Next Meeting 1

Watt's Happening 2

Fox Box Deployed 2

VE Team Report 2

April Old Timer's Lunch 2

April Meeting Minutes 3

Groton Road Race 6

Member Roster _7

----------------

The May MARA meeting is scheduled for May 12, in the Chief's conference room, second floor, Fitchburg Central Fire Station.

----------------

de Tom K1JHC

The May meeting of the Old Timers was held at Bickfords Restaurant, North Main Street Leominster on Cinco de Mayo, 2004, at 12:30 PM. There were seven members present; Roy W1OOY, Norm W1LXE, Norm W1BYH, Howard W1TQB, Nancy KB1KEF, Gary K1YTS, and Tom K1JHC.

The discussion this month was about license classes and Call Signs of area Hams of yesteryear. There was an informal race to see who could be first to find the little man in the "Coffee News". There was no official winner, but rumor has it that YTS was last. Roy said that Groton Electronics is leaving the area and heading for Florida. Why not join us at the next meeting on Wednesday June 2^nd at 12:30 PM.

----------------

Topics: What class, operating stations, power levels, power sources & more.

Demonstrations & Practice Runs: Using WRITELOG on networked computers.

Sign Ups:

----------------

Sundays, 0830 local 3937 Western Mass Emergency Net.

Alternate frequency is 3942 in case of QRN, QRM, or frequency in-use.

Also a good idea to scan up and down 10kHz if you cannot find the net.

Wednesdays, 2100 local 28.341 Harvard Repeater Club

10 meter sideband net "Activity Night"

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 1800 local 3942 MHz Western Mass Traffic Net (phone)

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 1900 local 3562 MHz Western Mass Traffic Net (cw, slow)

First Wednesday, 2000 local 3915 K1ARC Red Cross Net

Sunday, May 16, Cambridge MA Flea at MIT; 3^rd Sunday April - October

August 14-15, Boxboro MA ARRL New England Division Conference

October 1-2, Hopkinton NH Hoss Trader's

----------------

The KD1LE/KD1SM "fox box" hidden transmitter is once again out in the woods on weekends. It transmits a voice and CW message every five minutes on 145.63 between 8am and 9pm. Practice those radio direction finding skills and put your name in the log that is hidden with the "fox".

----------------

The combined MARA and Harvard Repeater Club VE Team held an exam session on April 28 for two candidates.

One new Technician license was earned.

Volunteer Examiners assisting with this session were Gordon N1MGO, John KB1HDO, Don N1HVA, Paul KD1YH, Gary K1YTS, and Ralph KD1SM.

The next scheduled exam session is Wednesday, 26 May, 7pm, at Neurophysics across from the Shirley Airport.

All examines should contact Paul KD1YH to preregister for the session.

----------------

de Tom K1JHC

The April monthly meeting of the Old Timers was held at Bickfords Restaurant, North Main Street Leominster on April 7, 2004, at 12:30 PM. There were six members present: Roy W1OOY, Norm W1LXE, Norm W1BYH, and Tom K1JHC.

The discussion this month was on the evolution of computers and how it affected the members. Some of us started with the early RadShack models and others were grudgingly forced into it by job pressures or family when the computer world was up to Megaherz speeds and memory.

----------------

de Pauline KB1JXJ

Secretary's Report for Meeting on 14 April 2004 7:30 PM Gary called the meeting to order.

In attendance: (16) Gary K1YTS, Paul KD1YH, Gordon N1MGO, Pauline KB1JXJ, Charlie KT1I, Wayne KB1FOU, Tom K1JHC, Norm W1LXE, Bill W1UD, Paul N1QDX, Bill N1UZ, Nancy KB1KEF, Bob KB1JZU, Norm W1BYH, Tom N1XWA, Chatmon WA1FIA.

07:35 PM Treasurer's Report - By Gordon - N1MGO

Public Service Reports -

Canoe Race in Townsend - on as usual, with possibility of safety problems at the bridge in West Townsend. Gary has the number sheets, maps and location sheets.

Athol - Took place last week, 10 April.

Road race Groton - Contact KD1SM, needs 30 to 40 hams total.

Boston Marathon - Need people - long days 6am to 8pm possible.

07:50 PM Call for reports on flooding in our towns

Norm, W1BYH - Water in office and shack in basement, lots of pumping going on in Leominster and Fitchburg.

08:02 PM Reminder of May date for candidates to volunteer for June election.

08:03 PM Field Day -

All clubs, Pepperell, Harvard and Athol contacted. Bill, N1UZ will contact Paul, W1SEX Re: VHF & UHF station Bill will arrange GOTA Station.

NO conflict with Longsjo Bike race this year.

Details to be worked out at the May club meeting re: Generators? Food?

Saturday evening meal?

Is LEMA going to be involved? They will provide coffee & donuts.

Bill, N1UZ has letter ready to go to Mt.

Mark LaPrade from the Montachusett Telegram & Gazette at Nashoba Publishing should be contacted.

We are looking for night owls to run the overnight hours.

Filters? Locate them, Paul N1QDX , Paul KD1YH & Charlie KT1I to look into building tuning stubs.

----------------

Saturday, April 17 was a fine crisp sunny New England spring day -perfect weather for the Townsend Lion's Club Canoe Race on the Squannacook River. 45 canoes started at one minute intervals from 10am and paddled 6.5 miles down river.

Eight Amateur Radio operators were spread out along the course where access was possible, to keep track of the canoeists. MARA members participating were Gary K1YTS, Nancy KB1KEF, Charlie KT1I, Paul KD1YH, Barry W1HFN, and Ralph KD1SM plus Stan KD1LE and Bob AB1CV from NVARC. Stan ran the Net Control Station from the railroad trestle behind the Townsend Library. The 2 meter vertical that Stan had pulled up into a tree by rope attracted some interest from the spectators.

One canoe was destroyed while trying to run the low dam at the railroad trestle. No one was injured, fortunately. Three delayed canoes caused a bit of concern but they eventually emerged from the long stretch behind Sterlite and were eventually reported safe at the next checkpoint at Meetinghouse Road.

[photo]

center: two canoes approach Meetinghouse Road during the Townsend Lion's Club Canoe Race on April 17.

The final canoe crossed the finish line at about 2:30pm. Those volunteers who remembered were then treated to a spaghetti supper back at the VFW.

Left: Paul KD1YH records canoes reaching the finish line near the Cooperage at South Street.

----------------

On Sunday, April 25, the 13^th annual Groton Road Race was held. About 1800 runners participated in a 2k fun run, 5k, and 10k runs.

Note the portable tower; two 2 meter verticals were placed on this tower, at 25' and 50'.ARA members Gary K1YTS, Nancy KB1KEF, and Ralph KD1SM were joined by 38 other Hams from various towns to help with communications.

As this event requires many more Police officers than the Town of Groton has, officers from many other communities, the Environmental Police, the Sheriff's Department, and other law enforcement agencies are called in to assist with vehicular traffic control along the route of the course. Amateur Radio offers the only feasible means for officers from these agencies to communicate, as their own radios have no frequencies in common with each other.

de Ralph KD1SM

Left: Hams and Police Officers mingle in the staging area prior to the race.

left: Runners go through the center of Groton in the 13^th Annual Groton Road Race. Photo by KB1HDO.

----------------

AA1BL Gordon AA2T Jerry K1BBV Jerry K1JFK John

K1JHC Tom K1NX Mark K1YTS Gary K1VHS Samantha

KA1GMC Claire KA1JL Warren KA1VV Doug KB1JCE George

KB1JXJ Pauline KB1JZU Robert KB1KEF Nancy KD1SM Ralph

KD1YH Paul KT1I Charles N1GNI Ken N1JXA Janet

N1MGO Gordon N1QAM Philip N1QDX Paul N1QIT Jeanine

N1UZ Bill N1XYH Barry N1XYT Ben W1BYH Norm

W1DF Jim W1HFN Barry W1LXE Norm W1TQB Howard

WA1DWS Phil WA1GCY Jack WA1INU Fred WA1NAQ John

The MARA W1/GaZette is published by the Montachusett Amateur Radio Association just prior to the monthly meeting. The newsletter is distributed free to members and friends of Amateur Radio.

Contents copyright © 2004, MARA. Permission to use in other Amateur Radio publications with credit to MARA is hereby granted.

Webmaster: KD1YH

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION:

Club Secretary: (open)

Annual Dues: Regular $25

Family $30

Fixed income $15

Meetings: 2^nd Wednesday, 7:30pm

September to June

Mailing address: MARA

PO Box 95

Leominster, MA 01453

Gary Busler, K1YTS President

Pauline Carulli, KB1JXJ Secretary

Gordon LaPoint, N1MGO Treasurer

Charlie Cayen, KT1I Trustee

MARA owns and operates the W1GZ repeater providing emergency autopatch service on 145.45 (CTCSS 74.4) in Fitchburg.

PO Box 95 Leominster MA 01453