New England Beacon, a newsletter for the New England Division, highlights updates from the Director, Vice Director, Assistant Directors in addition to showcasing various goings on within the seven ARRL sections. Enjoy this second edition.
Phil Temples
AC1LC Appointed New Hampshire Public Information Coordinator
Pete Stohrer, W1FEA, writes on the New Hampshire ARRL Members List:
I am pleased to announce that Raul “Skip” Camejo, AC1LC, has been appointed as Public Information Coordinator for the NH Section of the ARRL.
Skip’s background and experience in law enforcement with the State of Connecticut and Public Information Officer dealing with multiple media organizations will be of great value to the NH Section.
Skip will be available to assist the PIO’s in the amateur radio clubs and ARES groups throughout the Section with the overall goal to promote interest in Amateur Radio to the non-ham population within NH.
Skip’s contact information;
Email AC1LC@outlook.com
Phone (603) 707-9848
Please join me in welcoming Skip to the NH ARRL Field Organization.
FEMA, NTS Cooperation Lauded
[Charlie Rocheleau, W1CPR, is a FEMA Communications Specialist in the MAssachusetts Task Force 1 (MA-TF1.]
Thanks so much for the follow up with our [radiogram] traffic. The dedication and skill of the NTS members is without parallel. I believe it to be a national treasure that must be maintained and strengthened during these very uncertain world events. ALL of our traffic is sent HF using PACTOR and no infrastructure.
We appreciate your hard work.
During a lengthy meeting with Washington a few months ago, HQ asked us to investigate any and all methods of contacting team members during a catastrophic communications failure. MATF ran tests with NTS a few months ago. We put almost 250 radiograms through the system and they were extremely successful. We learned some lessons and everyone got great practice.
The Alerts I sent out today were real world alerts as the task force MA-TF1 (FEMA US&R) is on stand-by for a deployment to Kentucky. Steve Hanson, KB1TCE, runs a digital hub in Owls Head, Maine and has been my go-to person for injecting these messages quickly into the NTS system.
Best to you and your team, and thanks for passing the traffic!
-Charlie Rocheleau, W1CPR
Postscript:
Winlink messages received at KB1TCE for insertion into DTN are forwarded to KW1U MBO for distribution through the DTN network. Having received an alert from W1CPR that 40 Priority messages would be coming this way, I alerted key MA traffic handlers to be ready and these folks did a fantastic job of getting them out. KC1MSN took a total of 11 off the board for EM2MN, W1RVY took and delivered one and I delivered one to Maynard and distributed most of the rest via First Region Net to K1UAF, WX1T and KC1KVY who either delivered or distributed further. W1LEM also took Cape Cod traffic off the board. Kudos to all the folks who helped get all 40 out in one day.Marcia KW1U
K9HI: “HamXposition: It’s Not Your Father’s Boxboro” at Billerica (MA) ARS Meeting, August 3, 2022
From https://ema.arrl.org:
Now that you know what it isn’t, come to the next Billerica (MA) ARS meeting and hear what it is from HamXposition Program Chair Phil Temples, K9HI.
Phil will highlight some of the exciting talks and presentations lined up on the three-day program, as well as discussing some of the less-known activities that will occur at the Convention on August 26-28, 2022 at the Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center in Marlborough.
(By the way, it’s okay to forget and call it “Boxboro.” Phil does it occasionally, too!)
Phil Temples is ARRL Vice Director for the New England Division and a former Eastern MA Section Manager. A ham for over fifty years, he’s a Life Member of the ARRL and QCWA.
[For Zoom conference details, email Bruce Anderson, W1LUS, at w1lus -at- hotmail -dot- com.]
Media Hits From ARISS Contact at Challenger Learning Center of Maine
Rosalie White, K1STO, writes:
All, here are two nice media hits on the ARISS radio contact for Challenger Learning Centers–with these stories being specific to the Challenger Learning Center of Maine:
Kids in Bangor reach for the stars by speaking to astronaut – News Center Maine
Bob Hines called in using amateur radio, giving kids at Challenger Centers across the country the opportunity to ask questions.
https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/kids-in-bangor-making-a-connection-to-space-maine/97-422d53cf-3d8c-449d-b4b9-6f2d5121df59
Challenger Maine campers speak with NASA Astronaut aboard ISS – WABI
The Challenger Center and the Amateur Radio on the ISS hosted the live conversation.
https://www.wabi.tv/2022/07/28/challenger-maine-campers-speak-with-nasa-astronaut-aboard-iss/
SECARS-sponsored Fox Hunt, 4-H Fairgrounds, N. Stonington, CT, July 31, 2022
Mark Noe, KE1IU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list:
On Sunday, July 31, SECARS [the Southeastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Society] will be holding a fox hunt at the North Stonington Fairgrounds located at 23 Wyassup Road, North Stonington, CT 06359.
This event is being held in conjunction with the New London County 4-H Fair. Some of the foxes will be within the fair event itself, while others will be around the perimeter. The fair charges $3 admission.
SECARS will have an HF amateur radio station setup near the fair office and flagpole at a member’s travel trailer. At the trailer, you will find a list of all the boxes and associated frequencies that are deployed around the fair.
If you join us, please recognize this is intentionally being held at a public, youth focused event. As such, please expect to get asked some questions and provide outreach to generate interest in amateur radio. Our fox boxes will be out between 10 AM and 1 PM.
RRI “Basic Radiotelephone Net Procedures” Class, July 28, 2022
Charlie Rocheleau, W1CPR, writes:
On Thursday, July 28 at 8:00 PM EDT, Radio Relay International will be conducting class TR-008 entitled “Basic Radiotelephone Net Procedures.”
This class covers basic voice procedures that are applicable to both traffic nets and tactical nets. The class runs about 2 hours and is interactive in nature. One will also learn about training tools that can be implemented on local ARES/EmComm nets to improve their training value and better prepare rank-and-file volunteers for an important supportive role in emergency response.
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Antenna and Tower Work at Providence Radio Association, W1OP, July 25, 2022
Vic Farmer, NE1Y, writes on the Providence Radio Association Facebook page on July 25 2022:
Between trees growing into the tower guy wires and vines tangling the guys … there was a lot of cleaning up to do at W1OP.
The main attraction this morning at W1OP was to clear out the tree that broke one tip of the longest element on the Log Periodic Dipole Array. All the surrounding land was pretty well cleared when the clubhouse was built in the 1950s, but now it is a forest and jungle with vines. The workers were very careful to make sure the tree did not fall on the clubhouse. Fortunately, [David “Tess” Tessitore,] K1DT, found the broken tip and it will be reattached.
Newport County Radio Club Parks On The Air Event, July 30, 2022
Newport County Radio Club (RI) Parks on the Air (POTA) Activity
When: Saturday July 30, 2022 at 0930 EDST
Where: Ft. Adams State Park: POTA K-2874
Who: All club members and license classes welcome
All members are welcome however those with a General license are especially encouraged to attend.
Optional: bring your own HF radio, microphone and the radio’s manual. We’ll try to use it to get on the air. POTA experienced members will provide help you might need to further your understanding of your own radio. In addition, batteries, antennas, turners, other HF radios, etc. will be provided.
Club members can participate in this POTA activity in two ways:
1. Operate on the air as an “activator” at the park using call sign W1SYE.
2. Operate from home and contact W1SYE as a “hunter” on the day of the event. Activators are listed on the following POTA web site: https://pota.app/#/
Call the W1SYE activators!
Club members are encouraged to come out to our activation to share knowledge or learn about portable setups and operations, different modes of operation (CW, phone, digital), how to manage/work pileups, and even operate HF bands with a control operator in a relaxed environment.
Ft. Adams is in Newport. We will setup on the bluff behind the Eisenhower House. Turn left as soon as you enter the park.
Northeast HamXposition Update, July 20, 2022
Two items of note, per HamXposition General Chairman Bob DeMattia, K1IW:
The hotel discount deadline has been extended to August 5, 2022.
Also, the preliminary forum schedule is now on the website. You can download a PDF copy at <https://hamxposition.org/HamXposition-Schedule.22.07.20.pdf>.
Finally, don’t forget to enroll in the KØNEB kit-building workshop on Friday afternoon.