ARISS Mentor AB1OC Assists with Ontario School Contact, February 5, 2021

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ARISS logoJon Turner, AC1EV, writes:

An ARISS contact is scheduled for this Friday, February 5th with students from the Ottawa Carleton District in Ottawa, ON, Canada.  The contact will be a multipoint telebridge contact. Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, will serve as the relay amateur radio station.  The astronaut is Mike Hopkins, amateur radio call sign KF5LJG.

The pre-contact program will begin around 12:20 pm local time and the ISS will come over the horizon at about 12:40 pm local time. You can listen to the downlink from the ISS on 145.800 MHz FM and you can watch the pre-contact program and the contact on the ARISS YouTube channel via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxm5Ca2y0HD_NxXlZWXv11A

[…] There are different frequencies for uplink and downlink so it is only possible for the public to monitor the downlink.  The ISS will be overhead in our area for this contact, so it will be easy to hear. 

One of the things I am doing now in ham radio is helping Fred Kemmerer, who is the President of the Nashua Area Radio Society, work with schools to make scheduled contacts with an astronaut on the International Space Station.  Fred is a designated ARISS mentor for the US.  ARISS is an organization that coordinates Amateur Radio activities on the International Space Station.  I am currently assisting Fred behind the scenes with testing and setting up the ground infrastructure and internet connectivity needed to have students who are remote to their school have successful contacts with the ISS.  We have a project underway with a school in Nashua for a contact in a few weeks. 

This is a link to the recent contact from RSU#21 in Maine:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN70OpJFMgs&feature=youtu.be

Here is a link to a report from a TV station about a contact from a few weeks ago with RSU#21:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=013JxlionCU

Here are other links on the contact you may find interesting:

https://www.wabi.tv/2021/01/22/maine-students-talk-with-astronaut-on-international-space-station/

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/education/kennebunk-students-have-an-out-of-this-world-experience-talking-to-an-astronaut-aboard-the-iss/97-1a7a7bb5-19f9-4dbc-b353-e30b13c9f475

https://www.pressherald.com/2021/01/22/sea-road-students-chat-long-distance-to-astronaut-on-the-international-space-station/

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/york-star/2021/01/22/sea-road-school-students-talk-astronaut-space/4175367001/

I hope you find this interesting and are able to tune in to hear ham radio from space. 

73 and stay safe (sane, too)

Jon Turner

AC1EV

photo of the international space station

QCWA Scholarship Awarded to Catherine Hong, KC1MFU

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Catherine Hong, KC1MFUThe Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. has announced its Memorial Scholarships winners.  Among the recipients are: Catherine Hong, KC1MFU, who attends the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“Catherine Hong, KC1MFU […] is a sophomore at MIT, double majoring in Mechanical Engineering (design concentration) and a Joint degree in Comparative Media Studies & Brain and Cognitive Science. She wants to be a conscious creator, imbuing objects and experiences with functional and/or narrative value. To do so, she must understand how people find meaning and interpret the world around them, how society shapes and is shaped by media & technologies, and how to technically plan, design, and create the ideas she imagines. In her free time, Catherine draws profusely, engages in kitchen experiments, and picks up new skills from the extracurricular activities she is in, such as the computing club, the caving club, the VR/AR club, and the Radio Clubs.” –QCWA February 2021 eJournal

Maine Virtual Hamfest, March 6, 2021, 9 AM-4 PM

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For full details, visit <https://sites.google.com/view/mainevirtualhamfest/home?authuser=0>.

It may be bitterly cold outside, but things are starting to heat up in Maine on the hamfest front! We are long overdue for one. Joe Grace (W1SK) and I [Cory, KU1U] have been feverishly working to put together a virtual hamfest since all of the in-person events are still being cancelled due to the CoronaVirus. 

We hope this will be a successful event that can capture the interest of hams in Maine. I am pleased to announce that Dr. Bob Heil (K9EID) will be presenting at this event! We will also have various stateside talent providing talks on SKYWARN, FT8, Antenna discussion and an ARRL Forum so folks are aware of what is going on around the State and at the New England/national level at ARRL. 

There will be an opportunity for clubs and groups to have their own meetings during talks as well. If your group is interested in reserving a virtual room to have a meeting please follow this link to fill out the form. Hamfest Meeting Room Request Form. 

This event is FREE. I know that price pleases many people and why wouldn’t it? Please understand that the conference talks will be limited to 1000 people. We are asking that people register so that we can have a headcount of how many people to expect to attend virtually. 

Beyond conference talks and meetings, there will be an “Eyeball QSO” room to visit. 99% of hams typically go to a hamfest to socialize and chat with others. Why should this virtual event be any different? One additional feature that we have included is an IRC chatroom for those who may be mic/camera shy. Joe has put his technical know-how to work and embedded the Freenode #mainehams IRC chat room into the hamfest website so it will be easy for people to access and say hello. 

We are excited to provide this opportunity for knowledge and camaraderie and look forward to seeing everyone soon! Please be sure to register for the FREE Maine Virtual Hamfest!

Maine Virtual Hamfest Registration Form

 

73 DE KU1U & W1SK

Maine Virtual Hamfest Co-Chairs

 

            

KW1U to be Featured on Pittsfield (MA) Community TV, WTBR-FM, February 10, 2021

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KW1U at WTBR-FM studio

via ema.arrl.org:

Massachusetts Section Traffic Manager Marcia Forde, KW1U, will again be the featured guest on Ham On!, simulcast on Pittsfield Community Television and WTBR-FM 89.7. The early morning program is produced and moderated by Western MA Assistant Section Traffic Manager Peter Mattice, KD2JKV. Marcia will speak about the ARRL National Traffic System and message handling.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES Exercise – “Operation Frozen Days” – Saturday 2/6/21 – 1000 AM-1200 PM EDT

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EMA ARES logoThe Eastern MA Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) will conduct an exercise in conjunction with the Cape Cod ARES exercise Operation “Frozen Days” on February 6, 2021 from 10 AM to 12 Noon (setup to start at 830-9 AM where needed) to test its capability in establishing communications with stations inside and outside of the section. Operation “Frozen Days” will attempt to build upon the lessons learned from past operational exercises.

The exercise scenario involves a series of coastal storms battering Cape Cod and the Islands with winds over 90 MPH over several storms. Eventually, hundreds of thousands of people in Eastern Massachusetts are left without power due to this series of coastal storms. [Full story]

Hearty New Englanders Brave the Cold for 2021 Winter Field Day

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Winter Field Day Association logoAmateurs from across New England are braving record cold temperatures this weekend to participate in the annual Winter Field Day event–like Jay Hoisington, KB1RZA, who writes on the Connecticut Valley FM Association list:

“Any Brave souls going to set up for Winter Field Day 2021? I plan on taking a stab at 1-O , battery power this afternoon.  I’ll be heading out to set up in awhile.   It is going to be a chilly one.  It is an Even 0.0 F here on top of the hill right now. A bit of an improvement from -4 F  at 5:30AM this morning.  Wind chill advisory until 11AM. Wind is calm here for the moment but forecasted to be N-NW at 5-10MPH.  Bundle up!”

Greater Bridgeport (CT) ARC QRV for Winter Field Day 2021

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Winter Field Day Association logoGBARC President Emily Clarke, N1DID, writes:

This weekend is Winter Field Day, and all GBARC members are eligible to participate from their home QTH.  All hams from Extra to Technician can make contacts and contribute to the overall GBARC Score on many different bands and modes.

I’ve done a complete write-up and you can read all you need to know to get started on the GBARC Winter Field Day page. 

I am also offering to loan my Xeigu G-90 and a 40m dipole that will let you get on 40 and 15 meters.  If you are a technician and adventurous you can use this radio to try out operating CW.   Contact me if you are interested in borrowing it – first come first served.

Winter Field Day starts tomorrow at 2pm local time, and will run through 2pm on Sunday.

Cheers,

Emily N1DID

KD1CY: “Interesting Stories about Ham Radio & Weather Spotting” on ARRL Learning Network, February 11, 2021

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Rob Macedo, KD1CY photoEastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator and ARES SKYWARN Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, will present on “Interesting Stories about Ham Radio & Weather Spotting” on the ARRL Learning Network on Tuesday, February 11, 2021 at 8 PM EST (0100 UTC on Friday, February 12). To register, visit <https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1360666941733861134>.

“One of the most critical ways amateur radio supports agencies such as the National Weather Service (NWS), National Hurricane Center (NHC), and emergency management is through weather spotting via the NWS SKYWARN program. This presentation reviews some interesting stories about how amateurs involved in SKYWARN have saved lives and property and why this is an important amateur radio activity.”