Greater Bridgeport (CT) ARC Parks On The Air Event, October 16, 2021

Greater Bridgeport ARC loogoGBARC Parks on the Air
16 October 2021 – 9am to 5pm

GBARC will hold a multi-station Parks on the Air event that will see us setting up stations in four State Parks.  The parks include:

  • Sherwood Island SP (Park K-1715)
  • Silver Sands SP (Park K-1716)
  • Osbornedale SP (Park K-1709)
  • West Rock SP (Park K-1727) (2 stations)

The goal is to provide some community outreach for ham radio, and to help train our new operators.  We will divide our efforts into four teams who will each take four parks.  

During the POTA Event we will be participating in the CT ARES Simulated Emergency Test.  During the SET we will be using simplex VHF/UHF as well as DMR for contacts.

Multiple Foxes to Hunt, Norwich CT, October 9, 2021

Mark Noe, KE1IU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list on October 9, 2021 at 9:12 AM:

A reminder that we will have a foxhunt today at 1:30 PM in Mohegan Park – Norwich, CT.  We will have 4 fox boxes at different power levels to be distributed around the area of the park.  Your goal (if you wish to accept it) will be to find as many of the fox boxes in the allotted 2 hour period.  The fox boxes may or may not all be within Mohegan Park, but that will be a good starting point for you to hear them all.  The fox box power levels and frequencies are listed below – Note there are changes to this list!:
 
146.330 MHz – 1 mW (KE1IU Fox H listed on our website)
145.910 MHz – 10 mW (KE1IU Fox I listed on our website)
146.585 MHz – 0.5 W (KE1IU Fox J listed on our website)
146.550 MHz – 1 W, DTMF 1 to activate – PL of 114.8 Hz (Fox B listed on our website)
 
Please let me know if you have any questions.  We will be asking people to check in to the foxhunt at the beginning of the hunt.  
 
If you are a beginner and need help, then you can call me on the RASON repeater (146.730) at the beginning of the foxhunt and I will work with you to hunt the 146.550 MHz box.  That one is being hidden on me, so I have no idea where it is!  If you do not have a radio with you, then you can call me on 860-326-8025 and we will coordinate to meet.
 
Many thanks,
 
-Mark

NEAR-Fest Is October 15-16, 2021

Michael Crestohl, W1RC, writes:

NEAR-Fest logoAttention All Units!  NEAR-Fest XXX is Next Weekend… We Are Back Live and Online!

We are pleased to announce that NEAR-Fest XXX will begin at 0900 on Friday, October 15, 2021.  It will be a hybrid event both live at the Deerfield (NH) Fairgrounds and online worldwide via Zoom.  
 
For more information follow these links:
 
General Information:  https://near-fest.com/
 
Don’t miss our “Town Meetimg” candidates for ARRL New England Director forum!
 
 
 
Divisive issue to be sure but let’s all respect each other’s wishes to keep everyone safe.  
 
It has been a long two years…
 
73,
 
MisterMike, W1RC
Benevolent Dictator,
New England Amateur Radio Festival, Inc.

Fox On the Loose, Bedford, NH, October 9, 2021

Wayne Grant, KB1HYL, writes on the Granite State ARA list on October 8, 2021 at 10:41 PM:

Since I probably won’t be able to send an email after I set the fox loose, I’ll give you the important information now.  (I’ll be going to the Saturday breakfast.)  I plan on setting the fox out around 7:00 or 7:30 in the morning.  I’ll be calling it a day around 5:30 or 6:00 PM.  It will be located somewhere in the Earl Legacy Park, Bedford.  The frequency is 146.565.

I will provide a small notebook to enter your name, call sign and the date/time that you find the fox.  If you don’t find it, don’t bother filling it out. ;^)  But seriously, enjoy the hunt.

73

Wayne – KB1HYL

Rare Northern Maine Parks Activated by WC1N, October 7, 2021

Parks On The Air logoBob Farquharson, WC1N, writes in K1USN Happenings, October 7, 2021:

Hello friends:

I will be heading to Northern Maine into the wilderness north of Moose head lake and this side of Quebec Thursday [October 7] AM early.  (7-8 hr drive).

I am hoping to activate parks that have never been activated.  Might not even be able to spot myself due to no wifi or cell coverage.  I am hoping to operate about 14059 CW (top of the hour) or 14340 SSB (30 minutes past the hour) any time after 1500 UTC to 0000 UTC……….. From 0000 – 1400 UTC 7059kc CW top of the hour and 7249kc SSB 30 minutes after the hour.

Currently AK9A, WA!MAD, K0KLB & Wi1G will be trying their best to help on freq. If anyone can hear me and spot me on the POTA site it would be greatly appreciated.

Possible parks will be :

  • Moxie Falls Property State Preserve.             K-8444
  • Lily Bay State Park                                          K-2394
  • Seboomook Lake Property State Preserve     K-8443
  • St. John Pond Ecological Reserve                  K-9171
  • Lobster Lake Property State Preserve    K-8442

APRS will be on for tracking:  

https://aprs.fi/#!lat=42.04400&lng=-71.09133

Western MA October 2021 Section Manager Report

WMA Section logoHi folks. Take a cruise to https://wma.arrl.org/blog/2021/10/03/section-managers-report-october-2021/ for my October report. Also you will find info on all three candidates for division director. Ballots are at your mailbox. Please vote for your choice.

A special shoutout goes to the Billerica club in EMA and HCRA for putting together the WBZ 100th special event. This was very successful as over 5000 Qs were made. Well done!

Hope to see you at NEAR-Fest October 15 and 16!

Cheers
Ray KB1LRL

——————————————————————–
ARRL Western Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Raymond P Lajoie, KB1LRL
kb1lrl@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

Hampden County Radio Association’s FB-2 Has Gone Into Hiding, October 6, 2021

Hampden Co RA logoChristopher Thornton W1TRK, writes on the HCRA mailing list on October 6, 2021 at 3:01 PM:

Attention ALL Foxhunters! 

The HCRA foxbox #2 has escaped its den and has gone into hiding. FB #2 is transmitting on […] with a PL of […]. You can activate FB #2 by […]. A short depress will activate it if you are close enough.

FB2 is transmitting at 1 watt into a tall ducky antenna. The location is in a publicly accessible area with some nearby parking and can be heard along Rt.20 in West Springfield, MA. This is a good opportunity for base stations to get in on the fun. If you can hear the fox please give its signal strength and direction if possible. Please do not reveal its location, just a location where you can hear it from, this then becomes a starting point for the other fox hunters to use. It’s just as important for the hunters to know where it CANNOT be heard as well as where it CAN be heard!

[For fox frequency and PL tone information, email gchris364@aol.com]

Hampden County (MA) Radio Association’s FB-1 Fox Is “Hiding,” October 6, 2021

Ken Dion, KD1KU, writes on the WMAFoxHunters mailing list on October 6, 2021 at 5:38 PM:

As of 1500 hrs local time (3pm), October 6th, HCRA FB-1 has gone back into hiding!

It’s long overdue that both HCRA Fox Box’s are both in hiding so all fox hunters can try to locate that diabolical fox! Are you up to the task?

HINT, I was able to wake it from its slumber with 25 watts from the old K-Mart parking lot on Rte.5 in Holyoke, MA. (coordinates below)
Hint Coordinates are: 42.18626, -72.63128 with an elevation of 247ft.

FB1 is running one watt into an 18-inch antenna. To activate FB1 go to the 2-meter simplex frequency of […], key your transmitter, identify yourself with your call sign then press […]. If the Fox can hear you (and you can hear it) you will hear its very distinctive sound. It will transmit for 30 seconds, ID, and then repeat 2 more times before going back to sleep. You can make it transmit as often as necessary to locate it.

This is a good opportunity for base stations to get in on the fun. If you can hear the fox please give its signal strength and direction if possible. Please do not reveal its location, just a location where you can hear it from, this then becomes a starting point for the other fox hunters to use. It’s just as important for the hunters to know where it CANNOT be heard as well as where it CAN be heard!

If you do locate FB-1 you do not have to touch it to claim finding it, eyeball contact is sufficient with a photo for good measure. Post a photo of the FB (not revealing its location) as there might be other hunters still out there trying to find it. It is located less than 500 feet from a safe parking location. Announce it and post the photo here on this group and the HCRA Facebook Group that you found it along with any comments other than its location. We want to know who has found it and who hasn’t.

I can tell you it’s in a publicly accessible location with nearby safe parking. Getting to FB-1 may require a short walk on mostly flat ground.
 
Please do not post the frequency or PL on social media, websites, or email lists.

ALL Fox Hunters are welcomed to participate regardless of affiliation!

Happy Hunting!
Ken, KD1KU

[For frequency and PL information, email Ken, KD1KU, at kd1ku -at- yahoo -dot- com.]

Fox Hiding in Glastonbury, CT, Vicinity, October 6, 2021

Rod Bungard, N1RUU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list on October 6, 2021 at at 5:20 PM:

Greetings Fox hunters,
 
Fox #5 PL 123.0 Is out Hiding. The fox is running 1.5 watts into a 18 inch antenna. You may want to try from home first. You do this by going on the 2 meter simplex frequency of 146.550 MHz (PL 123.0), key your transmitter, ID and then send a DTMF “1”. If the FoxBox can hear you and you can hear it, you will hear its very distinctive sound. It will transmit for 30 seconds, ID and then go back to sleep. You can make it transmit as often as necessary to find it.

Once someone has been able to bring it up and hear it, please report that information to the other fox hunters. Feel free to reply to the group. Do not reveal its location, just a location (and direction if possible) from which you are able to hear it. This then becomes a starting point for the other fox hunters to use.

You do not actually have to touch the box to claim finding it. If you hunt the Fox please log to this group even if you don’t find it.

Hint:Located in Glastonbury
extra hint: should be within the hunting range of Dale, WA1UUU.