On September 6, 2025, the Granite State ARA returned for its second year at the 4H Agricultural Fair in New Boston, New Hampshire, turning the fairgrounds into a quick-learning playground for all ages. They kept things hands-on, friendly, and pretty contagious for anyone curious about radios and community service. [Full story]
Portsmouth (R.I.) Dam Exercise, September 26, 2025 (approx.)
Jeremy Taylor, K1JST, writes on the RI ARES news list:We have been invited to participate along with several other VOADs in the Portsmouth Dam Emergency Damage Assessment Exercise to practice and demonstrate Volunteer Comms capabilities for the RI Local Emergency Management Directors.
We are looking for volunteers to participate as assigned during the Field Exercise, to provide communications during Dam Emergency Damage Assessments.
We are also looking for volunteers for a strike force to establish a remote internet link for personnel in Exeter to observe the event in real-time.
To sign up, please complete the form here: https://forms.gle/xovzjCK2PoErbj8aA
Meetings
ARES will discuss our participation at a meeting on September 17th via Zoom.
Exercise Timeline
(Exact dates TDB, but likely September 21 – 26 for remote play, Saturday September 27th for Filed Exercise)
Week before STARTEX – Teams may test equipment & Familiarize themselves with the Area at locations.
Tue – Wed 2000 – Request for Resources Drill for Comms and UAS teams/operators.
Sat – 0800 STARTEX – Report to Volunteer Reception Center/Staging Area.
0900 – Deploy to assignment & perform safety brief, systems checks & updated safety brief.
1015 – Commence Damage Assessments, Info. Flo & Mgmt.
1140 – Arrive back at VRC/Staging Area and check in.
1150 – Commence Hot Wash.
1200 FINEX
Tue – Wed 2000 – Request for Resources Drill for Comms and UAS teams/operators.
Sat – 0800 STARTEX – Report to Volunteer Reception Center/Staging Area.
0900 – Deploy to assignment & perform safety brief, systems checks & updated safety brief.
1015 – Commence Damage Assessments, Info. Flo & Mgmt.
1140 – Arrive back at VRC/Staging Area and check in.
1150 – Commence Hot Wash.
1200 FINEX
New Hampshire QSO Party, September 20-21, 2025
The Port City ARC based in Greenland, NH, which sponsors the NH QSO Party has updated the rules of the NH QP to include a mobile and portable category. It was created to promote both multiple county operation as well as leverage the POTA operator and its community, to all participate in this fun, 22 hour long event the weekend of September 20-21. Additionally, the non-NH operator multiplier credit has been changed – now you can work all ten (10) counties on all 5 bands for a maximum total of 50. This will promote a wider frequency range interest and add to the challenge.
The Port City Amateur Radio Club plans to deploy several two-person teams around the state in an effort to activate as many of the 10 counties as possible, utilizing the club’s new “Radio in a Box” setup (3 total) that has an FTDX-10, power supply and tuner. These systems proved successful during the ARRL 2025 Field Day and was the result of a club project.
The full set of rules can be found at NH QSO Party – Port City Amateur Radio Club
Join us on the air, starting Saturday, 12 noon, September 20 and again, 8 AM on Sunday, September 21.
Regards,
Mark, K1RX
President, PCARC
The Consortium Resumes, Manville RI, September 8, 2025
Bob Beaudet, W1YRC, writes:The Consortium is planning to start its program Monday, September 8. As it has been, the meeting will be held in the Manville Sportsmen’s Club, 250 High St, Manville, RI. Doors should be open at about 5:30 and the program starts at 7:00.
Jim K1GND shall present an interesting program and as always, we shall enjoy one another’s company.
York County Slow Speed CW Practice Net
Ed Ridolfi, K1RID, writes on the Port City ARC mailing list:
All are invited to join or listen in on the York County (ME) QRS Net tonite (Thursday) at 7 PM on 7.118. This is a slow speed, beginner-focused practice net.
Check in at any speed or experience level and copy the weekly message – 1st at around 15 WPM and then again at about 8 WPM.
Hope to see you on the air!
York County QRS Net (YCQRS)
When: Thursdays, 7:00 PM local
Where: ~7.118 MHz (± QRM)
Pace: ~5–10 WPM to start; up to ~18-20 WPM welcome
Comfort level: Beginner and 1st time cw ops are welcomed. Check in or just listen in. If listening, please email me any sig reports
SCRIPT to follow along:
V V V THE YORK COUNTY QRS NET STARTS AT 1900 ET V V V
V V V NET CONTROL IS K1RID ES ALL WELCOME TO CHECK IN V V V
CQ CQ CQ DE K1RID FER YCQRS NET =
NET IS OPEN TO ALL FER MORSE CODE PRACTICE =
PSE CHECK IN WID CALL SIGN ES NAME ONLY =
CHECK INS NW PSE FER YCQRS NET DE K1RID K
STATION CALLS: KC1CMF GIANNI K
NET CONTROL REPLIES: R R KC1CMF UR RST 599 NXT STATION PSE
THIS CONTINUES UNTIL ALL CHECK INS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN I WILL CALL EACH STATION IN ORDER FOR ANY COMMENTS OR SIMPLE GOODBYE LIKE: TNX 73 DE KC1CMF K
Next I will send: THIS WEEKS PRACTICE MSG FOLLOWS = <>
To close the net I will send:
GN ALL ES TNX QNI BST 73 DE KITTERY ES K1RID QRT SK dit dit
dit dit
73 de Ed, K1RID
CT Section Manager Newsletter, September 2025
ARRL Section Manager, Connecticut
September 3, 2025
CONTENTS
– Public Service and Youth Radio Activities for YOU!
– Hurricanes
– ARES – When All Else Fails
– Section Manager Cabinet Openings.
– New England Division “Ham of The Year”
Public Service and Youth Radio Activities for YOU! Book these Dates to come out to Play Radio and support your community.
September
9/16/25 – Region 1: Mass Casualty Communications Drill (A full Tuesday Event) Details at: https://ct-ares.groups.io/g/Announce/topic/r1_mass_casualty_drill/114876871
October
10/18/25 – Scouting’s worldwide Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) (A full Saturday Event) Working on confirming sites at: Ashford, New Hartford, Goshen, Redding, Greenwich (Need “Teams of 6” at each confirmed site)
General JOTA Info rmation at: https://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota
Volunteer Sign-Up @: https://tinyurl.com/4zj3tyfe
10/25/25 – ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) (a Saturday Morning Event) Details to follow: https://ct-ares.groups.io/g/Announce/topics
Hurricanes
Connecticut’s Hurricane Season 2025 is HERE! ARE YOU PREPARED? JOIN CT ARES www.ctares.org
ARES® – When All Else Fails®
Amateur radio operators use their ARES® training, skills, and equipment to provide communications during emergencies When All Else Fails®.
• Hams serve our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers, and wired and wireless networks.
• Amateur radio can function completely independently of the internet and phone systems.
• An amateur radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.
To learn more about ARES check out: https://www.arrl.org/files/file/ARES%20Fact%20Sheet_Final.pdf
To learn more about our local Connecticut ARES go to: https://ctares.org/
CT ARES needs YOU!
The ARES organization has 4 types of Emergency Coordinators (EC):
– the local EC for a town/municipality/group of towns
– the local Assistant EC
– the District Emergency Coordinator (DEC), one for each of 5 Regions
– the Assistant DEC, one or more for each of 5 DECs
Building CT ARES
I am pleased to announce that we have FOUR new ARES Emergency Coordinators (ECs) in CT ARES. Please congratulate and support these fine people.
REGION 1
Jeff Bustraan – KC1RQH: EC – Bridgeport
Conrad Trautmann – N2YCH: EC – Trumbull
Adam Hosa – N1AH: EC – Stratford
RE GION 5
John Ahle – W1JMA: EC – Ridgefield
More Positions to Fill
We have 169 towns/municipalities in CT which are divided into 5 REGIONS.
Not every one of them has an EC. Additionally, we are currently short two District Emergency Coordinators (DEC): Region 2 & Region 4.
Check out if an “EC” Position is right for YOU. Link: https://www.arrl.org/emergency-coordinator
For more information about CT ARES, go to: www.ctares.org\
CT Section Manager Cabinet Openings
I still have need of 2 people to complete my CT Section Cabinet Roster.
The work is simple, and the pay is “unbelievable” (LOL!) Contact, your friendly CT Section Manger: WA1SFH@arrl.org
– Section Youth Coordinator (SYC)
Promoting Amateur Radio activities to YOUTH, and next steps.
– Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC) – Pending
Keeping in touch with Affiliated Clubs, and encouraging other Clubs to become ARRL Affiliated Clubs
New England Division’s “Ham of the Year – 2025″
At this year’s North East HamXposition, the NE Division “Ham of the Year” Award was presented to: Dave “Tess” Tessatore, K1DT
Each of the NE Sections had their own runners up: Congratulations to David Tipping – NZ1J receiving the CT Section award.
Ham Radio is FUN!
SEE YOU ON THE AIR !
——————————————————————–
ARRL Connecticut Section
Section Manager: Douglas E Sharafanowich, WA1SFH
wa1sfh@arrl.org
——————————————————————–
Northeast HamXposition and New England Division Convention a Resounding Success!
The Northeast HamXposition (“HamX”) and ARRL New England Division Convention on August 21-24, 2025, was a resounding success. The weather for the Marlborough, Massachusetts, event was picture-perfect, the flea markets were buzzing with sales, and major equipment manufacturers Elecraft and Flex were back to exhibit their wares along with other vendors inside the bustling exhibition area.
According to HamX Program Chair Skip Youngberg, K1NKR,“This year’s four-day program featured 72 presenters who gave 82 talks and four workshops spanning over 101 hours.” It’s believed that this programming surpasses that of any amateur radio convention in the world in terms of quantity — or quality.
Topics included everything from antennas, outdoor EmComm vans and trailers on display, along with on-air activities such as POTA, contesting, and DX. There was even a special technical talk entitled “Demystifying Quantum Computing: Application of RF Control System.”
Special interest forums and “meet and greets” included YL, QCWA, New England QRP, MARS, ARRL sections, along with a well-attended youth forum.
HamXposition kicked off on Thursday night, featuring nationally known comedian Juston McKinney. On Friday, twenty convention-goers went on a bus tour of W1AW and ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, while full length educational seminars were held, including the ever-popular mini-Contest University hosted by K1EP and K1G. The Friday evening DX/Contest Banquet talk was presented by well-known multi-multi station owner Tim Duffy, K3LR, CEO of DX Engineering, a major sponsor of the convention.
On Saturday morning, popular QRP YouTube podcaster and influencer Thomas Witherspoon, K4SWL, gave an inspirational convention keynote address to a standing-room-only crowd.
The Saturday Grand Banquet featured Dr. Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, from the University of Scranton. Nathaniel is founder of Science Citizen Investigation (“Ham-SCI”). He enthralled the audience with descriptions of cutting-edge experiments conducted by ordinary radio amateurs who are helping to advance the knowledge of propagation and the Earth’s ionosphere.
Dozens of youth members of New England Sci-Tech, a nearby STEM/makerspace, attended throughout the weekend and at the two evening banquets. “Having young hams in the middle of the action in the [hotel] Atrium and running a number of presentations demonstrated the spirit of the future leaders in our hobby,” said Volunteer Chair Barbara Irby, KC1KGS.
HamX featured kit-building sessions led by Bob Phinney, K5TEC, and other volunteers. Under supervision, beginners were invited to build easy kits for a nominal cost in under an hour, ranging from Morse code oscillators, “blinky” name badges and night lights. All tools were provided. The kits were invented by students from New England Sci-Tech.
Members of the Providence (R.I.) Radio Association staffed the convention’s GOTA station, W1XPO. Under the guidance of experienced operators, newer hams made their first HF contacts.
Over $15,000 in prizes were awarded to convention attendees.
The flea market was the scene of many transactions, beginning early Friday morning and lasting until Sunday afternoon. “I want to give particular praise for the flea market, which had more vendors with better selections than in past years,” commented HamX attendee Chuck Chandler, WS1L.
HamX also featured programs on the lighter side, like the Board Games and Social Hour facilitated by Seth Kendall, KC1PZY. Additionally, late-night Open Mic Story Telling, led by Phil Temples, K9HI, allowed attendees to share their ham-radio-related “tall tales” to an attentive audience.
Diane Ortiz, K2DO, Vice President of YLRL, had high praise for the Northeast HamXposition. “I hadn’t been to this event in over 15 years and was amazed . . . It was truly a mini Dayton Hamvention!”
W1V—Wireless Society of Southern Maine 15th Anniversary Special Event, August 24-September 6, 2025
We’re celebrating our 15th Anniversary
with Special Event operations using the call sign W1V,
between August 24 – September 6!
During the two weeks, club members will take turns activating the call sign and we are offering a special certificate with the following endorsements for contacts:
Certificates will be available to anyone who works our station, in three achievement levels:
• GOLD – For anyone who contacts W1V on 10 or more different bands / modes
• SILVER – For anyone who contacts W1V on 5 to 9 different bands / modes
• BRONZE – For anyone who contacts W1V on 1 to 4 different bands / modes
We will also be offering certificates for operators, in the same levels. For example, if you activate 10 or more different band slots, you are eligible for a Gold level certificate.
Hamshack Hotline QRT, New W2DAN VoIP Server
Dave Neal, W2DAN, writes:
Just wanted to send an email out to let everyone know that Hamshack Hotline is shutting down at the end of this month. But the good news is I have started a new VoIP server.
It is the W2DAN New England Exchange or NEXNET for short. Anyone wanting to connect to my server please send me an email with your Name Callsign and type of IP phone you have. Also after you get a hard phone on the system you can use Ground Wire on your cell phone to stay connected.
The system is growing and at present I do have Allstar RF Linking connected into the W1SYE Repeater and a few other good ones located in Fall River and also the KO4FRR East Coast Reflector.
Also I have 10 Audio links that allow you to listen to WBZ AM 1030 Boston, Old Time Radio, BBC World Service, WHJJ Fox News AM 920 Prov and Paranormal Radio, etc. With Hamshack Hotline going down I wanted to provide a service here in New England for Clubs, MARS and EOCs. Any questions please let me know. Also Attached is a copy of the latest W2DAN New England Exchange Directory.
Thanks
—
Dave Neal W2DAN
Quartermaster, Woodrow L. Silva VFW Post 5392
Life Member
W2DAN New England Exchange Ext: 4001
Cell: 401-241-9888
w2dan@cox.net
“ARRL Serving its Members: NU2W’s Story”
The New England Division RFI Team assisted Tom Lanieri, NU2W, of North Chelmsford, MA, with a significant RFI problem he’s been suffering with for many years.
Tom writes: “I moved from central New Jersey ten years ago and knew from day one that my experiences with HF and amateur radio were doomed because of the noise and the HOA restrictions. So I dabbled in successfully resuscitating vintage gear: a full Collins S-line, Drake twins, Heaths, Hallicrafters, Hammarlunds, amplifiers, receivers, transmitters, and all the peripherals. It took me over 40 years to acquire reasonably repairable, functional priced radios.”
Then Tom was introduced to one of the New England Division RFI teams consisting of W1DAN, W1EMI, and N2YCH.
“After two-plus years, seven hours, two guest visits, RFI gear, and more than three-and-a-half hours of travel time for a few, they determined the very best I could achieve was to try some alternate signal-to-noise improvement methods. […]
“We tried everything. Something is out there—an electrically driven noise generator that disappears only with a local power outage. It is 24×7, in good weather or bad, regardless of season—and directionally, it has no origination point. I guess it will remain a mystery. However, I must state for the record that these three technicians, who have personal employment obligations, found the means to visit me. They were patient, tenacious and friendly, and I deeply appreciate it at incredible levels.”
Tom notes that it was a true learning experience. He and the team enjoyed “sniffing out noise” with different antenna arrays, scope/analyzers, and SDR devices.
“They left with me a new ARRL publication, Ham Radio for Indoors. I will read that thoroughly. Coupled with other ARRL books and their suggestions, I will try to adopt a new way of hamming. I am looking forward to their report, and I will consider all of the options they present, from a very stealthy thin wire dipole to a new whizzbang feature rich, RFI-eliminating rig.”
Tom concludes: “I am proud to be an ARRL member and to have met this entirely professional team of RFI techs. Please recognize them in some way.”
[We appreciate Tom sharing his experiences with these dedicated ARRL employee and field organization members! -K1KI and K9HI.]