FARA First Day Breakfast

Continuing the tradition originally started by Jim Bradbury (sk) of the Barnstable Amateur Radio Club, we will have our FARA First Day Breakfast at Persey's Restaurant in Falmouth at 0830 on January 1st, 2023.  Persey's is located on 40 North Main Street, Falmouth.

I have arranged for 20 guests, but there are usually additional seats available in the restaurant. Parking is behind the hotel, or across the street.  Contact Henry on k1wcc@comcast.net if you are going to attend.

Hope to see you there to wish you a Happy New Year!
Henry K1WCC

December 15 Meeting "Show and Tell" Presentations

Members were invited to show an item or tell a story about how they became interested in Amateur Radio. The following 8 members participated: Ralph N1YHS, Peter W1UU, Jim WA1GPO, Jay KB4KYW, Bill Kramer, Henry K1WCC, Chris WA1CMR and Barry KB1TLER.

Two of the participants shared descriptions of their presentation and images for the FARA website:

Peter Butler, W1UU:

I briefly showed QSL cards I was receiving as a 15 year old Sophomore in High School. The Russians liked to send post cards with a rubber stamp of their call sign of "everyday life". The VR6TC operator was a relative of the original Tom Christian from the novel Mutiny of the Bounty. We had to read that story in high school! I was first licensed as WN1BPW in 1953 at the age of 13.

Ralph Swenson, N1YHS:

Knightkit Space Spanner

My first shortwave radio kit was Knightkit "Space Spanner". I built this when I was around 12 years old and it was a Christmas gift from my grandmother. I enjoyed countless hours of listening for those distant and foreign stations. I graduated up to another Knightkit radio, the "Star Roamer", few years later, around the age of 14, with money I earned mowing lawns that summer. Had lots of fun with that as well.

Popular Mechanics tube radio

I also built a one tube radio during the COVID shutdown, built around a 6J5 tube. This radio was from a 1956 Popular Mechanics, Do It Yourself Encyclopedia volume. It uses AC power to run the filament transformer for the tube and a 45V battery for the plate circuit. I used a 48V battery pack made of 8 LR44 6V batteries as a substitute for the old 45V "B" batteries used back in the day.  Had fun making it, and it actually works quite well!

Cape and Islands ARES Simulated Emergency Test

The Eastern MA Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service conducted an operations exercise to test its capability in establishing communications with stations within its section and outside it under simulated emergency conditions. The operational exercise called “Incoming” tested the ability of several home stations, EOCs (Emergency Operations Centers), possible field sites and other stations to communicate. The exercise attempted to build upon the lessons learned from our past operational exercises. 

The exercise was based on the scenario of the National Winlink ETO (EmComm Training Organization) exercise being held the same day.

Exercise "Incoming" Scenario:

On November 11th, hundreds of asteroid fragments resulting from a distant collision began entering the Earth’s atmosphere and impacting the northern Hemisphere and especially North America. These fragments varied in size from a few meters across to just pebbles. The larger fragments began impacting and causing heavy damage over parts of the US, Canada and Mexico. Several impact explosions in the low kiloton range have occurred in the US. Similar strikes in the ocean have caused localized damaging tsunamis in Puerto Rico and Oahu in HI.

Cape and Islands ARES Exercise Results from Frank, WQ1O: 

"We conducted our ARES SET exercise on Saturday, November 12....Exercise had mixed results, but with very good elements as  well. HF, especially 60m was stellar. We had some 2m VHF noise issues at  our main field site, but operators in surrounding areas provided  assistance to carry out the drill. My thanks to all of our people who  performed well on Saturday."

The photos below are courtesy of Frank, WQ1O.

Nationwide "Operation Incoming" Semi-Annual P2P Drill Results

The Point to Point target stations received 795 messages of all types from stations across the United State and Puerto Rico.  Messages for the drill were the FSR (Field Situation Report) and the ICS213 (General Message) with an optional image.  The results 

  Total FSR messages received: 360, images: 0

  Total ICS messages received: 361, images: 204

The connections diagram below illustrates the national coverage of the exercise.  Red markers indicate a Target(receiving) station and blue markers indicate a Field (sending station).

If you are interested in more information re: Cape and Islands ARES, contact Frank, WQ1O on wq1o at comcast.net

If you are interested in the nationwide Winlink/VARA-HF exercises, see https://emcomm-training.groups.io/g/main/topics for information.

FARA Fest 2022

From Ralph, N1YHS:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that helped out with FARA Fest yesterday, and those who worked behind the scenes as well. Also, a big thank you to Don (N1JCT), for working with the school, securing the rooms and helping with the arrangements. 

It was a great day, and another great success! Almost every table was sold and nearly 100 people came through the door to check out all the goods. Lots of sales, and the vendors were all happy with the event.

The VE Session was busy, with two of the students from our recent Tech Class retesting and passing their Technician license, and one of our Tech Class students who passed their Tech at the class, upgraded to General! Thanks again to the VE’s who took the time to support the event.

We could not have done it without everyone’s help.

 THANK YOU ALL!!!

Ralph, N1YHS
Acting President, FARA

Technician License Class, October 21-23, 2022

FARA volunteers held a Technician level amateur radio license class October 21-23.  Eleven students participated, with seven students passing the license examination.  The students who did not pass the examination will have another opportunity at the VE (Volunteer Examiner) session held as part of FARA Fest on November 5.

Instruction was provided by Ralph, N1YHS and Charlie, K1CB.  Lee, NQ1L and his VE crew provided testing services on October 23.

Congratulations to the seven new amateur radio licensees!  Best of luck to the four students who will take the re-test on November 5.

Photos below courtesy of Wayne, Lee, NQ1L, and Larry, W1IZZ

FARA Communications Support for Cape Cod Marathon Weekend

 

The 45th running of the Cape Cod Marathon was held October 1 and 2, 2022.  A half-marathon was held on Saturday and the full marathon was held on Sunday.   Saturday's weather was driving rain, while Sunday's featured relatively high winds.  The 2022 marathon had 824 finishers.

FARA provided communication support for both races.  A crew of 25 amateur radio volunteers led by Barry Hutchinson, KB1TLR, was stationed around the course at the various medical and water stops. 

Unlike the Falmouth Road Race, FARA provides the primary communications support for the marathon. The FARA mobile communications trailer was used as the net control location.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who worked the race.  

Photos below courtesy of: Charlie, K1CB; Ralph, N1YHS; Harold. N1ZTV

FARA Fest Flyer

 The FARA Fest Flyer can be found here:

FARA Fest Flyer