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ARRL Board Considers Plan to Cover New $35 FCC Fee for Some Young Members

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ARRL logoAt its Annual Meeting in January, the ARRL Board of Directors considered a motion to offer a new plan that would pay the new but not-yet-implemented $35 FCC application fee for a limited number of new radio amateurs younger than age 18 who, at the time of testing, belonged to an ARRL Affiliated 501(c)(3) charitable organization and passed their tests through an ARRL VEC-sponsored exam session. The proposal called for reducing the VEC fee for these candidates to $5. The initial proposal came from ARRL Southeastern Division Director Mickey Baker, N4MB. Other Board members offered subsidiary motions. Supporters said the purpose behind the motion was to ameliorate the potential financial hardship the pending FCC application fee posed on certain minors applying for their first license, and to encourage new youth membership. [Full story]

 

W5NYV: “Satellite Development and Open Source Software for Hams” at RATPAC, February 17, 2021

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RATPAC logoPlease plan to attend Wednesday’s February 17 Zoom presentation. 

10:00 PM AST / 9:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM CST / 7:00 PM MST / 6:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM AKST / 4:00 PM HST

 Topic: Satellite development and open source software for Hams 

 Speaker/Presenter:  Michelle Thompson, W5NYV

This meeting will be OPEN for all to attend. Please feel free to invite others.

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New England ACC Group Meets Online, February 14, 2021

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ARRL Affiliated Club logoAffiliated Club Coordinators, Section Managers, and other section staff from New England met on Sunday, February 14, 2021 to discuss the status of ARRL affiliated radio clubs and to share ideas on improving them. Dubbed “New England ACC” or NEACC, the group plans to hold quarterly meetings. They’ve established a groups.io listserv for discussion in between meetings. 

Attending yesterday’s session were:

  • Ed, W1YSM-ACC, Connecticut
  • Phil, K9HI-Vice Director, New England
  • Tom, K1TW-SM, Eastern MA
  • Ray, KB1LRL, SM, Western MA
  • Bruce, K1BG-ACC, Eastern MA
  • Cory, KU1U-ASM, Maine
  • Gil, WK1H-ACC, Western MA
  • Charles, N1CAI-ACC, Vermont

Minutes will soon be distributed on the listserv. To join the group, contact NEACC Chair Ed Snyder, W1YSM, at <w1ysm@arrl.net>.

KD1OM Appointed as Maine Section Emergency Coordinator

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Maine iconRobert Gould, N1WJO, writes:

I am pleased to announce that Steve Jordan, KD1OM, has accepted the position as Section Emergency Coordinator for Maine. Please welcome him aboard in his new position.

Steve will be a great asset for the State of Maine. He comes from some great knowledge of communications having been in the police department. With Steve’s guidance I am sure that Maine’s amateur communications will become strong and be set for years to come.

Minutes, Committee Assignments from January, 2021 ARRL Board of Directors Meeting

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ARRL logoMeeting minutes from the January, 2021 ARRL Board of Directors Meeting have been posted on the ARRL website.  

Noted in the meeting minutes are committee assignments for officers, directors, and vice directors, including New England Division Director Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, and Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI:

Administration & Finance; Legal Assistance; Legal Structure & Review; Legal Advocacy: Director Hopengarten

ARISS: Vice Director Temples

 

ARRL DX Contest, CW, February 20-21, 2021

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ARRL International DX Contest logoContest Objective: 

To encourage W/VE stations to expand knowledge of DX propagation on the HF and MF bands, improve operating skills, and improve station capability by creating a competition in which DX stations may only contact W/VE stations. One contest period is CW-only and one is Phone-only.  Use only the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands.

W/VE amateurs: Work as many DX stations in as many DXCC entities as possible.

DX stations: Work as many W/VE stations in as many of the 48 contiguous states and provinces as possible.

Dates:

CW: Third full weekend in February (February 20-21, 2021).

Phone: First full weekend in March (March 6-7, 2021).

Contest Period: Begins 0000 UTC Saturday and runs through 2359 UTC Sunday.

2021 Multoperator Accommodations:

ARRL has issued temporary accommodations for multioperator stations competing in the 2021 International ARRL DX Contest (CW and phone). Individual team members may operate from their home stations in conjunction with the multi-op station. The home stations must be within a radius of 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the multiop station, and must be within the same DXCC entity, US State, or Canadian province.  For more information, visit the link below.

www.arrl.org/news/guidelines-issued-for-arrl-dx-contest-multioperator-stations

Contest rules are now maintained as a single downloadable document (see “Full Contest Rules” below).

For contest information contact contests@arrl.org or (860) 594-0232

Nashua, NH High School Scheduled for ARISS Contact, February 19, 2021

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ARISS logoThe Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua has been scheduled for an ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) contact on Friday, February 19, 2021 at 17:56:36 UTC. The school’s population includes students from both New Hampshire and Massachusetts.  ARISS Technical Mentor Fred, AB1OC, from the Nashua Area Radio Society (NARS) is coordinating the event.

NARS has been mentoring the students for the past two years, and now three students are licensed, according to ARISS-US Delegate Rosalie White, K1STO.  “The STEM Club advisor and a number of students were inspired by ham radio and space after attending an ARISS contact at a school mentored by NARS three years ago,” she adds.

Bishop Guertin High School hopes the ARISS contact activities will support students’ growth in STEM related curriculum topics. A number of student activities are planned, including:

  • An introduction to amateur radio
  • The ability to understand how important radio communication is in the world and how it is used to communicate in space 
  • The opportunity and motivation to become licensed ham radio operators
  • A partnership with the Nashua Radio Society whose members will mentor the students about radio communication and teach them the skills necessary to assist in building radio equipment 
  • Leadership roles in promoting, organizing and running the ISS contact

The ARISS contact will be live streamed on YouTube, and can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/0-Dsel4_7gM.

ARRL to Extend Field Day Rule Waivers from 2020, Add Class D and E Power Limit

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From ARRL Web:

The COVID-19 pandemic-modified ARRL Field Day rules from 2020 will continue this June with the addition of a power limit imposed on Class D (Home Stations) and Class E (Home Stations-Emergency Power) participants. The news from the ARRL Board’s Programs and Services Committee comes as many clubs and groups are starting preparations for Field Day in earnest. Field Day 2021 will take place June 26 – 27.

“This early decision should alleviate any hesitancy that radio clubs and individual Field Day participants may have with their planning for the event,” said ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE. [More]

W1HAI to be Featured on Pittsfield Community TV, WTBR-FM, February 17, 2021

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WTBR-FM studio

Eastern Massachusetts Heavy Hitters Traffic Net Manager Joe Weisse, W1HAI, will be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV. Joe will speak about his upcoming presentation at the Bacon Free Library along with Dan Brown, W1DAN. –via ema.arrl.org

K4ZDH: “ARRL Volunteer Monitor Program” at RATPAC, February 10, 2021

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RATPAC logoPlease plan to attend Wednesday’s February 10 Zoom presentation. 

10:00 PM AST / 9:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM CST / 7:00 PM MST / 6:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM AKST / 4:00 PM HST

 Topic: ARRL Volunteer Monitors (VM) program 

 Speaker/Presenter:  Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH 
 Riley K4ZDH oversees the ARRL Volunteer Monitors Development and Implementation

This meeting will be OPEN for all to attend. Please feel free to invite others.

Hey folks: These Zoom sessions are left open after the presentation. 

After the Zoom presentation has been closed, sign back into Zoom to visit.

  • This meeting will be recorded. By participating you consent to being recorded. 
  • Please change your display name to Your First Name, Call Sign and Location, e.g. Dan K7REX Idaho. 
  • Please stay muted until ready to speak. Your space bar works like a PTT for unmuting
  • You may ask questions in chat; please stay on topic while using chat.

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 212 888 4758
Passcode: VMPROGRAM