Local Ham Radio Happenings!!

Seems to be quite a bit going on in the Down East Maine area in the Ham Radio community! Below I have listed the highlights. Please stay tuned to the local frequencies for updates and the local nets!

**The “Sunday Sessions” will be starting back up on Sunday November 12^th at noon time! If you have a project you are working on and want to share or just work on bring it along! Questions on operations and/or equipment…hopefully they can be answered! The session on the 12^th will be an open discussion as well on VHF digital ops with emphasis on getting reacquainted with packet radio and APRS! Bring your setups if you wish to get going or troubleshoot! ALL are welcome to attend, even those new to the hobby and want to see what it’s all about!

**Last week (10/10/2017) Phil acted as net ctrl on a 10M net and it was interesting! Contacts from the Ellsworth area were pretty good, Phil had a hard time copying but with relays all seemed to make their presence known! Tonight 10/17 there will be a 6M FM net at 1830 hours on 52.525…now THAT should be fun!
**On Saturday, November 18^th at 1300 hours there will be a VE Test session at Meadow View Apartments Phase 4 Community Room, 25 Tweedie Lane in Ellsworth. For those wanting further information contact Phil Duggan N1EP at phil.n1ep@gmail.com . (No N1CJS, I am not ready to test to Extra!)
**Theres some new kids in town…well sorta. The group once known as the Narraguagus Bay Amateur Radio Club, has resurrected as the Maine Ham Radio Society holding its first meeting on October 14^th in Milbridge. It’s great to see the group active again and offering more for the Hams further Down East! Look for info on further meetings!

 **Next meeting of the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association (EAWA) will be held on Thursday November 9^th . The business meeting which is held at 1900 hours will be preceded by training provided by the National Weather Service starting at 1800 hours centered on winter weather observation/reporting. The following is the NWS release:

2017 Winter Spotter Training Ellsworth

 

Help your National Weather Service by becoming a Winter Weather Storm Spotter!  Storm spotters report snowfall, ice accumulation, high winds, high surf, freezing spray and coastal flood erosion during Maine’s long harsh winters.  Spotter training will teach you about winter storms, in addition to teaching you how to accurately measure and report significant winter weather phenomenon! 

 
Where: Meadowview Apartments (Phase IV Community Room), 25 Tweedie Lane, Ellsworth, ME

 When: Thursday, November 9th at 6 PM

 Cost: Free to all those interested in Weather!!!

 

**Next Ham Radio breakfast will be Saturday, November 4^th at 0900 hrs at Denny’s in Ellsworth. Confirm with Phil N1EP at phil.n1ep@gmail.com who and how many will be attending!

 

**Look for upcoming information about a Special Events Station during next fall’s Autumn Gold Festival here in Ellsworth!

 

EAWA October 2017 Meeting Minutes

EAWA Minutes October 12, 2017

The October 12th meeting of the EAWA was called to order at 7:05 PM by President Chris Stanley N1CJS. Evie KA1BRA made a motion to accept the September Minutes as e-mailed. Rob W8HAP seconded the motion. The motion passed. Dick W1KRP made a motion to accept the Treasurer's Report ( Petty Cash $313.57, Savings account $1050.50,  VE Account $18.82, and Repeater Fund $92.39) that was seconded by Chuck AC1BS.  The motion carried.

                                                           

                        EMCOMM                 NETS                                      EAWA

Tuesdays at 7:00PM on 146.910 Repeater     Wednesdays at 7:00PM on the 147.030 Repeater

October 17  Evie Sargent KA1BRA              October 18 KB1ONQ Scott Grindle

October 24  Chris Weaver AB1PZ                 October 25 Chris Weaver AB1PZ     

October 31 Phil Duggan N1EP                      November 1 Bradley Nuding KC1HVP                   

November 7 Chuck Liebow AC1BS              November 8 Chuck Liebow AC1BS 

REQUEST FROM N1EP_NET CONTROLS, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR CHECK-INS SO THEY WILL KNOW YOU HEARD THEM!

                                                            Old Business

October Breakfast – Greg N1IRH reported that the October breakfast held at Denny's in Ellsworth  Saturday, October 7 at 9:00AM was attended only by three.

                                                            New Business

November  Breakfast – TheNovember breakfast at Denny's in Ellsworth will be Saturday, November 4^th at 9:00AM. Please let Phil N1EP (n1ep@yahoo.com) know if you plan to attend so he can give them a head count.

6 Meter Net – Phil N1EP stated that there is a possibility of having a weekly 6 m (52.525 MHz) net on Tuesdays at 6:30PM

Echo Link Down – Chris N1CJS reported that his Echo Link is down. Possibly it can be moved to another location where it will decide to start working again.

November Test Session – Since there is interest in a VE test session, Phil may try to get one scheduled for November.

Program for November – Chris N1CJS announced that the EMA will be hosting a SKYWARN program at Meadow View Apartment IV Common Room 25 Tweedie Lane, Ellsworth at 6:00PM on Thursday, November 9^th.  The SKYWARN program will be presented by a meteorologist from Caribou.This program is different than the one presented earlier this year so please try to attend. The EAWA business meeting will immediately follow the SKYWARN program.

Sunday Sessions -  Sunday Sessions will start November 12^th noon to whenever . Bring a project or just drop by to see what's happening or to operate the club station. Meadow View Apartments 25 Tweedie Lane

Junk Requested – John KQ1P would like to have your junk radio stuff for a high school class project.

He may offer a radio class to the students in the spring. Joe WA4OVO is willing to help teach  from afar.

Sweep Stakes – Phil N1EP is hosting at his home on Sunday, November 19^th the Sweepstakes on phone.  Show up anytime and operate or check out the action . Light refreshments will be served.

 Rob W8HAP made a motion to adjourn. John KQ1P seconded. So done at 7:28 PM

 Program-Finalizing communication plans for the MDI Marathon on Sunday, October 15, 2017.

Respectfully submitted,

Evie Sargent/KA1BRA

Secretary/Treasurer

Maine Ham Radio Society

Maine Ham Radio Society

(formerly Narraguagus Bay Amateur Radio Club)

MINUTES (Tentative)

October 14, 2017

0900 at The Milbridge House Restaurant

Present: Phil Duggan N1EP, Rick Miller N1XRW, Kevin Keane AB1OX, David Prue KC1GVG, Brian Carlton KC1FXF, Richard Clark KC1BUX

*All present agreed that we should bring the club out of suspended animation. All present paid $10 membership fees. It was decided for now the dues would be $10. Depending on possible liabilty insurance and other costs, the members could choose to increase fees at a later date.

 *Officer Elections were held resulting in:

Phil N1EP President/Secretary

David KC1GVG Vice President

Brian KC1FXF Treasurer

 

* Members voted to change the name of the club to Maine Ham Radio Society.

 

*It was noted that Kevin Shissler K1FQ was going to renew the club’s call sign KB1CEJ and transfer Trusteeship to Brenda Duggan N1ZPV. N1EP will also ask Kevin if he can update the name of the club with the FCC at the same time, if that is even an option.

*N1EP noted that he was hosting a group November Sweepstakes operation and social event at his QTH on Sunday November 19. All are invited. It was also announced that the next Ellsworth club breakfast would be Saturday, Nov 4 at 0900 at Denny’s. Please RSVP N1EP if you plan on attending so enough tables can be reserved.

*Additionally, the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association will be resuming their Sunday project sessions starting November 12 at the Meadow View Apartments Phase IV Dining Hall 25 Tweedie Lane. They usually start at noon. All are welcome. A VE session will be scheduled for sometime in November at that same location.

Adjourned about 1020

Submitted by Phil Duggan N1EP

Sunday Sessions 2017-18

 Keep posted for further information reference “Sunday Sessions” held throughout the winter at Meadow View, where the EAWA meets. With the radios present and antenna topside what better chance to hang around and work on projects or do some operating. It has been suggested that we schedule possibly operating some of the contests. As always if you have a project to work on or troubles with said projects bring them along and hopefully someone can help. And as always, have a new piece of equipment or a new setup to show off…come on down! Questions, comments, nastygrams…give me a shout at res.w1krp@gmail.com

Meeting Notice

Remember that the EAWA, Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association, will be holding it's monthly meeting on Thursday, Sept 14th at 7 PM in the Community Room of Meadow View Apartments, 25 Tweedie Lane in Ellsworth. Anyone licensed or interested in Amateur Radio is urged to attend. After the business meeting Phil Duggan will give a brief program. Phil, N1EP is going to give a very brief description of the ARRL National Traffic System, and will also describe the radiogram and how it is used. He will also quickly go over a couple ICS message forms. Anyone needing information can contact me w1krp@arrl.net or res.w1krp@gmail.com . Club info can be found at www.eawa.org

Are We Prepared?

 

If we have never experienced it, do we REALLY comprehend the |results of a major

disaster? Amateur Radio licensees and those active in Emergency Response or

Communications Units may have |their equipment prepared, but what about the family and the family home?

We may think we have prepared, but it's a real shock when there is no water, no

electricity, no heat, no transportation and no way to get them. Consider just the loss of

electricity.

 

Do we realize:

a. that public and private wells may not pump water?

b. that service stations have no means to deliver gasoline?

c. that grocery stores close because computer connected cash registers and bar-code readers cannot function?

d. that refrigerators and freezers won't keep food

e. that traffic and street lights don't work?

f. that sewerage disposal system pumps may not function

Can we internalize the effect such events will have on us and our |family? Few can, so we

ignore the travail, the trauma and tragedy. Yet, any moderate disaster can cause significant

destruction, |injury and death, whether earthquake, hurricane, severe winter |storm or extended flooding. Partial or entire systems - roads, |water, electricity, gas - can be disrupted or destroyed.

 

There may be days, weeks, months or years without public services. Disasters are not selective and occur anywhere, anytime-no matter how lulled to sleep we may be in communities that have not suffered such events. We read about these events and watch them on TV, yet how do we interpret that to our own lives?

 

More often that not we don't.

It's just too much to think about contaminated water sources, or wells that won't work,

about no electricity or no gasoline, no heating oil, gas or propane; of life being totally changed. We shrug it off and go about our daily lives, particularly if we live in an area that was NOT affected.

Yet, questions do arise. Some officials who were saying, "prepare for at least 3 days" (i.e., loss of public services) are now saying "prepare for a month.” One official recommended

storing 200 small garbage bags for human waste disposal, intending they be put over 5 gallon buckets, then closed and disposed of by digging a hole in the ground.

 

This is likely a reaction to massive disasters around the world causing the realization that nature is in control, not mankind; that massive events WILL leave some communities without services for extended periods.

So, let's sit down and review our situation.

 

 How will we heat the family in the dead cold of winter, or store food in the stifling heat of summer? How can we have water for a self-sustaining family for, say, thirty days? Maybe 50-gallon storage drums? One source predicts a 55-gallon drum will supply a family of 4 for 2 weeks, just squeaking by.) Think solutions and implement.

Once we solve that, then let's help a friend or neighbor do likewise. Yes, it may never happen, but who knows, tomorrow the preparation that we do may help in ways we least expect!

 

Source: Kentucky Amateur Radio Web Site – www.kyham.net

August EAWA Meeting!

The next scheduled meeting of the Ellsworth Amateur Wireless Association (EAWA) will be held on Thursday August 10th at 7 PM in the Meadow View Apartments Phase 4 Community room, 25 Tweedie Lane here in Ellsworth. The meeting is opened to all, and individuals interested in getting started in Ham radio are welcome to attend. After the business meeting  Jeff Hanscom KA1DBE will give a presentation which will be of interest to all hams BUT especially of interest to newer hams and those interested in getting involved….”The Frugal Ham”…..be an active ham without breaking your budget! Hope to see everyone there! 73 de W1KRP