Phil Temples

HamSCI 6th Annual Workshop, March 17-18, 2023, Scranton PA

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HamSCI Workshop 2023 screenshot

Come join HamSCI at its sixth annual hybrid in-person and virtual workshop March 17-18, 2023 at The University of Scranton. The primary objective of the HamSCI workshop is to bring together the amateur radio community and professional scientists. The theme of the 2023 HamSCI Workshop is Forging Amateur-Professional Bonds.

This workshop will also serve as a team meeting for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station project, a NSF-funded project to develop a citizen science instrument for studying space weather from your backyard. The PSWS is led by the University of Scranton, and includes participation from TAPR, Case Western Reserve University/W8EDU, the University of Alabama, the New Jersey Institute of Technology CSTR, MIT Haystack Observatory, Dartmouth College, and the amateur radio community at large.

The 2023 HamSCI workshop is organized by The University of Scranton with generous financial support provided by the United States National Science Foundation and ARDC. HamSCI is an officially recognized NASA Citizen Science project. [More]

Ham Radio as STEM Activity To Be Showcased at WooSox Games in July and August

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pix of WooSox playersFrom New England Sci-Tech ARS News, March 14, 2023:

New England Sci-Tech/Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society (STARS) [in Natick, MA] has been invited to run a STEM activity table at [Minor League Worcester Red Sox (“WooSox”) games in Worcester, MA] both pre-game and during the game on July 26, Aug 9, and Aug 16. This is a great opportunity to showcase radio as a STEM activity. Bob, K5TEC, can help organize but cannot attend. Looking for two volunteers per game. Your travel, parking, and snacks allowance will be reimbursed.

Here are the details given to us:

“As far as placement in the ballpark, we have a decent amount of flexibility based on the types of activities and requirements you have. 

“We could place activities in more heavily trafficked areas of the concourse with people constantly coming through and stopping by for a few minutes; or we could place activities on Plymouth and Summit St., which fall within the ballpark on game days but provide more space and calm from the hustle and bustle of the concourse for a more in-depth showcase. And we would be able to provide tables and electricity if needed. 

“I think ideally we would love to provide both pregame and in-game activities if possible. I could easily imagine us planning a pregame showcase for a larger group of kids, and then perhaps some smaller tabling activations in a couple of places throughout the ballpark.

“All of this is to say that we are very flexible, and open to the ideas and expertise that you could provide!”

Meriden (CT) ARC Balloon Projects In Progress

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From the Meriden ARC March 2023 newsletter “Key Klix:”

The [Meriden Amateur Radio Club] currently has two balloon projects in the works. On Saturday, 25 February, John, KB1MFU tested his balloon to see if it would meet specifications. The balloons were supposed to inflate to 3 feet in diameter which would hold a specific amount of helium allowing him to calculate the amount of lift it would have.

For the test, John used nitrogen gas to save on the more expensive helium. He set up the test in one of the garage bays at the firehouse and began to slowly inflate the balloon. The homebrew inflation nozzle that he made fit perfectly into the balloon allowing the gas tank to be connected. The Balloon filled to 1 foot in diameter then on to 2 feet. At about 2 1/2 feet the balloon burst. Not good for a 3 foot rated balloon.

Undaunted, John said that he would get replacement balloons, probably rated 3 1/2 to 4 foot diameter. Another test is in the works. They like to say that failure is not an option but having this test balloon fail now is better than having it fail on launch day. Without testing, failure is always an option.

Once the balloon itself passes the test, other components will be tested as well. Carry on, John. You have no where to go but up! Ted KC1DOY

Maine Section Manager eNews March 2023

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Maine Section Manager eNews March 2023

Maine ARRL Convention & Hamfest

Don’t miss the Maine State ARRL Convention and Androscoggin Hamfest March 24-25! There are some great forums Friday evening and Saturday morning, in addition to the Saturday morning hamfest, VE exam session (12:30PM Sat) and much more. The event will be at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center in Lewiston. Here is a link to the hamfest for more information: 

https://www.w1npp.org/convention

Ellsworth Ham Radio Symposium

Get your geek on and come on down to Ellsworth for the April 22 Ham Radio Symposium. From noon until 4pm featured presentations include Satellite Communications, Node Red Programming for Amateur Radio Applications, Re-purposing Old Computers For The Shack, QRP, and more.  Admission by donation. The event will take place at Meadow View Apartments Phase IV Dining Hall, 25 Tweedie Lane, Ellsworth. Talk-in will be on the 146.910- (PL 151.4) repeater.

Amateur Extra Course

Looking for an on-line course to help you upgrade to Amateur Extra Class? Western Massachusetts Section Manager Ray Lajoie, AA1SE is teaching a course on-line starting March 28, so register NOW to get in on it! Here is the link: https://nediv.arrl.org/2023/03/05/western-ma-train-test-group-amateur-extra-class-begins-march-28-2023/

NEARFEST

The NEAR-Fest is a week early this spring. The dates are April 28-29.  Check out the website https://near-fest.com/

VE Sessions

VE Teams, please send your scheduled VE exam dates and info to N1EP and they will be included on the official Maine ARRL web site. Also, an applicant only needs to show a single legal photo ID at the session. Two alternate forms of authorized ID are only required if the applicant has no legal photo ID. Also, note that the general class pool changes as of July 1. The ARRL VEC is $15. Applicants bring your FRN number (FCC Registration Number) available for free at fcc.gov.

   * March 18 VE Session at 10am at Meadow View Apartments Phase IV Dining Hall, 25 Tweedie Ln, Ellsworth. Pre-register with n1ep@yahoo.com.  207-598-5397.

   * March 18 Sponsored by the Pine State ARC, 9AM (No walk-ins) must register or call ahead to Peter Bither, 207-944-2616 or email redbeard104@aol.com. Location:Â Calvary Chapel, 154 River Rd, Orrington ME 04470

A Centennial Milestone

We are all familiar with the 1901 trans-Atlantic radio communication by the great Marconi, but did you know this November is another centennial which Marconi paved the way for? That is the very first trans-Atlantic 2-way communication between ham radio operators. The Maine Ham Radio Society, at the suggestion of one of their Facebook Page members, has scheduled a Transatlantic 2-Way Centennial special event with the 1X1 call sign N1A for November 25 – 28 to commemorate the milestone. All clubs are encouraged to do the same. Let’s mark this 100-year anniversary with gusto!

CW Traffic Nets

Want to practice your Morse code, make friends with other hams, and contribute to public service and the National Traffic System? There are two such nets in Maine that you can support. The Maine Slow Speed Net meets Monday through Friday at 6:00PM on 3585 kHz.  Average speed is about 10-12 wpm but net controls will gladly adjust to whatever speed in which you check in. The Pine Tree Net is held seven days a week at 7:00pm on 3596 kHz. The speed is usually around 20 wpm, but, again, net control welcomes all, no matter the speed.

New England QSO Party!

The NEQP is May 6-7 this year! This is a great opportunity to get you Worked All States award and to also give other stations outside New England your section. Details are at https://neqp.org/.

RFI Trouble Shooting Guide

Experiencing radio frequency interference from some unidentified source?  Check out this logical RFI trouble shooting guide at: https://nediv.arrl.org/rfi-troubleshooting-guide/

Clubs Webinar Series (Club Secretary Edition)

From ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY:

Below you will find the invitation for the first of what we plan to be many webinars on club development. The idea is to take a look at the different positions in the club and how we can provide training for those positions. The first webinar is on the club secretary. As we move forward more positions will be targeted. Feel free to distribute this invitation to your section. All of these webinars will be recorded and the recordings and Power Point slides will be available in the ARRL Learning Center. We hope this will be of interest to many of the club members and the webinar is open to anyone that wishes to attend. They will use the link below to register and the link will be sent to them. 

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Mar 30, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: ARRL Club Development Series: Secretary

Register in advance for this webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AzCmCTdORruOmPu5gm2W_g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

——————————————————————–
ARRL Maine Section
Section Manager: Philip W Duggan, N1EP
n1ep@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

ARRL Club Development Series: “Club Secretary” Informational Webinar, March 30, 2023

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ARRL’s Learning Network is a webinar series to help introduce members to the variety of activities and opportunities enjoyed by radio amateurs. These live presentations will be given by member-volunteers, for all members. Like hamfest forums and radio club presentations, the webinars are intended to help participants get more active, involved, and engaged in amateur radio. Presentations are 30-minutes each to accommodate attendee’s busy schedules, followed by a 15-minute period for questions-and-answers.

The ARRL ARRL Club Development Series: “Secretary” will be held on March 30, 2023 at 07:00 PM ET.  You may register for the webinar at <https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AzCmCTdORruOmPu5gm2W_g>.

Foxhunt in Wallingford CT, March 12, 2023

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Dave Tipping, NZ1J, writes on the ctfoxhunter list on March 11, 2023 at 4:17 PM:

 
We’ll have a live Fox Hunt on Sunday from 9:30am until 11:00 am.  The Fox will be hidden somewhere in Wallingford, which is a 50 square mile area.
 
We’ll be using these three frequencies:  

There will be a 1 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 10mW transmitter is on 147.475 MHz and will beep every three seconds and will ID in Morse Code every minute.

The 1mW transmitter is on 146.315 MHz and beeps every three seconds and ID as W1NRG in Morse Code every minute.  Expect a range of only about 1/10 mile on this transmitter.

 
There is no central starting location.  And, there will be no check-ins prior to the hunt.  Hunters should be at a location of their own choosing and listening on 146.565 at 9:30.  
 
There may be a two second long test of the 146.565 transmitter at 9:25.
 
Other Fox Hunters can be contacted on the W1NRG repeater 147.360 with PL 162.2  Hunters with an extra radio available might do well to monitor 147.360 throughout the hunt.
Good luck.

Dave NZ1J

Microwave Ham Radio (3-33 cm): This Century’s New “Shortwave Radio”

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contributed by Nancy Austin, KC1NEK, Newport County (RI) Radio Club

Examples of short 12 cm microwave antennas: a Yagi and an omni-directional vertical

How short is short???

Last century, the HF bands from 10 meters to 200 meters were considered “shortwave radio.”  Paul Fredette, K1YBE, is on a mission to pitch the Super High Frequency (SHF) microwave ham bands (3 cm to 33 cm) as this century’s new “shortwave radio”, ripe for experimentation.  So, how short is the new short? A football fan offered the comparison that 10 meters is roughly 10 yards, or the length of the first down line on a football field. And for comparison, 3 cm is roughly 1 inch, or the width of the white stripe on a football. To get a sense of relative antenna size, I just looked out the window at my HF antenna zigzagging for 100+ feet across my backyard, and compared that to the microwave antennas pictured above for scale, showing inches on a ruler. The new short is a different magnitude of short, with opportunities and new challenges for the ham to tackle.

To promote STEM learning and workforce development opportunities around this shift, Rhode Island’s Paul, K1YBE, is enthusiastically promoting the notion of an Amateur Radio Training Experiment Network (ARTEN) that uses mesh networking educational projects to make this accessible to a broad audience. The “new” shortwave bands from 3 cm/10 GHz to 30 cm/1 GHz can be a catalyst as we reach out to invite in a new generation of hams. ARRL-affiliated club microwave experiments underway include the Newport County Radio Club’s pilot mesh networking project placing carbon dioxide sensors in a local farm, with the collected data set available to schools. Examples of welcome community outreach include holding our radio hands-on building/experimenting workshops at a local maker-space, FabNewport, during their after-school programming. Kids stop by our table, curious and full of questions. In this way, STEM learning is not bolted on but part of the ongoing mentoring and experiential learning that defines the ham community and helps home-grown innovators flourish.

The ARRL mission includes encouraging “radio experimentation and, through its members, advances radio technology and education.” As Wikipedia reminds us: “Throughout its history, amateur radio enthusiasts have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and social services. Research by amateur radio operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives in times of emergency.” More than a century ago, the pivotal Radio Act of 1912 assigned licensed amateurs to the shortwaves under 200 meters. In 2023 it’s remarkable to look back and forge ahead in the frontier of microwave “shortwave” bands open to hams, from 3 centimeters to 33 centimeters. What’s possible?  

Paul Fredette, K1YBE, will be speaking on ARTEN – New England Mesh Networking at Microwave Update 2023 on Saturday April 16th. This is an international conference focused on amateur radio on the microwave bands. Meanwhile, Paul, K1YBE, will be presenting a talk on ARTEN at the Newport County Radio Club’s upcoming monthly meeting; this talk will be posted to YouTube shortly after. If you are curious to learn more or would like Paul to speak to your club, please reach out to him directly at Paul Fredette, K1YBE, k1ybe@yahoo.com.  

Curious to learn more about microwave experimenting at the Newport County (RI) Radio Club?
● Newport County Radio Club Experimental Microwave Group (August 31, 2022)
https://nediv.arrl.org/2022/08/31/newport-county-radio-club-experimental-microwave-gro up-meets/
● ARTEN – VNA Assembly (January 10, 2023) edited clip, You-Tube [5min] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ma2FKaBZ3k
● Ham Radio is a Gateway to Technology (February 17, 2023)
https://nediv.arrl.org/2023/02/17/ham-radio-is-a-gateway-to-technology/

Screenshot from upcoming ARTEN talk by K1YBE
Screenshot from an upcoming talk, ARTEN – New England Mesh Networking, by Paul Fredette K1YBE at the Amateur Radio on the Microwave Bands Conference near Hartford, April 15-16, 2023 

                                                                                                                                                                        

Western MA Train & Test Group Amateur Extra Class Begins March 28, 2023

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Amateur radio "action" photos for Western MA Train & Test GroupThe Western MA Train & Test Group invites you to a FREE on-line course so that you, too, can upgrade to the Amateur Extra class license.

The free on-line Zoom classes will start Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM.

QR code for Western MA Train & Test Amateur Extra CourseSign up at: https://forms.gle/6KT2PCGFnibQdDDF7

Questions? Contact Ray Lajoie via email at ray.aa1se@gmail.com.

Talk to the World with your Upgrade to Amateur Extra Class HF Operating Privileges

Ask Us How!

ARRL Division Cabinet Meeting, March 11, 2023 from 10 AM-12:30 PM

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If you are a club president or section cabinet member and failed to receive an email with Zoom information about this meeting, please contact Phil Temples, K9HI, at k9hi@arrl.org.

 

ARRL logoTo: All Section Managers, section cabinets, club presidents or designees:

Subject: 1st Cabinet Meeting for 2023

Please join us for the first of four scheduled New England Division Cabinet Meetings, on March 11, 2023 from 10:00 AM-12:30 PM.

  • ARRL Update:  Fred, AB1OC, and Phil, K9HI
    • VOTA Event Update
    • Field Day Rules Adjustments
    • Annual Board Meeting Highlights
    • ARRL Director and Vice Director Projects
    • Assistant Director Updates
    • Our Division Report/Goals for 2023
    • Club Programs—Grants, Membership Commissions
  • Break
  • Club Webinar Series—Mike Walters, W8ZY
  • Section Manager Updates (5 min. each)
  • Open Mic