MTARA 27th Annual Amateur Radio & Electronics Hamfest

MTARAThe Mount Tom Amateur Repeater Association will hold their 27th Annual Amateur Radio & Electronics Hamfest on Saturday March 7, 2015 at 8:30 AM.  The hamfest will be at the Moose Family Center/Chicopee Falls Moose Lodge 1849, 244 Fuller Road, Chicopee, MA 01020.  The hamfest will feature raffle tickets / prizes, a VE exam session, and more.

Admission is $5 for adults, kids are free.  Tables are $15 each or tailgating for $10.

More information is available on the MTARA website or their general info flyer.  Vendors should also read the vendor brochure.

2015 Boston Marathon Volunteer Registration Opens

boston-marathonUPDATE: Marathon volunteer registration ends on February 10.  If you intend on volunteering, please register before then.

Registration for ham volunteers at 2015 Boston Marathon is now open. There is a different registration procedure this year, so please read the following information carefully.

This year, the Boston Athletic Association is requiring all volunteers, including the hams, to register directly on their website. The BAA database is designed for general volunteers and does not collect enough ham-specific information. So in addition to signing up on the BAA website, you will also need to supply additional using the MMRA system that has been used in the past.

  1. Click here to access the 2015 Boston Marathon Volunteer application.
  2. Select ‘Returning’ or ‘First Time’ volunteer.  Returning Volunteers: You need your Volunteer Loyalty Number and zip code. This information will be emailed to you on January 6, 2015. There is also a VLN look-up on the application.
  3. Complete the personal information and select “no” when asked if you are a medical volunteer.
  4. Group Status: You are welcome to create a group if you have a friend or a family member that you wish to be assigned with. For more information about creating a group, please click here.
  5. Find your preferred Assignment in the drop down list:
    • Ham Radio: Ham Radios – Course
    • Ham Radio: Ham Radios – Finish Area
    • Ham Radio: Ham Radios – Hopkinton
    • Ham Radio: Ham Radios – Net Control
  6. Complete the remainder of the application and make note of the on-screen confirmation number. Seeing the on-screen confirmation is indication that you have successfully completed the online application.
  7. After this is completed, you will be asked to complete the MMRA Boston Marathon Registration form/database information as in past years. Click here to access the MMRA Boston Marathon Registration form/database.

Notification of acceptance and assignment will be emailed on or around March 10, 2015.

New Website Launch

We’ve relaunched the Western Massachusetts ARRL website on a new platform.

Please feel free to send and any all relevant content and especially latest club news and bulletins to the webmaster. I’ll be happy to post relevant amateur radio related news from around or that affects the WMA section here.

Thanks for visiting!