Every year MARA provides communications to a handful of events. I guess you could say that these events have become our signature for the Club. If you can, please mark down one of these events on your calender and reserve that day to help.

Here is the information on the bike rides in August. I found the information on www.bikemaine.org

August 9 - Tour de Merrymeeting Bay, 25/50 mile rides, more information at www.topshammaine.com/tmb

August 17 - Tour de Farms X, 8/20/50/100 mile rides, more information at morrisfarm.org/TourdeFarms.html

August 23 - Maine Hospice Event (formerly Dan Michaud Memorial Ride), 25/50/75 mile rides (new routes for this year), more information at www.mainehospicecouncil.org

Thanks to everyone for an outstanding 2008 Field Day!

We are especially grateful to Paul, KA5FPT, and Bruce, W1ZE, for teaching us far more about 6-meter Moxon arrays than we ever expected to learn.

Special thanks to Al, WB1EFN, for making 5 solar powered QSOs, and to Donnie, WD1F, and Paul for a very plucky effort on satellite communications.

There were 27 people involved, including 17 licensed hams, and 10 visitors. Visitors included Representative Thom Watson (thanks to WB1EFN for arranging this), and representatives from the Maine Geological Survey, Midcoast Hospital, Arrowsic EMS, and the Red Cross.

On May 20, 2009, the Midcoast Chapter of the Red Cross will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary. In honor of the event, we have reserved the callsign N1R, for N1TRC, and we intend to operate N1R as a Special Event Station during the anniversary date. Although specific planning for the operation will not start until November, all members and friends of MARA are invited to participate.

Notes from the New England Division Cabinet Meeting
6/21/2008 – Leominster MA

I. Introductions

II. Red Cross MOU

- still some questions on scope of background check
- agreement in principle, but web site has not changed
- apparently, they are having some financial difficulties

III. Pave Paws

- upgraded a few years ago to system at Otis AFB, and now
interference problems from 440 repeaters
- a number of local repeaters have shut down
- draft plan for future coordination on 440 is being developed

IV. BPL

- recent Court of Appeals decision has thrown BPL issue back

Brunswick Times Record, June 23, 2008

Join us on the above dates for our annual Field Day Exercise. We will be busy making contacts around the planet. We are hoping to score number 1 in New England. There will be various modes of operations, so come lend a hand. Also various food groups???? Be a part of a FUN TIME.

Plan as of 6/23:

Field Day coordinator: AA4AK (Decided by MARA membership at April meeting)

Field Day venue: Red Cross Chapter House Topsham (Decided by MARA membership at April meeting)

Class 2F, Callsigns: Primary operation: KS1R, GOTA operation: N1TRC.

When: Setup activities will run from 10:00 am to dusk on Friday June 27, and from 8 am to 2 pm on Saturday June 28. The contest period is 2 pm Saturday to 2 pm on Sunday. We operate the entire 24 hours. Knockdown and cleanup are 2pm to 3 pm Sunday June 29.

At the monthly meeting in May, we were informed that a fellow ham from up in Millinocket, had been severly burned in a gasoline explosion. He was taken to Mass Genral Hospital Burn Center in Boston.

We were also told the due to pain issues, he is being kept medicated. if you would like to let him know that he is in your thoughts and prayers, you can send him your QSL card to the address listed in the QRZ data base.

I will try and update everyone on his condition as we receive information.

KA1EKS John Barton

73,
Harry

MARA members, and hams the world over, are invited to apply for the Maine Shipbuilding Certificate. The Pine Tree Chapter 134 of QCWA is celebrating 400th anniversary of the launch of the pinnace Virginia by offering a letter-size certificate to all licensed radio amateurs for confirmed contacts made on amateur radio bands during the Anniversary period. It is available to all amateurs satisfying the following requirements:

1. The award will be issued for confirmed two-way contacts with 10 different stations in Maine.

2. Contacts must be made between 0000Z 1 August 2007 and 2359Z 31 August 2008. Contacts made with N1P, between 1601Z 17 August 2007 and 2359Z 19 August 2007, and during the New England QSO Party, 3-4 May 2008, are eligible to be used for the award.

May 22: Thanks to all who paid dues at last meeting and by mail.
MARA has 41 dues-paying, voting members plus three honorary members.

P.S. I always take donations or you can donate through the 50/50 raffle at the meeting on May 29. We are slowly building the funds to replace the aging repeater & parts on Oak Hill.
73, Treasurer - Marjorie / kx1i