N1W, organized by K5ZD in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, is one of the special event stations from around the world that are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Marconi as part of the World Wide Award in January 2024. Work the event stations each day in January on all HF bands, on SSB/CW/Digital for points and awards.
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AB1OC, AB1QB Honored as Co-Recipients of the 2024 Orlando HamCation Gordon West Ambassador of the Year Award
George Allision, K1IG, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list:
Congratulations to […] Fred, AB1OC, and Anita, AB1QB, who are co-recipients of the 2024 Orlando HamCation Gordon West Ambassador of the Year Award. This award is given annually to outstanding Amateurs who represent and inspire others, who embody the amateur radio spirit, and who have made outstanding contributions to the Amateur Radio community.
Fred and Anita are recognized for their outstanding work both in the New England division and U.S. with Ham Radio Bootcamp, ARISS school contacts, youth outreach, amateur radio balloon launches, and license training. In their spare time, Fred also serves as the New England Division Director, and Anita is the New England Division Assistant Director for Mentoring and New Ham Development.
Well done to Fred and Anita!
[The award was announced on the Ham Nation YouTube broadcast on January 3, 2024. You can see the story at 27 min., 30 sec. into the video.]
Vermont QSO Party, February 3-4, 2024
The Vermont QSO Party is coming up in a mere four weeks, February 3-4, starting at 0000 and ending on 2359 UTC. This corresponds to Friday night February 2 at 7 PM until Sunday night February 4 at 7 PM.
We hope to get a lot of Vermont stations on the air to satisfy the appetites of all the chasers.
Details are at: https://www.ranv.org/vtqso.html with the detailed rules at: https://www.ranv.org/vtqso.doc
No changes in the rules are in place but be sure to read through everything and ask NOW if you have any questions.
We are specifically looking for stations to activate some of our rarer counties, like Grand Isle, Franklin, Essex, Orleans and Orange. If you can get on from these locations, that would be great. Or else, plan a mobile operation. It is a load of fun in the winter! Hopefully we will not have a repeat of the -20 degree blast that we had last year. When you do get on, be sure to spot yourself and call CQ. They can’t find you if you run around the band!
Mitch Stern W1SJ
W1SJ@arrl.net
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ARRL Vermont Section
Section Manager: Paul N Gayet, AA1SU
aa1su@arrl.org
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New England Beacon, January 2024, Now Available
New England Beacon, a newsletter for the New England Division, contains updates from the Director, Vice Director, Assistant Directors in addition to showcasing various goings on within the seven ARRL sections. Enjoy the January, 2024 edition.
December 2023 RI Section Newsletter Now Available
The Rhode Island December 2023 Section Newsletter is now available at <https://ri-arrl.org/ri-section-newsletter-31-december-2023>.
Hampden County (MA) RA Technician License Class Begins January 13, 2024
From the Hampden County (MA) Radio Association ZERO BEAT, January 2024:
Most likely, if you’re reading this, you already have your license and know all the fun and excitement that your very first amateur radio technician class license has brought you.
If you know of anyone who is interested in achieving this goal in life, have them register using the link be- low and fill out the form to get their name on the list for this FREE technician license class next January.
The list of applicants is filling up quickly, so don’t wait too long to get your name or the name of the person who wants to get their license on the form by following the link below and filling out the required information. Choose between in person classes or online Zoom classes!
This class is free; you are only required to buy the license manual. Register using the form found by clicking on the link below.
Register today by visiting: <https://hcra.org/licensing-classes/>.
[The class starts the second Saturday in January and will continue for four weeks and one week of review. The sessions will be from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM.]
RFI Hunting with W4DD Software
Jeff, W4DD, has created a Windows-based app that maps RFI from power lines as you drive along side them. I’ve been experimenting with the software to develop some guidelines for its use by the RFI teams. I know several others on the teams are doing the same thing. The Icom 705 in each team has both the GPS and CI-V capability to support gathering the required data. The process begins by installing the app, available on request, and creating a directory or folder to receive the data. The vehicle is then equipped with a Hamstick for 10 meters https://nediv.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rfi-10m-antenna.jpg (I haven’t tried other bands but this is the one Jeff recommends) and a team Icom 705 is connected via a micro-usb port on the 705 and a usb port on a laptop that has the Icom drivers installed on it (available on the Icom America website.) https://nediv.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rfi-test-setup.jpg I’ve installed several ferrites (available on Amazon) on the usb cable to suppress the usb port noise when in operation. If all is connected properly, starting the RFID software displays that the GPS and the CI-V S-meter reading from the Icom 705 are recognized.
I tune the Icom 705 to 28.5 MHz in the AM mode. Start the data gathering process by providing a name for the file when requested. Start driving the test route at about 30 MPH paying attention to traffic so you don’t become the lead car in a caravan. At this point I strongly recommend that you work with a partner so you can drive and not need to pay attention to the data being recorded. The faster you drive, the further apart the data points become so you can cover more territory but you may miss the detailed location of an RFI source. You can zoom in on a particular area of the map and examine it in Google Earth to gather more detail. If you are hunting a real source, you may want to repeat a run. It is helpful to have a spare laptop battery.
When you complete a run, connect to the internet and go to the GoogleMyMaps site. Upload the data file you created into a new map. Look at the data and use color (select style by s-meter) to single out the high noise data points, i.e. s1-s5 colored green, s5 – s7 colored yellow, s8 and higher colored red. I used a slightly different set since I wanted a bit finer scale. https://nediv.arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rfi-software-test-run.jpeg
Once you’ve identified a problem location, the use of the team VHF/UHF log-periodic to find the specific pole and an acoustic dish (I use an MFJ dish) to find the particular faulty component are the last steps.
I’ll refine this process with the teams’ inputs as we go forward but my testing so far is very positive and I believe that Jeff, W4DD, has provided us with a valuable tool for finding powerline RFI.
Ham Radio Support for the Sawmill River 10k Run, Montague MA, January 1, 2024
From wma.arrl.org:
For several years now, hams from this area have provided communications for the Sawmill River Run, a 10 kilometer run in Montague Center on New Years Day. I am organizing the effort this year.
Some of you have helped in the past and others may be new to this event, but I welcome as many of you as can make it. The commitment that morning would be from 8:30 to 11:30. The central site is Montague Common Hall, 34 Main St, Montague, MA 01351.
It is a short course with many turns so we need as many operators as we can get. This also provides a good opportunity to test our communication skills and to meet other members of our ham community face to face.
Please let me know if you can help us out or if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Mark, NX1K
nx1k@arrl.net
FEMA Region 1 Winlink Testing
FEMA Region 1 will begin conducting monthly Winlink tests starting January 2024. The purpose of this test is to exercise the Regional PACE plan, Winlink is part of the “Emergency” category of the plan. We would like to include Amateur Radio and SHARES stations in New England in this test. Here are the details:
Testing Procedure: Each month FEMA Region 1 Disaster Emergency Communications Branch will generate a Winlink message to participating stations. The message will be sent via Winlink through an Amateur Radio or SHARES gateway. The message will contain simple instructions on how to reply – which form to use, information requested, response time, etc. The receiving stations will reply to FEMA Region 1 via Winlink with the requested information within a set timeframe. The date and time of the monthly test will vary.
Participating Stations – Open to Amateur Radio or SHARES stations in New England. Stations must have Winlink capability and a valid Winlink email address. Participating operators should be aware that this test is conducted without announcement, so it is important that Winlink messages are checked regularly.
How to Sign Up – Stations wishing to participate can sign up online at https://forms.gle/sTibzJjZhftHXR4J9
Please feel free to share the above information with those who may be interested in participating. Any questions, let me know.
Thanks,
Mike
Mike Corey
Emergency Management Specialist | Disaster Emergency Communications
Response Division | FEMA Region I
Cell: 202.704.9853
michael.corey@fema.dhs.gov
Federal Emergency Management Agency
fema.gov