Featuring reviews of the 2022 Simulated Emergency Test (SET), 2022 Maine QSO Party Results, a preview of 2023 Winter Field Day, the 2023 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, and more!
Click here to download The Radiogram – Winter 2023.
Featuring reviews of 2021 ARRL Field Day, ILLW from Doubling Point, POTA from Mt. Blue State Park, and SKYWARN Recognition Day, as well as a preview of the 2022 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, and a Travel Log about KB1HNZ and K1GJY’s trip abroad to operate the MEQP.
Click here to download The Radiogram – Holiday 2021.
Featuring a review of the Maine Virtual Hamfest, a closer look at the Maine Packet Network, 2020 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge results, and more!
Click here to read the newsletter.
SCARBOROUGH, ME – During our March 11th monthly meeting, Brad Brown KC1JMH, gave a presentation on the Maine Packet Network and demonstrated how to connect to a node, check and send messages, and some of the terminal commands needed to navigate it. He also showed off a new website he created, which is an excellent source of information for anyone interested in Packet Radio.
During the presentation, Brad remotely operated his PC at home, which was connected to his FT991 radio and set to the frequency of the W1YCA node, located in Alfred, ME. Brad briefly talked about using software such as the UZ7HO sound modem and AGW Packet Engine to enable your radio to communicate via Packet. Once connected, he showed how to access features such as CHAT, and BBS on the node. He connected to the WS1EC node via W1YCA, and was able to check stored messages, and demonstrated how to send a reply.
Brad made it look easy! He next demonstrated how to use Winlink Express to connect to the Winlink Radio Messaging System (RMS), where he was able to check his inbox, and demonstrated sending a message from there as well. Packet is just one of the modes that can be used to connect to Winlink, and the only mode used on VHF and UHF.
The Maine Packet Network is described on the website as a “consortium of individual amateur radio packet nodes and their licensed system operators or sysops,” which are affiliated with county-level Emergency Management Agencies throughout the State of Maine. The stated mission is to interconnect these agencies to facilitate the flow of accurate and concise information between county EMAs, MEMA, hospitals and recognized groups operating in an emergency capacity such as the American Red Cross.
The network is currently comprised of eight nodes, three of which are local-coverage community nodes, and three digipeaters, and this list keeps growing.
“The 2019 statewide Simulated Emergency Test was the first big test of the network, at least in Southern Maine,” Brown explained. “At that point the network was in its infancy and it was overwhelmed pretty quickly with the amount of connections being attempted, but the improvements made over the past year have helped out tremendously, and it continues to get better.”
At this point you’re probably wondering “what’s this for?” Brad explains on the website that, just like amateur radio, packet radio is there when all else fails. “With a radio, a modem, and a computer, a licensed amateur operator can still send emails, text messages, chat, and so forth when the infrastructure that we rely on has become unreliable.”
For more information about the Maine Packet Network and how to get started in Packet Radio, please click here.
Click here to read Brad’s article, on the Maine Packet Radio website, about his presentation for WSSM.
Featuring 2020 ARRL Field Day results, reviews of ILLW from Owls Head, SKYWARN Recognition Day, SOTA from Mt. Washington, and more!
Click here to read the newsletter.
Click here to view the latest issue of the Radiogram – the official eNews of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine.
In this issue we review Winter Field Day, results of the 2019 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge, Explore Amateur Radio licensing trends, look ahead to the Maine 200 Special Event, DX News, and more!
Click here to view the latest issue of the Radiogram – the official eNews of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine.
In this issue we review the WSSM Field Day at Wassamki Springs, ILLW 2019 from Rockland Breakwater Light, Maine QSO Party preview, DX News, and more!
Click here to view the latest issue of the Radiogram – the official eNews of the Wireless Society of Southern Maine.
In this issue we review the WSSM Field Day at Wassamki Springs, ILLW 2018 from Spring Point Ledge Light, 2018 Maine 2 Meter FM Simplex Challenge Winners, DX News, and more!
WS1SM Ham Radio Blog 