Radio Hams assist US Homeland Security

An East Boothbay man is part of the U.S. Homeland Security team as an amateur radio operator. Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency Director Casey Stevens appointed Al Sirois N1MHC, 88, as one of three Maine ham, or civilian amateur radio operators participating in Homeland Security’s Shares program.

Shared Resources high-frequency radio program (Shares) provides an additional means for users with a national security and emergency preparedness mission to communicate when landline and cellular communications are unavailable. Team members use existing high-frequency radio resources to coordinate and transmit messages for critical functions during emergencies. Sirois is responsible for central Maine. Two other operators are located in northern Maine and York County.

Sirois monitors the network on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and another shift at 7 p.m. Occasionally, he works a Monday shift. Sirois monitors continuous-wave communications to ensure communications between local government is possible with Homeland Security. Sirois began as an amateur ham radio operator in the U.S. Navy. He worked as a short wave radio MARS (military-affiliated radio station) operator. In 1993, Sirois worked for Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant and applied for a civilian license.

Media Story - https://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/article/sirois-assisting-homeland-security-ham-radio-communications/132275

Past ARRL Treasurer Jim McCobb, K1LU, SK

Past ARRL Treasurer James E. “Jim” McCobb, Jr., K1LU (ex-K1LLU, W1LLU), of West Newbury, Massachusetts, died on 1st April 2020. An ARRL Life Member, he was 77. McCobb served as ARRL Treasurer, a volunteer post, for nearly 32 years, from 1980 until 2012, when he was succeeded by current ARRL Treasurer Rick Niswander, K7GM. An active DXer and contester, McCobb was active from Belize, where he held the call sign V31JR. McCobb was a US Air Force veteran and spent most of his professional career as a banker.

First licensed at age 16, McCobb was very active on HF — especially on 40, 20, and 17 meters, primarily on SSB, although he operated CW during contests. He also enjoyed listening to amateur and shortwave bands, DXing, ragchewing, contesting, and “doing just about any kind of antenna work,”

His other hobbies included Alpine skiing, listening to music, and collecting stereo equipment from the mid-to-late 1970s.

Ayrshire Amateur Radio Clubs are Keeping in Touch

The Ayr Amateur Radio Group (AARG) and the Kilmarnock and Loudoun Amateur Radio Club (KLARC) have both organised 2m ‘on the air’ nights on their normal club nights – on Tuesdays for KLARC and on Fridays for AARG. They share a daily net most days at 10:00hr on 145.450Mhz. Members from both clubs join each other’s nets. They also have a morning get-together every day for all Ayrshire amateurs on 145.450Mhz and that channel is monitored all day in case anyone needs help.

In addition to looking out for one another on the air, one of the clubs’ younger members has also offered to run chores for older members during these weeks of self-isolation.

Ayr Amateur Radio Group (AARG) - http://gm0ayr.org/

Kilmarnock and Loudoun Amateur Radio Club (KLARC) - http://www.klarc.org/