Greetings to all ARRL and ARES members:
After a year of CoViD related event hiatus and isolation, RI ARES has a much fuller schedule this year. We already offered up support to the Multiple Sclerosis MS Ride the Rhode cycling event this past month, with 10 ARES members supplementing the Walpole EMA amateur team. I thank them all for their participation.
We are, for the first time, sponsoring a Field Day effort with two HF stations, a GOTA station, and VHF/UHF stations, at Central Coventry Park off Provident Road in Coventry. Thanks to Adam KC1KCC for undertaking the organizing of this event.
We have several more public service events coming in September and October, and are planning a Summer NVIS exercise, date to be determined. Contact me, Paul W1PJS, for more info.
Through the Winter, several ARES members participated in and earned certification as AUXCOMM operators, courtesy of RIEMA, the RI Emergency Management Agency, for which we offer thanks to Gil Woodside, WA1LAD, and to Tom Guthlein. Thanks also to Ray Perry of Portsmouth EMA, Stephan Coutalakis of Exeter EMA, and the team at Providence EMA for their support in this.
Our nets now number 2 per week, consisting of the weekly VHF 2m repeater net, every Tuesday at 7 PM on the NB1RI repeater network, where we average about 24 checkins each week, the VHF simplex net on 147.420 Mhz and the HF net on 3.980 Mhz, on alternate Tuesdays at 7:45PM following the repeater nets. We encourage all appropriately licensed amateurs to check in and join the group. More info on the simplex and HF nets is available on the repeater nets, and of course on our website at www.RIARES.org. Our thanks to Scott WX1X for recently assuming the role of Net Coordinator. He is doing a great job. Contact him for interest in becoming a Net Control Operator for us, and for more info on our nets.
Additionally, I’d like to announce the RI Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Foundation, soon to be formally an IRS registered 501(c)3 non-profit foundation supporting the NB1RI repeater network and the group overall. Thanks to Jeremy K1JST for working through the nuts and bolts of this project, and to those who have donated funds already. Your donations have been and continues to be greatly appreciated.
And last, which really should be first, I offer my sincere thanks to the RI ARES leadership team and membership for stepping up during this past year of CoViD challenges. I especially thank you all for your efforts while I have been struggling with my own personal challenges over this same period. I thank our Section Manager Bob Beaudet for his unfaltering support of our efforts. We have continued to grow and are running clean and solidly. I look forward to the coming year working with you all to serve our Rhode Island community. Fair winds and following seas to you all. Great job!
Paul Silverzweig
W1PJS
RI Section Emergency Coordinator
FEMA/RIEMA All Hazards ComL
AUXCOMM
Military Auxiliary Radio Service
RI Assoc. of Emergency Managers
Chair, Radio Comms Committee
Portsmouth RI EMA
Trustee NB1RI Repeater Network
646-522-2262
W1pjs@hollowsolids.com