Author: nv1w

New England QSO Party This Weekend

nv1w On the air

A reminder that the New England QSO Party is this weekend! Here are the relevant facts:

Date: First full weekend of May (May 5-6, 2018)

Contest Period: 2000Z Saturday until 0500Z Sunday (4pm EDT Saturday until 1am EDT Sunday) and 1300Z Sunday until 2400Z Sunday (9am EDT Sunday until 8pm EDT Sunday).

Categories: Single-operator high power, low power(150w or less) and QRP(5w or less) categories, plus multi-operator, single transmitter. Same four categories for mobiles.

Contest Exchange: Send signal report and state/province (DX stations send signal report and “DX”). New England stations send signal report, county and state.

You can find the full rules at http://neqp.org/rules.html.

RSVP now for the March General Meeting/Field Trip

nv1w Meetings

The March 2018 meeting of the Boston Amateur Radio Club will be held at MassPort Fire Rescue Headquarters, 261 Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday March 15, 2018. There is a slight change in the meeting time. A tour of MassPort Fire Department apparatus will commence at 6:45 p.m. followed by Santarpio’s pizza at 7:15 p.m. followed by the General Meeting at 8:00 p.m. Attendance for this event is limited to 25 BARC members.

We will have two speakers at this meeting. They are: Steve Staffier, K1SMS, Communications and Interoperability Manager for Massport and MassPort Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Robert Barnes. Steve will talk about Communications Interoperability and Deputy Barnes has an interesting presentation about MassPort Fire Rescue that he will give.

There is parking available at MassPort Fire Headquarters, 261 Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts. The Fire Department is located past the Hyatt Hotel. Please park in the marked spaces.

Since we’re literally in the neighborhood, we will have Santarpio’s Pizza for dinner. A suggested donation of $7.50 per person is requested.

There is a space limitation at the facility. We will only be able to accommodate 25 members. If you’re interested in attending this meeting, you will have to send an email to k1bth@arrl.net no later than March 7, 2018 indicating your interest in attending. Management reserves the right to cancel the evening if not enough people sign up by the 7th.

This should be an interesting meeting and we hope to see you there.

Register now to volunteer at the BAA 5K

nv1w Public service

Volunteer registration is open for the BAA 5K! The race is the Saturday before Marathon Monday, April 14.  Registration is scheduled to close on February 9, so please sign up soon to make sure we can get you on the team.

The 5K and the Marathon use the same volunteer registration system. If you’re volunteering at the Marathon, please register and request a Marathon assignment.  After you’re done, please e-mail BAA volunteer coordinator Mary Miller and CC: me to request to be added to the 5K roster as well.  If you can include your BAA volunteer loyalty number or registration confirmation number, that helps.

If you just want to volunteer at the 5K, go through the volunteer registration and choose “5K Hams” as your assignment preference when asked.  You’ll know you’re done when you get a confirmation number.

The BAA always appreciates support from amateur radio volunteers. We wouldn’t have that great relationship if you didn’t come and put in the work to make these races possible. I hope you’ll join us to help kick off another great year of public service.

If you have questions about either event, please contact me by e-mail.

Thank you, and 73,

Brett Smith, AB1RL
Public Service Coordinator, Boston Amateur Radio Club

It’s time to register to volunteer at the Boston Marathon

nv1w Public service

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