W1A/N6A Special Event Station: “Discover the HF Experience Event,” Elmer Call Up

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Yankee Clipper Contest Club logoGerry Hull, W1VE, writes on the YCCC list:

Hi Folks,

For those who are planning to attend the Northeast HamXposition Sept 10-12, we are planning, as usual, a special event station.  Marty, NN1C and I will be spearheading the effort.

Rather than just a drop-by-and-say-hi/Quick QSO moment, we thought it would be great to turn this into another “Discover the HF Experience” activity.  If you remember, this was done in the past by both YCCC and a group of contest clubs at the Dayton Hamvention.  It was a great success. 

So, this year, at HamXposition, we will have three operating positions.  Two of the stations will be remote, and the third will be a local station at the Xposition, with dipole antennas.

We are excited to show hams what shortwave radio is, and especially what it is like in 2021.  We would like to give new hams/non-hams at least a taste for what HF radio is, and why we get so excited about it.   We have two fantastic superstations for our remote operations, and they should excite both old and new!

What we need is some of your expertise and time.  A new ham or someone interested in the hobby can read books till they are blue in the face — but what they can learn from an Elmer will stay with them forever.

I have a sign-up sheet for Elmers.  You sign up for any of the three stations in half-hour increments.  We will have another public signup sheet for those new-hams/non-hams/shy-ops wishing to participate.    Perhaps you will come and just explain what HF is all about, perhaps make a QSO or two, or just enjoy some operating time.   However, explaining what we do and how we do it should be our primary focus.

If you do not want to operate — come by and be an ambassador for our hobby.

We will be setting aside some specific times where we will simply talk to the crowd, and answer lots of specific questions. What’s SSB?  What’s CW?  What’s Digital?  What are the HF bands? What is a remote station? Etc. 

Here is the sign-up sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k9z9-oM0copOynmLGlQI4-Nh_HDLYS_n5-MWUkz14xU/edit?usp=sharing

(It is only open to YCCC mail members.  If you can figure out how to share publicly, let me know.)

The hours are:

  • Friday 6pm – Midnight
  • Sat: 9am – Midnight
  • Sun: 9am – 12 noon

About the stations:

The local station will be a 100w station with low dipoles, located on the property, signing W1A.

W1A@W1KM Cape Cod, Massachusetts Remote:

Greg has graciously given us permission to use his station.  It is one of the premiere HF contest stations on the east coast, with antennas literally sitting on the Cape Cod bay. 

N6A@WA6TQT Anza, California Remote:

My good friends who are the owners/supporters of WA6TQT (ex W6BH Radio Ranch) have graciously offered the Anza Superstation for this special event.   It has a commanding signal into the pacific (worldwide, actually) on 160-10m.

Please help!  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

73,

Gerry W1VE

Three-Way Races for Director Set in New England and Roanoke Divisions

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ARRL logovia ARRL Web:

08/26/2021 – ARRL members in the New England and Roanoke Divisions will choose among three candidates running for Director in each Division. The candidates include two incumbents. Those are the only contested races in this year’s election cycle for Director and Vice Director.

In the New England Division, the candidates for Director are the incumbent, Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, of Lincoln, Massachusetts; past New England Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, of West Suffield, Connecticut, and Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, of Hollis, New Hampshire.

New England Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, of Watertown, Massachusetts, was uncontested and has been declared elected.

In the Roanoke Division, the candidates for Director are the incumbent, George “Bud” Hippisley, W2RU, of Penhook, Virginia, and challengers James Boehner, N2ZZ, of Aiken, South Carolina, and Marvin Hoffman, WA4NC, of Boone, North Carolina.

No one challenged Roanoke Division Vice Director Bill Morine, N2COP, of Wilmington, North Carolina, and he has been declared elected for a new term. 

Incumbent Directors and Vice Directors in the ARRL Central, Hudson, and Northwestern Divisions also had no challengers and have been declared elected. In the Central Division, Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Vice Director Brent Walls, N9BA, of Greenfield, Indiana, will continue in their respective posts.

In the Hudson Division, Director Ria Jairam, N2RJ, of Sussex, New Jersey, and Vice Director Bill Hudzik, W2UDT, of Gillette, New Jersey, are unchallenged in this election cycle and have been declared elected. In the Northwestern Division, Director Mike Ritz, W7VO, of Scappoose, Oregon, and Vice Director Mark Tharp, KB7HDX, of Yakima, Washington, also faced no challengers in their re-election bids.

Full ARRL members of the New England and Roanoke Divisions who are in good standing as of September 10, 2021, will receive a ballot in the mail no later than October 1, 2021. Completed ballots must be received at the designated PO Box in the envelope provided by noon Eastern Time Friday, November 19, 2021.

Newport County (RI) Radio Club Members Participate in Portsmouth EMA Disaster Assessment Exercise, August 25, 2021

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From the Newport County Radio Club Facebook page:
 
Last night Norfolk County (RI) Radio Club members participated in a RIARES-managed communications and disaster assessment exercise with the Portsmouth EMA, and the Common Fence Point Community Association in conjunction with the Portsmouth EMA Communications Team.
 
Key players included: Paul W1PJS, Teri W1PUP, John N1ZO, Scott WX1X, Jeremy K1JST, Charles W1CRB, Adam KC1KCC, Mike K1NPT, Bob WB4SON, Brian N1TBT, Rob KB1ZZU, & Ted W1GRI for filling out the roster for the exercise. Paul K1YBE helped with pre-event planning.
 
Photos are available in the share album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/S8WSuQ78ekx86vvw5.

American Red Cross Thanks Amateur Radio’s TS Henri Efforts

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ARES logoMike Walters, W8ZY, writes on the ct-ares mailing list:

FYI, [here is] a nice “thank you” from the American Red Cross:

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Gentlemen,

It looks like we had minimal residential damage from TS Henri.

Red Cross is in the process of closing shelters as the flood watches and warnings are expiring. 

With that, Red Cross is Standing Down the AREA activation request.

If you are aware of any storm related damage, please let me know.  Please ask the hams that check into this evening’s nets and on the alert groups.

I thank the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and SKYWARN for the hams’ support of the American Red Cross Disaster Response to Tropical Storm Henri. Amateur radio’s support of the humanitarian response to help our neighbors is greatly appreciated.

Please pass on Red Cross thanks to the hams that are on the nets and you Alert groups.

Stay Well!

Rosty

Rosty Slabicky | Disaster Services Technology Regional Program Lead | Disaster Cycle Services

American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region | 203.788.6451 | rosty.slabicky@redcross.org

 

QSL Card Checking and Outgoing Bureau Services Available at HamXposition

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photo of QSL cardsThere will be card checking for ARRL awards and outgoing bureau service available at the New England Division Convention at HamXposition on September 11, according to W1 QSL Bureau Co-Manager Eric Williams, KV1J. Initially, plans called for the booth to be set up next to the ARRL display but instead it will be located in the corridor.

“We will also be accepting cards for the ARRL Outgoing Bureau at the booth. Please see the instructions on the ARRL web for sending your cards and the fee structures  There is also a simple form to submit with your cards.  See
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/QSL/Submission%20Form%202017-02-24.pdf .

Eric stresses that applicants must fill out the application process online before the show. “We are just collecting the cards for the ARRL so please give them to us with the funds etc. as if you were mailing them to Newington,” writes KV1J.

Middlesex ARS (CT) Special Event W1E, Epilepsy Foundation’s Mud Volleyball Competition, August 21, 2021

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Middlesex ARS Mud Volley special event station W1E
Tage, K1ESI, working 20 meters CW, Don Gouin, K1CMM, and Matt Ferro, KC1CMT, discussing the band conditions. 

Members from the Middlesex Amateur Radio Society of Portland, Connecticut, operated special event station W1E on August 21, 2021 to raise awareness of the Epilepsy Foundation at its Mud Volleyball competition at Zoar Pond in Middletown, Connecticut. 

To receive a special event QSL card, please send a SASE to the address listed on the W1E QRZ page.

[RI-ARES] RI ARES Form 205 for Henri, Storm 8/22/2021

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RI SEC Paul Silverzweig, W1PJS, writes to RI ARES Members:

Attached please find the form 205 for the Hurricane Henri situation.

It includes the repeaters on VHF and the HF frequencies, plus the simplex frequency 147.420 which we use for our simplex nets.

All communications will take place on the NB1RI repeaters as long as they are functional. Then we go to Simplex VHF. If the link goes down, we can use
the repeaters as standalone, and the 147.42 frequency as needed. HF is included, should it be needed.

Please prepare for the storm, first by taking care of yourselves and your families. Next, be sure any auxiliary power you have is charged and ready.

Someone will be actively monitoring the repeater network and the simplex frequency throughout the storm.

Note that the Cumberland machine, 145.170 remains delinked, but can be re-linked if need be.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask.

Please also review the Preparedness and Training Guide, also attached, for an idea of how to find some useful information if you may need it.

Paul Silverzweig, W1PJS
RI Section Emergency Coordinator
RI Association of Emergency Managers
     Chair, Radio Communications Committee
All Hazards FEMA RIEMA ComL
AUXCOMM
Air Force MARS
NESMC RI Director
Portsmouth EMA Communications Leader
646-522-2262, HH 4224

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73,

Paul, W1PJS
RI Section Emergency Coordinator

 

Ham Operators Needed for CT Regional Shelters for Henri Event

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Tim Rodgers, KC1TWR, writes on the Radio Amateur Society of Norwich mailing list on August 20, 2021 at 8:57 PM:

To ARES members and local amateur radio operators,

Tropical Storm Henri, soon to be a hurricane, is coming and local communities have decided to open some of the Regional Shelters in preparation for the storm. The shelters decided upon for now will open at 1800 on Saturday. The logic there is that with the predicted heavy rainfall and flooding the shelters will be ready if neighborhoods, trailer parks, RV Parks, etc get flooded out and have to evacuate. Better to have a shelter open than to try and open one in the height of the storm.
 
As such we are looking for amateur radio operators for the Regional Shelters which do open. Preferably at least two per shelter so one operator can be relieved to get some sleep Sunday night while the storm is still going on. You can bring your own 2 meter radio or just come to the shelter.  A 2 meter radio, power supply, antenna, and tripod have been pre-positioned in each shelter along with instructions, and the Emergency Communications Frequency Chart. The assigned amateur radio operators will need to set up the equipment.  (Not a big deal)
 
Currently Red Cross and city officials will be opening the following shelters. East Lyme, Groton, Stonington, and Killingworth.
 
If you can volunteer to work at one of the shelters please contact Tom Scott WA2RYV tscottwa2ryv@gmail.com or myself at TimKC1TWR@gmail.com. As time proceeds and the storm predictions are better defined the timing for setting up radio stations may slide to Sunday morning. These decisions will be made by early afternoon Saturday. 
 
Here is the Henri cone of probability and timing as of 8 PM Friday.
 
Hurricane Henri cone of probability