Month: November 2022

K1XFC Appointed as CT Section Emergency Coordinator

by

CT ARES logoBetsey Doane, K1EIC, writes:

I am sending this note to you all with respect for and heart felt thanks to AB1GL who was very active in so many ways including our immediate past SEC. George was a gift to us all.

We are very fortunate to have a volunteer step up and offer to fill this vacancy.

I am pleased to appoint Phil Crombie, Jr, K1XFC, as our Section Emergency Coordinator. Phil has been a licensed Amateur radio operator since 2014 and has a wealth of leadership experience. He has volunteered for the South Windsor Fire Department for the last 40 years and served as chief for 10 of those years. Notice the call—XF(ire) C(hief)!

He started getting involved right away with the Western CT Traffic Net after listening for a few times—in fact, that net was his very first contact.

Phil holds an Amateur Extra class license and is the trustee of the ham radio station at the South Windsor EOC. He is currently the vice president of The Bears of Manchester. This club has a long standing tradition of running the comms for the well known Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day. Phil has coordinated that event with over 50 ops for the last seven years.

Phil served as EC South Windsor, Assistant District Coordinator, District Coordinator and now Section Emergency Coordinator.

He is currently the chair of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Fire Investigation Subcommittee.

I know you will all give Phil the support you always give to our leaders. You can write to him at k1xfc@arrl.net. So do write him a note preferably off list and give him a warm welcome to the Section cabinet. Remember—the Section is a team. He will need your help. Congrats Phil—join the fun!

73,

Betsey Doane, K1EIC

Interim SM

Live Fox Hunt, Wallingford CT, November 27, 2022

by

Dave Tipping, NZ1J, writes on the ctfoxhunter list on November 26, 2022 at 4:30 PM:

We’ll have a live Fox Hunt on Sunday in Wallingford from 9:30 am until 11:00 am.

We’ll be using these three frequencies:

There will be a 2 watt signal continuously on 146.565 MHz. It will make a short beep every three seconds and will ID in Morse code every minute.

The 10 mW transmitter is on 147.475 MHz and will beep every three seconds and will ID in Morse Code every minute.

The 1 mW transmitter is on 146.290 MHz and beeps every three seconds.

There is no central starting location. Other Fox Hunters can be contacted on the W1NRG repeater 147.360 with PL 162.2.

Good luck.

Dave NZ1J

Sign Up to Operate WX1GYX for SKYWARN Recognition Day

by

SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 iconFrom the WS1SM Ham Radio blog:

For 23 years, SKYWARN™ Recognition Day, developed jointly by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League, celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN™ radio operators make to the National Weather Service.

Since radio gear at the NWS Gray facility was put into storage during the pandemic and won’t be setup in time for this year’s SRD, SKYWARN Amateur Radio operators within the forecast area are encouraged to take turns activating the WX1GYX call sign, either from their home stations, portable, or mobile, during the event.

If you’d like to use the WX1GYX call sign during SRD, please click here to sign up for a time and band slot (or multiple slots) to operate.

Participants are asked to log contacts in an electronic logging program, such as N1MM, and submit their logs to kb1hnz@yahoo.com in an ADIF format, so they can be merged afterwards.

During the periods that operators are not using the WX1GYX call sign, they may use their personal call signs to exchange their name, SRD number (which can be obtained here) and current weather conditions with other participating stations.

The event website provides complete operating guidelines, including the suggested exchange. SRD is a fun on-air activity that feels very much like a contest, but its informal. There’s no band or mode limitations, and you can even use repeaters. Just get on the air and have fun!

73′

Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 2-3, 2022

by

SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 icon

From ema.arrl.org:

Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

**SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 will occur this year and for the first time since 2019, Ops at the NWS office will be permitted but modified due to COVID19 to have more limited operations inside the office than prior to the pandemic. Similar to the last years, a social media component will be added to engage non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters more with 2022’SRD.**

**SRD Numbers will now be issued automatically when Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters register via the Google form on the SRD web site. You do not need a SRD Number to participate in SRD’2022 but it is now automatically available if you register via the Google form and most NWS offices will not have a SRD number.**

For the first time since 2019, SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 will have Ops at NWS office with volunteer Amateur Radio Operators, however, the scale of what is done inside the office for SRD will be more limited as we will have limited Amateur Radio Operators in the facility. This is similar to other NWS offices who will have volunteer operators into the office this year but more limited in scale than before the pandemic.

Also, all participants are welcome to register on the SRD web site. SRD Numbers will now be issued automatically when Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters register via the Google form on the SRD web site. You do not need a SRD Number to participate in SRD’2022 and most NWS offices will not have a SRD number. The SRD Number for this year is part of the qso exchange but is not a requirement.

For WX1BOX Amateur Radio operations, we will cover the typical SKYWARN repeaters on VHF/UHF as well as simplex and be on HF via the WX1BOX Amateur Radio station, various remote home stations, potentially one Amateur Radio Club station, along with our WX1BOX social media pages. In addition, contacts with other Amateur Radio SKYWARN stations will count towards NWS certificates. Similar to the last two years, there will be a social media component to engage non-Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters alike.

Additional details on SKYWARN Recognition Day including a registration link opened up to all Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio Operators can be found via the following link:
https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition

As mentioned previously, this year’s Google registration form also auto-issues SRD Numbers to participant Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters. The form can be found off the SKYWARN Recognition Day web site and can be see at the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsiwFThctxPqEht9r7j1V1OLBNiAQjt-yJe7z3-XFMwiIx-w/viewform

There is also a SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) Facebook group open to all SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators. The Facebook group link is listed below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/srd2021

On the web, the following link on the WX1BOX home page will feature all SRD updates for WX1BOX operations as well as social media efforts that can include SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators alike:

Special Announcement: SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2022 Friday Evening 12/2/22 700 PM ET to Saturday Evening 12/3/22 700 PM ET

New for this year is we’d like to conduct an experiment to test and experiment with a radio email system known as Winlink. We would like to have Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters test sending email to a radio based email. This system allows for emails to be retrieved over Internet but also over radio. You do not have to be an Amateur Radio Operator to be involved in this experiment. During the SRD period from Saturday 12/3/21 from 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening 12/2/21 7 PM EST-Saturday 12/3/21 7 PM EST), we’d like people to do the following:

1.) Compose an email with a report in text format or using one of the Winlink system specific weather or other forms to wx1box@winlink.org with either a current observation from the SRD time period or a prior severe weather event that occurred dring the last 2 years. Do “not” include file attachments. For Amateur Radio Operators who have winlink setup, please go ahead and use winlink. For other Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters who do not have Winlink setup, feel free to use your normal email client but only use text and no attachments in the report.
2.) Put in the subject of the email //WL2K as this will allow for emails to get filtered through the built-in spam protection of the winlink system

We will acknowledge all emails as a contact and publish results of this work as part of the SRD’2021 report.

Similar to last year, the SKYWARN Spotter Map that is being tied to SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 but also shows a great display of SKYWARN Spotters across the country whether you are able to participate in 2022’SRD or not. To add yourself to the map, utilize the link below (and it also appears once you have submitted your Google registration form):
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/31f1c4cd9b504068b2d15a7d3cdd4d05

The SRD’2022 schedule for repeater rotation and WX1BOX coverage will be included in the next SRD update by Monday Morning 11/28/22 as we are planning the various modes of operation at the NWS office and at home/Amateur Radio Club locations.

The VoIP Operations on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system will take place once again for 2022’SRD. Here is the info regarding Echolink/IRLP operations as of Friday Evening 11/25/22 and will be updated by Monday Morning 11/28/22:

Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: N0NWS (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0100-0200: WX1GYX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0200-0300: WX7SLC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0300-0400: WX9GRB (Confirmed time slot from 2020)
0400-0500: WX1BOX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0500-0600: WX9LOT (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0600-0700: WX4HUN (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0700-0800: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0800-0900: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0900-1000: Open
1000-1100: WX7SLC (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1100-1200: WX1GYX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1200-1300: W7NWS (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1300-1400: WX7SLC (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1400-1500: WX1AW (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1500-1600: WX1BOX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1600-1700: WX4NC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Confirmed time slot from last year – new NWS office from 2021)
1800-1900: WX6LOX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1900-2000: K0MPX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Confirmed time slot from last year – new NWS office from 2021)
2100-2300: WX4NHC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2300-2400: Open

There will be other conference systems utilized for SKYWARN Recognition Day. They are as follows:

The New England Reflector Gateway System will be utilized by the NWS Boston/Norton, Mass. and NWS Gray, Maine offices from 0000-0500 UTC and 1200-2400 UTC. The New England Gateway system is on EchoLink Conference server *NEW-ENG3* Node: 9123, IRLP reflector 9123. If other NWS offices would like to join the system, they are welcome to do so and participants in SKYWARN Recognition Day can also use that system to make contact with various NWS offices. This is a great place to move off the *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system after your scheduled time if other Amateurs or NWS offices whish to make contact with you.

Also, the Western Reflector will be having NWS offices calling CQ as in past years and have multiple reflector channels and Echolink conferences available. There is reflector 9250/Echolink Conference *HI-GATE* node: 357564, IRLP 9251 and the *WORLD* Echolink Conference node: 479886, IRLP 9257/*DCF-ARC* Echolink Conference node: 336037 and IRLP 9258/EchoLink Conference *NV-GATE* Node: 152566 open for NWS offices. Please contact Kent-W7AOR for additional information on the Western Reflector.

A few technical reminders for folks interested in making contacts with the NWS Forecast Offices on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and New England Reflector Gateway IRLP 9123/*NEW-ENG3* Echolink Node: 9123 systems:

-The system allows both EchoLink and IRLP connections. For EchoLink users, you connect to the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203 conference system. For IRLP users, you would connect to IRLP reflector 9219.

-If you are using EchoLink, the RF node or PC that you’re using must have EchoLink conferencing disabled. If it is not disabled, the system will automatically kick the node or PC off of the system. The reason this occurs is to prevent unintentional interference from a conferencing station that may not know the node is connected somewhere else. This will keep traffic moving on the net and reduce interference considerably.

For more information on VoIP Technical Configuration Tips, please go to our web site at http://www.voipwx.net where we have a link to that information on the main menu of the web site. This announcement will also be on the web site.

We are looking forward to another fun SKYWARN Recognition Day on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system, Allstar 28848 along with DMR/DSTAR and other modes provided by VK3JED-Tony, New England Reflector Gateway system and Western Reflector system. Thanks to all for their support!

Thanks to all for their continued support of the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES 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
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box

Betsey Doane, K1EIC, Appointed as Connecticut Interim Section Manager

by

ARRL logoARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, has appointed Betsey Doane, K1EIC, as Interim Section Manager for the ARRL Connecticut Section.

The Sheldon, Connecticut native is no stranger to the job. Her stint as Connecticut Section Manager from 1991 until 2016 for 25 uninterrupted years of service makes her one of longest serving Section Managers in the history of the ARRL Field Organization.

In 2012, K1EIC was honored by the ARRL “for more than 50 years in the ARRL Field Organization, beginning as an Official Phone Station in the 1960s. Before becoming Section Manager, she served as Official Relay Station, Net Manager of the Connecticut Section NTS, Section Traffic Manager. Besides serving as Section Manager, Doane is also an Official Emergency Station. In 2005, she was named CCE Mentor/Instructor of the Year.”

In 2018, Doane received the Housatonic Community College Foundation (HCCF) Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in higher education.  

During her time in the interim role, she hopes to “find a new permanent Section Manager  and train that person.” Also, she would like to “reacquaint section members with the ARRL field organization. “There are lots of new people … who may not know what it does or what its value is to the national organization.”

Betsey hopes to “promote Zoom presentations among the clubs on topics of interest, including advanced technology.” She also will begin a search for a newsletter editor to compile club news for the Section.

“Thank you for stepping in as temporary SM. I very much appreciate your doing this,” writes New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC.

We wish Betsey Doane, K1EIC, all the best in her new endeavors!

 

ARDC Press Release for NE Division RFI Grant

by

Amateur Radio Digital Communications logoThe Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has issued a press release to acknowledge the $23.6K grant it awarded to the New England Division to equip its RFI teams. In part, the press release states:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARRL New England Division to Combat RFI

An ARDC grant will provide teams in each of the ARRL’s New England sections with the equipment they need to find and eliminate radio frequency interference.

November 11, 2022—Radio frequency interference (RFI) has become an issue for many radio amateurs in the past decade. Solar energy systems, LEDs, switching power supplies, dimmers, variable-speed motor controllers and other non-linear devices have all raised the noise floor. This impacts radio amateurs across the board, including those participating in emergency communications, traffic handling, and those talking with friends on the air. In some cases, it makes communicating via amateur radio all but impossible.

To combat this problem, the ARRL New England Division has created teams to help radio amateurs find sources of RFI and eliminate or reduce the interference. These teams are also able to provide additional assistance when required, such as working with utility companies, the ARRL, or even the FCC.

A $23,640 ARDC grant will allow the New England Division to purchase RFI equipment for each of the seven sections in the division. Each kit will have the following equipment:

● Icom IC-705 transceiver, outfitted with a backpack and spare battery, for RFI detection and spectrum capture.
● DX Engineering NOISELOOP receiving antenna and a DXE-NL-PRE-ATT-1 preamplifier- attenuator to detect sources of high-frequency RFI.
● Elk Antennas 2M/440L5 Dual-Band Antenna for locating RFI sources in the VHF and UHF portions of the spectrum.

In addition, the division will be purchasing a Radar Engineering RE-243 Broadband RFI Locator for detecting power-line noise and a Radar Engineering RE-245 Circuit Sniffer for detecting indoor noise sources. This equipment will be dispatched to the sections when needed.

The funds will also help the division with on-site training for all seven New England section teams. Rob Leiden, K1UI, Assistant Director for Spectrum Protection & Utilization, notes, “This grant will really help our dedicated teams combat RFI throughout the New England Division.”

Eastern Massachusetts Section to Welcome New Section Manager; Incumbent Section Managers were Reelected

by

ARRL logoFrom ARRL News:

11/18/2022—Jon McCombie, N1ILZ, will become Section Manager (SM) of the ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section on January 1, 2023. McCombie, of Eastham, was the only nominee to submit a petition to run for office when the nomination period closed in early September. As the sole nominee, he has been declared elected.

This past year, McCombie has been Assistant SM to Tom Walsh, K1TW, who has been the SM of the Eastern Massachusetts Section for the last 8 years. Walsh, of Bedford, decided not to run for a fifth 2-year term of office.

There were no balloted elections during this fall season’s SM election cycle. The following incumbent SMs ran unopposed, and they were declared reelected, beginning their new 2-year terms of office on January 1: Cecil Higgins, AC0HA (Missouri); Matt Anderson, KA0BOJ (Nebraska); Jim Mezey, W2KFV (New York City-Long Island); Rocco Conte, WU2M (Northern New York); Marc Tarplee, N4UFP (South Carolina); Tom Preiser, N2XW (Southern New Jersey); Michael Douglas, W4MDD (West Central Florida), and Joe Shupienis, W3BC (Western Pennsylvania).

Thanks to ARRL Field Organization Supervisor Steve Ewald, WV1X, for information contained in this story.

Amateurs Provide Communications Support for Northwoods Gravel Grind Bicycle Race, Rangeley Vicinity, Maine

by
Northwoods Gravel Grind Bicycle Race
Riders starting out for the first loop. Photo by N1EP

From Nov. 15, 2022 ARRL Club News, by Phil Duggan, N1EP

On September 10, nearly 200 riders entered the seventh annual Northwoods Gravel Grind in the Rangeley area of Maine, which encompassed parts of Franklin and Somerset counties. The course included 35-, 50-, and 68-mile loops.

The riders were not out there in the northwoods alone. Besides deer, moose, and bear, there were about 15 amateur radio operators assigned to various locations and in sweep vehicles throughout the course. Franklin County ARES and friends made sure important safety and logistical information was relayed to net control, and they did this by 2-meter simplex!

Many of the hams were using their mobile radios in vehicles with mag-mount antennas or similar aerials. Several hams set up external J-pole or high-gain antennas 20 feet or higher at key locations, and they were invaluable in relaying communications if net control (Randy Gauvin, KB1RDG, and Ruth Gauvin, KB1SBZ) couldn’t hear a mobile or portable station.

I had the privilege of helping. It was enjoyable to be out in the woods listening to the call of the loons, as I was assigned to Loon Lake Road, right next to Loon Lake. Franklin County ARES Emergency Coordinator Russ Norris, KA1FKC, stopped by and chatted with me for a while. Have you ever seen his vehicle? There is no doubt he is a ham radio operator! And I absolutely loved his pooch, Mabel, who wore a fancy harness labeled ARES.

Many times throughout the race, riders would thank me for being there, and I am sure the other hams got this feedback as well. Public service events such as this promote our hobby in a positive way. They also help us hone our emergency communications skills. If you have never volunteered to help in such events, you should consider doing so. It’s rewarding and fun. You can contact me at n1ep@arrl.org or ARRL New England Division Assistant Director for Emergency Communications and Public Service Cory Golob, KU1U, at ku1u@nediv.arrl.org, and we can share when public service events need hams.

Hams that participated in this year’s event included KA1FKC, KB1RDG, KB1SBZ, AA1XD, WA1KLI, N1TCJ, KB1YES, NT1N, KC1LGJ, KC1ROC, N1EP, KC1RID, K1OK, K1NEO, and N1TCJ.

New England QRP’s Annual Central New England (NH) Meeting and Lunch, November 19, 2022

by

NEQRP logoCarl Achin, WA1ZCQ, writes on the NEQRP mailing list:

This Meeting & Lunch is always on the Saturday BEFORE Thanksgiving, ANNUALLY. Hope YOU can make it.

Date: Saturday, November 19th, 2022
Time: 10AM for early-birds (~11AM is OK too) till the last person drops, usually around 2PM+
Place: Golden Corral – 655 South Willow Street, Manchester, NH

Please bring something for “Show-‘N-Tell” and show and talk about it with others.

Schedule:
Meet-‘N-Greet (Social-Hour plus Show-‘N-Tell)) – 10AM through 11AM+
Club updates and info – 11:15 through 11:30AM
Buffet Meal from 11:30 through 1:30PM
More socializing till approximately 2PM+

*** COME JOIN US FOR THIS ANNUAL GATHERING. ***

* P.S. – Christmas Party Gathering coming-up on the SECOND FRIDAY in DECEMBER (9th). More on that later.