Below is a listing of upcoming hamfests and other amateur radio-related events in our area. If you would like you event added, please contact info@starc.org.
QST QST QST - STARC January 30, 2025 Monthly Meeting![]()
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Meeting Reminder:![]()
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The Saint Albans Amateur Radio Club meeting will take place on:![]()
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Date / Time: Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 7:00 pm ![]()
Location: Virtual Meeting on Zoom ![]()
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It's that time of the month. It's time for our monthly meeting.![]()
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We can't wait to see you for this month's meeting, even if its on the computer screen.![]()
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STARC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.![]()
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Topic: STARC Jan. 30, 2025 Monthly Meeting![]()
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Time: Jan 30, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)![]()
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Join Zoom Meeting![]()
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us04web.zoom.us/j/72874806229?pwd=aVLv1Bi4u7k8YmRQPk46eH5VeWgKg3.1![]()
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Meeting ID: 728 7480 6229![]()
Passcode: 2784YZ![]()
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We hope to see you there!![]()
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73 de STARC
This is from the ARRL.![]()
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" ARRL Member Bulletin for January 22, 2025![]()
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ARRL Board Reviews and Approves By-Law Changes. Establishes Technical Standards Committee.![]()
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The ARRL Board of Directors met in Windsor, Connecticut, for its Annual Meeting, January 17 - 18, 2025. ARRL First Vice President Kristen McIntyre, K6WX, presided over the meeting in place of President Rick Roderick, K5UR, who could not attend.![]()
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Vice President McIntyre welcomed new Board members including New England Division Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, and Division Vice Directors David Galletly, KM2O (Hudson), Andrew Milluzzi, KK4LWR (Southeastern), and Joshua Long, W9HT (Central). She also recognized Central Division Director Brent Walls, N9BA, who previously served as Vice Director.![]()
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Prior to the Board meeting, Board committees met on January 16th with the following actions highlighted below:![]()
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The Programs & Services Committee and headquarters staff from the Radiosport Department are moving ahead with the creation of a new DXCC award -- DXCC Trident -- which will recognize those who achieve DXCC using CW, phone, and digital modes. Higher achievement endorsements can be earned at the 200, 300, and Honor Roll levels. The DXCC Trident award is intended to spur greater on-air operating and to inspire those using digital modes to also develop their skills in, and practice, CW and SSB.![]()
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The Administration & Finance Committee discussed and approved the 2025 operating plan, amending it with an additional $200,000 for Washington advocacy. This includes continuing work to reintroduce bills H.R.4006 and S.3690 – the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act -- for passage. The committee also agreed that an additional year will be granted to those Incoming QSL Bureaus who still require financial support from all ARRL members to operate.![]()
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The Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee established an initiative to track and report on the activities of clubs nationwide. This initiative will help ARRL better understand the scope of these activities and improve club leadership tools. The committee also adopted a rewrite of the ARRL Active Club Primer, a tool for radio club leaders, and a rewrite of the rules and regulations for ARRL Hamfests and Conventions.![]()
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The Historical Committee is expanding the ARRL Heritage Museum's online collection by adding a new virtual component, which currently features more than 3,000 images and documents. This virtual museum will continue to grow, showcasing both ARRL's historical collection and other significant items from the history of amateur radio.![]()
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Here are highlights of actions taken at the Board meeting:![]()
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Board members discussed motions proposed by a committee that was established by unanimous approval during the January 2024 Annual Meeting. This committee was tasked with evaluating proposed changes to By-Law 46, the Board's Conflict of Interest Policy, and By-Law 42, the charter for the Ethics & Elections Committee. The committee returned with a lengthy motion that certain Directors believed they had not had sufficient time to review and comment on. Despite broad support for passing the committee’s motion, the Board approved delaying the vote until the July 2025 Second Meeting of the Board of Directors. Directors have until April 21, 2025, to file their comments with the committee for consideration in the final motion.![]()
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The Board approved two motions involving elections:![]()
By-Law 18. ARRL has had a confusing set of documents defining the elections process. The rules set out in By-Law 18 require at least a two-thirds vote for approval, whereas the rules and regulations found in less formally controlled documents published on the ARRL website only require a simple majority. This motion moved most of the language from the rules and regulations into By-Law 18. The Board also approved changes driven by shortcomings that came to light during the 2024 election cycle. These changes are primarily intended to ensure that elections are conducted at a Division level where the members are voting, and not at a national level.![]()
By-Law 20. The Board approved a change to By-Law 20, providing greater discretion regarding the previous requirement for a member of the Ethics & Elections committee to observe ballot processing at the third-party election processing company -- an expense now considered unnecessary.![]()
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Government Relations.![]()
The Board approved a motion to sunset the Governmental Affairs Committee and authorized the CEO to take on the responsibility of partnering with Director John Robert Stratton, N5AUS (West Gulf), who is currently working with ARRL’s lobbyists in Washington DC. It also requires the CEO to take on the responsibility of reporting the progress being made on certain legislation with quarterly reports to the Administration & Finance Committee.![]()
The Board briefly discussed fund raising for the Legislative Issues Advocacy Fund. This included an appeal by Director Stratton for every Director and Officer to donate towards our legislative efforts. Less than a week after the Board meeting, nearly every Director and Officer has donated to the fund.![]()
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New Technical Standards Committee. The Board approved the formation of a Technical Standards Committee to oversee the successful Clean Signal Initiative (CSI) and to develop future initiatives including amateur radio receiver standards.![]()
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ARRL Foundation. The Board heard a report from ARRL Foundation President David Norris, K5UZ (Delta Division Director). The Foundation provides philanthropic support for amateur radio by way of the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program, Club Grant Program, Division Convention Grant Program, and through other grants and funds. In 2024, the Foundation awarded 126 scholarships totaling $709,500, through the generosity of ARDC, individuals, and radio clubs. The Foundation also saw a return of the Club Grant Program and awarded 37 Club Grants totaling $500,502.04. A total of 110 applications were received requesting $1,593,580.24 for 2024. Norris also reported that the Foundation awarded 25 grants valued at $47,434, and 2 Division Convention grants for $12,250.![]()
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Elections.![]()
Executive Committee (EC). Directors re-elected to the EC include Bill Lippert, AC0W (Dakota), Art Zygielbaum, K0AIZ (Midwest), Jim Boehner, N2ZZ (Roanoke), and Jeff Ryan, K0RM (Rocky Mountain). Newly elected to the EC is Scott Yonally, N8SY (Great Lakes).![]()
ARRL Foundation Board. ARRL Director Mark Tharp, KB7HDX (Northwestern), was re-elected, and Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI (New England), was elected to fill the seat vacated by former Central Division Director Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA. Past Central Division Director Kermit Carlson, W9XA, and CEO David A. Minster, NA2AA, were re-elected for 3-year terms.![]()
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The complete minutes of the 2025 Annual Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors will be available soon on the ARRL website.![]()
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The Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors is scheduled for July 18 - 19, 2025.![]()
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Copyright © 2025 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission. "![]()
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73 de STARC
QST QST QST - CVFMA Hamfest February 15, 2025![]()
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Who from STARC is going to this?![]()
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73 de STARC
This is from Mitch W1SJ about some up coming events to be aware of.![]()
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" HAM-CON & VT QSO Party & Winter Breakfast, Oh My!![]()
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There are THREE ham radio events occurring in early 2025 in Vermont. Please read through this message to find out about all.![]()
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HAM-CON![]()
HAM-CON – The Vermont ARRL Convention will take place Saturday, February 22, 2025 8AM-1PM at the Hampton Inn Convention Center, Colchester, Vermont.![]()
HAM-CON features forums, demonstrations, flea market, games, exams and hundreds of hams to meet from the North Country. This is a HYBRID show. You can attend in person, attend on-line and see many of the events, or do both! You don’t have to travel if you don’t want to – but stop by anyway! Your admission will permit you to watch the forums AFTER the event, if you missed anything.![]()
Advance sale tickets are on sale now for $7. Again this is good for live, remote or both. Special pricing ends February 14, when admission will go to the door price of $12. Don’t wait to be late!![]()
To learn ALL the details about HAM-CON go to: www.ham-con.org![]()
To directly buy HAM-CON tickets go to: www.ham-con.org/hamconpay.html![]()
Grab a bunch of buddies, and/or family and join us at HAM-CON.![]()
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VERMONT QSO PARTY![]()
Vermont’s premier on-the-air event, the Vermont QSO Party, will take place February 1-2 UTC. In layman’s terms, that is 7PM Friday, January 31 through 7PM Sunday, February 2. The goal: get on the air and make contact with other stations. Vermont is pretty rare and people get excited when a Vermont station shows up. So, get on, call CQ and generate some excitement!![]()
But what if I don’t have a ham station? We have a solution! The QSO Party Host Station W1NVT will be on the air all weekend from Essex and we are looking for operators. It is a real thrill to call CQ from a big station and get everyone calling you back. Contact me for details on scheduling. Or, if you cannot make it up to Essex, consider getting together at another ham’s shack. Or, best yet, travel to a state park and set up in the field and enjoy nature while handing out contacts. Dress warm!![]()
To learn details about the Vermont QSO Party go to: www.ranv.org/vtqso.html![]()
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VERMONT WINTER BREAKFAST![]()
Each winter a sizeable group of hams get together for breakfast in late January. This will mostly apply to those in Northwestern Vermont, but you may find a reason to drive up and join us. The Winter Breakfast will be at JP’s Restaurant and Deli, 39 River Road (Rt 117) in Essex Junction. We’ll meet up at 9AM and order delicious goodies off the menu. Following breakfast, a rip roaring ham radio discussion usually takes place!![]()
EMAIL![]()
This wide area email is only used to promote major Vermont ham radio events, at most 2-3 times during the year. (I don’t like a lot of mail either…)![]()
Contact me at w1sj@arrl.net if:![]()
- You didn’t get this - now how would you know that? J![]()
- Your address should be something different![]()
- You hate ham radio and don’t want to know about any of this L![]()
- You want to say hello (always nice)![]()
Don’t just lay around – get active in ham radio. It’s fun. But you already know that.![]()
73, Mitch "![]()
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73 de STARC
www.ranv.org
In local time, this corresponds to a start time of 7:00 PM EST FRIDAY night January 31st and an end time of 7PM SUNDAY night February 2nd.
This is from the ARRL about an Amateur Radio licensee getting a $34,000 fine for interfering with U.S. Forest Service radio communications during a 1,000 acre wildfire in Idaho.![]()
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" FCC Upholds Record $34,000 Forfeiture Against Amateur Licensee![]()
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assessed a record $34,000 forfeiture against an amateur radio licensee for “willfully and repeatedly operating a radio station without authorization and interfering with the radio communications of the United States Forest Service … while the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Department of Lands were attempting to direct the operations of fire suppression aircraft working a 1,000-acre wildfire on national forest land outside of Elk River, Idaho.”![]()
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As ARRL News first reported in 2022, the FCC proposed the fine against Jason Frawley of Lewiston, Idaho, for allegedly interfering with radio operations of the U.S. Forest Service during firefighting activities for the Johnson Creek Fire near Elk River in July 2021. The FCC stated in the Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) that Frawley holds an Extra-class Amateur Radio Service license, WA7CQ, and is the owner/operator of Leader Communications LLC, licensee of eight microwave licenses and one business license.![]()
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In response, Frawley acknowledged that he operated on a frequency reserved for government use and for which he lacked authorization but argues that he did not cause interference to the government’s fire suppression activities that were being coordinated on the channel and acted with “good faith and non-malicious intent to help.” Frawley requested a reduction or cancellation of the proposed forfeiture based on the number and duration of the unauthorized transmissions, his history of compliance and corrective measures, and his inability to pay the proposed forfeiture.![]()
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In the Forfeiture Order released on January 3, 2025, the FCC rejected Frawley’s request and assessed the full proposed forfeiture of $34,000. "![]()
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73 de STARC