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, January 20, 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.
*** 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.

South Worcester County District Emergency Coordinator Bob Beausoleil KA1OTQ is looking for 10+ amateur radio operators to assist with the Sutton Chain of Lights on Saturday December 4 from 9 AM to 5 PM. This is a town holiday festival that involves several local businesses and community activities. Amateur radio support is once again being called on to provide logistics and tracking for the trolley buses that transport patrons to and from several of the activity locations within the town.

Amateur radio volunteers will need an 440 MHz HT or mobile rig that has DCS/DPL capabilities and enough battery power to last the entire event. An antenna that is external to the trolley is highly recommended, but please note that the trolleys are made primarily of fiberglass, so magnet mount antennas will not work as designed. Duct tape or clamps are usually used to complete the setup. Also, it is suggested that volunteers dress in layers as they may be placed in a variety of temperatures throughout the day. Usually a bag lunch and drink is provided, or operators may find something to purchase to eat or drink at a stop, as well as potentially some holiday shopping.

This one of the more fun, low key public service events in the Central MA region. It is highly recommended for any amateur radio operator but especially those with no prior public service experience.

Please contact Bob KA1OTQ for more information or to sign up.

The Southern New England Weather Conference will be taking place on Saturday, December 4, 2010, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Holy Cross College in the Hogan Center in Worcester, MA. This conference is a gathering of weather professionals, advanced amateurs, and weather enthusiasts from around New England, including meteorologists from many of the regional radio and TV stations and the NWS office in Taunton, MA.

In coordination with the NWS office in Taunton, and with the assistance of Rob Macedo, KD1CY, WECT has secured a table for providing information on Skywarn and Amateur Radio. We are working on the final details for a demonstration setup as well, and hope to have these plans worked out later this week.

At this time, I'm looking for 2 volunteers for the morning shift (8am to noon) and 2 volunteers for the afternoon shift (noon to 5pm). No special skills or Skywarn training are required, I'm just looking for a few individuals that can professionally represent WECT and Amateur Radio.

If you are interested, please let me know.

Thanks!
Brian - N1FIY
WECT Board of Director

The Worcester Area VE Team will be holding an amateur radio test session for all license classes at Kaven Hall, Room 116, Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Thursday, November 18, 2010 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.

The Worcester Area VE Team will be holding an amateur radio test session for all license classes: at Kaven Hall, Room 116, Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Thursday, October 21, 2010 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.

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.

The next WECT Quarterly Meeting will be on Wednesday, November 3 at 7:00 PM in Meeting Room B at 50 Skyline Drive.

We will discuss a variety of items that the Board and Officers have been working on, including the new comm plan and net format, improvements done to the radio room, and details of upcoming training and events.

For the main presentation, Director of Worcester Emergency Management and Emergency Communications Dave Clemons will be discussing Field Comm 30 - the city's 2004 Freightliner Field Communications Unit. Dave will be telling us all about what the vehicle is, how it is utilized, what its features are and the like. As long as the vehicle has not been activated that night, it will also be brought on site and after the presentation Dave will give us a brief guided tour.

No RSVP is required. Hope to see everyone there!

Image courtesy of MassFireTrucks.com. Click here for a larger view.

This coming Monday, WECT will be running some major frequency tests during the Worcester Emergency Net at 8:00 PM. We need as many people as possible to check into the net to test out a few frequencies of interest to us:

- 146.925 MHz Worcester repeater, negative offset, PL 100.0
- 147.540 MHz simplex, transmit only PL 123.0
- 449.875 MHz Worcester repeater, negative offset, PL 103.5
- 446.100 MHz simplex, transmit only PL 123.0

THE NET WILL START ON THE 146.925 WORCESTER REPEATER AT 8:00 PM THIS MONDAY NIGHT. We will proceed with traffic, announcements and other net business on the 925 machine, and then start to QSY to the above frequencies, taking and giving signal reports as we go. We need as many people as possible to check into the net and provide signal reports to and from the radio room in Worcester in order to test out the viability of these frequencies for our on-going use. Full instructions will be given during the net itself, but participants should be prepared to operate on each of the frequencies listed above and possibly others.

The background to this is that the board has decided that it is best to have 4 frequencies for our team's local use - one simplex and one repeater on each of the 2M and 440 bands. This covers all the bases and scenarios, and allows us to use the right tool for the right job given each situation. The previous 2M simplex frequency that we used (147.525) is now occupied by an EchoLink node in Springfield, which would provide a lot of interference to our operations if we tried to go back there. We receive this node at S7 at the radio room. So, this basically forces us to find a new simplex frequency along with the other 3 that we need to fill out the comm plan.

Additionally, since it will also be the first Monday of October, the state RACES nets will run. In our area, it is on the 146.970 Paxton repeater at 7:15 PM. Please consider checking into it as well.

WECT Member Andy Garabedian KB1JRX is looking for a couple of people for communication help for the Grafton 275th Parade on Sunday October 3rd from 1 to 5 PM.

For more information on the parade, check their website. The parade route is also on their website.

To sign up or for further information, email Andy.