High Speed Outdoor Communications - NEFR and Climb to the Clouds Tim Carter, W3ATB
Tim, Chief of Communications for the New England Forest Rally, discusses how volunteering for two race car events will transform you into a true public-service operator. He shares how the events are the perfect training exercise for a real disaster in your community. 
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Colonial

Importance of SKYWARN Reporting and how it supported the Cape Cod Tornado Assessment Mish Michaels
Former "The Weather Channel" television personality Mish Michaels will speak about the importance of SKYWARN reporting and Amateur Radio support and how it helped during the recent Cape Cod tornado event. Ms. Michaels has been working to raise awareness of Amateur Radio and SKYWARN to the public dating back to 2005 when she was a meteorologist for WBZ Channel 4.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Seminar

Traffic Handling Practices for Emergency Communications John Gotthardt, K1UAF
John will discuss best practices for handling formal (written) emergency message traffic. The guiding principle is the ABC's of Emergency Communications: Accuracy, Brevity, Clarity. A hands-on group exercise is included.
Time: 11:00 - 12:50
Room: Colonial

Fundamentals of NVIS in EMCOMM Frank O'Laughlin, WQ1O
A basic overview of high frequency Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) and its usage in emergency communications.
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Seminar

GoKit Basics Frank O'Laughlin, WQ1O
The fundamentals of putting together a "Go Kit".
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Seminar

NBEMS & WINLINK Forum George Blakeslee, N1GB
This 4-part forum will introduce the software/hardware tools used for EMCOMM digital messaging by New Hampshire ARES (as well as many other ARES groups around the country).
Winlink Express radio/internet email, FLDIGI Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System, FLMSG/FLAMP, and Advanced FLDIGI topics will each be introduced and demonstrated in respective hour long sessions. Attend all or some as works best for you.
Time: 13:00 - 17:30
Room: Seminar

SKYWARN Training Rob Macedo, KD1CY
SKYWARN is a volunteer program with from 350,000 to 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service. Learn the basics of thunderstorm development; fundamentals of storm structure; identifying potential severe weather features; information to report; how to report it; basic severe weather safety .
Time: 14:00 - 17:00
Room: Colonial

DXCC/Contest Dinner Special Guest Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA
Join your fellow hams for a delicious DXCC/Contest dinner on the first night of the convention. Accompanying us will be special guest Adrian Ciuperca, KO8SCA, who will be presenting "V84SAA: An International DXpedition to the Sultanate of Brunei". Read more here.
Time: 18:30 - 22:00
Room: Federal / Colonial

Ham Bootcamp Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
Ham Bootcamp is a program for folks who want to get on the air using their Technician or General class license but aren't sure how to get started. Hands-on activities and topics include: What you can do with Amateur Radio; How to make a QSO on a repeater and check into a net; How to program you FM HT or mobile rig; How to improve your 2m/70cm antenna; Fun with 6m and Satellites; How to put together an HF station; How to operate digital; How to go about learning CW; How to upgrade to the next license level; What gear to get; How to get started in with kits - and more! Fred will also offer a guided tour of the vendor area and the opportunity to operate HF, satellite, and repeater GOTA stations at HamXposition.
Time: 9:00 - 11:50
Room: Federal

Grounding: Magic or Exact Science? Steve Kercel, AA4AK
Effective grounding is the result of the art of engineering judgment. The key problem is that no matter how big the disaster for which you design, a bigger one can happen. Even worse, there are four conflicting problems that are each solved by burying metal in the ground. Worst of all, there is no exact scientific description of either the problems or the solutions. What is a ham to do?
Time: 9:00 - 9:50
Room: Cotillion

New England Section Emergency Coordinator Forum Rob Macedo, KD1CY
New England Section Emergency Coordinators and other interested parties are invited to attend this forum to discuss the current status of their respective ARES programs—what's worked and what hasn't.
Time: 9:00 - 10:50
Room: Seminar

Yaesu System Fusion II & Updates John Kruk, N9UPC
John Kruk, National Sales Manager for Yaesu, will discuss the System Fusion line and other Yaesu products
Time: 9:00 - 9:50
Room: Colonial

TECH-IN-A-DAY™ Review Conducted by members of the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association, Gloucester, Massachusetts. [Tech-in-a-Day™ is a trademark of Stanley Stone, W4HIX for FCC Amateur Radio Technician Class examination preparation.]
Time: 9:00 - 17:00
Room: Directors

Introduction to Fox Hunting John Salmi, KB1MGI
John will discuss fox hunting techniques, antennas, and equipment for beginners and avid hunters alike.
Time: 9:00 - 9:50
Room: Board

FlexRadio: SDR Technology that will Change how you Operate HF Forever FlexRadio, the Software Defined Radio (SDR) pioneer and leader in the amateur radio market, has brought leading-edge capabilities, operating methods and equipment to the amateur world for over 15 years. This presentation will cover the benefits of SDRs for contesters, DXers, and rag chewers, including the differences between SDRs and more traditional HF radios (superheterodyne and homodyne) with an emphasis on the technology differences, and the unique operating benefits afforded by those differences and cost advantages. multiFLEX, a new capability included in SmartSDR v3.0, will be explored and the operating benefits for different types of operators will be discussed.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Colonial

The Critical Link: RF Connectors Jeremy Breef-Pilz, KB1REQ
Jeremy follows up to last year's presentation with a review of common (and slightly obscure) 50 Ohm RF connectors and their place in radio technology and the hobby. This will be a light technical discussion aimed to empower amateurs of all experience levels in choosing the right connector for their applications.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Cotillion

RF Fingerprinting John Salmi, KB1MGI
John will discuss how to record the "fingerprint" of an RF signal using your radio and a computer sound card.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Board

VE Session I Get licensed, or go for an upgrade! Everything you need to know about the VE sessions you can read about here.
Time: 10:00 - 12:50
Room: Deck

Elecraft: The Making of the K4 Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ
Eric will reflect on the creation of Elecraft's top of the line transceiver, the K4, combining the latest in direct-sampling technology with classic controls and an upgradeable, modular architecture.
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Colonial

An Introduction to Traffic Handling & Being a Net Control Station "Doc" Kinne, KE1ML
Doc will present a basic introduction to NTS phone traffic handling and how to do it. He'll also cover the basics of performing as a Net Control Station.
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Seminar

The National Company George Maier, W1LSB
George will offer a personal perspective on the National Company of Malden, MA. Although George was never employed by National, he was fortunate to have numerous friends who were employees. Join George as he discusses the famous National HRO receiver, and receivers that followed. He'll also examine life inside National, the war years, James Millen, the annual reunions, and the "bitter end."
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Board

Youth Forum Bob Phinney, K5TEC
A panel of nine young and new hams will discuss all the ways to have fun with ham radio. Audience participation is encouraged -- help brainstorm new ways to attract youth to the hobby.
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Cotillion

Heathkit: History and Restoration Paul Topolski, W1SEX
Join Paul as he explores how Heathkit became a major player in the electronics and ham radio industries after World War II. Learn about the role of the GI Bill and amateur radio played in making Heathkit and so many hams and electronic technicians and engineers successful. See many restored Heathkit ham radio and test equipment products on display, including the Hero robot. Learn why Heathkit products are still used in teaching electronics today and why they are the easiest products to restore. There will even a factory sealed kit which may, or may not be opened for all to see, depending on the vote of the audience.
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Board

Estate Planning for the Radio Amateur Adrian Zeffert, AB2IX
What happens when a family member calls the Club and says; "W1XYZZZ has passed away, what do we do with a room and basement full of radio stuff?" Adrian's presentation covers tangible assets accumulated by a typical ham. It provides advice on disposal of ham equipment, where the amateur may no longer be interested or able to do so. It also addresses the case where an amateur has accumulated a valuable collection. The presented material may be useful for the estate executor.
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Colonial

The Longest DX: Whispers from the Beginning of Time Jack Gelfand, K2BMI
The cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang permeates the sky from all directions. Jack has built an apparatus with moderately priced components to measure this radiation at 10 GHz. He will describe the design and describe results.
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Federal

Cybersecurity for Ham Radio Operators Jeff Greer, KA1NGP
Successful cybersecurity attacks are featured in the news daily. All ham radio operators need to start thinking about what this means for our hobby and the actions required going forward. Jeff's presentation will discuss risk management, NIST's Cybersecurity Framework, and best practices for preventing known problems.
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Cotillion

National Traffic System Seminar Betsey Doane, K1EIC
Are you interested in traffic handling? Come and meet operators who do this daily. Betsy invites all NTS operators to share their traffic handling experiences with friends and colleagues.
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Seminar

AMSAT Status Report Burns Fisher, WB1FJ
Burns will present an overview of current activities at AMSAT, including the status of AMSAT Engineering Projects and AMSAT's focus moving forward.
Time: 13:00 - 13:50
Room: Federal

ARRL Forum Fred Hopengarten, K1VR
New England Division Director Fred Hopengarten will discuss current affairs at the League's board followed by a Q&A session. Bring your questions!
Time: 13:00 - 13:50
Room: Colonial

Centennial of RCA - 1919, the Beginning Ed Moxon, K1GGI
One hundred years ago American leadership in international radio communication was ensured when the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was born. For most of the 20th century, Chatham, MA on Cape Cod was home to Chatham Radio / WCC, RCA's flagship marine radiotelegraph station. Ed's presentation goes behind the scenes and reveals the story of how government and industry brought RCA into being 100 years ago.
Time: 13:00 - 13:50
Room: Board

A Recent Local School ISS Crew Contact Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
The Nashua Area Radio Society worked with the Hudson (NH) Memorial School to plan for and execute an ISS crew contact this past year. Join Fred for an overview of this project including information about what goes into planning, preparation, and execution. The presentation will feature a video of the students talking with astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor abroad the ISS. The talk will highlight the STEM learning aspects of the project.
Time: 13:00 - 13:50
Room: Cotillion

New England QRP Forum Carl Achin, WA1ZCQ
New England QRP symposium of talks:

• "Antennas, EZ-NEC, Takeoff Angles, and Propagation," Ed Hare, W1RFI
• "Where QRP kits came from and where we are...RIGHT NOW!" Dennis Marando, K1LGQ
• "QRP Kits, building, troubleshooting, operating" Rex Harper, W1REX

Read more about the New England QRP event schedule.

Time: 13:00 - 15:50
Room: Seminar

VE Session II Get licensed, or go for an upgrade! Everything you need to know about the VE sessions you can read about here.
Time: 13:00 - 17:00
Room: Deck

Apollo Communications: Technical Details and the Engineering Experience George Whitehead, W1BOF
George will discuss the technical details of the Apollo Spacecraft Communication Subsystem ("how we communicated from the Moon") and a discussion of his personal experiences as a working-level engineer for the Apollo Spacecraft prime contractor, North American Aviation, Space and Information Systems Div., in the Communications Subsystem Group.

At the conclusion of the talk, there will be open discussion and Q&A in the Gazebo from 15:00 - 16:00.

Time: 14:00 - 14:50
Room: Federal

The Journey to 2019 Club of the Year Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
The Nashua Area Radio Society was recently honored as the Dayton Hamvention (R) 2019 Club of the Year for its work in bringing new people into the Amateur Radio service and providing mentoring and STEM learning opportunities for young and old. Fred will discuss some of the programs that NARS has created to help folks enter the Amateur Radio service, build their skills, and have fun with Amateur Radio.
Time: 14:00 - 14:50
Room: Cotillion

Introduction to Antenna Modeling Greg Algieri, WA1JXR
Greg will introduce antenna modeling using the software program EZNEC. He’ll show you how to use the software to model your existing or future antennas, and analyze antenna performance to compare different antennas, and how modifications or location of an antenna can effect performance.
Time: 14:00 - 14:50
Room: Board

YCCC Meeting Dennis Egan, W1UE
YCCC Meeting, contesting and other topics

• "Contesting", Randy Thompson K5ZD
• "Tower Safety", Jim Idelson K1IR
• "Getting Started in Contesting", Doug Grant K1DG

Time: 14:00 - 17:00
Room: Colonial

YL Meet and Learn Anne Manna, WB1ARU
Anne invites all women to come and meet other women who are interested in our shared hobby. There will be time to visit. All women and girls are welcome, licensed or not. Enjoy a chance to relax and learn what other YLs enjoy about ham radio!
Time: 15:00 - 17:00
Room: Board

New England Spectrum Management Council Annual Meeting Bob DeMattia, K1IW
New England Spectrum Management is the VHF-UHF frequency coordinator for Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Members and non-members are welcome to attend this annual meeting.
Time: 15:00 - 15:50
Room: Cotillion

A Low Power, 144 MHz, Earth-Moon-Earth Amateur Radio Station William E. Keicher, KC1HTT
Amateur Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) communications is one of the most challenging projects that an amateur radio operator can attempt. William will discuss what an amateur radio enthusiast needs to successfully model, build, and operate a small EME station. His low power, 144 MHz, Earth-Moon-Earth amateur radio station is described in detail. Included are the physics of EME communications, site constraints, communication system analysis, design, and hardware implementation. In addition, the JT65B communication mode, waveforms, and signal processing are briefly described. Finally, EME operations are reported including QSO planning, safety considerations, EME support web sites, with examples of three successful QSOs and a signal-to-noise analysis of the QSOs based on the bistatic radar equation. Plans for the next generation KC1HTT EME radio station improvements are also discussed.
Time: 15:00 - 15:50
Room: Federal

Weather, Kites, and Radio Don McCasland
Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory's Don McCasland will show how kites played a huge role in weather forecasting before satellites and weather balloons became common.
Time: 16:00 - 17:00
Room: Federal

A.M. on Steriods Tim Smith, WA1HLR
Tim ("TimTron") Smith, WA1HLR, discusses A.M. amateur radio and related HF topics. This year he takes on, "A.M. on Steroids, The 500 KW WBCQ Superstation"
Time: 16:00 - 17:00
Room: Seminar

Enigma, OSS, and Spy Radios Michael Crestohl, W1RC, Tom Perera, W1TP, George Rancourt, K1ANX
Join George, Tom, and "Mister Mike" as they present brief overviews of the German ENIGMA crypto machine, as well as a discussion of OSS and some of the covert "spy radio" equipment used during the Second World War. Actual equipment from their collections will be demonstrated and on display.
Time: 16:00 - 17:00
Room: Cotillion

Convention Banquet Keynote Speaker Dan Barstow, KA1ARD
Dan Barstow is Senior Education Manager for the International Space Station National Lab. Enjoy dinner as he takes us on a journey to new heights! Read more here.
Time: 19:00 - 22:00
Room: Federal / Colonial

NE QRP Meet & Greet, Vendors Night & Build-A-Thon NEQRP sponsors a Build-a-thon on Saturday evening from 7 PM until the last builder is finished. One and all are welcome to sign up and join in our scheduled activities.
Time: 19:00 - 23:00
Room: Seminar

Informal Music Jam Session Eliot Mayer, W1MJ
Get ready to rock out at Boxboro! Saturday Night Jam Session, hosted by Eliot Mayer, W1MJ, formerly of The Chameleons. The jam session may go into some long blues improvisations, spontaneous rock, blues, or folkie directions, but we also offer chords and lyrics for fun but not-too-difficult songs for those that might want to practice playing or singing.
Read more about the jam session.
Time: 21:30 - 23:00
Room: Cotillion

Open Mic Storytelling Moderated by Phil Temples, K9HI Have you had an amusing encounter with another ham, on or off the air? An antenna experiment that resulted in more sparks than signal? Or perhaps ham radio impacted your life in a way you couldn't have imagined? Now's the time to share your story!
Time: 21:30 - 23:00
Room: Gazebo

Movie Night Alien Planet
On Darwin IV, a planet 6.5 light years from the rock we call Earth, a scientific mission to seek out microscopic life uncovers much more. Free popcorn!
Time: 21:30 - 23:00
Room: Colonial

FT8: Not a Prefix, a Powerful New Mode Larry Banks, W1DYJ
FT8 showed up on the ham horizon in August 2017, and has since become the "hot new mode." Larry will discuss its history and how to set up your station. He will also introduce a supporting application called JTAlert and highlight three reporting web sites. He will end with his personal experience using FT8 to chase DX with low power and homebrew antennas. This talk is aimed at hams that have not used or are just starting out to use FT8.
Time: 09:00 - 09:50
Room: Cotillion

Getting Started in Amateur Satellites Bob Hayes, KB1SWZ
Bob and others will help beginners to understand, plan, and make a QSO on the FM single channel amateur satellites. They’ll provide an overview of the variety of currently available and soon to be launched amateur satellites describing their capabilities (FM, SSB/CW, and telemetry). They will also conduct a satellite demo during the forum where attendees will be able to observe a satellite contact outside using a HT and hand-held antenna. A Q&A will follow the demonstration.
Time: 09:00 - 12:00
Room: Federal

SKYWARN and VoIP Overview Rob Macedo, KD1CY
Rob will give an overview of the SKYWARN program including a severe weather recap video. He will also discuss the Voice-Over-IP Hurricane Net and its role with WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center.
Time: 09:00 - 09:50
Room: Seminar

Canadian Participation in the Golden Packet Gerald Lemay, VA2GLU
Gerald will present some of the backstory behind the Canadian participation in the "Golden Packet." Each year during a Saturday in July, dedicated radio amateurs climb 15 mountain peaks along the Appalachian Trail (AT) from Georgia to Maine. Upon reaching the summit, these hams set up APRS stations to demonstrate the feasibility of a communication backbone by transmitting messages from one end of the AT to the other. But the Appalachian mountain range doesn’t stop at Mount Katahdin in Maine. Instead, it continues into New Brunswick, Canada, and into Quebec Province, Canada. For the first time in its eleven-year history, Canadians participated in this event.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Seminar

Magnetic Loop Antennas Ted Robinson, K1QAR
Magnetic loop antennas offer a solution to three major HF antenna problems: height, space and noise. One-tenth the size and height, and 10 db quieter than a dipole, a transmitting loop still equals a dipole's performance, presumably due to its magnetic near field having reduced interaction with the ground and surroundings. A 3-foot loop will illustrate to attendees the level of engineering required to handle 500 watts, including a stepper controller necessary for tuning the loop’s tiny bandwidth.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Colonial

Linux in your Hamshack Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ
Andy will talk about the "Andy's Ham Radio Linux" software collection. He’ll review the available ham radio software for Linux, and cover a wide range of amateur radio activities including logging, satellites, and digital modes.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Cotillion

MARS Forum (open) Robert Mims, WA1OEZ
What is the Military Auxiliary Radio Service? Come to the forum and learn about Army and Air Force MARS.
Time: 10:00 - 10:50
Room: Board

VE Session III Get licensed, or go for an upgrade! Everything you need to know about the VE sessions you can read about here.
Time: 10:00 - 13:00
Room: Deck

Two Ideas for Skyhooks Larry Banks, W1DYJ
After purchasing a second home on the coast of Maine, Larry had to build a new ham station from scratch. This talk describes the concept, design, and implementation of a rotatable mast for a 6m Yagi, and a 34" mast for HF dipoles. This is NOT a "how to" talk. It is an "ideas" talk and has some practical ideas for construction that you may be able to use yourself.
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Colonial

Attributes of Great Ham Radio Clubs Andy Stewart, KB1OIQ
Eastern Massachusetts Affiliated Club Coordinator Andy Stewart will discuss the features of great ham radio clubs and the benefits of ARRL affiliation.
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Cotillion

MARS Membership Meeting (closed) Robert Mims, WA1OEZ
A closed meeting for MARS members to discuss MARS.
Time: 11:00 - 11:50
Room: Board

Get the Most from your Antenna Analyzer Jacques Audet, VE2AZX
In this presentation Jacques will review impedance concepts followed by a description of scalar and vector analyzers. He will also cover what you can do with a scalar analyzer; in particular, measuring the impedance of coax cables, ferrite impedance and measuring the Q factor. With a vector analyzer that measures the sign of the reactance, Jacques will show how to measure impedances at the cable end, identify ferrite core types and design matching networks for your antenna. It is also possible to measure return loss and impedance magnitude vs distance in TDR mode and check quartz crystal parameters. Jacques will also cover how the vector analyzer may be used to check antenna impedance to verify if your tuner is operating within its SWR limits.
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Colonial

Minuteman Repeater Association (MMRA) Repeater Network Dave Hornbaker, N1DCH
Dave will lead a presentation on the MMRA repeater network followed by a raffle drawing.
Time: 12:00 - 12:50
Room: Board

Prize Drawing & Convention Wrap-up Time: 13:00 - 15:00
Room: Federal