Want to Help Out at the Biggest Ham Event in the Northeast?

Barbara Irby, KC1KGSThe Northeast HamXposition boasts a cadre of dedicated volunteers who make this convention possible. But we can still use more volunteers.  Your smiling faces and eagerness to help makes a difference to the attendees. From selling tickets, assisting presenters, supervising the flea market, setting up the rooms, handling parking signage, supervising the flea market, and taking it all down and packing it up for next year— you make it happen!

If you’d like to help us at the 2024 Northeast HamXposition, please register at https://registration.hamxposition.org/volunteer/ or contact our Volunteer Chair Barbara Irby, KC1KGS, at kc1kgs@hamxposition.org

[See also: https://hamxposition.org/2024/07/23/meet-hamxposition-volunteer-chairperson-barbara-irby-kc1kgs/]

Barnstable Club Activates Chatham Light for Lighthouse Weekend

The Barnstable Amateur Radio Club (BARC) activated Chatham Light (US-158) this past weekend for the second time in as many years.  Operating with two stations on the grounds of Coast Guard Station Chatham, operators made over 250 contacts , mostly on 20 meters, though conditions were generally poor.  With an historic Coast Guard rescue boat and the lighthouse in the background, club members talked to many of the tourists that frequent the location.  Among these were Alessandro, I2SVA, and his wife, visiting and on their way to a moonbounce operator’s meeting in New Jersey and the daughter of a ham in Maryland who wanted to work the station and did a few minutes later!  

Operators for the event were Mark, WA1EXA, John, KA1CTL, Barry, KB1TLR, Lem, W1LEM, Mark, K4LFL, Don, KT1OK and Rob , K1UI.

The event marked only the second time the club used its tower trailer, constructed by Russ, K1RTA and Chris, KB1ZAM though the high winds prevented raising the tower to its full 45 foot height.  Together with the WRTC triband yagi and an R-7, two Icom 7300 stations kept the ops busy much of the time.

The BARC Community Events Committee sponsors this and many other club field events throughout the year in addition to Field Day and also supports joint events with the Falmouth Amateur Radio Club such as the Mass Maritime Advanced Leadership presentation and two Falmouth road races.

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“Ham Radio’s Technical Culture” by MIT Press

Ham Radio's Technical Culture book front coverJim Idelson, K1IR, writes on the YCCC mailing list:

 
This is an article by author Kristen Haring to give her 2008 book, Ham Radio’s Technical Culture, a fresh marketing boost.
 
She focuses on the culture of ham radio from 1930 to the mid-70s – perhaps a period we could call the Golden Age of amateur radio. She has some interesting observations and commentary on ham radio in the context of society-at-large. There is precious little material about ham radio targeted towards general audiences, so the existence of this book is a good thing. That’s the good news.
 
Haring is not a ham. She builds her perspective primarily from what she’s been able to gather from a wide range of archived written materials, including large and small publications (magazines and newsletters). She does not include direct interviews with actual hams who ‘lived it’.
 
The excerpt has a lot of correct observations, but gets some things clearly wrong. Given the author’s lack of direct exposure to the topic, the book would have benefited greatly from conversations and editorial review with real hams.
 
Probably more important are the facts that a) the focus is on that quaint period 50 to 75 years ago and, b) the perspective is from 2008.
 
A lot has been learned since 2008, which probably makes the analysis less informed than it would be if written today. And, the focus on a period ending in the 1970s may create and reinforce some of the unhelpful stereotypes that hold us back in the 21st century.
 
At $19.95, I might still buy a copy!
 

73 Jim K1IR
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Upcoming Western MA Public Service Events

Alan Dove, AB1XW, writes in the Hampden County Radio Association making list:

Our friends in the Franklin County Amateur Radio Club (FCARC) are providing communication for several upcoming events. As I’ve mentioned, these types of events are ideal training for emergency communication.

If you have at least a Technician license and a 2-meter FM rig, you probably have everything you need to participate. Here are the dates and contacts:

1. Volunteers for the Greenfield Triathlon (Aug 4) (KB1AKU) (groy773@gmail.com)  only about 10 days away.

2. Volunteers for the D2R2 (Aug 17) (N1AW),  (aswoodhull@gmail.com)

3. Volunteers for the Green River Marathon (Aug 25) (KB1NEK), (camyers@protonmail.com)

4. Volunteers for the annual Food Bank’s Will Bike 4 Food event on Sept 22 (KB1AKU) (groy773@gmail.com)

Comments from Chuck, KC1CHA: “All are welcome to volunteer. Its a great time to see everyone and get some time on the air. Please give some time and help out, we have always made these events a success in the past. Thank you and hope to see you there.”


 –Alan

Alan Dove, AB1XW
President
Hampden County Radio Association
hcra.org

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Barnstable and Falmouth Clubs Team Up at Advanced Studies and Leadership Program

The Barnstable Amateur Radio Club (BARC) and Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (FARA) teamed up the evening of July 15 to introduce amateur radio to several hundred students at the Advanced Studies and Leadership Program held at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne on Cape Cod.  Antennas were set up outside of the conference center to enable live demonstrations of on-the-air operation.  Contacts were made by the students as far away as Europe and local repeater operation was also demonstrated.  The club repesentatives were: Norm, WA1NLG, Lem, W1LEM, Chris, WA1CMR, Ralph N1YHS and Rob, K1UI. 

The equipment setup included HF and VHF transceivers, a multiband HF vertical and a 2M vertical as well as HF and VHF transceivers, an AMSAT Cubesat demonstrator and an ARES “Go-Kit.”

Lem, W1LEM, Chris, WA1CMR, Bruce, WA3SWJ and Rob, K1UI Setting up for the presentation.

Bruce, WA3SWJ, demonstrated cubesat construction and operation using an AMSAT simulator.  Norm, WA1NLG, outlined the many technical branches of amateur radio including its integration with personal computer operation.  Chis explained the role of ARES in amateur radio and its importance to the community.  All the speakers emphasized the benefit of amateur radio in preparing for a scientific and engineering career.

The process of getting a license was addressed and the availability of local courses at both clubs was highlighted.

After the presentation,  a question and answer session was followed by an opportunity for the students to operate the HF and VHF equipment themselves.

Bruce, WA3SWJ, demonstrating Cubesat operation

Chris, WA1CMR, and Ralph, N1YHS, answering questions about ARES and repeaters

Lem, W1LEM and Rob, K1UI demonstrating 20 meter SSB DX’ing.

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K1W White Island Special Expedition, Rye NH, July 27, 2024

White I., Rye NHMark Pride, K1RX, writes on the Port City ARC mailing list and K1W QRZ page:

Special Expedition by the Port City Amateur Radio Club (W1WQM) for 2024

White Island, Isle of Shoals, Rye, NH

Plan is to arrive Saturday, July 27, 2024 by 8AM, setup stations, operate until Evening. One Day event. Primarily IOTA contest plus POTA and 6 M.

IOTA NA-217

POTA US-8006 (White Island NH State Park & Historical Site)

Lighthouse ARLS USA 406

 NH022S White Island  US Islands Award Program

FN42qx

 

QSL via K1RX

ADIF upload to POTA and other sites as needed  

Parks On The Air “Code Buddy” Hunter Event, Manchester NH, July 21, 2024

Parks On The Air logoTimothy Cates, KC1QDK, writes on the Granite State ARA mailing list:

SUPPORT YOUR PARKS POTA CODE BUDDY HUNTER EVENT

  • Sunday, July 21, 2024
  • 10:00 AM  4:00 PM
  • Manchester, NH, 03104United States (map)

Attention Code Buddies and friends:

Come join us at Derryfield park in Manchester for support your parks weekend POTA event Sunday July 21st 10am until 4 pm.  We will be code hunting park activators from the top of the hill. This is a great opportunity to make on-the-air contacts because there will be lots of people activating parks. Parks on the Air gives an activator award for activating this day and it would be fun to get one for activating CW.

You can bring your own gear and set it up in the park or you are welcome to use my rig and gear I will be setting up a portable station with a straight key. Lots of room for everyone. Hope to see you all there and all are welcome.  

Parking near the Gazebo at Derryfield Park in Manchester the park is near Hillside Junior High 112 Reservoir Ave, Manchester, NH 03104 off Bridge st.

Bring a comfy chair and enjoy some Sunday afternoon radio fun in the park. 

ARRL Systems Service Disruption Update, July 9, 2024

ARRL logoFrom ARRL News:

Updated 07/09/2024

As previously reported, ARRL® Logbook of The World® (LoTW®) returned to service on Monday, July 1, 2024. As anticipated, there was a significant rise in use to catch up on processing logs following the outage. It took 4 days for normal processing times to return.

The ARRL Radiosport Department has resumed processing applications for most awards. The systems for Worked All States (WAS), VUCC, and issuing credits for CQ WAZ and CQ WPX awards have returned to service. These award applications are being processed on a “first in/first out” basis.

WAS applications submitted through July 4 and VUCC applications submitted through July 1 have been processed. CQ awards applications are processed by CQ and not ARRL.

While we can process these ARRL awards and update records, the ability to print and deliver certificates, endorsements, and other material has not yet returned.

The online DXCC® application is unavailable at this time and DXCC awards are not able to be processed. Work continues to return the DXCC systems to service. All DXCC data is secure.

This story will be updated with new developments.