TAPR To Hold Online “Mini-Digital Communications Conference,” December 9, 2023

TAPR logoFrom The ARRL Letter, November 22, 2023:

Tucson Amateur Packet Radio, Inc. (TAPR) will hold an online Mini-Digital Communications Conference on December 9, 2023, from 1700 to 2230 UTC (1200 to 1730 EST, 0900 to 1430 PST). Log in details for the conference will be available at https://tapr.org prior to December 9. TAPR is an international amateur radio organization that was founded in Tucson, Arizona, in 1981 by a group of amateurs interested in developing a terminal node controller (TNC) for amateur use. Presentations during the conference will include:

  • TAPR Software Defined Radio (SDR) Development Progress and Challenges by David Larsen, KVØS
  • Developments in KA9Q Radio by Phil Karn, KA9Q
  • An Open Source Wideband HF Receiver Design by David Witten, KDØEAG
  • An Inexpensive Global Positioning System Disciplined Oscillator (GPSDO) for HF Receivers by John Ackermann, N8UR
  • Current Open Source Digital Voice Techniques by Walter Holmes, K5WH
  • A Low Cost FreeDV-based ESP32 Radio Interface by Mooneer Salem, K6AQ
  • ESP32 Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) and Long Range (LoRa) Hardware by Jason Rausch, K4APR

CT ARES Training Class Offerings

ARES logoConnecticut DEC Douglas Sharafanowich, WA1SFH, writes on the ct-ares mailing list:

HAPPY Thanksgiving Day. As you relax today, here is serious question to ask yourself…

Are YOU ARES TRAINED and EQUIPPED?

GET ARES TRAINED (Registration info Below)

Overview
ARES has advanced into the 21st Century, and new skills and capabilities are required to meet the needs of the day.
As a result, ALL ARES members are now being requested to complete the national ARES Individual Operator Task Book: LEVEL 1 & LEVEL 2.
And, for those interested in Leadership positions, to complete LEVEL 3.

PRACTICAL Encouragement
In order to assist ARES members in meeting some of the KEY requirements and help be better prepared for a BLACK SKY event (i.e.; “The Next BIG ONE”), a series of FREE monthly Training Classes (on Saturdays) are being held in Region 2.

Training Classes being Offered (details below)
• Introduction to VHF Winlink (Part 1)……………. Dec. 2, 2023
• Introduction to VHF Winlink (Part 2)…………… Jan. 13, 2024
• Introduction to FEMA Message Forms…………. Feb. 3, 2024
• Introduction Net Control Station Operations…… March 2, 2024
• Introduction to HF Winlink……………………….. April 6, 2024

When: Saturday Mornings (8 am to 11.30 am)
Where: Various locations in Region 2

Training Classes (Details)
These classes include basic concepts, but more importantly also focus on helping you become functional in each area… IF YOU DO YOUR PART.

Introduction to VHF Winlink (Part 1)
Date: Dec. 2
Where: Guilford Fire Department
390 Church St., Guilford

In this Class you will learn about Winlink, How to Set-Up Winlink on your computer, and How to send messages via TELNET. You will also learn what you will need to bring with you to “PART 2” in order to send messages via RF using your VHF/UHF radio.

YOU BRING:
Your laptop/notebook computer (Windows preferred) with Winlink loaded onto it, a paper Notepad, pencils/pens

Introduction to VHF Winlink (Part 2)
Date: Jan. 13
Where: North Haven Fire Dept. Company #4
366 Washington Ave., North Haven

During this Class, you will connect your computer and radio to an antenna to send Packet Winlink messages over the air through a local WINLINK GATEWAY, and do Winlink P-2-P (Peer to Peer) messaging.

YOU BRING:
Your laptop/notebook computer, your VHF/UHF mobile radio (5-50 watts), 12v Power supply (Battery, or AC/DC with short ext. cord), connecting cables, Computer to Radio Interface: Terminal Node Controller (TNC), or a Sound Card Interface (SCI) with a TNC Emulator loaded on your computer, and a mag mounted VHF/UHF antenna with a metal pizza plate/baking plate, paper for notes, pencils/pens.

HINT #1
With Christmas rapidly approaching, best to tell Santa to bring you the gear you need for this class.

Introduction to FEMA Message Forms

Introduction to FEMA Forms
Date: Feb 3
Where: Quinnipiac Valley Health District
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven

You need to know what Forms our “served agencies” are using, where to find them in Winlink and how to send them. During this class you will be introduced to the common forms that are in use, and send a few via TELNET.

YOU BRING:
Your laptop/notebook computer with Winlink loaded (and set-up), paper for notes, pencils/pens.

Introduction Net Control Station Operations
– Basic skills in running an efficient Net, plus tips for Staying Organized when the SHTF.
Date: March 2
Where: Quinnipiac Valley Health District
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven

I have heard it said that in the USMC: ‘Every Marine a Rifleman’.
Similarly,

In ARES: Every ARES operator is a Net Control Station Operator

Imagine this:
One day, the situation will arise when you will be thrust into taking over a Communications Net as a Primary or Reliever Net Control Station operator.
– It will be at this exact moment that you will wish you had been at this class and taken advantage of periodically practicing the skills during CT ARES weekly Nets.
THIS IS IMPORTANT – Don’t miss it!

YOU BRING:
Your laptop/notebook Computer, a paper Notepad, pencils/pens

Introduction to HF Winlink
– You need to send Winlink messages, but no working VHF Winlink Gateway is nearby.
Date: April 6
Where: North Haven Fire Dept. Company #4
366 Washington Ave., North Haven

GOT General, Advanced, Extra license? Then, this class is for YOU!

In this class you will learn how to send HF Winlink messages successfully and practice sending a few over the air.

YOU BRING:
Your computer, connecting cables, a 100 watt HF radio, 12v Power Supply (Battery or AC/DC with ext. cord), a Sound Card Interface (SCI) if not built-in to the HF Radio, paper for Notes, pencils/pens.

HINT #2 (Repeat)
With Christmas rapidly approaching, best tell Santa bring you the gear you need for this class.

Bottom Line
If you are serious about getting the training you need to be effective in ARES, then you need to make the decision to do it.

And, TODAY is a GOOD DAY to JUST DO IT.

* SPACE IS LIMITED
* SEATS ARE LIMITED

* Reservations ARE Required
– If you just show up without a reservation, don’t expect that there will be space for you.

REGISTER for Classes HERE
Please register using the Google Sheets document (link below).
Enter your information and put a “1” in each class you will attend.
(The program automatically SAVES your input. So, just close the page to exit.)
I will confirm you Reservations with a reply email.
LINK

https://tinyurl.com/58rtzdct


73, Douglas Sharafanowich – WA1SFH
ARES District Emergency Coordinator (DEC)
Region 2 – Connecticut Section
email: wa1sfh “at” arrl “dit” net

Communications Assistance Request: Sutton (MA) Chain of Lights, December 2, 2023

Sutton Chain of LIghts trolley stopFrom wma.arrl.org:

President Valerie Moore, KC1COQ, of the Worcester EmComm Team writes:

Craig Shea from the Sutton Chain of Lights is again requesting assistance with communications to coordinate the trolleys for their annual event. We’re looking for about 10 amateur radio operators to ride the trolleys and help keep them on schedule moving people around between stops. [Full story]

WCAX: Made in Vermont: W1SFR

Screen image from W1SFR story on WCAXSteve Goldsmith, W1HS, writes on the Twin State RC and Connecticut Valley FM Association mailing lists:

Nice story about a local ham . . . and a great gift idea for the holidays . . . i.e., show it to your family and hope they get the hint and buy you one. -)
 

SUDBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Steve Roberts spends a lot of time messing with metal, making Morse code keys.

“HAM radio is a very tight community really, and you have friends like all over the world, people you’ve never met,” said Roberts, whose call letters are W1SFR.

His side hustle is key for the community, and it’s not something you accidentally start doing. Roberts’ journey into dots and dashes began in Vietnam.

[Full story]

 

Meriden ARC/Wallingford ARG “Santa” QRV for North Pole Contacts, December 9, 2023

Meriden (CT) Amateur Radio Club writes on Facebook:

Come see Santa and talk to the North Pole with ham radio!

Santa will be onsite at the Yalesville Fire House at 143 Hope Hill Road between 10 AM-1 PM. Crafts and activities for the kids and a goodie bag and certificate from Santa (while supplies last).

Please bring a nonperishable food donation for Masters Manna.

Meriden Santa announcement

Connecticut Parks On The Air Group Activation “A Huge Success”

Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH , writes:

On Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 11 am, Parks On The Air activators in Connecticut met on 40 meters SSB for the state’s second “Park to Park” net. It was a huge success.

Rewind the timeline…I was on my quest to activate all parks/references in the state. I discovered one other amateur radio operator had already accomplished this, activating 136 parks in the state of Connecticut. That ham was Shawn, KC1NQE. I reached out and started a dialog and clearly, if he’d done it and I was on my way to completing it, there was no doubt about our passion for the Parks On The Air program. We had a lot in common. Add Peter, K1PCN, who is also attempting to activate all references and is also the President of the Greater Bridgeport Amateur Radio Club and we had the core group that officially started up the CT-POTA groups.io email distribution list.

groups.io image

 

With the three of us as the first members of the group at the end of August, we began spreading the word through various channels. We shared the group URL with the ham radio clubs in the state: Greater Bridgeport ARC, Candlewood ARA, Woodmont ARA, MARC, FARA, Greater Norwalk ARC and others. I sent email invitations to top activators at Connecticut parks. We posted about the group on social media and met up with people at hamfests. And now, we’re up to 47 members. That’s in just shy of two months. Quickly, we’ve discovered others who are also on the quest to activate all references in Connecticut and are as passionate about POTA as we are.

Rewind a little further… Shawn, KC1NQE, had organized a park to park net via the POTA discord channel on Summer Support Your Parks Weekend in 2022. It worked out well and we wanted to try this again. We announced the net on the new group and instructed operators to email Shawn with the parks they planned to be at Saturday morning and also to share their cell phone numbers with him. On Friday night, Shawn posted the list to the groups.io channel so all of the operators could see who else would be participating. Shawn created a text group of the operators who signed up and on Saturday morning, searched for a frequency on 40 meters to meet up on and texted it out to the group. In addition to this being Support Your Parks Weekend, it was also the Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) weekend, so the bands were busy.

Shawn acted as net control, but with a twist. Once he had made contact with all of the stations on the list and any late check-ins, he handed over net control to me. Since we’d already made our contact, I called for stations below me on the list and once done, handed net control to Peter, K1PCN. As you can see, the further down the list you go, the fewer contacts need to be made eventually with the last person likely not having to call anyone, since they’ve already QSO’d with everyone above them on the list. It was the ultimate in getting park to park contacts since we were all out at parks in the state.

N2YCH’s POTA setup at K-1684, Indian Well State Park using an Icom IC-7300 and a Sotabeams Bandhopper III linked dipole.

 

In the end, we had about 20 participants and virtually everyone could hear everyone else from one end of the state to the other. Towards the very end of our net, we began experiencing some QRM from a JOTA station that went on the air 1 Mhz down from our frequency position and a few operators missed a few park to park contacts. We have some ideas for our next net on ways to speed things up and move through the list more efficiently, but in the end, our idea worked out well.

The day didn’t end there. We planned a meet up at a park that is in the middle of the state, hoping that the trip for any operator within the state wouldn’t have a very long drive to get there. We met at K-1728, Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford, Connecticut. There, the Meridan Amateur Radio Club brought out their emergency operations trailer and tents and tables. They set up an SSB station, a digital station and even a satellite station. Many of the operators from around the state did drive to the park and met each other in person. A number of students taking classes for their technician test and some newly licensed hams also came out to see what ham radio is all about.

 

GBARC CERT vehicle/trailer\ GBARC group photo

 

Before we wrapped up for the day, we did a round robin of park to park contacts on VHF and UHF. Surprisingly, some local hams heard us on the call channels and got in on the action and got a few park QSO’s for themselves. To get an idea of how the day went, Rob, N1NUG, recorded a video of his experience which you can watch at https://youtu.be/3aJBYFD1gZk?si=LVBScL8X3LCN5fHD.

If you’re into parks on the air and live  in the state of Connecticut, please apply for membership in the CT-POTA group on groups.io. The group is active and we’ll announce future CT POTA events and meet ups on the list.

New England Division Town Hall Meeting, November 8, 2023

ARRL logoNew England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, writes:

Phil Temples K9HI, our Assistant Directors, and I will hold our next New England Division Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, November 8th at 7 pm ET.The purpose of the meeting will be to provide you with an ARRL update, get your thoughts on what we should be focusing on, and answer any questions that you might have about the ARRL and what we are doing on behalf of ARRL members here in New England.We plan to spend a good deal of our time together answering your questions. If you’d like to send us a question in advance, you can do so via an email to ab1oc@arrl.org, or you can just plan to ask your questions during the Town Hall Meeting.We will hold our Town Hall Meeting via a Zoom Webinar. You can get a personal link to join the Town Hall Meeting via the following link (paste the link in your browser to register) –https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8kLEzMthRxmxlljwEQsaqQAfter registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.We hope to see you on November 8th!——————————————————————–ARRL New England DivisionDirector: Fred Kemmerer, AB1OCab1oc@arrl.org——————————————————————–