We will be holding our Q2 Quarterly Meeting on Monday May 23 at 7:00 PM in Meeting Room B at 50 Skyline Drive. The meeting is for all team members and anyone interested in our team.

The first 30 minutes or so will be updates on various events and actions done since our last quarterly meeting, as well as near future plans including the upcoming Statewide Hurricane Drill and Field Day planning.

The main presentation will be by State RACES Officer Tom Kinahan N1CPE on WinLink 2000. Tom will explain what WinLink 2000 is, how it works, and how it's used throughout the Commonwealth in amateur radio emergency communications. After Tom's presentation, if anyone wants to bring in their TNC and laptop, we will help configure the setup with you.

WECT Member and Holden RACES Officer John Henrion WE1C will be giving a presentation on the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) at the next monthly Central Massachusetts Amateur Radio Association meeting. This will be a general overview of the MARS service, what it is and what it does.

The meeting will be on Thursday April 28 at 7:00 PM at the Holden Senior Center. More on CMARA and the meeting directions are available on the CMARA website.

A Skywarn Weather Spotter Training session will be at the Uxbridge High School at 62 Capron Street on Wednesday April 27 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

No RSVP or pre-registration is required for this session. It is strictly walk-in basis only.

Anyone can become a trained Skywarn Weather Spotter but it is highly recommended for amateur radio operators, especially those involved in emergency communications efforts.

Historically, most of our team's activations have been related to severe weather, so we highly encourage all of our members to become Skywarn Weather Spotters.

ARRL Western MA Section Emergency Coordinator and WECT Secretary John Ruggiero N2YHK is looking for about 6 - 9 amateur radio operator volunteers to assist with communications for this year's March for Babies in Worcester. The event is on Sunday, April 17 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in Downtown Worcester. This is the day before the Boston Marathon, which is on Monday, April 18th.

Typical assignments include NCS, Victory Vans, Shadows, Checkpoints and Observation Points. Radio operators will need an HT with batteries to last a few hours. Speaker-Mics and/or headset/headphones are suggested. A small mobile antenna is a good idea if you are put in a vehicle. For details or to sign up, email John N2YHK.

The Worcester Area VE Team will be holding an amateur radio test session for all license classes: at Higgins Labs, Room 116, Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Thursday, April 21, 2011 at 6:30 PM.

If you have never registered with the FCC's ULS system and received a FRN number, please read the notice in the Read More link below.

We will try to provide a talk-in on the 145.310 / 449.025 W1WPI repeater. It is recommended that if you are not familiar with the WPI campus that you print out and bring with you the campus map.

Please bring:

• AN ORIGINAL AND A PHOTOCOPY of your current license and any CSCEs or other paperwork you are submitting
  
• A basic calculator
  
• Two forms of state acceptable ID (one must be a picture ID)
  
• $15 exam fee (if check, payable to "ARRL VEC")
  
• Pen or pencil

The photocopies of your paperwork are very important as we must submit a copy of your records to the ARRL VEC if you are successful.

Any questions regarding this session can be directed to Gil Hayes WK1H or John Ruggiero N2YHK.

NOTICE ABOUT PRIVACY CONCERNS - FCC REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

Some amateurs have been concerned over the FCC's requirement for your Social Security Number (SSN). The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, Public Law 104-134, requires all federal agencies to collect Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs) from all persons doing business with the agency. This includes all applicants and holders of FCC licenses. For an individual, your TIN is your SSN.

It is suggested that all applicants register in the FCC's Universal Licensing System to obtain an FCC Registration Number (FRN) prior to attending a VE session. When you register for an FRN, your SSN will not be disclosed to the public and it must be given only once. You may then use your FRN in place of your SSN on all future applications, including the Form 605 you will complete at the VE session. The Commission has taken several steps to ensure the privacy of your SSN. Electronic registration on the Internet is accomplished using the FCC's secure Web server.

To register for an FRN, go to http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls and click on REGISTER. Once you obtain your FRN, write it down and bring it with you to the VE session. Be sure to keep a record of your FRN and password for future use. If you do not register before the VE session, you will be required to provide your SSN on Form 605 at the VE session in order for your application to be processed.

We will be holding our newly developed Team EmComm Workshop on Saturday April 9 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in Meeting Room B at 50 Skyline Drive in Worcester.

Any licensed radio amateur can participate in this workshop, and it is especially recommended for our team members. This workshop is designed to be a good introductory course for the newer folks and/or a refresher for the more experienced members. More information on the workshop can be reviewed here.

Sign up for the workshop by using this online form.

Any questions regarding the workshop can be directed to Secretary John Ruggerio N2YHK.

WECT Member Ralph Swick KD1SM is looking for about 40 amateur radio operators for the Groton Road Race on Sunday April 10 from 9:15 AM to 3:00 PM (although times vary greatly by assignment).

Volunteers will need a 2M HT and battery power to last through the event. Lunches and drinks should be provided to volunteers, but it may be wise to bring these just in case. Some assignments may allow for volunteers to be near their vehicles, but not inside them. All volunteers should also be dressed appropriately for the weather that day.

This is a summary Ralph recently wrote in the Nashoba Valley ARC's newsletter:

If you're tired of this winter and looking forward to spring activities, allow me to turn your thoughts to the Groton Road Race. This race is one of the high-visibility events for Amateur Radio support. We typically field a crew of 35 to 40 radio operators to support this event.

This year the race is being held two weeks earlier than previous years -- the event organizers must be optimistic about a change of weather. I sure hope they've called this one correctly! Spring will be here by Sunday April 10 (think positively, think positively, think ...).

As you know from previous years our radio communications is held by the Groton Police Department to be a vital component of this event. Amateur Radio support of the Groton Road Race is one of the best public relations activities we can do for Amateur Radio locally.

I am again looking for 40 volunteers. Please let me know if you're available this year to help on April 10. If you have a preference for assignment, please let me know that as well.

The greatest number of operators are needed on station at 12:30 for the 10k race. If you are available to be on station at 11:30 for the 5k or 9:15 for race official shadows, parking, and other logistics, please let me know that too.

If you are interested in helping with this event, please contact Ralph KD1SM.

Volunteer registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon is now open! The Marathon will be held on Monday April 18th.

Radio operators are needed to provide safety communications and to assist the Red Cross. Assignments are available in Hopkinton, along the route, and in downtown Boston. The marathon coordinators have told us there will be another couple of First Aid stations on the course this year, and another full medical station as well. This means they really need as many operators as possible this year.

Each year several members of both Worcester Emergency Communications Team and the WPI Wireless Association get together to carpool from the WPI campus in Worcester to the finish line area at Copley Plaza in Boston to work with the finish line crew. If you are interested in joining in on this carpool, contact John N2YHK.

To volunteer, go to the Marathon Amateur Radio Communications website and follow the instructions to register for the radio team. Please do not sign up directly on the BAA's volunteer website, your information will be sent to the BAA from the Marathon Amateur Radio Communications website when you register there.