All

Connecticut ARES Conducting Simulated Emergency Test, October 2, 2020

by

Mike Walters, W8ZY, writes on announce@ct-ares.groups.io:

CT ARES SET 2020

Inject 1

Saturday October 03, 2020  09:00 Local

***THIS IS A DRILL***THIS IS A DRILL***THIS IS A DRILL***

OPERATION “Storm Zebra”

The National Weather Service, The Red Cross and The Department of Defense have asked the amateur community to mobilize and gather data on local conditions. At this time all local nets should activate and establish a NCS. Each net should note the number of stations on the net and if those stations are emergency power capable.

Each net is asked to designate at least one station capable of sending messages by Winlink. The more stations capable of Winlink the better.

Stand by for information requests.

Mike Walters, W8ZY

CT ARES SEC

***THIS IS A DRILL***THIS IS A DRILL***THIS IS A DRILL***

Winlink Catching On in New Hampshire

by

ARES logoWinlink Global Email is catching on in New Hampshire, according to Jay Taft, K1EHZ.

“We encourage more NH ARES members to become engaged so every ARES group has Winlink capability. Here’s how:

  • If you have the equipment for FLdigi you have the equipment for Winlink.
  • Contact Jay Taft K1EHZ at k1ehz@arrl.net for assistance getting started.
    • Individual coaching over the phone to download, install and configure free software.
    • Zoom coaching sessions for small groups.
    • On-air message practice using Winlink gateways and peer-to-peer connections.
  • Participate in the ARES Academy – Winlink Workshop – October 17th, 0900-1100.
  • Join the Wednesday Winlink Net on the radio or over the internet.
  • Establish a local Winlink internet gateway, or a digital repeater to the Bedford gateway.
    • Some equipment is available for long-term loan.

 

ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program Now Accepting Applications

by

ARRL Foundation logo09/29/2020 – Applications for the 2021 ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program will be accepted between October 1 and December 31, 2020.All applicants must be FCC-licensed radio amateurs, and many scholarships have other specific requirements, such as intended area of study, residence within a particular ARRL Division, Section, or state, and license class.

Applicants should review the scholarship descriptions and check off the ones for which they are eligible. If you complete an online application, you must also email a PDF of academic transcripts from your most recently completed school year by January 11, 2021. Some scholarships require additional documents to be submitted (e.g., letter of recommendation from an officer of an ARRL-affiliated club). Applications not accompanied by transcripts and additional documents, where applicable, will not be considered.

The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Committee will review all applicants for eligibility and award decisions. Scholarship recipients will be notified in May 2021 via USPS mail and email. For more information, visit the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program page.

Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles is Not Processing Ham Operator Plate Applications

by

From EMA ARRL Section News, September 30, 2020:

For almost a year now, the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles has been unable to process new “Ham Operator” special plate applications. According to one Western Massachusetts amateur who spoke to a DMV employee, “[…] the person I talked to informed me that this issue has been referred to the software company/vendor. No estimate has been placed on a resolution. She refused to tell me how many applications are being held up. I asked if there was anyone I could refer this to, she declined and said there was no one to escalate it to.”

At the request of Western MA Section Manager Ray Lajoie, KB1LRL, MA State Government Liaison Hank McCarl, W4RIG, contacted MA State Senator Bruce Tarr’s office to inquire. A legislative spokesperson from that office informed Hank that all special series and vanity license plates that have specific letter-number requests are currently impacted. However, plates for which numbers are sequentially assigned; e.g., 0001 through 9999, are being processed.

How many other amateurs in Massachusetts have been affected by this snafu at the DMV? Please write and let us know at <k1tw@arrl.org>

Winlink Workshop: DIY Radio Interfaces, October 1, 2020

by
Please plan to attend Thursday, October 1 , WK10 – Winlink Workshop: DIY Radio Interfaces
9:00 PM AST / 9:00 PM EDT / 8:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM MDT / 6:00 PM PDT / 5:00 PM AKDT / 3:00 PM HST
Topic: DIY Radio Interfaces
Speaker: Scott Currie NS7C
Thursday’s meeting will be OPEN for all to attend. Please feel free to invite others.
This meeting will be recorded. By participating you consent to being recorded.
Please change your display name to Your FirstName, CallSign, and Location, e.g. Dan K7REX Idaho
Previous Winlink Workshop sessions: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z6g4qpi8zbdla4y/Winlink%20Workshop%20WK1-WK9%20of%20Twelve-Week%20Zoom%20Series.pdf?dl=0
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2128884758?pwd=NmtOS2V5WDVLL0djMGpNQWdDeEIzdz09
Meeting ID: 212 888 4758
Passcode: W10Winlink
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,2128884758#,,,,,,0#,,7008925219# US (Houston)
+12532158782,,2128884758#,,,,,,0#,,7008925219# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 212 888 4758
Passcode: 7008925219
Join our SEC-ARES group for announcements and discussions https://groups.io/g/SEC-ARES
Please be sure to use both your name and call sign when registering

HCRA Fox Box is Back Up

by

Hampden Co RA logoKen Dion, KD1KU writes on the WMAFoxHunters list:

As of 1300 hrs, Tuesday, September 29th, the [Hampden County Radio Association] Fox has been fully charged and is back in hiding! With a little bit of luck the issue of it randomly cutting out has been resolved. The only way to know for sure is if we get some hunters after the fox so if you know someone interested in fox hunting then why not take them along with you on this or a future hunt. Let’s get more hams interested in this aspect of amateur radio! This is also a good opportunity for base stations to give signal reports and a direction if possible.

That diabolical fox is running the usual one watt into a 18 inch antenna. I was able to activate it running 50 watts on my mobile rig with a 5/8 wave mag mount at the intersection of Roosevelt Ave. & Page Blvd. in Springfield, MA. co-ordinates 42.14396, -72.55199 (see map below). Also I was able to wake the fox with only 5 watts just up from Teddy Bear Pools on East Street in Chicopee!

<…>

If the Fox can hear you and you can hear it, you will hear its very distinctive sound. It will transmit for 30 seconds, ID and then repeat 2 more times and then go back to sleep. You can make it transmit as often as necessary to find it.

You do not actually have to touch the box to claim finding it. Eyeball contact is sufficient but a photo showing the fox is helpful as long as it doesn’t give away it’s location. It is located less than 500 feet from a safe parking location. Announce here on this group that you found it and any comments other than its location. We want to know who has found it and who hasn’t.

Please do not post the frequency or PL on any social media, websites or email lists.

Happy Fox Hunting!

Ken, KD1KU

Transceiver Performance for the HF DX Operator

by
Please plan to attend Wednesday, September 30 Ham Radio Zoom session.
9:00 PM AST / 9:00 PM EDT / 8:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM MDT / 6:00 PM PDT / 5:00 PM AKDT / 3:00 PM HST
Topic: Transceiver Performance for the HF – DX Operator
Speaker: Rob Sherwood, NC0B, Sherwood Engineering www.sherweng.com/lab-p.html
Wednesday’s meeting will be OPEN for all to attend. Please feel free to invite others.
————————————————————–
  • This meeting will be recorded. By participating you consent to being recorded.
  • Please change your display name to your FirstName, Call Sign, and Location, e.g. Dan K7REX Idaho.
————————————————————–
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2128884758?pwd=cERaUkExS3Y2SDVHNFJhcVRpcWNjUT09

Meeting ID: 212 888 4758
Passcode: Receivers
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,2128884758#,,,,,,0#,,044011695# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,2128884758#,,,,,,0#,,044011695# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 212 888 4758
Passcode: 044011695

Wellesley ARS “Parks On The Air” Activation, K-2427, September 26, 2020

by
Wellesley ARS logoDan Brown W1DAN, writes:
[Wellesley (MA) Amateur Radio Society members] Steve Ciavarini, NQ1F, along with Rob Jaczko, WA1UMU, and Leandra Mac Lennan, AF1R, operated Parks On The Air as K-2427 on Saturday September 26, 2020 at Cochituate State Park in Natick, MA.After guidance from park rangers, Leandra set up her VHF Moxon beam antenna for 2m and a 20m Hamstick vertical; Rob set up his new Wolf River vertical with twelve 40-foot radials that Steve made, and Steve set up his home brew 6m beam he presented to WARS last week. Started operating around 3:30PM.

All in all, Rob and Leandra made around 60 contacts on 40M, 20M, and 2M, and one contact on 6M, which was absolutely dead.

The gang said it was good fun. Leandra wanted to do a POTA sometime, and when Rob invited she jumped at the chance. Leandra brought her Yaesu FT991 40AH battery, mini masts for the Hamstick and 2-meter Moxon antenna. Rob brought his Icom 7300, 20AH battery, and a Wolf River Coils antenna (https://www.wolfrivercoils.com). However there was a set of 50-foot radials with this antenna, which were all tangled up like a ball of twine. This took a frustrating hour to untangle, but once set up, the antenna was excellent on 40M.

[Full story]