QRP Net Restart
Ed Ridolfi, K1RID, writes on the QRP mailing list:
Greetings fellow QRPers.
I have volunteered to restart the NEQRP Net with a few minor changes:
- the net will convene monthly on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 8 PM ET on 3.560 +/-
- My home QTH is Kittery ME, FN43 and I will be running 5 watts to a doublet of two 133′ legs up 60′ in the trees
- I plan on having a roundtable topic each month
The first net gathering will be this Wednesday the 29th at 8PM. This will be a directed but informal net. I plan to take check-ins after sending QNI. Please send your call as I build the list. Once we start the roundtable our initial topic this month will be:
- your member number
- rig
- power
- antenna and key type
For example: nr877 FT818 5w to doublet up 60 feet es bencher paddles
I am open to any suggestions and look forward to hearing everyone!
dit dit,
Ed, K1RID
Co-founder of Newburyport Electronics & Radio Society, K1YRD
Member: YorkCountyARC, PortCityARC, NEQRP, NAQCC, SKCC & CWOPS
Nashua Area Radio Society Winter/Spring License Classes are Open for Registration
Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB, writes:
The Nashua Area Radio Society will be giving license classes for all levels this spring and winter. The classes will be online via Zoom web conferencing and will include an online exam session at the end of the class. Here is the schedule:
- Technician Class: Saturday and Sunday, February 15th and 16th
- General Class: Saturday and Sunday, March 8th and 9th
- Extra Class: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 11th, 12th, and 13th
Our classes are based on the Gordon West License Manuals and include many demos to reinforce the materials.
You can find more information, including a link to the registration form at https://www.n1fd.org/amateur-radio-license-class/
2025 Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Volunteers Needed
Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes:
We need Amateur Radio Volunteers for the 2025 Boston Marathon. We still could utilize approximately 80 additional Amateur Radio Operators for race day. In addition, there will be no volunteer deadline extensions unlike past years so if you are even considering to register, please register before the listed deadline below of Friday 2/7/25.
In addition, there is a continued need for medical volunteers for the 2025 Boston Marathon and those interested in volunteering as a medical or general volunteer can use the register.hamradioboston.org link and they will be brought to the general volunteer page which can be utilized for those that are not Amateur Radio Operators to volunteer. It is possible if we resolve the email server/SKYWARN list issue that has not allowed our messages to reach all SKYWARN list participants that we will post this message again before the volunteer deadline to insure we reached everyone on the email list. Further details for Amateur Radio volunteers follow below:
Volunteer registration for the 2025 Boston Marathon is open and ongoing. If you’ve already registered to volunteer at the 2025 Boston Marathon, we’d like to thank you for your interest in joining our team!
For anyone who hasn’t yet, please don’t delay! Volunteer registration closes on Friday, February 7.
Registration Link (for new and returning volunteers):
https://www.baa.org/races/
Step by Step Sign Up Guide:
https://hamradioboston.
A few notes for volunteers:
Almost all amateur radio positions are single person assignments. We are not able to group people on a single assignment, but we will try to accommodate which segment you are assigned to in order to allow for similar start/end times.
We’d like to extend our sincerest congratulations to the winner of the Boston Marathon ARO bib lottery, Hector Cruz, KB3ZOO. We’re looking forward to cheering you on!
Final documentation is generally released during the first week of April. Before this can happen, we need the final logistical details from the various area coordinators for Start, Course, Finish, and Transportation. Where possible, we will release documents as they become available. In this case, look out for emails from the committee and your Team Captain.
As always, we appreciate your help in getting the word out to prospective volunteers. Please send this to hams or clubs that you think may be interested in joining us on the amateur radio team for the 2025 Boston Marathon!
If you have any questions about the content of this message or about volunteering at the marathon in general, please don’t hesitate to send them to contact@HamRadioBoston.org.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all again soon!
Thank you, and 73,
Boston Marathon Communications Committee
contact@HamRadioBoston.org
Respectfully Submitted,
Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@
Vermont QSO Party, February 1-2, 2025
Mitch Stern, W1SJ, writes:
The Vermont QSO Party starts Friday, February 1 at 7 PM. We hope to hear many of you on the air. The more Vermont hams get on, the happier all the participants are. Everyone is especially looking for some of those rare Vermont counties. If you are in places like Essex, Orleans, Caledonia, Franklin, Grand Isle, Orange, those are often the most requested ones. If you can go mobile and put some of the rare counties on the air, that is good too. Propagation will be good on ALL the bands 160-10 meters, so do get on and call CQ. Use the spotting network to let everyone know where you are whenever you change bands.
Read the rules! Go to: https://www.ranv.org/vtqso.html
If you operate on FT8 or FT4 some things to know:
- You must upload digital contacts from the WSJTx ADIF file SEPARATELY from the CABRILLO file containing the Phone/CW contacts. In other words do not try to log Digital and Phone/CW QSOs in your logging program. The upload will not work. Read the details on the web site. Don’t worry about your score – we will compute that for you. But you must upload a clean log. If not sure what to do, ASK NOW.
- If you are on FT8 or FT4, you cannot give out your county as a multiplier – only grid squares, which will be FN34, FN33, FN32, FN35, FN44).
LET ME KNOW your approximate schedule of when you will be on and where. I will post this to the web site (but don’t do this after Friday afternoon – I will be busy with the contest then).
CARE TO OPERATE a big station? I am looking for operators at W1NVT in Essex. Free training provided. You will have a ball working people. Contact me this week.
Let’s get on the air and have a ball!
Mitch
New England Division Update, February 1, 2025
The ARRL Board of Directors met on January 17 and 18. The minutes for the meeting are not available yet, but I promised to have a Zoom conference call after the meeting to give you an update. It’s been a busy few weeks since I took office!
Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, and I plan to hold an information session to give you the update on Saturday, February 1st at 1:00 pm via Zoom for New England Division ARRL members.
I hope you’ll join us as we work on some important initiatives for ARRL. We’re looking forward to your comments and suggestions.
Zoom connection info is below.
Very 73,
Tom Frenaye, K1KI
Tom Frenaye is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: New England Division update
Time: Feb 1, 2025 1:00pm Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting
us02web.zoom.us/j/86198518946?pwd=gsajtjrdCP9E2M88pmRLwk9KEEPH3R.1
Meeting ID: 861 9851 8946
Passcode: 592706
—
Dial by phone
+1 646 931 3860 US
Meeting ID: 861 9851 8946
Passcode: 592706
—
Tom Frenaye, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093. c: 860-597-4539 h: 860-668-5444
Tom Frenaye, K1KI
New England Division Director
k1ki@arrl.org
KB1EHE, KB1IFZ QRV from Antarctica
Eric Knight, KB1EHE, and Elsie Mathews, KB1IFZ, will be on the air from King George Island, Antarctica, beginning January 28, 2025.
The Unionville, Connecticut, husband-and-wife team have been planning their “trip of a lifetime” to Antarctica for several years. According to Eric, “Yesterday we went to JFK airport. […] Elsie and I had an uneventful (although long; 10.5 hours) flight to Santiago, Chile. After a three-hour connecting flight, we have landed in Puerto Natales. All of our ham gear successfully arrived with us. We will stay overnight here in Puerto Natales. Tomorrow morning we fly to King George Island, Antarctica—and the real adventure begins.”
Eric reports that they will be “attempting 20m SSB and FT8 on 20 watts with our Xiegu G90 and a homebrew vertical.” In addition to operating, hiking and exploring the Antarctica peninsula is on their itinerary.
For more information, follow their running updates at: https://www.dx-world.
Tom Frenaye Recognized as New England Division Director by ARRL Board
Newly elected New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, is awarded a certificate and pin by ARRL First Vice President Kristen McIntyre, K6WX, at the ARRL Board of Directors meeting on January 17-18, 2025 in Windsor, Connecticut.
New England Clubs QRV for Winter Field Day!
A number of clubs and individuals throughout New England will be participating in this weekend’s Winter Field Day festivities.
The Tri-State Radio Club will operate from their QTH on Blackwater Road in Canaan, NH. Contact Dave, WA1ZCN, at dbcolter@myfairpoint.net for details.
The Boston ARC will operate from a Ponkapoag AMC cabin in the Great Blue Hill Reservation in Randdolph, MA. Contact Scott at k1su.scott@gmail.com for more information.
The Wellesley (MA) ARS will be QRV for Winter Field Day. No details are known.
The Hampden County Radio Club (Agawam, MA) is encouraging its members to operate individually.
The Port City ARC will be active from its club room in Seabrook, NH. Contact Mark, K1RX, at mpridesti@yahoo.com for details.
The Barnstable ARC gang will be QRV from the Dennis, MA, firehouse. Contact KT1OK@ARRL.net for more info.
The Meriden ARC is operating WFD at the Wallingford Emergency Management building in the Hope Hill Firehouse, 143 Hope Hill Road, Wallingford, CT. (They have pizza!)
The PVRA Repeater Club will hold its Winter Field Day at 33 Mitchell Drive, Manchester, CT. Contact Mark N1SAT mark@n1sat.com if interested.
The Southeastern MA ARA will hold its WFD indoors at the W1AEC clubhouse in South Dartmouth, MA. Contact ben@n1wbv.net for more information.
Just like the summer version, Field Day, Winter Field Day is about going to a different location than your home, operating on a power source other than electrical from your wall, being in a temporary shelter or location and talking to other Winter Field Day participants. If you operate SOTA or POTA, think of it as a full 24 hour activation.
But Winter Field Day can also be operated from your home using different power sources or electrical, your home station or portable or any way you wish to enter. There are different points awarded for different power sources and different power levels and locations.
To learn more about Winter Field Day, visit https://winterfieldday.org. The site features a map of registered WFD operations.
ARRL CT Section NCS Operator Training Workshop, Newington CT, February 1, 2025
Douglas Sharafanowich, WA1SFH, writes on the CT-ARES mailing list:
What: Net Control Station Operator Training Workshop
Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025
Time: 0830 – 1200
Place: Newington Volunteer Fire Dept. – Company #1, 1485 Main Street, (Cross Street: Centerwood Road), Newington, CT
The ARRL CT Section is excited to announce its upcoming, in-person, Net Control Station (NCS) Operator Training Workshop.
Target Audience:
Members of ARES*, Skywarn, the National Traffic System (NTS), and other Hams wanting to build more skills.
– This comprehensive, fast paced, hands-on workshop is designed to not only to give attendees the foundational training they need to start conducting a Radio Net successfully, but also to provide “a refresher” for experienced Net Control Station Operators.
Be Part of our NCS Operator Team!
Don’t Miss it!
REGISTER TODAY at: https://tinyurl.com/mw9e6und
Pre-Workshop Reading Assignment
Please read “The First 15 Minutes” presentation, and write down your observations.
We will begin the Workshop with a discussion of what happened, focusing on:
The Good, The Bad, and THE UGLY.
LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yc5erdcm
Note:
* ARES members
This workshop prepare you for the ARES Emergency Communicator Individual Task Book – Level 2 Participation requirement: “Serve as Net Control”