March 2020

14/03/20 16:01
It looks like the country will be dealing with Coronavirus issues for at least two or three months, so here’s how I see the effects on PART:
  • The March meeting is canceled. It’s too soon to say whether the April or even May meetings will be held, so consult the WB1GOF.org website frequently; the latest news will always be posted there. We’re dependent on the Cameron Senior Center’s status for our meetings; they’ve already reduced their meeting capacity and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that they stop hosting any group events.
  • Similarly, we’re dependent on Paul’s Diner and the Owl Diner for our breakfast meetings. I’ll check with Paul’s before the next monthly breakfast is scheduled and put a notice on our website about the status.
  • Some things are not affected at all: Fox Hunts are starting up as usual, and all the periodic nets (ARES, D-Star, and PART) meet as before. These nets are now very important; in lieu of meetings, they are the only way we’ll stay in regular contact. Field Day planning is continuing.
I encourage all PART members to monitor the WB1GOF repeater as much as possible. The opportunities for many of us to socialize outside our homes may be limited in the upcoming weeks, and some may be in voluntary (or even involuntary) quarantine. If you need help, or just want to talk to someone, give a call on the repeater and see who’s there.

As I noted above, the WB1GOF.org website will be kept up to date with club news. If you have items of interest for the club, email them to me and I’ll post them on the site. Other sites where you can get ham-related local news include:
  • The ARRL Eastern Massachusetts (EMA) website at http://ema.arrl.org. This site is updated often, sometimes several times a day, and has a lot of information about local club and community activities. From the homepage, you can go to sections on emergency communications (ARES), public service, NTS, and latest news. If you haven’t been to this site before, I think you’ll add it to your bookmarks.
  • A link on the ARRL EMA website is now devoted to COVID-19 response. Click on the blue square in the upper right corner of the EMA site to see what all the local clubs are doing.
  • Our EMA section manager, Tom, K1TW, publishes a newsletter at: http://www.arrl.org/Groups/view/eastern-massachusetts. This site provides a monthly summary of activities in our section.
For the time being, the Sunday night PART net is going to substitute for our monthly meeting. After the check-ins, we can discuss club business and even have slide shows; slides can be posted in a section of the WB1GOF.org website for viewing during the meeting.

Coping with the epidemic is going to be a challenge for the community and the nation, but challenges like this are what ham radio is for. Let’s do this together. Be creative and send your suggestions to the club.

George, K1IG
PART President