The Southeastern Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association is holding its annual flea market on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at the SEMARA club house at 54 Donald St, Dartmouth, MA 02748.

Space will open for sellers at 8 AM and spots will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Admission for buyers begins at 9 AM. The admission fee is $5 for sellers; $1 for buyers. Talk-in will be on the W1AEC repeater (147.000MHz, 67.0PL, plus offset).

For more information and directions, see http://w1aec.blogspot.com/2009/09/semara-flea-this-sunday.html.

Den Connors, KD2S, the first president of Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) of Pepperell, Massachusetts, passed away September 3 from lymphoma. He was 58. Connors, an ARRL Life Member, conducted the first amateur packet radio contact with all-American hardware and software, using the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Terminal Node Controller (TNC) with Lyle Johnson, WA7GXD (now KK7P). [Full story, ARRL Web]

KD2S was one of the early movers and shakers in the New England Packet Radio Association. In addition to his digital contributions, Connors was also an active participant in ARES and RACES.

"Den was on our crew for Region 1 comms for Seabrook and storms," writes Terry Stader, KA8SCP, an Eastern MA ASM and MA Region 1 RACES Officer. "He worked the emergency management side for many years. He will be missed."

Photo, above: Den Connors, KD2S, circa 1982 courtesy TAPR

Steve Schwarm, W3EVE writes:

I need several more hams to help with the Jimmy Fund Walk Sunday Sept. 13. This event is run on the Boston Marathon course and runs for most of the day. The majority of the activity is on the last half of the course. We have hams on the buses like the Marathon and a ham at each first aid/water station. This is a low key activity. We use 2 meters for this event.

Drop me an email if you can help. If you have questions feel free to call my cell phone at 508-922-9688.

Frank Murphy, N1DHW writes:

The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services has planned a Field Exercise on Saturday, 26 September at Camp Wonderland in Sharon, MA.  This event will focus on disaster operations training for key members of the Command staff and Volunteers.  We have participated in this event for several years, and ham radio support has been and continues to be a vital part of this exercise.  The drill will simulate a specific, large scale disaster response, and work on building response capacity in a number of different areas.

The drill will begin with registration at 0830, followed by a Disaster Services Organization role-specific training from 0930 to 1030, with the live exercise beginning at 1030.  Lunch will be served from canteen kitchens as part of the drill.  A brief time for assessment is planned before the event is completed at 1545pm.

Communications will be managed from the fully outfitted Communications van as in a realistic situation.  About 20 hams are urgently needed for assignments as shadows for Salvation Army commanders and managers, specific field operations, and at the food and supply locations.

If you are able to participate, or have any questions, please contact me at n1dhw@arrl.net.

--Thanks, Boston ARC The SPARC, August, 2009

This message contains some points with regard to the approach of Hurricane Bill near our area.  Although the impact of the storm appears to be no greater than what we would experience during other times of the year, the storm could be especially dangerous to boating and beach enthusiasts.

I am requesting that you assist our safety outreach in the following ways:

1.    Remind friends and family about the dangers of storm generated surf, which may be especially prudent since the hot weather may beckon people to go swimming.  There are many websites that explain the "riptide" phenomena and safety measures.
2.    Please listen for ham maritime mobile stations and verify they have current storm information.  Please encourage them to monitor the weather radio, and if they tell you they are using a marine radio, remind them to monitor Marine channels 16 (156.8 MHz) and 22A (157.1 MHz).
3.    For those of you on the coast this weekend, please report all flooding and "splash-over" (water carried ashore by crashing waves) to SKYWARN observers.
4.    If you (especially our SKYWARN cadre) are asked by other citizens what you think about the storm, encourage these folks to familiarize themselves with the storm by visiting National Weather Service (NWS) websites, listening to weather radio, and watching TV and web broadcasts.  Remind people that weather safety issues are exclusively the responsibility of the NWS.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

de W1MPN

--------------------------------------------------------------------

ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio™

Eastern Massachusetts Section
Section Manager: Michael P. Neilsen, W1MPN
w1mpn@arrl.org

The Eastern MA Section Traffic Manager report for July, 2009 has has been posted to nts.ema.arrl.org for your viewing pleasure.

New England Area   Ham - Electronic  Flea Market  ***  DATES  *** 2009 P 1 of 2
All events are Ham Radio/ Electronic related except ~_____~ 

*******************************************************************************
2009                                                    Contact          Source
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8 Aug Gales Ferry CT RASON @VFD $4@9 $15/T@7       Wayne KB1NKK 206 350 3064 

8 Aug St Albans ME PARC                           George WA1JMM 207 441 6112 A

15 Aug Swamton VT STARC I89x21 @RavenInd $5@6 +$5/Sp  Arn N1ARN 802 309 0666 F

16 August Cambridge MA           FLEA at MIT               Nick 617 253 3776 F
 Third Sunday April thru October                 

16 Aug Adams MA NoBARC @BoweFld $5@8 $10/sp@7          Al K1SAV 413 743 1619 W+

22 Aug Salem NH N1HIT @HRO  $10/sp           Dave N1FCC fleamarket@n1hit.org F+

12 Sept Windsor ME AARA @FG $5@8                     Bill K1NIT 207 623 9075  

12 Sept Ballston Spa NY SCRACES @FG $5@7              Al KA1IEG 518 677 3316  

12 Sept Windsor CT VR+C Mus 115 Pierson LN @8AM Tailgate   John 860 673 0518 W

13 Sept Newtown CT CARA@TownHall $6@8:30 $15/T$10TG@7 Joe AB1DO 203 938 4880 W

13 Sept Dartmouth MA SEMARA @54 Donald St B@9 S@8      Tim N1TI 508 758 3680  +

19 Sept Forestdale RI RIFMRS @VFW rt146 8A flea+auct Rick K1KYI 401 864 9611  

19 Sept Alton NH MASONS @Lodge @7 Tg$10 $20/inside T  Bob W1GWU 603 776 0086

19 Sept Alexander ME StCVARC                        Mike KB1GEO 207 427 3058 A

19 Sept Omeaux PQ WIARC @Shriner's $5@9 $15/T@8      Ken VE2KLF              R+

The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association has again set up to operate amateur radio on Thatchers Island, off Cape Ann from Friday, August 07, 2009 at 05:00 PM until Sunday, August 09, 2009 at 6:00 PM EDT.

According to CAARA's Briggs Longbothum, AB2NJ, "The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a 'Special Use Permit' for the club's activity at the North Tower." Briggs adds, "The Thatchers Island Association is being very supportive of our plans.

CAARA intends to stream live video of the operation via UStream from its web site. To view the festivities, visit the current home page at: http://caara.net.

Gordy Bello, K1GB writes:

On Sunday Sept. 13, [the Framingham Amateur Radio Association] will be taking part in the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and MRC (Medical Reserve Corps) Emergency Readiness Fair at the Peter Noyes School in Sudbury from 12 noon to 3 PM.  There will be other organizations represented as well.

This is a great PR opportunity to inform the public about EMCOMM.  We will be speaking to the public and handing out brochures, etc.

The Falmouth Amateur Radio Association reports that the Town of Chatham is proposing the construction of a Titanic Memorial Museum centered on the 2012 anniversary of the famous sinking. Bob Courtemanche, N1WAT and Barbara Dougan, KB1GSO attended a recent planning meeting.

According to Courtemanche, plans are in the early stages but "would emphasize the importance of radio and have a working radio station on site." It is hoped that the Falmouth ARA might "play a role in the setup, repair and operations." Another planning meeting is scheduled for October.

Thanks, Falmouth ARA Newsletter, July 2009