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 Here's a brief note about our VE Session at the Whitefield Fire and Rescue in Whitefield, Maine Saturday June 27 2020.

    On Saturday June 27th the Lincoln Co. ARC held the first VE Session in the State of Maine since the Covid-19 virus hit the State of Maine in mid-March.  The VEC Liaison, Joe AB1YO fielded calls and e-mails from candidates from across the State.  Contingencies were considered if the Firehouse had to be closed to us again.  The most likely alternative was to have the candidates sit in their respective vehicles and take the exam.  Fortunately that alternative wasn't needed.  The Fire Chief and Town of Whitefield graciously allowed us to use the fire equipment bays.  Two members of the VE Team K1KSR, and KB1EZZ are members of the Whitefield Fire and Rescue.
    We ran 2 sessions that day due to the number of candidates who registered to come.  Overall it was a very successful VE Session.  Of the 32 candidates who came, 50 exams were given. We saw 17 new Techs, 5 new Generals, and 6 new Extras.  We had a few who passed the Tech and General at the same session, and one who passed all three exams becoming an Extra in the end. The exciting part was to see nearly everyone come away with a CSCE. 
    Respecting the rulings of the Governor of Maine, and the Maine CDC, we practiced social distancing.  We used 8 ft tables, spaced them 2 meters apart, and sanitized the chairs and tables when each person left.  All candidates wore protective facial masks, and the VE Team all wore disposable gloves and masks.  We had good air flow with the open doors, and ceiling fans to keep us cool.  The WX cooperated with mild temps that morning.
   
   The photo below is the VE Team at the end of the session.
    VE's from L to R.
    Giff K1GAH, Joe AB1YO VEC Liaision, Karl K1KSR, Steve WZ1J, Mike KB1DBL, Greg K1MGR, Maury KB1EZZ, Eric N1RXR

73.
Joe  AB1YO
ARRL VEC Liaison
PenBay ARC
Lincoln Co. ARC

______________________________________________________________
Tower construction crew for Poland repeater Rich nu9c, Jerry k1wtx, Fred wa1skp,
Ivan n1oxa, and Pete n1zrl, June 13, 2020
Photo taken by Joyce Hume Jerrys' xyl

____________Photo by Richard Marshall nu9c ________________



Joseph Pelletier n1qhw
Joseph Pelletier n1qhw passed away November 28, 2018
Complete details at https://www.sunjournal.com/2018/12/23/joseph-guy-yvon-pelletier

From David we1u.

Here is a chance to get licensed and/or upgrade

David Casler KE0OG Online Tech/General/Extra Videos and Site

https://www.qrz.com/db/ke0og

I am glad I look for this, I was planing to do this, he done it better;)

Tech

http://dcasler.com/ham-radio/training/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUXIPCY1Tn0&feature=youtu.be

General

http://dcasler.com/ham-radio/general/

Extra

http://dcasler.com/2016/08/18/amateur-extra-chapter-1-updated-for-11th-edition/

For Ubuntu Linux hamexam 1.6 provides a text based question engine for the current elements:

https://launchpad.net/~jnogatch/+archive/ubuntu/hamexam

I received a letter from the ARRL Foundation announcing Theodore Parker, N1HW from Ripley ME Has been awarded our Scholarship for 2018. Ivan N1OXA
Dempsey Challenge Bicycle Treks 2018

Club member Bob w1ltx at Rest Stop two 2018 Dempsey Challenge Brunswick, Me


Dempsey Challenge Rest Stop Two Brunswick Maine Sept 30, 2018
See you at next years Dempsey Challenge September 28 and 29, 2019

Results of Mexico VE Exams May 9218

Five People took exams, going in WITHOUT any license.
ALL earned tickets
Two Technicians
Two Generals
One Extra

Good Job Norm and George

 Thank You for attending the 2018 hamfest and convention.
Watch this page for information about the 2019 event that will be held March 29 and 30 2019.
2019 Hamfest and Convention
22 persons took exams March 31 2018.
12 Tech
6 General
and 4 Extra
According to Ivan n1oxa.
_______________________________________________
Communications in Hawaii are being backed up by ham radio in Hawaii.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO09aMGMizM&feature=youtu.be 
_____________________________ 
The D-star Repeater on 443.300 as of August 27, 2017 is off the
air and will be moved to another tower in Livermore.
The Poland repeater 147.315, was relocated to another location on White Oak Hill in Poland with the same height or more and 50 watts. 
The Auburn Repeater 146.61 was also taken down and
relocated at Ivans house in Lewiston on Saturday morning Sept. 23 2017 and is now back on the air. The site will have a few modifications and become the permanent home for the repeater.
At the club meeting May second the club decided to abandon the Leeds repeater project. Instead the coordination will be changed to the club presidents new house in Livermore that is on a taller hill than the Leeds location and has internet access that the Leeds site did not have. Note that the Livermore Repeater 146.895 PL 103.5 is now at its final height, 55 feet above ground, and the power is set at 50 watts.  Please send notes on its performance to WT1A. DStar may also move to this site....stay tuned.

Other Repeater News
The 147.12 Pikes Hill Norway repeater has been tuned up by kq1l and is now linked to the 224.62 repeater on Streaked Mountain. Thank you Dave!!
2017 Convention Grand Prize a XIEGU X108G Outdoor Edition HF Rig

Dan Lindsley N5AGG won the HF Rig!
50/50 Drawing got the lucky winner $110.
The exams went well with 7 new techs, 3 new generals and 1 new extra, Congratulations!!

The 2017 convention is dedicated to Norm L'Heureux w1scm, one of this clubs founders
and who served the club for 40 or 50 years. Norm passed away January 26, 2017.


 Norman F. L’Heureux, 85, of Libby Avenue, Lewiston, died Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Hospice House in Auburn.

He was born in Lewiston on June 16, 1931, a son of the late Francis and Alice (Gagne) L’Heureux. He went to St. Peter’s School and then graduated from St. Dominic High School Class of 1950. Norman went on to proudly serve his country in Germany during the Korean Conflict while serving in the U.S. Army. He received extensive training on Ham radios while in the service and it became a lifetime passion. Following his time in the service, he attended the University of Maine and a communications college in Boston. He married the former Charlotte Veilleux on Aug. 25, 1956. They settled in Lewiston where they have been lifetime residents. He worked as an engineer and cameraman for WCSH in Portland for more than 40 years until he retired in 1995. Enjoying his career so much, he also worked part-time at WCBB Channel 10. Norm was active with Ham radios and a member of the local Ham Radio club. His call sign was W1SCM. He was a member of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, The Holy Name Society, The Knights of Columbus and The Holy Family Council. He and his wife Charlotte were worldwide travelers, traveling to Africa, Europe, Alaska and many other destinations.
You are invited to offer condolences and pay tribute to Norman’s life by visiting his guest book at www.thefortingrouplewiston.com.
On Thursday Jan. 26, 2017 long time club member Norm L'Heureux w1scm became a Silent Key. The visitation was Tuesday January 31, 2017 at Fortin's on Horton St., in Lewiston from 3pm to 6pm. The Funeral was Wednesday Feb. 1, 2017 at 11am, at Sts Peter and Paul Church.
___________________________________________________________
Congratulations!!! One person came away with a new tech license after their test in Auburn October 29, 2016 Kyle kc1goh.

Congratulations to Jordyn Mann w1kxj of Monmouth Maine for winning the 2016 $ 1000 scholarship from the Androscoggin Club.

Here's a link to a great article on the why and how of building an APRS iGate.
http://www.wcares.org/special-interests-3/aprs/build-an-aprs-igate/

 See Jerry k1wtx presentation on
David we1u Radio audio interface presentation 

  Goff Hill article from Sun Journal
Click here to see a thank you letter from Charles Bigelow kb3yvs winner of the
k2teo Martin J. Green Sr. memorial scholarship.

VE exam results from Saturdays March 26, 2016 hamfest. One new tech, 6 General upgrades and 6 new extras. Congratulations!!  Thank you Don Wakeman and his crew of examiners.

Here are pictures from the 2015 convention thanks to Bob w1ltx.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            


                                   

                                                                                      Ham operators at work during 2015 Trek Across Maine

                                                                                                       Pictures from Karsten Moran
                                                                                                                        
                                                                           Bob n1wjo securing bike on SAG                                          Dick n1nyw at Radio Table       

                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                Retiring Androscoggin Club President Bill Woodhead n1kat receives
                                                                    a plaque thanking him for his years of service, and making him a
                                                                  lifetime member, from new President Tim Bubier wt1a at the clubs
                                                                                      breakfast meeting April 29, 2015

________________________________________________________________      

Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club sponsored the 2015 Maine State ARRL Convention and Andy Hamfest at the Ramada Inn 490 Pleasant Street in Lewiston ME. We thank all 385 of you for attending.

Video of Joel Hallas talk on antenna gain is available at http://youtu.be/HXnLLryS9u8

The first part of Joel Hallas "the doctor is in Q & A" is available at http://youtu.be/moEkZ0h0I8Y (sorry the camera battery only lasted 25 minutes)

Here are the results of the exam session from Ivan n1oxa.
27 people took 33 exams.

Tech 12 passed
General 7 passed
Extra 1 passed
13 failed

Two of those who failed passed the second test, one passed both the tech and general test.

We hope to see you at next years convention. Pictures from the 2015 event are on the 2016 convention page
_____________________________________________________________________________

I was asked to post this link at the April first Club meeting. Here it is www.broadband-hamnet.org
                                                                                                

"Maine NBEMS VHF Net."
Sundays 7pm on the KQ1L Linked System

Quick Start Manual:

http://midcoastdigiham.belljar.net/Maine_ARES_RACES_NBEMS_Quick_Start.pdf

KQ1L Linked System site:
http://kq1l.com/

KQ1L Linked System map(**NOTE** Sanford is now 147.180+131.8Hz)
http://dhawke.com/kq1lweb/documents/mainelinkedrepeaters.jpg

KQ1L Linked System Frequencies
http://wx1gyx.org/index.php/skywarn-training-net-menu

                                                                                         Scenes from the 2014 Dempsey Challenge.

                                       Jerry k1wtx and Bob w1ltx Rest Stop 4 Poland                                              Dick n1nyw and Virginia n1nyv Rest Stop 6 Harrison

                                                                                                                                                                  (picture courtesy of Paula Holt Harrison Recreation)

Learn more about this new digital voice mode at System Fusion

Get an overview of digital communications from the Digital Communications Guide

This system comes with two new digital radios, an FTM-400D and an FT1D for use by the club members. 

If you don't have a digital radio yet, don't worry, System Fusion repeater should switch it self out of digital mode and back to the usual FM analog mode so you can continue to use the radio you already have. When it hears a digital radio it switches back to a digital repeeater.  The analog output has an 88.5 pl tone so analog listeners can set their receive squelch so they will not have to listen to the digital noise.

Due to confusion over what this repeater will or will not do, refer to the repeater manual pages 19 and 20 at Repeater Manual

The new and improved System Fusion DR-1X model is here and in use by the club.

The Andy Club is not the only area club with a System Fusion repeater.

Congratulations to Dakota Dumont kb1yyc winner of the Androscoggin Clubs 2014 $ 500 Scholarship, Dakota is a member of our club from Greene, Maine NOT Massachusetts as reported by the ARRL http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-foundation-awards-79-scholarships-in-2014 and http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ARRL%20Foundation/2014%20Scholarship%20Recipients(1).pdf

WRTC Website: http://www.wrtc2014.org/

                                                        Thank you for attending the 2014 ARRL State Convention and Androscoggin Hamfest.
The club donated its share of the 50/50 and the winner of the other 50 percent ke6pij  Paul Leonard also donated his share for a total of $ 216 to the Clarence Rider AA1PN fire relief fund.


                                                       

Andy Club member Andy Martin kb1doi presents Clarence Ryder aa1pn with the $ 216 from the 50/50 drawing March 29, 2014
The winner of the $ 500 HRO Gift certificate was John Shandorf w1ii from Kennebunk ME.

We Thank Everyone who attended the 2014 ARRL Maine Convention and we look forward to seeing everyone March 27 and 28, 2015.

LEWISTON – Kenneth E. Akerley, 92, of 40 Bradley St., Lewiston, died Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, at Central Maine Medical Center following a long illness.

Born in Lewiston on Feb. 1, 1929, he was the son of William P. and Mary L. Thomas Ackerley. Educated locally, he was a graduate of Lewiston High School, class of ‘46.

He joined the Marine Corps in 1947, and served through the Korean War, eventually also serving in the Army Reserve in the 1970s.

A big believer in education, Ken earned a B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Maine Augusta in 1978 and went on to earn several associate degrees.

He worked several jobs over his life, including as a sasher tender at Bates Manufacturing, and at the Androscoggin County Sheriff Department.

A devout Catholic, he was a member of the former St. Patrick’s Church, belonged to the SS. Peter and Paul Basilica, Prince of Peace Parish, and was a 3rd Degree Knight of Columbus.

Kenneth, known as kb1cdu, was a licensed Ham Radio Operator and a member of the Androscoggin Amateur Radio Club for many years.

Survivors include two sons, Michael and Patrick, both of Lewiston, a daughter, Beverly of California; and a grandson, Ian Akerley.

Visitation will be held at the Albert and Burpee Funeral Home on Tuesday March 2nd, 9 to 10:30 a.m., followed by a service in the Upper Church of the SS. Peter and Paul Basilica at 11 a.m. Interment, Gracelawn Memorial Park. Condolences may be found at http://www.albert-burpee.com.

Donations may be made to the charity of your choice.