   
Fall 2025
Volume 15, Issue 3
2025 ARRL Field Day Recap
For
the second year in a row, the Wireless Society of Southern Maine (WSSM)
set up camp at the athletic fields of Windham High School for ARRL
Field Day... Read
Full Story
2024
Maine QSO Party Results
Congratulations
to the Multi-Op Team of Kevin Thomas (W1DED), and David Heumann (N7NR),
who operated as W1DED, from Van Buren, ME... Read
Full Story
Thank You to Everyone Who Made the
W1V 15th Anniversary Special Event a Success!
We’d
like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the operators and chasers
who participated in the W1V 15th Anniversary Special Event!.. Read Full Story
Mark
Your Calendars! The Next Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge is March
14, 2026
We're excited to announce that the next Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex
Challenge will take place on Saturday, March 14, 2026!...
Read Full Story
Hams
to Put Emergency Skills to the Test in Statewide Drill
WINDHAM, ME – For 4 hours, beginning at
8:00 AM on Saturday, October 25th, members of the Wireless Society of
Southern Maine Emergency Communications Team (WSSM-ECT), which meets
monthly in Windham, will take part in a statewide emergency
communications exercise... Read Full story
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Upcoming
Meetings /
Events
09/27/2025 - 09/28/2025 - Maine QSO
Party
10/09/2025 - Monthly
Meeting - 7pm - 9pm at the South Windham Fire
Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME.
10/16/2025 - Meeting
on the Air - 7pm on the 147.090 (+ / 100 Hz) repeater.
10/23/2025 - ECT
Meeting/Training Net - 7pm at the CCEMA Bunker, 22 High
Street, Windham, ME & the 449.225 (- / 103.5 Hz) repeater.
10/25/2025
- Maine Simulated Emergency Test (SET) - 8am - 12pm
11/13/2025
- Monthly
Meeting - 7pm - 9pm at the South Windham Fire
Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME.
11/20/2025 - Meeting
on the Air - 7pm on the 147.090 (+ / 100 Hz) repeater.
11/27/2025 - Thanksgiving
12/11/2025
- Holiday
Pot Luck - 7pm - 9pm at the South Windham Fire
Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME.
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QSL Corner
Above
is a QSL card from W9IMS, for a 40m SSB QSO with WS1SM at 2240 UTC on
05/092024. W9IMS activates their special event station during race
weeks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, during premier events like
the Indycar Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Brickyard 400. The above
card features Alex Palou, winner of the 2024 Indycar Grand Prix.
Congratulations to Our Newly Elected Officers!
Please join us in congratulating the officers elected during the Wireless Society of Southern Maine’s Annual Meeting last month!
We are pleased to welcome back:
Tim Watson, KB1HNZ, as President
Peter Fulton, WO1J, as Treasurer
Brad Brown Jr., as Secretary
Each of these individuals has shown outstanding dedication and
leadership, and we’re grateful to have them continuing in their
respective roles.
We also extend a special welcome to our newly elected Vice President,
Dakota Dumont, KB1YYC! This is Dakota’s first time serving as an
officer, and we’re excited to see the fresh energy and perspective he
brings to the leadership team.
Thank you to all who participated in the election, and to our officers
for stepping up to serve the club. We look forward to another great
year ahead!
DX News
Below is a roundup of some notable DXpeditions now active or planned, sourced from NG3K’s Announced DX Operations and the 425 DX News sites. Be sure to check them out for full schedules, propagation forecasts, QSL routes, and more!
Ongoing & Active Operations
9X2AW (Rwanda) —
Active through September 27, 2025. Operated by DF2WO from Kigali.
Modes: CW, FT4, SSB (160 m – 6 m, including 60 m) — QSL via M0OXO OQRS.
KH2 / WE9G/KH2 (Guam) — Active through September 26, 2025. Modes: FT8, CW, SSB on 160 m to 6 m.
SV5 (Dodecanese Islands) — Through September 25, 2025. Operated by HB9OAU from Karpathos Island. Modes: CW, SSB.
A25LS (Botswana) — Active September 24–30, 2025. FT8 + SSB on 20 / 12 / 10 m.
5X2I (Uganda) — September 29 to October 10, 2025. CW, SSB, FT8.
Noteworthy Upcoming Expeditions
A52G (Bhutan) — October 1–8, 2025. HF operation from the Himalayan region; expect CW, FT8 and some SSB.
VK9QO (Christmas Island) — October 3–7, 2025. CW, SSB, FT4/FT8 activity expected.
WH0RU (Mariana Islands) — October 3–12, 2025. Multi‑mode activity across HF bands.
5R8TT (Madagascar, Nosy Be Island) — October 29 – November 12, 2025. CW, SSB, RTTY; 5R8XX will run FT8.
9U1RU (Burundi) — October 31 – November 20, 2025. HF CW, SSB and digital.
T88HR (Palau) — November 1–6, 2025. Operation from Koror I.
VP8THW (Falkland Islands) — November 1–22, 2025. SSB / FT8 operations planned.
Z81D (South Sudan) — August 2–31, 2025 (already underway). Operators include YI1DZ; 40 m to 6 m, FT8 / SSB formats. Texas DX Society
TY2AA (Benin) — August 18 – September 7, 2025. SSB on 10 m (holiday style). Texas DX Society
Special Support & Rare Entities
3Y0K (Bouvet Island) — Scheduled for February 2026. One of the rarest DX entities; highly anticipated.
From the Editor's Desk
After
much reflection, I want to share with you my intent to step down at the
end of this year from my roles as ARES Emergency Coordinator for
Cumberland County—a position I have proudly held since 2016—and as
SKYWARN Amateur Radio Coordinator for NWS Gray, a role I have served in
since 2014.
Looking back, I am immensely proud of what we have built together. The
Wireless Society of Southern Maine Emergency Communications Team
(WSSM-ECT) has consistently ranked first in Maine in all but one of the
Simulated Emergency Tests (SET) we’ve participated in since 2014. That
success isn’t just about the drills—it’s about the expertise,
dedication, and camaraderie we’ve cultivated as a team.
On the SKYWARN side, we successfully navigated the expansion of NWS
Gray’s Weather Forecast Area to include all of New Hampshire, adding to
the Maine counties already under its jurisdiction. We pioneered the use
of DMR and the NEDECN network to extract weather reports from areas
unreachable by traditional FM repeaters. We’ve adapted from working
within a system dependent on the KQ1L linked repeaters to one that is
dynamic, leveraging UFB, Winlink, and other alternatives to ensure our
reports get through.
None of this would have been possible without all of you—dedicated
operators who have given your time and skills to make these programs
what they are today. And that is why I am optimistic about the future.
We have built strong teams, we have a true legacy of success, and I
know these organizations will continue to thrive. But they need
leaders.
That's why I'm incredibly pleased to share that Brad Brown Jr. KC1JMH
has accepted the role of ARES Emergency Coordinator for Cumberland
County, and Peter Fulton WO1J will be stepping into the role of SKYWARN
Amateur Radio Coordinator for the NWS Gray SKYWARN Amateur Radio Team.
Both Brad and Peter bring a deep commitment to service and a passion
for amateur radio that will serve them—and all of us—well in these
vital leadership roles.
I also spoke with David Lounsbury KC1UIX, at last evening's ECT
meeting, and he offered to support Peter as the York County Coordinator
for SKYWARN. David has been a valuable asset to the program, helping to
recruit newcomers to the weekly SKYWARN nets on DMR, and also serves as
a regular net control station during activations.
So why am I stepping down? The truth is, I love this part of the hobby
and will still be involved in some ways, but my family needs more of
me. My baby son, who because of his extreme prematurity, has severe
developmental impairments that will require more and more of my time
and attention. And, in an unexpected way, I have rediscovered something
special through my 7-year-old son Elliot, who recently got his ham
radio license. Seeing his excitement reminds me of those early days of
getting on the air, talking to the world, and experiencing the magic of
ham radio in its simplest form. I want to be part of that with him.
Thank you all for your support, dedication, and friendship over the
years. This isn’t a goodbye—just a change of roles. I look forward to
working with you all in new ways and seeing the continued success of
these great organizations.
73,
Tim Watson, KB1HNZ
Wireless
Society of Southern Maine | P.O. Box 1603,
Scarborough, ME 04070 | www.mainehamradio.com
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