Mark your calendar for Friday, March 19th for the MTARA Monthly Meeting!

Topic: WINLINK 2000

The Winlink 2000 system operates as a global "email server" for all user clients accessing the system over radio links. It can handle email between all connecting clients with call sign or "tactical" addresses and exchange email with addressees on the public internet through a filtered and secure interface.

One integrated digital system links the VHF/UHF packet networks, ham-to-ham radio messages and Internet e-mail-worldwide.

No doubt the day will come when wireless, affordable Internet e-mail access will be available from any point on the globe. Until that day arrives, however, Amateur Radio HF digital operators have a very capable substitute!

You will not want to miss this exciting presentation by Rob West, W1AVK. For directions check Club website @ www.mtara.org.

Thanks to all who participated in the MTARA 2010 Hamfest...volunteers, vendors, and value seekers!

See you next year on March 5, 2011!

The January meeting is our annual meeting at which the vote for our incoming slate of officers will be held. THERE IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC ON THE AGENDA OF INTEREST TO THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP. Member attendance is very important!

Nominations are now closed for the MTARA Elections to be held at the January 15th Club Meeting. The slate of Officers and Board Members is:

The meeting will be held at the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, 506 Cottage Street, Springfield, MA. Doors open at 7:00PM and the meeting will begin promptly at 7:30 PM.

 

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.

Ever wonder what the numbers really mean in those ARRL Product Reviews? Bob Allison, WB1GCM, the ARRL Product and Review Lab Technician will be our February speaker, and will explain what those figures mean and how the gear is tested. Want to know if your radio stacks up? Bob will be bringing a Bird watt meter and will test the power output of a few of the members handhelds. Bring your radio with a charged battery!

Bob will also be unveiling the first and only video tour of ARRL and W1AW station. Al Grimaldi, KB1XG, videotaped a complete tour of the League headquarters. The video runs for 30 minutes and will be played at 7:15 PM before the meeting.

Doors open at 7:00 PM and the meeting will begin promptly after the video. Come check it out!

Hello to all..

..Strong Coastal Storm will bring strong winds with isolated to scattered pockets of wind damage particularly along coastal areas of Southern New England and possibly in the interior higher elevations..
..A Wind Advisory is now in effect through 2 PM Saturday for the entire NWS Taunton County Warning Area for sustained winds of 25-35 MPH with gusts to 45-50 MPH. There is a low probability for higher wind gusts to 55 MPH over the Cape and Islands..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will be utilized to monitor for reports through the Wind Advisory timeframe. Ops at NWS Taunton are possible Saturday Morning between 6 AM-2 PM though at this time, this will likely be handled with remote/self-activation operations..

A strong coastal storm continues to move just off the Southern New England coast. The storm has brought some precipitation over Southern New England but the heaviest precipitation has been over Southern Maine and New Hampshire. The coastal storm will bring strong winds to the NWS Taunton County Warning Area with a low probability of a coating of snow in the higher elevations of Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

A Wind Advisory remains in effect for the NWS Taunton County Warning Area and has been extended through 2 PM Saturday. Sustained winds of 25-35 MPH with gusts of 45-50 MPH are most likely along Coastal Southern New England and possible in the interior at higher elevations. These winds may be sufficient to cause isolated to scattered tree and power line damage and isolated power outages. There is a low probability of stronger wind gusts to 55 MPH on the Cape and Islands Saturday Morning into early afternoon and the strongest winds are expected Saturday Morning into early afternoon over the rest of the region as well.
  

Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross

506 Cottage

Street Springfield, MA 01104

The map below indicates the location of the Red Cross (the green arrow at the lower center of the map. Click below the map to generate a larger version Google map from which you can get directions from any starting point.

maps.google.com/maps