Phil Temples
Nashua Area Radio Society Ham Bootcamp Online, November 11, 2023
The Nashua Area Radio Society (NARS) will host their Ham Bootcamp program on November 11, 2023, from 10 AM to 6 PM ET. This program includes a series of online demonstrations and tutorials designed to help newly licensed Technician, General, and Amateur Extra class license holders get on the air. It’s available to all licensed and prospective amateur radio operators.
Visit NARS’s Ham Bootcamp program web page to register and for additional information.
Maine Simulated Emergency Test Status
Keith Anoe, KE4UCW, writes on the Maine-Section ARES RACES mailing list:
Good morning all from Lisbon. We currently intend to hold the SET as planned.
With that said, be safe and follow all local guidance regarding to your safety. We plan for emergencies and hope to support our local agencies.
At this time, the Androscoggin ARES/RACES will operate from home. Please check with your team’s leadership on how to contribute to your team’s safely and SET.
If you feel that you cant participate that is totally exemptible, I ask that you let you leadership know.
The last thing—if you need something let someone know to include me. There is nothing wrong with asking; simply help each other.
Stay safe all!!
VR
—
Maine Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)
https://groups.io/g/MaineSection-ARES-RACES/messages
Androscoggin County Emergency Coordinator (EC)
keith@anoe.us
(207)629-7197
60m Band Proposed Changes—File Your Comments with FCC!
Recently, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which effects Amateur Radio use of the 60m band. The FCC proposes to allocate 15 kHz of contiguous bandwidth between 5351.5 – 5366.5 kHz on a secondary basis with a maximum power of 15 W EIRP (equivalent to 9.15 W ERP). This allocation was adopted at the 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15).
The NPRM leaves open the question of whether the existing five 60m channels can still be used for Amateur Radio operation as well as if the 100w power level may still be used.
The FCC has requested comments relative to existing channel and power issue.
In 2017, the ARRL petitioned the FCC to keep the four 60-meter channels that fall outside the new band, as well as the current operating rules, including the 100 W ERP limit.
We need as many amateurs as possible to comment on this NPRM and urge the FCC to keep 1) the four existing channels and 2) the 100 w power limit.
Comments are due by October 30th, 2023 – ET Docket No. 23-120.
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/standard
Western Massachusetts ARES To Hold Annual Simulated Emergency Test, October 21-22, 2023
The Western Massachusetts Amateur Radio Emergency Service will hold its 2023 Simulated Emergency Test from 10:00 AM on Saturday, 21 October to 10:00 AM on Sunday, 22 October 2023. ARES members will attempt to receive and report airport weather information to the Department of Defense via the US Army Military Affiliate Radio System. [Details]
RadioCraft Mod a Big Hit at HamXposition
George Allison, K1IG, writes:Minecraft is the largest selling video game of all time with over 240 million copies sold, and it’s estimated that there are over 140 million active players world-wide, most of whom are under the age of 21. Thanks to a grant from the ARRL Foundation, Lucas, W1BTR, and the Police Amateur Radio Team (PART) of Westford, MA, have undertaken a project to incorporate ham radio functionality into the game; essentially to build a “ham radio simulator” that players can install as a game modification (the Radiocraft mod) and then use to build radios and antennas and make voice and CW contacts in the game with other players.
The project started in January, 2023, with the hiring of a professional coding team, and over the ensuing months, radios, antennas, solar panels, batteries, and even a solar weather station were developed and tested. Lucas debuted the project at the Northeast HamXposition in Marlborough, MA, in August 2023, with a capabilities presentation, an installation workshop, and a day-long demonstration in the lobby of the HamXposition site where attendees could actually play Minecraft with the ham radio mod on three computers.
Those three events, the presentation, workshop, and online demonstration, were notable because of the ages of the attendees; the average ages were about 18, and several were as young as eight, and included both boys and girls. Instead of parents bringing their kids to a ham radio show, the kids were excitedly escorting their parents to the Radiocraft events and learning how they could use ham radio to enhance their favorite game.
The lobby demonstration was continually active with youngsters playing the game, and notably, without any instruction. They were able to use the gaming skills they already had to build working radios and antennas, while most of the parents just watched in awe. Attendees of all ages were enthusiastic about the project. Lucas and his team look forward to appearing at the 2024 HamXposition with a larger display and presentation.
At this time, development of the project continues, and a small group of players is presently testing the mod before it goes into general release later this year. Final checks include searching for program bugs and polishing the user interfaces. When the mod is released it will be a free download and documentation will include links to ARRL and licensing information.
Rhode Island ARES & MARS SET Underway
From ri-arrl.org:
The October ARES Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is a longstanding ARRL opportunity for Sections to come together and evaluate how hams can contribute value to statewide preparedness efforts. Are we organized, reliable, disciplined? A supportive and inclusive team able to problem solve in real time, and collaborate with a sincere interest to provide a public service? Is this a team served agencies can trust to turn to?
Each July QST issue has, for decades, highlighted each Section ARES and other teams that have come together to participate in the annual October SET challenge. It is one measure of a Section’s preparedness maturity to be able to follow up in this way and self-report their own progress year over year. RI ARES has not been in a place to report results for at least a decade. But the good news is that is changing in October 2023.
The RI ARES official SET started this Saturday October 21 and will run until Sunday at 10pm. We held two nets so far this weekend, with this summary of Saturday reports to date:
- 15 check-ins
- 8 airport weather traffic reports for 4 RI airports
- accurately passed to at least 2 MARS members
- via 80m and 2m voice, and so open to all license classes,
- including a new Technician ham licensed less than 2 months. (wow!)
The Sunday SET nets will begin October 22nd at Noon, with the last one at 10pm.
Want to join the momentum? Please see RIARES.org and the Incident Action Plan put together by A-SEC, Jeremy Taylor, K1JST.
For more on the Practice Exercise held two weeks ago , please see:
CT Support Your Parks Weekend, October 21-22, 2023
Peter Cimino, K1PCN, writes on the Greater Bridgeport (CT) ARC mailing list:
This is the POTA Fall Support Your Parks weekend and CT activators will be out in numbers and activation. There will a POTA meetup at Wharton Brook State Park in North Haven (see flyer) and more info on the CT POTA (groups.io) page.
If you are activating, then register. There will be a point-to-point CT net at 11 am.
Hope to hear you on the air.
NWS Gray, Maine, Winter Weather Spotter Training Sessions in October, November 2023
Ken Gehalo, N1RP, writes on the Port City ARC mailing list:
I wanted to make you aware of two winter weather spotter training sessions coming up along with a coastal flooding specific training session. I have attached 3 fliers for these courses if you want to share with your friends. You can also access the online registration here:
Here are the registration links for the courses:
Oct 26th 6 PM – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8169718174673470550
Nov 13th 6 PM – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2244470903414422869
Nov 15th 6 PM (coastal flooding) – https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8169718174673470550
If you have taken the winter focused course recently, you don’t have to retake the course. We recommend you take a refresher course every 3 years for each track we offer (winter, summer, ice jam and coastal flooding).
—
Donald M. Dumont
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
Incident Meteorologist (IMET)
National Weather Service, Gray, ME
Office: 207-688-3216 x223
donald.dumont@noaa.gov
www.weather.gov/gyx
New England Sci-Tech Starts Wireless Engineering Club
From ema.arrl.org:
Seth Kendall, KC1PZY, writes on the stars-radio mailing list:
We are looking for mentors/volunteers to help out with the new Wireless Engineering Club on Saturday mornings 10:00-11:30am. Please let us know if you have any interest in participating!
The “Wireless Engineering Club” is a new club at New England Sci-Tech meant to attract youth and prospective hams into the hobby of Ham Radio. The club will meet every other Saturday morning, a time that tends to work well for families, and will be focused around build workshops and practical, hands-on radio activities. We’d like to use this club to bring in new hams, especially youth, and further grow the amateur radio community here at NEST.
We are interested in three kinds of volunteers:
- Helpers
- Workshop Leaders
- Outreach
For Helpers: Pick one or more workshops to come in and help out for. If we get lots of members, we’ll need lots of Elmers to help people troubleshoot, experiment, and have fun.
For Workshop Leaders: Pick one of the topics from our brainstorm list and volunteer to lead a 90 minute workshop on that topic. The more hands on, the better. We’re looking for activities over lectures. Even better, volunteer your own workshop. We need content, so anyone who’d like to put together one or more activities/workshops, please let us know. They’re meant to be beginner level. This is an ideal chance to help grow the ham radio community and bring in youth, but it’ll only work with participation from us in the community.
Outreach: Know any recently licensed youth or youth with a general interest in electronics and science? Spread the word about the club to communities you know! Adults are welcome and encouraged to join in the workshops and builds as well. Many of them could be of broad interest. I’m attaching a flyer. It looks like this, but if you download the attachment, it will be print resolution.
If you’d like to volunteer, you an either post here or send me an email at sethlkendall@gmail.com. Thanks all.