New Hampshire QSO Party, September 21-22, 2024

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Steve Roberts, KC1ILT, writes:

The New Hampshire QSO Party is sponsored by the Port City Amateur Radio Club to promote amateur radio activity within the State of New Hampshire. This annual event held on the third weekend in September is designed to encourage New Hampshire stations to expand their knowledge of DX propagation, improve their operating skills, and improve station capability by creating a friendly competition and incentive for stations worldwide to work each of the counties in New Hampshire. The rules for this event are attached.

We are asking you to invite and encourage your members to participate in this annual event, and to assist the PCARC by operating as many stations within each of the New Hampshire counties as possible.

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CNHARC Receives Repeater System Donation

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CNH ARC bannerCNHARC 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.  
 
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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

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ARRL logoI 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/webinar/register/WN_Nmj7dgSbRyGoi7xf3Z0l8A

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

ab1oc@arrl.org

Nashua Area Radio Society Fall License Classes

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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/

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ARES, POTA “Go Box” Show and Tell at Nutmeg Hamfest, Meriden CT, October 13, 2024

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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 @ 

https://www.ctaresregion2.org/forum/announcements/695-the-great-ct-ares-2024-go-box-show-and-tell-10-13-24#901

Maine QSO Party, September 28-29, 2024

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Maine QSO Party logoThe 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

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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

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