Rhode Island Club Awarded ARDC Grant

RI Emergency Mesh Network screenshotRICOMU, a Rhode Island ARRL Affiliated Club, was awarded an ARDC grant of $83,000 for upgrades and expansion of the Rhode Island Emergency Mesh network, according to RICOMU President Gil Woodside, WA1LAD.

The project will include additional Yaesu Fusion repeaters linked through the RIEMN , new and upgraded mesh nodes, cameras and all the other accessories and equipment needed for the project to succeed.

Exciting Things Happening in Traffic Handling

Marcia Forde, KW1U, writes on the New England Traffic Handlers Facebook page:
 
Hey New England Traffic Handlers:
 
I’ve not been much of a poster on FB but there are exciting things happening in the traffic handling world and at ARRL.
 
Did you notice in July QST the comments from ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA? He acknowledged the ARRL had not taken the lead it should in emergency communications in the last decade. However, now with the creation of a new standing committee, Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee (EC&FSC), there is, I believe, a renewed interest in turning this around. A subgroup of that committee has been working for the past few months on identifying what in NTS needs updating and how NTS can, in the future, be a real asset to public service agencies in their emergency communications. This group has been spearheaded by our New England Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, in conjunction with W2RU, KW1U KC1OIP and KE5MHV (Emergency Communications Manager at ARRL).
 
We believe we have some great ideas and a vision for NTS 2.0 which has received positive response from the EC&FSC members, and we want to start sharing this with the traffic handlers community. We will be looking for input but perhaps more importantly for help on one or more of several implementation teams. Contact any one of us if you are interested in learning more and potentially helping out and we will arrange for Zoom meetings to share and explain the work that has been done so far.
 
I think this is a great opportunity to help make a difference in promoting the value of Amateur Radio to the public and to those agencies that serve the public in times of emergencies.
 
73, Marcia KW1U

Amateur Radio Field Day Talk on WCAP 980 (Lowell, MA), June 24, 2022

From ema.arrl.org:

Station WCAP 980 kHz will host a talk segment featuring two Eastern MA amateur radio club presidents today (June 24) at 4:10 PM. 

Gary Frascarelli, W1GFF, President of the Billerica Amateur Radio Society and Bruce Blain, K1BG, President of the Nashoba Valley Amateur Radio Club, will discuss ARRL Field Day on the program. 

The Class B station features a talk/oldies radio format. It covers the Merrimack Valley with 5,000 watts of power. 

Listeners outside of the area can tune in to the program on the web at <http://webcastsusa.com/wcap/player.html>.

This link seems to work:  <https://streampros.net/980wcap>

An audio recording of the program is also available

Field Day Bonus Points

Peter J Stohrer, W1FEA, writes on the NH ARRL Members List:

Hello NH Field Day participants,

A reminder that 100 bonus points is available for sending a radiogram to the Section Manager or Section Emergency Coordinator during the Field Day event. Listed below outlines the information required in the radiogram and can be sent via the Granite State Phone Net at 9p on the 146.94 W1ALE repeater. Also, a 3 hour window will be open Saturday evening June 25th, on the NH ARES HF frequency, 3976 kHz. K1UAF the NH STM will be monitoring for traffic between 7 and 10p.

        7.3.5. Message Origination to Section Manager: 100 bonus points for origination of a formal message to the ARRL Section Manager or Section Emergency Coordinator by your group from its site. You should include the club name, number of participants, Field Day location, and number of ARES operators involved with your station. The message must be transmitted during the Field Day period and a copy of it must be included in your submission in standard ARRL radiogram or no credit will be given. The message must leave or enter the Field Day operation via amateur radio RF.

The Section Manager message is separate from the messages handled in Rule 7.3.6. and may not be claimed for bonus points under that rule. Available to all Classes.

         7.3.6. Message Handling: 10 points for each formal message originated, relayed or received and delivered during the Field Day period, up to a maximum of 100 points (ten messages). Copies of each message must be included with the Field Day report. The message to the ARRL SM or SEC under Rule 7.3.5. does not count towards the total of 10 for this bonus. All messages claimed for bonus points must leave or enter the Field Day operation via amateur radio RF. Available to all Classes.

73,

Pete, W1FEA

——————————————————————–
ARRL New Hampshire Section
Section Manager: Peter J Stohrer, W1FEA
w1fea@arrl.org
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Northern Berkshire ARC 2022 Field Day Publicity: “Windsor: Ham radio club slates field day”

Berkshire Eagle Field Day storyFrom The Berkshire Eagle, June 21, 2022:

“Ham radio operators from the Northern Berkshire Amateur Radio Club in Berkshire County will participate in a national Field Day exercise from 2 p.m. Saturday, June 25, until 2 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at 440 Peru Road [Windsor, MA]. The public is invited.

“Field Day has been organized since 1933 by the American Radio Relay League, the National Association for Amateur Radio in the United States. The event highlights ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent, wireless communications network.” [Full story]

W1NRG 75th Anniversary Celebration, June 23, 2022

The Meriden Amateur Radio Club (MARC) and Wallingford Amateur Radio Group (WARG) is holding a 75th Anniversary Celebration with a lawn ceremony and reception from 6-8:30 PM on Hope Hill Road in Wallingford, Connecticut.

An ARRL plaque recognizing MARC’s 75 Years of ARRL club affiliation will be awarded to club president Ed Snyder, W1YSM, from New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, and Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI. Also, the CW Station will be dedicated in memory of Bill Wawrzeniak, W1KKF (SK) along with a special remembrance of Christian Sievert, WA1VXH (SK) and additional club recognition.

Stolen Radio Equipment at NEAR-Fest and Other Area Flea Markets

Mike Crestohl, W1RC, writes:

Lose something at NEAR-Fest or Other Area Flea Market? Maybe you can get it back.

If you had something stolen from your table at a flea market or hamfest in NH or Eastern Mass. within the past several years, please contact Officer John Delaney of the Deerfield Police Department as soon as possible. His contact information is <jdelaney@townofdeerfieldnh.org> or telephone 603-463-7258 and leave a message for him to call you back. Be prepared to provide Officer Delaney with a detailed description, giving make, model, serial number, photograph, band(s) covered, what was programmed into it, etc.

This information is needed by the Deerfield Police for an ongoing investigation into thefts of equipment that have occurred at NEAR-Fest and other local area events over the past several years. Five stolen radios have already been recovered and there may be more.

Please copy Paul, W1PRA (pauldepetrillo@gmail.com) and MrMike, W1RC (w1rc@near-fest.com) on all correspondence with Officer Delaney.

Thank you for your cooperation.

73,

Paul DePetrillo, W1PRA,
NEAR-Fest Sergeant-at-Arms,
pauldepetrillo@gmail.com

Mister Mike, W1RC,
Benevolent Dictator,
w1rc@near-fest.com