The 6 O'Clock Net is presently operating on Monday and Friday evenings only.
We aree seeking a volunteer to serve as Net Contol for the 6 O'Clock Net on Wednesday evenings. This is an interim role for several weeks and possibly extending further. Please contact the Net Manager if you have an interest of if you have a lead on someone else that we should contact.
Monday, April 27th Topic with K1KL : The Beatles
Ringo Launches 22nd Album in 2026
A story on the BBC web site this morning feaures a podcast about Ringo Starr with the following teaser"
“If you play piano, bass guitar, saxophone, I don’t care - I'll play with you all night. That's how I did it. And I tell all my grandkids - get an event, get a few of your schoolmates together. They're practising and playing by themselves. Get with people!”
Regan Morris speaks to musician Ringo Starr about his career.
Born in Liverpool, England, during the Second World War in 1940, Ringo, real-name Richard Starkey, found fame as the drummer of the legendary British band The Beatles - widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in music history.
After joining John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison in 1962, the four-piece became a global pop music sensation through hits such as ‘She Loves You’, ‘Yesterday’, ‘Penny Lane’, and ‘Hey Jude’. They also released multiple studio albums and starred in five major motion pictures.
Although the band split up in 1970, their legacy continues to live on. They remain one of the best-selling musical acts of all time over half a century later. And such was his and the band’s cultural impact, that Ringo, one of two surviving members of The Beatles, received a knighthood at Buckingham Palace for his services to music in 2018.
But despite achieving seemingly all that can be achieved in a music career, the 85-year-old seems to be showing no interest in retirement — he’s just released his third country album, which is his 22nd album as a solo artist.
Discussion Questions:
How did/have the Beatles impacted your music life?
Do you remember their U.S. breakthrough on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964?
Favorite song or album?
Do you play old Beatle songs today?
Wednesday, April 22nd Topic with KC1HHK
Starlink and Amateur Radio
Tonight’s discussion topic is Starlink — the low-Earth-orbit satellite internet system that has become increasingly common with hams, emergency comms groups, RV travelers, and remote stations.
We’re not here to review a product; we’re here to talk about how this technology affects us as radio operators.
What Starlink Means for Emergency Communications
Starlink has changed expectations for portable or disaster-zone internet access.
Some groups are now combining:
HF or VHF/UHF for tactical comms
Starlink for high-bandwidth needs like email, mapping, or video
Mobile and Vacation Use
RV operators and campers have begun mixing Starlink with:
POTA/SOTA trips
Portable HF
Temporary VHF/UHF stations
Net Discussion Questions:
Do you think widespread satellite internet strengthens the role of amateur radio in emergencies, or does it risk making hams “less essential”?
If you had Starlink in the truck or RV, how would you use it to enhance a portable activation or road trip?
How do you see Starlink influencing amateur radio — technically, operationally, or culturally — in the next few years?
Monday, April 20th Topic with KC1SOO
Spring Gardening
As the weather warms up and the days get longer, many of us are starting to think about getting back outside and into the garden.
For tonight’s net, we’re talking all things spring gardening! Whether you’re planting vegetables, flowers, or just cleaning up your yard after the winter, we’d love to hear what you’ve been working on.
Are you starting seeds indoors or heading straight outside? Do you have a favorite plant you grow every year? Maybe you’ve got some tips, tricks, or lessons learned from past seasons to share with the group.
Even if you’re not a gardener, feel free to join in—are you thinking about starting this year, or do you just enjoy the results of someone else’s hard work?
Let’s kick off the spring season by sharing ideas, experiences, and maybe even a little inspiration for the months ahead.
Wednesday, April 15th Tax Day Topic with KC1HHK
Road Maps & Repeater Directories
“From Auto Chum to Repeater Maps: How Hams Navigate the Airwaves and the Highways.”
Introduction:
Tonight’s discussion topic blends a bit of vintage travel with amateur radio:
The Rand McNally “Auto Chum”, the inaugural edition of what became the best-selling Rand McNally Road Atlas, was released on April 15, 1924. It was the first comprehensive, bound road atlas designed for motorists, featuring hand-drawn maps of the 48 states.
It wasn’t just a map - it was a companion, offering directions, suggestions, and even personality along the journey.
As hams, we’ve had our own version of that over the years:
Printed repeater directories
Band plans
Frequency cheat sheets
Notes taped to the rig
Today, much of that has been replaced by apps and digital tools.
So tonight, let’s explore what’s changed—and what we may have gained or lost along the way.
Auto Chum as the Original Repeater Directory?
The Auto Chum told motorists:
Where to go
What to look for
What to avoid
What was interesting along the way
The Move From Paper to Pixels
Today most hams use:
RepeaterBook
RFinder
APRS maps
GPS-enabled rig features like SmartBeaconing
· Digital hotspot networks
Does digital navigation make us better operators—or just more dependent on devices?
“The Lost Art of Getting Lost” — RF Edition
Early road travelers got lost and learned from it.
Early hams also got “lost” on the bands, spinning the VFO, logging random QSOs, learning by doing.
Do we still explore? Or do we follow the same few repeaters and nets like GPS routes?
If the Grid Fails, Who Thrives?
If GPS fails, a Road Chum becomes valuable again!
If the internet fails, so does RepeaterBook, RFinder, AllStar lookups, DMR IDs, and hotspot routing.
Do you keep offline resources—paper repeater lists, local frequencies, band plans, maps?
Net Discussion Question
“If you had to take a road trip today with ONLY a Road Chum and your ham gear—no GPS, no smartphone apps—what rig would you bring, what antennas, and what frequencies would you rely on to keep connected?”
Monday, April 13th Topic with KC1SOO
Favorite Soda, Pop, Tonic?
Soda feels like a modern thing, but it actually goes way back—long before cans and vending machines.
The earliest version of soda came from naturally carbonated mineral springs. People believed the bubbles had health benefits (think digestion, energy, general “tonic” vibes).
In the late 1700s, a scientist named Joseph Priestley figured out how to artificially carbonate water by dissolving carbon dioxide into it.
By the early 1800s, pharmacists were adding flavors like herbs, fruits, and even cola nut extract—and selling it as medicine.
Back then, grabbing a soda was basically like going to the pharmacy for a “health drink.”
Soda fountains became a huge thing in the 1800s and early 1900s.
They were often inside drugstores.
Soda jerks (yes, that was the job title 😄) mixed drinks by hand.
Flavors included things like sarsaparilla, root beer, and fruit syrups.
These places became social hubs—kind of like the coffee shops of their time.
Some of the most famous sodas we know today started as pharmacy creations:
Coca-Cola (1886): Originally marketed as a tonic for headaches and fatigue
Pepsi (1890s): Also pitched as a digestive aid
Once bottling technology improved in the early 1900s, soda exploded in popularity because you didn’t need a fountain anymore—it could go anywhere.
This is when soda became a full-on cultural icon:
Glass bottles, coolers, and roadside diners
The invention of canned soda (1930s–40s)
Huge marketing campaigns (radio, then TV)
Soda was tied to Americana—drive-ins, jukeboxes, and road trips.
Today, soda is everywhere—but it’s also evolved:
Diet sodas and zero-sugar versions
Craft and small-batch sodas (kind of a throwback to the old soda fountain days)
Global flavors and regional favorites
At the same time, people are more aware of sugar and health, so soda competes with things like sparkling water and energy drinks.
Wednesday, April 8th Topic with KC1HHK
NATIONAL ZOO LOVERS DAY
Each year on April 8th, National Zoo Lovers Day encourages us to explore our local zoos. Each year millions of people visit zoos and learn about the many animals that live there. Also known as zoological parks, many of them serve as breeding centers. These facilities are relied upon when species are endangered or at risk of becoming endangered. They also provide education to the public about a broad variety of animals and their habitats.
A few zoo facts:
The Vienna Zoo is the oldest existing zoo and was opened to the public in 1765.
The United State's first zoo open to the public, Central Park Zoo, opened in 1864 in New York.
Philadelphia Zoo holds the oldest zoo charter, formed in 1859. It officially opened to the public in 1874.
There are 350 zoos in the United States
Approximately 175 million people visit a zoo each year.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom has had more than 9.8 million annual visitors.
More than 3.2 million people visit the San Diego Zoo each year.
Massachusetts
Franklin Park Zoo – Large AZA-accredited zoo in Boston with diverse global wildlife.
Stone Zoo – Zoo New England’s other AZA-accredited location with varied exhibits.
Southwick’s Zoo – One of New England’s largest privately owned zoological parks with hundreds of animals.
Buttonwood Park Zoo – Historic zoo with diverse species and conservation efforts.
Capron Park Zoo (Attleboro, MA) — Small zoo with family-friendly exhibits.
Lupa Zoo (Ludlow, MA) — Wildlife facility focused on education and conservation.
New Hampshire
Charmingfare Farm (Candia, NH) — Includes a petting zoo with farm and some exotic animals.
Squam Lake Natural Science Center (Holderness, NH) — Wildlife education center with local animals.
Maine
York's Wild Kingdom – A combined zoo and amusement park with exotic animals and family rides.
Maine Wildlife Park (Gray, ME) – A state wildlife park featuring native Maine species (not a traditional zoo but wildlife exhibits often included in region zoo lists).
Have you visited a zoo lately?
Monday, April 6th Topic with KC1SOO
Source - https://www.ecga.org/trailmaps
The Essex County Greenbelt Association maintains dozens of conservation areas and trail systems across Essex County. These trails are free and open to the public, designed for everything from casual walks to more rugged hikes.
They span a wide variety of environments:
Coastal marshes
Dense forests
Open farmland
River and pond systems
There are even curated “gentle trails” for easier walks and accessibility-focused outings.
1. Favorite Trail Experiences
Have you hiked any local spots like Gloucester, Ipswich, or Rowley areas?
Do you prefer coastal views or wooded trails?
2. Technology Meets Nature
Anyone using the GreenbeltGo Trails App?
It lets you track your position, download offline maps, and navigate trails easily.
Do you bring GPS, APRS, or radios when hiking?
Wednesday, April 1st Topic with KC1HHK
• First crewed lunar mission in over 50 years — Artemis II marks the first time humans have headed beyond low Earth orbit since NASA’s Apollo missions in the early 1970s.
• Historic human return to deep space — four astronauts are set to travel around the Moon and back on a roughly 10-day journey.
👩🚀 The Crew and Records
• Diverse and record-setting team — the four astronauts include Americans Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
• Firsts for a lunar mission:
• First woman to go around the Moon (Christina Koch)
• First Black astronaut in cislunar space (Victor Glover)
• First Canadian on a Moon mission (Jeremy Hansen)
🛰️ The Spacecraft & Rocket
• Space Launch System (SLS) — a 322-foot-tall (≈98 m) super-heavy booster will propel the Orion spacecraft into a translunar trajectory.
• Orion spacecraft — designed for deep-space missions with advanced life-support, navigation, and communications systems. Tonight’s flight tests these critical systems with crew aboard.
🌕 The Mission Profile
• No lunar landing — Artemis II is a lunar flyby: the crew will loop around the Moon and return to Earth, not land on its surface.
• Free-return trajectory — the spacecraft’s path uses the Moon’s gravity like a slingshot, taking the crew farther from Earth than humans have ever traveled before.
• Pacific splashdown — the capsule is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down at the end of the mission.
📅 Launch Details
• Launch window opening: ~6:24 p.m. EDT (≈18:24 Eastern) from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
• Two-hour window: extends until ~8:24 p.m. if conditions are good.
• Backup opportunities: additional daily windows are available April 2–6 if needed.
🌍 Why It Matters
• Builds toward future lunar landings — Artemis II is a crucial test for hardware and procedures that will enable surface missions like Artemis III and beyond.
• Gateway to Mars — NASA sees sustained lunar exploration as a stepping stone toward eventual human missions to Mars.
