In light of Maine State POTA Day coming up in two days (Saturday, May 16), the opening question to accompany introductions was, “Do you have a favorite location to operate portable.” While many EAWA members enjoy POTA, the responses were as varied as the number of parks in our area. Regarding the Maine State POTA Day, we were reminded that while many operate on 20 meters, we are more likely to contact others in Maine on 40 meters.
The business section of the meeting offered several noteworthy items. Barbara KC1SSY, the Emergency Coordinator for Hancock County, announced that there will be EmComm exercises in the fall that we may participate in. Andrew W1AXS, Hancock County EMA Director, gave an update on the new facilities which are currently under construction.
Two major club events have occurred since the last meeting, thus After Action Reports were on the agenda. The annual Symposium, held April 18, was a great success. (See article here.) The topics presented were of general interest, and the presenters were able to speak to the new operators as well as the experienced operators in the room. Many thanks go to the team of volunteers, headed by Jeff KA1DBE. The annual Sea of Blue Walk/5k/10k, held April 25, was also a great success. (See article here.) Everyone felt the Emergency Communications Team worked well together and performed excellently throughout the exercise. Again, many thanks to the team of volunteers, headed by Matt KC1VLH, Joan W1DLC, and Barbara KC1SSY. The Race Coordinators, Matt & Sue Heel, expressed their sincere thanks to the club.
Phil N1EP, the ARRL Section Manager for Maine, surprised Jeff KA1DBE by presenting him with the Maine Ham Radio Operator of the Year for 2026 award. Congratulations to Jeff! Anyone in the local and regional ham radio community knows Jeff is among the most active, dedicated, and generous amateur radio operators around. There will be a separate article sharing more of Jeff’s radio experiences and accomplishments coming soon.
The remainder of the meeting focused on the detailed planning of the upcoming Field Day weekend, June 27-28. The exercise has two primary themes. It serves as an opportunity to invite the public to learn about amateur radio while the stations are in operation, and if they choose, to get on the air with the help of a mentor to guide them through the process. It also serves as a challenge to clubs to try as many ways as possible to send radio waves through the air while totally off-grid, and to maintain those efforts as much as possible for a full 24 hours.
Field Day set up starts on Friday, June 26, at 10am at the Trenton Elementary School. Everything — from tents to tables, generators to radios to antennas — must be set-up in the parking lot and ball fields. Saturday, June 27, begins at 8am with any last minute set-up, educational and safety meetings, and a quick lunch. The 24 hour operations period starts at 2pm on Saturday. Many club members will be wearing club t-shirts, which Barbara kindly coordinated, ordered and shared at the meeting. (There are a few left, contact Joan W1DLC or Barbara KC1SSY for purchase.) Across the 24 hours, EAWA members and friends, and members of the public will come and go. The task of taking everything down and cleaning up the space will begin around noon on Sunday, June 28.
There will be a press-release, information to share, and many announcements coming over the next several weeks. If you have any questions, please contact:
*Field Day Coordinator, Jeff KA1DBE
*CW Captain, Rob W8HAP
*SSB Captain, Bob AB1EP
*Digital & Satellite Captain, Jeff KA1DBE
*GOTA Captain, Joan W1DLC
You may also contact our information officers, Dick W1KRP and Marion W1GRL, for press releases and other information.
For a group that sees each other frequently, whether it is at radio events or the Clandestine Coffee gatherings on Wednesdays, we still seem to have much to talk about before and after the meetings. Looking ahead, our next meeting is scheduled for June 11. All members and friends are invited to bring favorite radio “gadgets” to share with the group. This is always a fun meeting. We hope to see you there!
Written by Marion W1GRL
W1TU 