse code and data operation), a VHF/UHF station (which will also communicate …