Send-A-Letter Campaign: Ask Your Representative and Senators to Co-sponsor and Support H.R. 1094 and S. 459

ARRL logoYOU CAN HELP US CHANGE THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF AMERICAN HAMS

The ARRL is focused on reducing legal restraints on the ability of American Amateur Radio Operators to engage in the active practice and enjoyment of Amateur Radio.  One of the most insidious and increasing threats to the survival of Amateur Radio and our ability to serve our communities and Nation, as we are required to do by Federal regulation, is the proliferation of private land use restrictions that prohibit the installation of outdoor antennas and that sometimes actually deny Federally licensed Amateurs from operating any amateur radios, regardless of where their antennas are located — in their attics, hidden in trees, or mounted on their vehicles.

Federal law — since 1996 — has guaranteed to every American — except Amateur Radio Operators — the right to erect antennas outside or on their residences for the purpose of TV reception, satellite TV and internet access, wireless internet access and even wireless internet redistribution. But Amateur Radio operators are denied the equal right to erect comparable antennas.

Since 2005 Federal law has also guaranteed to every American the right to proudly display the American Flag by installing flagpoles in their yards. But, despite that right to install vertical poles in their yards — American Radio Amateurs are denied the right to use those vertical flagpoles as vertical antennas.

We believe the denial — to licensed Amateur Radio Operators — of the rights guaranteed to all non-Amateur Radio licensed American homeowners — the right to install antennas on the land they own — is without justification and should not be permitted to continue.

To eliminate these private land use restrictions, the ARRL has worked over the past several years with our elected officials to draft Congressional legislation — H.R. 1094 in the U.S. House of Representatives and S. 459 in the U.S. Senate — that when passed will extend to all Hams the right to operate from their homes and the right to install antennas on the land they own. We have bipartisan support for this legislation.

BUT, WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION!

How can you help? By sending a letter to your Representative and Senators asking that they co-sponsor and support H.R. 1094 and S. 459.

How can you send these letters? It is easy.

Go to — https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/ — enter your call sign and click on “Send My Letters” and your letters will be delivered to our Washington legislative team for hand delivery to your Representative and Senators.

Does your individual letter matter? YES.

Your Representative and Senators need to know that the passage of this legislation is important to you.

Your letter could be the difference in whether we are able to pass H.R. 1094 and S. 459.  

Go to — https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/ — and help us by sending your letters to your Representative and Senators.

Chowdercon 2025, Four Tree Island, Portsmouth NH, September 19, 2025

NEQRP logoCarl Achin, WA1ZCQ, writes on the NEQRP mailing list:

Most of you have this on your annual calendar of must attend events, but, just in case you don’t, Chowdercon 2025 is this coming weekend. Friday the 19th through Sunday the 21st.

What is Chowdercon? It’s a long running fun event that mostly takes place on Four Tree Island New Hampshire.

It’s a celebration of the end of Summer, beginning of Fall (always held on the 3rd Saturday/, the equinox weekend) in September.

There’s a 4:30 PM kick-off dinner banquet at Al’s Seafood in North Hampton, usually a breakfast gathering in Portsmouth around 7 AM and to Four Tree Island by 8 AM to grab a picnic table and set-up your Field-Op station.

Lunch is at Geno’s Sandwich Shop, and around 4 PM we breakdown and head to our farewell seafood supper banquet.

Diehards sometimes return on Sunday for more Island operations and a late lunch / early supper.

Anyone interested in the Friday 4:30 PM Seafood opening supper??? Please RSVP so I can arrange seating at Al’s Seafood.

More later. Hope to see YOU at Chowdercon 2025.

7 3 

Connecticut ARES Assists in Bridgeport Hospital Drill

Screenshot of EmComm Drill St. Vincent Med Ctr Publicity CT ARESMark O’Grady, KC1UHV, writes on the Greater Bridgeport ARC mailing list:
 
[Connecticut Amateur Radio Service was mentioned favorably in this television news story.] 
 
From NEWS12 Connecticut: “From Dozens of nurses and doctors at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport spent Tuesday morning engaged in a hands-on emergency preparedness drill. The drill, which began just after 9:30 a.m., involved several scenarios designed to strengthen coordination among staff members and departments.” [Full story]
 

Ray LaJoie, AA1SE, Declared Elected as Western MA Section Manager

ARRL logoFrom ARRL News, 09/12/2025: 

Below are the results of our recent Section Manager nomination period for the term beginning January 1, 2026, and declared elected, with no opposition:

New Section Managers:

Michigan – Ralph Katz, AA8RK
Santa Barbara – Keith Elliott, W6KME

Continuing:

Alabama – Dennis Littleton, K4DL
Alaska – David Stevens, KL7EB
Delaware – Steven Keller, KC3DSO
East Bay – Mike Patterson, N6JGA
Kansas – Ron Cowan, KBØDTI
New Mexico – Bill Mader, K8TE
Tennessee – David Thomas, KM4NYI
Western Massachusetts – Ray LaJoie, AA1SE

The ARRL Field Organization is the grassroots corps that makes up the 60,000 volunteers among ARRL membership. It is divided into 71 Sections, each of which is led by a volunteer Section Manager who is elected by the members of the Section. Section Managers serve two-year terms.

Maine ARRL Section News

ARRL logoWhat a fun time I had at the Windsor Hamfest last week. It was great seeing all the “Seagullers” and other hams around the state, including Mike KC1RCG and Leasa AC1UR Garvin, who drove all the way down from Houlton to attend. We had a good NTS Nets meeting with awesome attendance. The event had great food, fellowship and fun. Thank you to Jose Douglas KB1TCD and crew and the Lincoln County ARC for organizing the hamfest.

Alexander Hamfest!

The last Maine hamfest of the year is the Alexander Hamfest, sponsored by the Saint Croix Valley Amateur Radio Club, and will be Saturday, September 20 from 8am until noon. The hamfest is located at the Alexander Elementary School, 1430 Airline RD (RT-9) in Alexander.  Talk-in is on the W1LH Cooper Mountain Repeater 147.330+ pl 118.8.  Don’t miss the opportunity to sell, trade, or buy some awesome deals, or win one of the many door prizes.

Pine State ARC 50TH Celebration

Congrats to the Pine State Amateur Radio Club for its upcoming 50th anniversary, for which they are celebrating with a catered banquet on October 11. If you would like to purchase tickets to the banquet, or join the club, contact PSARC President Ed Paradis, wi1z@arrl.net or call 207-702-7733.

EAWA POTA

The Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association will be conducting a Parks-On-The-Air on Saturday morning, October 11 at the Lamoine State Park. All are welcome.

Radiogram Training

Jim Kutsch, KY2D, will be starting up his excellent radiogram training sessions again on the second Sunday of each month. Starting September 14, at 5:00PM on 3.940 MHz, Jim will start the training from the beginning, and progress each month. If you do not have 75 meters capability, no worries. You can point your browser to the Sebago Lake SDR and customize the settings to listen to 3940. 0 kHz LSB. The web site is sebagolakesdr.us:8901. Works great!

Kudos to Ham Volunteers

Many thanks to all the Maine ham radio operators who volunteer consistently for public service events, relaying radiograms via the National Traffic System, drill and hone skills through their Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), or RACES or other EmComm group, proctor FCC exams as Volunteer Examiners, or mentor/assist other hams, serve as club officers and other leadership positions. Without your efforts, ham radio would be a lot less fun.

Maine Slow Speed Net

If you are new to CW (Morse Code), 0r a bit rusty, consider checking into the Maine Slow Speed Net Monday through Friday at 6:00PM on 3.585 MHz. Net control usually sends around 10 to 13 words per minute, but will gladly slow down to any speed with which you are comfortable. This is a great net to practice your cw!

——————————————————————–
ARRL Maine Section
Section Manager: Philip W Duggan, N1EP
n1ep@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

Portsmouth (R.I.) Dam Exercise, September 26, 2025 (approx.)

ARES logoJeremy 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
 
Jeremy Taylor K1JST
k1jst@taysol.net
401-484-0484

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 
 

NH QSO Party announcement page

 
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

photo of Consortium MeetingBob 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