Support Your Park, Connecticut POTA Operation and Potluck, October 20, 2024

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Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH, writes on the CT-POTA list:
 
Greetings all,
 
I don’t think it would be possible to have ordered up weather any better than we had this past weekend for our fall support your parks weekend. The mornings were crisp and cool, the afternoons perfect for POTA and the New England trees were right at the peak of color in most places in CT. 

We had yet another successful special event with K2D with a number of operators using it this weekend. All logs submitted to me have been uploaded. Considering JOTA and a number of QSO parties were also occurring at the same time, we did pretty good.
 
We did another park to park net, thanks Shawn for acting as net control.  The pot luck picnic was wonderful on Sunday with good food and lots of POTA discussions. It was great to see a number of new faces out this time, welcome all. We hope you had a good time and will continue to attend future SYP events. Here’s a photo of our gathering yesterday. Until the next one, which will be in January, 73 all!
 
CT POTA Potluck Oct 2024
 

Nashua Area Radio Society Ham Bootcamp, November 9th

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Ham Bootcamp

 

The Nashua Area Radio Society will be holding an online Ham Bootcamp on Saturday, November 9th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time.

Ham Bootcamp is a program to help new, inactive, and prospective hams gain the skills and information that they need to Get On The Air.  It is open to any interested Ham or Prospective Ham in the US and Canada and there is no charge to attendees.

The morning session is geared toward operating on the VHF/UHF bands:

  • Putting together a Station for Repeaters – How to pick an HT or Mobile Radio and an Antenna
  • Radio Programming Tutorial
  • Making Contacts and Joining a Repeater Net
  • Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites
  • Getting Started with Fox Hunting

The afternoon session is geared toward operating on the HF Bands:

  • Putting together an HF Station for SSB, CW, and Digital
  • Picking and putting up an HF Antenna, Feedlines, and Grounds
  • Operating on the HF bands using SSB Voice
  • Getting started with WSJT-X and FT8 Digital

We will also have a breakout session where attendees can choose one of the following sessions:

  • Learning CW
  • Finding DX, Logging and QSLing
  • Portable Operating

… and more!

Registration is now open for the November 9th session.

You can get more information about Ham Bootcamp, including a link to register at n1fd.org/bootcamp 

You must register to receive the link to join the web conference.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at bootcamp@n1fd.org.

GSARA Parks On The Air Meetup, Allenstown NH, October 19, 2024

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Prepare for an exciting amateur radio day at the Granite State Amateur Radio Association‘s Fall Parks on the Air (POTA) Meetup! Please mark your calendars for **October 19th** as we gather at the **Bear Brook State Park Pavilion** from **10 AM to 4 PM**.

This event promises a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow radio enthusiasts, explore the park’s beauty, and participate in POTA activities. Whether you’re a seasoned operator or just starting, there’s something for everyone!

In addition to the main event, we’ll be camping for the SYP (Support Your Parks) event over the weekend, allowing for even more camaraderie and fun under the stars.

Don’t miss this chance to enhance your skills, share experiences, and enjoy the outdoors. For more details, visit our https://gsara.org/pota/fall-meetup. We can’t wait to see you there!

 
 
GSARA POTA Meetup Oct. 19, 2024

Get ready for the 2024 ARRL Online Auction

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2024 ARRL Online Auction image

The 19th annual ARRL Online Auction preview is now open. Bidding begins at 10 am ET on Friday, October 18 and runs through 10 pm on Thursday, October 24.

This year’s auction features an assortment of product review equipment, vintage books, the popular ARRL Lab “junk” boxes, and new donated ham radio gear.

If you are interested in great bargains, a good cause, and some fun – check out over 200 items up for bid. Plus, keep an eye on the ARRL Facebook and Instagram pages for featured products and highlights throughout the event.

Proceeds from the annual Online Auction benefit ARRL education, licensing, and training programs. For more information visit arrl.auctionanything.com.

Sponsored by RT Systems Inc.

Connecticut Section Simulated Emergency Test, October 26, 2024

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CT ARES logoPhil Crombie, K1XFC, writes:
 
As I’ve been announcing on the Sunday night analog and DMR ARES nets, the Connecticut SET will take place on Saturday October 26 from 0900 to 1200 hours.  The purpose of the SET is to engage as many ARES members as possible in testing their emergency communications capabilities.  We do this following a probable scenario that could impact Connecticut.  Last year was a hurricane with information that built up during the week before the test.  On SET Saturday we tested VHF, UHF, HF and digital communications modes.  We also activated a number of local EOCs.  Details on this years scenario will be provided as we get closer to October 26; thirty days from today.
 
The purpose of this email is to get the event on your calendars and to encourage everyone to set aside the time to participate.
 
More information to follow.

73,
Phil Crombie, Jr., K1XFC
Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
Connecticut Section
Cell: 860-338-6332
crombiejr@snet.net

NextNav, Inc. 902 MHz Proposal and its Potential Impact on Meshtastic

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On Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 5:08 PM Ez via groups.io <Ez.W1AEZ=gmail.com@groups.io> wrote:

Only 4 days left! It is vital (and free) to take action before September 20th, 2024

What is going on? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently allowing public comment on a proposal by NextNav Inc. that would reconfigure the 902-928 MHz band used by amateur radio and Meshtastic, and replace it with a backup GPS system.

At the very least, this is likely to disrupt range and performance of Meshtastic devices- but the implications could be far wider.

Take action before September 20th, 2024

The fastest way to take action is to submit an Express Comment at the FCC website. Here is a direct link with docket number pre-filled. Or click here to learn more.

Your action is vital to keeping the 900 Mhz network open to all!

Crichton at Meshtastic has a detailed writeup at the Meshtastic blog, as well as a published opposition letter from Meshtastic President JM Casler. We encourage all to read Crichton’s post to get a full understanding of the FCC proposal and the negative effects it would have on the Meshtastic community.

Only 4 days left to take action, then the FCC will make a decision

The fastest way to take action is to submit an Express Comment at the FCC website. Here is a direct link with docket number pre-filled. Or click here to learn more.

No BIG E Amateur Radio Exhibit for 2024

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“There is no ham radio booth at the BIG E this year,” writes BIG E Coordinator Larry Krainson, W1AST. 
 
Last year’s effort was a huge success, and included The BIG E Space Chat, a live ARISS contact with the International Space Station at the BIG E fairgrounds. 
 
Larry is getting phone calls and emails from folks inquiring about a 2024 event.
 
“Someone has shown interest and there may be one next year. More info to follow in a few months.”