Public Service

The Boston Marathon Amateur Radio team is still in need of about 50 additional volunteers to fill our nearly 300 assignments. The BAA volunteer registration deadline is this Friday, February 10 at 5:00 PM EST. The Boston Marathon will be taking place on Monday, April 17, 2023.

If you are still undecided, we encourage you to register now; you can discuss any questions you may have with us and if you decide this is not for you this year you can withdraw between now and the end of March.

If you had an experience last year that has not made you want to return this year, please reach out and we will do our best to make it right. We want every volunteer to enjoy their race day experience, but we understand that sometimes things happen.

If you have not previously volunteered and want to chat about what we do, what is expected of us, and what equipment you might need, please do not hesitate to drop us an email.

NOTE: The BAA will not have any specific COVID policies this year for vaccination or testing.
Registration Link (for new and returning volunteers):
BAA registration can be accessed via the BAA web site specifically in the “Athletes’ Village” section.
https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/volunteer/volunteer-registration
Step by Step Sign Up Guide: 
https://hamradioboston.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/44002389087-2023-volunteer-registration-step-by-step-guide. If you have any questions about the upcoming volunteer registration period, or the 2023 Marathon generally, please get in touch anytime. Volunteering at the Marathon is a big job and we appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into it. We’re happy to do what we can to make your work fun, comfortable, and effective.

We look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Thank you, and 73,

Boston Marathon Communications Committee
contact@HamRadioBoston.org

Please make sure to whitelist volunteer@baa.org and contact@HamRadioBoston.org to make sure you receive BAA and ARO committee communications.

From K1USN Happenings, January 12, 2023 (via ema.arrl.org):

Planning is well underway for the 2023 Boston Marathon! The BAA opened volunteer registration today and it will close on Friday, February 10, 2023. Returning volunteers should have received an email from the BAA with details about how to register.

New volunteers can sign up via http://register.hamradioboston.org/. We have also provided a step by step guide on how to select Amateur Radio volunteer positions during the registration process:  <https://hamradioboston.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/44002389087-2023-volunteer-registration-step-by-step-guide>.

Volunteer registration for the 2023 Boston Marathon opens today. Returning volunteers will get an email from the BAA later this morning with instructions. In order to make registration as smooth as possible we are providing specific instructions for our Amateur Radio Operator (ARO) volunteers.

If you haven’t previously volunteered, or have a friend who would like to volunteer, please go directly to the Volunteer Registration page after 10:00 AM EST and follow the instructions for new volunteers.

Step by Step Sign Up Guide:
https://hamradioboston.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/44002389087-2023-volunteer-registration-step-by-step-guide

A few notes for volunteers:

Almost all amateur radio positions are single person assignments. We are not able to group people on a single assignment, but we will try to accommodate which segment you are assigned to in order to allow for similar start/end times.

Don’t delay! Volunteer registration closes on Friday, February 10 at 5:00 PM EST. It would help our planning processes if you could please complete your registration by Friday, January 27.

Help us get the word out by forwarding this email to your club and other amateur radio operators who might wish to volunteer. Most volunteers first learn about the event through word of mouth. If you know new licensees who might like to join us, please make sure to let them know about it. Even just a quick mention at your club meeting can be a big help.

If you have any questions about the upcoming volunteer registration period, or the 2023 Marathon generally, please get in touch anytime. Volunteering at the Marathon is a big job and we appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into it. We’re happy to do what we can to make your work fun, comfortable, and effective.

We look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Thank you, and 73,

Boston Marathon Communications Committee
contact@HamRadioBoston.org

From The ARRL Letter, December 1, 2022:

The BEARS of Manchester Amateur Radio Club in Manchester, Connecticut, spent Thanksgiving Day providing amateur radio communications support for the 86th Manchester Road Race.

The race, a 4.748-mile course that begins and ends on Main Street in downtown Manchester, has been a Thanksgiving Day tradition since 1927. This is the 30th consecutive year the BEARS of Manchester Amateur Radio Club has provided communications support, with more than 10,000 runners participating and over 30,000 spectators lining the course.

Radio operators began arriving at 6:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning. Fifty-five operators staffed 39 positions around the course and were stationed every quarter mile to provide safety communications and report the lead male and female runners to the public address announcer.

Shadow operators helped 10 race officials stay in communications. Operators also started and ran four clocks around the course to help pace runners, and a station operated in the public safety Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to relay safety-related information to representatives of various agencies. Ham radio operators also provided communication for a shuttle bus operation that brought runners and spectators from a remote parking area to Main Street and then returned them at the end of the race. Check-in and check-out were accomplished through a net control station to maintain accountability.

Communication for the event was made on six repeater and simplex frequencies, and three cross-band repeaters were used for signal quality to avoid interference.

The BEARS of Manchester Amateur Radio Club is an ARRL Affiliated Club.

Thanks to Phil Crombie, Jr., K1XFC, Race Communications Coordinator, for providing information for this story.

From Nov. 15, 2022 ARRL Club News, by Phil Duggan, N1EP

On September 10, nearly 200 riders entered the seventh annual Northwoods Gravel Grind in the Rangeley area of Maine, which encompassed parts of Franklin and Somerset counties. The course included 35-, 50-, and 68-mile loops.

The riders were not out there in the northwoods alone. Besides deer, moose, and bear, there were about 15 amateur radio operators assigned to various locations and in sweep vehicles throughout the course. Franklin County ARES and friends made sure important safety and logistical information was relayed to net control, and they did this by 2-meter simplex!

Many of the hams were using their mobile radios in vehicles with mag-mount antennas or similar aerials. Several hams set up external J-pole or high-gain antennas 20 feet or higher at key locations, and they were invaluable in relaying communications if net control (Randy Gauvin, KB1RDG, and Ruth Gauvin, KB1SBZ) couldn’t hear a mobile or portable station.

I had the privilege of helping. It was enjoyable to be out in the woods listening to the call of the loons, as I was assigned to Loon Lake Road, right next to Loon Lake. Franklin County ARES Emergency Coordinator Russ Norris, KA1FKC, stopped by and chatted with me for a while. Have you ever seen his vehicle? There is no doubt he is a ham radio operator! And I absolutely loved his pooch, Mabel, who wore a fancy harness labeled ARES.

Many times throughout the race, riders would thank me for being there, and I am sure the other hams got this feedback as well. Public service events such as this promote our hobby in a positive way. They also help us hone our emergency communications skills. If you have never volunteered to help in such events, you should consider doing so. It’s rewarding and fun. You can contact me at n1ep@arrl.org or ARRL New England Division Assistant Director for Emergency Communications and Public Service Cory Golob, KU1U, at ku1u@nediv.arrl.org, and we can share when public service events need hams.

Hams that participated in this year’s event included KA1FKC, KB1RDG, KB1SBZ, AA1XD, WA1KLI, N1TCJ, KB1YES, NT1N, KC1LGJ, KC1ROC, N1EP, KC1RID, K1OK, K1NEO, and N1TCJ.

Fred Beaulieu, WA1ESU writes:

If you are interested in helping, please contact Fred WA1ESU by email  wa1esu@comcast.net    or calling 978-423-9710

Kathy Savage, KB1LPW, writes on Facebook:

Start of Day 2 Great Maine Getaway for MS with Rick Savage, [KB1LYJ], Ross Chapman, [KB1MGD], and others.

From the MS Society’s website:  “Enjoy the stunning beaches and charming coastal towns along Maine’s iconic coastline on this two-day ride from Biddeford Pool to Kennebunkport with a community of riders dedicated to changing the world for people with MS.”