ARRL January VHF Contest - Perfect for ARES Practice, Too

Article posed from ARRL.org ARES E-Letter, January 15, 2013

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ARRL January VHF Contest - 
Perfect for ARES Practice, Too

The ARRL has added a new "FM Only" category to ARRL VHF contests, starting with the January VHF Contest, which begins this Saturday, January 19. The contest starts at 1900 UTC and runs until Sunday night at 0359 UTC. You'll find lots of "weak signal" VHF operators using high power and sensitive antennas working hard to work your station on FM. No special gear, no big expense -- you can operate in this contest and possibly win a certificate using just the radios you already own.

It's also a perfect opportunity for ARES, SKYWARN, RACES and CERT teams to test their ability to communicate without using a repeater, just as you might have to in an actual emergency. Want to have even more fun? Drive or hike to a local hilltop and you can exercise your deployment capabilities -- it's like "Field Day In the Cold!"

You'll find lots of VHF operators hoping to work YOU! Try transmitting a "CQ Contest" on the following frequencies: 146.550 MHz simplex; 146.580 MHz simplex; also 52.525 MHz (6 meters); 223.5 MHz (1.25 meters); and 446.0 MHz (70 cm band). Remember under the new rules, you're limited to 100 watts or less, but that means you'll be on equal footing with a lot of small stations. A gain antenna (like a beam or Yagi) can really help, and a high location is a big plus, too. You'll need to know your "grid square" as that is part of the exchange of reports with other stations. 

- Les Rayburn, N1LF, Birmingham, former Alabama SEC [See more discussion in this issue (posted below), from ARRL Contest Update Editor Ward Silver, N0AX and from Rayburn. - ed.]

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As the previous Section Emergency Coordinator for Alabama, I understood that FM simplex capability translated to a greater level of capability during an emergency. Amateurs who improved their stations on simplex, also benefited by being able to reach more distant repeaters, which is a huge advantage during severe weather. Some "lessons learned" from cross-promoting FM activity during VHF contests were:

1. Tailor your message to your audience. I didn't try to pitch it as a "contest" as much as an exercise when talking to ARES, SKYWARN, and CERT groups. We encouraged them to test their ability to communicate without the aid of a repeater, as they might have to do in an emergency. We also encouraged Field Day-type operations from high locations.
2. Concentrating activity in a three- to five-hour period is going to be more successful than just putting out the dates and times for a two-day long contest. Nothing is less interesting than "dead air" to a non-contester. (It's not all that interesting to a contester, either - N0AX.)
3. It's vital that weak-signal operators monitor the FM simplex channels and participate during those concentrated activity periods. I tried to utilize the afternoon hours on Saturday, when conditions are poorest---so that operators didn't miss out on a lot of contacts on SSB and CW but that doesn't work well in June when six meters is liable to be open.                                                                   The point is that weak-signal operators often turn their nose up at FM - and this hurts the effort. If you give a new operator a taste of DX, they may become hooked for life. The best way to accomplish this is to get those "monster signals" active on FM. If your local big gun doesn't support FM contesting, then try to change their mind on the topic.                                                                                      You should hear some of the reactions you get from newcomers when they discover they can communicate 75-100 miles or more on their FM rig without a repeater. This is easily possible with a high-performance weak-signal station on one end of the contact.
4. Talk up the event on your local FM nets, club meetings, etc. Tailor the message to the crowd. A DX club isn't going to respond to the same "pitch" as your local ARES team.
5. Poll your club and see who has 222 MHz FM capability. I always make it a point to schedule contacts with those operators on 223.5 MHz simplex.
6. In the last few days before the contest, make a lot of calls on 146.52 MHz and talk to operators there about the contest. They understand the concept of simplex and use it often. They're your best candidates for participation in the contest. Nothing in the rules forbids promoting the contest on 146.52 prior to the event!
7. Don't get discouraged by the naysayers. The FM-Only category is a great idea, but it needs the active support of the weak signal community to work! 

- Les Rayburn, N1LF, reprinted from the January 2, 2013, issue of the ARRL Contest Update

Hurricane Sandy Spawns Lessons Learned for Connecticut ARES

Article posed from ARRL.org ARES E-Letter, December 19, 2012
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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.
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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.