2023 Events
September
23-24th
Join
us the weekend of September 23-24th for the 11th Annual Maine QSO Party
contest.
The Maine QSO Party is a fun contest that
encourages Maine stations to expand their knowledge of DX propagation,
improve their operating skills, and station capability in a competition
where W/VE and DX stations have the incentive to work Maine. Click
here for more details.
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August
19th
The WS1SM
team will activate Cape Neddick Lighthouse for this year's
International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend (ILLW) on August 19th. We plan to operate mixed HF
on battery power, as well as some VHF.
International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is an annual
amateur radio
activity started in Scotland by members of
the Ayr Amateur Radio Group. It evolved from the Scottish Northern
Lighthouses Award Weekend into an international event in 1998. This
year, nearly 450 lighthouses and lightships, in 85 different countries
are expected to participate.
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June
24-25th
The
WS1SM team will take part in their 12th ARRL Field Day during the
weekend of June 24-25th at
Wassamki Springs Campground, located at: 56 Saco Street, Scarborough,
ME.
We'll be operating in the 3A category (3 full-time HF transmitters) and
also have a Get on the Air (GOTA) station for visitors to try out
Amateur Radio. On-air activities will take place between 2PM Saturday
through 2PM Sunday.
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March
25th
You're invited
to take part in a
fun and competitive 2m-only contest, on Saturday, March 25th, from
12pm-4pm. Participants may be entered as either mobile (as a
rover), or fixed, and there are power levels for everything from a
handie-talkie to a high power base station. The contest exchange is
your callsign, the name of the town, township, or city that you are
operating from, and your power level.
For more information and complete rules, click here.
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January
28-29th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their fourth annual Winter
Field Day during the weekend of January 28-29. The
purpose of Winter Field Day is to foster Ham camaraderie, field
operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on-the-air,
outdoor fun - in the midst of winter!
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2023
Meeting Topics
December's Topic: Holiday Pot Luck
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Join
us
Thursday, December 14th, from 7pm-9pm at the South
Windham Fire Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, for our annual
Holiday Pot Luck. Please bring along a favorite meal or treat to share.
Join
us
Thursday, November 9th, from 7pm-9pm at the South
Windham Fire Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, for
a presentation about WSPR, by Frank Krizan KR1ZAN, who will join us via
Zoom from his home QTH in Plano, TX. WSPR, which stands for Weak Signal Propagation Reporter,
is a protocol used for weak-signal radio communication between amateur
radio operators. It was originally designed by Joe Taylor, K1JT, who
also developed the popular digital modes, JT65 and FT8.
Click
here to view the presentation. Thanks Frank!
October's Topic: Maine Simulated Emergency Test
(SET)
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Join
us
Thursday, October 12th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough
Public Safety Building, 275 U.S. Rt. 1, Scarborough, ME, for a
presentation about the Maine Simulated Emergency Test (SET), which
takes place over a 24-hour period during the weekend of October
27-28th.
September's Topic: NanoVNA Presentation &
Annual Meeting
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Join
us
Thursday, September 14th, from 7pm-9pm at the South
Windham Fire Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, for
a presentation about using the NanoVNA, by Zach Madore KC1SES. The
NanoVNA is an affordable antenna and feedline testing tool. This will
be followed by our Annual Meeting and officer elections for
2023-2024.
Click
here to view the presentation. Thanks Zach!
August's Topic: Planning for 2023 ILLW at Nubble
Light
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Join
us
Thursday, August 10th, from 7pm-9pm at the South
Windham Fire Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, as we'll be planning
our portable activation of Nubble Light, in York, ME, for this year's International Lighthouse & Lightship
Weekend (ILLW), which takes place Saturday, August 19th. We'll
also be nominating officers to be voted on at the Annual Meeting next
month.
July's Topic: Field Day Recap / Planning for
BOTA/POTA Activation
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Join
us
Thursday, July 13th, from 7pm-9pm at the South
Windham Fire Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, as we'll recap
another successful Field Day and do some planning for an upcoming
Beaches on the Air (BOTA) / Parks on the Air (POTA) Event.
June's Topic: ARRL Field Day Planning
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Join
us
Thursday, June 8th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough
Public Safety Building, 275 U.S. Rt. 1, Scarborough, ME, as we'll be
doing final planning for 2023 ARRL Field Day, which takes place the
weekend of June 24-25, at Wassamki Springs Campground, in Scarborough,
ME.
May's Topic: 2 Meter Challenge Results / Initial
Planning for 2023 ARRL Field Day and ILLW
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Join
us
Thursday, May 11th, from 7pm-9pm at the South
Windham Fire Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, as we'll announcing
the winners of the 2023 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, and
continuing planning for ARRL Field Day and International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend (ILLW).
April's Topic: Hamfest Review / Log Scoring
Party / Initial Field Day Planning
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Join
us
Thursday, April 13th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough
Public Safety Building, 275 U.S. Rt. 1, Scarborough, ME, as we'll
review the 2023 Maine State ARRL Convention, plan for a log scoring
party for the recent Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, and begin
initial planning for 2023 ARRL Field Day.
March's Topic: Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex
Challenge / Table Display at State Convention
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Join
us
Thursday, March 9th, at the Cumberland County Emergency Management
Agency (CCEMA) Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in Windham, ME, as
we'll be previewing the Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, and setting
up a table display at the 2023 Maine State ARRL Convention, which takes
place at the end of the month.
February's Topic: Planning for EMA Work Detail /
VE Session / Radio Programming Workshop
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Join
us
Thursday, February 9th, from 7pm-9pm at the South Windham Fire
Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME,
as we'll be doing a quick recap of Winter Field Day, and begin planning
for several upcoming activities, including a work detail at the EMA to
do some repeater updates, a VE Session on February 16th, and a Radio
Programming workshop.
January's Topic: Radio Programming Review and
WInter Field Day Planning
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Join
us
Thursday, January 12th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt. 1, Scarborough, ME,
as we'll do a review of our first Radio Programming workshop and do
some planning for 2023 Winter Field Day.
December's
Topic: Holiday Party and Movie Night
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Join
us
Thursday, December 8th, from 7pm-9pm at the South Windham Fire
Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME,
as we'll be having a pot luck dinner, with snacks, and watch Rick
Alderette's video about Amateur Radio Field Day, that was filmed at
Field Day sites throughout Maine and New Hampshire, this past June.
2022 Events
Join
us Saturday, October 22nd, as members of the WSSM Emergency
Communications Team will participate in a statewide Simulated Emergency
Test. The SET, which is expected to begin at 8AM, will test various
communications methods within the county and adjacent counties. Volunteers are asked to meet at the CCEMA Bunker
between 7:30-7:45 for instructions.
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September
24-25th
Join
us the weekend of September 24-25th for the 10th Annual Maine QSO Party
contest.
The Maine QSO Party is a fun contest that
encourages Maine stations to expand their knowledge of DX propagation,
improve their operating skills, and station capability in a competition
where W/VE and DX stations have the incentive to work Maine. Click
here for more details.
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June
25-26th
The
WS1SM team will take part in their 11th ARRL Field Day during the
weekend of June 25-26th! The event will most likely take place at
Wassamki Springs Campground, located at 56 Saco Street, Scarborough,
ME.
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June
16th
DC207
invites you to "Introduction to Amateur Radio" by the Wireless Society
of Southern Maine, presented by Tim Watson KB1HNZ. Learn about the
world of HAM radio and the world of RF! Tim is one of the founders of
our club, which was established in 2010, and is currently a club
officer. Click here for more info.
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March
26th
You're invited
to take part in a
fun and competitive 2m-only contest, on Saturday, March 26th, from
12pm-4pm. Participants may be entered as either mobile (as a
rover), or fixed, and there are power levels for everything from a
handie-talkie to a high power base station. The contest exchange is
your callsign, the name of the town, township, or city that you are
operating from, and your power level.
For more information and complete rules, click here.
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January
29-30th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their fourth annual Winter
Field Day during the weekend of January 29-30. The
purpose of Winter Field Day is to foster Ham camaraderie, field
operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on-the-air,
outdoor fun - in the midst of winter!
UPDATE:
Due
to the Nor'easter that is expected to effect the region during the
weekend of January 29-30, we will not be operating from the CCEMA as
originally planned. We encourage
club members to operate from their own homes, or field day style, and
contribute to the club aggregate total, by including Wireless Society
of Southern Maine on the club line with their log submissions.
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2022
Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Holiday Party and Movie Night
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Join
us
Thursday, December 8th, from 7pm-9pm at the South Windham Fire
Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, as we'll be having a pot
luck dinner, with snacks, and watch Rick Alderette's video about
Amateur Radio Field Day, that was filmed at Field Day sites throughout
Maine and New Hampshire, this past June.
November's
Topic: SET AAR, Preview of SKYWARN Recognition Day
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Join
us
Thursday, November 10th, from 7pm-9pm at the South Windham Fire
Station, 33 Main Street, Windham, ME, as we'll do a recap of the 2022
Simulated Emergency Tesy and preview the upcoming SKYWARN Recognition
Day (SRD).
October's
Topic: Simulated Emergency Test
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Join
us
Thursday, October 13th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll do a quick recap of the MEQP and preview the
upcoming Simulated Emergency Test (SET).
September's
Topic: Annual Meeting w/ Officer Elections & MEQP Logging
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Join
us
Thursday, September 8th, from 7pm-9pm at the Cumberland County
Emergency Management Agency bunker, located at 22 High Street, Windham,
ME. We will do a quick recap of our ILLW activation of Squirrel Point
Lighthouse, hold Officer Elections, and go over logging for the
upcoming Maine QSO Party (MEQP).
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
August's
Topic: New England Forrest Rally
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Join
us
Thursday, August 11th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll do a quick recap of our POTA / SOTA
activation of Mt. Agamenticus in July, followed by a presentation by
Todd Rodgers KC1SQ about providing communications support for the New
England Forrest Rally, and we'll also finalize plans for our
activation of Squirrel Point Lighthouse for 2022 International
Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend (ILLW).
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
July's
Topic: Summer Portable Ops Planning
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Join
us
Thursday, July 14th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll do a quick recap of ARRL Field Day, finalize
plans for summer portable operations, and more!
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
June's Topic: ARRL Field Day
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Join
us
Thursday, June 9th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be making final preparations for 2022 ARRL
Field Day, and discuss some possibilities for SOTA and Lighthouse
activities throughout the summer.
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
May's
Topic: Initial Field Day Planning / MARS COMEX Exercises
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Join
us
Thursday, May 12th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be discussing 2022 ARRL Field Day, and the
ongoing MARS COMEX Interoperability exercises.
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
Join
us
Thursday, April 14th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be discussing 2022 ARRL Field Day, repeater
updates, and more, followed by a Winlink demonstration by Brad KC1JMH
and Eric N1RXR.
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
March's
Topic: Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge
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Join
us
Thursday, March 10th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be previewing the upcoming Maine 2 Meter FM
Simplex Challenge, which takes place Saturday, March 26th.
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
February's
Topic: De-mystifying RF Exposure (Re-scheduled)
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Join
us
Thursday, from
7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1,
Scarborough, ME. The meeting will feature a program titled
“De-mystifying the RF Exposure Evaluation for Ham Stations,” given by
Frank Krizan, KR5N, of Plano, Texas. Frank will focus on the need
to “keep things simple”, while ensuring that everyone adheres to the
intent of FCC policy.
Brad KC1JMH will send out
a Zoom link via email just prior to the meeting, so members and guests
can also join us online.
January's
Topic: De-mystifying RF Exposure & WFD Planning
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Join
us
Thursday, January 13th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Safety
Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1, Scarborough, ME. The meeting will feature a
program titled “De-mystifying the RF Exposure Evaluation for Ham
Stations,” given by Frank Krizan, KR5N, of Plano, Texas. Frank
will focus on the need to “keep things simple”, while ensuring that
everyone adheres to the intent of FCC policy. We'll also discuss
plans for the upcoming Winter Field Day,
which takes place January 29-30.
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
December's
Topic: SRD Review & Winter Field Day (Initial Planning)
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Please
join us Thursday, December 9th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public
Safety Building, 275 U.S. Rt.1, Scarborough, ME, as we'll be reviewing
SKYWARN Recognition
Day, and looking ahead to 2022 Winter Field Day.
Brad KC1JMH will send out a Zoom link via email just prior to the
meeting, so members and guests can also join us online.
2021 Events
September
25-26th
Join
us the weekend of September 25-26th for the 9th Annual Maine QSO Party
contest.
The Maine QSO Party is a fun contest that
encourages Maine stations to expand their knowledge of DX propagation,
improve their operating skills, and station capability in a competition
where W/VE and DX stations have the incentive to work Maine. Click
here for more details.
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August
21st
The WSSM team will
participate in their 10th
International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend
(ILLW), activating Doubling Point Light, in Arrowsic, ME. ILLW, an
international event that is now in its 23rd year, and
usually takes place the 3rd full weekend in August, attracts over 500
lighthouse entries in over 40 countries. It has become one of the most
popular international amateur radio events each year. Click here for more details and an event
schedule.
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August
1st
The WS1SM team will
activate Mt. Blue State Park , in Weld, ME, for Parks on the Air
(POTA). We
will setup portable HF stations, using battery power and
free-standing antennas and operate from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM on Saturday,
August 1, 2021. Mt. Blue State Park has the POTA designator: K-2397.
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June
27-28th
The
WS1SM team will take part in their 10th ARRL Field Day during the
weekend of June 26-27th! The event will take place at Wassamki Springs
Campground, located at 56 Saco Street, Scarborough, ME.
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April
3rd
You're invited
to take part in a
fun and competitive 2m-only contest, on Sunday, April 3rd, from
12pm-4pm. Participants may be entered as either mobile (as a
rover), or fixed, and there are power levels for everything from a
handie-talkie to a high power base station. The contest exchange is
your callsign, the name of the town, township, or city that you are
operating from, and your power level.
For more information and complete rules, click here.
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March
6th
Please
join us March 4th, at 9:30 AM during the Maine Virtual Hamfest,
as
members of the NWS Gray SKYWARN Amateur Radio Team present an overview
of the program, review 2020 weather highlights, talk about SKYWARN
activation and reporting procedures, and how individual hams and ham
radio groups in Maine and New Hampshire can support this vital cause.
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January
30-31st
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their fourth annual Winter
Field Day during the weekend of January 30-31. The
purpose of Winter Field Day is to foster Ham camaraderie, field
operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on-the-air,
outdoor fun - in the midst of winter!
Due
to COVID-19, we will be doing things a little differently. We encourage
club members to operate from their own homes, or field day style, and
contribute to the club aggregate total, similar to what some of you did
during ARRL Field Day.
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2021
Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: SRD Review, Winter Field Day (Initial Planning)
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Please
join us
Thursday, December 9th, from 7pm-9pm at the Scarborough Public Service
Building, 275 Portland Road, Room 105,
Scarborough, ME, for a review of SRD and a look ahead at upcoming
events, such as 2022 Winter Field Day.
November's
Topics: Maine SET Review, SKYWARN Recognition Day Planning
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Please
join us
Thursday, November 11th, from 7pm-9pm at Scarborough Public Service
Building, 275 Portland Road, Room 105,
Scarborough, ME,
for a review of the 2021 Maine Simulated Emergency Test, plus planning
for SKYWARN Recognition Day.
October's
Topic: Maine Simulated Emergency Test
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Join
us
Thursday, October 14th, from 7pm-9pm at Scarborough Public Service
Building, 275 Portland Road, Room 105,
Scarborough, ME,
as we'll be discussing our
participation in the upcoming Maine Simulated Emergency Test.
September's
Topics: Maine QSO Party Strategy & Officer Elections
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Join
us
Thursday, September 9th, from 7pm-9pm at Wassamki Springs
Campground, 56 Saco Street,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be discussing
strategy for the upcoming
Maine QSO Party, and we'll also be voting on officers for 2022.
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
August's
Topics: 2021 ILLW Activation
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Join
us
Thursday, August 12th, from 7pm-9pm at Wassamki Springs
Campground, 56 Saco Street,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be finalizing
details for the upcoming
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW) Activation, which
takes place the weekend of August 21-22.
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
July's
Topic: Field Day Review and POTA Planning
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Join
us
Thursday, July 8th, from 7pm-9pm at Wassamki Springs
Campground, 56 Saco Street,
Scarborough, ME, for our monthly business meeting. Topic: TBA
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
June's
Topic: 2021 ARRL Field Day Workshop
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Join
us
Thursday, June 10th, from 7pm-9pm at Wassamki Springs Campground, 56
Saco Street,
Scarborough, ME, for our 2021 ARRL Field Day workshop. We'll be working
on finalizing details, assigning tasks, and planning strategy for Field
Day.
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
May's
Topic: 2021 ARRL Field Day (Initial Planning)
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Join
us
Thursday, May 13th, from 6pm-9pm at 200 U.S Route 1, Suite 210,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be startring off with Virtual SKYWARN Spotter
training, followed by our regular business meeting. On the agenda,
we'll do some initial planning for 2021 ARRL Field Day, which takes
place June 27-28. We'll also be discussing some of the new membership
outreach and retention processes that were approved during the last
session, and talk about an upcoming work detail and SET that will take
place at the CCEMA Bunker on Saturday, May 15th.
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
April's
Topic: Membership Outreach, Maine Dirigo Net
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Join
us
Thursday, April 8th, from 7pm-9pm at 200 U.S Route 1, Suite 210,
Scarborough, ME. On the agenda, we'll be reviewing the 2021 Maine 2
Meter FM Simplex Challenge, talk about the upcoming Maine Dirigo DMR
net, that is scheduled to take place Sunday, April 11th, at 10:00 AM,
and we'll take a vote on allocating funds and materials for membership
outreach and new member recruiting for 2021 and beyond.
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
March's
Topic: Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, Maine Packet Network
|
Join
us
Thursday, March 11th, from 7pm-9pm at 200 U.S Route 1, Suite 210,
Scarborough, ME, as we'll be previewing the upcoming Maine 2 Meter FM
Simplex Challenge, which takes place Saturday, April 3rd, take a poll
of who attended the Maine Virtual Hamfest and Brad KC1JMH will do a
presentation on the Maine Packet Network.
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
February's
Topic: Winter Field Day Review, Maine Virtual Hamfest
|
Join
us
Thursday, February 11th, via Free Conference Call, as we'll do a review
of 2021 Winter Field Day, and look ahead to the upcoming Maine Virtual
Hamfest.
Dial-in number (US): (425) 436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
.
January's
Topic: Maine Packet Network Update, Maine Statewide Net, WFD Planning
|
Join
us
Thursday, January 8th, from 7pm-9pm via Free Conference Call. For a
topic, we'll get an update on the Maine Packet Network from Brad
KC1JMH, talk about the possibility of starting a Maine Statewide Net on
DMR, and discuss plans for the upcoming Winter Field Day,
which takes place January 30-31.
Dial-in number (US): (425) 436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
December's
Topic: SRD Review & Winter Field Day Planning
|
Please
join us Thursday, December 10th, at 7:00 PM via Free Conference Call,
as we'll be reviewing SKYWARN Recognition
Day, and looking ahead to 2021 Winter Field Day. At November's meeting,
we discussed taking advantage of temporary changes in the rules, that
will allow individual operators to participate from their own homes and
contribute to the club score. We will share more details about WFD
after the December meeting
Dial-in number (US): (425)
436-6366
Access code: 2618168#
International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/kb1hnz
Online meeting ID: kb1hnz
Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/kb1hnz.
2020 Events
December 4-5
Please
join us December 4th, from 7:00 PM through December 5th at 6:59 PM, for
SKYWARN Recognition Day! This year, we'll take turns operating the
WX1GYX call sign from our own homes, instead of doing it from the NWS
office like in years past. If you're interested in operating, please
contact Tim Watson KB1HNZ at: kb1hnz atsign yahoo.com.
SKYWARN® Recognition Day is a 24-hour on-air event which sees
participation from nearly every NWS and SKYWARN® radio club in the US
and Canada, as well as unaffiliated operators from around the world.
Simply exchange signal report, name, and current temperature, and see
how many NWS Forecast Offices or SKYWARN stations you can work. All
modes and bands are eligible.
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October 24th
Emergency
Communications volunteers are invited to participate in the Maine
Simulated Emergency Test (SET), which takes place on Saturday, October
24th, from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The scenario for this year is a
hurricane that will strike Northern New England. There will be
simulated internet and repeater outages during the event. If you're
interested in helping out, please contact Tim Watson KB1HNZ at: kb1hnz
atsign yahoo.com.
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September
26-27th
Join
us on the weekend of September 26-27 for the Maine QSO Party contest.
The QSO Party, which is in it's 8th year, is a fun contest that
encourages Maine stations to expand their knowledge of DX propagation,
improve their operating skills, and station capability in a competition
where W/VE and DX stations have the incentive to work Maine. Click
here for more details.
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August
22-23rd
We
will be operating from Owls Head Lighthouse, on the weekend of August
22-23 to celebrate International
Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend
(ILLW). ILLW, an international event that is now in its 22nd year, and
usually takes place the 3rd full weekend in August, attracts over 500
lighthouse entries in over 40 countries. It has become one of the most
popular international amateur radio events.
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|
June
27-28th
We
are happy to announce that we’ll be participating in our 10th annual
ARRL Field Day at Wassamki Springs Campground on the weekend of June
27-28! Wassamki Spring Campground is located at 56 Saco Street, in
Scarborough, ME.
Click here for more details.
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May
2nd
Stop and see us
at NEAR-Fest
XXVII on May2nd, as we'll have a table display setup to promote amateur
radio and club activities. NEAR-Fest, which is New England's largest
hamfest, is located at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, in Deerfiled, NH.
You're invited to join us in speaking with the public, or just for a
place to relax as you're checking out the hamfest. We also plan on
having a table available for club members to sell their gear.
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|
March
28th
You're invited
to take part in a
fun and competitive 2m-only contest, on Sunday, April 12th, from
12pm-4pm. Participants may be entered as either mobile (as a
rover), or fixed, and there are power levels for everything from a
handie-talkie to a high power base station. The contest exchange is
your callsign, the name of the town, township, or city that you are
operating from, and your power level.
For more information and complete rules, click here.
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March
16-22nd
The Maine
200 Special Event will take place from March 16-22nd, with special call
signs recognizing Maine's original nine counties. There will
also
be 3 other
SES's operating from
Jameson Tavern in Freeport, Portland, and Boston in recognition of
their contributions to Maine's Statehood. Click
here for more details.
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January
25-26th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their third annual Winter
Field Day
at the Cumberland County EMA, on the weekend of January 25-26. The
purpose of Winter Field Day is to foster Ham camaraderie, field
operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on-the-air,
outdoor fun - in the midst of winter!
The public is
welcome
to attend, and those interested in participating may inquire at any
upcoming meeting between now and January 25th.
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|
2020 Meeting Topics
December's
Topics: SRD Review, Winter Field Day Planning
|
Please
join us Thursday, December 10th, at 7:00 PM via Free Conference Call,
as we'll be reviewing SKYWARN Recognition
Day, and looking ahead to 2021 Winter Field Day. At November's meeting,
we discussed taking advantage of temporary changes in the rules, that
will allow individual operators to participate from their own homes and
contribute to the club score. We will share more details about WFD
after the December meeting. Click here for more details,
including the weblink and call-in number.
November's
Topics: Maine SET Review, SKYWARN Recognition Day, & Winter
Field Day
|
Please
join us Thursday, November 12th, from
7PM - 9PM at 200 U.S. Route 1, Suite 210, in Scarborough, as we'll be
reviewing the 2020 Maine SET, come up with a plan for SKYWARN
Recognition Day, whihc takes place December 5th, and we'll also talk
about 2021 Winter Field Day.
October's
Topic: Maine Simulated Emergency Test
|
Please
join us Thursday, October 8th, from
7PM - 9PM at our new meeting location, at 200 U.S. Route 1, Suite 210,
in Scarborough. The topic for the evening will be the Maine Simulated
Emergency Test (SET), which takes place Saturday, October 24th, from
8AM - 12:30PM.
September's
Topics: Officer Elections, Meeting Locations
|
Please
join us Thursday, September 10th, from
7PM - 8PM at Wassamki Springs Campground, for our Annual Business
Meeting. The topics for the evening will
be to discuss meeting locations for the Fall and Winter, and also
Officer Elections will take place. The nominations include: Tim Watson
KB1HNZ, for President, Brad Brown KC1JMH, for Vice President, Jason
Andrews W1SFS, for Secretary, and Josh Brown KC1KTX, for Treasurer.
August's
Topics: ILLW Activation of Owls Head Lighthouse, Officer Nominations,
Meeting Locations
|
Please
join us Thursday, August 13th, from
7PM - 8PM at Wassamki Springs Campground, as we'll be having our first
in-person business meeting since March! The topics for the evening will
be an overview of the recent special event, planning for the upcoming
ILLW lighthouse activation, officer nominations, a discussion about
indoor meeting locations for the Fall and Winter, and more!
July's
Topic: Field Day Recap & W1V 10th Anniversary Special Event
|
Due
to
the COVID-19
pandemic, all in-person continue to be suspended until further notice,
so July's
meeting will take place on the air. Join us Thursday, July 9th, from
7PM - 8PM on the 147.090 (+ / 100 Hz) W1QUI repeater. The topic for the
evening will be a recap of 2020 ARRL Field Day and a preview of the W1V
10th Anniversary Special Event.
June's
Topic: ARRL Field Day Prep
|
Due
to
the COVID-19
pandemic, all in-person continue to be suspended until further notice,
so May's
meeting will take place on the air. Join us Thursday, June 11th, from
7PM - 8PM on the 147.090 (+ / 100 Hz) W1QUI repeater. The topic for the
evening will be final prep for 2020 ARRL Field Day.
May's
Topic: 2020 Field Day, and Self-Quarantine Simplex Drills
|
Due
to
the COVID-19
pandemic, all in-person continue to be suspended until further notice,
so May's
meeting will take place on the air. Join us Thursday, April 21st, from
7PM - 8PM on the 147.090 (+ / 100 Hz) W1QUI repeater. The topic for the
evening will be to continue the discussion about Field Day and also
talk about the Self Quarantine Simplex Drills, and what members have
been doing in the hobby since we last met.
April's
Topic: Discussion About 2020 Field Day
|
Due
to
the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person meetings have been suspended, so
April's meeting will take place on the air. Join us Thursday, April
16th, from 7PM - 8PM on the 147.090 (+ / 100 Hz) W1QUI repeater. The
topic for the evening will be to discuss possible changes to Field Day
if the pandemic and subsequent lock-downs and restrictions continue
through the end of June.
March's
Topic: Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge
|
Join
us
Thursday, March 12th, from 7pm-9pm at the Gorham Recreation
Department,
located at 75 South Street, in Gorham. Our topic for the evening will
be the upcoming Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, which takes place
Saturday, March 28th. For more information, click
here to visit the special
event website.
February's
Topic: Maine 200 Special Event
|
Join
us
Thursday, February 13th, from 7pm-9pm at the Gorham Recreation
Department,
located at 75 South Street, in Gorham. Our topic for the evening will
be the upcoming Maine Bicentennial Special Event, which takes place
March 16-22. For more information, click
here to visit the special event website.
January's
Topic: Electronic Logging
|
Join
us
Thursday, January 9th, from 7pm-9pm at the Gorham Recreation
Department,
located at 75 South Street, in Gorham. For a topic, we'll take a look
at electronic logging programs and talk about the different types of
logs, such as "DX station logs" and contest logs, the file formats that
can be generated, and more. We'll also discuss plans for the upcoming Winter
Field Day,
which takes place January 25-26.
2019 Events
December 6-7th
Please
join us at the National Weather Service Forescast Office at 1 Weather
Lane, Gray, ME for SKYWARN Recognition Day, from 8PM Friday, December
6th - 7:30PM Saturday, December 7th.
SKYWARN® Recognition Day is a 24-hour on-air event which sees
participation from nearly every NWS and SKYWARN® radio club in the US
and Canada, as well as unaffiliated operators from around the world.
Simply exchange signal report, name, and current temperature, and see
how many NWS Forecast Offices or SKYWARN stations you can work. All
modes and bands are eligible.
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|
October
26th
The
WSSM-ECT will participate in the 2019 Maine Simulated Emergency Test,
from 9AM-12PM, on October 26th. The emergency drill will focus on
developing skills using FM Simplex, UHF repeater, digital NBEMS, and
PACKET communications within a simulated event.
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|
October
17th
Please
join us at the National Weather Service Forescast Office at 1 Weather
Lane, Gray, ME for a SKYWARN Drill and Net Control Workshop, on
Thursday, October 17, from 7PM-9PM.
The workshop will
focus on familiarizing current and prospective Net Control operators
with SKYWARN activation procedures, weather reporting
criteria,
asking the right questions to extract the best information, and there
will also be on-air practice within a simulated weather event.
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September 28-29th
Join
us on the weekend of September 28-29 for the Maine QSO Party contest.
The QSO Party, which is in it's 7th year, is a fun contest that
encourages Maine stations to expand their knowledge of DX propagation,
improve their operating skills, and station capability in a competition
where W/VE and DX stations have the incentive to work Maine. Click
here for more details.
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|
August
17-18th
For the 2019 International Lighthouse
and Lightship Weekend (ILLW),
the WS1SM team will operate from Rockland Breakwater Light! ILLW, which
first took place in 1998,
has grown to become the largest lighthouse activity weekend, with over
500 lighthouses in 40 different countries being activated last year.
For more information about ILLW, click here.
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|
June
22-23rd
The WS1SM team
will participate in their 9th ARRL Field Day at Wassamki
Springs Campground,
on the weekend of June 22-23. Since 1933, Field Day has been a friendly
competition that encourages hams to operate "in the field," as a way to
practice and demonstrate their ability to provide effective
communications without the need of commercial power or well-equipped
home stations.
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May
19th
The
WS1SM team is planning a Summits on the Air (SOTA) expedition to Mt.
Agamenticus, in York, ME, on Sunday, May 19th. We'll be active on VHF
and HF. Check the SOTA Watch and DX Summit websites for frequencies and
spots during the event. Operating times are expected to be between
1200-2100 UTC. This will be our second SOTA expedition to the summit.
The first took place in the spring of 2013.
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|
May 4th
Stop and see us
at NEAR-Fest
XXV on May 4th, as we'll have a table display setup to promote amateur
radio and club activities. NEAR-Fest, which is New England's largest
hamfest, is located at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, in Deerfiled, NH.
You're invited to join us in speaking with the public, or just for a
place to relax as you're checking out the hamfest. We also plan on
having a table available for club members to sell their gear.
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|
April
14th
You're invited
to take part in a
fun and competitive 2m-only contest, on Sunday, April 14th, from
12pm-4pm. Participants may be entered as either mobile (as a
rover), or fixed, and there are power levels for everything from a
handie-talkie to a high power base station. The contest exchange is
your callsign, the name of the town, township, or city that you are
operating from, and your power level.
For more information and complete rules, click here.
|
|
January
26-27th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their second annual Winter
Field Day
at the Cumberland County EMA, on the weekend of January 26-27. The
purpose of Winter Field Day is to foster Ham camaraderie, field
operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on-the-air,
outdoor fun - in the midst of winter!
The public is
welcome
to attend, and those interested in participating may inquire at any
upcoming meeting between now and January 26th.
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|
2019
Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Winter Field Day Planning
|
Join
us Thursday, December 12th, from 7pm-9pm at the Gorham Recreation
Department,
located at 75 South Street, in Gorham. Our topic for
the evening will be planning for our participation in the upcoming Winter
Field Day, including logistics, availability of operators,
equipment, food, and more! Winter Field Day takes place the weekend of
January 25-26, 2020.
November's
Topic: Vintage Gear Night
|
Join
us Thursday,
November 14th, from 7pm-9pm at the Gorham Recreation Department,
located at 75 South Street, in Gorham. Besides our regular agenda,
which will include early planning for Winter Field Day, our topic for
the evening will be a show and tell of vintage amateur radio gear. If
you have some vintage gear of your own, bring it in to show it off.
Otherwise, just bring your curiosity and ask questions about what you
see.
October's
Topic: QSLing & Writing Reception Reports
|
Join
us
Thursday, October 10th, from 7pm-9pm at the Gorham Recreation
Department, located at 75 South Street, in Gorham. Our topic for the
evening will be QSLing and Writing Reception Reports. If you have your
own QSL card, or one from a favorite DX contact, bring it in to show it
off!
September's
Topic: Annual Business Meeting
|
Join
us
Thursday, September 12th, from 7pm-9pm at the CCEMA Bunker, for our
Annual Business Meeting. There will be much to talk about, including
the upcoming SKYWARN Drill / Training, Simulated Emergency Test, JOTA,
and more! Plus, we'll have officer elections. Those nominated so far
include: Tim Watson KB1HNZ for President, Brad Brown KC1JMH for Vice
President, and Peter Hatem KC1HBM, for Secretary.
August's
Topic: ILLW Planning
|
Join
us
Thursday, August 8th, from 7pm-9pm at Wassamki Springs Campground, as
we'll discuss logistics for our activation of Rockland Breakwater
Lighouse during the upcoming International Lighthouse &
Lighthship
Weekend (ILLW), which takes place August 17-18.
July's
Topic: Field Day Recap & Summer Planning
|
Join
us
Thursday, July 11th, from 7pm-9pm for our first meeting of the summer
at Wassamki Springs Campground! Some of the topics that will be
discussed include a Field Day recap, a look ahead at some options for a
lighthouse activation for International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend, and discussion about a possible on-air activity from the
Narrow Guage Railroad Museum, during Maine's Bicentennial.
June's
Topic: Field Day Planning
|
Join
us
Thursday, June 13th, from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located
at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as
we'll take a
look at logistics, purchases, and how
to best maximize bonus points for Field Day. We'll also
tie up any loose
ends and make sure each task is accounted for before the
weekend. Come prepared with your suggestions and ideas
about the event.
Mays
Topic: Repeater Update / The Spectrum of Hams
|
Join
us
Thursday, May 9th, from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located
at 22 High Street, in
Windham,
as we'll be planning the final work on the repeater antenna, which is
scheduled to take place the morning of Tuesday, May 4th. Pete Warren
KC1DFO will also lead a discussion about The Spectrum of Hams,
based on an editorial appearing in the February 2019 issue of QST, by
ARRL CEO Howard E Michel WB2ITX.
April's
Topic: Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge Strategies
|
Join
us Thursday, April
11th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll take a look at the upcoming Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex
Challenge contest, which takes place Sunday, April 14th.
We'll
also talk about the upcoming VE Exam, Summer meetings, news from NWS,
and Field Day preparation.
March's
Topic: Spring / Summer Event Planning
|
Join
us Thursday, March 14th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll be discussing upcoming events and activities,
including our participation in NEARFest, ARRL Field Day, Summits on the
Air, International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend, and more.
February's
Topic: Movie Night
|
Join
us Thursday,
February 14th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll be hosting our annual Movie Night. This year we'll be
watching Bob Allphin K4UEE's film about the K1N DXpedition to Navassa
Island. The K1N DXpedition was named the 2014-2015 DXpedition of the
year by the Southwest Ohio DX Association.
January's
Topic: Winter Field Day Prep
|
Join
us Thursday, January 10th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll be making final plans for our participation in the
upcoming Winter
Field Day,
including logistics, availability of operators, equipment, food, and
more! 2019 Winter Field Day takes place the weekend of January 26-27.
2018
Events
August
18-19th
The
WS1SM team
will operate from Spring Point Lighthouse for the 2018 International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend
(ILLW), which takes place August 18-19th. ILLW, which first took place
in 1998, has grown to become the largest lighthouse activity weekend,
with over 500 lighthouses in 40 different countries being activated
last year. For more information about ILLW, click here.
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|
June
23-24th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their 8th ARRL
Field Day at Wassamki Springs Campground, on the
weekend of June 23-24.
Since 1933, Field Day has been a friendly competition that encourages
hams to operate "in the field," as a way to practice and demonstrate
their ability to provide effective communications without the need of
commercial power or well-equipped home stations.
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|
May
26-27th
Amateur
Radio will be a part of Falmouth's 300th Anniversary Celebration, with
a Special Event station operating from Falmouth Fest. Joe Blinick K1JB
and Rick Fickett K1OT will be setting up the station and invite club
members to participate during the event, and to operate using the
special event call sign K1F during the 2 week period that it will be
available. For more information, please contact Joe at: k1jb@maine.rr.com.
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May
3rd
SKYWARN® Spotter Training - 7PM-9PM
at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker
To ensure a network of
knowledgeable volunteers
and accurate reporting,
those who are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a
training session provided by the National Weather
Service. SKYWARN® training is offered free of charge. The Cumberland County EMA Bunker is
located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, ME
SKYWARN®
volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
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|
January
27-28th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their first Winter
Field Day
at the Cumberland County EMA, on the weekend of January 27-28. The
purpose of Winter Field Day is to foster Ham camaraderie, field
operation, emergency operating preparedness, and just plain on the air,
outdoor fun in the midst of winter!
The public is
welcome
to attend, and those interested in participating may inquire at any
upcoming meeting between now and January 27th.
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|
2018 Meeting Topics
December Meeting
Topic: DMR
|
Join
us Thursday, December 13th,
as we'll
take a
look at the digital voice protocol DMR, and explore the DMR-MARC
Amateur Radio Network, which expands the range of simple handheld
radios to regional, national, and even worldwide coverage. We'll take a
look at how to get started, including getting registered, programming
your radio, and some of the terminology involved.
November Special Meeting
Topic: UHF Repeater & Winter Field Day Food
|
Join
us
Thursday, November 15th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA
Bunker, as we'll have a special meeting to discuss UHF repeater
progress, and try out some food options to be used during Winter Field
Day.
November
Topic: Winter Field Day Planning
|
Join
us
Thursday, November 8th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA
Bunker, as we'll begin planning for Winter Field Day, which takes place
January 26-27, 2019. We'll discuss number of transmitters, antennas,
equipment needed, food, and overnight stays.
October
Topic: Maine SET Planning
|
Join
us
Thursday, October 11th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA
Bunker, as we'll talk about the upcoming Maine Simulated Emergency
Test, which takes place Saturday, October 27th. Our basic plan is to
activate as many Regional Shelters as possible, and also relay messages
to the National Weather Service, as well as adjacent counties.
September
Topic: Annual Business Meeting
|
Join
us
Thursday, September 13th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA
Bunker, as we'll have our Annual Business Meeting. Among the topics to be
discussed will be updates/discussion on the repeater and Packet
installations, the upcoming Simulated Emergency Test (SET), and more.
There will also be officer elections: The present slate contains one
name for each position, though nominations will be accepted from the
floor. President:
Rory KB1PLY, Vice
President: CJ W1CJC, Secretary:
Pete W KC1DFO, and Treasurer:
Pete H KC1HBM.
August's
Topic: Planning for ILLW & Shelter Exercise
|
Join
us
Thursday, August 9th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA
Bunker, as we'll be discussing our plans for operating during
International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend
(ILLW) from Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, as well as our participation
in a Red Cross / CCEMA Shelter Exercise at Westbrook High School.
July's
Topic: Field Day Review
|
Join
us
Thursday, July 12th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker,
as Frank KR1ZAN will lead a review of our 2018 Field Day efforts. We
operated 24 hours as 3A, on battery power, from Wassamki Springs
Campground, on the weekend of June 23-24.
June's
Topic: Field Day Preparation
|
Join
us
Thursday, June 14th, from 7pm-9pm, for our first meeting of the year at
Wassamki Springs Campground! The topic for the evening will be Field
Day preparation, as we'll take a look at logistics, purchases, and how
to best maximize bonus points. If
the weather cooperates, we'll also survey the Field Day site for the
best antenna locations. Come prepared with your suggestions and ideas
about the event.
Join
us Thursday, May
10th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll be discussing the software program FLDIGI, which can
be used with a sound card interface to operate many popular digital
modes, including Feld-Hell, MFSK16, PSK31, RTTY, and more.
Please
bring any questions you may have about specific modes... what they
sound like, where to find them on the bands, etc.
April's
Topic: Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge Strategies
|
Join
us Thursday, April
12th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll take a look at the upcoming Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex
Challenge contest, which takes place April 15th. Because club
members' logs count toward the club competition, we'll also discuss how
we can work together to maximize multipliers and points.
March's
Topic: Event Planning
|
Join
us Thursday, March
15th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll be discussing event planning for the next few months,
including on-air activities, meeting topics, and EmComm workshops.
February's
Topic: Winter Field Day Review
|
Join
us Thursday,
February 8th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll be doing a review of Winter Field Day, and discussing
some of the things we learned in the 24-hour contest, that we can apply
to both EmComm events and future field activities.
January's
Topic: Winter Field Day Prep
|
Join
us Thursday, January 11th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll be discussing plans for our participation in the
upcoming Winter
Field Day,
including logistics, availability of operators, equipment, food, and
more! 2018 Winter Field Day takes place the weekend of January 27-28.
2017
Events
October
28th and November 4th
The
WSSM-ECT will participate
in it's third annual Maine Simulated Emergency Test on Saturday,
October
28th, from 8am-12pm, and also the following Saturday, November 4th,
from 8am - 1pm, for the New Hampshire SET.
The SET is a nationwide excercise in disaster
response and emergency communication, in which volunteers respond to a
mock emergency or disaster.
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|
September
21st
Get an
introduction to various aspects of Amateur Radio, including
basic radio and electronics theory, FCC rules and regulations, and
details on how to earn your first Amateur Radio License during our
Introduction to Amateur Radio course, offered by Saco - Old
Orchard Beach Adult Education. The course takes place Thursday,
September 21st, from 7pm-9pm. Pre-registration is required. Click here for more
information.
|
|
August
19th
The
WS1SM team
will operate from Portland Breakwater Light (also known as Bug Light)
during this year's International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend (ILLW).
The current lighthouse was built in 1875, and is constructed of curved
cast iron plate. It was designed by Thomas Walter, who is best known as
the architect of the East and West wings of the U.S. Capitol. ILLW is
an annual event which sees over 450 lighthouses activated worldwide by
ham radio operators.
|
|
June
24-25th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their 7th ARRL
Field Day at Wassamki Springs Campground, on the
weekend of June 24-25.
Since 1933, Field Day has been a friendly competition that encourages
hams to operate "in the field," as a way to practice and demonstrate
their ability to provide effective communications without the need of
commercial power or well-equipped home stations.
The public is welcome
to attend, and those interested in participating may inquire at any
upcoming meeting between now and June.
|
|
June
15th
SKYWARN® Spotter Training - 7PM-9PM
at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker
To ensure a network of
knowledgeable volunteers
and accurate reporting,
those who are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a
training session provided by a local office of the National Weather
Service. SKYWARN® training is provided free of charge . The Cumberland County EMA Bunker is
located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, ME
SKYWARN®
volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
|
|
March
31st - April 1st
Visit
our booth at this
year's Maine State ARRL Convention, which will take place March 31st -
April 1st,
at the Ramada Inn, in Lewiston, ME.
This
is a great opportunity to get together, take part in the seminars
and exam sessions, and meet friends who you've spoken with on the air.
There will also be vendors on hand, as well as a radio and electronics
flea market.
The
Ramada Inn & Convention Center is located at 490 Pleasant
Street, in Lewiston, ME - just off Exit 80 of the Maine Turnpike.
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|
2017 Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Introduction to D-STAR
|
Join
us Thursday,
December 14th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as Eric Emery KC1HJK will lead us on a discussion about
D-STAR, and introduce the various modes and applications available.
Eric will also tell us about how to register with the D-STAR network,
and demonstrate how to get on the network without the need for a
repeater nearby.
For more information about D-STAR, please click here
to explore our D-STAR introduction page. Eric was kind enough to share
some helpful documents, which are available for download at the bottom
of the D-STAR page.
November's
Topic: 10m Antenna Project
|
Join us Thursday, November
9th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as
we'll be building 10m antennas, using only coax. Dave Joseph W1AMX will
explain
the science behind this design, and help us along the way. If you're
interested
in building one yourself, it's recommended to bring about 30' of coax.
October's
Topic: 10m Antenna Project / Winter Field Day / SET Preparation
|
Join us this Thursday, October
12th, from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham.
We'll be discussing the upcoming 10 meter antenna project, the
possibility of
taking part in Winter Field Day, and staffing for the Maine and NH
Simulated
Emergency Tests (SET's), coming up on Saturday, October 28th and
Saturday,
November 4th.
September's
Topic: Annual Business Meeting
|
Join
us Thursday, September 14th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High
Street,
in Windham, as we'll have our Annual Business Meeting, which will
include
officer elections and planning for the year ahead.
August's
Topic: The Outernet's Ham Radio Connection
|
Join
us Thursday, August 10th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the CCEMA Bunker, in Windham. Our topic for the
evening is
"The Outernet's Ham Radio Connection", presented by Frank Krizan,
KR1ZAN.
Most of
us take the internet for
granted, but, around 4.3 billion people around the world don't have
access to
the internet. Recognizing
an
opportunity, entrepreneurs are seeking ways to provide a solution. One
of those
is the Outernet (www.outernet.is). The
Outernet makes use of the existing world-wide satellite coverage
offered by
INMARSAT satellites.
Frank
will describe the Outernet,
what you need to receive the Outernet signals and the amateur radio
(APRS)
"channel" that's been included. You'll learn about resources and how
to send messages via the Outernet.
A
native Texan, Frank was
first
licensed as a Novice in 1961. He enjoys
operating, DXing, contesting and trying new concepts in Ham Radio.
Frank, and
his lovely bride, Nancy, K5NCK, live in Garland, but, spend their
summers in
Maine.
July's
Topic: Activity Planning
|
Join
us Thursday, June 8th, from
7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High
Street, in
Windham, as we'll discuss upcoming summer activities, including
communications
exercises and the annual International Lighthouse & Lightship
Weekend,
which takes place on the weekend of August 19-20.
June's
Topic: Field Day Preparation
|
Join
us Thursday, June 8th, from
7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High
Street, in
Windham, as we'll discuss preparations for Field Day, including
assigning
tasks, planning setup, and how to maximize bonus points. 2017 Field Day
will
take place the weekend of June 24-25, at Wassamki Springs Campground,
located
at 56 Saco Street, in Scarborough, ME.
May's
Topic: The Wonderful World of Capacitors
|
Join
us Thursday, May 11th, from
7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High
Street, in
Windham, as Frank Allen W1FRA, will describe the manufacturing process
of
capacitors, especially Tantalum Capacitors, which he has many years
experience
with. Tantalum is known to have high capacitance per volume, has lower
equivalent series resistance, and has a higher operating temperature
than most other
electrolytic capacitors. Some of the capacitors Frank has been involved
with
making, have been used in spacecraft, including OSCAR satellites, and
the Space
Shuttle.
April's
Topic: Movie Night - "The Last Signals" and FEMA Training
Presentation |
Join
us Thursday, April 13th,
from 7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High
Street,
in Windham, as we'll watch a short film called "The Final Signals,"
which is about the radio operators on Titanic. Frank W1FRA, will also
make a
presentation about how to get started with FEMA training online.
March's
Topic: Going away party for Ryan KB1YTR |
Join
us Thursday, March 8th, from
7pm-9pm, at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High
Street, in
Windham, as we'll have a going away party for Ryan Michaelson KB1YTR,
who will
be moving to Minnesota at the end of March. Ryan has been one of our
most
active members, taking part in numerous radio adventures with the club,
and he
played a big role in developing the WSSM Emergency Communications Team.
Thanks
for all your support, Ryan!
February's
Topic: Winlink Express |
Join
us Thursday, February 16th, from 7pm-9pm, at
the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham. Ryan Michaelson KB1YTR, will present an introduction to
Winlink Express, which is a global radio email client.
For
more
information about Winlink Express, or to download the program,
please click
here.
January's
Topic: Year in Review and Goals for 2017 |
Join
us Thursday, January 13th, from 7pm-9pm, at
the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, as we'll look back at 2016 and discuss some of the goals for
the year ahead.
December's
Topic: Holiday Gathering & Pot Luck |
Join us Thursday, December 8th,
from 7pm-9pm at
the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, for a Holiday Gathering & Pot Luck. If you are able
to, we
encourage you to bring your favorite dish or treat to
share.
2016
Events
October
22nd
The
WSSM-ECT will participate
in it's second annual Simulated Emergency Test on Saturday, October
22nd, from 8am-12pm. The SET is a nationwide excercise in disaster
response and emergency communication, in which volunteers respond to a
mock emergency or disaster.
Our team will attempt to establish
communications with each of the FEMA designated shelters throughout the
county, and relay reports to and from the Cumberland County EMA,
National Weather Service, Maine Emergency Management, and
other
EMCOMM groups throughout the state.
|
|
September
10-11th
The
WS1SM team will activate
Acadia National Park (NP-01) for National Parks on the Air (NPOTA),
celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the National Parks
System, as well as the 100th Anniversary of Acadia. The team will
operate from various locations within the park.
NPOTA is a year-long on-air activity promoted by the American Radio
Relay League. To find out more, please click
here.
As of the beginning of September, there have been over 11,000
activations from National Parks, monuments, and historic parks
around the country.
WWFF: KFF-0001, NPOTA: NP01,
Bass Harbor
Head Light ARLHS: USA041, Cadillac Mountain SOTA: W1/DI-001
|
|
August
20-21st
The WS1SM team will activate another Maine
lighthouse for this year's International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend (ILLW) on August 20-21st. We plan to operate mixed HF
on battery power, as well as some VHF.
International Lighthouse and Lightship
Weekend is an annual amateur radio activity started
in Scotland by members of
the Ayr Amateur Radio Group. It evolved from the Scottish Northern
Lighthouses Award Weekend into an international event in 1998. This
year, nearly 450 lighthouses and lightships, in 85 different countries
are expected to participate.
|
|
June 25-26th
The WS1SM team
will participate in their 6th ARRL
Field Day at Wassamki Springs Campground, on the
weekend of June 25-26.
Since 1933, Field Day has been a friendly competition that encourages
hams to operate "in the field," as a way to practice and demonstrate
their ability to provide effective communications without the need of
commercial power or well-equipped home stations.
The public is welcome
to attend, and those interested in participating may inquire at any
upcoming meeting between now and June.
|
|
April
23rd
The WS1SM
team will provide communications for Walk
MS: Portland,
on Saturday, April 23rd, in Portland. Volunteers will meet at
the Portland Expo Center (239 Park Avenue,
Portland, ME) at 7:00am and the walk will begin at 9:00am.
Approximately 6 miles in length, Walk
MS: Portland
is comprised of
teams of walkers raising funds to help people who have MS, and their
families, through MS education, support, advocacy, services, and
research. For more
information,
please click here.
|
|
March 25-26th
Visit
our booth at this
year's Maine State ARRL Convention, which will take place March 25-26
at the Ramada Inn, in Lewiston, ME.
This is a great opportunity to get together, take part in the seminars
and exam sessions, and meet friends who you've spoken with on the air.
There will also be vendors on hand, as well as a radio and electronics
flea market.
The Ramada Inn & Convention Center is located at 490 Pleasant
Street, in Lewiston, ME - just off Exit 80 of the Maine Turnpike. Click
here for more details.
|
|
March
3rd
Winter SKYWARN® Training - 7PM-9PM
at the Gorham Recreation Department
The
concept of SKYWARN® was developed in the 1960's as a way to promote a
cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and local
communities. It’s a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained
severe weather spotters across the country. These volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
To
ensure a network of knowledgeable volunteers
and accurate reporting,
those who are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a
training session provided by a local office of the National Weather
Service. SKYWARN® training is provided free of charge.
|
|
January
30th
Join
us the morning of
Saturday, January 30th, as we'll setup an amateur radio display and
live demonstration during the Emergency Preparedness Fair, which will
take place from 10:00am - 12:00pm at the Church of Latter Day Saints,
on 29 Ocean House Road, in Cape Elizabeth, ME.
Other presentations will include emergency power, document protection,
and more!
|
|
2016
Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Holiday Gathering & Pot Luck
|
Join
us Thursday, December 8th, from 7pm-9pm, at
the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, for a Holiday Gathering & Pot Luck. If you are able
to, we
encourage you to bring your favorite dish or treat to share.
November's
Topic: The Art of Knot Tying, with Charlie Shepard W1CPS
|
Join
us Thursday, November 10, from 7pm-9pm, at
the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, ME. Charlie W1CPS, will demonstrate some basic and
intermediate knot tying techniques, that are helpful in many amateur
radio scenarios, including securing wire antennas to trees, masts, and
other structures.
October's
Topic: Planning for the 2016 Simulated Emergency Test (SET)
|
Join
us Thursday, October 13th, from 7pm-9pm, at
the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in
Windham, ME. We'll be finalizing our plans for this year's Simulated
Emergency Test (SET), which takes place on Saturday, October 22nd, from
8AM-12PM.
September's
Topic: Annual Business Meeting and Officer Elections
|
Join
us Thursday, September 8th, from 7pm-9pm, at
Wassamki Springs Campground,
as we'll hold our annual business meeting, complete with officer
elections. Frank K5HS was kind enough to send out an email listing our
officer nominees. These include: President:
Frank Allen (Incumbent), CJ Carlsson, and Tim Watson. Vice-President:
Ronello Vaughn (Incumbent). Secretary:
Ryan Michaelson. Treasurer:
Charles Shepard.
August's
Topic: Recap of Communications Test / Officer Nominations
|
Join
us Thursday, August 11th, from 7pm-9pm, at
Wassamki Springs Campground,
as we'll recap our successful communications test between NWS Gray and
the CCEMA Bunker, in Windham. We'll also discuss some upcoming events,
including the ILLW activation of Portland Head Light, and an NPOTA
activation in early fall. August is also the final meeting before
September's Annual Business Meeting, so we'll begin taking nominations
for officers.
July's
Topic: GYX Station Upgrades
|
Join
us Thursday, July 14th, from 7pm-9pm, at
Wassamki Springs Campground,
as Ryan KB1YTR, Tim KB1HNZ, and Frank W1FRA, describe the recent
station upgrades to the ham station at the National Weather Service, in
Gray, and discuss best practices for using the the new capabilities.
June's
Topic: Field Day Preparation
|
Join
us Thursday, June 9th, from 7pm-9pm, for our first meeting of the year
at Wassamki Springs Campground! The topic for the evening will be Field
Day preparation, as we'll take a look at logistics, purchases, and how
to best maximize bonus points.
May's
Topic: Special Guest, Paul Alberghini W1IMD
|
Join
us Thursday, May 12th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation Department,
as special guest, Paul Alberghini W1IMD, will give a presentation about
the challenges of building his impressive HF station on the site of a
former AT&T Long Lines tower in Southwestern Maine.
Join
us Thursday, April 14th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation Department,
as we'll have a conversation about Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station. This will be a great opportunity to share your own
experiences of making contacts with the ISS, or if you never have, its
a good way to learn about the techniques involved. This topic also
coincides with a SSTV Special Event onboard the ISS, which is taking
place between April 11-14th.
Join
us this Thursday, March 10th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation
Department,
as we'll take a look at Clublog.org,
and discuss how the powerful
reporting features of the tool can be helpful to the serious DXer or
even a casual operator.
February's
Topic: "Why use JT65?" and Intro to VOACAP
|
Join
us Thursday,
February 11th, from
7pm-9pm, at the Gorham
Recreation Department,
as we'll answer the question "Why use JT65?" and also take a closer
look at the propagation analysis program VOACAP.
January's
Topic: WSSM Emergency Communications Team
|
Join
us Thursday, January 14th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation Department,
as we'll discuss a proposed amendment to the WSSM By-Laws, which aims
to establish a new membership category for those interested in
emergency communications. We'll also look over a constitution that will
formally establish the WSSM Emergency Communications Team.
December's
Topic: CCEMA Update & Next Steps
|
Join
us Thursday, December 10th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation Department,
as we'll discuss our progress with Cumberland County EMA, and talk
about some of our next steps with the project and goals for 2016..
2015
Events
December
5th
SKYWARN® Recognition Day
SKYWARN®
Recognition Day is a 24-hour on-air event
which sees participation from nearly every NWS and SKYWARN® radio club in the US and
Canada, as well as unaffiliated operators from around the world. Simply
exchange signal report, name, and current temperature, and see how many
NWS Forecast Offices or SKYWARN stations you can work. All modes and
bands are eligible.
SKYWARN®
Strategy Meeting
Join
us Saturday, December 5th, for the annual SKYWARN® Strategy meeting,
where
we'll reflect on 2015 and discuss updates, needs, and strategies for
the year ahead.
|
|
September 19th
The WS1SM
team will provide communications for the MS Journey of Hope Walk,
on Saturday, September 19th, in South Portland. Volunteers will meet at
the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine (169 Broadway, in South
Portland) at 8:00am and the walk will begin at 10:00am.
Approximately 3 miles in length, the MS Journey of Hope is
comprised of
teams of walkers raising funds to support the services of Comprehensive
MS Care Centers who are partners in MS Care. For more information,
please click here.
|
|
August 16th
The WS1SM
team will activate Cape Neddick Lighthouse for this year's
International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend (ILLW) on August 16th. We plan to operate mixed HF
on battery power, as well as some VHF.
International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is an annual
amateur radio
activity started in Scotland by members of
the Ayr Amateur Radio Group. It evolved from the Scottish Northern
Lighthouses Award Weekend into an international event in 1998. This
year, nearly 450 lighthouses and lightships, in 85 different countries
are expected to participate.
|
|
July
13-27th
The
Wireless
Society of Southern Maine is celebrating our 5th Anniversary
with
special event operations using the call sign W1V, between July 13-27th!
During
the two weeks, club members will take turns activating the call sign
and we are offering a special certificate with the following
endorsements for contacts:
GOLD for QSOs on 10 or more different band slots
SILVER for QSOs on 5-9 different band slots
BRONZE for QSOs on 1-4 different band slots
|
|
June 27-28th
The WS1SM team
will participate in their 5th ARRL
Field Day at Wassamki Springs Campground, on the
weekend of
June 27-28.
Since 1933, Field Day has been a friendly competition that encourages
hams to operate "in the field," as a way to practice and demonstrate
their ability to provide effective communications without the need of
commercial power or well-equipped home stations.
The public is welcome
to attend, and those interested in participating may inquire at any
upcoming meeting between now and June.
|
|
May 14th
Join us the
evening of Thursday, May thth,
from 7-9PM as WSSM members teach an Introduction to Ham Radio
class at the Wells High School. The course is designed to introduce
various aspects of the hobby, as well as basic radio theory, and how
students can persue earning their first Amateur Radio License.
Preregistration is required.
|
|
January
22nd
Winter SKYWARN® Training - 7PM-9PM
at the Gorham Recreation Department
The
concept of SKYWARN® was developed in the 1960's as a way to promote a
cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and local
communities. It’s a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained
severe weather spotters across the country. These volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
To
ensure a network of knowledgeable volunteers
and accurate reporting,
those who are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a
training session provided by a local office of the National Weather
Service. SKYWARN® training is provided free of charge.
|
|
2015
Meeting Topics
January's
Topic: WSSM Emergency Communications Team
|
Join
us Thursday, January 14th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation Department,
as we'll discuss a proposed amendment to the WSSM By-Laws, which aims
to establish a new membership category for those interested in
emergency communications. We'll also look over a constitution that will
formally establish the WSSM Emergency Communications Team.
December's
Topic: CCEMA Update & Next Steps
|
Join
us Thursday, December 10th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation Department,
as we'll discuss our progress with Cumberland County EMA, and talk
about some of our next steps with the project and goals for 2016..
November's
Topic: FL Digi
|
Join
us Thursday, November 12th, from 7pm-9pm, at the Gorham Recreation Department,
as we'll discuss the program FL Digi in detail, including an intro to
the various digital modes that are available as well as how to set up
macros, and what you need to get started.
October's
Topic: Providing Communications for Cumberland County EMA
|
Join
us Thursday, October 8th, from 7pm-9pm, at Wassamki Springs Campground,
as we'll discuss the possibility of providing communications support
for Cumberland County EMA. The discussion will include our potential
role in the upcoming SET, organizational and station improvements that
will be needed, and long term goals.
September's
Topic: QIKcom-2 Satellite
|
Join us Thursday, from 7pm-9pm, at Wassamki Springs Campground,
as Frank Krizan K5HS, will provide an overview of QIKcom-2, an upcoming
amateur radio APRS satellite, which includes a Touch Tone (DTMF) call
sign and grid locator uplink. QIKcom-2 is slated for an early 2016
launch. It will be useful for Ham Radio satellite demos and portable
messaging using simple 2 meter FM radios.
The September meeting is also our
annual
official meeting, which
includes officer elections.
August's
Topic: Movie Night: 2O12L Olympic Special Event
|
Join
us Thursday, June 11th, as we as we'll watch a film about England's
falgship amateur radio celebration of the 2012 London Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games, organized by the Cray Valley Radio Society. 2O12L was
located in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in South East London, close
to three Olympic and Paralympic venues.
July's
Topic: W1V 5th Anniversary Special Event |
Join
us Thursday,
July 9th, as we prepare for our W1V Special Event activities, which
begin July 13th.
During
two weeks, club members will take turns
activating the call sign W1V and we are offering a special certificate
with endorsements for contacts on 10 or more different band
slots
for GOLD, 5-9 different band slots for SILVER, and 1-4 different band
slots for BRONZE.
Club
members are invited to sign up for their preferred time, band, and
mode, on a shared document. We'll take a closer look at this during the
meeting, and talk about some ideas to make this a fun event for
everyone.
June's
Topic: Field Day Preparation |
Join
us Thursday,
June 11th, as we prepare for our 5th annual Field Day, which will take
place June 27-28th at Wassamki Springs Campground,
in Scarborough. Among the topics that will be discussed are best
practices, including band choice, light scheduling, and how to maximize
bonus points. Last year, the WSSM team captured the top spot in Maine,
and we're looking forward to another great Field Day. Join the fun, and
lets do it again!
May's
Topic: Intro to Ham Radio Class (for Wells-Ogunquit Adult Ed) |
Join us the evening of Thursday, May thth,
from 7-9PM as WSSM members teach an Introduction to Ham Radio
class at the Wells High School. The course is designed to introduce
various as pects of the hobby, as well as basic radio theory,
and
how
students can persue earning their first Amateur Radio License.
Preregistration is required.
April's
Topic: Intro to APRS |
Join
us Thursday, April 9th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, as we'll
take a closer look at the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS), by
exploring its capabilities and how to get started.
APRS
has evolved since the late 1980's into one of the most popular
digital communications systems in the world. Communications range from
local RF, to worldwide via the APRS-IS Internet backbone. Its used for
Announcements, Bulletins, Messages, Alerts, Weather,
Position-reporting, and more!
Join
us Thursday, March 12th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, as we'll
take a
look at the digital voice protocol DMR, and explore the DMR-MARC
Amateur Radio Network, which expands the range of simple handheld
radios to regional, national, and even worldwide coverage. We'll take a
look at how to get started, including getting registered, programming
your radio, and some of the terminology involved.
February's
Topic: Simplex Challenge Preparation |
Join us Thursday,
February 12th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, as we'll take a
look at the upcoming Maine
2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge
contest coming up this Sunday. Since the club competition was
introduced last year, we'll discuss how we can work together to
maximize multipliers and points. We'll also talk about recommended
equipment and logging suggestions.
If we have time, we'll also take a
look at a video
provided by Dave
KB1FGF, of a classic Maine field day.
January's
Topic: Standing Up For Standing Waves |
Join
us
Thursday, January 8th, for our first meeting of the year, as we'll
watch a video of Bill Hays, AE4QL's, world-class antenna and
transmission line demonstration, Standing up for Standing Waves.
The
meeting will take place in the Multi Purpose Room at the Gorham
Recreation Department, (75 South Street, Gorham) from 7-9PM.
2014
Events
August
16-17th
The
WS1SM
team will activate
West Quoddy Head Light for this year's International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend (ILLW) on August 16-17. We plan to operate mixed HF
on battery power all weekend, as well as some VHF.
International
Lighthouse and Lighthouse
Weekend
is an annual amateur radio activity started in Scotland by members of
the Ayr Amateur Radio Group. It evolved from the Scottish Northern
Lighthouses Award Weekend into an international event in 1998. This
year, nearly 450 lighthouses and lightships, in 85 different countries
are expected to participate.
West Quoddy Head Light will have the ILLW designator US0041 during the
event.
|
|
July 26th
The WS1SM
team will venture
to Seguin Island to participate in the Expedition category in this
year's Islands on the Air (IOTA) Contest. We plan to operate mixed HF
on battery power all day on Saturday, July 26th. IOTA is an
international contest promoting Amateur Radio activity from the world's
islands. Anyone wishing to participate, please click
here to send a message. There is limited availability and a
$35 fee to cover transportation to and from the island.
|
|
June
28th-29th
The
WS1SM team
will participate in their 4th ARRL
Field Day at Wassamki Springs Campground, on the weekend of June 28-29.
Since 1933, Field Day has been a friendly competition that encourages
hams to operate "in the field," as a way to practice and demonstrate
their ability to provide effective communications without the need of
commercial power or well-equipped home stations. The public is welcome
to attend, and those interested in participating may inquire at any
upcoming meeting between now and June.
|
|
May
6th
Join us the
evening of Tuesday, May 6th,
from 7-9PM as WSSM members teach an Introduction to Ham Radio
class at the Wells High School. The course is designed to introduce
various aspects of the hobby, as well as basic radio theory, and how
students can persue earning their first Amateur Radio License.
Preregistration is required.
|
|
April
17th
SKYWARN® Training - 7PM-9PM
at the Gorham Recreation Department
The
concept of SKYWARN® was developed in the 1960's as a way to promote a
cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and local
communities. It’s a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained
severe weather spotters across the country. These volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
To
ensure a network of knowledgeable volunteers
and accurate reporting,
those who are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a
training session provided by a local office of the National Weather
Service. SKYWARN® training is provided free of charge.
|
|
2014 Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Amateur Radio Direction Finding |
Join
us Thursday, December 11th, as we'll take a closer look at Amateur
Radio Direction Finding (ARDF), as we'll watch an ARVN video about the
2006 USA ARDF Championships, which brought International-style Amateur
Radio Direction Finding to the U.S.
The
meeting will take place in the
Multi Purpose Room at the Gorham Recreation Department, (75
South
Street, Gorham) from 7-9PM.
For more information about ARDF, please click
here to visit Homing In.
November's Topic: USB SDR Receivers |
Join
us Thursday, November 13th, as Ryan Michaelson KB1YTR, gives us an
overview of SDR# (SDR Sharp) on Windows, and SDR Touch on Android. Both
are open source softwares that make use of a USB based radio module.
The meeting will take place in the Multi Purpose Room at the
Gorham Recreation Department, (75 South Street, Gorham) from 7-9PM.
For more information or to download SDR# please click
here.
October's Topic: Virtual Ham Radio |
Join
us Thursday, October 9th, for our first meeting of the Fall/Winter
Season at the Gorham Recreation Department. We'll take a look
at HamSphere, which is a VoIP based Amateur Radio simulation software,
which allows users, whether licensed or unlicensed, to communicate with
one another using a "simulated ionosphere."
For more information or to download HamSphere, please click
here.
The meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Multi-Purpose Room at
the
Gorham Rec. Department.
ADDITIONAL REMINDERS:
Logs for the Maine QSO Party are due by October
14th! Don't be too late! Mail to: Thom Watson W1WMG, 16 Hope Drive,
Gorham, ME 04038 or send your electronic logs to: maineqsoparty@gmail.com
The deadline for dues for the upcoming year was the end of September.
Please check the Members section
of the website to see if you're up to date.
September's Topic: Extending the Reach (Using
Echolink and IRLP) |
Don Fraser, WA9WWS, of
Colorado Springs, CO, will present a program
entitled “Extending the Reach of Local Repeaters and Nets using
EchoLink and IRLP” on
Thursday, September 11.
Don’s
presentation will
discuss current implementation techniques for EchoLink and IRLP,
including the use of the Raspberry Pi, the credit card sized, single
board computer that has become the heart of many amateur radio project
designs.
Don
retired from
Hewlett-Packard in Colorado in 2010 and is a retired officer of the U.
S. Air Force Reserve. He has been licensed since 1969 and
simultaneously held the Novice call of WN9WWS and the Technician Call
of WA9WWS, and, is now an Extra Class operator. Don serves on
the
Board of the Pikes Peak FM Association, is a member of the Hammin’ Sams
RV Club in Colorado Springs and was recently elected as President of
the Winnebago-Itasca Travelers Amateur Radio Club (WIT RADIO).
The
meeting will
take place in the Banquet Hall at Wassamki Springs Campground, 56 Saco
St, Scarborough, from 7 to 9 p.m.
September
is also our Annual Meeting, featuring the election of officers. The
following were nominated in August, and further nominations will be
welcomed from the floor:
Cindy Shepard, W1CJS - President
Ryan Michaelson, KB1YTR - Vice President
C.J. Carlsson, KC1AMT - Secretary
Thom Watson, W1WMG - Treasurer
August's Topic: ARRL Centenial Convention
Highlights |
Join
us Thursday, August 14th, as Frank Krizan KR1ZAN and Steve McGrath
N1EOE, present a slideshow and share their experiences duting the
recent ARRL National Centennial Convention, which
took place last month at the Connecticut Convention Center, in
Hartford. The Convention, which celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the
ARRL, featured special programs, seminars, and an array of vendors and
guests from around the world.
Join
us oin
us Thursday, July 10th, as we'll take a look at the available signal
sources that
help Hams determine if propagation paths are open from one point to
another. The presentation will include a basic introduction as well as
resources that are available to the beginner and experienced operator
alike. Following the presentation, by Frank KR1ZAN, a short discussion
will allow participants to describe their personal experiences with
various beacon systems.
June's Topic: Final Field Day Preparation |
On
the
12th of June,
we'll be working out the final details for this year's Field Day, which
takes place the weekend of June 28-29. We'll assign tasks and discuss
ways to earn more bonus points. he meeting will begin at 7PM
in the
Banquet Hall at Wassamki Springs Campground. See you there!
May's Topic: Field Day Planning |
Join
us Thursday, May 8th for
our first meeting of the year at Wassamki Springs
Campground. We'll talk about preparations for Field Day, including how
best to maximize bonus points. If the weather cooperates, we'll also
survey the Field Day site for the best antenna locations. Come prepared
with
your suggestions and ideas about the event.
The meeting will
begin at 7PM in the Banquet Hall. See you there!
April's Topic: Propagation Forecasting |
Join
us Thursday at the Gorham Recreation Department, as we'll take a look
at some of the tools used to forecast propagation on both HF and VHF,
including VOACAP
(Voice of America's Coverage Analysis Program), which
is a comprehensive ionospheric communications analysis
software, and William Hepburne's Tropospheric Ducting
Forecast,
which uses diagrams similar to weather maps to show regions where
tropospheric ducting is likely to occur.
The
meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Fish Bowl room at the
Gorham Rec. Department.
March's Topic: Movie Night |
Join
us Thursday, March 13th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, for
Movie Night. We'll be watching a film about the famous A52A DXPedition
to Bhutan which took place in 2000. Directed by, James Brooks, 9V1YC,
the film introduces you to a nation and a people rarely seen by the
outside world. Experience what its actually like to be behind the
scenes at one of the world's ultimate destinations with some of the
best operators ever assembled.
The meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Fish Bowl room at the
Gorham Rec. Department.
February's Topic: Movie Night (POSTPONED) |
Join
us Thursday, February 13th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, for
Movie Night. We'll be watching a film about the famous A52A DXPedition
to Bhutan which took place in 2000. Directed by, James Brooks, 9V1YC,
the film introduces you to a nation and a people rarely seen by the
outside world. Experience what its actually like to be behind the
scenes at one of the world's ultimate destinations with some of the
best operators ever assembled.
The meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Fish Bowl room at the
Gorham Rec. Department.
January's
Topic: Simpex Challenge Preparation |
Join
us Thursday, January 9th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, as
we'll take a look at the upcoming Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge
contest coming up in February. Because this is the first year
of
the club competition, we'll discuss how we can work together to
maximize multipliers and points. We'll also talk about recommended
equipment and logging suggestions.
The
meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Fish Bowl room at the
Gorham Rec. Department.
2013
Events
September
27th
The
WS1SM VE team will conduct an exam session on Friday, September 27th,
from 7PM-9PM in the Banquet Hall at Wassamki Springs Campground,
located at 56 Saco Street, in Scarborough. There is a $15.00 fee to
take the exam. Walk-ins are welcome.
For more information, please contact: Thom Watson, at (207) 839-0402,
or ws1sm@yahoo.com |
|
September 22nd
The
WS1SM team is planning a Summits on the Air (SOTA) expedition to
Douglas Mountain, in Standish, ME, on Sunday, September 22nd. We'll be
active on VHF and HF. Check the SOTA Watch and DX Summit websites for
frequencies and spots during the event. Operating times are expected to
be between 1200-2100 UTC.
For more information on Summits on the Air, click
here |
|
September 21st
Join
us on Saturday, September 21st for the second annual Saco Emergency
Preparedness Fair. We'll setup a table display and demonstrate amateur
radio to the public. The Fair will take place from 1-4 PM at the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, located on 15 Smith Lane, in Saco.
Special thanks to Paul Courchene KJ6JBH, for inviting us. |
|
August 18th
The
WS1SM team will activate Pemaquid Lighthouse for International
Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, on Sunday, August 18th from 9AM -
Dusk. ILLW is an International event designed to promote public
awareness of lighthouses and lightships and their need for preservation
and restoration, and at the same time to promote amateur radio and to
foster International goodwill.
The ILLW number for Pemaquid Point Light is: US0124 / ARLHS
number: USA589 |
|
June 22nd-23rd
The
WS1SM team will participate in their 3rd ARRL Field Day at Wassamki
Springs Campground, on the weekend of June 22-23. Since 1933, Field Day
has been a friendly competition that encourages hams to operate "in the
field," as a way to practice and demonstrate their ability to provide
effective communications without the need of commercial power or
well-equipped home stations. |
|
May 2nd
Join
us the evening of Thursday, May 2nd, from 6-9PM as WSSM members teach
an Introduction to Ham Radio class at the Old Orchard Beach High
School. The course is designed to introduce various aspects of the
hobby, as well as basic radio theory, and how students can persue
earning their first Amateur Radio License. Preregistration is
required. |
|
April
28th
The
WS1SM team is planning a Summits on the Air (SOTA) expedition to Mt.
Agamenticus, in York, ME, on April 28th. We'll be active on VHF and HF.
Check the SOTA Watch and DX Summit websites for frequencies and spots
during the event. Operating times are expected to be between 1200-2100
UTC. |
|
April 25th
SKYWARN®
Training - 7PM-9PM at the Gorham Recreation Department
The
concept of SKYWARN® was developed in the 1960's as a way to promote a
cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and local
communities. It’s a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained
severe weather spotters across the country. These volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
To ensure a
network of knowledgeable volunteers and accurate reporting, those who
are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a training
session provided by a local office of the National Weather Service.
SKYWARN® training is provided free of charge.
|
|
2013
Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: The Art of QSL'ing |
Join
us Thursday,
December 12th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, as we'll take a
look at the Art of QSL'ing. Our program will cover the purpose and
history of QSL'ing, the essential information to include on a QSL card,
basic design, and the methods of sending and receiving QSLs, including
direct mail, QSL bureaus, managers etc. We'll also have show and tell,
so you are encouraged to bring along an example of your own.
The meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Fish Bowl room at the
Gorham Rec. Department.
November's
Topic: Logging Software |
Join
us Thursday,
November 14th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, as we'll take a
look at logging software, and contest logging programs, such as N1MM,
and N3FJP's Amateur Contact Log and contest-specific programs. We'll go
into detail as to how to use the programs to keep an ongoing log for
your shack, as well as how to download, setup, and edit a contest log.
The final phase is to demonstrate what can be done with this electronic
log once its generated.
The meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Multi Purpose room at
the Gorham Rec. Department.
October's
Topic: Programming with CHIRP |
Join
us Thursday,
October 10th, at the Gorham Recreation Department, as Ryan Michaelson
KB1YTR, will demonstrate how to program an amateur radio using a free,
open source software, called CHIRP. The software supports a large
number of manufacturers and models, and also provides a way to
interface with multiple data sources and formats.
The meeting will take place from 7PM-9PM, in the Multi Purpose room at
the Gorham Rec. Department.
September's
Topic: 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia Recovery Effort |
2013
marks 10 years since the Space Shuttle Columbia's disastrous return to
earth on February 1, 2003. The Columbia and its crew were lost with
debris scattered across northeastern parts of Texas into Louisiana as
the Shuttle broke up during re-entry. Many radio amateurs assisted in
the recovery effort in addition to hundreds of other volunteers.
Frank
Krizan, KR1ZAN, will give us an overview of the recovery effort that
Nancy, K5NCK, and he took part in. Frank will present a program at the
September 12th WSSM meeting to be held at 7 p.m. in the Banquet Hall at
Wassamki Springs Campground. This will also be the Club's Annual
Meeting, which includes the election of officers for 2014. |
|
August's
Topic: Amateur Radio High Altitude Balooing |
Join
us Thursday,
August 8th, at Wassamki Springs Campground, as we'll take a look at
Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning. This fascinating aspect of the
hobby makes use of amateur radio frequencies to transmit beacons, APRS
tracking information, as well as repeaters and SSTV. The meeting will
begin at 7PM in the Rec Hall / Banquet Hall. See you there! Check out
the following links for more information:
July's
Topic: Digital Voice |
Join
us Thursday,
July 11th at Wassamki Springs Campground, as we'll take a look at
Digital Voice protocols for HF, including FDMDV, FreeDV, WinDRM, and
others. Digital Voice software translates your voice into a digital
form, allowing for a smaller bandwidth and the ability to use voice
communications in poor band conditions. The meeting will begin at 7PM
in the Rec Hall / Banquet Hall. See you there! Check out the following
links for more information:
June's
Topic: Field Day Prep |
Join
us Thursday,
June 13th, for our first meeting of the year at Wassamki Springs
Campground. We'll talk about preparations for Field Day, including how
best to maximize bonus points, light scheduling and logistics. Charlie
W1CPS mentioned that the Hillock Family at Wassamki Springs Campground
will allow us to use their facility again this year. Come prepared with
your suggestions and ideas about the event. The meeting will
begin at 7PM in the Banquet Hall. See you there!
May's
Topic: Using an Oscilloscope in the Ham Shack |
Join
us Thursday,
May 9th, as we take a look at how an oscilloscope can be used in the
ham shack. The oscilloscope is a type of electronic test equipment that
allows observation of constantly changing wave forms, displaying these
on a two-dimensional x-y axis. Oscilloscopes are commonly used to
display signal wave forms during trouble shooting proceedures, and
among other things, can help to determine if the amplifier stages in
your rig are operating in a linear manner. Frank Allen, KA1QW, will
talk about some of the basics and his experiences using an oscilloscope
in the shack.
This month's meeting will be held in the "Fish Bowl" room at the Gorham
Recreation Department, beginning at 7PM.
April's
Topic: HF Contest Rules |
Join
us Thursday,
April 11th, as we'll take a closer look at and revise rules for a
proposed HF contest to be held in the fall. The basic premise of the
contest is to promote amateur activity on the HF bands, and encourage
stations outside of Maine to work as many ham stations as they can in
each of the 16 Maine counties. Multipliers would be determined by the
number of counties worked on each band.
This month's meeting will be held in the "Fish Bowl" room at the Gorham
Recreation Department, beginning at 7PM.
March's
Topic: Movie Night |
Join
us Thursday,
March 14th, as we'll be watching a film about the famous FO0AAA
DXpedition to Clipperton Island, which took place in the spring of
2000. Filmed by James Brooks, 9V1YC, it tells the story of the
DXpedition to one of the world's most remote and mysterious islands,
with a chilling history of shipwreck and intrigue.
This movie is
also timely, as it comes while a current Dxpedition to Clipperton
Island is taking place, (the TX5K DXpedition). The effort that the
FO0AAA story chronicles is similar in many respects.
This month's meeting will be held in the "Fish Bowl" room at the Gorham
Recreation Department, beginning at 7PM.
February's
Topic: Project Night |
Join
us Thursday,
February 14th, as we'll discuss what we learned during the 2 Meter FM
Simplex Challenge and continue work on our projects, including the CW
oscillators that we began last month. If you've completed yours, then
use this tme to show off what you've made or work on something new. The
meeting will be held in the "Fish Bowl" room at the Gorham Recreation
Department, beginning at 7PM.
January's
Topic: CW with your HT |
Join
us Thursday, January 10th, as we'll discuss the upcoming 2 Meter FM
Simplex Challenge and begin our next project, which is a simple device
that can be used with any handheld tranceiver to send modulated CW.
It's basically an audio oscillator and keying circuit which acts as an
interface between a cw key and a handheld radio. Click
here to view detailed instructions. If you're interested in
building one, please contact Tim
Watson
KB1HNZ. A limited number of kits will be available for $25 - so reserve
yours now. The meeting will be held in the "Fish Bowl" room at the
Gorham Recreation Department, beginning at 7PM.
2012
Events
October
20th
The
WS1SM
team will once
again take part in Jamboree on the Air. This year's event will be held
at the Maine Maritime Museum on Saturday, October 20th. JOTA is an
event held annually since 1958, in which Boys and Girls Scouts and
Guides from all over the world speak to each other be means of amateur
radio. Millions of Scouts have met each other on the air through this
event, and in many cases JOTA is their first experience with ham
radio.
|
|
September
22nd
Join
us on
Saturday,
September 22nd at the Saco Emergency Preparedness Fair, where we'll
have a table display and demonstrate amateur radio to the public. The
Fair will take place from 1-4 PM at the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, located on 15 Smith Lane, in Saco. Special thanks to
Paul Courchene KJ6JBH, for inviting us.
|
|
August
19th
This
year
the WS1SM team will
activate Wood Island Lighthouse for International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend, held on August 19th. ILLW is a worldwide event, in
its 15th year. With over 250 lighthouses and lightships already
registered, this year's event could be the best ever. Wood Island
Lighthouse will be number US0141 in ILLW and also qualifies for IOTA as
NA137.
|
|
June
23-24
WS1SM
be
participating in our
2nd Field Day, on the weekend of June 23-24, at Wassamki Springs
Campground, located at 56 Saco Street, in Scarborough. The event will
begin at 2 PM on the 23rd and last for 27 hours. This year we'll be
operating in the 2A category, with radios running on 100% battery
power. As always, Field Day is open to the public. If you're interested
in seeing ham radio in action, feel free to stop by for a
demonstration.
|
|
May
25-26
The
town of
Gorham celebrates its founding
with a
weekend of fun, rides, and festivities on Friday, May 25th and
Saturday, May 26th. The events will take place next to Narragansett
School, off of Chick Drive. To help celebrate the occasion, WSSM will
set up an information booth and operate a special event station. For
more information about the Gorham Founder's Festival, including
directions and hours, please click
here .
|
|
April
29th
Join
us Sunday, April 29th, for a day of ham radio fun on the summit of
Ossipee Hill, in Waterboro, Maine. We'll activate the mountain for
Summits on the Air (SOTA), and plan to operate on HF and two meters.
We'll meet for breakfast Sunday morning at about 7:30 at the Station
House Restaurant (Rt. 5 Hollis), before heading off. In case of bad
weather, the expedition will be held the following weekend. For
more info about SOTA, click
here
|
|
April
5th
The
concept of SKYWARN® was developed in the 1960's as a way to promote a
cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and local
communities. It’s a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained
severe weather spotters across the country. These volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
To
ensure a network of knowledgeable volunteers
and accurate reporting,
those who are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a
training session provided by a local office of the National Weather
Service. SKYWARN® training is provided free of charge.
|
|
2012 Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Anderson Powerpole Connectors |
Join
us at
December's meeting as we'll take a look at Anderson Powerpole
connectors, which have become the standard quick-disconnect system for
many applications, including the medical, environmental, electronics
and telecommunications industries. The lure of Powerpoles is their ease
of use, and their ability to handle high amperage in a safe and
efficient manner. We'll take a look at the tools required, and the
different types available for the radio amateur. The meeting
will
be held at the Gorham Recreation Department, which is most easily
accessed from Ballpark Road, beginning at 7PM.
November's
Topic: Building a Morse Code Oscillator / Earthquakes in Maine |
Join
us at November's meeting as Roger
Pience N1XP, will teach us how to build an audio oscillator for CW
practice, and Thom Watson W1WMG will present materials about
Earthquakes in Maine and how to prepare for one. This may especially
interest those who experienced the most recent quake that was felt
throughout Southern Maine last month. The meeting will be held at the
Gorham Recreation Department, which is most easily accessed from
Ballpark Road, beginning at 7PM.
October's
Topic: VoIP and Amateur Radio |
For
October, we'll be returning to the Gorham Recreation Department for our
monthly meeting. The topic will cover Voice Over Internet Protocol
(VoIP), and look at the applications available to the radio amateur.
These include Echolink, which uses this technology to link repeaters,
simplex links and individual hams around the world via the internet, as
well as D-STAR, WIRES, IRLP, and eQSO. For more on this topic, click on
the links below:
September's
Topic: Creating Custom QSLs with GIMP |
September
is our
Annual Business Meeting, including officer elections. We'll use this
time to complete the yearly report to the ARRL and make updates where
needed. For a topic, we'll be looking at the image manipulation
software called GIMP, to learn how to use it to create custom QSL
cards. GIMP is a free program, and can be downloaded
here. The meeting will be held at Wassamki Springs Campground
from 7PM - 9PM on Thursday, September 13th.
August's
Topic: Building "Antenna Launchers" |
During
August's meeting, we'll be working on a project, building several
antenna launchers, similar in design to the one that Steve Freeman
K1MV, demonstrated for us on Field Day. These pneumatic launchers will
be constructed of high grade PVC and will be complete except for the
reels, which can be added later, depending on preference. When these
are complete, photos and plans will be added to the Projects page for
future reference. |
July's
Topic: Tantalum Capacitors |
July's
meeting will be at the Wassamki Springs Campground, located on 56 Saco
Street, in Scarborough. (Thursday, July 12, from 7PM - 9PM).
For
this month, Frank Allen KA1QW, will describe the manufacturing process
of Tantalum Capacitors. Tantalum is known to have high capacitance per
volume, has lower equivalent series resistance, and has a higher
operating temperature than most other electrolytic capacitors. |
June's
Topic: Final prep for Field Day |
For
June, we'll
begin a few projects for Field Day, including building band pass
filters for the HF bands that we'll operate, and also take
some
time to become familiar with the N3FJP logging software that we plan on
using. The meeting will be held at the Wassamki Springs Campground,
located on 56 Saco Street, in Scarborough. (Thursday, June 14 from 7PM
- 9PM).
May's
Topic: Planning for Field Day |
Join
us in May at the Gorham Recreation Department (Thursday, May 10th from
7PM-9PM), as we discuss preparations for Field Day and the Gorham
Founder's Festival. We'll talk about logistics, who's going to bring
what, set up, and operating times. Charlie W1CPS mentioned that the
Hillock Family at Wassamki Springs Campground will allow us to use
their facility again this year. Come prepared with your suggestions and
ideas about
either event.
April's
Topic: Digital Modes |
In
April, we'll be looking at the various digital modes available to radio
amateurs, and how to set up your equipment to operate them. We'll
revisit the software program FLDIGI, which can be used with a sound
card interface to operate many popular digital protocols. It includes
all the popular
modes, such as Feld-Hell, MFSK16, PSK31, and RTTY. Please
bring
any questions you may have about specific modes... what they sound
like, where to find them on the bands, etc.
March's
Topic: Movie Night - "Desecheo Island DXPedition 2009" |
March's
topic is movie night. We'll watch a film about K5D's famous DXpedition
to Desecheo Island, which is part of the Carribean National Wildlife
Refuge Complex. K5D's Desecheo was chosen as co-dxpedition of the year
for 2008/2009 by the Southwest Ohio DX Association. They logged 115,787
in the short time they were there.The meeting will take place at the
Gorham Recreation Department on Thursday, March 8th, from 7PM-9PM.
February's
Topic: Soldering |
For those of
you who
didn't notice,
February's topic actually is the same as last month's, as it was
postponed due to a snow storm. So, join us on the 9th, from 7PM - 9PM
at the Gorham Recreation Department, as Roger Pience N1XP, will share
his expertise on soldering. Soldering is a handy skill for any amateur
who is interested in antenna construction, kit-building, restoration,
or making repairs.
January's
Topic: Soldering (POSTPONED) |
Join
us for our monthly meeting at the Gorham Recreation Department on
Thursday, January 12, from 7PM-9PM. The topic will be "Soldering."
Special guest, Roger Pience, (N1XP), will share some of his expertise
on the craft, which is an essential skill for kit-building,
restoration, or even just making repairs.
December's
Topic: Feedlines |
Join
us on
December 8th as special guest, Roger Pience, N1XP, will talk about
feedlines. Feedlines come in several varieties and offer different
advantages depending on their use. This is your opportunity to ask
questions and discuss some of your own experiences with feedlines. The
meeting will be held at the Gorham Recreation Department, December 8th,
from 7PM-9PM.
2011 Events
Join
us Sunday, November 6th for a mountain topping expedition to Bradbury
Mountain State Park, located in Pownal, Maine. We plan on meeting at 8
AM at Cole Farms (Route 100 in Gray) for breakfast before setting off
to the mountain. As this is in November, its a good idea to dress in
layers, and also wear a good pair of hiking shoes! For more information
about Bradbury Mountain state park, including fees, click
here. |
|
October
15th
The
Wireless Society of Southern Maine will join Boy Scout Troop 648 to
operate a Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) station on October 15th at Camp
Bomazeen, in North Belgrade, Maine. JOTA is a worldwide event designed
to introduce Boy Scouts to amateur radio and enable them to talk to
other scouts participating in the event. |
|
August
21st
The
Wireless Society of Southern Maine will take part in the International
Lighthouse and Lightship weekend, on Sunday, August 21st, operating
from Pemaquid Lighthouse in
Bristol, Maine. We'll be operating on the 20 and 40 meter
bands
during the day. Setup will begin around 8:30 AM, and we're planning to
operate between 9AM and 4PM, wx permitting. A special QSL card will be
available to anyone who successfully makes contact with WS1SM durning
the event. |
|
The July 7th
get-together of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine will feature a
program by Frank Krizan, (KR1ZAN) entitled "Working the Easy Sats".
This program will be fast paced and provide you with the basics of what
equipment and knowledge you need in order to make an FM voice radio
contact on one of the Low
Earth Orbit (LEO)
amateur radio satellites.
|
|
"Communicating using amateur radio
satellites is a fun, exciting and
challenging aspect of our great hobby," says Krizan. "If you
can communicate on local repeaters you have all or part of the
equipment you need to talk over the "Easy Sats". I'll also discuss
communicating with the International
Space Station
(ISS). It's a thrill to talk with an astronaut -- in orbit!"
The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Banquet Hall
at Wassamki Springs Campground.
ANOTHER REMINDER: The WSSM will also meet Thurs. June 30th,
from 7 to 9 p.m. at Wassamki Springs. It's our general
summertime open format with the exception that we will be finalizing
our Field Day report and reviewing our 2011 FD effort.
June
25-26th
WSSM's
first Field Day will be held at the Wassamki Springs Campground in
Scarbourough. We'd like to offer our gratitude to the Hillock family
for providing us a great place to set up our station and share the
hobby with the community.
Field Day is the single most popular
on-air event held annually in the US and Canada. Each year over 35,000
amateurs gather with their clubs and friends, or operate individually.
Some treat it as a contest, while others just enjoy the opportunity to
practice their emergency response capabilities. It is a time when many
aspects of amateur radio come together, and its a great way to
highlight our many roles to the public, media, and elected
officials.
|
|
May 27-30th
The
town of Gorham celebrates the 275th anniversary of its founding with a
weekend of fun, rides, and history tours. The events take place at the
Narragansett school on Main Street, Memorial Day weekend, May
27-30. To help celebrate the occasion, WSSM will set up and
operate a special
event station during the festival. For more information on the Gorham
Founder's
Festival, please click here to visit the event
website.
|
|
SPECIAL EVENT OPERATING
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY -
MAY 27th
5:30PM -
10 PM
|
SATURDAY
- MAY 28th
10 AM -
10 PM
|
SUNDAY -
MAY 29th
11 AM - 7
PM
|
MONDAY -
MAY 30th
10 AM - 4
PM
|
May
5th
The
Wireless Society of Southern Maine is sponsoring a SKYWARN®
training session, to be held Thursday, May 5th from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
at the Gorham Recreation Department.
What
is SKYWARN ®?
The
concept of SKYWARN® was developed in the 1960's as a way to promote a
cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and local
communities. It’s a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained
severe weather spotters across the country. These volunteers help keep
their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports
of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
To
ensure a network of knowledgeable volunteers
and accurate reporting,
those who are interested in becoming spotters are asked to attend a
training session provided by a local office of the National Weather
Service. SKYWARN® training is provided free of charge. |
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January
2nd
Join
us at the Gorham Recreation Department as we take part in Kid's Day. On
January 2nd, hundreds of young people throughout the country will be
chatting with other kids over the airwaves using amateur radio. Now in
its 15th year, Kid's Day is sponsored by the ARRL - the national
association for amateur radio. Our club will offer a hands-on
demonstration of HF operating, D-STAR, and CW.
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The event
will run
from
1PM-7PM at the Gorham Recreation
Department,
located on 75 South Street, Gorham. For more information, or
directions, please contact Tim Watson (KB1HNZ) at 207-839-0402, or send
an email. |
2011 Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Feedlines |
Join
us on
December 8th as special guest, Roger Pience, N1XP, will talk about
feedlines. Feedlines come in several varieties and offer different
advantages depending on their use. This is your opportunity to ask
questions and discuss some of your own experiences with feedlines. The
meeting will be held at the Gorham Recreation Department, December 8th,
from 7PM-9PM.
November's
Topic: WRTC 2014 |
On
November 10th, Doug Grant (K1DG), will be joining us to discuss the
World Radiosport Team Championship, and how our club can become
involved. WRTC 2014 is held every four years and consists of about 50
two-person teams of amateur radio operators competing in a test of
operating skill. Unlike most on-the-air competitions, all stations are
required to use identical antennas from the same geographic region,
which according to the WRTC "eliminates all variables except operating
ability." The meeting will be held at the Gorham Recreation Department
from 7PM - 9PM.
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October's
Topic: WWV & Frequency Measuring |
In
October we'll look into what WWV is, where it can be found, and what it
can be used for besides just telling time. We'll also discuss different
methods of frequency measuring, and the ARRL frequency
measuring
test. The October meeting will be held at the Gorham Recreation
Department, in the "Multi-Purpose Room" from 7PM-9PM.
Developed
in the 1980's by Bob
Bruninga, (WB4APR), APRS is a digital mode which uses amateur radio to transmit position reports, weather
reports, and messages between
users. Frank Krizan, (KR1ZAN), will help us take a closer look
at
how APRS works, and what type of equipment and software is required to
get started. September's meeting will be held at the Gorham
Recreation Department, in the "Multi-Purpose Room" from
7PM-9PM.
August's
Topic: Radio Direction Finding |
August's
roundtable topic will be radio direction finding... We'll look at some
of the equipment needed, (some of which can be homebrewed), and try it
out first hand within the campground. The process of learning how to
track down a signal is a valuable excercise for search and rescue, and
it has also evolved into an international sport.
July's
Topic: Logbook of the World |
The
next meeting will be held on July 14th at the Wassamki Springs
Campground, from 7PM - 9PM. For July's meeting, we'll discuss how to
register and use
the ARRL's Logbook of the World. The process is a bit complicated, so
we'll take a look at it step by step and discuss some of the benefits
of using LOTW. If you're interested, try registering before the July
meeting to get the process started, and also so you can help others
during the roundtable part of the discussion.
On
June 9th we'll be meeting at the Wassamki Springs Campground for the
first time this summer. The campground is located on Saco Street in
Scarborough. The roundtable topic will focus on QSL'ing. This is a
great opportunity to show off some of your best QSL's and also to
discuss some of the best methods of organizing them, how to create your
own, how to use bureaus and what's the best was to master the
international postal system.
May's
Topic: Field Day / Founder's Festival Planning |
Join
us for the May meeting for Field Day and Founder's Festival
preparation. We'll discuss logistics and what to bring, as well as
technical set up. Come prepared with your suggestions and ideas about
either event.
April's
Topic: Traffic Handling |
April's roundtable topic will
be
Traffic Handling, and the National Traffic System. We'll look at how to
send a message using the standard ARRL Radiogram. We'll also explore
other message forms used for emergency communications, and look into
some of the protocols involved in composing and receiving a message.
The meeting will be April 14th at the Gorham Recreation
Department.
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In
March, we'll be looking at the computer program FLDIGI. FLDIGI is
intended for Amateur Radio Digital operation using a PC. It works in
conjunction with a conventional HF SSB transceiver connected to a PC
sound card or sound card interface. A serial port connection may also
be used for rig control. FLDIGI is multi-mode, which means that it is
able to operate many popular digital modes without switching programs,
so you only have one program to learn. It includes all the popular
modes, such as DominoEX, MFSK16, PSK31, and RTTY.
February's
Topic: Movie Night - "Peter I Island DXPedition" |
Join
us February 10th at the Gorham Recreation Department for our regular
meeting. This month will be "Movie Night",
featuring a film about the famous 3Y0X Peter I Island DX Pedition of
2006, considered by many to be the DX Pedition of the decade. Also,
we'll discuss some upcoming events, such as a possible SKYWARN class
and a special event station commemorating the 275th anniversary of the
founding of the town of Gorham.
January's
Topic: Morse Code |
Morse
Code,
or "CW," is the oldest form of radio communication, and it's still
popular today. We'll explore some of the techniques involved, as well
as the different equipment hams use to make CW contacts. Please click here
for more information about the history, advantages, and
unique characteristics of this mode.
2010 Meeting Topics
December's
Topic: Contesting |
December's
roundtable topic should be fun for everyone. Whether you're a seasoned
contester, or never joined the fray, here's your chance to polish up
that story or ask a few questions of someone who has. One of the
interesting aspects of contesting is that, although the basic structure
is often similar, the modes, bands, and exchanges, as well as the
purpose of each contest varies. A secondary discussion will be about
our upcoming participation in ARRL's Kids Day.
Have
you ever wondered if you could access the internet from a ham radio, or
if you could communicate with a friend in another city or country using
a simple handy-talkie? How about sending a text message, or
knowing the call sign of who was on the air right now? With D-STAR you
can do all of these things. We will explore this technology as part of
November's meeting, (which will be held November 18th at the Gorham
Recreation Department). D-STAR stands for "Digital Smart Technology for
Amateur Radio." It is an open standard, digital communication protocol
established by JARL (Japan Amateur Radio League), and offers many
applications, including digital voice, messaging, and GPS.
October's
topic may be a way of life for most hams, but for those just getting
started, we wanted to introduce the idea, and also look into some of
the more technical aspects of hunting for distant stations, such as
knowing where to look for "dx spots," news, bulletins, and
announcements for special events and dx'peditions, as well as some of
the tricks of breaking through a pileup and working that rare new
entity.
September's
Topic: Intro to Ham Radio |
The
September meeting was the Annual Business Meeting, so the roundtable
was shortened a little. But this didn't prevent us
from brainstorming
about how to attract new people to the hobby. There are so many
resources available, including the ARRL, and several others who are
dedicated to getting the word out, and educating people on how to get
involved. We created the page, About Ham
Radio,
just for this purpose, and we're making it a club priority to offer
courses and test sessions to those who are interested.
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