The Mount Tom Amateur Repeater Association

Looking for that new antenna, rare tube, connector or other gizmo? Want to sell that rig that's gathering dust, get some money for that new DC to daylight all-mode?

Mark Saturday March 6th on your calendar - and get ready for the MTARA 22nd Annual Hamfest!!

This year's event will be held at the Turnverein Club, 65 Garden Street, Feeding Hills, MA (Same place as last year)!

Doors open at 7:00AM for VENDORS and 9:00AM for BARGAIN HUNTERS

For more information, directions, table reservations, or your very own HAMFEST FLYER, and AMATEUR RADIO LICENSING INFO, see the links to the left above.

Want to help out the MTARA? We are looking for items to sell at the club table- any working items are accepted....great if you don't want to bother getting a table for just a few items! Just talk to any Board Member - if you can't get it to us, we'll arrange to pick it up!

The first Massachusetts QRP Convention (MassCon) will be held March 12-13, 2010 in the Westford Regency Inn Conference Center in Westford, Massachusetts. Presentations from leading figures in the QRP world will be made from 8 AM through 5 PM on Saturday (March 13). Speakers expected to present include Allison Parent (KB1GMX), Dave Siegrist (NT1U), Bruce Beford (N1RX), Chuck Kitchin (N1TEV), Michael Rainey (AA1TJ), John Sexton (KO1H), and QRP Hall of Fame members George Heron (N2APB), Joe Everhart (N2CX), and Dave Benson (K1SWL). Nobel Prize winner Joe Taylor (K1JT) will round out the event.

In addition to the Saturday seminar, a Friday evening gathering will be held on March 12, 2010 for attendees to meet the speakers, browse through vendor offerings, and do a little show-and-tell of their own. 

Finally, a banquet will be held at the conclusion of the conference. Steve Galchutt (WG0AT) will keynote the event showing movies and talking about operating portable QRP, and hiking the peaks of Colorado with his pack goats Rooster and Peanut. Ticketing for the banquet is separate from the conference.

The recent earthquake that devastated Haiti has left the area around Port-au-Prince in ruin and in want for every conceivable human need. We in New England are a world away as we watch the misery on the nightly news. 

To donate to the American Red Cross, you can follow this link:

http://www.redcross.org/en/donatemoney

or you can make a donation right at the Pioneer Valley Chapter at our meeting. Make your check payable to the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross (PVCARC) and put "Haitian Relief Fund" on the memo line.

Amateur Radio in Action - Hams respond to Haitian Crisis

Here is a link to a news story from WFOR-TV in Miami FL:

http://cbs4.com/video/?id=89675@wfor.dayport.com&cid=5

(note- there is a short ad before the video so be patient)

Radio Scanner Monitoring Information Hobby Net --

Starting Thursday, January 7th, 2009 at 7:00 pm for approximately 30-45 minute period on the Mt Tom Repeater (146.94) an information net will be held for all amateur radio hobbyists who have/may have an interest in the passive radio monitoring hobby.

Round table discussions will cover "how to/where to monitor", as well as "what equipment is needed" to listen to  the various radio services to including public safety, local government, military, aero/aircraft, railroads, public utilities, and various other services, operating in the frequency ranges of 30 to 1000 mhz.

Acting NCS for the net will be Ken, KB1PKI, who has been active in the radio hobby monitoring for over 30 years, and the Civil Air Patrol.

The net is off to a great start! If you would like to comment, please feel free to add your thoughts to the "Scanner Net" Forum. A link to this forum is in the menu on the left of this page under MTARA Discussion Group.