We Need YOU at the Amateur Radio Booth at The BIG E!

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Amateur Radio will be on public display like never before at The BIG E in West Springfield, MA from September 16 – October 2, 2022. Over a million people will visit the Fair over the 17-day period. We need ham radio “Goodwill Ambassadors” to staff the booth and promote our hobby-service to the public and potential licensees.

Who: Amateurs like you who enjoy interacting with the public

What: You’ll be demonstrating ham radio contacts and sharing Amateur Radio information with the public (talking points will be provided)

When:

Two shifts per day, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM (first session) and 3:30 PM -10:00 PM (second session) on some days

Dates/times available:

  • September 16 (Military Appreciation Day), second session, 1-2 more people needed
  • September 17 (Maine Day), second session, 2 more
  • September 19, first session, 2 more
  • September 20 (Rhode Island Day), first and second sessions, 3-4 more
  • September 22 (Massachusetts Day), second session, 2 more
  • September 24 (Vermont Day), first and second sessions
  • September 25, second session
  • September 26, first and second sessions
  • September 28, first and second sessions
  • September 29, first and second sessions
  • September 30, first and second sessions
  • October 1, first and second sessions
  • October 2, first and second sessions

Where: Booth #103 inside Door 6 of the Better Living Center

How:—Sign up via the following link, which will list currently-available sessions:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9_iH1ZucHuCFCNwreEuVPWnmLOT5D_s92vHPuEUASS78Tew/viewform

SEE YOU THERE!

AC1LC Appointed New Hampshire Public Information Coordinator

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NH iconPete Stohrer, W1FEA, writes on the New Hampshire ARRL Members List:

I am pleased to announce that Raul “Skip” Camejo, AC1LC, has been appointed as Public Information Coordinator for the NH Section of the ARRL.

Skip’s background and experience in law enforcement with the State of Connecticut and Public Information Officer dealing with multiple media organizations will be of great value to the NH Section.

Skip will be available to assist the PIO’s in the amateur radio clubs and ARES groups throughout the Section with the overall goal to promote interest in Amateur Radio to the non-ham population within NH.

Skip’s contact information;

Email  AC1LC@outlook.com
Phone (603) 707-9848

Please join me in welcoming Skip to the NH ARRL Field Organization.

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FEMA, NTS Cooperation Lauded

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NTS logo[Charlie Rocheleau, W1CPR, is a FEMA Communications Specialist in the MAssachusetts Task Force 1 (MA-TF1.]

Thanks so much for the follow up with our [radiogram] traffic.  The dedication and skill of the NTS members is without parallel.  I believe it to be a national treasure that must be maintained and strengthened during these very uncertain world events.  ALL of our traffic is sent HF using PACTOR and no infrastructure. 

We appreciate your hard work. 

During a lengthy meeting with Washington a few months ago, HQ asked us to investigate any and all methods of contacting team members during a catastrophic communications failure.  MATF ran tests with NTS a few months ago.  We put almost 250 radiograms through the system and they were extremely successful.  We learned some lessons and everyone got great practice.

The Alerts I sent out today were real world alerts as the task force MA-TF1 (FEMA US&R) is on stand-by for a deployment to Kentucky.  Steve Hanson, KB1TCE, runs a digital hub in Owls Head, Maine and has been my go-to person for injecting these messages quickly into the NTS system.

Best to you and your team,  and thanks for passing the traffic!

-Charlie Rocheleau, W1CPR

 

Postscript:

Winlink messages received at KB1TCE for insertion into DTN are forwarded to KW1U MBO for distribution through the DTN network. Having received an alert from W1CPR that 40 Priority messages would be coming this way, I alerted key MA traffic handlers to be ready and these folks did a fantastic job of getting them out. KC1MSN took a total of 11 off the board for EM2MN, W1RVY took and delivered one and I delivered one to Maynard and distributed most of the rest via First Region Net to K1UAF, WX1T and KC1KVY who either delivered or distributed further. W1LEM also took Cape Cod traffic off the board. Kudos to all the folks who helped get all 40 out in one day.
 
Marcia KW1U

Ham Assistance Requested: Dempsey Challenge – September 24-25 – Lewiston, Maine

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Keith Anoe KE4UCW writes:

Greetings All,

It is time to start thinking about the 2022 Dempsey Challenge. I will be coordinating this year with Cory KU1U as the NCS again.

To this end, I’m reaching out to see if you would like to volunteer for the event again (7 Rest Stops, 12 SAGs). This year the event is scheduled for September 24th and 25th. Our support will be on the 25th for the ride events. The course is the same as last year.

The only change that we will have is we will need to meet on the 24th so that we can go over any last-minute changes and have our final event brief.

If you would like to participate this year, please send me your phone number and t-shirt size, and indicate if you would like the same assignment.

I’m meeting with the event organizer this week. After the meeting, I will send an update, so we are all on the same page as we move forward.

If you know of anyone that would also like to volunteer, or if I missed someone, let me know or give them my contact information.

Current Scheduling:

Saturday, September 24th, Time TBD – Event Brief.

Sunday, September 25th, Time TBD – Ride events.

The last thing is thanks for your time and if you have any questions or concerns, let me know.

73

Keith

Keith Anoe / KE4UCW

Maine Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC)

Androscoggin County Emergency Coordinator (EC)

(207)629-7197

keith@anoe.us

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K9HI: “HamXposition: It’s Not Your Father’s Boxboro” at Billerica (MA) ARS Meeting, August 3, 2022

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Billerica ARS logoFrom https://ema.arrl.org:

Now that you know what it isn’t, come to the next Billerica (MA) ARS meeting and hear what it is from HamXposition Program Chair Phil Temples, K9HI.

Phil will highlight some of the exciting talks and presentations lined up on the three-day program, as well as discussing some of the less-known activities that will occur at the Convention on August 26-28, 2022 at the Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center in Marlborough.

(By the way, it’s okay to forget and call it “Boxboro.” Phil does it occasionally, too!)

Phil Temples is ARRL Vice Director for the New England Division and a former Eastern MA Section Manager. A ham for over fifty years, he’s a Life Member of the ARRL and QCWA.

[For Zoom conference details, email Bruce Anderson, W1LUS, at w1lus -at- hotmail -dot- com.]

 

Media Hits From ARISS Contact at Challenger Learning Center of Maine

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International Space StationRosalie White, K1STO, writes:

All, here are two nice media hits on the ARISS radio contact for Challenger Learning Centers–with these stories being specific to the Challenger Learning Center of Maine:

Kids in Bangor reach for the stars by speaking to astronaut – News Center Maine
Bob Hines called in using amateur radio, giving kids at Challenger Centers across the country the opportunity to ask questions.
https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/kids-in-bangor-making-a-connection-to-space-maine/97-422d53cf-3d8c-449d-b4b9-6f2d5121df59

Challenger Maine campers speak with NASA Astronaut aboard ISS – WABI
The Challenger Center and the Amateur Radio on the ISS hosted the live conversation.
https://www.wabi.tv/2022/07/28/challenger-maine-campers-speak-with-nasa-astronaut-aboard-iss/

SECARS-sponsored Fox Hunt, 4-H Fairgrounds, N. Stonington, CT, July 31, 2022

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Mark Noe, KE1IU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list:
 
On Sunday, July 31, SECARS [the Southeastern Connecticut Amateur Radio Society] will be holding a fox hunt at the North Stonington Fairgrounds located at 23 Wyassup Road, North Stonington, CT 06359.
 
This event is being held in conjunction with the New London County 4-H Fair. Some of the foxes will be within the fair event itself, while others will be around the perimeter. The fair charges $3 admission.  
 
SECARS will have an HF amateur radio station setup near the fair office and flagpole at a member’s travel trailer. At the trailer, you will find a list of all the boxes and associated frequencies that are deployed around the fair. 
 
If you join us, please recognize this is intentionally being held at a public, youth focused event. As such, please expect to get asked some questions and provide outreach to generate interest in amateur radio.  Our fox boxes will be out between 10 AM and 1 PM.
 

RRI “Basic Radiotelephone Net Procedures” Class, July 28, 2022

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Charlie Rocheleau, W1CPR, writes:

On Thursday, July 28 at 8:00 PM EDT, Radio Relay International will be conducting class TR-008 entitled “Basic Radiotelephone Net Procedures.”

This class covers basic voice procedures that are applicable to both traffic nets and tactical nets. The class runs about 2 hours and is interactive in nature. One will also learn about training tools that can be implemented on local ARES/EmComm nets to improve their training value and better prepare rank-and-file volunteers for an important supportive role in emergency response.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8097670691?pwd=U0NuZm00UWhKUmJubDVVUjE1aEVIZz09

Meeting ID: 809 767 0691
Passcode: Vibroplex
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Meeting ID: 809 767 0691
Passcode: 278063179

New England Sci-Tech Space Science Club Up and Running!

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Youth at New England Sci-TechNew England Sci-Tech, a STEM education center and makerspace in Natick, MA, is running a 12-month space science program for students in New England in grades 4-12. Amateur radio is part of this effort; in the last week of September 2022 (NASA determines the date and time 10 days out), students enrolled will have the opportunity to speak to an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of an ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) contact (“The BIG E Space Chat”). ARISS coordinators partner with educational groups in programs that involve education around space technology and research, as well as wireless technology and communication and radio science.

Some of the Space Science Education Program courses that have already started at New England Sci-Tech include:

  • Amateur radio Technician level classes
  • Model Rocketry Workshops
  • Introduction to Morse code classes
  • Introductory Mathematics for Modeling Rocket Flight

Upcoming classes/offerings include:

  • Introduction to Basic Electronics
  • Introduction to Arduino Electronics
  • Air Powered Rockets
  • Public Telescope Nights

The “Space Chat” will be held in the Arena at The Big E Exposition in W. Springfield, MA and those in attendance will learn more about the Space Science Club, background on amateur radio and ARISS and be able to listen in on the questions that the students ask the astronauts during the ~10-minute window during which the 2-way conversation is possible with the ISS.

All welcome!