RI ARES Year #1 Strategic Goals underway October 2023 – October 2024

RI ARES Year #1 Strategic Goals underway October 2023 – October 2024

Annual Report by Nancy Austin, KC1NEK and Jeremy Taylor, K1JST    (November 4, 2024)

Summary: RI ARES Year #1 Strategic Goals underway, 2023-2024

  1. new Situational Awareness mission 

    • FEMA Community Lifelines
    • NOAA National Weather Service – Skywarn 
    • RI stakeholder Outreach
    • Regional ARRL Collaboration 
      • ARRL neighbor Sections WMA, EMA Simulated Emergency Tests
      • NTS 2.0 – The National Traffic System 
    • Amateur Radio’s role in a (P.A.C.E.) communication plan  – Primary, alternate, contingency and emergency  
      • Monthly all-state RI ARES Simplex capability training/mapping net; Twice monthly RI ARES repeater nets w Net Control opportunities; digital nets.
      • Winlink – FEMA Region 1 monthly tests 
        • Initiated January 2024 to exercise the Regional PACE plan. Winlink is part of the “Emergency” category of the plan. 
        • Amateur radio is included in FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) and is a key part of FEMA’s emergency preparedness plans.
    • Interoperability exercises with Region 1 Army MARS (ex: airport weather exercises, October, November 2023) – “The Federal Government (DOD) considers Amateur Radio operators to be a valuable communications resource for Homeland Security and Disaster Relief missions. The DOD has designated MARS as the method of interoperability with the Amateur Radio Service.”
  2. new Reporting Capabilities & 1st year Data Metrics to ARRL HQ (10/1/2023 – 9/30/2024)

$50,000 volunteer hour value from RI Section

 

  1. new Communication as Critical Infrastructure mission – ARES amateurs can help reduce national systemic risk 

National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience

April 30, 2024 – NSM reaffirms Communications is one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors

see also Nov 2023 Rand Report, Identifying and Prioritizing Systemically Important Entities, Table 2.1 (The 55 National Critical Functions)

  • support Connect function – technical, auxiliary comms 

  • support Manage function – educate & train; support community

Why Reporting Matters 

Join the upcoming first Wednesday monthly RI ARES Zoom call on November 6, 2024 8-9:45pm to learn more about reporting. Join this discussion and help prioritize strategic outcomes for the upcoming year. 

Want to learn more about RI ARES and how you can contribute? Express your interest here:

https://riares.org/membership

RI SEC Open Letter to All Amateur Radio Operators, Clubs, Groups and Associations in the Rhode Island Section (March 4, 2024)

RI ARES Reporting: 10/1/2023 – 9/30/2024

When reporting to the ARRL; Net Hours, Exercises and Trainings are combined into the Exercises and Trainings category unless the net was in service to one of the other categories.

Members 135
Nets Held 213
Nets w/ NTS 78
Net Participants 1565
Net Hours 1190.95
Exercises 23
Exercise Hrs 135.5
Training events 13
Training Hrs 360.75
Public Service Events 4
Public Svc Hrs 117
Community Service Events 9
Community Hrs 345.75
Emergency Events 0
Emergency Hrs 0
Skywarn Events 23
Skywarn Hrs 153.75
Meetings 18
Meeting Hrs 211
Unclassified Events 16
Unclassified Hrs 193
Total Hours per ARRL HQ 1516.748
Total Value $50,795.89

Thank you to Jeremy Taylor, K1JST for stepping up one year ago (October 25, 2023) to volunteer as the RI Section Emergency Coordinator. Working hard behind the scenes, one of Jeremy’s many deliverables for the year is the data collected and reported as requested to ARRL HQ ARES. FYI, the value of a radio amateur volunteer hour is calculated at $33.49/hr.

The RI Section is proud to be supporting this data-driven approach for our data-driven time. Let’s work together in Year #2 to more accurately show how much we are already doing.

ARRL & FCC Backstory – Radio’s Road to Now: 1914-2024 

The ARRL is our non-profit, member-supported National association for Amateur Radio in the United States. It was founded 110 years ago in 1914 by American inventor Hiram Percy Maxim as The American Radio Relay League

Today, the ARRL remains the primary advocacy group for amateur radio operators. Its five pillars are Public Service, Advocacy, Education, Technology, and Membership. Standard membership dues are $59 per year, with free student membership and youth options. As of October 2024 there are about 750,000 licensed individual radio amateurs in the United States and under 2000 FCC licensed amateur radio operators in Rhode Island

Only a fraction of FCC-licensed radio operators in the USA belong to ARRL, our non-profit National association for Amateur Radio. These support and engagement numbers matter as we advocate to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for amateur radio’s continued right to historical bands and exclusive frequency privileges. Every ham is a stakeholder in this increasingly complex, competitive, data-driven, sensor-immersive world we find ourselves in. The next decade offers unique challenges and opportunities to craft a new legacy and have impact.

To remain relevant in this changing context, hams have important work to do vigilantly explaining the demonstrated outcomes and civic benefits amateur radio operators bring to the table now. 

This is not one-and-done storytelling. 

Where does spectrum regulation come from? How does Amateur Radio and ARES fit in?

International regulation of radio frequency allocation is governed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) founded in Paris in 1865, while telecommunication regulations in the United States are regulated by two entities: the NTIA and the FCC. 

The FCC was established in June 1934 under the Communications Act of 1934. When Congress established the FCC it was for purposes of National Defense. So, the FCC “has always had a national security mandate associated with the work that it does.” [Interview: “How the FCC is Tackling National Security with Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal” (October 9, 2024)]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates the Amateur Radio service in a rapidly-changing spectrum environment where commercial and non-commercial interests compete for spectrum rights worth billions

We are only one tiny tiny part of the FCC’s expansive mission that extends from undersea submarine cables to satellites, and everything in between. 

The FCC is organized into eight Bureaus, and the roughly 750,000 individual licensed hams administered by the FCC’s Amateur Radio Service can be found under The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB). This WTB Bureau is further organized into Divisions, and within this WTB Division, the Amateur Radio Service is again competing for attention to its priorities with numerous other spectrums and services overseen by the Mobility Division

There is, of course, merit and opportunities for Amateur Radio service collaboration with other Mobility Division Services, including for example: GMRS, FRS, CB, and/or the Maritime Mobile Services. 

The FCC Mobility Division sees its mission as:

“responsible for a cutting-edge portfolio of rulemakings that facilitate rapid, widespread deployment of wireless communications services, promote competition, and set the stage for the next generation of wireless communications in the United States.  The Mobility Division also oversees wireless spectrum licenses used to provide vital connectivity solutions to the American people on land, aboard vessels, and in the air.”

This is the ecosystem the non-profit ARRL is navigating. On behalf of all Rhode Island’s c.2000 radio amateurs, whether an individual ham joins ARRL or not. 

Revitalizing a viable, relevant RI ARES program needs to be part of a success plan, but it won’t happen overnight. Your new RI Section leadership team has been in place less than a year and a half, and is working hard to pilot strategic objectives and test the capacity to succeed with sustainable respected partnerships. 

Before we move on, let’s review how the ARRL Field Organization works: The membership in each of the 71 ARRL geographic sections elects a Section Manager once every two years. The Section Manager is responsible for managing the ARRL Field Organization programs in their section and serves as a liaison between the volunteers in their section, regional division, and paid ARRL staff at the national headquarters. 

The current and new RI Section Manager is Nancy Austin, KC1NEK who was elected for a term beginning July 1, 2023. The previous RI Section Manager was Bob Beaudet, W1YRC who served in that role for over twenty years (2002-2023). 

Through coordinators, each Section Manager (SM) recruits other volunteers to staff various crucial program areas. One of these program areas is Public Service and Emergency Communications, where the Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) serves as the assistant to the Section Manager for emergency preparedness. The SEC is appointed by the SM to administer matters pertaining to public safety, emergency communications and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®) on a Section-wide basis. The current and new RI Section Emergency Coordinator in charge of ARES is Jeremy Taylor K1JST (appointed October 25, 2023). Since June 28, 2024 K1JST is also standing by as Assistant Section Manager.

Please send special thanks to these volunteer ARRL RI Section Field Officers – all busy working  technical professionals by day. Their “boots on the ground” expertise and the wide respect in which they are held by their professional peers has been instrumental in helping RI ARES quickly set relevant strategic goals – as we begin to move the whole RI Section forward.

  • RI Assistant Section Manager, Mike Corey KI1U (appointed July 1, 2023)
  • RI Technical Coordinator, Dave Neal W2DAN (appointed July 1, 2023)
  • RI Section Emergency Coordinator, Jeremy Taylor K1JST (appointed October 25, 2023)

What is RI ARES®? 

ARES® is part of ARRL, with a focus on Public Service and Emergency Communications. 

The ARRL’s organizing concept is that: 

ARES® “consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment with their local ARES leadership for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.”  

In practice, each of the 71 ARRL Sections implement ARES differently, based on membership, geography, history, and other factors. Local or regional communities evolve an ARES structure responsive to their Section’s situation and/or talent and time capacity. And this may change over time, depending on many factors – including age. Add in the new post-pandemic expectation of well-run hybrid or fully remote ways to connect and contribute. Respectful that everyone is a volunteer with many demands on their attention. 

For example, Massachusetts is administered as two ARRL Sections – East and West (EMA and WMA), each with large Counties miles apart. As we all know, Rhode Island is the smallest state. It has five counties – yet these geographical boundaries may or may not align with the strong local bonds Rhode Islander’s identify in their own mental “map” of their own “lived” Rhode Island. Each with unique situational awareness to share. 

As we start again, almost from scratch, consider RI ARES now as the group of radio amateurs who have expressed interest in providing their volunteer service to the ARRL Rhode Island Section. RI ARES is not a club, and is not an organization in and of itself; it is part of the RI section ARRL field organization. Collectively, ARES®  is led by a paid team at national ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut and is a resource that can absolutely be a key mobilizing resources during emergencies. 

About RI ARES, Repeaters, and Amateur Radio as Critical Infrastructure

Amateur radio offers auxiliary critical communications infrastructure that can help communities respond to emergencies and disasters. 

Amateur radio provides a backup to centralized communication systems like cell phones, internet, and landlines. This redundancy allows emergency management teams to continue to coordinate responses and request assistance.   

FCC-licensed radio amateurs can operate independently of centralized infrastructure. An amateur radio station can be set up quickly by raising a wire antenna and connecting it to a radio and power source.  Amateur radio operators, also known as “hams”, can communicate with non-amateur entities like FEMA, the National Weather Service, and the military. 

Amateur radio operators have volunteered their time, equipment, and skills to their home communities for over 100 years. Amateur Radio operators are recognized as part of the Incident Command System under the ICT Support Branch Communications Unit as Trained Auxiliary Communicators (AUXC), which are a valuable communications resource tool that can be used by local, county, regional, tribal or state agencies/organizations. 

Amateur Radio Infrastructure (repeaters and networks) often have the advantage of being easily accessible for repair, and have local, experienced owners, operators and technicians with a deep understanding of both how they work and how to make them work in ways other than as originally designed, which adds flexibility to deal with any challenges that a certain situation or event presents, and have many amateurs that use them on a daily basis which helps verify operation, build knowledge of their utilization, and develop a sense of their coverage area. Amateur Radio networks are often utilized as Contingency and/or Emergency backups in Communications PACE plans.

See also:

https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/comu-training-resources

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ict-functional-guidance.pdf

What are PACE Plans?

Maintaining operability, interoperability, and continuity of emergency communications is critical for emergency response regardless of the operating conditions. Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency (PACE) communications plans are a tool for helping organizations prepare for backup communications capabilities in out-of-the-ordinary situations. PACE planning helps organizations establish options for redundant communications capabilities if primary capabilities are disrupted or degraded. It is critical for communications to continue despite disrupted communication networks. Perfect situational awareness is not always possible, and communications may be impacted by environmental factors affecting infrastructure, equipment, and users. The PACE concept takes redundancy beyond the typical planning of having a primary means and a backup. A PACE plan is triggered when the primary capability becomes unavailable.

A PACE plan helps organizations establish predictable and redundant communications capabilities in changing operational environments. Having redundant communications methods in place and sharing these among users helps achieve interoperability and continuity throughout the emergency communications ecosystem, particularly in challenging environments. PACE plans can also be utilized to address capacity issues by offloading some types of communication to the redundant solution, leaving the Primary available for higher priority use.

NB1RI

https://nb1ri.net

NB1RI is a privately held repeater network, originally built by Stephen Hodell (KA1RCI/SK) and now owned by his widow, Sandy Hodell KA1RXB. It is currently operated and maintained by the Narragansett Bay Amateur Radio Club (NB1RI), with Trustee Adam Paul KC1KCC and System Control Operator Jeremy Taylor K1JST providing day to day operation and maintenance. NB1RI is an open Amateur Radio repeater network, and has always been made available to RI ARES and other groups wishing to provide auxiliary communications to served agencies as a resource at their disposal.

NB1RI is funded by a 501(c)3 public charity, the RI Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Foundation or RI AREC Foundation. The RI AREC Foundation was founded by members of the RI ARES leadership team in 2020. RI AREC is an entirely separate organization from both NB1RI and RI ARES (the ARRL insisted we not use their registered mark ARES and that we ensure it is an entirely separate organization for tax, management, oversight, and controls purposes). The RI AREC Foundation’s primary mission is funding the establishment and maintenance of Amateur Radio networks that provide electronic communications in the event of disasters or other emergencies, fostering education in the field of electronic communications and public service, and the support of incident response agencies and charitable organizations requiring auxiliary, situational awareness, public service, health and welfare and emergency communications and technical services. This support is provided with the understanding that any networks that receive funding must be made available for use by RI ARES in order to align with the mission of the organization. RI AREC allows the donation of restricted funds earmarked for support for the NB1RI repeater network, and also uses general funds in support of NB1RI, RI ARES training programs, and hosting the RI ARES and RI Swap and Sell websites. The Managing Director of the RI AREC Foundation is Jeremy Taylor K1JST.

RECCWG/COMM-ISAC

FEMA supports the Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Groups in all 10 FEMA regions to address key emergency communications issues. RECCWGs are congressionally mandated planning and coordination bodies located in each FEMA Region that provide a collaborative forum to assess and address the survivability, sustainability, operability, and interoperability of emergency communications systems at all levels of government. RECCWG membership includes emergency response organizations from federal, state, tribal, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private sector entities. FEMA is very selective about membership in the RECCWGs, and only allows individuals in certain positions at ESF #2 support NGOs like the ARRL to be members. As the RI SEC, Jeremy Taylor, K1JST provides representation for Amateur Radio for the Rhode Island section to the FEMA Region 1 RECCWG and the FEMA Region 1 RECCWG Amateur Radio Subcommittee. The RECCWG is based out of the FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center in Maynard, MA. Other RI Representatives on the RECCWG include the RI EMA Director and Deputy Director. 

Because of his RECCWG membership, Jeremy has been able to join the CISA National Coordinating Center Communications Information Sharing and Analysis Centers as a Government Representative. This gains him access to the weekly CISA Central Emergency Response Operations NCC/COMM-ISAC Meetings, as well as daily CISA/FEMA Communications Situation Reports, News Clips, Cybersecurity Advisories for COMM sector and industrial controls, and access to Emergency Response Communications Coordination Calls. 

Through his day job, Jeremy is also a member of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), which is focused on the cybersecurity posture of U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government organizations, and the K12 Security Information eXchange (K12SIX) which does the same for K12 school districts. 

Reposting for your review:

RI ARES SET & Situational Awareness (October 2023

https://ri-arrl.org/welcome-to-your-october-2023-ri-section-newsletter  

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) framework includes three major components relevant to amateur radio:

  • Resource Management
  • Command and Coordination > Incident Command System (ICS)
  • Communications and Information Management 
    • Situational Awareness – maintained through the flow of information

Hams are getting new attention for their skilled ability to accurately report real time, ground truth situational awareness information when other forms of communication may not be available. 

Partnering with the community to provide additional situational awareness underpins the National Weather System’s Skywarn program. It is central to FEMA’s new Community Lifelines. On October 19, 2023 at 10:19am, over 57 million people worldwide participated in the Great Earthquake Shakeout Drill; and this year’s drill included new ways for hams to contribute via Winlink in this global situational awareness exercise.

This August, Tom Kinehan, the US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) Region One Director, reached out to New England ARRL Section leaders to see if any Section might be interested in working together with MARS on an Airport Weather situational awareness SET, or Simulated Emergency Test, scheduled for October. MARS recognizes that experienced, motivated radio amateurs could be a “force multiplier” passing structured traffic. Let’s see what’s possible in post-pandemic 2023. 

Under Jeremy Taylor’s leadership as then Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, RI ARES stepped up to the challenge. Within days of discussing this with the new and pre-occupied Section Manager and getting the green light, K1JST had completed the necessary administrative documentation and met with key stakeholders. Early communication was sent out here:

https://ri-arrl.org/join-the-ri-ares-mars-airport-weather-exercise-starting-this-weekend/

Jeremy K1JST then planned and led the RI ARES team and anyone interested in a practice exercise over the weekend of October 7-8, 2023. He followed up promptly to implement changes based on some of the challenges reported. Some lessons learned were posted here:

https://ri-arrl.org/rx-on-the-aviation-band/

Two weeks later, the actual SET took place over the weekend of October 21-22, 2023. 

An interim report was posted here:

https://ri-arrl.org/ri-ares-mars-set-underway/

The final SET net closed Sunday at 10pm. The first October 2023 RI-ARES & MARS SET was a resounding success.

  • 50 net check-ins 
  • 35 reports for 8 unique airports 
  • 2 airports out of state in CT and Worcester, supporting regional situational awareness
  • Team building success
    • Among RI hams across the state.
    • New and old connections fostered
    • RI ARES – MARS relationships renewed or begun. Many thanks to Tom Kinehan N1CPE, Matt Hackman KB1FUP and John E. Miller N1UMJ.
    • Opportunity to assess RI ARES’ baseline capabilities as of October 2023 to provide situational awareness to a served agency – and how to set a path forward.
  • Outreach and communication will take time. RI ARES is a statewide organization where hams can connect on the mission, get a certain kind of training, and bring this all back to help support their local community. 
  • Counties are not an ideal organizational unit for RI ARES. 
    • The final SET participation by RI County looks like this (not counting MARS members):
      • Kent County: 39%
      • Newport County: 28%
      • Providence County: 17%
      • Washington County: 17%
      • Bristol County: 0%
  • Jeremy Taylor, K1JST – our new RI SEC – has proposed other RI ARES organizational structures, and welcomes your suggestions. 
    • How can we come together to support a state-wide, relevant RI ARES training program that will deliver value to our communities in 2023, no matter where in RI we live? No matter how many different radio clubs or radio interests we also care about?
    • What would you prioritize? 
    • Please join the conversation. Step up and get involved. Take action and help us all succeed. 

Rhode Island’s amateur radio community makes a difference. And we can do more.

From FEMA IS-0700.b – An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Nationwide, ARES members are introduced to situational awareness, ICS and other fundamentals in the course sequence: FEMA IS-100, 200, 700, 800. These courses are available for free, on-line, on-demand. See, for example:  IS-700.B: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System

 

Ham Competencies & Platform Capabilities (August 2023)

Welcome to your August 2023 RI Section Newsletter  

Thank you for letting me share some of my thoughts from HamXpo, along with other things that stand out for me after two months as your new RI Section Manager.

Ham Competencies & Platform Capabilities

There have never been more ways to “reach out and talk to the world“. In such a changed world, what does amateur radio bring to the table? 

One of my surprise takeaways from last weekend’s HamExpo 2023 was how often speakers highlighted radio’s platform capabilities and the keenly-relevant competencies skilled amateur radio operators deliver. 

This shift toward emphasizing ham radio’s unique and relevant “platform capability” was called out in the ARRL President’s Keynote address. Ham competencies provided context for the DX/Contest dinner speaker, Don Greenbaum, N1DG and his riveting talk on DXpeditioning with a “Rig in a Box” given contemporary constraints (including cost, environmental concerns, permission timelines) and new opportunities (including Starlink satellites and drones). https://www.dx-world.net/vp6a-ducie-island/

Rob Macedo, KD1CY from our nearby regional National Weather Service (NWS) station emphasized: 

What distinguishes a licensed amateur radio operator is their proven discipline in structured voice and digital communications, technical skills, and awareness of the importance of maintained infrastructure. 

Hams can “augment the situational awareness mission when communications don’t fail”, using their capabilities and skills to accurately operate and report as part of a team. 

During Macedo’s talk on how hams can contribute on the Hurricane Net, KD1CY stated: “Amateur radio operators provide the discipline in structuring both voice and data communications in an organized format…” Ham competencies and the platform capabilities of amateur radio are more relevant than ever. (He spoke as Hurricane Idalia gathered force, and Ocean State hams pondered our own community preparedness during another hurricane season.  (Screenshot below from one of Rob Macedo’s many presentations at the 2023 HamXpo.)

Like a rainy day bank account, now is the time for skill development and the professional relationship building of mutual trust and practiced respectful collaboration.

This shift also aligns with FEMA’s new Community Lifelines approach. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/lifelines

It provides context for the upcoming regional MARS exercise where hams will be asked to see if they can hear the weather reports at local airports and accurately transmit that to another station. This only requires the basic radio operator skills that any licensed radio amateur can practice daily by joining nets and contesting – from entry-level POTA on up to EME. 

Communicating why these seemingly basic skills matter is important. Strengthening these skills is only one part of an overall ham competency portfolio however. Collaborative teamwork and professionalism matter too, more than ever. 

The amateur radio community is a cross generational, growth mindset, force-multiplier that excels in mentoring technical capabilities via experiential learning. All of this aligns to the FCC’s mission statement for Amateur Radio. HamXpo presenters went back to basics referencing Part 97, and I read it again in a new light:

Title 47, Subpart A—General Provisions  https://www.arrl.org/part-97-text

  • 97.1   Basis and purpose.

The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:

(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.

(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.

(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.

(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.

(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur’s unique ability to enhance international goodwill. 

RI Section priorities 

About 45% of RI’s licensed radio amateurs hold a Technician license. Nationally the figure apparently is 51%. As many as 75% of new Technicians never become active hams in that critical first year. Why is that? What can we in RI do better? 

Over the last six months, RI welcomed about 28 new Technician licensees and 22 license class upgrades. Other hams became Silent Keys, moved or otherwise changed their QTH. Many hams joined or renewed their ARRL membership; a far fewer number let their membership lapse – and this group includes Silent Keys. I’m still trying to sift through the available data on RI to find that most helpful kernel and how it might influence RI Section conversations on priorities. The average age of a ham is 75, and the dynamic of the seesaw is something to be mindful of. 

IMO it’s good news that a situational awareness public service mission is well suited for older hams who have deep experience and can provide tremendous value reliably operating from their home stations. But there is still a lot to learn about what opportunities and challenges are coming down the way. Regardless, it’s never too soon to build positive relationships across our small state on sunny days like today. 

Tonight on the nightly W1SYE 2m repeater net, one of these new Technicians tried to check in, but hadn’t yet solved everything about programming his new handheld. One of us reached out to let him know he was heard, if weak-readable. Within 15 minutes, five hams who belong to multiple clubs stepped up to help this new ham making his first QSOs feel heard, and to offer mentoring follow-up. It was heartening to see this kind of welcoming collaboration across the state. I had already drafted this newsletter before this happened tonight. It reminded me again that troubleshooting technology may be part of the skills package, but gathering people who care enough to selflessly step up, work together, and follow up to help someone else succeed is a leadership competency that really matters. 

 

RI-ARES and K1OS Ocean State Amateur Radio Club support Coventry Health & Safety Fair (September 2024)

More than two decades after the deadly West Warwick The Station Nightclub fire, Tom Senarchia KA1VAY (above left) remains mission-driven to promote public health & safety awareness with inclusive whole community outreach. … Tom KA1VAY is the Founding President of RI AEM (the state-wide Association of Emergency Managers). Building on his career as a West Warwick Emergency Management professional, he is now also a Pastor. This September, he opened the doors of the Cornerstone of Faith UMC in Coventry for a long-planned Health & Safety Fair that welcomed the community. It was a blue sky New England late summer day, and people from across RI steadily dropped by to chat with representatives from the United Way’s 211 program and the RI Dept of Health’s Special Needs Emergency Registry, and more. There was food and fun and a chance to discover just how many older women at this event had fond memories of their now-Silent Key dad’s active on Amateur Radio.  … A shared theme was this: radio amateurs (old and young) can support  FEMA’s Lifelines and Situational Awareness mission. …. In-person community outreach and collaboration like this Health & Safety Fair are more meaningful than ever in 2024.    … For more information on how to get involved with Amateur Radio and RI-ARES, see RIARES.org  and RI-ARRL.org and https://www.arrl.org/new-ham-resources

Why Reporting Matters  (Nov 4, 2024)

Join our upcoming first Wednesday monthly RI ARES Zoom call on November 6, 2024 from 8-9:45pm to learn more about reporting. Join the discussion and help prioritize strategic outcomes for the upcoming year. 
Want to learn more about RI ARES and how you can contribute? Express your interest here:
https://riares.org/membership

 

RI ARES Year #1 Strategic Goals underway October 2023 – October 2024

Annual Report by Nancy Austin, KC1NEK and Jeremy Taylor, K1JST  (November 4, 2024)

https://ri-arrl.org/riares_Year#1_2023-2024

RI-ARES and K1OS Ocean State Amateur Radio Club support Coventry Health & Safety Fair

More than two decades after the deadly West Warwick The Station Nightclub fire, Tom Senarchia KA1VAY (above left) remains mission-driven to promote public health & safety awareness with inclusive whole community outreach. 

Tom KA1VAY is the Founding President of RI AEM (the state-wide Association of Emergency Managers). Building on his career as a West Warwick Emergency Management professional, he is now also a Pastor. This September, he opened the doors of the Cornerstone of Faith UMC in Coventry for a long-planned Health & Safety Fair that welcomed the community. It was a blue sky New England late summer day, and people from across RI steadily dropped by to chat with representatives from the United Way’s 211 program and the RI Dept of Health’s Special Needs Emergency Registry, and more. There was food and fun and a chance to discover just how many older women at this event had fond memories of their now-Silent Key dad’s active on Amateur Radio. 

Outside, Jeremy Taylor K1JST – our tireless young professional RI Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) – set up the RI ARES table and greeted everyone, listening patiently to understand how best to be helpful. For some, Jeremy K1JST suggested ways to get started. To others, ways to get more involved (or involved again) in ARES. 

K1OS Ocean State Amateur Radio Club was represented by club president, Michael Melancon N1VSU.  Ocean State Amateur Radio Club (K1OS) participates every June in ARRL Field Day from the Providence EMA with operators Joe Del Giudice, K1CR and Matt Hackman, KB1FUP.  They are co-located on ARRL Field Day in Providence with the PEMA RACES team led by Barry Noel, W1BSN – operating with the Amateur Radio call sign KK1PMA.

A shared theme was this: radio amateurs (old and young) can support  FEMA’s Lifelines and Situational Awareness mission. 

New possibilities unfolded for how a local faith center or Scout or Senior group could get members licensed and bring Plan-B resilient communication skills to their community.

In-person community outreach and collaboration like this Health & Safety Fair are more meaningful than ever in 2024. 

For more information on how to get involved with Amateur Radio and RI-ARES, see RIARES.org  and RI-ARRL.org and https://www.arrl.org/new-ham-resources

More remarkable RI leaders: New England Division Marine Corp Chaplain Jane Deptula (standing front) who organizes an annual interfaith servant leadership Four Chaplains Memorial Service on the first Sunday in February at the Cornerstone of Faith UMC in Coventry, Rhode Island.

The Service of the Four Chaplains is held in recognition of the Dorchester Chaplains “who died rescuing civilian and military personnel as the American troop ship SS Dorchester sank on February 3, 1943, in what has been referred to as the second-worst sea disaster of World War II.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Chaplains

Many thanks to Tom Senarchia KA1VAY for organizing this successful outreach on a Blue Sky day.

More resources:

 

Newport County Radio Club celebrates 75th and looks ahead

This weekend, the Newport County Radio Club (NCRC) gathered at Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island to celebrate the club’s milestone 75th anniversary as an ARRL-affiliated amateur radio club. The ARRL New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC presented a commemorative plaque to Ed Gosling, W1NQH, who has been a member of the club for over thirty years. Bob Beatty, WB4SON gave a keynote address on the history of the club, with an emphasis on its role promoting education, licensing, and getting on the air through outdoor club programs – including Islands on the Air and Parks on the Air. 

Looking forward, the club wants to again acknowledge its 2023 major ARRL Club grant for a Vector Network Analyzer to support UHF and microwave learning by members of all license classes and skill-levels. Club member Greg Bonaguide, WA1VUG of Rohde & Schwarz again shared his timely insights. Meanwhile, Carl Dumas, KC1NAM brought his home-brew satellite van and offered demos while making a successful confirmed QSO via satellite RS-44. At the other end of the spectrum, Naldy Medina, KP4AMC talked low-frequency and was good-natured when people recognized him from the cover of the July 2024 QST

Carl Dumas, KC1NAM (rear) making satellite QSOs. Greg Bonaguide, WA1VUG; Christy Bonaguide KF4UXP; Phil Temples, K9HI; Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB; Fred Kemmerer AB1OC

 

This was also the club’s third annual Outdoor Adventure, with a 2024 tribute to Silent Key Dave Cain, W1DEC. Aquidneck Island native Kevin Beale, K8EAL, from ARRL HQ presented the Cain family with a replica of the ARRL commemorative brick the NCRC had placed in Newington, CT at ARRL HQ in honor of W1DEC. 

Photo courtesy of Kevin Beale, ARRL

Willy Maclean, W1LY and Jim Sendrak, KC1LYG had secured a wealth of door prizes from DXE and others. ARRL books on Propagation, Licensing, Antennas and numerous DXE gift certificates were welcomed by the many winners present, including DaveDan Neal, W2DAN, the RI Section Technical Coordinator. 

The new RI Youth Coordinator, Rowan Eggert, WO1P won a copy of the latest science fiction novel by Phil Temples, K9HI, the Vice Director – showing the generalist range of interests that animates so many radio amateur gatherings. Inside the picnic pavilion was good cheer. Outdoors on this beautiful September day, club members drifted back and forth to check out Carl’s satellite set-up. And also the sidecar driven to the picnic by auto mechanic wizard Jeremy Dennis, N1JAD. Huge shout-out for “Most Resilient” to Jeremy N1JAD. Throughout 2023 Jeremy took care of his aging and ailing dad, Arthur Dennis, W1ACD and helped his dad get back active on the air with renewed joyful mental health connection via the W1SYE 2m nightly net community. Art sadly passed away last December 2023, and then Jeremy was faced with clearing out the house to sell. These are only a few of the reasons why it was inspirational to see Jeremy’s spirit of resilience as he moves forward with a new job, living in a new town, and setting up a new QTH and hands-on workshops. Newport County Radio Club is an amazing ham community with a proud past and abundant opportunities for each of us to share and inspire in the weeks, months, and years ahead.  

Calling all radio amateurs ready to imagine the NCRC’s 100th anniversary in 2049.

How about let’s start with the NCRC October 14, 2024 monthly meeting?!  

September 2024 VHF Contest Underway

VHF Contest Underway on famous Chopmist Hill

Curious to learn more about a club operating up to 1.2GHz voice, digital and CW on the famous Chopmist Hill? Check out Fidelity Amateur Radio Club, operating as W1MB, until Sunday afternoon September 15, 2024 at 985 Chopmist Hill Rd, Scituate, RI 02857. Say hello to Jason, AA1VV; Nick, KC1DWH ; Mike, KC1UHZ; Bernie, WI1I; Ken, K1KT; Jeremy, K1JST; and more. https://contests.arrl.org/sepvhf/

Setting up earlier Saturday 14 September 2024
Site set-up team included Jason, AA1VV; Nick, KC1DWH ; Mike, KC1UHZ

Chopmist Hill Listening Post History

More on the history of Rhode Island’s Chopmist Hill as a famous listening post in WWII linked again here:

https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/chopmist-hill-rhode-islands-secret-listening-post-in-wwii/

https://youtu.be/JkTW–EFY8Y

June 2024 VHF Contest – Raw Scores posted

  • Fidelity Amateur Radio Club (W1MB) 
  • WB2VVV, John C. ‘Chris’ Fagas, Foster, RI 
  • Providence Radio Association (W1OP)
  • K1NPT, Mike Cullen, Newport, RI
  • WA1LAD for WA1USA

  • https://contests.arrl.org/rawscores.php
  • https://contests.arrl.org/

RI top scores for International DX Contests posted

ARRL 2024 International DX Phone Contest

  1. W2DAN, Dave Neal, Tiverton | score 1,299,180 (ARRL RI Technical Coordinator)
  2. WA1BXY operating as NC1CC, Don Rosinha, Tiverton | score 1,232,313
  3. KS1J, Jim Bowman, Barrington | score 1,123,398

All 3 Contest Clubs active in Rhode Island participated (https://contests.arrl.org/viewlists.php)

  • Yankee Clipper Contest Club (YCCC) – top score operator –  W2DAN, DaveDan Neal
  • CTRI Contest Group – top score operator – W1XX, John Lindholm 
  • Providence Radio Assn – top score operator – K1DT, Dave Tessitore (club president)

ARRL 2024 International DX CW Contest

  1. KI1G, Malcolm Davenport, Wood River Junction | score 7,048,278
  2. K1TZQ , Howie Naugle, Portsmouth | score 2,751,030
  3. WA1BXY operating as NC1CC, Don Rosinha, Tiverton | score 2,740,890
  4. KS1J, Jim Bowman, Barrington | score 2,478,360

ARRL 2024 International DX Digital Contest

  1. NE1Y operating as W1OP, Providence Radio Assn | raw score 3,606

ARRL 2024 International DX EME Contests

  • standby

See more at: https://contests.arrl.org

Providence Radio Association & young Amateur participation at the HamXposition W1XPO GOTA station

Providence Radio Association club president Dave Tessitore, K1DT shared this news before their weekly social meeting tonight at the PRA clubhouse:

A record 27 PRA members were in attendance for the Northeast HamXposition two weeks ago in Marlborough, MA. https://hamxposition.org/

  • Members and family in attendance included AC1GE, AJ1S, K1COI, K1DT, K1LFS, KB1EFR, KB1KVD, KB1RCD, KC1NAB, KC1NTI, KZ1K, N1DM, N1RHH, N1SXB, N1WVQ, NE1U, W1BSN, W1ER, W1ESQ, W1EYH, W1GS, W1PRA, WA1WEE, WQ1Q, K3DRE, W3DRE, and Sarah Good. Friends and associates were too many to list!

   

The PRA set-up and hosted the Official HamXpo Get-On-The-Air station, W1XPO.

https://hamxposition.org/2024/02/03/providence-radio-association-to-sponsor-2024-official-hamxposition-station-w1xpo/

Tremendous young Amateur participation at the HamXposition W1XPO GOTA station!

Thanks to all the PRA members, it was an Overwhelming Success!

Many of us filled the PRA Table(s) at both the Friday DX Dinner and Saturday Grand Banquet.

  • The Fri and Sat PRA Happy Hours were well attended by members, friends, and guests.

   

PRA HamXpo Speakers

Our President, K1DT spoke on Marketing your Club, while Dom, N1DM spoke on DMR technology, and Doug, K3DRE, gave an interesting presentation on Being a Ham in the Broadcast Industry. Many of us attended the RI Section Forum hosted by our ARRL Section Manager, Nancy, KC1NEK.

Thank you all for your support!

73, Tess K1DT

Calling all Rhode Island youth!

New post from Rowan WO1P – RI Section Youth Coordinator (RI-SYC)

Calling all Rhode Island youth!

Are you interested in STEM, want to learn more about leadership opportunities in your community, and grow your communication skills? Then you have found the right place. My name is Rowan, WO1P, and I am the new Section Youth Coordinator (SYC) for the Rhode Island ARRL section. For the last two years, I have worked with my local community and university to encourage youth engagement in amateur radio. Since moving to Rhode Island earlier this year, I have been determined to continue my efforts in our beautiful ocean state that I now call home. 

Goals of my appointment:

I have four primary goals for my appointment as SYC.

  1. Get Rhode Island school districts and universities on the air through School Club Roundup and the Collegiate QSO Party hosted by the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program.
  2. Expand and support Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) participation.
  3. Learn more about amateur radio, network with hams around the New England Division, and encourage outreach for youth throughout Rhode Island.
  4. Communicate the needs of Rhode Island youth and their mentors to the section and larger ARRL organization.

How to get involved:

Being an active participant in the community has been one of the most rewarding aspects of being a ham. I encourage everyone to attend club meetings and events, ham fests, and demonstrations seen throughout the state. 

ARRL Northeast Division HamXposition:

Attending this year’s HamXposition? Come meet the Rhode Island section organization!  We have a meet and greet from 4-5pm on August 24th. Hope to see you there, 

Contact me:

As SYC, one of the most important aspects of my role is effectively communicating the needs and concerns of the Rhode Island amateur radio community to the right individuals. Whether you are a college student trying to start an amateur radio club on campus, Scout leadership looking to expand opportunities for your troop, or an interested member of our community, I want to be available to help in the best way I can. A great way to reach me directly is through my email, [email protected] This is my amateur radio dedicated email that I check frequently to best serve the Rhode Island section. Please feel free to reach out, I would be happy to help.

Interest form:

Want to bring amateur radio to youth in your local community? Need help from the SYC? 

Fill out my interest form and I will work with you to help bring amateur radio opportunities to your part of the state.

73, Rowan WO1P – RI Section Youth Coordinator (RI-SYC)

SK – Chris W1KMA RI’s 13 Colonies K2C Manager

Chris W1KMA now a Silent Key

SK – Chris W1KMA RI’s 13 Colonies K2C Manager 

Dave Neal, W2DAN is sad to report that Chris Kilpert, W1KMA of Warwick, Rhode Island is now a Silent Key. 

From 2013 through 2024, Chris W1KMA enthusiastically led the Rhode Island State Team of about a dozen K2C special event operators every July for the fun post-Field Day week-long Special Event known as 13 Colonies. DaveDan, W2DAN wrote that in his decade-long role as the Rhode Island’s K2C QSL Manager, Chris “really enjoyed sending and receiving all the cards after the 13 Colonies Special Event. He will be missed!

The K2C QRZed page Chris W1KMA maintained is here, with updates to follow: https://www.qrz.com/db/K2C/?dxc=1 

Many thanks to the volunteer team of Rhode Island’s 13 Colonies operators he led:

  • W1KMA – Chris – Warwick,  RI – QSL Manager – SSB & Digital
  • W2DAN – Dave – Tiverton, RI – SSB
  • W1WIU – Jim – North Scituate, RI – SSB
  • AJ1DM – John – Westerly, RI –  CW
  • KI1U – Mike – Coventry, RI – CW & Digital
  • N1QDQ – Pete – Westerly, RI – Satellite
  • KC1FUU  Jon – Scituate, RI – CW
  • N1KM – Mark – Bristol, RI – SSB, CW, Digital & Satellite
  • W1KDA – Ron – Warwick, RI – SSB & Digital
  • N6RFM – Robert – Bristol, RI – Satellite

2024 results are:

    OP W2DAN   3,486  PH  HP

    OP W1KMA  3,338  PH HP  1,679  DIG TOTAL OF 5,017

    OP W1WIU    1,972  PH   37 CW  TOTAL 2,009   POWER 400 Watts

    OP AJ1DM    688   CW  100 WATTS

    OP KI1U        569   CW  100 WATTS

    OP KC1FUU  166  CW  100 WATTS

    OP N1QDQ   129  SAT

    RI Total    8,796 PH    1,460  CW    1,679  DIG     129  SAT     Total QSO’s   12,064

See also this post from last year, July 2023:: 

[2023] Small State, Big Pileup for K2C  – 13 Colonies Special Event RI Results [July 2023 post]

Following on Field Day is the popular and patriotic 13 Colonies Special Event. For the week around the United States July 4th holiday, teams of dedicated operators in each of the original thirteen colonies field QSO pileups with thousands of stations looking to make contact with as many of the event stations as possible, in as many modes as possible. But since this is a Special Event (and not a “Contest“)  every participant can be a winner and eligible for a 13 Colonies certificate by making even just one QSOs with a colony state or bonus station. 

The Rhode Island State Team of about a dozen K2C event operators has been led by Chris, W1KMA since 2013. 

He writes: Conditions were not that great at times but we did 14,534 QSO’s: +1351 from 2022. [WOW!] It has been a lot of fun getting hams into our logs. Many are looking for that “rare” RI contact for WAS (Worked All States). The greatest joy about this event is working people who are so happy to make contacts with all 13 colonies to get a clean sweep and they tell you that you were their last one.

The tough part is being on this side of a pile-up. If anyone would like to give it a try and help, we are happy to welcome you aboard. Just send me an email, so we can  connect with each other. CW ops are always in demand, but any mode you like to work is fine.

[The K2C team offers : SSB, CW, Digital & Satellite]

New hams should not be afraid to try either, you will have a good time for sure. Everyone works at their own pace, this way you have fun and share fun at the same time. This year we had two brothers from upstate new camp out in Exeter working K2C QRP.

This year, the French bonus station (TM13COL) was hosted by the Clipperton DX club (CDXC) and the réseau des émetteurs français (REF). 

Rhode Island still accords special honors to the French for their pivotal support during the Revolutionary War, as witnessed by, for example, a monument to Rochambeau at King’s Park in Newport and ongoing historical commemoration. We tend to forget that the British occupied Aquidneck Island for three years from December 1776 to October 1779, with devastating consequences. For more on this history, see for example: https://battleofrhodeisland.org/learn-battle-of-rhode-island-timeline-and-maps/

Congrats again to the Rhode Island K2C 13 Colonies Team for their commitment to this Special Event and their dedication to make over 14,534 QSOs in 2023. 

Congrats to Chris, W1KMA for leaving such a meaningful legacy.

Recent Ham Radio Workforce Development Outreach

 

Building Bridges Workforce Summit at CCRI – Newport July 17, 2024

Building Bridges Workforce Summit at CCRI – Newport 

Kudos to the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) for hosting the Building Bridges Workforce Summit in Newport last week on July 17, 2024. It was an inspiring snapshot of the collaborations already taking place to transform learning pathways and connect Rhode Islanders with in-demand skills and sustainable careers across the key sectors of Labor, Defense, Finance, Healthcare, Hospitality, and the Integrated Maritime Blue Economy. 

All presenters encouraged us to think more broadly about career entry points and the transferable skills gained. For example, hiring needs in a hospital are not unlike the scope of skills required to run a small city: from food services to niche-needs (like who will sterilize the surgical tools and how to find and train these workers as older one’s age out), to administrative and tech support. Joe Caparco, the LiUNA New England Region Apprenticeship Director, gave a compelling pitch for why we need to think more broadly about what it means to be skilled “Labor” and the breadth of opportunities.

But! “We need to have a trainable person in the seat”. Someone who has learned what it means to be dependable. Heather Singleton helped the audience reflect that many got their first jobs in Hospitality. (Nationwide, 8 in 10 Americans.) These early work experiences can deliver  lifelong learning dividends about fundamentals like showing up, greeting your customer and hearing their needs. Demonstrating personal persistence through speed bumps as you navigate finding your allies to mentor you and support growing on the right team in the right role. She shared research from Jason Dorsey that younger generations now are not getting that first job experience until they are in their 20s, with then a decade until in a job and able to pay for their own basic needs. One action item brought up over and over was the request to focus on the soft “communication” workforce-readiness skills that are actually hard – and in demand.

The ham radio community is fortunate to have this opportunity unfolding as we raise awareness to new stakeholders of our enduring commitment to free cross-generational civic mentoring in a hands-on learning community that is all about communication. (“Ham Radio – the original Social Media”!) We offer a unique place where a growth mindset attitude matters more than degrees, and everyone is open to learn from and mentor anyone interested. This experimental tech innovator educational mission was a founding part of the FCC-mandate granting electromagnetic spectrum worth billions to licensed hams. https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/amateur-radio-service

Radio amateurs offer practical learning about electronics, wireless communication, spectrum propagation, structured communication, and the hard “soft skills” that all industry representatives mentioned as far more important than this or that technical skill. Are you curious and willing to learn? Also dependable? Accountable contributing on a team? Able to navigate feedback and keep working toward a shared goal? Communicate what matters most about the situation at hand? Problem-solve next steps? 

Interested to learn more about “How Hiring Managers see a Ham Radio license“? Check out this post: https://ri-arrl.org/ri-section-newsletter-2024-04-30/ 

Join us as we bring the benefits of being able to communicate without internet access or commercial power to new generations and more Rhode Islander stakeholders. Find out more about getting licensed here: https://hamstudy.org/ 

Radio Tune-Up at the Tech History New England Wireless & Steam Museum campus – East Greenwich, RI

If you love to nerd out on tech problem-solving and/or Rhode Island’s world-class history of industrial innovation, then the New England Wireless & Steam Museum (NEWSM.org) community gatherings are for you. Last weekend’s Radio Tune-Up was no exception. Great to see the NEWSM.org volunteer President Randy Snow, along with many volunteer Board members, including entrepreneurial tech start-up engineering innovator Terry Jones of Kuva Systems (Cambridge,MA), and Newport’s Don DeLuca, an accomplished industrial designer and entrepreneurial consultant on product invention and market IP for consumer and marine products. 

I pitched the idea of the New England HamXposition Tech in a Day license class to these NYAH (Not Yet a Ham) highly-technical engineers, and hope they will follow up. Then, they could join fellow hams on their NEWSM board, including Ken Carr, KE1RI and Mike Thompson, recently licensed with the NCRC. All would be a big help as we continue outreach this October and February via the ARRL School Club Round-up – with the collegiate focus on URI and Brown.  

This weekend’s New England Wireless & Steam Museum Radio Tune-Up brought vendors from across New England, and even northern Rhode Island. Great to catch up with RI ARES Emergency Coordinator SKYWARN net control, Wayne Burkett, KA1VRF

I was amazed to learn his mother, June Burkett, W1VXC (1929-1982)  was the ARRL RI Section Communications Manager in the 1950s, and “worked Civil Defence for hurricanes and was a Morse Code speed award winner.” She was the President of the Rhode Island Young Ladies Radio Club, organized in 1955. (QST-1956-11: 63) and ran their CW net.

   

Among other things, the Radio Tune-up gathering was my chance as the new ARRL RI Section Manager to meet many hams I might not otherwise get to meet or hear from. Some longtime hams shared their unhappiness about the recent ARRL dues increase – and where was ham radio’s relevance for today? But this only reinforces in my mind the need to help older radio amateurs  communicate their stories to new generations about how our mentoring community directly offered career entry paths in the past – and is more relevant than ever today. We have a shared goal to keep our ham band privileges available. Amateur radio has so much to contribute right now. 

Want to learn about satellite operation? Space weather? Make Earth-Moon-Earth contacts? Find someone who knows how to solder? Build and legally fly their own drones? Nerd out on SDR? Welcome to today’s Amateur Radio! 

For example, Tom Lapointe, WA1LBK (above left) from Fall River, MA was filled with stories about his wonderful life-changing introduction to RF technologies he credits to his High School’s hands-on electronics and radio club at the (now-closed) Bishop Connolly. He got his first FCC-Technician class license at 16 before he knew how to drive! After high school, Tom WA1LBK went on a familiar southern New England worker skills-pathway of on-the-job vocational training. The Math required by a college engineering degree was not for him, and so Tom followed ever-changing job opportunities in electronics repairs, analog and digital circuitry, field radios, and everything he saw coming as new tech from his never-ending involvement as a licensed ham exploring UHF, VHF, and satellite contesting capabilities – informed also by his model aircraft and railroad hobbies. Tom was eager to show us the tiny circuitry of his latest (cheap and dependable) model aircraft. He remarked on the future of electronics as the cost of entry makes experimentation open to everyone. Decades later, his enthusiasm and willingness to invent new solutions and share them is as strong as ever. 

Tom, WA1LBK and Jeremy, K1JST, the RI Section Emergency Coordinator, talked at length about the value of understanding how RF analog waveforms work. Digital natives are comfortable with 0s and 1s. Something is on or off. But how does that help software engineers, for example, quickly understand an RF fiber optic interface board? Software engineers are welcome to join in and discover for themselves why ham radio is the “greatest hobby of a lifetime.” A career springboard. And so much more.  

Hope to see you at the New England Division HamXposition annual convention next month in nearby Marlboro, MA. NOTE: conference hotel discounts end July 23, 2024. 

Not to miss: Space weather rock star Dr. Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, will be the invited guest speaker for the HamXposition Saturday evening Grand Banquet . Known as the “Space Weather Woman” on network TV and in social media, she forecasts and analyzes space weather processes in the heliosphere and exosphere. 

Many thanks to the New England Wireless & Steam Museum for their ongoing collaboration with the Fidelity Amateur Radio Club. Scenes here from the club’s June Summer Field Day and January Winter Field Days held on the NEWSM.org campus in East Greenwich, RI.

Satellite QSO set-up Summer Field Day 2024

Winter Field Day, 2024

 

How Rhode Island Hams Help RICOMU Deliver Millions $$$ to RI Cities & Towns

RICOMU at the 2024 WA1USA Field Day Open House

The RI ARES Situational Awareness Mission & Economic Value

Ground truth “situational awareness” reports from your neighborhood matter. Here’s a great example Gil Woodside, RICOMU leadership shared during my 2024 Field Day visit to ARRL-Affiliated Club, WA1USA. [Recording transcript lightly edited for clarity.]

Nancy Austin, KC1NEK, ARRL RI Section ManagerHello Gil, WA1LAD – Great to meet you during Field Day today at WA1USA. You were just sharing an example of how the situational awareness capabilities of every ham delivering, for example, weather reports really matters. So could you tell that anecdote again that you just shared with me?

Gil Woodside, WA1LAD, RICOMU:  

Sure! This January 2024 Rhode Island had damaging rainstorms. The state had gone to FEMA and said that we were going to go through the process of getting a disaster declaration, which will bring Federal money in for Recovery. The issue was that FEMA said the storm was actually multiple storms over multiple days. But we worked with the National Weather Service and their forecasting office. And we gathered all the reports from the local hams and Skywarn spotters, and we took all that information to the Weather Service. They got all this data;  they collated it all and they were able to show FEMA that it was a single weather event. Not multiple events over multiple days. And that information alone allowed us to complete the paperwork with FEMA and successfully get a disaster declaration for our state for the January storms. …

This mattered! For example, Galilee had significant damage down there to the beaches, buildings, etc. and they were looking at about $12 million dollars for that area. And so, that’s a really good example of how any ham could really have an impact. Getting involved in Skywarn, as one example, can really matter. 

Whether you are a trained Skywarn Spotter or not, you can say that, you know, my street has a foot of water on it. It’s those types of reports that they look at at the National Weather Service. Their radar and their forecasting is essential, but we still need real world boots on the ground, in the street, reporting from everybody. It REALLY MATTERS. We take situational awareness reports from hams, from Public Safety and other other professionals … cities, towns, DPW’s, RIPTA, RIDOT. So, we are constantly gathering this information to make informed decisions. It also helps us get disaster declarations – such as shared in the example here. Federal money provides funding to get things done. … 

Thanks so much for visiting WA1USA on ARRL Field Day 2024. We look forward to continuing to serve Rhode Island and working with the amateur radio community in shared support of our situational awareness mission. 

 

Are you a licensed RI Ham interested to learn more and make a difference?

Please join the RI-ARES monthly Zoom meeting tomorrow, Wednesday July 10, 2024 from 8-9:30 pm as we set priorities for the year ahead. RIARES.org  [calendar]

Check-in to the RI-ARES monthly 2m SIMPLEX net tonight as we test a shorter net format based on the Western MA (WMA) weekly Sunday morning 80m EmComm net. 

Going forward, the RI monthly Simplex net is likely going to call for basic check-in reports from key stakeholder partners – including ARRL and ARES leadership, Public Safety, Skywarn, NTS, RI County involved stations, outside RI, and Relays. It will help build awareness of stakeholders and call signs, and help highlight gaps we need to address. (Are you the next NTS lead for RI?)

2m FM Simplex Net 7:30PM @147.42 MHz

(Monthly, 2nd Tues, KC1NEK NCS)

147.42 MHz Simplex

TONIGHT: 19:30 Local Time – Tues July 9, 2024 

Please be prepared to check-in when called with this report template:

  • Call Sign, Name, Location, 
  • Power Source (commercial/battery), Power Level (ie. 50 watts)
  • Traffic or Issues to report in your area? (Negative? Something to report?).
  • Over
  • NOTE: We will not have a later round of comments on this test Simplex net format. You can choose to make a note of which stations you can hear and how well. A future goal would be to later collect and collate this via a follow-up Google Doc. Share your suggestions tomorrow during the RI-ARES Monthly Zoom call.