Hurricane Sandy Spawns Lessons Learned for Connecticut ARES

Article posed from ARRL.org ARES E-Letter, December 19, 2012
To receive all articles, sign up at www.ARRL.org.


Hurricane Sandy Spawns Lessons Learned for Connecticut ARES



In last month's issue, Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, reported on her section's comprehensive deployment for massive storm Sandy. This month, her Section Emergency Coordinator Wayne Gronlund, N1CLV, offers his perspective on lessons learned from the event:

The old adage that "a disaster is not the time to be exchanging business cards" was validated. In areas where strong relationships had been previously developed with our served agencies (Red Cross, Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and municipal governments), requests for Amateur Radio assistance in shelters and at EOCs were quickly and effectively handled at the local level. In those areas where ARES/SKYWARN officials exercised active/strong leadership and were proactive in offering and providing Amateur Radio support, there were a lot of useful and productive assignments available to our volunteers.

The five regional DECs and the SKYWARN DEC (or their designated representatives) participated in statewide SEC nets conducted every two hours. The SEC net gave me a good feel for where things were going well and where they were not. Section Manager Doane was an active participant and helped me to identify and address any issues in our response.

VHF/UHF frequencies (both repeater and simplex) provided the primary platform for our disaster response and emergency communications needs. During the widespread power outages, many of our repeater systems shifted to emergency power and continued to function. Repeater owners and control operators did an extraordinary job of keeping us on the air. The KB1AEV linked system in particular remained viable and provided coverage for approximately 80% of the state. Many of the facilities where we rendered assistance would not easily accommodate deployment of HF antennas.

Areas for Improvement

A significant number of our volunteers are affiliated with both ARES/SKYWARN and the Red Cross (and to some extent, other volunteer groups who provide disaster support). Depending on the nature of the incident, volunteers may choose to assist one of the other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) whom they support rather than ARES/SKYWARN. This "double counting" of resources creates a shortfall in the numbers of operators expected to be available to help.

Getting more ARES/SKYWARN leaders at all levels (ASEC/DEC/ADEC/EC/AEC) to exercise what we in the Coast Guard call "trained initiative" would improve our effectiveness when communications up/down the chain of command are difficult or not readily available. Those leadership officials with local situational awareness who know what needs to be done and how to get it done right without being told do so, could help to decentralize control and make the entire organization more responsive. Note: this is NOT suggesting self-deployment of ARES/SKYWARN members, but rather leadership being exercised at the lowest levels of the organization.

-- Wayne Gronlund, N1CLV, Connecticut Section Emergency Coordinator

Radios to Go!

I think this book may be of interest to the newest among us, and a refresher of ideas to those of us experienced.  Click on the title of the book below to order.


Handheld Radios are More Powerful Than You Think!

Radios to Go!
Getting the Most from Your Handheld Transceiver
by Steve Ford, WB8IMY

Modern technology has allowed manufacturers to pack a wealth of features into handheld transceivers. With so many features, however, it isn’t always easy to get the full benefit from your investment. Even the user manuals don’t tell the whole story. Your radio may have “hidden” capabilities that aren’t described in the manual at all. For example, did you know that a dual-band 2-meter/70 cm handheld transceiver can be used to communicate through Amateur Radio satellites? It’s true, but you usually won’t see this discussion in your average user manual.

If you own a handheld transceiver, or if you’re trying to decide which transceiver to buy, Radios to Go! is the essential guide. Helpful topics include:

• Why Are They Called HTs? (And Which One Should I Buy?) 
• The Care and Feeding of Batteries 
• Memories 
• Scanning 
• Alphabet Soup: CTCSS, DTMF and DCS 
• IRLP and EchoLink 
• Antennas 
• Microphones and Headsets 
• Software Management 
• Expanding Your Horizons: APRS and Satellites

VHF Society Swapmeet 2013

The Utah VHF Society has announced plans for the 2013 Business Meeting and Swap Meet, usually the largest swap meet in the state. It will be held, as usual, on the last Saturday in February.  In 2013 that will be February 23. The place, however, wil be new. Due to rising prices at the state fair park  the 2013 event will be at the Davis County Fairgrounds, 151  S 1100 West, in Farmington. Time is 9 A.M. Further details will be forthcoming.

The Utah VHF Society is a statewide organization that promotes the construction and maintenance of repeaters, particularly  those in lightly populated areas of the state where the ham population may be small enough to need  financial help to keep a repeater on the air.

Information posted from The Microvolt, December 2012, Utah Amateur Radio Club

Utah VHF Society Swapmeet
February 23, 2013 at 9am
Davis County Fairgrounds
151 S 1100 West
Farmington, UT

Training Comment for the SLC SE Division Net

Training for the November 29, 2012

Salt Lake City Southeast Division Emergency Preparedness Net

By T. Michael Smith (KM7TMS)

About two weeks ago our net control and others were invited to attend a Utah State Emergency Preparedness Office event. Some of you may have been invited. Not being able to attend, Susan asked me to go which I was interested in doing. The event was held in the old EOC room in the Capitol complex. It was worth going just to get to know the state level emergency preparedness operations a little better. However, our training was targeted to one important aspect of emergency management. It is a side of the response often overlooked. It is a side of the activity that is also very important. To introduce this topic, I’ll begin by setting it in a context of a typical CERT event, rather than just the state-level event our training was oriented toward.

Let’s begin by remembering the Southeast Division field exercise of Fall 2011. We met at Sugar House Park and drilled parts of the incident command structure and a CERT field response in preparation for the 2012 Shakeout Drill. We practiced setting up and staffing an Incident Command Post, designating an Incident Commander and a communications person, who received mock field reports and sent information to a Salt Lake City Emergency Management communicator. We briefly reviewed the Planning and Administrative units of Incident Command and established the Operations and Logistics units, which became the main elements of the drill.

You may recall that our SLC CERT Coordination Guide places communications in logistics. Also in logistics are the supplies and facilities management tasks and the team support tasks. Tonight, I want to focus on one aspect of the supplies and facilities management. It is the activity that was the subject of the state workshop I attended and something a field Command Post can encounter.

Imagine yourself as a CERT volunteer assigned to run the Logistics unit or even the front-line person working with supplies, when someone shows up asking if you would like to borrow some expensive piece of equipment, like a generator. What do you do?

Hopefully, you would have a conversation with the lender before you decided to proceed. As there is no easy Salt Lake City CERT-manual answer to this question and as circumstances can greatly affect what you might do, I’m not going to advance an answer right now. Rather, I’m going to tell you a little about the Donations Training I recently received from the Utah State Emergency Training personnel.

In the workshop, we were introduced to sophisticated software that some emergency operations centers are using to handle donations. I’ll not attempt to explain the details, but I’ll say it’s a lot more rigorous than a pad of lined paper at the typical CERT IC Post table such as we might set up in our drills. Indeed, the EM software tracks donations and provides data that those seeking supplies can access. Bottom line for the point I want to make here is that what is donated to the emergency response is rigorously tracked. The major point in the meeting was that in the event of a major emergency those operations centers that are big and deep enough to utilize this type of software are going to need trained volunteers, as in CERTS, who can create those supply records and help manage those donations. Now, not many of you valued hams may want to do this, but you might consider it. And, more importantly, you might pass on to your local CERT groups that in the event of an emergency we are going to need people in logistics who can deal with donations and loans.

By the way, the workshop was not really about tracking loans. In fact, in an emergency they say that trying to keep track of and route the donations is difficult. Furthermore, they said the best donations are cash donations. Of course, I don’t expect to see cash boxes at our little IC drill tables, but I do offer what the big operations are doing as a model. Keeping track of loaned equipment is difficult in the best of times and fraught with problems in the emergency situation. If you’re ever in that situation, you can decide what you want to do. Talking to the IC beforehand on loans and donations is wise. If I am the local Incident Commander or the logistics person and can persuade the owner to also volunteer to operate the equipment, then I’m probably a lot more interested than if he just wants to lend equipment I may not be able to track. If he wants to donate it I’m probably interested. I might just decide this is over my head and refer him to the state office or any other appropriate up-line people.

The State’s 2013 shakeout exercise will include a donations and supplies movement component. If you know of any CERTs who might be interested in participating in tracking donations in a drill environment, please have them contact Susan Thomas at the Division of Homeland Security. Because CERTs have some emergency training and a basic understanding of the Incident Command System, their assistance is being sought in dealing with the donations during emergencies. By the way, Utah was donating materials to Hurricane Sandy.

At this time, Salt Lake City does not plan to directly participate in the 2013 Shakeout drill but may have a Fall 2013 exercise. Of course, we in the Southeast Division may decide to have a drill during the week of the Shakeout.

Training Comment for the SLC SE Division Net

October 25, 2012 Training Comment

for the Salt Lake City Southeast Division Net

By T. Mike Smith, KM7TMS

SET Announcement

The Salt Lake County Amateur Radio Emergency Services, (ARES) Simulated Emergency Test (SET) will be held from 8 am to 12 pm, November 10th at the IHC building at 5245 South College Drive in Murray, Utah.  You may find more information on the drill at the SLCO ARES website, www.slcoares.net.  I will talk more about this subject in tonight’s training.


Training

1. The upcoming Salt Lake County ARES SET will be a tabletop-style exercise. The ARES leadership was plain-spoken to us members last night as they made the announcement.  They wanted us to be better schooled before we did a field exercise. They took most of the evening walking us quickly through their Field Operations Manual (FOM) and later told us that the next quarterly drill was scheduled to be a winter field exercise.  Those wanting to fully participate in the test should check the website and bring some of the basics, like the FOM or get one from them, some forms, a handheld radio and a laptop.
2. The SLCO ARES FOM is an important resource.  I confess that I had not read all of it prior to last night, and walking through it at the meeting was helpful. It simply contains a lot of information for our local area that will be valuable to hams assisting with communications in emergency situations.  It is available from SLCO ARES for $10.00, and I encourage everyone on this net to get at least one copy.
3. Last night’s ARES meeting attended by W7DML (Dick), KA7PGH (Rolan) and myself mentioned the growing importance of digital data communications.  I expect the upcoming drill will probably have some digital, at least D-Rats.  You don’t have to have an Icom D-star radio to work D-rats.  You need a laptop and typically a couple of other things, so don’t be put off.  It may also talk about or use some packet, which I don’t know, but I’m going anyway.
4. One of the most important training things I can say tonight is that ARES offers good training at the right price.  It is basically free.  You can’t beat that. Secondly, even if you don’t go yourself, some of us who do will occasionally tell you a little about what they are doing.
5. We all need to determine our response priorities.  My number 1 is me and my family.  My number two is my community, usually spelled CERT.  My 3rd are things like my ARES and Mobile Watch response, depending upon the situation.  For November 10th, Susan and I are thinking she will go to the Salt Lake City emergency preparedness workshop and I will go to the Salt Lake County ARES meeting then share information later.  Have you thought about your response priorities?
6. With that useful question, I’ll conclude tonight’s training.  Please direct your questions through net control and perhaps Dick or Roland may want to add some things I did not cover.  This is KM7TMS ending tonight’s training and returning the initiative to net control.

Hams Heed Call to Help - Hurricane Sandy

As Hurricane Sandy Wreaks Havoc on East Coast, Hams Heed Call to Help



Article posed from ARRL.org dated 11/01/2012.
To receive all articles, sign up at www.ARRL.org.

Even though Hurricane Sandy was declared a post-tropical cyclone by the time it made its final landfall -- just 5 miles southwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey at about 8 PM EDT on Monday, October 29 -- the storm still had winds in excess of 80 miles per hour. Hams across the region, from the Carolinas to Maine, responded to requests for assistance and activated local nets, supported the Hurricane Watch Net’s and the VoIP Hurricane Net’s operations, assisted their local and state Emergency Operations Centers and provided assistance at shelters and wherever needed.

New Jersey

Northern New Jersey
Two hospitals in New Jersey requested assistance from radio amateurs. According to ARRL Northern New Jersey Section Emergency Coordinator George Sabbi, KC2GLG, the hospitals were experiencing issues with their communications systems they use for direct communications between these their facilities in Middlesex and Union Counties.

Sabbi said that a shelter in Bergen County utilized radio amateurs when it opened on Monday, October 29 until late in the morning the next day. “Operators went off duty for rest and came back on Tuesday. The Red Cross is working on getting more Amateur Radio resources into additional shelters, noting that travel is a restriction for many volunteers due to the numerous road closures all over the state. I’ve received several reports of repeaters being on backup power or off-the-air, and in all cases, we’ve moved to alternate frequencies.”

Southern New Jersey
Through its Ham Aid program, the ARRL sent six VHF radios to Ocean County, New Jersey. ARRL Ocean County Emergency Coordinator Bob Murdock, WX2NJ, programmed them for deployment to the six shelters in Ocean County shelters today. One of the ARRL’s National VOAD partners, NECHAMA -- Jewish Response to Disaster, provided transportation to Ocean County.

ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Emergency Coordinator John Zaruba, K2ZA, ran a Section Resource net on the SNJ ARES repeater at 7 AM, 1 PM and 7 AM each day to provide support to the County Emergency Coordinators. He sent requests, asking for six relief operators from within the Section to deploy to Atlantic County and another six relief operators to go to Ocean County. Both shoreline counties used Amateur Radio in the shelters run by the American Red Cross.

“As of Wednesday, October 31, commercial communications are coming back on line in the inland counties, with some counties, such as Mercer County, starting to use radio amateurs to assist in damage assessment as roads become more passable,” explained ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Manager Gary Wilson, K2GW. “The other counties are being polled for mutual aid operator support to Ocean and Atlantic County. I believe John is also starting communications with the Eastern Pennsylvania, Northern New Jersey and Western Massachusetts Sections about their eventually providing relief operators.”

Wilson said that the NJ2EM operation at the New Jersey State Police’s State Office of Emergency Management was secured on October 31, “as they have commercial contact now with all of the county EOCs, although their statewide 220 MHz repeater is still available for county-to-county communication.”

On Thursday, November 1, Wilson told the ARRL that the “communications emergency” in the nine counties that make up the ARRL’s Southern New Jersey Section is over. “While the recovery will take a long time, commercial communications systems are being restored in most parts of the Section,” he said. “Amateur Radio emergency operations are continuing in Ocean and Atlantic Counties under the direction of their County Emergency Coordinators.”

Ocean County Emergency Coordinator Bob Murdock, WX2NJ, said that the six shelters in the county are being consolidated into one shelter. “At this time, he thinks the one last shelter might remain operational for about a week,” Wilson said. “The ARRL Ham Aid VHF radios are working great there. In Atlantic County, Emergency Coordinator John Miller, KC2TNV, reported that relief operators are needed to give the operators a needed rest. Zaruba is currently polling the other counties in the Section for mutual aid operator support to Atlantic County. Both shoreline counties will continue to determine their long-term Amateur Radio needs on a daily basis, based on the American Red Cross’ sheltering plans and the state of commercial communication restoration.”

Wilson told the ARRL that one of the reasons that New Jersey is somewhat better prepared than other states is that New Jersey Office of Emergency Management won’t approve a County Emergency Management Plan unless it includes a RACES annex. “As a result, every county EOC has permanent Amateur Radio capability on 2 meters simplex, a 220 MHz radio aimed at the NJ2EM 220 MHz repeater that covers the entire state, 2 meter APRS for text messaging and HF capability on 75 meters LSB,” he explained. “These are tested once each month on statewide nets. Similarly each American Red Cross chapter tests its 2 meter capability monthly with the central Red Cross station at N2ARC in Princeton, which then links to the State Emergency Operations Center in West Trenton. And of course, each county has a 2 meter repeater designated for their own work at the county level.”

Wilson thanked all of the ARES/RACES operators in Southern New Jersey Section: “You showed that planning, regular monthly tests and dedication pay off when it comes to helping our fellow citizens in a communication emergency. When all else fails, Amateur Radio works!”

Eastern New York

The Eastern New York Section Coordination Net on the N2ACF system operated throughout Hurricane Sandy, concluding their operations on Tuesday at noon. According to ARRL Eastern New York Section Emergency Coordinator David Galletly, KM2O, Section leadership assessed the incoming reports and determined the duration of continued operations following the passage of Sandy through the Section when the net resumed on Tuesday morning. Even though the formal nets are over, the system will still be available for informal use by those stations that still need emergency communication coordination.

Galletly asked the Emergency Coordinators in the Sections to check in to the net when it resumes “to report on continued deployments and support activities. Using this information we will try to determine if any reallocation of operators by mutual aid is needed and prepare requests for shifting resources to areas in greatest need.”

Following a request from Westchester County Emergency Coordinator Tom Raffaelli, WB2NHC, operators from the Northern and Central Districts in the ARRL’s Eastern New York Section have begun to deploy to relieve Westchester operators. Galletly and Central District Emergency Coordinator Leonard Signoretti, N2LEN, arrived in Westchester on Thursday, November 1, to provide relief shelter duty. Operators from Albany will arrive in Westchester later on Thursday. Galletly said that he is requesting additional relief operators from other counties in the Section.

Connecticut

Hams associated with SKYWARN were very active in Connecticut. “Assistant District Emergency Coordinator for SKYWARN Jim McBride, KD1LD, kept all of us updated about current conditions and did a great job working with our very dedicated SKYWARN Emergency Coordinators who coordinated activity in their counties,” explained ARRL Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC. “We had hams in Hartford, Fairfield, New London and Windham Counties who participated in the SKYWARN nets. We needed a fill-in for New Haven County, so Craig Lang, W1MHZ, spontaneously volunteered, even under his own emergency conditions. He ran a few nets while camped out at his neighbor’s home; as I understand it, he had to be evacuated. His work was commendable.”

Many shelters throughout the Section were supported by radio amateurs, some of whom are also CERT trained. Stamford Emergency Coordinator Jon Perelstein, WB2RYV, reported that eight volunteers and two American Red Cross disaster leaders -- most of whom are members of the Stamford Amateur Radio Association -- supported the three Stamford shelters, provided backup communications for Red Cross between the shelters, the Emergency Operations Center and the Red Cross chapter house in Darien. Those staffing the shelters did everything from intake to cooking to support for the elderly and infirm. Other hams staffed the Citizen Service Line, also in Stamford. This service provides a way for Stamford residents to phone in and request information about evacuation plans. The hams also took reports of downed trees and power lines for dispatch of Connecticut Light & Power and city work crews.

“While backup communications were not needed during Hurricane Sandy, we had operators at all the shelters in the area, at the EOC and at the Darien Red Cross chapter house,” Doane said. “Our ham volunteers also became involved as ‘expediters’ in dealing with various problems, such as untangling a (non-radio) communications issue that was interfering with food deliveries to the Stamford shelters. In the aftermath of the storm, the Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia was careful to single out SARA participants to various visiting politicians, including US Senator Richard Blumenthal. Both the mayor and the Director of Public Safety made specific mention of amateur radio in thanking the various volunteer groups who helped the city.”

In the western part of the state, Danbury Emergency Coordinator Mark Hertzbert, WA2IZQ, and his ARES group staffed the Danbury Emergency Operations Center, the shelter at the War Memorial and Danbury Hospital. “They served as backup communicators and were generally useful to the served agencies in tasks that were not necessarily communication-related,” Doane explained. “Everyone participated in continually assessing the situation in their areas of responsibility.”

North Carolina

According to ARRL North Carolina Section Emergency Coordinator/North Carolina RACES Officer Tom Brown, N4TAB, ARES groups in the state participated in response to Hurricane Sandy activities. “Local teams operated during the response-and-recovery phases at several County Emergency Operations Centers and at the State EOC at Raleigh; all operators participated under the NIMS/ICS model,” he said. “The AUXCOMM team at the State EOC operated under the ALL HAZARDS model and we had several Communication Leaders (COMLs) and a Communication Technician (COMT) from our own resource group on duty at all times.”

Delaware

ARRL Delaware Section Manager Frank Filipkowski, AD3M, thanked all those in his Section who provided assistance: “I wish to thank all members in the ARRL Delaware Section for volunteering their time and effort in support of radio communications efforts during and after Hurricane Sandy. The members who left their loved ones behind to volunteer at emergency shelters and Emergency Operation Centers, police and fire stations get my heartfelt ‘thank you’ for your extra effort during our communities’ urgent need to leave their homes and families behind to support the greater good serving your community. It is at times like these that it makes me proud to be a member of citizen volunteers who give back their time knowledge equipment and love of their hobby to support their community.”

Ohio

There was rain, high winds, localized flooding and power outages in Northwest Ohio. ARRL Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Matthew Welch, W8DEC, told the ARRL that ARES members were activated in Jefferson County to monitor the level of the Ohio River. In Lorain County, the American Red Cross requested assistance from the local ARES group to provide communications assistance for two shelters.

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES) is a public service that provides a reserve communications group within government agencies in times of extraordinary need.  Any amateur radio operator can join RACES.  Salt Lake County ARES members are encouraged to join RACES.  The Utah State RACES page can be found at http://publicsafety.utah.gov/emergencymanagement/RACES.html.

To join RACES, fill out the application form at http://publicsafety.utah.gov/emergencymanagement/docs/RACES_App.pdf.  Once the application has been completed you can mail or fax the application to the Utah Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security.  The contact information is at the top of the application form.  Alternatively, you can bring the completed application to the next monthly Salt Lake County ARES in-person meeting.

Once your RACES application is accepted, you will be issued a RACES number.  This process can take some time so do not be alarmed if you do not receive your RACES number for several weeks.

RACES Nets

There are state wide RACES nets on both HF and VHF/UHF.  The following are the details of each net.

HF Net

Date: 3rd Saturday of odd numbered months
Time: 8:00 am

Frequency: 3920 kHz

VHF/UHF Net

Date: 3rd Thursday of even numbered months
Time: 8:00 pm

Frequency: Intermountain Intertie and other linked repeaters

Information posted from http://www.slcoares.net/races

Eneloop Batteries Info

On tonight's Foothill Net we talked about a new battery call the "eneloop" battery.  I have included a link below to a website that can give you a little more information.  Enjoy!

http://www.eneloop.info

AUXCOMM Course

Registration: VIA UTRAIN, Course number 1031331. There is no cost to take this
course.

Description: This workshop is designed for the amateur radio/auxiliary
communicator or group who provides emergency communications backup support for
planned or unplanned events at a State/Territory, Tribal, regional, or local
level. This offering is designed for amateur radio operators/organizations who
work with public safety and cross-disciplinary emergency response professionals
and coordination/support personnel with an amateur radio background.

The course focuses on educating attendees about auxiliary communications
interoperability, emergency operation center etiquette, on-the-air etiquette,
FCC rules and regulations, auxiliary communications training and planning,
certification and accreditation and emergency communications deployment. It is
intended to supplement and standardize an operator's basic knowledge of
emergency amateur radio communications in a public safety context.

Prerequisites: General Class or higher amateur radio license. Also, IS-100,
IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800. The IS courses can be completed online at:
http://training.fema.gov the FEMA Independent Study Website.

Limit is 30 people

October 26 & 27 - 8am to 5pm
Utah Valley Convention Center
220 W Center St
Provo, Utah
Soldier Creek Room - 3rd floor

Hams Heed the Call to Help

Hams Heed the Call to Help As Isaac Makes Landfall, Downgraded to Tropical Storm

Article posted from ARRL.org dated 08/30/2012

Seven years to the day that Hurricane Katrina smashed into New Orleans, Hurricane Isaac came calling. But instead of making landfall right at New Orleans like Katrina (a Category 3 storm) did on August 28, 2005, Isaac veered slightly to the west of the city. Through it all, hams at WX4NHC -- the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida -- and those supporting the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) and the VoIP Hurricane Net, along with various nets within the ARRL’s Delta Division, relayed reports to their served agencies on Isaac’s progress and the damage the storm created in its wake.

“Even though Isaac has made landfall and is currently tracking slowly up Central Louisiana to Arkansas, hams in the Delta Division are not done,” explained ARRL Delta Division Director David Norris, K5UZ. “We had quite a few nets running as Isaac came ashore, and some are still going on, relaying damage reports and assisting with health-and-welfare traffic. As the American Red Cross and other served agencies venture out in the field within the next few days to assess the damage created by Isaac, hams in the Delta Division are ready to assist these teams with whatever communications support is necessary. Just because Isaac itself is over, we know that storms like this can bring tornadoes, power outages and other weather events in their wake, and we are prepared to continue to provide any support that is needed.”

The HWN ceased its operation on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 29. According to Stan Broadway, N8BHL, the HWN received numerous reports of heavy winds and flooding from hams in the affected areas, and in turn, relayed these reports to the NHC. “We were in contact with several Emergency Operation Centers and other safety service locations,” he told the ARRL. “The majority of our reports were from ham operators who were weathering the storm, yet who took the time to keep us informed. In the ham radio spirit of readiness, many of the stations we contacted were on stand-by generator power, some with temporary or storm-related antennas and most with quality weather measuring instruments. Many more stations stood by silently, waiting to relay if needed, and listening for the reports.”

Broadway said that the HWN was activated a total of 47 hours for Isaac, including a 31 hour continuous activation during the storm’s path toward landfall: “We are extremely grateful for those operators who provided reports and for those who showed us great courtesy by moving off frequency, or just allowed a clear slot for us to use. Thanks also to the nets that regularly used these frequencies for accommodating us.”

Isaac continues to weaken as it tracks to the northwest over Louisiana, and could be downgraded to a tropical depression on Thursday, August 30. Since Isaac is moving very slowly, the storm will continue to produce floods, rainfall, isolated tornadoes -- especially in Mississippi, Eastern Louisiana, Southeastern Arkansas, Southern Alabama and the far Western Florida Panhandle -- and gusty winds.

According to the NHC, Isaac should steadily weaken over the next 48 hours as it continues to move over land, and should become a tropical depression by Thursday night. At 8 AM (EDT) on Thursday, August 30, Isaac’s center was located about 35 miles southeast of Alexandria, Louisiana and about 125 miles northwest of New Orleans. According to the NHC, Isaac is a slow moving storm with a speed of about 8 miles per hour. Isaac should make a turn to the north-northwest, moving over Louisiana later on Thursday, followed by a turn to the north toward Arkansas on Friday, August 31 and then move over Southern Mississippi that night.

Even though Isaac and Katrina landed approximately in the same place and at the same time, though seven years apart, according to the Associated Press (as reported in The Miami Herald), the storms are quite different:

• Maximum Sustained Winds
  • Katrina: Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 28, 2005 as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds near 125 miles per hour.
  • Isaac: A Category 1 storm, Isaac had maximum sustained winds near 80 miles per hour as it came ashore in Southeast Louisiana on August 28, 2012.
• Size
  • Katrina: Katrina was a large storm with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 125 miles from its center.
  • Isaac: Isaac has been much less organized with a less-defined eye. As it neared Louisiana’s coast, Isaac’s hurricane-force winds extended outward only about 60 miles from its center.
• Storm Surge
  • Katrina: The 2005 storm brought devastating storm surge of 15-20 feet as it came onto land.
  • Isaac: The worst of Isaac’s storm surge was about 6-12 feet.
• Evacuations
  • Katrina: Evacuation orders were issued for millions around the region -- including the city of New Orleans -- ahead of Hurricane Katrina. Many did not heed the evacuation order and later had to be rescued from flooded homes.
  • Isaac: As the storm closed in, tens of thousands were told to evacuate. Some decided to leave, while others have decided to hunker down and ride out the relatively weaker storm.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate said weather conditions continue to worsen in the Northern Louisiana, delaying storm damage assessments, power restoration and relief efforts. The Red Cross-- already housing 5000 evacuees in 80 Louisiana shelters -- is preparing a prolonged recovery. “Were going to be there for weeks,” said Red Cross Vice President Charles Shimanski. “We need to know what we’re recovering from before we know what recovery looks like.”

Sometimes We Get Noticed

I wanted to share this story of interest to others who volunteer and support their communities in times of need. After recent major forest fires in the mountains above Colorado Springs with the loss of several lives and 350 homes lost, and a resulting 32,000 evacuees, flash flooding became our next urgent concern. Our local RACES team was activated by the Sheriff's Office to act as spotters for rising streams and possible flash flooding.

On a recent night as I stood in rain on the center span of the steel pedestrian bridge about 20' above a dark raging torrent of Monument Creek's muddy water, a passerby stopped to observe with me and comment about how amazingly fast the water had come up. I quickly agreed and said "Yeah, my buddy and I have been here awhile watching it and you should have seen it -- it went from just ankle deep to chest high in a matter of seconds!" Seeing my yellow safety vest he asked if I was with the city works or other agency. I said, "No, we're just a bunch of ham radio operators who volunteer our time to the county; we're actually with the El Paso County Sheriff Office." I then went on to explain there was similar flash flood spotter teams strategically placed throughout the county watching streams rise and then using our radios to report observations back to the EOC. He said, "It's great to know someone's out here watching our backs!" He then turned and extended his hand to shake mine and said "Nice to meet someone on the front lines." He thanked me for being there and then went on his way.

I must say I wore a proud smile as I walked back across the bridge in the drizzle realizing that yep, that's what we do alright; we're out here watching our community's back while they sleep, watch TV, and live their lives. It sure felt great and meant a lot to be paid a huge unsolicited thanks, especially from someone who probably is sleeping a little better tonight knowing that someone has his back! -- Steve Galchutt, WG0AT, Monument, Colorado

Article posted from 'The ARES E-Letter for July 11, 2012'

To receive all articles, sign up at www.ARRL.org.

ARRL Offers Online ARES Training

ARRL offers online training for hams who want to participate in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service.  The time for training is before a disaster...not during one. Two courses make up the ARRL ARES® training program. Enroll Today!

The former Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC) series of three training courses has been reconfigured into two courses: An introductory course and a course for leaders and managers. Introduction to Emergency Communication (#EC-001) Revised in 2011, this is an update of the former Level 1 course. It is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools for hams who want to serve as a Public Service volunteer. It provides an opportunity for non-hams who rely on communications in emergency situations to learn about Amateur Radio and its unique role in emergencies. The course is offered online using the Moodle learning platform. The Introduction to Emergency Communication course has six sections with 29 lesson topics and a 35 question final assessment. Participants should plan on completing the course in approximately 45 hours over a nine week period. This is a mentored course, in which you may work according to your own schedule. Cost is $50 for ARRL members and $85 for non-members. For start dates, registration deadlines and more visit www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog Now Accepting Enrollments for July and August Sessions. Register Today! The Introduction to Emergency Communication Course Book -- 4th Edition An introductory course designed for Amateur Radio volunteers who want to serve as part of an ARES® response team. Please note: this book is the course transcript for the Introduction to Emergency Communication course (EC-001) and is an optional resource. Special Offer! Only $19.95 (retail $24.95) -- Order Now Enter Coupon Code ARES prior to checkout • Offer valid through Sunday July 22, 2012 Cannot be combined with other Coupon Code offers and is not applicable towards course enrollment. Book and course are separate transactions. Book is purchased through the e-store at www.arrl.org/shop. Public Service and Emergency Communications Management for Radio Amateurs (#EC-016) Launched in 2010, this course is designed for Amateur Radio operators who will be in leadership and managerial roles, organizing other volunteers to support public service activities and communications emergencies. Participants will learn how radio amateurs prepare to support local community events and, when working in coordination with governmental and emergency response organizations, how to deploy their services. This is a self-study course. For more information and to register visit www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog.

Training Comment for the SLC SE Division Net

July 5, 2012 Training Comment

for the Salt Lake City Southeast Division Net

By T. Mike Smith, KM7TMS

            Awakening this morning to a cooler, moist day was an unusual and pleasant experience.  After so many days of high temperatures and dry air, you probably savored the day as I did.  It has been a time of heat and fire.  Checking this morning I found active large fires spread across the state.  The Church Camp, Clay Springs, Millville, Miner, Pole Creek, Quail, Seeley, Shingle, and Wolf Den were active.  The nearly 3000-acre Quail Fire in American Fork Canyon was the biggest close one, although it was anticipated to be contained during the night.

 

            We have seen campfires, fireworks, shooting, access and vehicle restrictions, along with various admonitions from important people because of the extreme fire danger.  We have seen thousands evacuated from their homes and extensive property damage and public expense.  This morning’s total acreage for Utah wildland fires for the year was just over 100,000 acres with just over 99,000 of that being human caused – I was shocked, usually it is more spread.  As we are a long way from the normal fall fire relief, we can look forward to this danger continuing for a while, despite the relief today’s moister weather brought us.

Since our last Southeast Division Net, we have had a major Salt Lake Valley fire.  The Rose Crest Fire down at Herriman started last Friday when a truck’s hot exhaust put dry grass ablaze.  Of the Utah fires, this one probably grabbed our attention the most; after all, it was a significant fire in our valley.  Perhaps some of you listened to portions of the radio traffic that occurred.  In addition to the first responders, there were ham operators and some CERT individuals responding.   The rapid response is credited for significantly reducing the fire damage.  If you haven’t taken occasion to see some of the many fine pictures, you might Google Herriman Fire 2012 for some great response and fire-line images.  A person cannot view the latter and not be impressed with the life-threatening dangers this type emergency poses.  Having fought grassland fires before, I know them as dangerous, hot and dirty.

As radio operators and CERT-trained responders -- for those of us who are also the latter-- we are again reminded of the importance of our skills which are repeatedly needed, especially when the emergency arrives in our own neighborhood.

Ham radio still going strong

Ham radio still going strong -- and still useful -- in the age of the smartphone

A radio crackles.

“Victor echo three, radio charlie.”

Crackle, buzz.

“Victor echo, three, radio charlie. This is Victor echo three, radio charlie.”

More crackle, more buzz. Then, is that the faintest sound of a man’s voice?

“One bravo Illinois, is that a QSL?”

Crackle, buzz.

And then that voice again, this time clearer.

“One bravo Illinois, over.”

Greg Danylchenko smiles, pleased by this connection with another amateur radio enthusiast.

“Good luck to you,” he tells the disembodied voice of Illinois.

Crackle, buzz.

Scenes like this played out all weekend long as radio amateurs — or hams, as they are often known — participated in the annual Field Day activities, which saw them use off-the-grid power sources to communicate for 24 hours with other stations across North America in a simulation of what radio amateurs might do in the event of an emergency when normal lines of communication are either knocked out or overloaded.

The Ottawa Amateur Radio Club, one of several such groups in the area that participated in the event, set up behind the Oblate Fathers Les Deschâtelets building on Main Street, near the lush banks of the Rideau River.

It was a curious site, with a mishmash of tents and pop-up shelters, half a dozen homemade antennas and the constant hum of a generator, which powered all of the radio equipment and computers during the day (they used car batteries overnight so as not to keep the neighbours up).

From here, the goal was simple — reach as many stations and operators as possible. And so it was the Ottawa hams reached other hams in Puerto Rico, California, Arizona and Nevada, as well as closer to home in Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec and northern New York state.

The group made about 950 contacts last year and hoped to do the same this time around.

Although this is a hobby for most, radio amateurs can play an important role during times of crisis.

In 1998, when the ice storm paralysed much of the city — and its ability to communicate — they provided an important link between individuals and took some of the strain off the official communications channels. A ham would contact a ham in another part of the city, pass on a message and that ham would deliver it in person to the recipient.

The same would likely happen again if there were an earthquake, tornado or some other situation that struck down communications systems.

“Towers and power all blow down, but we’ve got our antennas and generators and we can often have them up following a disaster in a couple of hours,” Danylchenko said.

But in the age of Twitter — when a person in Ottawa can get instant updates from Tahrir Square or the soccer pitch in Ukraine — are hams still relevant?

Danylchenko and Glenn MacDonell, the club’s president, smile wanly. It’s a question they’ve heard before.

Smartphones, social media websites and the like all depend on infrastructure most people take for granted, Danylchenko said. “If they’re overloaded or have been destroyed, you don’t have any of that stuff.”

McDowell mentions a recent incident in the Belleville area to underscore the point. Telephone service in parts of Hastings County was disrupted after a fibre optic cable was cut, so the emergency planning co-ordinator called up some hams to drive to several communities that were cut off and establish radio contact, so there would be coverage in case of an emergency.

Radio amateurs must pass an Industry Canada test to be licensed and obtain a unique call sign. There are more than 70,000 active licences in Canada.

Operators also provide communications assistance at a range of events, including the CN Cycle for CHEO and the Canadian Ski Marathon, much of which occurs in places where cellphone coverage is spotty.

Danylchenko and MacDonell acquired their enthusiasm for ham radio honestly. Both had shortwave radios when they were young and could tune in to stations and public broadcasters from around the world.

“From there, you want to get on the other end of the microphone,” said Danylchenko, known on-air as VE3YTZ.

Article posted from http://www.ottawacitizen.com

Ham radio field day turns into real life training

The Mississippi Coast Amateur Radio Association scheduled a field day for this weekend in Gulfport.  And the Jackson County Amateur Radio association had its exercise in Gautier.  The idea was for ham radio operators to set up radio stations in unusual locations, and make contact with others to practice their emergency communication capabilities.

During the middle of the training, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the coastal waters of Mississippi, and for large chunk of Louisiana.  Suddenly, the ham radio field day has a lot more significance.

"The hams provide emergency communications for many government and civic organizations in disasters," public information officer Harry Samuelson said.  Just in the last few months, ham radio operators have played critical roles reaching out to people trapped by wildfires, floods, storms, tornados and other crises. 

Both amateur radio associations will wrap up their field day training exercises Sunday morning.

Article posted from www.WLOX.com

Field Day 2012 - Utah Amateur Radio Club

Field Day 2012 with UARC

June 21 - June 24

Mount Nebo Scenic Loop, Payson

A major event for the Utah Amateur Radio Club, and for Amateur Radio in general, is the annual Field Day contest, held each year on the fourth full weekend in June. This nationwide event is amateur radio's biggest operating event. It has been running since the 1930s. The object is for amateurs to see how many stations they can work in a 24-hour period from portable or mobile stations. It serves as good practice in some of the same kinds of efforts that are common in emergency situations.

When:      There will be activity on the site from at least Thursday, June 21, through Sunday, June 24. Equipment setup begins at noon on Friday the 22nd. Actual operation starts at noon on Saturday, the 23rd, and runs through noon on Sunday, the 24th. Tear-down takes another 2-3 hours after that.

Where:     The Field Day site is on the Mount Nebo Scenic Loop, which starts in Payson.

For more information, visit the Utah Amateur Radio Club website at:   http://user.xmission.com/~uarc/

Salt Lake County ARES® Volunteers

Message from Salt Lake County ARES®
Link to the website:  http://www.slcoares.net/

Country Fest Parade - The City of South Jordan

At our in-person meeting it was announced that South Jordan City needs some operators as indicated below. I have done this event in the past and they have bee easy to work with not to mention it was a lot of fun! Pat

The City of South Jordan is requesting 4 Amateur Radio operators on June 16 from approximately 0830 to 1100 hrs.

They would be providing communications for the Country Fest parade like the OLRC has done in years past.

Please let me know as soon as you can if ARES can help support this event.

Brett Neilson (KC7IIB)
801-414-9734 C
brett@brettneilson.com

Salt Lake County ARES® D-RATS Training

Message from Salt Lake County ARES®
Link to the website:  http://www.slcoares.net/




D-RATS Training

When:         Sat Jun 2 8:30am – 11am Mountain Time
Where:       10001 Hook Dr, South Jordan, UT 84095 (map) 

Bring your laptop and we will connect to the Ratflector that is now set up for SLCoARES at the UofU. Our focus for this next year will be digital communications. This will enable us to better serve our served agencies. That is the direction disaster communications is going due to its efficiency and less susceptibility to human error. So come and join the fun!

Operating on a Vacation

On the Foothill Net, a question came up about operating your station while on vacation - specifically a cruse.

Below is a link to a posting from Wikipedia that seemed to cover it.  Footnotes of references from the ARRL are contained in the posting.

Check it out!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_international_operation#International_Waters.2C_Airspace_and_Extraterrestrial_Operation

BSA to Offer Morse Code Interpreter Strip

For many years, Boy Scouts and Scouters have been able to earn an interpreter strip to wear on their uniforms. This strip -- worn on the uniform above the right pocket -- denotes proficiency in a foreign language or sign language. Each language has its own strip (with the name of the language embroidered in that language), and some Scouts and Scouters wear more than one strip. Now those hams involved with the Boy Scouts can show their proficiency in Morse code with a Morse code interpreter strip (with M-O-R-S-E spelled out in Morse code).

 

According to BSA Director of Communication Services Jim Wilson, K5ND, the idea for a Morse code interpreter strip came about during meetings preparing for the 2012 Jamboree on the Air (JOTA). “One of the ideas presented was a variation on an interpreter strip for Morse code,” Wilson told the ARRL. “We played around with it a bit and then approached the BSA Awards Committee with the idea. They liked it, so we decided to explore the idea a bit more. We looked at the existing requirements for interpreter strips to see how they could be adapted for code. The BSA approved the strip in April, but we decided to wait until the strips were available before we announced it.” Wilson also serves as the BSA’s National JOTA Organizer and is President and Trustee of K2BSA, the BSA Headquarters Amateur Radio station in Texas.

The requirements to earn the Morse code interpreter strip are in line with the requirements of interpreter strips for other languages:

• Carry on a five-minute conversation in Morse code at a speed of at least five words per minute, and
• Copy correctly a two-minute message sent in Morse code at a minimum of five words per minute. Copying means writing the message down as it is received, and
• Send a 25 word written document in Morse code at a minimum of five words per minute.

“Together, Amateur Radio and Boy Scouting is a wonderful thing,” Wilson told the ARRL. “The new Morse code interpreter strip is a nice recognition of the special skill of Morse code and its use in emergency communications. From my perspective, the strip gives us more buzz on things happening in Amateur Radio. In the past couple of decades, we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of Radio merit badges that have been awarded. In 1991-2000, we awarded 20,000 Radio merit badges. But in 2001-2010, we awarded 54,000! The interest in this badge has grown by leaps and bounds, indicating not only a keen interest in the art and science of radio, but in technology, too.”

Beginning with the 2013 National Jamboree, Wilson said that they will be teaching the Radio merit badge in four hours: “We will be teaching the badge every hour, on the hour. Scouts will spend 90 minutes in a classroom environment, 30 minutes on the air and then back to the classroom for another 90 minutes. In four hours, they will have their badge.” K2BSA has operated at every National Jamboree since 1977 and will be at the 2013 National Jamboree at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.

“The sole purpose of any interpreter strip is to serve as an immediate, visual cue to others that the wearer is able to perform as an interpreter when needed, not to award the ability to converse in another language,” Wilson explained. “This is also why it is placed on the uniform is near the nameplate. When you wear the strip, whether it say Español, Français, Italiano, Signing or Morse, a Scout or Scouter is showing to the world that he or she has that proficiency to be tapped as an interpreter when needed.”

Article from ARRL.org

Three Hams Venture to ISS Next Week

All six crew members on Expedition 31 are 

radio amateurs! From left to right (front row): 

Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka, RN3DT,

 and Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX. 

Back row: NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, KE5DAR,

 Russian cosmonaut Sergei Revin, RN3BS,

 European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers, PI9ISS,

 and NASA astronaut Don Pettit, KD5MDT. 

[Photo courtesy of NASA]

NASA will televise the launch and docking of the next mission to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for May 14. NASA Flight Engineer Joseph Acaba, KE5DAR, and his two Russian crewmates, Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, RN3BS, are completing their training as they undergo Soyuz spacecraft fit. Live NASA TV coverage of the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan begins at 9 PM CDT on Monday, May 14 (0200 UTC May 15), with the launch scheduled for 10:01 PM CDT (0301 UTC).

The trio will arrive at the station May 16, joining Expedition 31 Commander Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Flight Engineer Don Pettit, KD5MDT, of NASA and Flight Engineer Andrei Kuipers, PI9ISS, of the European Space Agency, who have been aboard the ISS since December 2011. Padalka, Acaba and Revin will transition to the Expedition 32 crew in July and return to Earth in mid-September. You can watch live online on the NASA TV Public and Media channels, or on your television set. Contact your local provider for the NASA TV channel in your area. Click here for a complete schedule of televised events.

Article from ARRL.org

KC6TYD's Go Box

Ron Hyte, KC7WVS and other Ham's are looking to put a box similar to this one together.   Check out the video link:

Email by Ron Hyte, KC7WVS on the Go-Box

"Greetings everyone,

I have been asked by several people to put together a list of items that I used for my Kit.  I also realize that some of you might have the advantage of ordering stuff through your company for better deals.  I have added links to the places I purchased my parts from.   Other times I have added links just for pictures of the part.

I should mention that I have been researching for an application that I would like to use for my Grab and go kit.   I looked at the ones that were built in the Pelican brief cases of various sizes but they didn't have options to add a TNC or another radio.  This is a YouTube video for the one I decided on and was my inspiration.    One of the problems he had was space for his speakers.  He had to shave the top and bottom down to fit them in.   That was not an option I wanted to take, so I modified the spacing of the shelves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_95WEjoeA0&feature=related

The first Item is the case.   There are several companies that make a case like this but they do not compare in quality or durability.  This case is called a Gator Pro with 6 units.   In the link I sent you, is a 6 Unit case and is what I used.   Each unit is about 1.75 inches which figures to be about 10.5 inches inside measurement.   The price on this case was $144.  This case comes with mounting rails in front but not in back.   The company however encloses a coupon good for free rails just like the  rails in front.  You also get black mounting screws.   The new rails nestles in place and all you need to do is drill three holes on each side for three bolts and nuts that are provided..

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GPro6/

The surge protector is made by Furman and they have several models available.   You will get the best deal with this going on ebay.  The model number is Furman M-8Lx.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M8Lx/

Right now I did a search for this model and I saw one for $59.95 and another for $49.50, with a “Buy now” option.

The shelves are two different sizes.   The rear shelf is a half rack.   A half rack is 6” deep.  The front shelves are full but that doesn't mean they go all the way back to the rear mounting rails.  Ebay has several racks but the best ones go for about $27.00 each on eBay.   Some of the cheaper ones go for $15.00 but are heaver.

I got my shelves from Poll sound, located here in town and he let me have them for $17.95 each.   That was a special price because of other purchases I had made there.   Maybe if you went through your company you could get a better deal also.  This is the shelf that I got from Poll audio.   This link is just for a picture.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UTR1

The two speakers I used were MFJ 281 that I got from our local ham store, Communications Products. Please note Bob has closed his store and is now only an internet store but you can go to his house and buy from him.   Because I didn't have to pay shipping it was cheaper to get them from him rather the one of the bigger Ham Outlets.   Go to his website and call him.   He will give you directions how to get to his house.

http://www.commproducts.net/

This is a MFJ link to see what speakers look like.

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-281

If you were putting one of these kits with someone else’s money,  I would consider using one of the slimmer speakers from Icom like the Sp-10.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/5623

I also used a Rigrunner 4005 power strip for power distribution.

http://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=rr_4005_c "

Digital QST Coming Soon from ARRL

Coming Soon: NEW ARRL Membership Benefits

We are excited to announce two new ARRL membership benefits that will be introduced in June 2012.
In addition to the print copy of QST, all members will have access to an online, digital edition of QST at no extra cost. You will be able to access QST from anywhere--on nearly any computer, laptop, mobile device, smartphone and tablet (including Apple iPad, iPhone, and devices using the Android operating system).

Also in June, members will gain access to archived issues of QST from December 1915 to the present (previously, only issues through 2007 were available to members). If you are familiar with the current periodicals archive (which serves images of pages), that platform will be expanded to include all of QST from December 1915 through December 2011. A second, new archive will be introduced for issues beginning January 2012, featuring enhanced functionality including full-text search.

Be Prepared!
Members must have a valid ARRL website login to access the current digital edition of QST and archived editions.

Questions?Contact Member Services by email circulation@arrl.org or by telephone 860-594-0200 or 888-277-5289 (US only).

Iowa Hams Support Local Officials Before, After Tornado

On April 14, a string of tornados swept through the Central US and Great Lakes Region, including an EF2 tornado in Creston, Iowa, causing severe damage to the Greater Regional Medical Center and the Southwestern Community College campus. Prior to the tornado, radio amateurs in Creston reported storm observations directly to the National Weather Service. After the storm forced the evacuation of the hospital, hams provided communications support to local officials.

“Because most of the communication lines had been damaged in the storm, we were provided communication support to the local authorities,” ARRL Iowa Section Official Emergency Station and Des Moines SKYWARN Coordinator Tom Reis, N0VPR, told the ARRL. “The efforts of the Creston hams once again proved the value of Amateur Radio in critical situations.” Hams also were able to provide assistance in passing information back to the National Weather Service that they could not receive through their conventional methods. “The information provided about Creston was very valuable,” said NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Jeff Johnson. “Thank you very much for your service”

The day following the storm, officials discovered that the local school district lost the 80 foot tower that is used for the school bus repeater. The Creston Amateur Radio Club offered up their antenna, coax and tower space to the school. On May 17, hams installed the school’s repeater at the club’s site and moved the Creston repeater to a temporary site. Creston is located in the Southwestern Iowa.

Posting from ARRL.ORG website

04/19/2012

Close up of the tornado path through northwest Creston on April 14. The light blue contour denotes EF0 damage, green denotes EF1 damage and yellow represents EF2 damage. This tornado formed about one and a half miles east of Cromwell at 6:55pm and quickly tracked into northwest Creston around 7 PM. EF2 damage occurred to the Greater Regional Medical Center and the Southwestern Community College campus. Surrounding apartments and homes also sustained severe damage and many cars were flipped or destroyed. The tornado continued tracking to the northeast and damaged several farmsteads northeast of Creston before dissipating about 10 miles northeast of town at approximately 7:15 PM. [Photo courtesy of the National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa]

Emergency Ham Radio Portable Go-Kit

Check out this Emergency Ham Radio Portable Go-Kit put
together by N5NTG

          Emergency Ham Radio Portable





I have also place a link to a YouTube video for another style...click on the menu item "Video Links" above to access it.

Hams Support During Tornado Outbreak

Hams in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio Provide Support During and After Tornado Outbreak

A devastating storm system moved across the United States on March 2, spawning a slew of tornadoes that contributed to at least 28 fatalities in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. These tornadoes followed an earlier outbreak that began on February 28 and left 13 dead across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee and battered parts of Kentucky. The Clark County (Indiana) Emergency Management Agency activated the local RACES team to help provide communications support, hams in Eastern Kentucky set up SKYWARN nets to assist the local National Weather Service office and Cincinnati-area hams supported the National Weather Service and the American Red Cross.


Click the following link to read the story...
Hams Support During Tornado Outbreak

2012 Utah VHF Society Swap Meet

2012 Utah VHF Society Swap Meet
Saturday, February 25, 2011, beginning at 8:00 AM.

Where will the swap meet be this year?
At the Utah State Fairpark. This is located along the north side of North Temple at about 10th West. The festivities will be in the Zion building - the same building as last year - and the year before that , and the year before that.... The Zion building is located next to Gate B (see map) in building 34. If you have any doubt, just follow the crowd.

The Utah State Fairgrounds are big! Where do we go?
The entrance is through Gate 1 (shown in the picture at the top of the page.) This gate is about 500 feet north of North Temple on 10th west and is the main entrance to the fairgrounds. There is ample parking to the north of the building after you go through the gate. Parking and access near the building itself is limited, so please leave that parking for those who need to unload/load their stuff, as well as those who need special access.

Where do we park?
Again, please park ONLY in the main parking lot to the north of the Zion building.
If you park on the south or west side of the building and do not need "special" access (i.e. actively loading/unloading stuff, or have a "Handicapped Parking" permit) you will be asked to move to the main parking lot. These requests are being made to assure compliance with fire regulations.

Which building will it be in? 
The 2012 swapmeet will be in the Zion Building - the same building as last year - and several years before that! The Zion building is next to Gate B - building 34 (refer to map.) The main entrance to the Zion building is on the West side (See the picture below.)

What is this swapmeet about?
The swapmeet is an annual event held by the Utah VHF Society where the members of the amateur community gather together and meet, swap/sell/trade stories and lies, equipment, and junque. It is also at this meeting that the UVHFS officers are chosen and elected and important matters of policy discussed/voted upon.

What sort of junque will be there/should I bring?
As you would expect, the emphasis of the swapmeet is on Amateur Radio - so if all you bring are a bunch of Vacuum Cleaners and the warped head from a '73 Buick, you will look out of place! Generally, anything ham radio-related will be fine, as are electronic and computer-related items, generally.

What about admission?
Admission is FREE for current UVHFS members
$5.00 for non member adults
$2.00 for non members 12 years old and under.

Your membership may have already expired by the time of the swapmeet - see below for info on how to renew!

Remember, for just a few bucks more than the admission, you can get UVHFS membership which, in addition to getting that nifty VHF Society booklet, will give you that warm feeling of helping support many repeaters in Utah!

For more information follow this link and scroll down half the page:

Utah VHF Society

What Radio Should I Purchase...

An email written from Susan Smith KJ7ABC 

to participants in the SLC SE Division CERT net 

sent February 13, 2012

Dear Friends of Amateur Radio,

The classic two-pronged question a newly licensed ham usually asks is "Which radio should I buy and how much will it cost?"  As in most hobbies, this question cannot be answered in a straightforward, easy fashion (but read on for a particularly low-budget option).    I venture to say that the typical ham has more than one radio, including one or more handheld transceivers in addition to his or her main station, which may be a mobile radio or base station.  After the primary question of which radio come the questions about antennas, power sources, other equipment, gear, manuals, organizations, nets, etc.

But, let's get back to the question of which radio to purchase.  The Web offers many primers and guides to choosing a ham radio, including one at http://www.eham.net/newham/firstradio and one by ARRL to download at http://www.arrl.org/buying-your-first-radio .  Some important considerations in choosing a radio include:

   1.)  Which bands do you plan to use?  For instance, 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands are common for the Technician class and will get you onto a variety of simplex and repeater frequencies, but if you plan to upgrade to General or Extra licenses relatively soon, a broader range of bands might be considered. Do you want a radio capable of operating on more than one band?  Dual-band handheld and mobile radios with 2 meter and 70 centimeter are common, with 1.25 meter as a third band on some models.

   2.)  Where or how are you going to be using the radio?  For instance, will you be using the radio only at home, in the car, at work and/or roaming the city or hills?  Many hams enjoy assisting communications for public service events such as marathons, parades, and festivalKG-UV3Ds.  More and more cities are involving ham operators in preparedness for emergency disasters and in real-life community emergencies.  Reaching other operators either by voice or CW (Morse Code) around the world can be exciting and challenging.

   3.)  Is D-Star or packet radio (etc.) of particular interest to you?  Radios and the extra equipment for such options can be pricey.

   4.)  What is your budget?  Some people ask whether this is a hobby they can afford even before they prepare for a licensing exam; hence, asking licensed hams their opinions and doing research on your own is extremely important to answering that question.  There is a huge range of prices for radios and radio-specific accessories, from memory-programming software to replacement antennas for a handheld to GPS capabilities for some radios, and some manufacturer's accessories can have a hefty price tag.  As many hams purchase multiple radios over the years, there are used radios for sale that might be in the price range of even the most humble budget.

    5.)  What other personal considerations do you have to take into account?  Is the weight or size of a handheld a major consideration?  Will the radio fit your hand well if your hand is large or small?  Are the keys too small for you to tap? Might you have a difficult time seeing a display with lots of information in a small font?

So, what does this boil down to?  I have not attempted to develop here a guide on this topic, especially as I am a relative newbie myself and am not conversant with much of amateur radio yet, but I will offer a few insights and possibilities to those who are at the earliest stages as an amateur radio hobbyist and can't or don't want to spend a whole lot of money at this time.  I plan to keep this short and sweet: radio, power, antenna.

My husband and I have purchased multiple radios since licensing as technicians in July 2010.  Recently, I purchased a Wouxun (pronounced o' shing) KG-UV3D 2m/70cm radio online (http://www.powerwerx.com/wouxun-radios/kg-uv3d-dual-band.html) for $119.99 and the high-gain antenna for $29.99 to carry to work and on trips.  If I'm a bit rough on packing it around, I know I'm not spending hundreds to replace it.  Also, knowing that some prospective hams in the SLC Southeast Division are concerned about the cost of getting into ham radio, I wanted to test it.  After using it a few times over the last three weeks, I believe this inexpensive radio and its accessories may suit many an amateur radio operator at a budget price, particularly for use at shorter distances (e.g., the Southeast Division) and on repeaters.

In case you consider buying a Wouxun, here are some things of which to be aware.  The purchase list I have attached below serves as a reference on this topic.
  * I find the relatively short and simple operator's manual helpful and succinct.
  * Some operators may feel they need a lot of memory for programming frequencies.  This radio has "only" 128 memory channels.
  * The connector on the radio for the antenna is not a typical U.S. connection; hence, purchasing the longer high-gain antenna and adapters such as the SMA Female to UHF SO-239 Adapter (for connecting to certain antennas, such as rooftop antennas) at the time of purchasing the radio is advisable.
  * Charge at least six to eight hours before first use, even if the green light on the charging base appears before then.
  * Judging by experiences of another recent buyer and myself, the radio comes set in duplex with negative offset ... as if connecting to a repeater.  For simplex operation (as in 147.50 MHz for the SLC SE Division Net on Thursdays at 9 p.m. -- yep, a shameless plug!), the operator must remove the negative offset.  (See instructions in the manual.)
  * The Wouxun weighs 9.2 ounces and is 2.3 x 4.1 x 1.6 inches.
  * Unlike some other radio manufacturers, the software for programming frequencies into the Wouxun is free by downloading from the Internet.  One ham recommends using the free Chirp programming software at http://chirp.danplanet.com/ .
  * I would be glad to lend my programming cable and/or cloning cable to anyone who purchases the Wouxun.

My purchases January 2012 from www.powerwerx.com follow.

WXAAB	AA Battery Pack for Wouxun Radios	$10.99
WXNRG	Nifty! Quick Reference Guide for Wouxun Radios	$5.99
WXCLN	Cloning Cable for Dual Pin Wouxun Radios	$9.99
WXGAT-RV	High Gain Dual-Band 2m/440 Handheld Reverse SMA Antenna	$22.99
WXBTE	Battery Eliminator for Wouxun Radios	$14.99
WXS16	Wouxun SMA Female to UHF (SO-239) Antenna RF Adapter	$5.99
KG-UV3D-2/420-520	Wouxun KG-UV3D Dual Band 128 Channel Handheld Amateur Radio... (Receive Range: V: 136-174, U: 420-520 MHz, Transmit Range: V...)	$119.99
WXUSB	USB Programming Cable for Wouxun Radios	$15.99
HM05JSJ	Comet Reverse SMA Female 18" coax adapter jumper to SO-239	$14.99
WXHST	Economy Headset Microphone for Wouxun Radios	$8.99
WXRSM	Powerwerx Heavy Duty Remote Speaker Microphone for Wouxun Radios	$44.99
WXLTR	Wouxun Leather Case	$14.99
Flashlight	Powerwerx 9 LED Pocket Flashlight: FREE with purchase of $125 or more	$0.00

	Product Total:	$290.88
	Saving:	$9.99
	Shipping:	$14.11
	Tax:	$0.00
	Total:	$304.99

In response to an email on this topic, a ham says, "After playing around with my wife's Wouxun, I don't think I'd be afraid to try one of the other Chinese brands.  For example, AsiaRadioSales (http://www.asiaradiosales.com/en/) has dual-band handhelds starting at $46 shipped direct from Hong
Kong.  I've purchased some other stuff from them and been satisfied.  It only takes a week or so to get here."

In addition to a radio, power and antennas are extremely important components for effective communications.

A radio can receive ("hear") radio communications on relatively low power, but transmissions require a great deal more power.  If you have a handheld radio with a rechargeable battery such as the Wouxun above, most hams recommend buying an alkaline-battery pack/adapter (i.e., for AA's or AAA's), if available for your radio, and lots of batteries to act as standby when your rechargeable battery gets low.  Over time, rechargeable batteries can decrease in power capacity or life, and batteries with a full charge can be critical for effective communications.  There are lots of other battery or power options for handhelds, but I will not cover that here.

As antennas are a vital consideration in good radio transmission, many experienced hams recommend dedicating extra money to the antenna over buying a pricier radio when other features of possible radios are about the same.  When I attached the Wouxun via the adapter mentioned above to my dual-band rooftop antenna, I was able to reach a repeater in Utah County, where hams reported they could hear me "clear as a bell."  (Keep in mind that although my rooftop antenna is relatively modest, I have a good location in the SLC Southeast Division, rising above Highland Drive but not too far east, to have great reach across Salt Lake Valley and a bit beyond.)  Additionally, I purchased a magnetic mount ("mag mount") antenna for my Wouxun to use on my car and at home threaded through a slightly open window to the rain gutter.  This is a two-part system -- both Diamond -- the SPM-35 mag mount (http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000002) costs $44.95 and the NR-770HB antenna (http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000063, also available in silver) is $59.95.  The ham that recommended the Diamond antenna to me says Comet makes something similar  that may cost less; I just wanted to get what he knew works great.

If anyone has experience with the Wouxun, other handhelds, mobiles or base stations that could be considered budget radios for new amateur operators, please let me know your impressions of them, including model numbers, at ssmithrph@aol.com .