The September 2024 Western MA Section Newsletter is now available at https://wma.arrl.org/blog/2024/09/07/section-managers-report-september-2024/.
All
CNHARC Receives Repeater System Donation
CNHARC President Rick Zach, KK1RZ, writes:[The Central New Hampshire Amateur Radio Club] has received a donation of a replacement UHF repeater system at the summit of Gunstock. Thank you K1IW!
In fact, all three CNHARC Gunstock repeater systems are being completely replaced in a phased in approach, 6m, 2m & UHF.
Part of that system replacement includes a simplex, frequency-agile 2m “remote base”. These are very popular in California but are somewhat new to the New England mindset. I am aware that ARES has been looking for a central high site for simplex use to connect to other state regions during past drills.
That remote-base capability will exist within the next month or so with more technical details to follow. But in a nutshell, once activated on demand, the state net control station only accesses the 2m remote base via UHF as required by FCC rules. This will be a hub and spoke system with all area representatives of the state communicating to net control on 2m simplex using your pre-arranged ARES simplex freq as you always have in the past. The end user experience is not changed. The only operational difference is that the “high site” is now VERY high. So this in no way changes your statewide simplex model.
You can use the Gunstock 2m repeater (recently replaced) to roughly gauge the coverage of the 2m remote base.
146.985 -600 PL-123.0
Please send me your ARES 2m simplex frequencies of choice so that we may program the 2m remote base accordingly.
===============
CNHARC has 100% new leadership with a very different, open culture. In fact we call it “CNHARC 2.0” and the remote base is part of that new culture.
ARRL New England Division “Town Hall,” September 5, 2024
I would like to invite you to a Town Hall Meeting for ARRL New England Division Members on Thursday, September 5th at 7 pm where we will discuss the actions taken by the board, what we might expect next, hear your thoughts, and answer your questions.
We plan to spend a good deal of our time together answering your questions. If you’d like to send us a question in advance, you can do so via an email to ab1oc@arrl.org, or you can just plan to ask your questions during the Town Hall Meeting.
We will hold our Town Hall Meeting via a Zoom Webinar. You can get a personal link to join the Town Hall Meeting via the following link (please paste the link into your browser and register in advance) –
https://us02web.zoom.us/
After registering, you will receive a follow-up confirmation email within a day containing information about how to join the webinar.
We hope to see you on September 5th.
Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
ARRL Director
New England Division
Nashua Area Radio Society Fall License Classes
The Nashua Area Radio Society will hold license classes for all levels this fall. The classes will be online via Zoom web conferencing and will include an online exam session at the end of the class. Our classes are based on the Gordon West License books. Here is the schedule:
- Technician Class: Saturday and Sunday, September 21st and 22nd
- General Class: Saturday and Sunday, November 2nd and 3rd
- Extra Class: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 6th, 7th, and 8th.
You can find more information at https://www.n1fd.org/amateur-radio-license-class/
ARES, POTA “Go Box” Show and Tell at Nutmeg Hamfest, Meriden CT, October 13, 2024
Douglas Sharafanowich, WA1SFH, writes on the ct-ares mailing list:
WHAT: ARES and POTA “GO BOX” Show and Tell
DATE: Sunday, October 13, 2024
HOURS: 8:30 am – 10:30 am
WHERE:
NUTMEG HAMFEST 2024
Maloney High School
121 Gravel Street Meriden, CT 06450
Open to ALL Hams
A Perfect excuse to “Get Organized” to “Go Portable”!
– Make Portable operations less of a hastle and chore.
– Eliminate the last minute hunting for gear before leaving.
– Banish the frustration of not having what you need at the operating site… because it is still back at the home QTH.
Note: For many hams on a budget, their “Go Box” does “double duty” as their Home Station.
The “Go Box” is probably the best way to organize your radio equipment for those times when you want to (or need to) “Grab-‘n-Go” for Portable Operations such as:
– Public Service Events
– ARES Drills/Exercises
– Real World Disasters
– Parks On The Air activations
– Day Trips to: the Park, Beach, Woods, or… the In-Laws.
– Weekend Get-Aways
– Vacations
Don’t Have a “Go Box”? BUILD ONE!
You can build/assemble your own “Go Box” in less than one day, and it will probably better than my Proof of Concept example.
See: www.ctaresregion2.org/forum/prepared-to-go-go-go
BE CREATIVE!
Your creative design and build may be exactly the thing that get someone else to build his own “Go Box”… or modify their existing “Go Box”.
BRING IT!
Come with your “Go Box” to the Nutmeg Hamfest for Display, Judging, and Awards or Show & Tell
AWARDS
– Best ARES VHF/UHF “Go Box”
This will include Voice and Digital/Data capability (Winlink, “Classic” Packet Radio)
– Best ARES HF “Go Box”
This will include Voice and Digital/Data Capability (Winlink/HFVARA)
– Best ARES VHF/UHF/HF “Go Box”
This will include Voice and Digital/Data capability for each radio as appropriate.
(VHF/UHF Winlink, VHF/UHF “Classic” Packet Radio, Winlink/HF VARA)
– Best POTA 100w (max) radio “Go Box” *
– Best POTA QRP “Go Box” *
* Where POTA “Go Box” includes: Cases, Backpacks, Camera Bags, etc.
Entry DETAILS @
Maine QSO Party, September 28-29, 2024
The Maine QSO Party is designed to encourage Maine stations to expand their knowledge of DX propagation on the HF and MF bands, improve their operating skills, and improve station capability by creating a competition in which W/VE, and DX stations have the incentive to work Maine. [Details]
902 MHz Threatened
Matt Penttila, NA1Q , writes:
If you are not aware there is a docket coming to the FCC, 24-240. This docket is not good for the current users on 902-92 MHz, which amateur radio operators have a secondary status. Not a lot of hams are on 902-928 MHz, but it is a very usable band, using repurposed commercial equipment from GE, Motorola, Uniden, Maxon, EF Johnson, and amateur equipment by Kenwood, Alinco and Retevis. Currently just in New England there are 16 linked repeaters for the NEAR900 network, and numerous others throughout New England and hundreds if not over a thousand of other 900 MHz repeaters across the US. Most are put up by clubs or individual amateurs, at thrir expense for the use by all amateur radio operators.
Unfortunately the window is rather short for comments right now, but if it does go into effect, comments are to be filed by September 5th 2024 and replies to comments filed by September 20th 2024.
More info on the effect of this is on the website:
https://www.n1wbv.net/response-to-the-nextnav-fcc-petition.html
Also attached is a PDF comment letter from David Tucker, N5ZDT, to the FCC about this docket.
Remember a similar thing happened in back in 1988 and we lost 220-222 MHz. Even if you are not active or do not use the band, please write a comment, even if it is to click and paste parts from these sources. Let’s not lose this band to one commercial interest.
Thank you, 73,
Matt Penttila, NA1Q
Past President Blackstone Valley Amateur Radio Club
Past President Quaboag Valley Amateur Radio Club
Past Member CMARA
Past Member Mohawk ARC
Past Member MTARA
Past Member ECARA
Lifetime member ECARS 10201
ARRL Member
New England Club Newsletter Award 2024
Earlier this year, during one of the regular HamXposition meetings, Bruce, K1BG, and I were talking about doing some sort of club-centric meetings From that discussion came the Clubs forum which occurred Friday at the 2024 HamXpo.
Most of us know that clubs are the backbone of a healthy and active ham radio community. An active club most often has a newsletter that members get every month informing them of club activities and ham radio events. From this, we created the Club Newsletter Award.
Any club in New England could enter and was encouraged to do so. Newsletters would be ranked on design, layout, and information. The judge would be someone outside of New England. The top three newsletters would then be able to post the appropriate logo on their newsletters for the next year. The newsletter had to be from the second quarter of 2024 and submitted by July 5th.
The top 3 club newsletters would then NOT be able to submit again the following year, giving other clubs a chance to win the award.
I would like to thank the following clubs for submitting their newsletter this year:
| Club | Newsletter | State |
| Algonquin Amateur Radio Club | QRZ | MA |
| Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club | the A.C.O.R.N. | ME |
| Billerica Amateur Radio Society | BARS | MA |
| Blackstone Valley Amateur Radio Club | Messenger | RI |
| Candlewood Amateur Radio Association | CARA Capers | CT |
| Central NH Amateur Radio Club | Communicator | NH |
| Franklin County Amateur Radio Club | The Communicator | MA |
| Hampden County Radio Association | Zero Beat | MA |
| Housatonic Amateur Radio Club | Direct Currents | CT |
| K1USN Radio Club | K1USN HAPPENINGS | MA |
| Meriden Amateur Radio Club | KEYKLIX | CT |
| Merrymeeting Amateur Radio Association | SQUELCH TALES | ME |
| Minuteman Repeater Association | The Minuteman | MA |
| Wellesley Amateur Radio Society | The Spark Gap | MA |
From this list, I’d like to congratulate the following clubs:
#3 – Blackstone Valley Amateur Radio Club from Rhode Island
#2 – Billerica Amateur Radio Society from eastern MA
#1 – Hampden County Radio Association from western MA
I would like to thank Bob, WA3PZO, our outside New England judge and Nels, K1UR, for his award design.
We’re going to do this again next year. I hope you will urge your club to submit your club’s newsletter.
73,
Larry, W1AST
[The winners were announced in the Club Forum on August 23, 2024 at the Northeast HamXposition.]
MessengerCurrent (1)
BARC May_2024_final
HCRA may24