LAST UPDATE 02/17/19

Exam information also available at:

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session

Below you will find a list of EXAM and HAMFEST DATES. We will do our best to keep this list up-to-date. Please send along any additions and corrections to Joy Lynne Foss, Public Information Coordinator at k1sew@arrl.net

 

TESTING SESSIONS

 

Wednesday, February 20th 5:30 pm, United Veterans of Maine 358 Washburn Street.Caribou Pre-registration only Sponsor: United Veterans of Maine Contact and to register Brandin Hess 987-6716 brandinhess@acsalaska.net

 

Monday February 25th 5:00 pm University of Maine Orono  Barrows Hall, Kepware Lab Room 225 Walk-in are welcome. Sponsor: University of Maine ARC Contact: Richard O. Eason 581-2242 reason@maine.edu

 

Saturday, March 16th 9:00 am Machias Savings Bank 581 Wilson St Brewer Walk-ins are welcome  Sponsor: Pine State Amt Radio Club Contact: Peter Bither 944-2616 redbeard104@aol.com

 

Wednesday,  March 20th 5:30 PM United Veterans of Maine 358 Washburn St Caribou. Pre-registration only ( www.k1uvm.us/testing.htm )Sponsor: United Veterans of Maine Contact: Brandin S. Hess (907) 987-6716 brandinhess@acsalaska.net

 

Saturday, March 30th 12:30pm Ramada Conference Center 490 Pleasant Street Lewiston. Please bring a photo ID and $15 for the exam. Walk-ins are welcome Sponsor: Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club Contact: Ivan Lazure, N1OXA at  ilazure@roadrunner.com, or 577-5152

 

UP COMING TESTING SESSIONS

 

These are tentative dates only. Please check with the contact person before traveling to verify date, time, location and exams being offered.  Bring two forms of identification, including a photo I-D as well as the original and photocopies of all current FCC licenses and certificates of successful completion of exam. The photocopies will not be returned. Persons needing special accommodations should check with the contact person in advance of the exam date. 

 

REMINDER -- When preparing for an exam, be sure you are studying the current question pool.

*Technician Class (Element 2) question pool has been in effect since July 1, 2018, and will be valid until June 30, 2021

**General Class (Element 3) question pool has been in effect since July 1, 2015, and will be valid until June 30, 2019. 

***Amateur Extra Class (Element 4) question pool has been in effect since July 1, 2016, and will be valid until JUNE 30, 2020. 

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 *****Web site addresses for today’s announcements are on the ARRL Maine Section Web Page as a Link for your convenience. www.arrl-me.org   *****

 

 

GENERAL CLASS (Element 3) question pool valid until JUNE 30. 2019. You will need a new book  as of July 1st.

 

CLUB MEETINGS COMING UP:

Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club ARES/RACES Meeting Wednesday February 20th 1730 EDT Androscoggin Unified EMA Office Basement of Central Fire Station 2 College Street Lewiston

 

Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club Breakfast Wednesday February 27th 0700 EDT at Webster St, Conv and Deli, 715 Webster Street , Lewiston

 

Greater Kennebec Valley Wireless, Caffeine, Donut, Muffin, & Marching Society - Every Wednesday, 6:00 a.m., and later at Dave's Diner, Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner

 

 

VOLUNTEERS: 

 

 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED in Fort Kent Maine

 Friday, March 1st - Monday March 4th for Can - Am dog sled race

Assignments vary by lengths and locations. Each may require different equipment and has a different task. We are mainly responsible for handling traffic containing official times, messages, and safety information and is often the only link between some of the checkpoints in the vast wilderness of the Allagash waters areas so ham radio volunteers are very important to the success in the races. We have volunteer opportunities for 1 day assignments or the whole weekend. Whatever you can do will be greatly appeciated! 

There will be a meeting on Friday, March 1st at Northern Door Inn Fort Kent at 4:00 pm and we usually go out to catch a meal as a group before we all get ready for our morning assignments starting Saturday, March 2nd.

For more information and to volunteer please contact Derrick Ouellette. KW1A@ARRL.NET

 

ARRL BULLETINS;

 

Space Bulletin 001  ARLS001

From: ARRL Headquarters  

Newington, CT  February 13, 2019

To all radio amateurs

ARLS001 AO-85 Turned Off due to Return of Eclipse Periods and Poor Battery Condition

 

The Fox-1A (AO-85) CubeSat has been turned off until further notice due to return of eclipses and poor battery condition, control operator Mark Hammond, N8MH, has announced. In December, AO-85 experienced precarious battery voltage drops during eclipse periods; it's believed that the batteries suffered degradation due to the heat during previous no-eclipse periods, making it difficult to keep the satellite available without risking battery damage.

 

ARRL Bulletin 4  ARLB004

From ARRL Headquarters  

Newington CT  February 13, 2019

To all radio amateurs:

 FCC Invites Comments on Amateur Radio-Related Petition for Rule Making

 

The FCC has invited public comments on a Petition for Rule

Making (RM-11826) from ARRL member Robert A. Dukish, KK8DX of Ohio. He is seeking am amendment to the Section 97.119(a) of the rules, station identification rules to better accommodate and simplify station  identification during an emergency net, drill, or activation.

 

The Petition can be found in PDF format online at,

https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1020726398395/18013004-1.pdf . 

 

Interested parties may comment via the FCC Electronic Comment Filing Service (ECFS) at, https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/ .

 

HAMFEST: 

 

2019 ARRL MAINE STATE CONVENTION AND HAMFEST 

Friday March 29th - Saturday March 30th

It will take place at the Ramada Conference Center 490 Pleasant Street Lewiston. Admission is $7 per person, children 17 years old and younger get in free. Friday will be seminars and talks at 7pm and 8pm, All seminars are free

Saturday will be the Hamfest starting at 8am till Noon, At 9am till noon will be more seminar and talks. A VE testing session will be held at 12:30pm,

Come to the convention for the weekend, Ramada Inn's room rate is $ 78 single or double per night plus tax, To make your reservations please call 207-784-2331 and mention it is for the convention / ham fest so you get the special room rate.

Go to the club web site w1npp.org for forms if you want one or more tables. Radio clubs and non-profit can sign up for a free table to promote your group. Vendors Sign up before March 24th and get a lower rate. For more information please contact Ivan Lazure, N1OXA at  ilazure@roadrunner.com, or 577-5152. Hope to see you at the event.

 

 

DATES TO REMEMBER:

May 3rd 0900h to May 4th 1500h Near-Fest Deefield, New Hampshire

May 17th - 19th, 2019 Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center Xenia, Ohio

 

CLASSES & TRAINING

 

FUTURE EVENETS:

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National Weather Service-Caribou, Maine  

http://www.weather.gov/car/Outreach_Spotters             

National Weather   Service-Gray, Maine   https://www.weather.gov/gyx/skywarn

 Weather Spotter Training - Free and open to the public. Sessions Run  1 hr - 2 hr

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SKY WARN TRAINING NE on Saturday's at 7:30 pm on the Linked Repeater System.  Check the weather and learn how to become a weather spotter.

 

SWAP NET on Sunday Evenings at 6:30 pm on the link system with You never know what bargins you can find.  Looking for something put it on the swap net someone just might have it. 

 

NEWCOMERS ROUND TABLE NET on Sunday at 6:45 pm on the 147.090 W1QUI ( 100+pl)  repeater in Falmouth. New and long time hams are all welcome to join in the fun. Interesting topics are always discussed. Your net controller is Paul Courchene. KJ6JBH

 

As with all nets if you are just listening please  check in anyway to let Net Control know you are there.

 

ARRL Launching New Podcast Geared Toward New Radio Amateurs

The new podcast "So Now What?" will launch on Thursday, March 7th the episodes will be posted every other Thursday, alternating new-episode weeks with the "ARRL The Doctor is In". "So Now What?" podcast will be a perfect complement to the "ARRL The Doctor Is In" podcast

 

The Doctor Will See You Now!  

"Are We Entering a Maunder Minimum?" is the topic of the latest  as of January 31st Listen... and learn all things technical. Email your questions to: doctor@arrl.org They just might  answer on the air. Pod Casts episodes are archived on the ARRL Website. 

 

SUPPORT THE ARRL THROUGH AMAZON SMILE.

Just make ARRL as your charity of choice on the Amazon web page. With every purchase you make Amazon will make a contribution to ARRL www.smile.amazon.com

 

PUBLICIZE YOUR EVENT

If you are responsible for a testing sessions, ham fest  or other events, please make sure to send your listing in as soon as you have the date and other info. All info to: Joy Lynne Foss, Public Information Coordinator

Joy Lynne Foss, K1SEW, Public Information Coordinator P.O. Box 59, Burnham ME 04922 k1sew@arrl.net 207-948-6222  

 

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  ***Check out the SWAP NET on Sunday Evenings at 6:30 pm on the link system with Miriam, kc1aih as your net contol, You never know what bargins you can find.  Looking for something put it on the swap net someone just might have it. .Just listening check in anyway to let Miriam know you are there***

 

NEWCOMERS ROUND TABLE NET 

Check out a great net on every Sunday at 6:45 pm on the 147.090 W1QUI ( 100+pl)  repeater in Falmouth. New or long time hams are all welcome to join in the  newcomers round table net. Interesting topics are always discussed. Your net controller is Paul Courchene. KJ6JBH

NEW REPEATER ON - THE AIR

Livermore ME at Tim WT1A's residence.146.895MHz - 103.5Hz(input AND output) Like the Lewiston 146.610MHz-88.5Hz and Poland 147.135MHz+103.5Hz this is a Yeasu Fusion C4FM Digital/Analog Repeater. check for channel activity in other modes before transmitting

Maine Packet Group
https://groups.io/g/MainePacketRadio/topics


1st and 2nd Wednesday 4pm Mt. Washington Repeater 146.655MHz- 100.0MHz HARP Net -Hospital Amateur Radio Program http://gblakesl.net/N1GB/N1GB_HARP.html

 

Lewiston Net on 146.610MHz-88.5Hz Repeater every Thursday, currently is at 7pm. As of January 3rd it will be held at  it's new time 7:30pm.