Hello to all, by now everyone has put away their shorts, sandals, sunblock and got out their winter woolies. October was certainly a month of quick transition for sure. This is also the time where we start turning our attentions to our hamshacks and getting on the air and exercising your equipment and operating skills. Good opportunity to try something new to!

On Nov 2nd I will be at the Hampden County Radio Association’s meeting and will be presenting there. It will be a quick, light presentation and will follow with a discussion amongst the group. Bring your suggestions, ideas, etc. (Keep the rotten tomato’s home hi-hi.) This is really the presentation I did at Boxboro to a very small group and a large gathering of crickets. Hope to see you all there.

Also, on that day the Pathfinder’s Regional HS will have their day where they will be set up to contact the ARISS Space Station. Many schools put in for the chance and with the help of the Mount Tom ARA got approved and now is the show. The Pathfinders are very exited about this and hope to get information as to how it went to post here.

One thing I do wish to share with you which kind of bother’s me is email. On many occasions I have asked for reports and request for confirmations, information, etc. and have gotten no responses at all. I am not asking for anyone to pounce the moment I send something, and I do realize we are all busy, and I am DEFINITELY not perfect. All I am asking that we all try to do a better job with responses. There are many other reasons for this and not just personal. We may need something for emergency purposes, to get important information across to others. To keep me informed as to what is going on in the section in case I need to act on something, lastly to let me know my communications are being heard. They say it’s lonely at the top, silence can demonstrate this well, even though it is not the intention. To those that have been really good about this, thank you.

It is with hopes there will be some communication regarding out Tech specialist group and Mentoring our new hams. I am hoping to pull information together and have a program off the ground soon. Anyone with ideas can certainly send me an email. (There’s a test for my previous rant!) I would like to know what works and does not. I feel there is a huge loss of opportunity the moment we congratulate them on passing the test. I am even going to approach the league for ideas as well.
That’s enough mischief for now. I hope to hear from you or see you in the upcoming visits.

73,
Ray KB1LRL

Hello everyone, I kind of held off with the monthly report until after Boxboro to include the activities, so this is a two-month edition.

Boxboro had a number of great things going on. I think there was quite a variety of talks to suit everyone’s interest and there was the usual flea market outside which I think was bigger than last year. The weather was cooler and partly cloudy which helped a lot. There has been a downturn of commercial vendors in attendance and I feel there is a bit of concern. Some of the long time “anchors” are not there for one reason or another and the others are feeling the impact. The Nashua club set up a wall in that room which included many educational demonstrations on ham radio which also included kit building. There were a lot of kids there soldering away there. This was a very impressive achievement from them.

So, as I expected with the time and the fact a lot of the westerners had left for Saratoga on Saturday, there was a very light showing for my Section Meeting. I truly appreciate those that came to the meeting. Naturally I was a bit disappointed, but on the upside, I have a presentation in my pocket.

The big thing amongst the ARRL cathedral is the new ARES connect system now going online. Mike Cory from the league was there and did a presentation on it. Sadly, I had to work and could not attend it. I am now looking at this and getting it going for us. All county EC’s should also be looking at this and doing what is necessary to get your county online. This is going to be very important to all as reporting will be taking on a more required role, as will the trainings. Please go to the leagues webpage and view the new changes. This is now open for comments and any comments should come to me as I will send them to the league. The deadline for this is Oct 31.

September is the start of the meeting season for many clubs. I will be out and about visiting clubs during the time and I can be available to do a talk if you want. Just send me an email and we can work out a date for it.

This year our division director Tom Frenaye K1KI is up for reelection and he has an opponent in Fred Hopengarten, K1VR. Fred has a background in law and both actually agree on many things together. Keep your eyes open for ballots when they come out.

Going back to my meeting, the one thing I did stress is to go to this website for news and information, and to make sure in the league’s website it to check off to receive section emails. I continue to ask that those that do visit it to tell others in the clubs and elsewhere. I have a feeling a lot of members do not know what’s going on in the section.

I hope everyone enjoyed Boxboro and good luck in your upcoming seasons.

73,
Ray KB1LRL

Hello, I hope all of had some good downtime and enjoyed the fine summer weather. I have been trying to get some things done, but it seems I get one thing done, two more come up. I’m sure most of you can relate.

So, as we work on our BBQ skills and sunburns, the League is very busy with some long, anticipated items which now is now coming to light. In the upcoming edition of QST, there will be more information regarding ARES and the new structure in greater detail. There is a period from now to the end of October for comments then a final plan is due for around January. Please read carefully and get your comments in. I still could use a Section Emergency Coordinator to help get what I consider a new Ares program off the ground. Two close calls in July. Are we ready??

The other one of interest is the OO program. Guess what, it’s going bye-bye. An entirely new program is launching and they call it the Volunteer Monitoring Program. It is now being negotiated with the FCC for a new Memorandum of Understanding. This new program will have frequent trainings, reporting is different, technical requirements and also will have limited terms and will need to reapply to retain that position. Again, more details will be forthcoming.

These changes can potentially make a section manager’s hair get whiter, rapidly. It is more important now that the section as a whole work together to regroup and pull together as a team to accomplish this work. Crickets cannot do this.

September is coming swiftly and so is our Convention in Boxboro. It is on Sept 7-9. As some of you know I am planning a talk with the Western Ma section as a talk/meeting. They scheduled me as the last talk before the prize drawings. In short, I’m bringing up the rear. I truly hope you can hang around and attend. I am trying my hardest not to bore you, but if you cannot I will highlight the talk in next month’s report.

That’s enough for now. Hope to see you all at Boxboro

73,
Ray, KB1LRL