Rhode Island’s W1AW/1 VOTA (Volunteers On The Air) is now active the week of July 26-August 1 (UTC).
Twelve amateurs will be QRV on all bands on multiple modes operating as W1AW/1. Per VOTA rules, each contact will be worth 5 points. The team operators who have field or other volunteer positions may also make an additional contact using their own call signs alongside W1AW/1 for additional points. For example, Rhode Island Section Manager KC1NEK, an authorized W1AW/1 operator, is worth 175 points. (See <https://www.arrl.org/files/file/VOTA%20-%20Volunteers%20On%20The%20Air/VOTA_2023_Points_v5_3.pdf> for the points table.)
All the points are calculated via Logbook Of The World (LOTW) submissions. There are no paper logs and no physical QSL cards; it’s all done via LOTW.
Watch for the spots being posted for W1AW/1 . We hope that you contact W1AW/1 Rhode Island on the air!
Ken Caruso, WO1N, writes on the Yankee Clipper Contest Club mailing list:
Check out the July/August issue of [National Contest Journal]. In there you will find an article written by John, NN1SS, on how to keep Murphy out of your contest operations and an NCJ Profile on John, K1ESE, written by John himself.
After tallying the votes, the Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club will activate Range Pond State Park (K-2405) on Saturday August 5, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The park opens at 9:00 AM which will give us an hour to set up. This will give us enough time to advertise the POTA event and post it on the Scheduler. We will be using W1NPP for the POTA Callsign.
Park fees are as follows:
Adult Maine Resident: $6.00
Adult Non-Resident: $8.00
Maine Senior Citizen: FREE (Must show proof of age at the gate)
Senior Non-Resident: $2.00
Children Ages 5-11: $1.00
Children under 5: FREE
We will do a simple cookout. Bring the whole family and friends for a fun day at the beach.
Additional information about Range Pond State Park:
Location: 26 State Park Road (off the Empire Rd. in Poland). Lat 44.038031 / Lon -70.342181
Park Hours: Open all year; 9:00 a.m. to sunset daily unless otherwise posted at the gate. Visitors may continue to enjoy the park during the off season by parking outside the gate, – without blocking it – on the days it is closed, and walking in during these same hours. Please be aware that facilities are closed during the off season.
Fee collected year-round at entry booth by staff or self-service station.
Located along the northeast shore of beautiful Lower Range Pond, the park amenities include a sand beach swim area, picnic facilities, a ball field, and a group shelter with adjoining resource room available by reservation.
The annual Thirteen Colonies event is fast approaching. From July 1st to July 5th, the airwaves will once again buzz with activity from the founding 13 states of the US. Representing New Hampshire, K2K invites all operators, whether seasoned champions or enthusiastic novices, to participate in this lively event.
This year heralds a change in management, and we’re eager to introduce new methods for coordinating multi-station activity. Our goal? To ensure K2K once again stands as the leading contender. If you can dedicate a few hours or even a few days to operate as K2K on any band from 160 up to UHF/SHF, we’d be thrilled to have you. Whether you’re comfortable using CW, Phone, or any digital mode, or if you prefer to employ regular propagation, satellites, Moon bounce, or something more unconventional, your contribution will be appreciated.
The K2K Steering Committee cordially invites prospective operators to a meeting on Saturday, June 17th, in Merrimack. Further details can be found at https://hamlog.online/cookout17.php. If you wish to attend, please RSVP to k2k@hamlog.online before June 15th to assist us in our preparations. The meeting will cover strategic planning, software tools, and, of course, the opportunity to connect with fellow enthusiasts.
Even if you’re unable to operate as K2K, your interest in our new cloud-based ham radio logger and collaboration tool would be most welcome. We’d be delighted to have you join us.
For those who are keen to operate K2K but are unable to attend the meeting in Merrimack on June 17th, additional training via Zoom will be provided. To be included in these meetings, please reach out to k2k@hamlog.online.
73,
Eugene W1UAA (K2K 2023 Trustee and QSL Manager)
Anna W1AAU (K2K Website Designer and CW Team Leader)
Gene W3UA (Chief Troublemaker)
Eric Pfeifer N1JUR, writes on May 20, 2023 at 8:24 AM:
Looking at the forecast the rain is to start around 2:30/3pm. So I’ve decided that we’re going to move up the time an hour (12 to 4pm) to get the event in before the rain comes.
Bear Brook has a covered pavilion so you can setup there if you want. Otherwise feel free to bring an easy up.
Also if you want to come earlier I will be there around 11:30am.
Hope to see you all there.
Eric Pfeifer, N1JUR, writes:
We are gathering on May 20th from 1 to 4 pm at Bear Brook State Park Pavilion (399 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, NH).
This is a great way to learn more about Parks on the Air (POTA), or maybe you’re a Technician and want to get on the air (we’ll be operating our club call N1QC).
We will have at least two stations set up, so if you prefer to come and operate, you are more than welcome. But bring your gear to share what you’ve been working on.
Please free free to spread the word, and you can download our flyer here.
On May 1st, ARRL began a survey for members to provide feedback on some changes it’s considering to ARRL dues and membership. The ARRL survey will remain open until May 31st. It is very important that you take a few moments and share with the League your opinions how changes could be made to ensure the long-term viability of ARRL. Raising dues is not something any organization enjoys doing, but this will mark only the second time in 22 years that ARRL is considering it.
Your input is very important to the League. The decisions ARRL leadership is considering should be influenced by all members. If you have already taken the survey, thank you! If you haven’t yet, please do so soon.
The results from the survey will be tabulated and shared with members on the ARRL website in June. Responses will ultimately help guide the future of ARRL. The survey is only available to ARRL members. Why? Because you have a stake in the outcome!
Please make sure you log into www.arrl.org to participate.
Thank you for being an active member, and for your ongoing support of amateur radio and ARRL.
Providence Radio Association’s historic Collins antenna used during the recent MARS Armed Forces Day Crossband Test, with PRA Club President Dave Tessitore, K1DT, and Vice President John Good, W1GS
Contributed by Nancy Austin KC1NEK, NCRC and Dave Tessitore, K1DT, PRA
Rhode Island is a small state with a rich history. The Providence Radio Association invests in RI’s radio legacy by maintaining a historic Collins 237B-1 rotatable 13 element log periodic antenna originally installed as part of NAVCOMMSTA Newport’s impressive transmit antenna farm on Beavertail Point, Jamestown RI from c.1964-1975. On Saturday 13 May 2023, the Providence Radio Association again participated in the MARS Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test using their historic antenna and the equally historic call sign, NAF.
NAF began operation from the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, RI c. 1900, and was among the first US Naval Radio shore stations. Eventually, several naval radio stations were consolidated as NAVCOMMSTA Newport. NAF transmitted from c.1900 until 1975 at various coastal Narragansett Bay locations, including NAVRADSTA (T) Beavertail Point (Jamestown).
The Providence Radio Association shares the next chapter in this rich Rhode Island radio history: “The drastic curtailment of naval operations on Narragansett Bay in 1975 closed all naval activities at Sachuest Point and Beavertail Point. In 1975 the Navy allowed the Providence Radio Association to hold its annual Field Day exercises at the Beavertail Station. Following the decommissioning of the facility and turn over to land of the State, in 1983 the PRA acquired one of the Collins 237B-1 rotatable log periodic antennas used by NAF and erected it at our club facility in Johnston, RI. It has been utilized since then under the Amateur call sign W1OP. Once a year, we either operate from the original NAVRADSTA (T) location at Beavertail Pt, or we use this antenna from our clubhouse in Johnston to participate in the Armed Forces Day Crossband Test, using its original naval call sign NAF.”
Providence Radio Association club president “Tess,” K1DT
For this year’s AFD Crossband Test, the Providence Radio Association again got permission to operate as NAF and transmit on their restored original Collins antenna. The W1OP clubhouse on Neutaconkanut Hill (on the Providence/Johnston border) opened its impressive radio station to members and Amateur Radio guests, including: Dom, N1DM; David, W3DRE; Doug, K3DRE; Andy, AJ1S; John, W1GS; Dave, K1DT; Teri, W1PUP; Jeremy, K1JST; Adam, KC1KCC; and Nancy, KC1NEK. Hundreds of phone QSOs were logged on mostly 20m and 40m.
As the ARRL notes: “The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario. Military stations will transmit on selected frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All of the times are Zulu (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted.”
For more on the history of call sign NAF and their restored Collins antenna, reach out to Providence Radio Association club president Dave Tessitore “Tess”, K1DT, at k1dt@verizon.net.
Radio communication has a long history in Rhode Island. By 1900, Newport’s naval officers were given instruction in wireless technology. Newport’s Torpedo Station was one of the first of a network of U.S. Navy shore radio stations, along with an adjacent site at the Naval Training Center used to train radio operators for the Navy. From c.1964 until 1975, Sachuest Point on Aquidneck Island and Beavertail on Jamestown served as key receive and transmit stations. Today, Amateur Radio offers an experiential learning gateway to 21st century workforce development opportunities in electronics and wireless radio communication, both analog and digital. This highly relevant mission is at the heart of many ARRL-affiliated RI radio clubs.
Armed Forces Day Crossband Test: May 13, 2023 1400Z – 2300Z (10 am-7 pm)
[The Providence Radio Association] will operate this annual Amateur Radio/Department of Defense joint exercise from the PRA clubhouse (and possibly Ft. Burnside) using the military callsign NAF – NEWPORT NAVAL RADIO STATION MUSEUM NEWPORT, RI.
Thanks to W3LPL for securing permission from the DoD for us to use the original callsign NAF – NAVRADSTA(T) Newport for this cooperative military event and tribute to our US Armed Forces.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test on May 13, 2023. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators and will not impact any public or private communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event.
The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario.
Military stations will transmit on selected frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All of the times are Zulu (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. The frequencies used for the test will not stray outside the confines of the exercise.
A complete list of frequencies, time periods, QSL cards, and other information can be found at DoD MARS – Armed Forces Day.
AFD is a time of honor. It will be celebrated on Saturday, May 20, 2023. The first AFD was celebrated with parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. Today, many events and activities take place and may include multi-service military displays in areas open to the public, various educational activities that teach children about the armed forces, and large parades with local celebrations.
The longest running AFD parade in the United States is held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Certain types of music will be played at AFD 2023 events to show respect to those in the armed forces who died for their country.
Rhode Island’s W1AW/1 VOTA (Volunteers On The Air) is now active the week of July 26-August 1 (UTC).
Ken Caruso, WO1N, writes on the Yankee Clipper Contest Club mailing list:
Cory Golob, KU1U, writes in the AARC-W1NPP list:
Dave “Tess” Tessitore, K1DT, writes: