Mel, K1ELB recently became a new member of SEMARA. He was one of our check-ins to the new SEMARA VHF/UHF net for September 2025. He advised everyone present about the following monthly net. He emailed us the following information and is welcoming everyone to participate in hopes to extend its reach:
The Falmouth ARES Simplex Net is conducted on the third Thursday of each month, at 8:00 pm local time, on 146.58 MHz simplex (sometimes we mix it up and conduct it on 147.42 MHz). The purpose of the net is to foster interest, awareness and training in simplex communications around the Upper Cape area, and to provide a means of communicating in the event that our repeaters are not available for any reason. This is a directed net and stations will be called by net control in call-up order. We ask participants to note the signal strength of each station they copy, and relay their signal report to Net Control. When the call-up is completed, net control will request that additional stations call in and be recognized.
We’ve been conducting the net for over 4 years, with Henry Brown K1WCC, and I alternating as Net Control, operating from our homes. We recently started operating net control from Falmouth Hospital, which is one of the highest spots in Falmouth, with a large footprint. We’re hoping with the change in net control locations, that we will be able to increase our reach, and want to invite others outside the Upper Cape area (Buzzards Bay / New Bedford / Dartmouth area in particular) to participate. We think this is a worthwhile endeavour, providing information on what areas participants can reach in the event of an emergency, and repeaters aren’t available.