We will be holding our next Quarterly Meeting on Wednesday September 25 at 7:00 PM in the Worcester Emergency Management center at 2 Coppage Drive in Worcester. The meeting is for all team members and anyone interested in our team.

Our guest speaker will be Rich Fiske, Director of 911 PSAP Operations for the Mass State Police. He will be talking about their deployment of Next Generation 911, how calls now are handled with the new system, text to 911 and so forth.

Hope to see you all there.

The Worcester Area VE Team will be holding an amateur radio test session for all license classes at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Salisbury Labs, Room 407 on Friday, September 27, 2019 at 6:30 PM. The session is open to the general public.

Please bring:

• AN ORIGINAL AND A PHOTOCOPY of your current license, 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. Walk-ins are always accepted but pre-registration is preferred.  To pre-register, email @.  Any questions regarding this session can be directed to that email address.

If you have never registered with the FCC's ULS system and received a FRN number, please read the privacy concerns notice 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.

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.

WECT is looking for about fifteen hams to provide communications assistance for the Buzzard's Bay Triathlon in Westport on Sunday, September 15th. It occurs from 9 AM (hams will meet at 8 AM) until about 1 PM (some assignments should secure by noon). It will be held in Horseneck Beach State Park and includes a swim, bike and run that travels through the town of Westport. There is also a duathlon option. It is a very scenic area.

Please send a note to @ if you're able to help. This is well outside WECT's normal operating area, so if you know anyone not included on our distribution lists that may be willing to help please feel free to forward this to them. Let us know if you have any questions.

We are supporting the Ride to Defeat ALS on Sunday September 22 from 6 AM to around 3 PM (depending on assignment).This is a low key event with the primary focus being on charity rather than racing. The 70 mile bicycle course begins at the Longfellow club in Wayland and continues through several towns with rest stops in Hudson, Bolton, Acton, Concord, and Sudbury. While the race runs from 6AM to 3PM, some stations open as late as 9AM and some close as early as 11AM. Operators working at a course station can report directly to their station. Lunch is provided for operators in Wayland. There will be two roving race vehicles that will require a mobile radio. We will have both 2m and 70cm repeaters linked for this event.

If you are available, please reply to @ and indicate if you are able to provide a mobile radio for a roving assignment, and indicate your location and what hours you are available. I will attempt to locate you at a station closer to your home if possible.

WECT is looking for about a dozen hams to provide communications assistance for the Title 9 Women's Only Triathlon in Hopkinton on Sunday, September 8th.

This event is sold out, so it will be busy. It occurs from about 7am to Noon (some assignments should secure as early as 9:30am, and most by 11am). It will be held in Hopkinton State Park and includes a swim, bike and run that travels through Hopkinton, Southboro and Ashland.

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to @ and let them know if you have UHF equipment with DCS / DPL.

Max Performance has asked for assistance with The Sharon Triathlon, which takes place at Massapoag Lake in Sharon, MA. We will also be working with amateur radio volunteers from Mansfield Emergency Management for this event.

We're looking for amateur radio operators to assist with the Sharon Triathlon on Sun 8/11.  It occurs from about 7am to 1pm.  I will forward maps and details about the event to those signed up. The repeaters we will use are still TBD. We will likely use the 146.865 repeater in Sharon, but first we need to test coverage and secure permission to use it. 

More info online: https://maxperformanceonline. com/sharontriathlonrace/

If you are interested, please send an e-mail to @. Thanks!

Our next team quarterly meeting will be on Wednesday May 29 at 7:00 PM for all WECT members, served agency reps or those interested in WECT.  The meeting will be in Meeting Room B at 50 Skyline Drive.

We have a few items of business to attend to:

• Field Day plans and prep
• Nominations for annual elections held at Field Day
  • Vice President (presently held by WK1H)
  • Secretary (presently held by NS1A)
  • 2 Director seats (currently held by KC1COQ and KA1TZY)

The main presentation will be by Sean Carroll N1SWC, RACES Officer and Director of Holden CERT. Holden has had an active and successful CERT program, and Sean will give us an overview of the team and its activities.

Looking forward to see you there!

We're looking for amateur radio assistance with the New England Season Opener Du/Triathlon on Saturday, May 11 from 7:00 AM to around 12:00 PM.

Assignments will vary but will generally include various checkpoints along the route, start and finish line, and shadowing the triathlon coordinators. Times involved with each of the assignments will vary as well.  The event will be held at the Hopkinton State Park and includes a swim, bike and run that travels through Hopkinton, Southboro and Ashland.

More details on the triathlons are available on the Max Performance website.

For more details on the amateur radio assignments or to sign up contact WECT Events, and let us know if you have UHF equipment with DCS / DPL when you sign up.