Special Event Stations Commemorate 100th Anniversary of WBZ, September 17-19, 2021

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WBZ 100 Year Anniversary logoWBZ radio 1030 kHz in Boston is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2021. It is the oldest broadcast station in New England, and one of the oldest stations in the United States.

The Billerica Amateur Radio Society and the Hampden County Radio Association in Springfield, will help commemorate this anniversary by sponsoring a special operating event starting at 1300z/9:00 am EDT September 17 and ending at 0400z/12 am EDT on September 19. Amateurs from across New England will operate W1W, W1B, W1Z, and WB1Z on various bands and modes. A special QSL card will be sent to anyone who contacts one or more of the special event stations. A historical sheet will also be available for download. The card will feature historical photos of WBZ over the years as well as a special 100th Anniversary WBZ logo. 

For updated information, please visit https://nediv.arrl.org/wbz100.

N1EP Creating Maine-wide “Elmer” List

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Maine iconPhil Duggan, N1EP, is creating a Maine-wide Elmer (Mentor) list for new or prospective hams as well as experienced amateur radio operators who need assistance in getting on the air.

If you would like to be included on the list, send N1EP your name, call, contact info, and the part of Maine you could be available as an Elmer, such as Midcoast, Downeast, Bangor, etc.

Your name and call sign will be listed, but your contact information will not be made available on the Internet. Instead, anyone needing assistance will first contact N1EP, and then he will provide that person your contact information.

Elmering can include actually helping install antennas and radios, programming rigs, getting other local hams to assist, or just providing advice on how to do these things. 

Ham radio clubs can also be included in this list.

Be an Elmer. Help strengthen Maine amateur radio. Contact Phil Duggan N1EP email n1ep@arrl.net.

Framingham Amateur Misha Filippov, KD1MF, Wins in MA Land Court Decision

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Fred Hopengarten, K1VR, writes:

Filippova v. Framingham ZBA, Trial Court, Massachusetts Land Court, 20 MISC 000073(HPS))
Attorneys for Mr. Filippov: Fred Hopengarten, K1VR (Lincoln, MA), and Ethan Dively (Wellesley, MA).

The Building Commissioner granted a building permit for an 80’-tall amateur radio tower as an accessory use. The ZBA revoked the permit, applying the setback requirements of the Wireless Communications Facilities (WCF) special permit Bylaw to the tower proposed by Misha Filippov, KD1MF. The Land Court reversed, annulling the decision of the ZBA and ordering the Building Commissioner to reinstate the permit.

The WCF Bylaw’s definition of a tower is very broad, and the ham’s tower appeared to fit within that definition – causing the ZBA to require the WCF setback of structure height plus 20’. However, the next sentence in the same WCF paragraph required that “any such facility shall be a minimum of three hundred feet from a residential zoning district or residential use.” The Board suggested that KD1MF “re- apply to place the tower in a more central location on the lot, farther away from the abutters.”

The court recognized that amateur radio towers, under the Framingham Bylaw, are exempt from special permit requirements. The court wrote: “By its decision, the Board has taken the position that it may pick and choose which of those requirements will remain applicable to uses that are, by the explicit terms of the Bylaw, exempt from the special permit requirement. No reasonable reading of the Bylaw permits this unfettered exercise of discretion.” The court decided that it could not accept the Board’s construction of the Bylaw “if the consequences of doing so are absurd or unreasonable, such that it could not have been what the [legislative body] intended.”

The court decided that applying the accessory use setback for amateur radio towers was “[t]he only result that gives effect to the entire Bylaw and is consonant with common sense and reasonableness. This conclusion is buttressed by the Board’s inelegant attempt to reconcile irreconcilable provisions of the Bylaw by simply declaring that it has the discretion to pick and choose which shall apply.”

“[T]he Board appears to have claimed the roving and unfettered discretion to selectively apply and to disregard dimensional requirements as it chooses.”

This was not a PRB-1 decision, but rather a question of which setback rule applied. Mr. Filippov is a very happy radio amateur.

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[See also: “Neighbors are fighting a Framingham man’s OK to erect 80-foot ham radio tower“]

 

“Let’s Make 2 Meters Great Again!” Field Day Initiative

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A Connecticut amateur has proposed a nationwide coordinated schedule for making contacts on 2 meters over the 2021 Field Day weekend.
 
“My name is Nick Kettle KC1DWH. I am a member and secretary of the Fidelity Amateur Radio Club. I am writing to inform area clubs about an initiative I have started regarding activity on 2 meters.
 
“I participated in the last VHF contest and I found there was a lack of activity in the band, also understanding many things such as propagation are variables of course. I developed several coordinated dates and times over the course of the upcoming Field Day where clubs and hams can get on the air and use 2 meters. This will give an opportunity for especially newer hams who have FM gear to make QSOs but also show them other modes available with their privileges.
 
“I would appreciate if you could share this. This has been shared across many ham radio group pages across the country on Facebook. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and best of luck to those participating in Field Day. I have attached a jpeg and the PDF attachment of the flyer with the requisite information.”
 
73, 
 
Nick, KC1DWH 
Lets Make 2 Meters Great Again PDF

Lobstercon 2021 is a “Go,” Brunswick, Maine, July 9-11, 2021

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Lobstercon logoThe Lobstercon2021! event will be held at Thomas Point Beach & Campground in Brunswick, Maine on July 9-11, 2021. This is the 22nd year that W1REX has hosted the QRP event.

“… I plan on coming up with a few special activities to make our awakening event from this pandemic very special and an event that you will not want to miss,” writes Rex. “If you’ve thought about coming to Lobstercon but never got a round tuit, you had better make this one.”

Billed as New England’s premiere QRP gathering, Lobstercon is a weekend of QRP camping, BBQ eating, operating, socializing, lobster eating, prize winning, and all-round great QRP time. The $50.00 registration fee includes wake-up coffee, juice, cereal, bagels and donuts (if you wake up early enough) and two giant meals on Saturday: a BBQ lunch and fresh Maine lobster dinner.

“Lobstercon lobsters are fresh out of the ocean for less than an hour before they go into the pot. You can taste the difference.” 

For full details and to register, visit <https://www.qrpme.com/?p=product&id=L21>.

K1VR: “Antenna Zoning IV: PRB-1: A Deep Dive,” June 22, 2021

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Yesterday, June 22, 2021, the printer shipped the first copies of “Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur, Third Edition.” This book has been out of print for three years, and this new edition has been updated, and has 40 more pages. This book is published in cooperation with the ARRL and the perfect companion to the ARRL Learning Network webinar series. It should be available for sale through the ARRL bookstore early next week at $49.95, plus shipping.

Today, ARRL Learning Network: Part 4, “PRB-1, A Deep Dive.” 19 minutes 45 seconds.

To watch, go to http://www.arrl.org/arrl-learning-network and click on
> To register for an upcoming presentation click here <

If you can’t tune in at 2 pm ET (18z) today, and you’d like to catch it later (each presentation is available about 24 hours later), click on
> To view recordings of previous sessions click here <

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ARRL New England Division
Director: Fred Hopengarten, K1VR
k1vr@arrl.org
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N1EP’s Mainely HamRadio Pocast: “Engaging Young People & New Hams in Amateur Radio”

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Maine Ham Radio Society logoPhil Duggan, N1EP, writes:

Please view the latest Mainely HamRadio podcast at <https://youtu.be/an43OuU0ykY>. The episode features Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, presenting “Engaging Young People & New Hams In Amateur Radio.”  Fred talks about Field Day, ARISS, satellites, youth and Ham Bootcamp. There are valuable opportunities presented in this video not just for young and new hams, but for all.
 
73,

Phil Duggan, N1EP

 

“Impromptu Fox Hunt” Solves Repeater Lock-Up on the RASON (CT) Repeater

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RASON website screenshotChuck Newman, NA1CN, reported that the Radio Amateur Society of Norwich (RASON) club repeater input was receiving a signal locking up 146.730 on the evening of June 21.  Dave Thackston, K1DCT, identified the signal near his neighborhood on  Route 2, between Norwich and Foxwoods.  NA1CN called for an impromptu fox hunt on the input frequency of 146.130. The fox hunters coordinated their hunt on the 147.060 Salem repeater.

Kevin Harkins, KA6PDG, reported via the club mailing list two hours later that the problem was resolved and was “accidental in nature.”  He thanked those amateurs who assisted in locating the source, acknowledging assistance from:  Dave, K1DCT; Chuck, NA1CN; Dave, WA1IKN; Tim, KC1TWR; Jerry, NT1O; Jeremy, KC1NBY; John, WF1C; Joe, K1IKE.

RASON maintains an well-organized and attractive website at: <https://rason.org/>.