New England Wireless & Steam Museum “Yankee Tune Up,” E. Greenwich RI, July 22, 2023

Massie Wireless Station “PJ”
Massie Wireless Station “PJ”

Skip Youngberg, K1NKR, writes on the Algonquin (MA) ARA mailing list:

The New England Wireless and Steam Museum in East Greenwich, Rhode Island is having a Yankee Tune-Up on July 22, 2023. Come trade and sell your antique radios, vintage electronics and ham gear.

The entire museum will be open as well for your viewing pleasure. 

 

Maine State Convention and Hamfest

From the Maine Telegraph, March 2023:

It is that time of year again… the Maine State Hamfest and Convention [in Lewiston] Friday, March 24th and Saturday March 25th. Talks on Friday night will be 7:00 and 8:00 PM. Vendor sales and talks will be from 8:00 AM until Noon on Saturday.

Admission for the Hamfest is $10.00 per person.

The Grand Prize will be a $200.00 gift certificate from Ham Radio Outlet.

There will be an additional $200.00 cash prize being offered for people wishing to participate in offering their contact information for Hamfest and Androscoggin Club communication. There are several talks already planned, with more to be featured. The talk schedule will be updated as speakers are confirmed.

Please go to http://www.w1npp.org/convention to keep apprised on any hamfest updates.

There will be a VE Test Session at 12:30 in the Classroom.

Lobstercon2023, Brunswick Maine, Date Change

Rex Harper, W1REX, writes:

My fellow Lobstercon campers,

I got a call from Mike Mulligan the other night and he tells me that due to a screw up, the Jam Festival festival also changed their dates to the same weekend that I scheduled Lobstercon2023! I set the date last fall and notified him but apparently that notice didn’t get written onto the calendar so now we have a problem. The Jam Festival needs the entire park and our lovely corner for their festivities…. Their numbers are much larger than ours so we really can’t take them on in a fight! Looks like it is up to me to change the Lobstercon date so that everyone is happy…especially Carl! So it looks like Lobstercon2023! will NOW be held on July 7, 8 and 9. I am sorry for the confusion. I elected to go to the alternate weekend so that early campers and long distance travelers wouldn’t have to put up with July 4th vacationers either in the park or on the road.

Mike says I can blame him, but really, it’s those music jam people taking over OUR campground on OUR weekend that I fault. I hope this change is early enough that it doesn’t cause anyone any vacation hardship….

Rex  W1REX

New England Hamfest / Flea Market Season Begins

flea marketSpring is not far away and with it, the start of a new hamfest and flea market season in New England.

Here are upcoming ARRL sanctioned hamfests and flea markets in the New England Division for the first quarter of 2023:

 

Lots of Activities Planned at HAM-CON, February 25, 2023

HAM-CON, the ARRL Vermont Convention will be Saturday, February 25th, 8AM-1:30 PM at the Hampton Inn Convention Center, off of I-89 Exit 16 in Colchester.

We would love to get everyone back to meeting LIVE at the convention again. If you are within 2-3 hours of travel, please do consider joining us live. This would include everyone in Vermont, Northern New York and much of New Hampshire. If you cannot travel for some reason, please do consider JOINING US ONLINE! Simply buy an advanced sale ticket (only $6) which will allow you join in and take part in all our forums and even view the forums afterwards. Information and tickets can be found at ham-con.org

Our theme for HAM-CON 2023 is “Getting On The Air” There are many facets to amateur radio, but the most popular and endearing activity is getting on the air and contacting other hams. Our lineup of forums and activities will emphasize just that.

If you are going to get on the air, you might as well be great at your craft! “Be The Best Operator You Can Be” with W1SJ will detail all the fine points of making all those QSO’s. And, you don’t have to sit at home in your basement to get on the air. “Get Out and Operate” with K1BIF will show how we make contacts from parks, summits, farms and even boats! And if that is not enough for you, “Operate From Anywhere Remotely” with W1VE will detail how you can access a ham shack anywhere on the planet from the comforts of home. There is nothing like working the world while driving on a long trip. “Operating an HF Mobile Station” with AB1OC will cover how to setup, build and operate an HF mobile station capable of working anyone. Experienced operators will tell you that there is a rhythm to making many contacts, much like a dance. K8ZT will describe this for us in “The Rhythm of the QSO.” Some hams take their operating very seriously as they compete in contests. We’ll explore the World Radio Team Championship, the Olympics of ham radio in “The WRTC Competitive Experience” with N9RV. We’ll also have the 2023 running of the ARRL Forum and find out the latest from our national organization. And finally, how well do you know your ham radio trivia? Join us for the Millionaire Game Show where we will ask such questions and you may just win a cool (fake) million dollars!

Add to the above the flea market, Tech table, DMR table, W1V special event station, demonstrations and VE session and we have one heck of show. Be sure to buy your ticket early and be there! Again, look us up at ham-con.org for all the details on HAM-CON 2023, February 25th. 

Connecticut Valley FM Association Swapfest Canceled, February 4, 2023

CVFMA logoOn February 2, 2023 at 18:10:24, Bruce Beford N1RX wrote:

Good evening, all.

I have spoken with a majority of the CVFMA board members this evening about the dangerous weather conditions that are approaching. In light of this and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to CANCEL this Saturday’s swapfest that was scheduled to be held in Charlestown, NH.

The last thing any of us want is to endanger the health or safety of our members and the attending public. I apologize for this late notice, but we feel under the circumstances it is the right thing to do.

Expect other emails to be sent to those that registered as vendors, and PLEASE help us get the word out through any channels you may have. We do not want people to be travelling in dangerous conditions to an event that is not taking place.

We will revisit the possibility of rescheduling at a later date.

Thanks All.

Bruce Beford, N1RX
CVFMA Presiden

 

Algonquin ARC Flea Market, Marlborough MA, February 18, 2023

AARC logoFrom ema.arrl.org:

The Algonquin Amateur Radio Club will hold its Marlborough Flea Market on February 18, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the 1Lt Charles W. Whitcomb School, 25 Union St., Marlborough, MA. Talk-in is on N1EM/R 446.675 – (PL 88.5). Any COVID-related updates will be carried on the AARC website at http://n1em.org.

A VE session will be held beginning at 9:00 AM. General admission is $5. Vendor tables are $15 before February 10, 2023, or $20 at the door if space is available. Each table includes one admission.

For more information, email fleamarket@n1em.org or visit https://www.qsl.net/n1em/AARC_Flea_Market_Flyer_2023.pdf.

ARRL Vermont State Convention “HAM-CON,” February 25, 2023

Ham-Con logoThe ARRL Vermont State Convention, known at HAM-CON is Saturday, February 25, 2023 at the Hampton Inn Convention Center in Colchester, Vermont. 

HAM-CON will feature eight forums running all morning between 9 AM-1 PM. Details are in the Forums section.

The Vendor Room will run from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM. Vendors must arrive no later than 7:30 AM to avoid crowds during setup. There are scores of tables chock filled with goodies. The offerings range from new to boat anchors and we can never know what jewels will show up.

Please go to our Web Site, http://www.ham-con.org for other prices, travel details and program information.

For information, phone: (802)879-6589, afternoons and evenings, before hamfest day. Or, via email w1sj@arrl.net. Talk-in on the WB1GQR repeater on 145.15 MHz (-600). This repeater is monitored all the time.

NEAR-Fest XXXIII Date Change: April 28-29, 2023

NEAR-Fest logoMike Crestohl, W1RC, writes:

NEAR-FestXXXIII will be held on April 28th and 29th 2023 and not on its traditional date which always has been the first weekend in May every year since 2007.  NEAR-Fest XXXIV scheduled for October 13th and 14th 2023 is NOT affected.

Last month the Deerfield Fair Association informed me that they booked two events, the NH Farm, Forest and Garden Show and the NH Arabian Horse Ass’n Show at the Fairgrounds for May 5th and 6th 2023 which is the weekend before Mothers Day.  We were told we were welcome to hold the NEAR-Fest at the same time with the two other shows but there would be a “few small changes” to the parts of the Fairgrounds that we would be allowed to use.
 
Ben, KB1NZN, and I attended a meeting on Thursday December 15th with the DFA Directors and officers and were told that we would have to move what we consider the central part of the flea market to a remote area of the grounds to accommodate the horse show.  Two of our food vendors, Patty and Angelino’s, would also be affected. 
 
[…]
 
Regretfully I decided the best course of action is to take a chance on the weather one week earlier and change the date.  My team agrees with me.  It’s the best way to deal with it.  We have full use of the grounds with no stinking and noisy horses and outsiders to bother us.  I resisted it at first but changed my mind after discussing it with my colleagues who run the fester with me.  
 
Is this a one-time thing or is it permanent?  Depends on if the horse show comes back next spring.  We could co-exist with the Farm Show but it is the horse show that causes us the problems because we use part of the grounds adjacent to the Horse Show ring and bleachers.
 
I still don’t like it but I know it is the right decision.  We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause anyone.
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my friends.