Organization

Maine Section Manager eNews, June 2022

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Maine iconPhil Duggan, N1EP, writes on the Maine ARRL Members list:

Hermon Hamfest!

Hermon Hamfest is TOMORROW, Saturday, June 4 at the Hermon High School.  Don’t miss it! Gates open at 0800 and 0730 for tailgaters.  There will be amateur radio exams but you must be registered (no walk-ins). This will be one of the last opportunities to take the Technician Class exam under the current question pool, which expires on June 30. I understand there will be a drone demonstration at the hamfest, as well as cribbage games!

Field Day

Warmer weather is finally here and the opportunities for portable ham radio activities in the great outdoors will be ample. And the mother-of-all outside communications is ARRL Field Day, which is June 25 – 26, 2022!  As Section Manager, I will attempt to visit a couple Field Day sites in the southern part of Maine, as I will be on the way to a family event in Massachusetts that weekend. For Field Day participants, you can earn the 100 point section manager message a number of ways. As long as the message leaves the Field Day site via RF, you can send it to me via Winlink.  Also, on Saturday, Dennis Bosley WA1URS will be taking my messages for me on the Maine Seagull Net on 3.940 MHz at 5:00pm.  Additionally, Maine’s Section Emergency Coordinator, Keith Anoe, KE4UCW,  will be ready to receive either SM messages or SEC messages during the first 15 minutes of each hour on 3.940 MHz, as well as on various nets that weekend. So there will be ample opportunity to get those bonus points!

ARRL Kids Day

Inspire youth with amateur radio on June 18, ARRL Kids Day. Let your children, grandkids, nieces and nephews get on the air with your ham radio station and show them how much fun amateur radio can be. Try and arrange with other hams to have a QSO with them, especially with other kids. You can get more details of Kids Day at http://www.arrl.org/kids-day

New England Division Town Hall

The second New England Division Town Hall meeting with Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC and Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, is scheduled for June 15 at 7:30PM via Zoom. You can register for the meeting at this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zfiGGX_CTIK7xvq9vmuXzw

Club Grants & Webinar

Clubs may submit applications for grants that can be used for various ways to enhance their club and amateur radio. More information is available at http://www.arrl.org/the-arrl-foundation.  Also, ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, has announced another webinar regarding the club grant program:

“We are planning another webinar for the Club Grant Program. This is planned to be a very short update on the program and a question-and-answer session. The schedule is as follows:

Thursday June 9th at 7PM Eastern Time. The video will be on YouTube the next morning. We are planning for a 1-hour event and hope to keep it at that time.

The registration link is https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_d8G7PlunRiGXDN0JJw5HBQ.”

Thanks For Membership!

Your ARRL membership helps the League to protect and work to expand our amateur radio frequencies and privileges, encourage and assist youth in pursing this great hobby, enhance our Amateur Radio Emergency Service and disaster preparedness activities, offer contesting and other radio sports events, and so much more. Thank you so much for your support and participation!

ARRL Affiliated Club Highlight

The Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association has a rich history in the Downeast region of Maine. They are an active group routinely organizing fun amateur radio activities for their members and other folk, especially outdoor portable operations. Their club call sign, W1TU, was the call sign  of Charles Ellsworth, who was the radio operator in Newfoundland who received the Titanic’s distress call after it hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The club meets on the second Thursday of each month at Meadow View Apartments Phase IV Dining Hall, 25 Tweedie Lane in Ellsworth at 7:00pm. They also usually have a video feed for members to join in via Zoom. The club president is Evie Sargent KA1BRA, VP is Chuck Liebow AC1BS, and Treasurer/Sec is Joan Hildreth W1DLC. The club holds a weekly on-air meeting on the Hull’s Cove Repeater (Bar Harbor) 147.030+ PL 100 at 7:00PM each Wednesday. This is a great bunch of folks. If you live in the greater Ellsworth area, consider joining this fun-loving group of amateurs. BTW, EAWA will be holding field day at the Trenton Elementary School this year.

Contact Section Manager

If you have any questions or issues regarding ARRL, amateur radio, etc, feel free to contact me at n1ep@arrl.org.

73

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ARRL Maine Section

Section Manager: Philip W Duggan, N1EP

n1ep@arrl.org

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Second New England Division Town Hall, June 15, 2022

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Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC Speaking at the Dayton HamventionFred Kemmerer, AB1OC, writes on the New England ARRL Members list:

Hello Everyone,

We are planning our second New England Division Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, June 15th at 7:30 pm ET. All ARRL members in the New England Division are invited to attend. Our planned topics for this meeting include:

+ An ARRL Update – Fred AB1OC and Phil K9HI
+ Updates from our Assistant Directors – Anita AB1QB, Cory KU1U, Dan N0HF, and Rob K1UI
+ Q&A

We are planning 90 minutes for this meeting. Please register via the following link and we’ll send you a link to join our Town Hall Meeting
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https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zfiGGX_CTIK7xvq9vmuXzw

This is the second of our planned three Town Hall Meetings in 2022. You can view the recording from our last meeting here –

https://nediv.arrl.org/2022/02/17/new-england-division-town-hall-meeting-deemed-a-success/

We hope that you will join us on June 15th!

Best and 73,

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ARRL New England Division
Director: Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
ab1oc@arrl.org
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Vermont and Maine Section Managers Return for New Terms; ARRL Section Manager Spring Election Results

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ARRL logo[Congratulations and a big thanks to returning Section Managers Paul Gayet, AA1SU, of Vermont and Phil Duggan, N1EP, of Maine for their service to the ARRL field organization. Paul and Phil begin their new terms in office on July 1, 2022.]

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ARRL Bulletin 16  ARLB016
From ARRL Headquarters 
Newington CT  May 27, 2022
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB016
ARLB016 Section Manager Spring Election Results

The results of two Spring Section Manager (SM) elections were determined when the ballots were counted at ARRL Headquarters on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

Because no nominations were received by the original nomination deadline of September 10, 2021, it was necessary to re-solicit nominations for Delaware SM. Joseph Grib, KI3B, a resident of Bear, Delaware was appointed Interim Delaware SM in January 2022 until the election could be held. John Ferguson, K3PFW, a resident of Georgetown, received 162 votes and Grib received 96 votes. Ferguson will begin his 18-month term (instead of a 2-year term) as SM on July 1.

In Indiana, Bob Burns, AK9R, received 625 votes, and incumbent Section Manager Jimmy Merry, KC9RPX, received 344 votes. Burns, a resident of Brownsville, will begin his 2-year term on July 1. Merry, a resident of Ellettsville, has served as SM for the past 4 years.

Wisconsin will have a new SM on July 1. Jason Spetz, KC9FXE, a resident of Menomonie, was the sole nominee. Spetz will take the reins of the Section’s Field Organization from Patrick Moretti, KA1RB. Moretti, a resident of Dousman, decided not to run for a new term of office after serving as SM since 2016.

Scott Roberts, KK4ECR, the only nominee for the Northern Florida Section, will become SM on July 1. He has been serving as the Assistant Section Manager and Public Information Coordinator for the Section. He’ll succeed Kevin Bess, KK4BFN, who decided not to run for a new term. Bess, a resident of Edgewater, has been SM since 2018.

The following incumbent Section Managers, who did not face opposition, were declared re-elected and will begin new terms on July 1: Thomas Beebe, W9RY (Illinois); Philip Duggan, N1EP (Maine); David Kidd, KA7OZO (Oregon); James Armstrong, NV6W (Santa Clara Valley), and Paul Gayet, AA1SU (Vermont).

ARRL extends its thanks to all incumbent SMs for their past valued service and congratulations to those who will take office on July 1.

WMA Section Manager’s Report, May 1, 2022

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Hi everyone. The latest and greatest of my section reports is online at https://wma.arrl.org/ I encourage all to check it out from time to time as new information and activities come in to keep you informed. Also, for more go to the division website at https://nediv.arrl.org/.

Also we are still looking to fill positions to our section staff as well
as ARES We need:

  • Assistant Section Manager(s)
  • State Government Liaison
  • District Emergency Coordinators
  • Assistant Section Emergency Coordinators
  • County Emergency Coordinators
  • Traffic handlers

    Anything you would be interested in please contact me at aa1se@arrl.net

    Thank you
    73
    Ray-AA1SE

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    ARRL Western Massachusetts Section
    Section Manager: Raymond P Lajoie, AA1SE
    aa1se@arrl.org
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April 2022 Rhode Island Section Activity Report

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Greetings ARRL members and friends,

Welcome to spring. I truly believe that we are forced to endure winter just so we can appreciate spring. Weather is nearly perfect and we can enjoy it while we repair our antennas. 

The following is information from Tom Frenaye, K1KI. Tom is chairman of the New England QSO Party or NEQP. Where ever you are in New England, you can create a pile up simply by announcing your presence with a simple “CQ NEQP, this is (your call) in New England.”

The New England QSO Party on May 7th and 8th is a great time to check out antenna systems and offers a moderately paced opportunity to work new states and countries. You’ll find a wide variety of participants, from newcomers to experienced contesters, all interested in making contacts with New England stations.

NEQP’s goal is to get every one of the 67 counties in New England on the air so we hope you will encourage your friends to join in the fun!  Even if you can join the fun for a couple of hours, we’d appreciate it!  Will you be QRV? Let us know with a message to <info@neqp.org>. 

The New England QSO Party is 20 hours long overall, in two sections with a civilized break for sleep on Saturday night.  It runs from 4 pm Saturday until 1 am Sunday, then 9 am Sunday until 8 pm Sunday.  Operate on CW, SSB and/or digital modes on 80-40-20-15-10 meters.  For each QSO you’ll give your callsign, a signal report and your county/state.  Top scorers can earn a plaque and everyone who sends in a log with 25 or more QSOs will get a certificate.  The goal is to work stations anywhere in the world – and their goal is to work New England stations, so you’ll be very popular! Last year we had logs from 947 stations from around the country and world. The full rules are here -> <https://neqp.org/rules/>.

The full 2021 results were posted last month – <https://neqp.org/2021-new-england-qso-party/>.  Field Day planning is going on in our clubs. I hope to be able to tour the FD sites this year, something I have been unable to do for the last few years. Please let me know if your club will be setting up a Field Day operation this year.

June 12th will mark the 250th anniversary of the burning of HMS Gaspee in Narragansett Bay. Informed historians know that this event signaled the first shots of the American Revolution which ended on July 4th, 1776 when our beloved country was born. Folks in Massachusetts like to say that the Boston Tea Party rang the starting bell, but we know that the Gaspee burning took place a year and a half earlier. That sent the message to Britain.

Several hams under the leadership of Ken N1RGK are putting a program together, working with and augmenting the program being carried forward by the Gaspee Days Committee. Special calls W1G and K1G will be on the air and the BVARC club will set up a station at the site of the Gaspee burning. Our team is working in close partnership with the Gaspee Days committee. A beautiful certificate and QSL card has been designed by Teri, W1PUP. All you need is to work both W1G and K1G, any mode or time during their operation and you will receive your certificate. See website <http://www.w1ddd.org/gaspeedays.html> for more details.

Radio Frequency Interference or RFI is something that everyone who operates a radio has experienced. In some cases, it has kept Amateurs off the air because it is so severe. The New England Assistant Director, Rob, K1UI, is leading an effort to recruit an RFI team. To do this, Rob needs volunteers from every section. If you are interested in serving your fellow operators by tracing sources of RFI, please send an e mail note with your qualifications to Rob at k1ui@arrl.net. You may also review an RFI troubleshooting guide at <https://nediv.arrl.org/rfi-troubleshooting-guide/>.

HF bands continue to improve slowly as we climb up the leading slope of Cycle 25. 10 and 12 meter bands are open most of the time to somewhere.  15 and 17 meters have been open on occasion for round the world contacts. Some long path propagation has shown itself as well. These are all good signs of better things to come.

The ARRL Board has started discussions regarding the new club grant program which was announced in January. Starting in April, clubs will be able to apply for these grants by filing a form available on the ARRL website. More details at <http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-foundation-to-create-club-grants-program>. 

The Covid-19 bug found me last month. I’m over it now and feel fine. I never had a fever, cough, aches or other common problems. I did lose any sense of taste or smell and had a stuffed nose for a few weeks. My doctor prescribed Paxlovid by Pfizer, made available under an Emergency Use Authorization. I never learned what it was supposed to do except make me feel a lot better. In any event, I was isolated for five days during which I was on the air from dawn to midnight. I have received all my vaccinations and boosters. Please stay well and be very careful.  It’s not much fun to deal with Covid.

I’m still looking to fill the post of Section Government Liaison (SGL). See last month’s report and <http://www.arrl.org/state-government-liaison>. Someone who regularly follows state legislative affairs is the person I need.

Finally, if your club is planning to set up a Field Day operation in the field, kindly let me know where it will be. Thank you.

73,

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