Early Speaker Callout, HamXposition / New England Division Convention, August 25-27, 2023

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HamXposition logoHamXposition Programs Committee Chair Phil Temples, K9HI, writes:

Don’t just attend the 2023 Northeast HamXposition @ Marlborough—BE A PART OF IT! 

The HamXposition Committee seeks fresh and exciting presentations for this year’s ARRL New England Division Convention, August 25-27, 2023. We’re looking for talks of both technical and non-technical natures. As a HamXposition speaker, you will have the opportunity to share your subject and knowledge with amateur radio operators from around New England, the surrounding states, and Canada.

In addition to workshops on Friday, we will feature forums throughout the day Saturday, Saturday evening entertainment, and a half-day Sunday program.

If you represent a regional club or organization (e.g. YCCC, NEQRP, WRONE, MARS, etc.) we can help facilitate open forums or closed meetings by providing you a meeting space.

Non-profit groups who wish to set up information tables should get your requests in early. While the tables are offered without charge, we ask for some volunteer time in return to assist us with ticket sales and other logistics during the convention.

To register as a speaker or presenter (or if you’d like to suggest someone), please go to https://hamxposition.org/speaker-form-t.html or email if you have additional questions.

We look forward to seeing you at the Convention.

New England Season Opener Du/Triathlon, Hopkinton MA, May 21, 2023

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Du Tri public service eventWorcester (MA) Emergency Communications Team writes:

We’re looking for amateur radio assistance with the New England Season Opener Du/Triathlon on Saturday, May 21 from 8:00 AM to around 12:00 PM.

Assignments will vary but will generally include various checkpoints along the route, start and finish line, and shadowing the triathlon coordinators. Times involved with each of the assignments will vary as well.  The event will be held at the Hopkinton State Park and includes a swim, bike and run that travels through Hopkinton, Southboro and Ashland.

More details on the triathlons are available on the Max Performance website.

For more details on the amateur radio assignments, contact WECT Events. To sign up to be an amateur radio volunteer, complete the online form.

Director’s Update for 1Q-2023

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The first quarter of 2023 has kept me busy on a variety of fronts. The following are a few things that I hope you’ll be interested in hearing and learning more about.

January 2023 Board Meeting

The January ARRL Board Meeting was one of the most productive in recent memory. In addition to approving the 2023 ARRL budget, the board passed over 15 motions many of which initiated programs and activities to benefit ARRL members. The following two slides summarize the actions taken by the board in January –

January 2023 ARRL Board Meeting Highlights
January 2023 ARRL Board Meeting Highlights
January 2023 ARRL Board Meeting Highlights Continued
January 2023 ARRL Board Meeting Highlights Continued

You can view the notes from the meeting here. I am particularly happy and excited to see the new ham development initiative moving forward.

Year of the Volunteer

The ARRL is fortunate to be supported by over 7,000 volunteers! The ARRL has designated 2023 as The Year of the Volunteers. In addition to QST articles and other publications that highlight the many contributions that volunteers make to the ARRL, the league is sponsoring a year-long operating event to recognize ARRL volunteers (and to have some fun). Here’s some information about the event –

Year of the Volunteer On-Air Event
Year of the Volunteer On-Air Event

You can find more about the event and see the leaderboard here.

Hamfests, Club Meetings, and Field Day

Jerry Burns K1GUP Recognized by the ARRL at the Maine State Convention for over 50 years of service as Net Manager for the Maine Seagull Net
Jerry Burns K1GUP Recognized by the ARRL at the Maine State Convention for his 50 years+ of service as Net Manager for the Maine Seagull Net

I am continuing to attend Hamfests and Club Meetings around our Division. This is one of the areas of my work as an ARRL Director that I enjoy the most! Here are our plans for attending additional conventions and hamfests in 2023 –

Plans for NE Division Hamfests
Plans for NE Division Hamfests

We are headed off to Dayton and I am looking forward to seeing and talking with folks from New England there. We are working on our plans for visiting folks during Field Day 2023. If you like us to try to include you in our 2023 Field Day visits, please email Anita at ab1qb@arrl.net and we’ll try to get you onto our schedule.

ISS Contacts

I have continued to remain active in the ARISS program which helps schools to make contact with astronauts on the International Space Station via Amateur Radio.

Council Rock South High School ISS Contact
Council Rock South High School ISS Contact

My work with ARISS includes acting as a Ground Station to provide radio links for school contacts as well as working with schools to help them to prepare for their contacts. Most recently, I had the pleasure to work with Council Rock South H.S. in Pennsylvania to help them with their contact. It was amazing! You can watch a video of the contact here.

License Training and Mentoring

Anita and I continue to support license training and the Ham Bootcamp program which helps Hams to learn to utilize their licenses and get active in Amateur Radio. We’ve taught Technician, General, and Extra licenses classes this spring where we helped over 20 people to get licensed or upgrade to General and Extra class licenses. We are hoping to transfer these programs and more to the ARRL so that they can benefit more Hams.

6m Antennas and Operations

6m Antennas at AB1OC-AB1QB
6m Antennas at AB1OC-AB1QB

I have been able to find a little time to upgrade our station in here New Hampshire. I’ve been working on our 6m weak signal antenna systems. We’ve installed 14 new 6m antennas including three stacks and two 7-element LFA antennas. You can read more about our 6m antenna project here. We are really looking forward to the 6m Es season this year. I only need 3 more countries for DXCC on the 6m band and I am hoping to work these during the Es season. I hope to work many folks in our division on the HF bands and 6m this summer!

I hope that folks have a chance to enjoy Amateur Radio this spring and summer. Stay safe and have fun!

Best and 73,

Fred, AB1OC

 

The Ride to End ALZ, Amateur Radio Volunteers Needed, Hampton Beach NH, June 3, 2023

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From ema.arrl.org:
 
Dan Loveman, K1DSL, writes on the North Shore RA mailing list:
 
The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research. The Ride to End ALZ is a major fundraiser from which 90% of all funds raised go directly toward research. Amateur Radio Operators provide communications support for the event by staffing rest stops and SAG vehicles.
 
This year’s Ride to End Alzheimer’s will be held on Saturday, June 3rd at Hampton Beach State Park, Hampton, NH. Click here for more information.
 
If you are interested in volunteering, registration instructions are as follows:
 
– Scroll down to “Amateur Radio Operator” and select “Sign-Up”
– Select “Save & Continue” at the bottom of the page
– Complete the Volunteer application and click “Sign Up Now” at the bottom
 
Please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Thanks and I hope to see you on June 3rd!
 
73,
Dan
 
Dan Loveman / K1DSL

Providence Radio Association Will Operate N1F / NAF During Armed Forces Day Crossband Test, May 13, 2023

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Providence Radio Assoc logoDave “Tess” Tessitore, K1DT, writes:

Armed Forces Day Crossband Test: May 13, 2023  1400Z – 2300Z (10 am-7 pm)

[The Providence Radio Association] will operate this annual Amateur Radio/Department of Defense joint exercise from the PRA clubhouse (and possibly Ft. Burnside) using the military callsign NAF – NEWPORT NAVAL RADIO STATION MUSEUM NEWPORT, RI. 

Thanks to W3LPL for securing permission from the DoD for us to use the original callsign NAF – NAVRADSTA(T) Newport for this cooperative military event and tribute to our US Armed Forces.

We have also secured the Amateur Special Event 1×1 callsign N1F so as to foster further activity in the ham bands! https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/armed-forces-day

 

Annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test, May 13, 2023

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From ARRL.org:

The US Department of Defense (DoD) will host this year’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test on May 13, 2023. This annual event is open to all licensed amateur radio operators and will not impact any public or private communications. For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have taken part in this event.

The AFD Crossband Test is a unique opportunity to test two-way communications between military communicators and radio stations in the Amateur Radio Service (ARS), as authorized in 47 CFR 97.111. These tests provide opportunities and challenges for radio operators to demonstrate individual technical skills in a tightly controlled exercise scenario.

Military stations will transmit on selected frequencies and will announce the specific ARS frequencies monitored. All of the times are Zulu (Z), and all frequencies are Upper Side Band (USB) unless otherwise noted. The frequencies used for the test will not stray outside the confines of the exercise.

A complete list of frequencies, time periods, QSL cards, and other information can be found at DoD MARS – Armed Forces Day.

AFD is a time of honor. It will be celebrated on Saturday, May 20, 2023. The first AFD was celebrated with parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. Today, many events and activities take place and may include multi-service military displays in areas open to the public, various educational activities that teach children about the armed forces, and large parades with local celebrations.

The longest running AFD parade in the United States is held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Certain types of music will be played at AFD 2023 events to show respect to those in the armed forces who died for their country.

 

Port City ARC to Activate USS Albacore and USS Thresher for Museum Ships On The Air Event, June 3-4, 2023

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Dave Taylor, N1FCC, writes on the Port City ARC mailing list:

[The Port City ARC] plans to activate two stations for the [Museum Ships On The Air special event, June 3-4, 2023].  We will operate from the USS Albacore museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as NM1JY and from the USS Thresher memorial in Kittery, Maine, as W1WQM.

Please reach out if you have any questions 

Dave Taylor N1FCC

Port City Amateur Radio Club

 

W1AW/1 Rhode Island VOTA Operation, July 26-August 1, 2023

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VOTA logoWe’re still looking for Rhode Island operators to help put W1AW/1 on the air [July 26-August 1, 2023]. You don’t have to be a big gun DXer or contester, or have the best station, to be an operator – just be on the air from Rhode Island. You can operate from home, a club station, or maybe from a friend or fellow club member’s station.

If you would like more information on participating as an operator for W1AW/1 Rhode Island, please contact Mike Corey, KI1U at mpcorey@gmail.com. You can also fill out this form to sign up as an operator: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3bm7fcV_4wdXE77A2Eeq2bG20g_VhpsYK0Nmy-xSHlNZvQA/viewform

 

CQ Foxhunting Weekend, May 13-14, 2023

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Joe Moell, KØOV, writes:

The annual CQ Foxhunting Weekend is coming Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14.  If your club hasn’t had its spring transmitter hunt, now is the time to plan it.  We’re not picky about the actual date—any weekend in the spring is fine—but it’s time to get the ball rolling.

There have been some changes at CQ Magazine in recent months, but it’s still being published.  You can read more information about Foxhunting Weekend, including results, stories and photos from last year, in the February 2023 issue.  There’s also lots of foxhunting information at www.homingin.com, including news of the USA ARDF Championships.

I look forward to receiving your Foxhunting Weekend reports and photos.  It will help spread the word about the fun of transmitter hunting, both mobile and on foot.

73,
Joe Moell K0OV
CQ Foxhunting Weekend Moderator
www.homingin.com

 

Providence (RI) Radio Association Holds Boy Scout Radio Merit Badge Class

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PRA Foundation logoThe PRA Foundation, the educational outreach arm of the Providence Radio Association, W1OP, presented a Boy Scouts of America RADIO Merit Badge class for members of Troop 2, Central Falls, RI.  Over the course of 5 weeks, Foundation Director Dom Mallozzi, N1DM, and President Dave Tessitore, K1DT, taught in-person classes at the PRA Clubhouse / W1OP station following the K2BSA Amateur Radio curriculum. Instruction was augmented with lab demonstrations, on-the-air experiences using HF and VHF, as well as CW and several OSCAR Satellite and ISS repeater contacts. The Scouts were thrilled and encouraged when, by sheer coincidence, we worked a young Ham on 20M SSB who had just become an Eagle Scout! Upon earning their Merit Badges, the Scouts and Scoutmaster were each presented with FRS handheld radios courtesy of the Foundation, along with an invitation to return for a Technician License Class.

Coming up in May, Dom and Dave will be joined by PRA Secretary Dave, W3DRE, and member Thomas, KC1QYD, as they present an Introduction to Amateur Radio, the Ionosphere, and Orbital Mechanics to an assembly of 360 eighth-grade science students at the Alan S. Feinstein Middle School in Coventry RI.  KC1QYD happens to be a member of that class, as well as being the youngest member of the PRA. His classmates are aware of Thomas’ many contacts via the International Space Station’s crossband repeater.  The lecture will be accompanied by an OSCAR demonstration as well as a live “Parks On The Air” ® station operating from the school grounds.

For info contact president@w1op.com.

PRA Boy Scout Radio Merit Badge class photo
Three smiling Scouts from Troop 2 Central Falls RI pose with Dave Tessitore, K1DT (L) and Dom Mallozzi, N1DM (R) after just earning their BSA Radio Merit Badge.