Barry, KB1TLR, is coordinating the amateur radio support for the Falmouth Road Race. The road race will be held on August 21, 2022.
Barry still has a number of open positions to fill.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Barry on timefliestoo at verizon.net to sign up or for further information.
We operated from 1400, Saturday through 1400 on Sunday from one SSB station. We completed tear down of the site by 1530 on Sunday, which is very quick. Our single phone station made 1,310 contacts on 80, 40, and 20M. Most of the contacts were made on 20m, which was very open for most of the Field Day period. The video below shows the level of activity on 20M on Saturday.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10228074799245863&set=gm.10159168053572984
There were 33 people who signed in at the FD site. Thanks to all the volunteers, everything went very smoothly. We had a great cook out Saturday afternoon. Henry, K1WCC, arranged the food and there were several donated food items. Gene, KX1C served as grill-master. Sunday morning, Jim Leavitt, KC1KM, with the assistance of Charlie, K1CB, prepared a nice sausage and egg, English muffin breakfast. Jim, KC1KM, "Killer Mouse Electric Company". also supplied the generators for FD.
The FARA Field Day entry has been submitted. Our claimed score is 3,570--2,620 for the contacts and 950 bonus points. Not a bad showing for a single transmitter operation.
There is a slideshow of photos from the 2022 Field Day in the lower left of the FARA website home page.
Thanks again to all of the volunteers who made FD a success.
Falmouth Amateur Radio Association will be conducting Field Day operations on June 25 through June 26, 2022, on the Morse Pond School field. The Morse Pond School is located on Jones Road in Falmouth.
The public is welcome and encouraged to visit. There will be opportunities to get on the air and make contacts with amateur radio operators across the USA.
We will be operating from our new Communications Trailer, which is designed to support emergency and public service communication, and to demonstrate the wide variety of amateur radio activities.
Nine FARA volunteers provided communication support for the 11th annual Wounded Warrior Project’s "Soldier Ride" along Falmouth’s Shining Sea Bike Path on Friday, May 13, 2022. The new FARA communications trailer, staffed by Ralph, N1YHS and Mel, KC1ELB served as the net control point.
FARA volunteers were stationed at: Old Dock Road (Gene, KX1C), Sippewissett Marsh (Jeremy, WA1JRC), Carlson Lane (Jay, WB4KYW), Falmouth Bus Station (Harold, N1ZTV), Surf Drive (Phil, KB1DOS), Fay Road (Henry, K1WCC), Woods Hole (Larry, W1IZZ).
A number of Falmouth Police and Falmouth Fire personnel provided traffic control and EMS support to the riders. Many people cheered the riders as they passed through the various bike path intersections.
Some images from the ride: (Images courtesy of Ralph-N1YHS, Jay-WB4KYW, and Larry-W1IZZ)
   
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Pursuant to the request of the FARA Board of Directors, a committee was formed to investigate the possibly of putting together a mobile communications trailer to be used by FARA for Field Day, Public Service Events, Emergency Response and to support the community at large.
A volunteer committee was formed by several members of FARA to identify the objectives of the trailer, equipment needed, its ability to be deployed and the estimated monies needed to purchase and outfit the trailer.
After careful consideration, and review of similar trailers developed by other amateur groups, the size of the trailer was identified, along with the equipment most members felt would be needed to properly outfit it. With these ideas in mind, a list of equipment and related costs were put together, to put a professional mobile communications platform together. It would support not only FARA’s needs and the local community, but also play a role in regional communications support as well.
It would be the intent that the trailer could be readily towed by a suitable pick-up truck or comparable SUV when requested. Once on scene, the trailer could be deployed into full service in about 30- 45 minutes. This would include HF and VHF/UHF capabilities.
The on-board radio equipment would be self-powered through a trailer generator and/or on-board batteries, or through a shore power connection when available. Air-conditioning and heating would be included, to allow comfortable, year-round operation in the field.
Radio equipment would include HF, VHF, UHF, DMR, D-Star, Fusion, Digital Operation (Packet, PSK, FT8, Etc.), Public Safety (VHF and 800 Trunked), operated from 3 – 4 operator positions.
Funding was raised through donations from local businesses and organizations, FARA membership and club funds. Once funds were in place, a new 16 Ft enclosed trailer was ordered in late 2019. based on the specifications set forth by the Committee. This included full insulation, walk-on roof, plywood interior, finished floor and a heating/air-conditioning system.
Timing could not have been worse. COVID hit our nation within weeks of receiving the trailer in 2020. With the trailer being graciously stored inside the JBCC Fire Station on Joint Base Cape Cod, which provided us a heated building to work in, access into the building was closed down only to authorized personnel, due to the strict COVID restrictions. We unfortunately had no other place at the time to store the trailer inside, so we were locked into this spot.
Because of COVID regulations, it wasn’t until that Fall, that we were able to have access to the building and begin work. There was only a handful of people from FARA (because of their positions on the Military Installation) that were allowed into the building to work on the trailer. With this opportunity at hand, they went right to work, and started the demanding task of putting the trailer together. With all of the collective ideas in hand, materials were secured to begin the carpentry, equipment rack installations, wiring, antenna installations, electrical power work and painting. Much of the hardware, antennas wiring and electronic supplies were secured through donations and surplus sources, which helped greatly to keep the costs down. Many of the control panels in the equipment racks, for AC and DC power distribution, antenna patching, etc. were all custom made to support the unique needs of the trailer.
The goal was to have the trailer done for Field Day 2021, and we were able meet that goal after about 6 months of dedicated work building the 3 operating positions, electronics racks and storage.
Field Day 2021 was the maiden voyage for the trailer, and it was a great success! We operated on a 7500 watt generator for the event, and had two positions operating on HF with no interference problems. Plans for 2022, will include final lettering of the trailer, addition of more cabinets and shelving. Events will include Field Day, the Falmouth Road Race and the Cape Cod Marathon, as well as various drills and exercises.
Special thanks to all those involved with the project, the support of FARA, SEMARA, Falmouth Masons Lodge, the Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Department and other local organizations.
The trailer is equipped as follows:
Radios:
3 - 2M/440 Radios (includes Fusion, DMR and D-Star)
3 - Marine Radios
3 - Scanners
1 - GMRS Radio
1 - 900 MHz Radio
1 - Dual Band Public Safety 800
Trunked/VHF Radio
2 - HF Radios
15 External Roof Mounted Antennas
(VHF/UHF 700-800 Wideband, 900,
UHF, VHF, 6M, Marine and Scanner)
HF 10/15/20 M Beam
Fully Wired Computer Data Network at each position
12 VDC Power Distribution at each position, with USB Charger Ports
WX Station
GPS Netclock
30 Ft Portable Telescoping Military Tower
External RF, Data, Telco and DC Power Connector Panel
PA Audio System
2 Ea 200 A/Hr 12 VDC Battery Systems W/Chargers
AC Power Distribution Panel
RF Distribution Panel
Tables, Chairs
External DC Scene Lighting
Internal AC and DC Lighting
2 Ea Rechargeable Flashlights
Custom Radio/Headphone Interface System
Tools, Hardware, Spare Parts and Supplies
Numerous Coax Cable Assemblies
Shore Line Power Cables and Extension Cords
  
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The tentative plan is to operate CW, phone, and GOTA stations. In order to make this happen we need volunteers to fill the following positions:
CW Station Captain - Sets up CW station, recruits and manages operators
SSB Station Captain - Sets up SSB station, recruits and manages operators
GOTA Station Captain - Sets up GOTA station, recruits and manages operators
Field Setup/Teardown Coordinator - Recruits setup/teardown volunteers and supervises setup and teardown
Food/Beverage Coordinator - Purchases food/beverages, recruits volunteers to cook (Henry, K1WCC has volunteered for this position)
In addition, we need volunteers for the setup and teardown crews.
Field Day setup takes place on 25 June, with operation on 25-26 June, and teardown on 26 June.
Please contact me if you want to volunteer, or you have any questions concerning Field Day.
thanks,
Larry, W1IZZ
WHITMAN ARC TECHNICIAN COURSE BEGINS MARCH 15
