Phil Temples

Three-Way Races for Director Set in New England and Roanoke Divisions

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ARRL logovia ARRL Web:

08/26/2021 – ARRL members in the New England and Roanoke Divisions will choose among three candidates running for Director in each Division. The candidates include two incumbents. Those are the only contested races in this year’s election cycle for Director and Vice Director.

In the New England Division, the candidates for Director are the incumbent, Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, of Lincoln, Massachusetts; past New England Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, of West Suffield, Connecticut, and Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, of Hollis, New Hampshire.

New England Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, of Watertown, Massachusetts, was uncontested and has been declared elected.

In the Roanoke Division, the candidates for Director are the incumbent, George “Bud” Hippisley, W2RU, of Penhook, Virginia, and challengers James Boehner, N2ZZ, of Aiken, South Carolina, and Marvin Hoffman, WA4NC, of Boone, North Carolina.

No one challenged Roanoke Division Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, of Wilmington, North Carolina, and he has been declared elected for a new term. 

Incumbent Directors and Vice Directors in the ARRL Central, Hudson, and Northwestern Divisions also had no challengers and have been declared elected. In the Central Division, Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Vice Director Brent Walls, N9BA, of Greenfield, Indiana, will continue in their respective posts.

In the Hudson Division, Director Ria Jairam, N2RJ, of Sussex, New Jersey, and Vice Director Bill Hudzik, W2UDT, of Gillette, New Jersey, are unchallenged in this election cycle and have been declared elected. In the Northwestern Division, Director Mike Ritz, W7VO, of Scappoose, Oregon, and Vice Director Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, of Yakima, Washington, also faced no challengers in their re-election bids.

Full ARRL members of the New England and Roanoke Divisions who are in good standing as of September 10, 2021, will receive a ballot in the mail no later than October 1, 2021. Completed ballots must be received at the designated PO Box in the envelope provided by noon Eastern Time Friday, November 19, 2021.

Newport County (RI) Radio Club Members Participate in Portsmouth EMA Disaster Assessment Exercise, August 25, 2021

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From the Newport County Radio Club Facebook page:
 
Last night Norfolk County (RI) Radio Club members participated in a RIARES-managed communications and disaster assessment exercise with the Portsmouth EMA, and the Common Fence Point Community Association in conjunction with the Portsmouth EMA Communications Team.
 
Key players included: Paul W1PJS, Teri W1PUP, John N1ZO, Scott WX1X, Jeremy K1JST, Charles W1CRB, Adam KC1KCC, Mike K1NPT, Bob WB4SON, Brian N1TBT, Rob KB1ZZU, & Ted W1GRI for filling out the roster for the exercise. Paul K1YBE helped with pre-event planning.
 
Photos are available in the share album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/S8WSuQ78ekx86vvw5.

American Red Cross Thanks Amateur Radio’s TS Henri Efforts

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ARES logoMike Walters, W8ZY, writes on the ct-ares mailing list:

FYI, [here is] a nice “thank you” from the American Red Cross:

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Gentlemen,

It looks like we had minimal residential damage from TS Henri.

Red Cross is in the process of closing shelters as the flood watches and warnings are expiring. 

With that, Red Cross is Standing Down the AREA activation request.

If you are aware of any storm related damage, please let me know.  Please ask the hams that check into this evening’s nets and on the alert groups.

I thank the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and SKYWARN for the hams’ support of the American Red Cross Disaster Response to Tropical Storm Henri. Amateur radio’s support of the humanitarian response to help our neighbors is greatly appreciated.

Please pass on Red Cross thanks to the hams that are on the nets and you Alert groups.

Stay Well!

Rosty

Rosty Slabicky | Disaster Services Technology Regional Program Lead | Disaster Cycle Services

American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region | 203.788.6451 | rosty.slabicky@redcross.org

 

QSL Card Checking and Outgoing Bureau Services Available at HamXposition

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photo of QSL cardsThere will be card checking for ARRL awards and outgoing bureau service available at the New England Division Convention at HamXposition on September 11, according to W1 QSL Bureau Co-Manager Eric Williams, KV1J. Initially, plans called for the booth to be set up next to the ARRL display but instead it will be located in the corridor.

“We will also be accepting cards for the ARRL Outgoing Bureau at the booth. Please see the instructions on the ARRL web for sending your cards and the fee structures  There is also a simple form to submit with your cards.  See
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QSL/Submission%20Form%202017-02-24.pdf .

Eric stresses that applicants must fill out the application process online before the show. “We are just collecting the cards for the ARRL so please give them to us with the funds etc. as if you were mailing them to Newington,” writes KV1J.

Middlesex ARS (CT) Special Event W1E, Epilepsy Foundation’s Mud Volleyball Competition, August 21, 2021

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Middlesex ARS Mud Volley special event station W1E
Tage, K1ESI, working 20 meters CW, Don Gouin, K1CMM, and Matt Ferro, KC1CMT, discussing the band conditions. 

Members from the Middlesex Amateur Radio Society of Portland, Connecticut, operated special event station W1E on August 21, 2021 to raise awareness of the Epilepsy Foundation at its Mud Volleyball competition at Zoar Pond in Middletown, Connecticut. 

To receive a special event QSL card, please send a SASE to the address listed on the W1E QRZ page.

[RI-ARES] RI ARES Form 205 for Henri, Storm 8/22/2021

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RI SEC Paul Silverzweig, W1PJS, writes to RI ARES Members:

Attached please find the form 205 for the Hurricane Henri situation.

It includes the repeaters on VHF and the HF frequencies, plus the simplex frequency 147.420 which we use for our simplex nets.

All communications will take place on the NB1RI repeaters as long as they are functional. Then we go to Simplex VHF. If the link goes down, we can use
the repeaters as standalone, and the 147.42 frequency as needed. HF is included, should it be needed.

Please prepare for the storm, first by taking care of yourselves and your families. Next, be sure any auxiliary power you have is charged and ready.

Someone will be actively monitoring the repeater network and the simplex frequency throughout the storm.

Note that the Cumberland machine, 145.170 remains delinked, but can be re-linked if need be.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask.

Please also review the Preparedness and Training Guide, also attached, for an idea of how to find some useful information if you may need it.

Paul Silverzweig, W1PJS
RI Section Emergency Coordinator
RI Association of Emergency Managers
     Chair, Radio Communications Committee
All Hazards FEMA RIEMA ComL
AUXCOMM
Air Force MARS
NESMC RI Director
Portsmouth EMA Communications Leader
646-522-2262, HH 4224

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73,

Paul, W1PJS
RI Section Emergency Coordinator

 

Ham Operators Needed for CT Regional Shelters for Henri Event

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Tim Rodgers, KC1TWR, writes on the Radio Amateur Society of Norwich mailing list on August 20, 2021 at 8:57 PM:

To ARES members and local amateur radio operators,

Tropical Storm Henri, soon to be a hurricane, is coming and local communities have decided to open some of the Regional Shelters in preparation for the storm. The shelters decided upon for now will open at 1800 on Saturday. The logic there is that with the predicted heavy rainfall and flooding the shelters will be ready if neighborhoods, trailer parks, RV Parks, etc get flooded out and have to evacuate. Better to have a shelter open than to try and open one in the height of the storm.
 
As such we are looking for amateur radio operators for the Regional Shelters which do open. Preferably at least two per shelter so one operator can be relieved to get some sleep Sunday night while the storm is still going on. You can bring your own 2 meter radio or just come to the shelter.  A 2 meter radio, power supply, antenna, and tripod have been pre-positioned in each shelter along with instructions, and the Emergency Communications Frequency Chart. The assigned amateur radio operators will need to set up the equipment.  (Not a big deal)
 
Currently Red Cross and city officials will be opening the following shelters. East Lyme, Groton, Stonington, and Killingworth.
 
If you can volunteer to work at one of the shelters please contact Tom Scott WA2RYV tscottwa2ryv@gmail.com or myself at TimKC1TWR@gmail.com. As time proceeds and the storm predictions are better defined the timing for setting up radio stations may slide to Sunday morning. These decisions will be made by early afternoon Saturday. 
 
Here is the Henri cone of probability and timing as of 8 PM Friday.
 
Hurricane Henri cone of probability
 
 

Hurricane Watch Net has Eyes on Hurricane Grace and Tropical Storm Henri

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Screen shot of Hurricane Henri approach toward New EnglandVia ARRL website:

08/20/2021 – The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) is mustering as Hurricane Grace, a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 MPH, is expected to make landfall between Túxpam and Veracruz, Mexico. The storm swept over the Yucatan Peninsula yesterday.

“We plan to activate this afternoon at 2100 UTC on 14.325 MHz and continue on this frequency until we lose propagation,” HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, said. “We will start up on 7.268 MHz at 2300 UTC and continue for as long as we have propagation.”

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Grace has maximum sustained winds of nearly 90 MPH with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast until the storm makes landfall.

Graves said that once attention shifts away from Grace it will zero in on Tropical Storm Henri, which is expected to make landfall in New England on Sunday. As of Friday at 1800 UTC, Henri was “almost a hurricane,” according to the NHC.

“We will activate Sunday morning at 1200 UTC on 14.325 MHz and remain active there as long as propagation allows,” Graves announced. “We will start up on 7.268 MHz at 2300 UTC and remain active there until we lose propagation. If required, we will resume operations on Monday beginning at 1200 UTC on 14.325 MHz.”

Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) Rob Macedo, KD1CY, has announced that Eastern Massachusetts ARES will be placed on stand-by later today (Friday). Macedo noted in mid-afternoon that WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center already was on the air to gather weather data via amateur radio.

The Boston/Norton National Weather Service office will be the primary agency during Henri for any SKYWARN-related activity. “VoIP Hurricane Net and New England SKYWARN regional operations will be combined to form one large network as done in past major tropical systems such as Irene and Sandy,” Macedo said. [Echolink *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and *NEW-ENG3* Echolink conference.] “Information from ARES-SKYWARN will be shared with other agencies including state and federal emergency management, Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and media outlets,” Macedo added. “We will coordinate with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).”

At 1800 UTC, Henri was 320 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and 720 miles south of Montauk Point, New York. Henri is heading north-northwest at 6 MPH, bearing winds of 70 MPH. Storm surge and hurricane watches are in effect for portions of the northeastern US. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the south shore of Long Island, from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk, the north shore of Long Island, from Port Jefferson Harbor to Montauk, New Haven, Connecticut, to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, and Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Block Island.

“A turn toward the north is expected by tonight, and Henri is forecast to accelerate in that direction through early Sunday,” the NHC said. On the forecast track, Henri is expected to make landfall in southern New England by late Sunday.”

Additional strengthening is forecast into the weekend, and the NHC expects Henri to be a hurricane by Saturday and be at or near hurricane strength when it makes landfall in southern New England.

Prepare for Henri

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SKYWARN logoEastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator and SKYWARN Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on Facebook on August 20, 2021:

If you live in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, now is the time to prepare for Henri and expected far reaching impacts. Along and east of the track – damaging winds, possibility for severe weather and coastal storm surge flooding. And yes, even though the official track is over near the eastern tip of Long Island NY to the CT/RI border, a hurricane is not a point and we will be on the stronger east side of the system.

Remember Irene, Sandy and even Isaias last year. There will be impacts in the region. On what degree or scale, still subject for change but we should be prepared. If it ends up being less than full significant potential, we will be ready for the next big potential weather event. Also, with the current weather pattern in place, I would not be surprised if we are doing this again for another tropical system between now and mid-October so take the time to prepare.

For my friends that are SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators, were counting on you to deliver again with the reports, pictures, videos etc. per the SKYWARN reporting criteria and gives the ground truth of what’s really happening with Henri in our region.

Stay safe, get prepared and hope to talk to many of you during Henri Ops. I’ll try and update again as we get closer to operations time.

[Monitor the latest bulletins about Henri and other severe weather in Southern New England by visiting http://wx1box.org/.]