WINDHAM, ME – The Wireless Society of Southern Maine’s 2024 Field Day was a big undertaking, but thanks to all the members who contributed their time, energy, and unique talents to make it happen, it was an even bigger success.

Shortly after last year’s Field Day, Club Secretary, Peter Fulton WO1J, proposed the idea of conducting this year’s activities during Windham Summerfest, which usually takes place during the same weekend as Field Day at the Windham High School Campus. There was ample space available, and it would be a great opportunity to present amateur radio to a larger public audience.

During the next few months, Peter WO1J and Rick Fickett K1OT attended Summerfest Committee and Town Council meetings, walked the grounds with town and school officials, and gradually came up with a plan that would satisfy both parties. The club was welcomed with open arms, and was invited to be an official part of Windham Summerfest.

We would setup in one of the outer athletic fields, which allowed us to spread out enough to avoid interference. The distance posed some potential challenges when it came to power access, but we were able to make it work.

During a meeting last winter, Rick K1OT showed off pictures of a custom tower trailer that he built specifically for the SSB station to use for Field Day. Other plans came together for an exclusive digital station, that would use an HF vertical. Rick K1OT, Peter WO1J, Paul Alberghini W1IMD, and others supplied additional gear and marketing materials to make sure we had everything ready to go.

Brad Brown KC1JMH planned to setup a GOTA station on the midway of the festival, and Waylon McDonald KC1HJN was brainstorming ideas for a parade float. Operators were scheduled for each station, and several members planned to tackle at least one task on the bonus point list.

The only thing out of of our control was the weather. The Thursday prior to setup saw extremely heavy rain, and light rain continued Friday, but somehow lightened up just in time to setup the stations and antennas.

Windham Summerfest, which is a town festival, complete with concerts, food vendors, games and activities, and a parade, would take place just for one day of the weekend (Saturday), while Field Day would continue through Sunday.

The WSSM team operated as 3A, deploying 3 full time stations – one dedicated to CW, consisting of an enclosed utility trailer, complete with 40ft tower outfitted with a 40m yagi, a tri-bander, and a dipole for the low bands. A SSB station was setup in a large tent, accompanied by the new tower trailer, outfitted with a tri-ban yagi and 40m dipole. The third station was dedicated to digital, using an HF vertical. A fourth “free station” was setup by Charlie Shepard W1CPS for 6 meter ops.

More rain passed through overnight on Friday, but lightened up a little by Saturday morning. The fields were quite soggy, but otherwise, everything was ready to go. On Saturday morning, some early arrivers helped with final preparations, including setting up laptops for logging and testing rig control and SWR.

GOTA station and table display Saturday night.

Brad KC1JMH, Eric N1RXR, and Tim KB1HNZ helped setup the table display, EZ-up, and antenna for the GOTA station.

Shortly after, Zach KC1SES, Waylon KC1HJN, and Tim KB1HNZ started to decorate a float on a trailer that Waylon brought. At around noon, with Waylon driving and his little brother riding shotgun, and Tim and Eric perched in the back of the float, they took part in the annual parade, which wound through the center of Windham. By the time they got back, it was almost time to get on the air!

The parade float

Once on the air, the stations performed very well. Brad had a steady flow of visitors at the GOTA station, and Tim maintained a run on 20 meters for the first few hours.

Fireworks!

The smell of hot sausage grinders and fried dough permeated the air, and concert music could be heard occasionally between QSOs. Another round of heavy rain moved in at around the 2 hour mark, and lasted into the early evening, but it cleared up enough for the fireworks to go off as scheduled.

The Midway

Ops continued without issue throughout the evening, with Greg W1GF, Joe K1JB, Rick K1OT, and John K1ESE, operating the CW station between 0600 and 1400 UTC, Jim KB1SDK and Chuck K1CAD kept the SSB active, and Peter WO1J continued on FT8.

Joe K1JB operates Saturday evening.

By Sunday morning, without the festival crowds, the place was eerily quiet, unless you poked your head into the SSB tent or CW trailer. Zach and Peter were still going strong on digital, and Steve K1MV was busy calling CQ on 20m SSB.

On-Air!

By late morning, Stefania K1GJY started a 6 hour stint on SSB, that would last until the end of Field Day, and Greg W1GF and Rory KB1PLY took turns on CW.

The digital station.

We finished with a total of 2,139 QSOs (1,202 CW, 485 SSB, and 452 for Digital), and nearly maxed out on the bonus points, but most importantly, everyone felt a sense of accomplishment, we introduced a lot of new folks to the hobby, and made a good impression with our hosts.

Thanks to everyone who helped make our 2024 Field Day a success, and also thanks to the Windham Summerfest Committee and their supporters, for allowing us to be part of their event.

WINDHAM, ME – The Wireless Society of Southern Maine’s 2024 Field Day was a big undertaking, but thanks to all the members who contributed their time, energy, and unique talents to make it happen, it was an even bigger success.

Shortly after last year’s Field Day, Club Secretary, Peter Fulton WO1J, proposed the idea of conducting this year’s activities during Windham Summerfest, which usually takes place during the same weekend as Field Day at the Windham High School Campus. There was ample space available, and it would be a great opportunity to present amateur radio to a larger public audience.

During the next few months, Peter WO1J and Rick Fickett K1OT attended Summerfest Committee and Town Council meetings, walked the grounds with town and school officials, and gradually came up with a plan that would satisfy both parties. The club was welcomed with open arms, and was invited to be an official part of Windham Summerfest.

We would setup in one of the outer athletic fields, which allowed us to spread out enough to avoid interference. The distance posed some potential challenges when it came to power access, but we were able to make it work.

During a meeting last winter, Rick K1OT showed off pictures of a custom tower trailer that he built specifically for the SSB station to use for Field Day. Other plans came together for an exclusive digital station, that would use an HF vertical. Rick K1OT, Peter WO1J, Paul Alberghini W1IMD, and others supplied additional gear and marketing materials to make sure we had everything ready to go.

Brad Brown KC1JMH planned to setup a GOTA station on the midway of the festival, and Waylon McDonald KC1HJN was brainstorming ideas for a parade float. Operators were scheduled for each station, and several members planned to tackle at least one task on the bonus point list.

The only thing out of of our control was the weather. The Thursday prior to setup saw extremely heavy rain, and light rain continued Friday, but somehow lightened up just in time to setup the stations and antennas.

Windham Summerfest, which is a town festival, complete with concerts, food vendors, games and activities, and a parade, would take place just for one day of the weekend (Saturday), while Field Day would continue through Sunday.

The WSSM team operated as 3A, deploying 3 full time stations – one dedicated to CW, consisting of an enclosed utility trailer, complete with 40ft tower outfitted with a 40m yagi, a tri-bander, and a dipole for the low bands. A SSB station was setup in a large tent, accompanied by the new tower trailer, outfitted with a tri-ban yagi and 40m dipole. The third station was dedicated to digital, using an HF vertical. A fourth “free station” was setup by Charlie Shepard W1CPS for 6 meter ops.

More rain passed through overnight on Friday, but lightened up a little by Saturday morning. The fields were quite soggy, but otherwise, everything was ready to go. On Saturday morning, some early arrivers helped with final preparations, including setting up laptops for logging and testing rig control and SWR.

GOTA station and table display Saturday night.

Brad KC1JMH, Eric N1RXR, and Tim KB1HNZ helped setup the table display, EZ-up, and antenna for the GOTA station.

Shortly after, Zach KC1SES, Waylon KC1HJN, and Tim KB1HNZ started to decorate a float on a trailer that Waylon brought. At around noon, with Waylon driving and his little brother riding shotgun, and Tim and Eric perched in the back of the float, they took part in the annual parade, which wound through the center of Windham. By the time they got back, it was almost time to get on the air!

The parade float

Once on the air, the stations performed very well. Brad had a steady flow of visitors at the GOTA station, and Tim maintained a run on 20 meters for the first few hours.

Fireworks!

The smell of hot sausage grinders and fried dough permeated the air, and concert music could be heard occasionally between QSOs. Another round of heavy rain moved in at around the 2 hour mark, and lasted into the early evening, but it cleared up enough for the fireworks to go off as scheduled.

The Midway

Ops continued without issue throughout the evening, with Greg W1GF, Joe K1JB, Rick K1OT, and John K1ESE, operating the CW station between 0600 and 1400 UTC, Jim KB1SDK and Chuck K1CAD kept the SSB active, and Peter WO1J continued on FT8.

Joe K1JB operates Saturday evening.

By Sunday morning, without the festival crowds, the place was eerily quiet, unless you poked your head into the SSB tent or CW trailer. Zach and Peter were still going strong on digital, and Steve K1MV was busy calling CQ on 20m SSB.

On-Air!

By late morning, Stefania K1GJY started a 6 hour stint on SSB, that would last until the end of Field Day, and Greg W1GF and Rory KB1PLY took turns on CW.

The digital station.

We finished with a total of 2,139 QSOs (1,202 CW, 485 SSB, and 452 for Digital), and nearly maxed out on the bonus points, but most importantly, everyone felt a sense of accomplishment, we introduced a lot of new folks to the hobby, and made a good impression with our hosts.

Thanks to everyone who helped make our 2024 Field Day a success, and also thanks to the Windham Summerfest Committee and their supporters, for allowing us to be part of their event.

Please join us this evening, from 7PM – 9PM at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in Windham, ME, for our monthly Emergency Communications Team (ARES) meeting.

Tonight’s training topic will be: FSQ Call.

FSQ Call is a digital mode that is specially designed for NVIS communications on HF, but it can also be successfully used on VHF, as we proved during a test last month.

If you’re interested in downloading the program and joining us for an on-air exercise after the net, please click here.

As always, for those who won’t be able to join us in person, please tune in to our ECT training net on the 449.225 (- / 103.5 Hz) WS1EC repeater at 7PM.

Be alert and stay safe,

Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

Please join us this evening, from 7PM – 9PM at the Cumberland County EMA Bunker, located at 22 High Street, in Windham, ME, for our monthly Emergency Communications Team (ARES) meeting.

Tonight’s training topic will be: FSQ Call.

FSQ Call is a digital mode that is specially designed for NVIS communications on HF, but it can also be successfully used on VHF, as we proved during a test last month.

If you’re interested in downloading the program and joining us for an on-air exercise after the net, please click here.

As always, for those who won’t be able to join us in person, please tune in to our ECT training net on the 449.225 (- / 103.5 Hz) WS1EC repeater at 7PM.

Be alert and stay safe,

Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

WINDHAM, ME – The Wireless Society of Southern Maine will participate in the American Radio Relay League’s Summer Field Day activities during Windham’s Summerfest event on June 22nd. Once Summerfest activities end on Saturday evening, ham radio operations will continue through the night and end on Sunday at 2 pm. The public is welcome to visit each operating station to learn more about ham radio.

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest, and, most of all, FUN!

It is a time when many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.

The contest is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less-than-optimal conditions.

Ham operators use these same skills when they help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls, and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities.

But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they ARE so complex — ham radio has been called into action repeatedly to provide communications in crises when it matters. Amateur Radio people (also called “hams”) are well known for our communications support in real disasters and post-disasters.

What is Amateur Radio?

Often called “ham radio,” the Amateur Radio Service has been around for a century. In that time, it’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. Its people range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Even rocket scientists and a rock star or two are in the ham ranks. Most, however, are just normal folks like you and me who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data, and pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems.

The Amateur Radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where you as an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Hams not only can make and modify their equipment but can create whole new ways to do things.

Look for them on the athletic field next to the Windham Primary School. They will have signs throughout the facility to point to the location. Actual ham radio operations will begin on Saturday @ 2 pm and end on Sunday @ 2 pm.

To find out more about Amateur Radio locally, and how to get involved in this rewarding pastime, please visit the Wireless Society of Southern Maine’s website at: www.mainehamradio.com

Hope to see you there!

WINDHAM, ME – The Wireless Society of Southern Maine will participate in the American Radio Relay League’s Summer Field Day activities during Windham’s Summerfest event on June 22nd. Once Summerfest activities end on Saturday evening, ham radio operations will continue through the night and end on Sunday at 2 pm. The public is welcome to visit each operating station to learn more about ham radio.

ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations.

Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest, and, most of all, FUN!

It is a time when many aspects of Amateur Radio come together to highlight our many roles. While some will treat it as a contest, other groups use the opportunity to practice their emergency response capabilities. It is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the organizations that Amateur Radio might serve in an emergency, as well as the general public. For many clubs, ARRL Field Day is one of the highlights of their annual calendar.

The contest is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and learn to operate our radio gear in abnormal situations and less-than-optimal conditions.

Ham operators use these same skills when they help with events such as marathons and bike-a-thons; fund-raisers such as walk-a-thons; celebrations such as parades; and exhibits at fairs, malls, and museums — these are all large, preplanned, non-emergency activities.

But despite the development of very complex, modern communications systems — or maybe because they ARE so complex — ham radio has been called into action repeatedly to provide communications in crises when it matters. Amateur Radio people (also called “hams”) are well known for our communications support in real disasters and post-disasters.

What is Amateur Radio?

Often called “ham radio,” the Amateur Radio Service has been around for a century. In that time, it’s grown into a worldwide community of licensed operators using the airwaves with every conceivable means of communications technology. Its people range in age from youngsters to grandparents. Even rocket scientists and a rock star or two are in the ham ranks. Most, however, are just normal folks like you and me who enjoy learning and being able to transmit voice, data, and pictures through the air to unusual places, both near and far, without depending on commercial systems.

The Amateur Radio frequencies are the last remaining place in the usable radio spectrum where you as an individual can develop and experiment with wireless communications. Hams not only can make and modify their equipment but can create whole new ways to do things.

Look for them on the athletic field next to the Windham Primary School. They will have signs throughout the facility to point to the location. Actual ham radio operations will begin on Saturday @ 2 pm and end on Sunday @ 2 pm.

To find out more about Amateur Radio locally, and how to get involved in this rewarding pastime, please visit the Wireless Society of Southern Maine’s website at: www.mainehamradio.com

Hope to see you there!

The 14th Annual Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge takes place Saturday, March 16th, from 12PM – 4PM!

Contacts are limited to FM Simplex on the 2 meter band.

Participants may be entered as either fixed or mobile, (but not as both).

Exchange – Exchange items include your call sign, the name of the city, village, town, or township you are operating from, and your power level. Rovers and mobiles must be within the city limits of whatever city they claim to be operating from. If you are operating from a served agency station, you should also include this with your exchange. Specify which agency you serve, for example, “SKYWARN,” “EOC,” or “Red Cross.” On the log sheets, however, there will only be a place to notate whether or not the station is operating from a served agency.

City or Town – This is simply the name of the city or town you are operating from. If you do not live within the city limits, use the name of the town or municipality to which mail or a package would be addressed. For mobile entries, use the name of the city or town you are in, or the closest city or town.

Power levels are defined as follows:
• QRP – 5 watts or less
• Medium Power – greater than 5 watts, but less than 100
• High Power – 100 watts or more

Enter as either Fixed (either at home or portable) or Mobile (roving).

Click here for complete rules and details, including Entry Forms and Log Sheets, for the 2024 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge.