Category Archives: Public Service

Groton Road Race

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April 29 will be the 27th running of this race and the race committee is again asking the Amateur Radio community to provide the logistics and safety communications for this high-profile event.

The Groton Road Race continues to be a major event for Amateur Radio in North Central Massachusetts. Those of you who have joined us in the past years know that the runners sincerely appreciate our presence. Many say so as they run past.

If you are interested in helping at these events but unsure of what is expected of you or what equipment you may need, please do not hesitate to ask Ralph KD1SM, Stan KD1LE, or John KK1X.  You can also learn more about the race itself from their website and Facebook page.

The Squannacook River Runners and the Groton Police Department repeatedly praise and express their appreciation for your assistance in providing communications for this event.

FCARC to Support the Greenfield Winter Carnival Sleigh Bell Race

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The Greenfield Winter Carnival Sleigh Bell Race will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2018. The Franklin County Amateur Radio Club will be supporting this event as they have in the past.

The amateur radio support team will meet at the Hope and Olive Restaurant. Because of last year’s UHF frequency disaster, and the new court house, this year they will be testing for use of simplex. Specifically, the most likely channel of use for this event will be the FCARC simplex frequency of 147.435 MHz. Please have your handhelds and mobiles set up with a channel for the 147.435 Simplex.

Setup and taking in people for radio positions will begin at 8:00 AM. The race start time has traditionally been at 10:00 AM. The race traditionally takes about 90 minutes for the last runner/walker to make it back to the Hope and Olive Restaurant start/Finish line.

All those interesting in helping with this effort, please contact Richard KB1NOX at stwricha@aol.com.  More details on the Greenfield Winter Carnival, including the Sleigh Bell Race, are available at the event website.

Volunteer Registration for Boston Marathon Now Open

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Volunteer registration is open for the 2018 Boston Marathon! Sign up today on the BAA’s web site. You don’t need to specify any group name or passcode. Just make sure you request at least one ham radio assignment in your preferences. Once you get your application confirmation number, you’re all set.

If you’re a returning volunteer, you’ll be asked to provide your BAA Volunteer Loyalty Number. You should’ve received that in a separate e-mail from the BAA today. There’s also a tool to look it up on the BAA volunteer site. If you still have trouble finding it, e-mail us and we can help you out.

Don’t delay! Volunteer registration closes in early February. Help us get the word out by forwarding this e-mail to your club and other hams who might like to volunteer. Most volunteers first learn about the event through word of mouth. If you know new amateurs who might like to join us, make sure to let them know about it. Even just a quick mention at your club meeting can be a big help.

Again, If you have any questions about volunteer registration, or the 2018 Marathon generally, please get in touch anytime. Volunteering at the Marathon is a big job, and we appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into it. We’re happy to do what we can to make your work more comfortable or effective.

Again, we look forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Thank you, and 73,

Matthew Forman, K6MCF
for the Boston Marathon Communications Committee
contact@hamradioboston.org

NCS’s and Ops Needed For SATERN SSB Net During Hurricane Maria

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Greetings:

The International SATERN SSB Net has been in daily operation from 0900 (CT) / 1400 Z until at least 1800 (CT) / 2300 Z (at least until 900 or 2000 (CT) the last two days) since this past Tuesday, 19 September 2017.   SATERN had initially planned on terminating the Net operations for Hurricane Maria by today, Friday, 22 September 2017, However, the amount of Health & Welfare messages flowing through the Net the last two days is expected to continue today and likely through at least Sunday or Monday (25 September).

Hurricane Maria is now the fourth activation of the International SATERN SSB Net in a month. As a result, our dedicated group of Net Control and Net Relay Stations are very tired and it is time to reach out for some assistance.

Therefore, I am asking the ARRL, HWN and MARS to reach out to their operators to ask them to assist the International SATERN SSB Net in one of two ways:

  • By signing up for a one hour slot as Net Control Operators sometime on Saturday, Sunday and / or Monday. To do this send an email to the following people indicating what time(s) they are available from 0900 (CT) / 1400 Z until 1800 (CT) / 2300 Z any one or more of those three days:
    Net Manager Ken Gilliland (AG6SV)
    Assistant Net Manager Bob Rogers (WA5EEZ)

    We are looking for experienced, qualified Net Control Operators who have had some experience as both a Net Control Operator and in handling messages by voice. Net Control Operators with a strong signal (power, antennas, etc.) and / or bilingual would be a valuable additional asset / skill.  The Net is operating on 14.265 MHz.

  • For those who may not wish to be a Net Control Operator or simply want to do more in addition to that, SATERN always needs Net Relay Stations to simply check-in and assist that hour’s Net Control Station.  With Net Control Stations operating from all over the country, they often may not hear a station with message traffic. As a result they rely on the Net Relay Stations to assist them with that. Stations with a strong propagation path into the Caribbean (especially Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and others) are especially valuable. Again, bilingual operators are a particular asset in this operation.

As National SATERN Liaison, I sincerely thank each of you for being willing to help out in this operation.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Bill Feist, WB8BZH
National SATERN Liaison
Bill.Feist@uss.salvationarmy.org

2017 Boston Marathon Looking for Ham Radio Volunteers

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Boston MarathonVolunteer registration is open for the 2017 Boston Marathon! Sign up today on the BAA’s web site. You don’t need to specify any group name or passcode. Just make sure you request at least one ham radio assignment in your preferences. Once you get your application confirmation number, you’re all set.

If you’re a returning volunteer, you’ll be asked to provide your BAA Volunteer Loyalty Number. You should’ve received that in a separate e-mail from the BAA today. There’s also a tool to look it up on the BAA volunteer site. If you still have trouble finding it, e-mail us and we can help you out.

Don’t delay! Volunteer registration closes in early February. Help us get the word out by forwarding this e-mail to your club and other hams who might like to volunteer. Most volunteers first learn about the event through word of mouth. If you know new amateurs who might like to join us, make sure to let them know about it. Even just a quick mention at your club meeting can be a big help.

If you have any questions about volunteer registration, or the 2017 Marathon generally, please get in touch anytime. Volunteering at the Marathon is a big job, and we appreciate the time and effort everyone puts into it. We’re happy to do what we can to make your work more comfortable or effective.

I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.
Thank you, and 73,

Brett Smith, AB1RL
for the Boston Marathon Communications Committee
contact@hamradioboston.org

2015 Boston Marathon Volunteer Registration Opens

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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.