The Mount Tom Amateur Repeater Association

Hello to all..

The first cycle of SKYWARN Training classes has been completed. The largest
turnout was training done at WFSB-TV Channel 3 in Hartford, CT with around
100 people. At that training session, Roger Jeanfaivre-K1PAI presented
Bruce DePriest with a Certificate of Appreciation for his support of the
SKYWARN program in Connecticut.

Other sessions featured between 30-50 people and these sessions included
Ellington, CT, Manchester, CT, Salem and Concord Massachusetts. Two
rural sessions In Nelson, NH and Pomfret, CT had 12 and 14 people
respectively. Approximately 15-20 people attended the SKYWARN Training
session held at the Plymouth EOC in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Gloucester,
Massachusetts in April, about 25-30 people were present at that session sponsored
by CAARA, the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association.

Many thanks to Bob LaFlamme, W1SQ for his dynamic and informative presentation at our May MTARA meeting! If you would like to explore building and flying model aircraft further, Bob's club, the Northern Connecticut Radio Control Club or NCRCC, has a web site that explains many of the events conducted by their club. You can access this site at http://www.ncrcc.org.

Bob wrote:

"Our field is located in Ellington, Ct. For a GPS enter 111 Green Rd, Ellington, Ct.

Be sure it routes you in from the SOUTH, off Muddy Brook Rd. Green Rd USED to have an entrance at the North end, but it is now gone. Maps & Directions are on our website, www.ncrcc.org.

Our next meeting is June 10, 2010, at the field. Cookout is free beginning at 5:30. Feel free to bring side dishes…..

Our next event is the Dawn Patrol. Giant-scale WWI aircraft only, bigger than what I brought!"

114TH  Boston Marathon      Patriots Day April 19 2010
 
MTARA members join W/MA ARES & HCRA amateur radio operators providing race
communications on the route covering 3 miles of the race in Newton.

This year our group provided  radio communications for:

•  3 Am.Red Cross First Aid stations.

•  1 joint ARC & federal Disaster Assistance Team station
  

•  3 water stops.
  

114TH  Boston Marathon      Patriots Day April 19 2010
 
MTARA members join W/MA ARES & HCRA amateur radio operators providing race
communications on the route covering 3 miles of the race in Newton.

This year our group provided  radio communications for:

•  3 Am.Red Cross First Aid stations.

•  1 joint ARC & federal Disaster Assistance Team station
  

•  3 water stops.
  

In February 2010, the American Hospital Association (AHA) filed a request with the FCC for a blanket waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) of the Commission's Rules "to permit hospitals seeking accreditation to use Amateur Radio operators who are hospital employees to transmit
communications on behalf of the hospital as part of emergency preparedness drills." On March 3, the FCC issued a Public Notice -- WP Docket 10-54 -- seeking comments if the Commission "should grant AHA's request for a blanket waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) to permit
amateur operators who are hospital employees to participate in emergency drills that are conducted by hospitals for accreditation purposes and that are not government-sponsored." Section 97.113(a)(3) specifically prohibits amateur stations from transmitting communications "in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer."

Given the public interest in facilitating government-sponsored emergency preparedness and disaster drills, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau have provided a process for requesting a waiver of Section 97.113(a)(3) to permit named Amateur Radio operators to participate in specified government-sponsored drills by transmitting messages on behalf of identified employers. The waiver must be requested prior to the drill, and employees may not transmit amateur communications on their employer's behalf unless the waiver request has been granted by the FCC.

In keeping with the Board of Directors policy to allow control of the Echolink and IRLP functions on our 146.67 repeater as a benefit of MTARA membership, the access codes for connecting the Provin repeater to other Echolink or IRLP nodes have been changed. This was done on May 1st. All current members with a valid, known email address have received this notification.

If you would like to renew your membership, or if you would like to join the MTARA, just click on the link below to download a pdf version of the MTARA application, and mail it in with your membership fee!

In keeping with the Board of Directors policy to allow control of the Echolink and IRLP functions on our 146.67 repeater as a benefit of MTARA membership, the access codes for connecting the Provin repeater to other Echolink or IRLP nodes have been changed. This was done on May 1st. All current members with a valid, known email address have received this notification.

If you would like to renew your membership, or if you would like to join the MTARA, just click on the link below to download a pdf version of the MTARA application, and mail it in with your membership fee!

In case you missed our February club meeting, we still would like to give you the chance to tour the ARRL Headquarters! 

We hope you enjoy this video, produced, directed, shot, composed and edited by our own KB1XG. This is the first, and only video tour of the ARRL. We hope that it spurs your interest to drop in and visit the League when you are in the neighborhood!

Just click on the title ("MTARA Exclusive...") above to load the page with the viewer! Then get your popcorn and favorite beverage - this movie lasts 31 minutes!