The January, 2025 Western MA Section Newsletter is now available at https://wma.arrl.org/blog/2024/12/30/section-managers-report-january-2025/.
Win a Dream Station with the latest gear from Icom
From ARRL News:
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has introduced a sweepstakes, offering members the chance to win an Icom Dream Station including a limited-edition IC-7760 HF/50 MHz transceiver, IC-PW2 amplifier, and microphone, generously donated by Icom America. [Full story]
Fesseden Special Events Station N3V, December 21, 2024
[On December 24, 1906, the first radio broadcast for entertainment and music was transmitted from Brant Rock, Massachusetts to the general public.]
Lem Skidmore, W1LEM, writes on the Barnstable ARC mailing list:
The Charles County Amateur Radio Club (CCARC) will be operating a Special Event Station on Saturday, 21 December 2024, to commemorate the 124th anniversary of Radio’s First Voice. On 23 December 1900, Reginald Fessenden made the first wireless transmission of human speech between two sets of 50-foot masts erected along the shore of Cobb Island, in Charles County, Maryland.
Who: CCARC
What: Special Event Station, call sign N3V (for New Voice).
Where: Old Fisherman’s Field, Cobb Island, MD (a grassy field bordered by Cobb Island Rd, Route 254, and Neale Sound Drive, just over the bridge to Cobb Island)
When: Saturday, 21 December 2024, On-the-air operations are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET.
How: Contact N3V on various bands/modes of operation, QSL information at N3V on qrz.com. https://www.qrz.com/db/N3V
*Potential operations include various bands 40M, 20M, 15M, 10M on modes SSB and FT8.
*Echolink: Connect to EchoLink node KB3KOW-R and call for N3V.
*Check your favorite DX Cluster, such as http://www.dxsummit.fi, for current N3V spots.
(We intend to self-spot periodically, but if you hear us, please spot N3V to help draw traffic)
*US Islands Awards concurrent activation for Cobb Island, Island # MD020R. https://usislands.org/
*Visitors welcome to join us at the Cobb Island operations site.
*Hope to see you or hear you on Saturday!
73
Jeff – KB3SPH
ARRL Kids Day is Only a Couple of Weeks Away on January 4, 2025
From ARRL News:
Kids Day runs from 1800 UTC – 2359 UTC. Operate as much or as little as you like.
The event is designed to give on-the-air experience to young people, to foster interest in getting a license of their own, and give older hams a chance to share their stations and love for amateur radio with their children. You can share the excitement with your own kids, grandkids, a Scout troop, a church, or the general public!
All participants are encouraged to post their story and thumbnail photos to the Kids Day Soapbox page. Tell the world about your operations, the fun you had, and the contacts you made! Remember, ARRL must have a completed release form in order to include youth photos (younger than 18 years of age) in ARRL publications.
There will be a second ARRL Kids Day on June 21, 2025.
More information, including frequencies, suggested exchanges, and how to download a certificate, can be found at Kids Day.
Nashua Area Radio Society Fox Hunt, December 14, 2024
Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB, writes on the PART of Westford mailing list on December 14, 2024:
PART Fox Hunters,
The Nashua Area Radio Society will have a fox hunt today, and you are invited to hunt the foxes.
The following four foxes will be out in or around Mine Falls Park in Nashua by 10:00 am today (December 14th):
- Fox 0 – 146.595 – 500 mW
- Fox 1 – 146.565 – 500 mW
- Fox 2 – 146.535 – 50 mW
- Fox 3 – 146.505 – 15 mW
73,
Anita, AB1QB
Androscoggin (ME) ARC Special Event Station W1S, December 15, 2024
Cory Golob, KU1U, writes on the Androscoggin ARC mailing list:We will be doing a special event station at the American Legion Post 135 in Sabattus, Maine, this weekend, Sunday, December 15th, from 9 am to 7 pm. It is the 100th anniversary of the American Legion Post in Sabattus. We will use special event callsign W1S (for Sabattus).
New England Mesh Working Group Online Meeting, December 10, 2024
Ben Jackson, N1WBV, writes:
Just a reminder that the December New England Mesh Working Group monthly Zoom meeting is scheduled for Tuesday December 10th at 7:30PM. It is a pretty sparse agenda this month.Please let me know either here or offline if you have something to add.
Current Agenda:
* Intros
* Roundtable
* Closing
I’ve also been neglectful and never posted the recording of last month’s meeting. I will be fixing that shortly.
Please feel free to invite anyone who you may think would be interested.
73
Ben, N1WBV
[Zoom details available upon request]The Consortium Meets in Manville RI, December 2, 2024
The next Consortium will take place on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the Manville Sportsman’s Club, 250 High Street in Manville, Rhode Island.
Great Publicity for BEARS of Manchester Public Service in Thanksgiving Road Race
“How does the Manchester Road Race keep up the pace? Part of it is in the hands of the BEARS – a group of Ham Radio operators who lend their time and talents to help keep the Road Race running.” —FOX61 News [Full story]
Meriden (CT) ARC Technician Class Celebration
James Surprenant, AB1DQ, writes on Facebook:
Last night we celebrated the completion of our 2024 Technician License Class at the Meriden Amateur Radio Club. The Technician License is the entry level ham radio license today and for the past two years, our club has partnered with the Wallingford Adult Education Program to offer a licensing class to the local community.
Coordinating the project for the club has been a labor of love for me and once again I have enjoyed our weekly classes over the past nine weeks.
Next Tuesday our students sit for their license exams. I wish them good luck and hope they return in February when we will be offering our license upgrade class when they can pursue the next license level – the General Class.
