Western Massachusetts ARRL - A local section of the American Radio Relay League, the National Association for Amateur Radio®

Spring NEAR-Fest Continues, FreeFest Aspect Postponed

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Gilbert Hayes

Dear Friends of NEAR-Fest:

It is with great regret and sadness that I must inform the radio amateurs and electronic hobbyists of New England that the NEAR-Fest Board of Directors finds it necessary to POSTPONE the FreeFest aspect of NEAR-FEST XVII that was scheduled for May 2015. It will be held at a later date. However, first and foremost, I want to assure everyone that NEAR-Fest XVII WILL TAKE PLACE AS SCHEDULED on May 1st and 2nd, 2015, at the Deerfield NH Fairgrounds. NEAR-Fest XVIII will also be held as scheduled on October 16th and 17th, 2015.

The Directors made the difficult decision to POSTPONE the FreeFest due to a legal issue that has arisen since the FreeFest was announced last October. The matter is being addressed professionally; however the funds that would have financed the FreeFester may now be needed to resolve this issue at hand. There was no other option open to us. It is important for everyone to understand that there are no issues or problems with the Deerfield Fair Association; in fact our relationship with them is better than ever.

I want to personally assure you all that the FreeFest will be rescheduled as soon as possible once this issue has been resolved. The entire NEAR-Fest management team is committed to, and is looking forward to, hosting the FreeFest, in it’s original spirit, to thank all our loyal attendees and the amateur radio community for the support since 2007. We appreciate your understanding and continued support. We hope to be able to post an update about FreeFest on our website before the end of the year. Advance tickets and inside parking passes will be on sale in the usual places starting in April. Check our Web site (www.near-fest.com) for more details.

To summarize: NEAR-Fest XVII WILL TAKE PLACE on May 1st and 2nd, 2015, exactly as scheduled, Admission will be the same as always, $10 per person and $10 for an inside parking pass. NEAR-Fest XVIII will also take place as scheduled on October 16th and 17th, 2015. The FreeFest that was planned to take place as a part of NEAR-Fest XVII is POSTPONED until a later date.

The NEAR-Fest staff and management as well as I thank you for your total support and understanding.

73,
MisterMike, W1RC

Looking for More NCS’s for WMA ARES HF Net

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Gilbert Hayes

John, W1JWN is seeking at least two additional net control stations for the Sunday morning (0830 local) Western Mass Emergency HF Net on 80m phone (40m alternate) to work in a weekly rotation. If you are interested, please contact him at W1JWN. Thanks!

John, N2YHK
WMA SEC

MTARA 27th Annual Amateur Radio & Electronics Hamfest

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Gilbert Hayes

MTARA The 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

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Gilbert Hayes

UPDATE: 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.

Click here to access the 2015 Boston Marathon Volunteer application.
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.
Complete the personal information and select “no” when asked if you are a medical volunteer.
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.
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
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.
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

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Gilbert Hayes

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!

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