Operating

New Hampshire Gears Up For Volunteers On The Air, W1AW/1 Special Event Operation

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As announced in the January 2023 issue of QST, ARRL is celebrating a year-long operating event honoring all ARRL volunteers: Volunteers On the Air.

A Special Event station in NH (W1AW/1 Portable) will run the weeks of April 26th and Sept 20th. Our team is looking for operators who can activate a W1AW Station.

You can operate from your home station or a portable location, e.g., beach, park, or public area. You can use digital, voice, or CW modes on several bands (with certain exceptions, see VOTA Homepage for
more details). We aim to work as many stations as possible anywhere in the world.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Eric Pfeifer (N1JUR) at n1jur.nh@gmail.com or Peter Stohrer (W1FEA) at pstohrer1@gmail.com for more information, or if you would like to sign up as an op, you can use our form <https://forms.gle/jnNHmyS9G11YWMsr9>. We’ll then add you to our mailing list.

Thanks,

Eric Pfeifer
N1JUR
n1jur.nh@gmail.com

Connecticut Volunteers On The Air, W1AW/1 Sign Up

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The week of May 10-16 and Sept 27-Oct 3, W1AW/1 comes to its home state, Connecticut!  Our team is looking for additional operators who can spend as much or as little time representing W1AW and the VOTA effort.  The operation is a DXpedition-like one where you will be working as many as possible.  The operation will take place from your station or a station in Connecticut, not W1AW itself.

Operating will be on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, 2, and satellite.  Modes include CW, Phone, or Digital.  Repeater contacts are not allowed as are WARC Band contacts.  Our goal is to work as many stations as possible anywhere in the world.

We have an email group to exchange information (only open to members) and we will use Slack for quick messaging.

If you would like to join our team, please fill out the form found here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdrhdSMn2MiIv22DDAXwLassLkdzkArVpJ8qmR8GdTPRUhSVA/viewform

If you have any questions, please contact Pete Chamalian at W1RM@Comcast.net.

Pete Chamalian, W1RM

W1RM@Comcast.net

January 2023 RI Activity Report

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RI iconGreetings ARRL members and friends,

Please accept my sincere wishes for a healthy, happy and DX filled New Year. Hopefully, we shall avoid the latest medical issue, called the tripledemic. From what my doctor tells me, it’s very serious and makes those afflicted quite miserable. So, please remain extra vigilant and practice good health hygiene. We all want to avoid this one.

Band conditions are improving just as we were told they would. Earlier this week, the SFI hit 212 and 245. That’s the first time it has gone above 200 in years. We should see some very good band conditions now on 20 through 6 meters. Together with longer daylight periods every day, long distance openings may last well into evening hours and eventually 24 hours, even on 10 meters. Enjoy the DXing. We’ve all waited for these band conditions, so get on the air and enjoy.

For stateside operating, the Volunteers on The Air or VOTA program is off and running. It started on New Year’s Day and ends twelve months from now on New Year’s Eve, 2023. I’ve worked several stations so far who were calling CQ VOTA. Each of them earn 175 points per band for contacting a Section Manager. Full details of the VOTA program may be reviewed at https://vota.arrl.org/ . VOTA encourages stations to get on the air and make contacts. I hope you see fit to do so. I’d love to work you on any band or mode.

A long time friend, Fred Laun, K3ZO became a Silent Key on January 3rd. Fred was the driving force that facilitated getting Viet Nam back on the air in 1971. The XV5AC call was put into several thousand logs after folks from around the world contacted that station at the Saigon US Embassy. At the time, the country had not been legally active for many years. I served as their QSL Manager. After filling out over 25,000 QSL cards, the station was shut down in 1975 after the north took over Saigon.

Winter Field Day is scheduled for January 28-29. I recall what a local said to me when I was working in Texas. He observed that whoever created Field Day didn’t live in Texas. Late June in Texas is very hot and Winter Field Day serves as his reply to the June Field Day. End of January in Texas is usually like our September in Rhode Island, very pleasant. But here in RI, we might be wearing woolen caps, heavy coats and gloves, even plowing through the snow. Operating a code key of any kind while wearing gloves can be a challenge. This winter has been very mild so far, so maybe we’ll be lucky.

While we’re thinking about Field Day, it’s not too early to be planning for the traditional Field Day in June. Lining up operators and schedules for each station can be developed now, using the Winter FD to show conflicts, mutual interference and other technical issues. Good luck and above all, please be sure that you remember to have fun.

The DXers in RI are aware but the rest you may not know that a dozen world class operators are enroute to Bouvet Island as of the time I am writing this report. The team should reach the island by February 1st. If sea conditions will allow, they should set up and be on the air soon after. Bouvet is the second most wanted DX entity in the world, second only to North Korea. Pile-ups will be colossal. Operator skill will largely determine whether you work them and get into their log. They will be on all bands and modes using the call 3Y0J. Good luck to all.

73,

——————————————————————–
ARRL Rhode Island Section
Section Manager: Robert G Beaudet, W1YRC
w1yrc@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

POTA Winter Park Appreciation Weekend, January 20-22, 2023

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Parks On The Air logoPeter Cimino, K1PCN, writes on the Greater Bridgeport (CT) ARC mailing list:

This weekend is the POTA Winter Park Appreciation Weekend.  It is open for all hunters and activators. It start Friday, January 20 7 pm (00:00 UTC) and ends Sunday 7 pm (00:00 UTC). Special award is added to activators.

I will be activating Silver Sands State Park on Saturday, January 21, 2023  from 9 am until noon. If anyone would like to come down and activate using my equipment, please join me.

Peter K1PCN 

Massachusetts Volunteers On The Air, W1AW/1 Sign Up

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From ema.arrl.org:

This year, the ARRL is honoring volunteers with its Volunteers On The Air (VOTA) operating event. The event starts January 1 and ends December 31, 2023

Twice a year, for one week, each state will be activated as W1AW/1 (for call area 1 Massachusetts, for example). To make this happen, we need ops to get Massachusetts on the air.

Would you like to be an W1AW/1 activator for the first session this spring? The first MA session is Wednesday, April 12 through Tuesday, April 18.

Would you like to know more? Contact Larry, W1AST, at W1AST@arrl.net.

KM1CC On the Air for 120th Anniversary of Marconi’s Transatlantic Message

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From ema.arrl.org:

KM1CC towers
Built 1901- Marconi’s South Wellfleet Wireless Station, Wellfleet MA USA Grid FN51
(second set of towers shown in this picture, taken about 1910)

Station KM1CC will be on the air on January 18, 2023 from 1800 UTC – 2300 UTC.  

Wednesday January 18, 2023 marks the 120th anniversary of Marconi’s first transatlantic message from the USA to the UK. KM1CC will be on the air to commemorate this achievement.

“We plan to operate HF 20 M, 40 M, and other bands as conditions allow. Check dxsummit.fi for frequencies.”

The Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club is a special event club.  The club has several on the air events a year to keep the accomplishments and story of Marconi and his South Wellfleet Wireless Station alive.  This station is listed as a National Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places (1975) and is now part of Cape Cod National Seashore, a unit of the National Park Service.   When possible, KM1CC sets up a temporary radio station inside the park. 

Please follow us on our Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/KM1CC/ .

Foxhunt, South Windsor CT, New Years Day 2023

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Paul Gipson, N1TUP, writes on the ctfoxhunter list:
 
Keeping with tradition, I will be hosting a Foxhunt on New Years Day at 1 pm.
 
This hunt will be conducted in the same manner that we have previously conducted live foxhunts.  The hunters will assemble at the  91 Ayers Road in South Windsor, CT, home of the old Wapping Elementary School, be set up and ready to start by 1pm. The fox will take a roll call at 1pm on the BEARS repeater, 145.110 MHz, PL tone is 77.0 Hz.  This hunt will be conducted using the repeater for all communication and information sharing.  I encourage communication between participants and any base stations that can supply helpful information to the hunters.  Once you have spotted the fox you should stop all transmissions.  Pay attention, if someone says they are going to check an area and you never hear from them again, that might be a clue.  Remember not to hunt the repeater output frequency as that will just lead you to the repeater.  I will not be there.  You will want to listen on the repeater input frequency, 144.510MHz.  That is the frequency the fox will be transmitting on.
 
The fox will be located within 20 air miles of the starting point and not within Hartford or Springfield.  The fox will be on publicly accessible property that will not require anything other that a standard passenger car for access.  The fox will host a “tailgate” party at the end of the hunt at the “den”. 
 
If this is your first hunt, I would recommend riding along with someone who has done this before.  Dress warmly as you will be outside at the end for the party, the rest of the time you will be in and out of the car taking bearings etc.
 
Experience has shown that hunters will start arriving in the den about 1 hour after the start.  The event has a two hour time limit not including socializing in the den at the end.
 
Current information regarding this and other foxhunts in Connecticut are on groups.io. If you are not already a group member, you may want to consider signing up for the groups.io CTFOXHUNTER so that you do not miss any important foxhunt related news.
 
73,

Paul, N1TUP

Live Fox Hunt, Wallingford CT, November 27, 2022

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Dave Tipping, NZ1J, writes on the ctfoxhunter list on November 26, 2022 at 4:30 PM:

We’ll have a live Fox Hunt on Sunday in Wallingford from 9:30 am until 11:00 am.

We’ll be using these three frequencies:

There will be a 2 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 10 mW transmitter is on 147.475 MHz and will beep every three seconds and will ID in Morse Code every minute.

The 1 mW transmitter is on 146.290 MHz and beeps every three seconds.

There is no central starting location. Other Fox Hunters can be contacted on the W1NRG repeater 147.360 with PL 162.2.

Good luck.

Dave NZ1J

Sign Up to Operate WX1GYX for SKYWARN Recognition Day

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SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 iconFrom the WS1SM Ham Radio blog:

For 23 years, SKYWARN™ Recognition Day, developed jointly by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League, celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN™ radio operators make to the National Weather Service.

Since radio gear at the NWS Gray facility was put into storage during the pandemic and won’t be setup in time for this year’s SRD, SKYWARN Amateur Radio operators within the forecast area are encouraged to take turns activating the WX1GYX call sign, either from their home stations, portable, or mobile, during the event.

If you’d like to use the WX1GYX call sign during SRD, please click here to sign up for a time and band slot (or multiple slots) to operate.

Participants are asked to log contacts in an electronic logging program, such as N1MM, and submit their logs to kb1hnz@yahoo.com in an ADIF format, so they can be merged afterwards.

During the periods that operators are not using the WX1GYX call sign, they may use their personal call signs to exchange their name, SRD number (which can be obtained here) and current weather conditions with other participating stations.

The event website provides complete operating guidelines, including the suggested exchange. SRD is a fun on-air activity that feels very much like a contest, but its informal. There’s no band or mode limitations, and you can even use repeaters. Just get on the air and have fun!

73′

Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 2-3, 2022

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SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 icon

From ema.arrl.org:

Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

**SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 will occur this year and for the first time since 2019, Ops at the NWS office will be permitted but modified due to COVID19 to have more limited operations inside the office than prior to the pandemic. Similar to the last years, a social media component will be added to engage non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters more with 2022’SRD.**

**SRD Numbers will now be issued automatically when Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters register via the Google form on the SRD web site. You do not need a SRD Number to participate in SRD’2022 but it is now automatically available if you register via the Google form and most NWS offices will not have a SRD number.**

For the first time since 2019, SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 will have Ops at NWS office with volunteer Amateur Radio Operators, however, the scale of what is done inside the office for SRD will be more limited as we will have limited Amateur Radio Operators in the facility. This is similar to other NWS offices who will have volunteer operators into the office this year but more limited in scale than before the pandemic.

Also, all participants are welcome to register on the SRD web site. SRD Numbers will now be issued automatically when Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters register via the Google form on the SRD web site. You do not need a SRD Number to participate in SRD’2022 and most NWS offices will not have a SRD number. The SRD Number for this year is part of the qso exchange but is not a requirement.

For WX1BOX Amateur Radio operations, we will cover the typical SKYWARN repeaters on VHF/UHF as well as simplex and be on HF via the WX1BOX Amateur Radio station, various remote home stations, potentially one Amateur Radio Club station, along with our WX1BOX social media pages. In addition, contacts with other Amateur Radio SKYWARN stations will count towards NWS certificates. Similar to the last two years, there will be a social media component to engage non-Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters alike.

Additional details on SKYWARN Recognition Day including a registration link opened up to all Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio Operators can be found via the following link:
https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition

As mentioned previously, this year’s Google registration form also auto-issues SRD Numbers to participant Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters. The form can be found off the SKYWARN Recognition Day web site and can be see at the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsiwFThctxPqEht9r7j1V1OLBNiAQjt-yJe7z3-XFMwiIx-w/viewform

There is also a SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) Facebook group open to all SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators. The Facebook group link is listed below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/srd2021

On the web, the following link on the WX1BOX home page will feature all SRD updates for WX1BOX operations as well as social media efforts that can include SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators alike:

Special Announcement: SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2022 Friday Evening 12/2/22 700 PM ET to Saturday Evening 12/3/22 700 PM ET

New for this year is we’d like to conduct an experiment to test and experiment with a radio email system known as Winlink. We would like to have Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters test sending email to a radio based email. This system allows for emails to be retrieved over Internet but also over radio. You do not have to be an Amateur Radio Operator to be involved in this experiment. During the SRD period from Saturday 12/3/21 from 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening 12/2/21 7 PM EST-Saturday 12/3/21 7 PM EST), we’d like people to do the following:

1.) Compose an email with a report in text format or using one of the Winlink system specific weather or other forms to wx1box@winlink.org with either a current observation from the SRD time period or a prior severe weather event that occurred dring the last 2 years. Do “not” include file attachments. For Amateur Radio Operators who have winlink setup, please go ahead and use winlink. For other Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters who do not have Winlink setup, feel free to use your normal email client but only use text and no attachments in the report.
2.) Put in the subject of the email //WL2K as this will allow for emails to get filtered through the built-in spam protection of the winlink system

We will acknowledge all emails as a contact and publish results of this work as part of the SRD’2021 report.

Similar to last year, the SKYWARN Spotter Map that is being tied to SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 but also shows a great display of SKYWARN Spotters across the country whether you are able to participate in 2022’SRD or not. To add yourself to the map, utilize the link below (and it also appears once you have submitted your Google registration form):
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/31f1c4cd9b504068b2d15a7d3cdd4d05

The SRD’2022 schedule for repeater rotation and WX1BOX coverage will be included in the next SRD update by Monday Morning 11/28/22 as we are planning the various modes of operation at the NWS office and at home/Amateur Radio Club locations.

The VoIP Operations on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system will take place once again for 2022’SRD. Here is the info regarding Echolink/IRLP operations as of Friday Evening 11/25/22 and will be updated by Monday Morning 11/28/22:

Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: N0NWS (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0100-0200: WX1GYX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0200-0300: WX7SLC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0300-0400: WX9GRB (Confirmed time slot from 2020)
0400-0500: WX1BOX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0500-0600: WX9LOT (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0600-0700: WX4HUN (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0700-0800: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0800-0900: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0900-1000: Open
1000-1100: WX7SLC (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1100-1200: WX1GYX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1200-1300: W7NWS (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1300-1400: WX7SLC (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1400-1500: WX1AW (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1500-1600: WX1BOX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1600-1700: WX4NC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Confirmed time slot from last year – new NWS office from 2021)
1800-1900: WX6LOX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1900-2000: K0MPX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Confirmed time slot from last year – new NWS office from 2021)
2100-2300: WX4NHC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2300-2400: Open

There will be other conference systems utilized for SKYWARN Recognition Day. They are as follows:

The New England Reflector Gateway System will be utilized by the NWS Boston/Norton, Mass. and NWS Gray, Maine offices from 0000-0500 UTC and 1200-2400 UTC. The New England Gateway system is on EchoLink Conference server *NEW-ENG3* Node: 9123, IRLP reflector 9123. If other NWS offices would like to join the system, they are welcome to do so and participants in SKYWARN Recognition Day can also use that system to make contact with various NWS offices. This is a great place to move off the *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system after your scheduled time if other Amateurs or NWS offices whish to make contact with you.

Also, the Western Reflector will be having NWS offices calling CQ as in past years and have multiple reflector channels and Echolink conferences available. There is reflector 9250/Echolink Conference *HI-GATE* node: 357564, IRLP 9251 and the *WORLD* Echolink Conference node: 479886, IRLP 9257/*DCF-ARC* Echolink Conference node: 336037 and IRLP 9258/EchoLink Conference *NV-GATE* Node: 152566 open for NWS offices. Please contact Kent-W7AOR for additional information on the Western Reflector.

A few technical reminders for folks interested in making contacts with the NWS Forecast Offices on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and New England Reflector Gateway IRLP 9123/*NEW-ENG3* Echolink Node: 9123 systems:

-The system allows both EchoLink and IRLP connections. For EchoLink users, you connect to the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203 conference system. For IRLP users, you would connect to IRLP reflector 9219.

-If you are using EchoLink, the RF node or PC that you’re using must have EchoLink conferencing disabled. If it is not disabled, the system will automatically kick the node or PC off of the system. The reason this occurs is to prevent unintentional interference from a conferencing station that may not know the node is connected somewhere else. This will keep traffic moving on the net and reduce interference considerably.

For more information on VoIP Technical Configuration Tips, please go to our web site at http://www.voipwx.net where we have a link to that information on the main menu of the web site. This announcement will also be on the web site.

We are looking forward to another fun SKYWARN Recognition Day on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system, Allstar 28848 along with DMR/DSTAR and other modes provided by VK3JED-Tony, New England Reflector Gateway system and Western Reflector system. Thanks to all for their support!

Thanks to all for their continued support of the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
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