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Holiday Meet-Up 2023

The Waltham Amateur Radio Association held a Holiday Meetup on December 13. It was our first since 2019, and was also our first at Great Wall Restaurant in Bedford. Our old venue, Sichuan’s Garden in Waltham has closed.

It was nice seeing people in person that we normally only talk to over the club repeaters. In addition to nice food and conversation, we also had a raffle.

Holiday Meet-Up 2023

After a 3-year hiatus, we are excited to announce the Waltham Amateur Radio Association’s Holiday Meetup! It’s a chance to enjoy good food, great company, and share our passion for amateur radio.

Date: Wednesday , December 13, 2023
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Venue: Great Wall Restaurant, 609 Great Rd, Bedford, MA 01730

Cost: $32 per person (includes Chinese buffet and one ticket for the raffle)
(Cash bar available)

This is the perfect opportunity to meet other radio enthusiasts, swap stories, and maybe even win a prize in our raffle. Whether you’re a seasoned ham or new to the hobby, you’ll find a warm welcome.

Please RSVP to WARA Treasurer Rich Comer K1RBC by December 6th to help us plan accordingly.

The last WARA Holiday Party was on December 18, 2019. As it turns out, this was the last such event to be held at Sichuan’s Garden. The restaurant closed not long after the party. No, the closing was not our fault. (Photo by George Maier, W1LSB)

November 29, 2023 Meeting Announcement

The November 29 Waltham ARA meeting will be fully remote. W6BSD, Fred Cirera, has graciously offered to present again, this time on amateur radio folklore. In his presentation “Myths and Fairytales”, he involves the audience, asking them questions and requesting their thoughts on each slide. This can lead to some pretty interesting discussions.

Join us online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09

Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611

One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv

October 25, 2023 Meeting Announcement

The October 25 Waltham ARA meeting will be fully remote. We will have a business meeting and discuss repeater updates and operations. Hope to see you there.

Join us online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09

Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611

One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv

September 27, 2023 Meeting Announcement

The September 27 Waltham ARA meeting will be fully remote. Eliot, W1MJ, will give a technical presentation about the design of his “fox” – an automated transmitter used in hidden transmitter hunts.

W1MJ Second-Generation Fox

Join us online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09

Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611

One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv

Report on Field Day 2023

ARRL Field Day, June 24-25, 2023

For this year’s ARRL Field Day on June 24-25, the Waltham ARA partnered with the Montachusett ARA (MARA). We operated from the summit of Mt. Wachusett in Princeton, MA in Class 3A (3 transmitters, in the field on emergency power). We also operated a “Get on the Air” (GOTA) station for new hams, future hams, and Technician class operators. Over 1,000 contacts were made with other FD participants around the country, and in a few other counties, including an FT8 digital contact with New Zealand.

GOTA Coach Ned, W1NED, coaches GOTA operator Izzy, no call yet

Field Day 2023 Photo Album

Though off the grid, the CW and Digital stations shared a single log file using N1MM Logger+ and an on-site wifi network. The columns in the log excerpt below are: Time, Call, Frequency, Mode, Class, Section. For example, the first contact shown was on FT8 on the 15-meter band with KF0X in Arizona:

Log excerpt – A very productive 5-minutes on CW and FT8

ARRL Field Day, June 24-25, 2023

he Waltham ARA is partnering with the Montachusett ARA (MARA) for Field Day, June 24 – 25. We will operate on the summit of Mt. Wachusett in Princeton, MA. Setup will begin at 9 AM on Saturday, the 24th. We hope to have enough participation to support 3 HF stations and a VHF station, providing plenty of opportunity for phone, CW, and digital operation from 2 PM Saturday until 2 PM on Sunday. There will also be a “Get on the Air” (GOTA) station for new hams, future hams, and any Technician class operator.

If you are interested in being fed for the weekend, for a cost of $20, please let us know by June 16 using our general Contact Form. You can also use this form to ask questions, to let us know about equipment you may be able to bring, etc

Next Meeting – Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 7:00 PM – Online Only

Zoom opens at 6:30 PM for informal pre-meeting meeting.

We will discuss our plan for Field Day., which will be a joint venture with the Montachusett ARA on the summit of Mt. Wachusett in Princeton, MA. Eliot W1MJ will present “Contesting 101”, customized for this event.

Online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09

Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611

One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv

Next Meeting – Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 7:00 PM – Online Only

Zoom opens at 6:30 PM for informal pre-meeting meeting.

This meeting will be online only.

Guest speaker Fred Cirera, W6BSD will present, “Digital Voice Modes for Amateur Radio” (re-scheduled from last month). You don’t need a General or Extra class license to enjoy QSOs with people worldwide. All amateur license classes can use Digital Voice (DV) modes such as Fusion, D-Star, DMR, and many others to connect with people throughout the US and other countries using digital repeaters or amateur hotspots. During his presentation, Fred will discuss the differences between the DV modes and how the backend infrastructure works.

We will also discuss plans for Field Day.

Online via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2695622043?pwd=WEJwSkhYYWtyZndjbitJQXFFNWY4dz09

Meeting ID: 269 562 2043
Passcode: 362611

One tap mobile:
+13126266799,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US (Chicago)
+16469313860,,2695622043#,,,,*362611# US

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kvk7xrZVv