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President's Message
FARA is people. It is hams who also happen to be dedicated, interesting, helpful, intelligent, sharing, etc., etc., etc. -- you get the picture. So much of what this club does appears to be seamless, effortless, it just happens. However, for every club activity there is a person, or more often, a group of persons that make that activity happen. The total energy output is phenomenal. Just look at the number of activities that this club is involved with over a years period: two Flea-Markets, Field-Day weekend, major contests at the club, monthly meetings, Wednesday and Saturday club openings, Mass QSO Party sponsorship, two License-In-A-Weekend classes, outing/cookout, Flag-Day Parade support, FARA Scholarship, kit-building, guest speakers, disaster drills, W1FY Repeater, FARA Web Page, The Circuit monthly newsletter, CEMARC/ARRL support, monthly board meetings, equipment maintenance, solving community EMI problems, FARA library, FARA Night Out, Tour-de-Fram support. I'm sure I've left something out. FARA is part of the hobby. Members like to do it, they want to do it. They just do it. Spread the word. 73
Jim, W1EQW
FARA Board Approves PacketCluster Pilot
by Charlie, NC1N
On Monday, March 23, the FARA Board voted to approve construction of a pilot PacketCluster DX spotting node. The vote comes after several months of work by a special committee established to study the establishment of a node.
Many FARA members (and other hams in the FARA membership area) enjoy the use of DX spotting packet nodes to help in their pursuits of contesting and DX. However, the existing nodes do not fully cover the FARA area. Members report frequent disconnection from nodes, failure to connect, etc.
The committee investigated several sites and settled on the high ground of Hopkinton as well-suited for the purpose. A graphical propagation study performed by committee member Bob, W1RH, is available on the web at:
http://www.tiac.net/users/nc1n/maplist.htm
Building a node will require hardware (2-meter and 220-Mhz digital stations, two TNCs, and a computer) and software (the PacketCluster application and G8BPQ Packet Switch software). If the project were to proceed, the FARA Board wanted it to be revenue-neutral for the club, so the committee sought donations.
At this point, we have identified sufficient resources to build a pilot node, although additional donations will be needed to complete and maintain a permanent site.
We'll keep you informed in the coming months as to our progress.
The committee's report is available on the web at:
http://www.tiac.net/users/nc1n/march23
These web pages will move to the FARA web site in the future.
Changes to the Sunday Night Nets
Starting April 5, the weekly 7:30pm FAREN/ARES and the 8:00pm FARA net, which both air on the 147.15 club repeater, will be combined into a single weekly FARA net airing at 7:30pm each Sunday. Club related news and ARES news as well as any informal statements made by those checking in will be a regular part of the net. Times and places for FAREN/ARES training sessions and emergency practice drills would be announced on the net. Marc, WA1R, who has been coordinating
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