Technician Parks On The Air Event, Blue Hills Reservation (MA), November 20, 2021

Parks On The Air logoThe Boston Amateur Radio Club is hosting a Technician Class POTA day on November 20th at Chickatawbut Hill. Included is a press release for you to include in your club newsletter should you see fit.  All hams are welcome to attend. 
 
After the event Join us at the 110 Grill in Braintree afterwards for some food and drinks! Please include in your email if you will be joining us at 110 Grill so we can make a proper reservation.
 
 
Brendan Baldonado
President 
Boston Amateur Radio Club
 
 

Boston Amateur Radio Club Announces a Technician POTA Day, November 20th 10:30 am.

The Boston Amateur Radio Club will host a Parks On The Air (POTA) event with a special invitation to Technician license holders and new hams on November 20th, 2021. The event will take place in the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton at the Mount Chickatawbut summit. We will attempt to “activate” the park according to POTA rules using VHF, UHF, and the Technician
segments of the HF bands.

Bring your handheld and any other radio you want to try out on the summit. The club will provide some power sources and a few different antennas for you to experiment with.

You will also have an opportunity to operate on six and ten meters. Brendan, NW1S, and Joe, NV1W, will be on hand to answer questions and help introduce you to amateur radio in the great outdoors. There will even be prizes for accomplishments things like most contacts made, farthest contact, and most Technician bands used. Afterwards there will be a social event of food and drinks. You may park at a lower parking lot and hike the short path to the summit. The Boston Amateur Radio club is attempting to organize a car to bring those who cannot or wish to not walk the distance to the summit. Further information on the Blue Hills can be found at https://friendsofthebluehills.org.

Please email Brendan, NW1S at nw1s.brendan@gmail.com if you’re planning to attend.

Join us at the 110 Grill in Braintree afterwards for some food and drinks! Please include in your email if you will be joining us at 110 Grill so we can make a proper reservation.

We look forward to seeing you at the summit! Updates on the Tech POTA Day can be found at BARC.org, and @W1BOS on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you want to participate without making the trek up Mount Chickatawbut? You can hunt our operators on Saturday. Look for us on the POTA.app spot page, the @W1BOS Twitter or on the National Calling Frequencies. We invite your club to get on the Air with our Technicians and test out your VHF and UHF Equipment.

# # #

Greater Bridgeport (CT) ARC Fox Hunt, November 7, 2021

cartoon turkey operating ham radio stationPeter Cimino, K1PCN, writes on the Greater Bridgeport ARC wiki:

It is the season for pumpkin pie, apple cider and of course our monthly Turkey hunt. I, K1PCN-Peter, will be with the turkey at his roost somewhere in the greater Fairfield-Easton Region. The hunt will begin at 10AM. All GBARC and non-GBARC members are welcome to participate. The hunt will start at the park and ride at Exit 44 off the Merritt Highway (intersection of rt 58 and Merritt). The turkey will allow me to give hints every 15 minute or so. They will be radio and science based clues. One will be given in morse code-so be prepared.

The hints will be vague in the beginning and more specific to the end. Hot cider and donuts will await you at the roost. The purpose of the turkey hunt is to find a hidden radio transmitter. The turkey will not be harmed.

Recommended Starting Location:  Park & Ride Exit 44 off Merritt Parkway

Starting Time: 10:00 AM Local 

Fox Frequency:  147.485 MHz Simplex

Fox Power:  5W into a 1/4 wave antenna dropping to 1W at 11:30

Sponsor:  Peter K1PCN

Check in on:  441.700 or 146.445 Repeaters or Echolink (recommended)

En-Route Communications:  Contact K1PCN on the above repeaters or call 203-767-5888

GBARC fox hunt map

NH 2021 Simulated Emergency Test After Action Report

ARES logoWayne Santos, N1CKM, writes on NEDivisionSEC list:

Thanks to all stations and leadership for a well run and successful SET.

I know that there were issues with HF signals and some operators had problems with digital but you found a way to work around them.
 
Here is a brief report:
 
All local groups active except COOS.
 
Over 25 stations checked into HF Net and more importantly all local groups provided a liaison except COOS.
 
7 ARESMAT requests submitted to ARRL for sourcing.  Thanks to W8ZY for staffing this.
 
A full report will be forthcoming after receiving AAR comments from you.
 
Operators please submit your AAR comments to your ECs for consolidation.
 
ECs consolidate your AAR and submit to me.
 
State staff can submit comments directly.
 
All AAR comments need to be to me by the end of the day on Tuesday.
 
73 and thanks for your energy and effort.
 
Wayne
Wayne W. Santos
N1CKM
SEC
NH ARES
n1ckm@arrl.net

KC5HWB: “Getting Started with Allstar,” November 11, 2021

Allstar Link logoPresented by Jason Johnston, KC5HWB, of Ham Radio 2.0 – November 11, 2021 at 3:30 PM ET

Allstar is an internet-based connection network for linking repeaters and nodes. It can be used by home operators or with large-area repeaters. Today you will learn the basics of Allstar, how to get started with it, and how you can start using it yourself.

Register for this webinar at <https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XvqWBSwrTJKhp8_zbAZI2g?fbclid=IwAR0GIVnpdNFrh7NvndaDUwZZ32hTVB1sRxmeJrRlGmIurCqVCxnZSrGFyHQ>

RASON Fox Hunt, Norwich CT, November 6, 2021

Mark Noe, KE1IU, writes on the ctfoxhunter list:
 
A fox hunt will be held at Mohegan Park in Norwich, CT (https://norwichct.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/122).  The hunt will run on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.  Find as many foxes as you can in 2 hours.  We will have multiple fox boxes hidden around the park.  The frequencies of the boxes are listed below:

Fox H: 146.335 MHz; 1 mW output; Tx ON 100%, 300ft. range + CW ID.

Fox I:145.910 MHz; 25 mW; Tx ON 100%, 1 mile range.

Fox J:146.585 MHz; 0.5 W; Tx ON one min, 5 sec. OFF, Range 2 miles, CW ID.

Fox C – K1DCT: 147.455 MHz; 81 mW; 3 seconds on, 3 seconds off continuous

Fox B – NA1CN: 146.550 MHz; 1 Watt; PL 114.8; DTMF 1 to activate; 50 seconds of tones + CW ID

More foxes may be added, and if so I will send the frequencies out before the weekend.  Beginners are welcome, and if you meet me in the Upper Parking Lot, I will be happy to show you how to hunt.  Talk in on 146.730 MHz  (PL of 156.7).  If you are unlicensed and would like to get in contact with me, send me an e-mail at KE1IUMark@gmail.com and I will give you my cell number.

Many thanks,

-Mark

Mark Noe

ARRL 2021 Election Ballots

ARRL logovia ARRL Members list:

By now you should have received your ballot to vote for your Division Director election.

Ballots are due in Newington by 11/19, so mailing them now is important given the issues being reported about the USPS.

Of the thousands of ballots mailed, we did receive reports of some ballots taking until the end of last week to arrive. This, again, is a reflection of the USPS and their treatment of bulk mail this year.

If you have NOT received your ballot, contact us TODAY or TOMORROW! We will get a replacement ballot out to you immediately via First Class mail.

You can send your request for a replacement to dmiddleton@arrl.org.

Western MA November 2021 Section Manager Report

WMA Section logoHello everyone. On the http://wma.arrl.org website you will find my November report as well as September and October New Licensees. I would encourage all clubs to take a moment to reach out to the ones in your area and welcome them and offer any assistance to get them on the air. Less than 25% of all newly licensed hams get on the air. Outreach and mentoring can also increase club members. Please give it a try.

Thanks and also Happy Thanksgiving!

Ray KB1LRL

Mystic Marathon Communicators Needed, Hartford CT, November 14, 2021

Tim Rodgers, KC1TWR, writes on the Radio Amateur Society of Norwich (CT) mailing list:
 
Greetings.
Communicators needed!!
The Mystic 1/2 Marathon and 10k is on November 14th at 0800. Report time will be 0700 OR earlier.  The end time should be before 11:30 AM.This year the race will be just the 10K with the half marathon portion being virtual. 
 
If you are available to provide COMMS please email me back at TimKC1TWR@gmail.com  
 
Please provide me with the following:
1. Cell and home number,
2. If you have a mobile radio and external mobile antenna OR an HT with an external antenna. Mobile preferred. 
 3. T-Shirt size.
 
Information about the race can be found at:
 
Thanks in advance,
 
73,
Tim KC1TWR

ARDC Grant Award for the ARISS-USA STEREO Education Project

ARISS logoNovember 2, 2021 – ARISS‐USA is known for promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) by arranging live question/answer sessions via amateur radio between K‐12 students and astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). In the last two decades, over 1400 contacts have connected more than one million youth using amateur radio, with millions more watching and learning. ARISS is constantly pursuing opportunities to enhance and sustain our educational capabilities and outcomes.

ARISS-USA is pleased to announce that Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) awarded a 5-year grant for a project called, “Student and Teacher Education via Radio Experimentation and Operations” (STEREO). Total grant funding over five years is nearly $1.3 million. This ARDC grant will fund three distinct initiatives that enable ARISS to sustain and improve STEAM educational outcomes:

Part 1: ARISS is developing a wireless electronics technology kit called “SPARKI”, short for “Space‐Pioneers Amateur Radio Kit Initiative” for use with middle and high school students. This ARDC grant will take SPARKI from prototype to operational and then deploy these kits into a selected set of ARISS formal and informal education organizations that are planning their ARISS radio contacts.

Part 2: To be successful, ARISS must “Educate the Educator” by creating awareness of ARISS, amateur radio and SPARKI to prospective formal and informal educators in the USA. ARISS‐USA will conduct educator workshops for a selected set of educators to aid them in seamlessly employing SPARKI in their education environment and for ARISS to receive their feedback and ideas.

Part 3: The grant will support some of the costs of ARISS contact operations between students and astronauts aboard the ISS over the five-year grant period.

ARISS-USA Executive Director Frank Bauer welcomed this news by saying, “ARISS-USA is so excited about this new 5-year initiative. It will be a STEAM education game changer and represents a key element of our ARISS 2.0 vision. Most importantly, it brings wireless technologies and amateur radio into our ARISS formal and informal classrooms. We thank ARDC for their interest and support and look forward to working with them on this incredible initiative!”

ARDC’s mission is to support, promote, and enhance digital communication and broader communication science and technology, to promote Amateur Radio, scientific research, experimentation, education, development, open access, and innovation in information and communication technology.  ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radio’s practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances for the benefit of the general public – such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open-source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it.

About ARISS:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab‐Space Station Explorers, and

NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (NASA SCaN). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands‐on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.orgwww.ariss-usa.org. 

Media Contact:

Rita M. DeHart, PE

KC4RMS

ARISS-USA Director of Public Engagement