Oct312017

Meteor Showers for Remainder of 2017

General Interest Comment

A few opportunities to try out meteor scatter communications.  JT6M is optimized for the 6-meter band; FSK441 is generally used on the 2-meter and 70-centimeter amateur bands.

The dates are only for the peak activity; meteors will be also be produced on either side of the peak dates and appear in other parts of the sky as well.

November 4, 5 – Taurids Meteor Shower
Produces about 5-10 meteors per hour.  Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus.

November 17, 18 – Leonids Meteor Shower
Produces up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak.  Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo.

December 13, 14 – Geminids Meteor Shower
Produces up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour.  Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini.

December 21, 22 – Ursids Meteor Shower
Produces about 5-10 meteors per hour.  Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor.

Oct312017

Veterans Day Radio Events – November 11, 2017

Radio Events Comment

11/8 – 11/13, 0000Z-2359Z
N5VET, 14.267 14.045 7.185 7.040
Cleburne, TX
Club KC5NX
QSL: Jay Stanfield, WB5UDA, 9200 Summit Ct W, Cleburne, TX 76033.

11/10 – 11/12, 1423Z-1423Z
K8V, 14.280 14.090 14.040 7.230
Iron Mountain, MI
Mich-A-Con ARC
Certificate & QSL: Thomas Martin, 812 West B St., Iron Mountain, MI 49801. Requests with SASE.
www.qsl.net/ka1ddb

11/10 – 11/12, 1600Z-1800Z
W5H, 14.240 14.040 7.195 7.035
Broken Arrow, OK
Broken Arrow Amateur Radio Club
Certificate: Wayne Hartsfield, 11106 S. 250th E. Ave, Broken Arrow, OK 74014
QSL Card on request: w5drz.org

11/11, 1500Z-2200Z
W0FSB, 21.240 14.240 7.240
Waterloo, IA
Five Sullivan Brothers Amateur Radio Club
Certificate & QSL: Five Sullivan Brothers ARC, 3186 Brandon Diagonal Blvd, Brandon, IA 52210
For QSL card: Send card and #10 SASE, address label and 3 Forever stamps.
For eQSL & Certificate: Send eQSL, email w0fsb [at] outlook [dot] com to request a .jpg file of the certificate that you can print yourself.
www.qrz.com/db/w0fsb

11/11, 1500Z-2100Z
K0KBX, 7.280 14.250
Vinton, IA
Benton County Amateur Radio Group
Certificate: Email your contact info to Jerry k0kbx [at] gmail [dot] com; certificate via return email.

11/11, 1800Z-2359Z
N9V, 14.275 7.225; 147.315
Indianapolis, IN
The American Legion Amateur Radio Club
K9DC Rptr; IRLP 9735 EchoLink *CrossRds* Conf Node.
Certificate & QSL: Send a 9×12 SASE to The American Legion Amateur Radio Club, c/o The American Legion, 700 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204
www.legion.org/hamradio

11/11 – 11/12, 1400Z-2100Z
NB9QV, 14.240 7.250
Manitowoc, WI
USS Cobia Amateur Radio Club
QSL: Fred Neuenfeldt, W6BSF, 4932 So. 10th St., Manitowoc, WI 54220
www.qrz.com/db/nb9qv

11/11, 1700Z-2359Z
NI6IW, 14.320 7.250
PSK31 on 14.070 D-STAR on REF001C, San Diego, CA. USS Midway (CV-41) Museum Ship
QSL: USS Midway cv-41 COMEDTRA, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101

Oct312017

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 78th Anniversary

Radio Events Comment

11/7 – 11/13, 0000Z-0000Z
W2ANQ, 18.120 14.220 7.190 3.890
Freeport, NY
USCG Auxiliary Station Jones Beach.
QSL: William Dahl, 3813 Verleye St, Seaford, NY 11783
Direct only SASE.
www.qrz.com/db/w2anq

11/10 – 11/12, 1723Z-1723Z
N6C, 14.327 7.227
Alameda, CA
Coast Guard Island Amateur Radio Club (CGIARC)
QSL: Eric Simmons, 237 Redwood Circle, Petaluma, CA 94954
Most operations will be on Nov. 11, 2017
www.w6nmc.org

11/10 – 11/12, 0400Z-0359Z
W1H, KB1QXJ. 28.425 21.310 14.290 7.175
Elkins, NH
QSL: Bill, Hopwood, P.O. Box 272, Elkins, NH 03233

11/10 – 11/12, 1400Z-2300Z
W1G, 28.330 21.330 14.270 14.060
Gloucester, MA
US Coast Guard Auxiliary District 1-NR, Division 04, Flotilla 06 CAPE ANN.
QSL: Gardner H. Winchester II, 62 Veterans Way, Gloucester, MA 01930
https://www.facebook.com/uscga.capeann

11/10 – 11/12, 0000Z-2359Z
K1H, 28.480 14.250 7.195 3.820
East Freetown, MA
US Coast Guard Auxiliary
QSL: Paul G. Sadeck, 90 Doctor Braley Rd., East Freetown, MA 02717

11/10 – 11/12, 1400Z-2200Z
N4Z, 14.250 7.200
Anderson, SC
US CG Auxiliary Flotilla 25 Hartwell Lake
QSL: Joseph Mracna, 113 Abaco Ln, Seneca, SC 29672
http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=070-02-05

11/10 – 11/13, 1200Z-0000Z
K2D,14.260 7.235
Blackwood, NJ
QSL: Rick Tighe, 210 Hillcrest Ave, Blackwood, NJ 08012

11/10 – 11/12, 0000Z-2000Z
K9C, 14.200 7.200 28.400
Champaign, IL
USCG AUX FLOTILLA 4
QSL: Marlin Luhrsen, 2508 Bernice, Champaign, IL 61822

11/11 – 11/12, 1402Z-1402Z
W8E, 7.234
Loveland, OH
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
Certificate: Dave Stroup, 6138 Misty Creek Dr., Loveland, OH 45140

11/11 – 11/12, 1400Z-2200Z
K3G, 28.330 21.330 14.270 7.270
Media, PA
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
QSL: Daniel F. Amoroso, 196 Dam View Drive, Media, PA 19063

11/11, 0000Z-2359Z
N4U,14.070
Benton, KY
QSL: Via Bureau or Mary Husfield, KC4TIE, 4156 Barge Island Rd, Benton, KY 42025

 

Oct312017

MARS Interoperability Exercise – November 4-6, 2017

Radio Events Comment

Amateur Radio and MARS organizations will take part in a “communications interoperability” training exercise November 4-6.

The scenario: a massive coronal mass ejection event which will impact the national power grid as well as all forms of traditional communication, including landline telephone, cellphone, satellite, and internet connectivity.

During the exercise, a designated DOD Headquarters entity will request county-by-county status reports for the 3,143 US counties and county equivalents, in order to gain situational awareness and to determine the extent of impact of the scenario. Army and Air Force MARS organizations will work in conjunction with the Amateur Radio community, primarily on the 60-meter interoperability channels as well as on HF NVIS frequencies and local VHF and UHF, non-internet linked Amateur Radio repeaters.

Again this year, a military station on the east coast and the Fort Huachuca, Arizona, HF station will conduct a high-power broadcast on 60-meter channel 1 (5,330.5 kHz) on Saturday, 0300 to 0315 UTC.

Amateur Radio operators should monitor an informational broadcast on Sunday, on 13,483.5 kHz USB, 1600 to 1615 UTC.

“We want to continue building on the outstanding cooperative working relationship with ARRL and the Amateur Radio community,” Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY said. “We want to expand the use of the 60-meter interop channels between the military and amateur community for emergency communications, and we hope the Amateur Radio community will give us some good feedback on the use of both the 5-MHz interop and the new 13-MHz broadcast channels as a means of information dissemination during a “very bad day” scenario.

For more information or questions about this exercise, contact Army MARS Program Manager Paul English, WD8DBY – englishp [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Oct272017

Art Marshall, W1FJI, SK

SEMARA Announcements • Silent Keys Comment

Arthur (Art) Souza Marshall, Jr., 79 of New Bedford, Massachusetts passed away October 25th in Tallahassee, Florida due to complications following cancer surgery.

Art, W1FJI, a ham radio operator since his youth, was a member of SEMARA since 1954.  He enjoyed ham radio, making many friends and touching many lives.

Art leaves behind his wife of 49 years, Janet (Raczka) Marshall of Dartmouth, his only child Jenna (Marshall) Eddy, his son-in-law David Eddy, and his grandson Tyler Eddy, all hailing from Tallahassee, Florida.

Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Oct242017

Amateur Satellite Updates

National Ham News Comment

1.  AMSAT Fox-1 satellite, RadFxSat (Fox-1B) is now set for Saturday, November 18, at 0947 UTC.  It will carry a Fox-1 style FM U/V repeater with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz.

Information on ElaNa can be found on the NASA website.

Satellite and experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the DUV subaudible telemetry stream, which can be decoded using FoxTelem software.  The FoxTelem software can be downloaded from the AMSAT website.

2.  Chinese CAS-4A and CAS-4B Amateur Radio Satellite Transponders, launched on June 15, were activated on October 18.  The Amateur Radio linear (SSB/CW) inverting transponders:

CAS-4A (call sign BJ1SK) has a CW telemetry beacon on 144.855 MHz, and 4.8 kB GMSK telemetry on 145.835 MHz.  The uplink is 435.220 MHz, the downlink is 145.870 MHz (20-kHz passband).
CAS-4B (call sign BJ1SL) has a CW telemetry beacon on 145.910 MHz, and 4.8 kB GMSK telemetry at 145.890 MHz.  The uplink is 435.280 MHz, the downlink is 145.925 MHz (20-kHz passband).

3.  FalconSAT-3 is now open for Amateur Radio use.  It is a digital store-and-forward system. Built in 2005 and 2006 by cadets and faculty in the Space Systems Research Center at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, FalconSAT-3 was launched in 2007.  The satellite has completed its scientific and training missions, and the Academy now is making it available for Amateur Radio use.

The Packet Bulletin Board System operates at 9600 baud with a 145.840 MHz uplink/435.103 MHz downlink.  Output power is 1 W, and the downlink is continuously on.  Digipeating is enabled for live QSOs, but unattended digipeating operation is not authorized at this time.

Additional information is available on the AMSAT website.

Oct242017

900 MHz Radio Assistance

General Interest Comment

I sold out the MCS2000 900 MHz radios I had purchased.  I went through each one, programming and resetting the master oscillators, checking power out and receive sensitivity.

I’ve attach my note which was posted on the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association (FARA) website, which has more information on 900 MHz.  Also, find an up-to-date listing of local 900 MHz repeaters and a figure that shows the MCS2000 head.

Contact me if anyone at SEMARA needs help with re-programming and such, of 900 MHz rigs.

73, Jim WA1GPO
valdes.james.r [at] gmail [dot] com
508-498-0715

Oct52017

Next VE Session – October 7, 2017

Exams & Training • SEMARA Announcements Comment

VE Sessions are held at the SEMARA Clubhouse, 54 Donald Street, Dartmouth, Massachusetts on the first Saturday of even months at 10:30 AM.

Although walk-ins are welcome, we recommend that you contact us ahead of time if you plan to attend an upcoming session.

SEMARA’s VE Team Leader is Frederic S. Bacon, III, N1TF. He can be reached at 508-748-0047 or exams [at] semara [dot] org.

Sep262017

Relief Efforts Need Your Help

National Ham News Comment

Monday, September 25, 2017

Dear ARRL Member:

There are few times when I have needed to reach out directly to you for your help. This is one of those times.

The American Red Cross (ARC) has asked ARRL for assistance with relief efforts in Puerto Rico. In the nearly 75-year relationship between ARRL and ARC, this is the first time ARC has made a request for assistance on this scale. Hurricane Maria has devastated the island’s communications infrastructure. Without electricity and telephone, and with most of the cell sites out of service, millions of people are cut off from communicating. Shelters are unable to reach local emergency services and people cannot check on the welfare of their loved ones. The situation is dire.

How can you help?

1) Volunteer. ARC needs up to 50 radio amateurs who can help record, enter, and submit disaster-survivor information into the ARC Safe and Well system. There are very specific requirements and qualifications needed for this deployment; for instance, familiarity with Winlink, an Amateur Radio license of General class or higher, and previous experience in disaster response. Deployment will be for up to 3 weeks (at ARC expense). If you would like to be considered for deployment, please complete the following online ARRL form, which asks for your qualifications and skills: Volunteer Deployment Form

2) Donate to Ham Aid. ARRL’s Ham Aid program loans Amateur Radio equipment kits to established Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) groups and partner agencies during disaster response, in order to establish Amateur Radio communications support. Ham Aid is supported by donations from individuals and corporations – including many of our ham radio industry partners. ARRL has previously staged Ham Aid equipment in Texas, and in the last few weeks, we have supplied kits in Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Our supply of Ham Aid kits has been rapidly depleted. Your donation to Ham Aid will help us now. Your contributions to Ham Aid are 100% tax deductible. To make a donation online, go to this page on the ARRL site and select “Ham Aid” from the ARRL donation form. To donate by mail, print a donation form, and mail it with your check payable to ARRL, noting “Ham Aid” on the memo line of your check; mail to ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111 USA.

It has been four weeks since Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas. In little over a month, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have left paths of destruction and catastrophic flooding that will impact the lives of people throughout the southeast U.S. and Caribbean for years to come. Throughout these disasters, our trained ham radio volunteers, and especially those in coordinating roles, have helped us meet the requests of our partner agencies and organizations. To all ham radio operators who have been on alert, activated, deployed, or donated, THANK YOU. We are grateful for your service and for your generosity.

73
Rick Roderick, K5UR
ARRL President