WORLDWIDE
eDISPATCH
- 1 SEP 2009 - 0000Z
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Dedicated to Emergency Communications by RADIO
EMCOMM
MONTHLY
Official
Journal of the World Radio Relay League
www.wrrl.org
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VOL. 6 -- No. 1
www.emcomm.org September 2009
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The EM PHILOSOPHY
- TIME and
SPACE
SHORT CIRCUITS - News and Announcements
FEEDBACK, MUSINGS and SPURIOUS EMISSIONS
The EM
ADVISOR - "Q and A"
ICS
PERSPECTIVES
WRRL
NEWS and NETS
TRAFFIC HANDLING
NETWORK
NEWS - "N.E.T.S."
SHOW US YOUR SHACK
SHOW US
YOUR SHACK
FEATURE
EMCOMM SPECIALTY ITEMS - Stuff for
NEW SUBSCRIBERS and CONTRIBUTORS
REFERENCE and RESOURCE SECTION
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The EM PHILOSOPHY
TIME and SPACE
Editorial by D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ, Editor-Publisher
I hope that you all enjoyed a great summer (winter for our Southern Hemisphere
readers), and much high-quality time spent with family and friends! Here
at the Lazy T Ranch in the outback of Northern California, we spent most of our
free time catching up on vehicle repairs, home and ranch maintenance work, and a
lot of sitting out on our observation deck, listening to the Patriot Channel
(Sirius 144), while watching the weeds grow, the dogs play, the eagles, hawks,
and vultures soar above, (and in the daytime) watching Old Glory proudly fly
above our little wilderness sanctuary. In the evening we often watched
electrical light shows on our southern horizon and/or observed the glory of the
stars and planets as they parade across the night sky! We know what Dante
(The
Divine Comedy) meant when he wrote:
“Nature is the art of God.” I also did a lot of soul searching as to how I
would choose to spend my available time and remaining energy as I live out my
days.
EMCOMM MONTHLY was the offspring of a weekly e-letter that
began in 2000 as the
"5-1-2*
Bulletin." The readership/service area for that regional
emcomm bulletin soon expanded, and it was aptly re-named The EMCOMMWEST
Bulletin. The
subscriber list continued to expand, both numerically and geographically, and it
eventually became an international publication. Producing a weekly
newsletter became increasingly time consuming and difficult, and burn-out was on
the horizon. I wanted to sign-off for good, but others said that the niche
we were filling was needed. So, after much reflection, I (with the counsel
of a few close friends), decided to make it into a monthly, and in June 2004, EM appeared.
From the beginning, our goal was not to save traditional amateur radio
emcomm...but to try to slow its decline. Five years ago, in the PREMIER ISSUE
www.emcomm.org/em/2004/June2004.htm,
we asked our readers: "Suppose it is the year 2020. You are being
interviewed by a reporter who asks you to give a one word answer to this
question: “What killed amateur radio? After thinking about it...what
is your answer?" The following month our readers' replies to that question
were published along with an
Op-Ed piece:
WHAT KILLED AMATEUR RADIO?
www.emcomm.org/em/2004/July2004.htm
Looking back at that article we conclude that nothing much has changed since
then except that the number of public service radio operators and
skilled traffic handlers has continued to decline. More and more hams are
putting all of their
emcomm eggs
into digital, computerized, landline-infrastructure-hybrid communications.
In spite of our best efforts, amateur radio emcomm is slowly being diluted and
polluted, and the radio
part of amateur radio emcomm is gradually being siphoned off and is slowly
fading out. Sooner or later the ability to handle and relay record message
traffic, no matter what mode, will be nothing more than a curious relic from the
past.
A
PAIR OF SCISSORS
This past July marked the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. I enjoyed
watching and listening to all the special programs commemorating what was one of
mankind's greatest technological achievements. Mark Levin (author of the
best selling
Liberty and
Tyranny) told an interesting story about something that happened at
the dedication of the
National Air
and Space Museum at Washington, DC in 1976.
Levin, who was then serving as an aide to President Gerald Ford, was present at
the ribbon-cutting ceremony which was being conducted by Brig.General Michael
Collins, (USAF Ret.). Collins remained aboard the Apollo 11 command module
Columbia,
while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were on the lunar surface.
President Ford arrived and with many dignitaries and members of the media
present, the actual ribbon cutting included a radio signal being transmitted
from an orbiting satellite, which would then activate a laser beam, which would
cut the ribbon. The set-up worked and the ribbon was cut by the laser beam
on schedule. After the ceremony, someone noticed a pair of
scissors protruding from Gen. Collins' rear pocket and asked him why he had
brought them. His reply: "I brought them just in case the high-tech stuff
didn't work!"
ROCKET SCIENCE
Emergency communications is not rocket science! How something so
simple has been made so complicated is beyond the outer limits of reason and
common sense. Emcomm is simply knowing how to accept, relay, and
deliver third party message traffic by radio using a standardized message
format. No amateur radio operator worth his (or her) salt, should
ever let his or her basic language skills and tools of communication to be lost
or get rusty! No matter what other systems you employ for emcomm, every
one of us should keep a simple transceiver (e.g. - Ten-Tec QRP CW, MFJ Cub, NorCal
or Oak Hills QRP rig** or voice rig such as Ten-Tec Scout or Yaesu FT-817), a
J-38 hand key and/or mic, and an easy-to-deploy wire antenna. A 12 v.d.c.
power source can always be found...even if its from a wrecked vehicle, or using
8 "D" cells in series. And a J-38 should fit nicely in your hip pocket!
Other essentials include a clipboard and paper, pen and pencil, plus the "know
how" of being able to handle message traffic.
LOOKING BACK
Over the past 40 years your editor has devoted countless thousands of hours to
emergency preparedness and response. As I look back, I enjoy great
satisfaction, but I realize that we have done just about all we can do to
convince amateur radio operators of the importance of proficient operating and
public service. There have been many times that I have felt like I was
shoveling sand against the tide. Several of my close confidants have often
wondered and asked why I do it. I'm not sure that I have a valid answer.
EM
cannot be considered to be anything but a success. This is due in part to
the fact that there has been and there still is a need and considerable demand
for practical, useful, down-to-earth emcomm information. Information that
is no longer readily available elsewhere, and that has not been polluted with a
lot of superfluous "high-tech-gobbledy-gook."
OTHER FACTORS
The "graying" of amateur radio is a reality. And every week I hear of
another key going silent. And I am only counting the operators that I know
personally. Also, I am personally experiencing the wear and tear of aging.
I'll not list all of the physical problems that I am experiencing, but will say
that arthritis and bilateral Depuytren Contractures have crippled my hands to
the point that it is painful and increasingly difficult to type. And long
hours on the keyboard exacerbate the condition.
QUITE FRANKLY
New and interesting emcomm material has become more and more difficult to find
and/or originate. Long-time readers probably have noticed that we have
done a fair amount of re-cycling of articles and subjects. While this may
bore some readers, it serves as a review for others, and is a source of useful
information for new subscribers. But over the past few years...we have
said just about all that can be said on the subject of emcomm...some of it three
and four times over. And the
fundamentals never change! If serious emcomm operators haven't
got it by now...they probably never will. TO RECENT
SUBSCRIBERS: We hope that you won't feel left out.
Back issues of
EM
are archived at:
www.emcomm.org/em or
use our handy site search at:
www.emcomm.org/search.htm
I have always avoided using
EM
(or any aspect of amateur radio) as a "bully pulpit" for my political views.
Some readers have been able to read between the lines a few times
and have detected that I am a staunch conservative. With our nation in
such a mess and spinning out of control, it has been hard at times to stifle my
passion for liberty and not shout out
let freedom
ring!
Therefore, I have decided to devote more of my available free time and energy to
working on projects to help preserve our unalienable rights (Life, Liberty,
Property and the Pursuit of Happiness), and our Constitution, (especially the
First and Second Amendments).
NO
BUSINESS
EMCOMM MONTHLY and EMCOMM.ORG are
NOT businesses, and while our out-of-pocket operating costs are relatively low,
we do have to pay internet service fees, domain registration, other fees and
operating costs. We do not accept advertising and there are no "pop-ups"
on our website. We do not feed at the public (read taxpayers) trough. From
the beginning,
EM has
been funded solely by voluntary donations from the staff and our readers.
We dislike asking for monetary contributions, and simply say: "If you have
benefited from our efforts, and would like to support this work in a tangible
way, you may do so by sending a check or money order."
For most of us times are tough, but since the last (June) issue, only four
readers have made a donation. A couple of years ago we said "If every
reader would send just one 'green stamp' ($1.00) a year, our budget would be in
good shape." Following that subtle hint, eight (8) readers sent a dollar and a
few sent a little more. I am not whining, but I do read this as an
indication that few "have benefited from our efforts," at least enough to
support our efforts in a tangible manner.
EMCOMM
QUARTERLY
Because new subscribers continue to flow in (53 since
the June issue), I just can't bring myself to "cut them off" by putting
EM
into the deleted file along
with
Worldradio (1971-2008),
73 magazine
(1962-2003),
Popular
Electronics (1957-1999),
Electronics
Illustrated (1958-1972), and many others too numerous to list
that are long forgotten. Even
RadioShack®
recently dropped "radio" from its name. Does anyone still maintain that
amateur radio, as we once knew it, is not slowly fading out? However, EM
will remain afloat awhile longer...but on a quarterly basis. Therefore,
this is the last issue of
EMCOMM
MONTHLY. Starting in December, EM
will become
EMCOMM
QUARTERLY or
"EQ."
The next scheduled issue will be issued on December 1, 2009.
Thereafter,
EQ
will be published in March, June, September and December. In the meantime,
all back issues of
EM
will continue to be available at
EMCOMM.ORG
-- the most comprehensive emcomm resource on the internet. - Editor
* "5-1-2" Bulletin" -
A regional weekly bulletin for emcomm operators in (ARRL) Southern Oregon
District 5 and Northern California Districts 1 and 2.
**
RESOURCES (Inexpensive QRP CW Transceiver suppliers):
http://store.tentec.com/kits/transceivers/#1300
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Search.php?searchit=cub
http://www.norcalqrp.org/nc2n2xx.htm
http://www.ohr.com/ohr100a.htm
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SHORT CIRCUITS
4x4 (Four Wheel Drive) HAM RADIO OPERATORS
Off
Road and On the Air!
Check out:
http://4x4ham.ning.com/
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COMMON SENSE
Two items appeared in the July 2009 issue of
Natural
Hazards Observer that seem to indicate that
common sense
may be making a comeback.
SCHOOL BUS BRIGADE
The post 9/11 billion-dollar gravy train has long since dried up. In Cutler Bay's
School Bus Brigade (page 5), NHO reports on how the Town of
Cutler Bay, FL (Miami-Dade County) converted diesel powered school buses into
emergency response vehicles. New commercially-manufactured ERVs start at
around $300,000. The buses were purchased for $10 each from the local
school district and re-configured into mobile communication units, mobile
command posts and logistical support purposes. This
wise
utilization of the taxpayer's dollars is congruent with the
EM
PHILOSOPHY.
NEW FEMA ADMINISTRATOR
Natural Hazards Observer
(page 15) also reports that Craig Fugate, former director of the Florida
Division of Emergency Management, volunteer firefighter and paramedic has been
confirmed as the new administrator of FEMA. Do we now have someone in that
position who has actually "smelled the gunpowder?" Fugate told the U.S.
Senate confirmation committee: "We have to begin
looking at our citizens as a resource, not as a liability, in our plans.
We have to integrate and build capacity and capability at the local level, the
state, and federal level. It has to incorporate the volunteer, faith-based
and community-based organizations, and private sector." What a
breath of fresh air! -
Editor
NOTE:
The Natural Hazards Observer
is published by the Natural Hazard Center at the University of Colorado, 482
UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0482.
Subscriptions are free.
NOTE:
K6SOJ's 1971 Ford/Gillig/Caterpillar mobile communications bus
appeared on the cover of the November 1994
QST.
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NVIS INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
http://www.tactical-link.com/field_deployed_nvis.htm
http://www.w0ipl.net/ECom/NVIS/nvis.htm
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AVOID FYI ?
"FYI" (For Your Information) is commonly used as an abbreviation in email
messaging. Word has been received that some SPAM FILTERS reject or divert
email messages that include FYI in the subject to the "junk email folder."
Caveat Emptor. -
EM
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EMCOMM EAST
October 3, 2009 - St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY www.emcommeast.org/
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FEEDBACK,
MUSINGS and SPURIOUS EMISSIONS
NVIS
"I have recently set up an NVIS antenna system using a 130 ft. dipole with the
feed point at the corner of a wooden fence and the elements at 90 degrees to
each other. I used the WRRL NVIS manual as reference. The antenna is 18 inches
above the ground and to my everlasting surprise the auto-tuner in my IC 775DSP
works very well on 40 and 80 meters. I was prepared to use a manual tuner.
The antenna is fed with 80 ft. of RG 213 and the system works very well. I am
still testing it and tomorrow is field day and much can be accomplished then.
"I also have a D4 rotatable dipole and an HF 6V Butternut vertical, both having
been in use for many months to use as comparisons. As advertised, the noise
level is very low and signals of S7,8 and 9 have been received from stations as
far away as Portland, OR, Hood River, Vancouver Is. Prineville, OR, Lewiston,
ID, and Grand Forks, BC(NW of Spokane). Much testing remains to be done. I am
very pleased so far." - Gary Jones, WB7DIE, Mt. Vernon, WA
COMMENT: Thanks for the report about your experiements and
tests, Gary. Of course, with NVIS, a lot depends upon your ground
conductivity, or how far below the surface is the actual "earth ground."
An antenna that is only 18 inches above ground presents a hazard to both humans
and animals. We recommend that antennas be at least 8 feet above ground. -
Editor
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VoIP, IRLP, Echo link, etc.
"You may be interested in emcomm things Nevada Amateur Radio Repeaters, Inc
(NARRI) is doing to support VoIP nets such as the weekly NV ARES®, ARC and
Disaster Communicators Forum. See www.narri.org
to see real-time mapping of VoIP repeaters/nodes and net schedules. I operate
big-pipe, “dual channel” (IRLP and Echo link) VoIP servers for NV and HI ARES®
as well as others described in www.narri.org
I am adding an emcomm server for Northern California and Idaho. The servers
could be used as full-time links, as we do in NV, a place to go for nets and a
real incident.
"The ARC (American Red Cross
- editor) holds a weekly net on Western Reflector channel 7 (IRLP
9257) AND Echo link conference server *DCF-ARC* (336037) Sundays at 6 pm Pacific
local time. Many of the ARC communicators use Echo link installed on their PC.
The dual server is up 24/7. The NCS is in KC, Kansas. Perhaps it is
something of news for Emcomm Monthly.
"VoIP is a part of amateur radio. The FCC and ARRL agree. VoIP does not
replace HF, but is another repeater-linking tool that more and more emcomm
organizations are using. Commercial VoIP linking is used by Public Service
organizations all over the USA for Emcomm including California. The internet was
designed to a mil spec. VoIP did not fail ( not once) during 9-11 even in NYC.
The weak link is in the ham shack same as for HF – no emergency power in many
cases. It is used by many ham emcomm organizations, including weather
reporting on the VoIP SKYWARN/Hurricane Net
http://www.voipwx.net/ and American Red
Cross. See net listings at www.narri.org.
VoIP linking is thought to be more reliable than RF linking (site to site).
Don’t throw away your untried tools." - Kent Johnson, W7AOR, Las Vegas, NV
EM
COMMENTS: The systems mentioned are complicated, complex
and expensive. But they are a means of communication. However,
EMCOMM
MONTHLY and WRRL does not advocate depending upon them for
emcomm during "real incidents" or preparedness activities. We believe that
emergency communication networks must not depend upon landline and/or commercial
services such as the internet. Even relying upon repeaters is a gamble.
These services and systems can, and will, fail during emergencies and disasters.
An
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP*) attack, or the internet (and cell phone
services) may be shut down by "the government." Emcomm must be able to
provide message traffic solely by amateur radio, independent of landline and
commercial services and commercial power sources. Using these systems
for emcomm "nets" on a regular basis promotes a false sense of security,
and does not provide training, practice and/or experience in actual radio net
discipline and procedures.
In spite of what the FCC or ARRL may say, what we haven't had satisfactorily
explained yet is: If the telephones, email and the internet are still intact and
functioning during or following a disaster or other calamity, or they haven't
been shut down or restricted by a government order, why bother with radio at
all? And, if extra personnel is all that is needed to operate the
normal means of communication, non-ham volunteers can easily be trained to
perform those functions.
I recall an incident many years ago where a ham stationed in a disaster shelter
was laboriously reading off a long list of needed supplies (which is unnecessary
if resource typing has been implemented), tying up a VHF linked repeater
system, and all the while a functioning telephone was sitting next to him on the
desk!
In the net examples you mention, there was/is no failure of the "normal means of
communications," and the "normal means of communications" should be used
whenever possible. However, during Katrina, and many other recent
disasters, all of this stuff was knocked out...in some areas for weeks.
Sadly, skilled radio operators who know how to communicate and relay message
traffic (using radio only) are becoming fewer and fewer every day.
Fundamental skills are not widely being taught, practiced, or emphasized.
But then...most of society is being lulled into a false sense of security in
many areas and disciplines.
FINALLY - These hard-wired systems do not allow for a real-time "broadcast"
(CQD, QST, SOS, MAYDAY or PAN PAN PAN**), distress call to all stations.
Re. "Don’t
throw away your untried tools." We prefer to say,
"Don't throw
out your oars or paddle, just because you have a motor on your life-boat!"
- Editor
*
READ MORE ABOUT EMP
(Electromagnetic Pulse)
A recent (2008) update by The Heritage Foundation:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandSecurity/bg2199.cfm
From
EM archives:
http://www.emcomm.org/archives/number112.htm
http://www.emcomm.org/archives/number113.htm
**
PAN PAN PAN:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayday_(distress_signal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AV-h4CCsx8
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THE EM ADVISOR
The staff of
EMCOMM
MONTHLY is happy to answer your questions to the best of our
ability. Some are
"FAQs" (Frequently Asked Questions) and others are of a specific nature.
Each month, we will answer questions that may have value to other emcomm radio
operators. Technical questions are forwarded to our Technical Advisor, Ed
Ewell, K7DXV. Questions about our ARCT program or NIMS/ICS are forwarded to
Before submitting a question, we ask our readers to check the FAQ page
first...your question may have been asked before. Also, please consider
checking our site search page at:
http://www.emcomm.org/search.htm to
see if your question may have been previously addressed in
EMCOMM
MONTHLY. Thank you.
Q:
"I was looking at the CalFire web site this evening, and saw
that they were sending the Latitude and Longitude of a fire.
Example: Lat: 34° 15´ 4" Long: 118° 11´ 41" -- How would you send this in a
message via voice?" - Greg Kruckewitt, KG6SJT, Yolo County, CA ARES® AEC
A:
An excellent question, Greg. And, a very important one! All messages
should be handled with 100% accuracy. But this is especially true when
sending, relaying, receiving and delivering vital information such as latitude
and longitude.
THERE IS NO
ROOM FOR ERROR! One tragic example was when a forward observer
in a combat situation, reported the position of the enemy, and called for an air
strike. He inadvertently sent the position of his own unit. He and
his entire unit were all killed.
In recent years public service agencies (such as CalFire) and the NIMS have
adopted a CLEAR TEXT or plain language policy for voice transmissions.
Although this is somewhat vague (there is no way to define "clear text" of
"plain language" and what may be clear to one person, could be confusing to
another), the method can work fairly well, as long as sending operators express
information accurately and receive operators know
how to
listen carefully, and
write it
down as soon as it is received!
Do NOT trust
anything to memory!
Assuming that there is a clear ("full quieting") point-to-point radio contact,
as is usually the case in most
tactical FM
VHF/UHF public service communications, I would transmit (in voice) your
example (above) like this:
"Latitude thirty-four degrees fifteen minutes four seconds longitude one one
eight degrees eleven minutes forty-one seconds"
Now (before someone gets all excited) it is recognized, that in this example no
north or south is given for latitude and no east or west is given for the
longitude, but in a
tactical
situation that is acceptable. Obviously if the operation is in California
the Latitude is N (north) and the Longitude is W (west).
The receiving station may want to reply with a "read-back" by saying:
"Confirming latitude thirty-four degrees fifteen minutes four seconds (pause)
longitude one one eight degrees eleven minutes forty-one seconds"
Now,
this is where it can get challenging: Factors such as
interference or noise, operator language accent, poor radio conditions, etc.
This is often the case in AM transmissions (as in most VHF aeronautical
communications), in HF/VHF SSB radio, voice transmission my need help by using
proper
prowords* and procedures:
Using your message again as an example, under marginal conditions one might say
(slowly):
"Latitude thuh-ree foh-wer degrees wun fife min-utes foh-wer sec-onds
(pause)
longitude
wun wun ate degrees wun wun min-utes foh-wer wun sec-onds. Over."
ANYTIME, a POSN lat/long message must go through one or more relay station,
it
must
be formatted in the
standardized
message (RADIOGRAM) format.
This was covered in-depth in the January 2006 issue of
EM
(how time flies :-)! http://www.emcomm.org/em/2006/january2006.htm
The article is reproduced below the FEATURE section in its entirety. - EM
*NOTE: Prowords are not included in any word count or check
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ICS PERSPECTIVES
By
Elsewhere in this issue you will read K6SOJ’s editorial regarding Emcomm Monthly becoming Emcomm Quarterly. I have worked with Dave ( I have always known our editor as "Dave") for years both in actual emcomm incidents (the large and costly Jones Fire of 1999 in Shasta County, California comes to mind) and in the writing of this on-line journal. I have the utmost respect for Dave, the product he produces, his integrity and dedication to the Emcomm function and, most importantly, as a good and decent human being. I continue to be amazed at his willingness to keep this on-line journal alive in spite of all the “negatives” he alludes to in his editorial. That is especially remarkable because Dave is not a one dimensional person. I know of his other involvements and the impact of health issues on the time he has available for this journal.
Like Dave, I spent the summer months reflecting on how to best use my time and
whatever talents I have in whatever time the Lord gives me on this earth. My decision is a little different than
Dave’s, though I certainly respect his.
This will be my last ICS Perspectives column in this publication. Given what I honestly believe to be
issues of far greater importance, I am choosing to devote my energy to those
other issues. Excuse the political
comment, but my conscience will simply not let me idly stand by while this
country rapidly marches to socialism.
My children and grandchildren mean too much to me not to do everything I
legitimately can to preserve the qualities of this nation that I was blessed to
experience in my lifetime. While I
have not, in the past, been involved politically, that has changed. And, to do what I need to do and do it
right requires time…in fact all the time I can possibly devote to the effort. I wish you the reader and Dave the
Editor and Publisher the very best in the future. God Bless and 73 from
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WRRL NEWS and NETS
∙ REGIONAL
EMCOMM NETS
(ALL SERIOUS EMCOMM STATIONS WELCOME):
Pacific (and Mountain) Time Zones: PTZNN (aka Jefferson Noon Net/JNN)
daily at 1200 PTZ on 7214/± kHz (7204 and 3911± kHz alternate)
Central (and Eastern) Time Zones: CTZNN Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at
1200 CTZ
on
7214± kHz
∙ WRRL NET
on MONDAYS on 14.280 MHz USB (listen up or down the band as much as 20 kHz)
2000Z (When on Daylight Saving Time) and 2100Z (When on Standard Time)
∙ WRRL
STATION MAP UPDATE
Map showing the location of WRRL stations can be viewed at: http://www.wrrl.org/map/index.html
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TRAFFIC
HANDLING
“For want of a letter, a word was lost.
For want of a word, a message was lost.
For want of a message, a life was lost.”
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"Record Message Traffic, by skilled operators, and by RADIO (only)!"
It's all about Dependability, Accuracy and Accountability!
NOTE:
"Record Message Traffic" means that a record is kept of all traffic you handle,
(for at least a period of one year), in the event a question comes up later.
It also
documents
that YOU did your job properly and correctly! (Assuming that you
did...of course.)
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EMCOMM and TRAFFIC HANDLING NETS
LINCOLN NOON NET - LNN (CTZNN) M-W-F
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, and FRIDAYS at 1200 CTZ on 7214 kHz ± LSB.
All emcomm stations in the Central (U.S.) Time Zone, PLUS the Eastern and
Mountain Time Zones are invited to check in.
JEFFERSON NOON NET - JNN (PTZNN) DAILY
DAILY at 1200 PTZ on 7214 kHz ± LSB. (7204 and 3911 kHz alternate)
Stations in the MTZ (and CTZ, if the band is very long) are also welcome!
The LNN and the JNN are for operators who want to learn and/or practice proper
net operating procedures and standardized traffic handling skills.
Stations in the MTZ (band conditions permitting) can potentially participate in
both of these nets, and thereby provide a relay circuit between the east coast
and the west coast on 40 meters three times a week! It is
anticipated that the LNN will eventually become a daily circuit.
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THE “TRAFFIC HANDLER’S MANTRA”
(Recite often to help remember the eight parts in preamble):
“No
• Prepared • Ham • Should • Copy • Priority • Traffic • Delayed”
NUMBER • PRECEDENCE
•
HX
(Handling Instructions) •
STATION OF
ORIGIN •
CHECK
•
PLACE OF
ORIGIN •
TIME
•
DATE
To help you to memorize the eight parts of the preamble,
RECITE
the
"Traffic Handlers Mantra" often:
“No
• Prepared • Ham • Should • Copy • Priority • Traffic • Delayed”
ASSESS your current traffic handling skill. Take the
"TRAFFIC HANDLER’S CHALLENGE" at:
www.emcomm.org (main page)
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NATIONAL EMCOMM TRAFFIC SERVICE (N.E.T.S.)
The NATIONAL EMCOMM TRAFFIC SERVICE
uses designated watch and calling frequencies. Public service
amateur radio operators everywhere are invited to monitor these frequencies
whenever possible. But when disasters or other incidents occur, emcomm
operators are asked to warm up their radios and "light up" the NATIONAL EMCOMM
TRAFFIC SERVICE..."24/7". Active operators know which bands are most
likely to be "open" depending upon the time of day, season, etc.
During disasters and for other emergencies, the frequencies are "open nets".
When traffic becomes heavy, they will become "command and control"
frequencies with a net control station "triaging traffic" and directing stations
with traffic to another (traffic) frequency. (At least 5 kHz away.)
Proper net procedures are essential.
NETS
does not maintain regular schedules and does not handle routine "make work"
messages such as birthday greetings, "your license is about to expire", "book
messages", etc. NETS
is intended to
supplement
and
fortify other networks by providing a vehicle for emcomm
operators to originate, relay and deliver legal radio message traffic (I.e. -
"first class mail") of any precedence, at any time, from and to anyone and
anywhere--especially during disasters or other crises. NETS
stations will cooperate and use other networks that are known to be capable of
accurately and efficiently handling RADIOGRAMS.
NATIONAL EMCOMM TRAFFIC SERVICE (NETS) WATCH • MONITOR • CALLING • TRAFFIC
FREQUENCIES
All
listed frequencies (except 60 meters) are nominal. Actual nets may be up or
down as much as 20 kHz
SSB:
• 1982 kHz
• 3911 kHz RADIO RESCUE (SSB and CW)
• 5332 kHz "Up" to other 60M channels as necessary. 50W maximum ERP.
(Activated during actual incidents.)
• 7214 kHz
• 14280 kHz
•
CW:
• 1911 kHz
• 3540 kHz
• 3911 kHz RADIO RESCUE (SSB and CW)
• 7111 kHz
• 10119 kHz
• 14050 kHz
•
•
GULF STATES (LA, MS, TX, AL)
- 7111
kHz 1100Z-2300Z / 3570 kHz 2300Z-1100Z
During EMERGENCIES: 7111 kHz daytime, 3570 kHz nighttime.
(Times approximate depending on band conditions and changes in sunrise/sunset.)
VHF/UHF FM
• LOCAL EMCOMM SIMPLEX - 146.55 MHz
• RED CROSS EMCOMM SIMPLEX - 147.42 MHz
• NATIONAL CALLING SIMPLEX - 146.52 MHz
Frequencies listed may be on or near other established net frequencies.
As a matter of operating courtesy, always move up or down a few kHz to avoid QRM
when a frequency is in use.
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FEATURE
SECTION
SENDING
POSN IN FORMAL MESSAGE TRAFFIC
An EM advanced studies training module by D.W. Thorne, K6SOJ
(UPDATED September 2009)
A question was posed regarding how to properly send a position (geographical
coordinates) in a RADIOGRAM text. Every available source and reference
were checked and I have not been able to find any official or authoritative
source that gives a standardized protocol as how to send a lat/long in formal
(record) message.
I consulted with the
EM staff,
most of whom have U.S. Navy and other maritime and/or Search and Rescue
experience. I also queried my cousin, Bob Thorne, WA1VRM, of Guilford, CT,
a former U.S. Naval Officer, and who sailed his own sailboat around Atlantic for
many years, and is now an active cross-country pilot.
None of
us are in any position to advocate official policy or procedure. (That will be
up to those in a higher pay grade!) - HI What follows are some
findings and conclusions plus a recommendation:
#1 - With the advent of the GPS (Global Positioning System) the time-tested
system of reporting POSN in degrees, minutes, seconds (46º32'30") has given way
to degrees, minutes, and hundredths of minutes (46º32.50') and is now being used
in most (but not all) services.
Aeronautical and land navigation appears to be adopting the “degrees, minutes,
tenths or hundredths of minutes” system that is popular with the GPS system.
NOTE: It does NOT appear that the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator)
system has caught on in many private and/or civilian services. However,
some jurisdictions and agencies have adopted UTM for SAR operations, and the
trend seems to be in that direction.
#2 - The traditional “degrees, minutes, seconds” system, that can be also be
read on most GPS receivers, seems to still be in use by many for maritime
navigation. However, that may change as more and more mariners adopt GPS.
#3 - For most informal voice transmissions the common way to “say your position”
is (using degrees, and minutes and tenths, or hundredths of minutes): “We are
at” or “our position is”: North 32 degrees 15 decimal (or “DAY-SEE-MAL”) 23
minutes by west 64 degrees 37 decimal 2 minutes”
#4 - The above POSN could be sent in a message text exactly as it was spoken.
It is 15 words and in CW it is 64 characters. This would work and is
acceptable.
#5 - Using deg/mins/secs it would be:
CW: POSN N 64 51 23 X W 147 52 38
Voice: "Our position is North 64 degrees 51 minutes 23 seconds West 147 degrees
52 minutes 38 seconds."
#6 - RADIO COMMUNICATORS MUST be familiar with both methods.
#7 - There doesn’t seem to be any consensus as to whether the N (or S or E or W)
is sent/stated before or after the figures.
#8 - NOW...(for point of discussion) let’s say you received a message in a
RADIOGRAM with the position given as:
POSN N 41 35 10 X W 121 49 77
Most would assume this to be: N41°35’10” x W121°49’77”
But wait! The 77 is a dead give away...since there is only 60 seconds in a
minute. BUT if it were 27, how would the receiving station know if the 27
is seconds or hundredths of a minute?
The originator of the message must make it perfectly CLEAR! (E.g. - Where 52.50
minutes = 50’30”. I’d venture a guess that there has been more than one
“mix-up, due to lack of knowledge or unclear signals.)
#9 - This of course (if it were in a 25 word maximum message) will use up more
“words”...but it probably would be worth it.
#10 - Using the above example, my suggestion (whether in a RADIOGRAM or not) as
to how to send POSN in a RADIOGRAM text and for ALL MODES would be:
OLD METHOD (deg/min/sec):
POSN N 41 35 10 W 121 49 27 (9 WORDS)
OR:
POSN N 41 DEG 35 MIN 10 SEC W 121 DEG 49 MIN 27 SEC (15 WORDS)
It has been pointed out that messages properly formatted, and properly
sent/relayed, with proper spacing/pauses between “words” do not need to include
extra words such as: degrees, minutes, etc.
(Some traffic operators are of the persuasion that figures/numerals should
always be spelled out in formal message traffic. Of course this increases
the word count. If band conditions are poor, or are expected to be poor
somewhere along the path, and/or the message is short (of course SEVENTY
requires more brass pounding than 70 so this has some merit. It is the
originating station that decides this. One a message is formatted no one
may change anything along the line. To change “77” (one word) to seventy seven
(two words) wreaks havoc with the “check”.)
NEW GPS METHOD: (Again, this will work for ALL MODES)
POSN N 41 35R10 W 121 49R27 (7 “WORDS”) Or...
POSN 41 35R10 N 121 49R27 W (same POSN...still seven words)
(Both are acceptable, but I prefer saying/sending the N or W before the
figures.)
By using the R (decimal in CW) it automatically tells the receiving station
that the POSN given is stated in degrees, minutes and tenths (or hundreds)
of minutes.
“The jury is still out” on this subject. If you have any comments or suggestions
send them to us.
FINALLY: However POSN is sent...it must be sent in a way that CANNOT be
interpreted in any other way. And "POSN" MUST be sent (and received) with
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURACY...EVERY SINGLE TIME!
SAMPLE RADIOGRAM WITH POSITION INCLUDED:
16 R KP7OOP 23 MARITIME 1900Z SEP 15
OLIVE OYL
44 HARBORSIDE WY
SWEETHAVEN OR 97222
541 555 7388
POSN N 42 51R78 X
W 124 35R30 CAN SEE
CAPE BLANCO LH X WIMPY
IS SEASICK X HUGS TO
SWEETPEA X LOVE
POPEYE
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REFERENCE and RESOURCE SECTION
• ICS-ARCT GUIDE:
www.emcomm.org/ARCT/
• WRRL ARCT Page
www.wrrl.org/arct_program/
• TRAFFIC HANDLER’S CHALLENGE:
http://www.emcomm.org/thc
• OPERATING PROCEDURES: www.wrrl.org/operating
• PHONETICS:
www.wrrl.org/operating/itu_phonetics.htm
• RADIOTELEPHONE PROCEDURES:
www.wrrl.org/operating/icao_radiotelephony.htm
• GEAR AND EQUIPMENT LIST:
www.emcomm.org (Click on GEAR
CHECK LIST)
• FEMA TRAINING COURSES:
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• FEMA TRAINING COURSE IS-700 (NIMS):
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700a.asp
• ARRL FSD-218. The famous “pink card” that contains (almost) “everything
you ever needed to know about RADIOGRAMS”.
An electronic version of FSD-218 is at:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/#fsd-218
• NTS page by W7ARC:
http://www.w7arc.com/nts
• NATIONAL TRAFFIC SYSTEM (NTS) Methods and Practices Guidelines:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/nts-mpg/
• PACIFIC AREA TRAFFIC NETS:
http://home.earthlink.net/~k7bfl/nwnets.html
• MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE NETWORK:
http://mmsn.org/
• BEAUFORT WINDSPEED SCALE: http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/weather/Met_Codes/beaufort.htm
• NOAA/NWS WINDCHILL CHART:
http://www.weather.gov/os/windchill/index.shtm
• STANDARD TIME ZONE SCALE: http://www.travel.com.hk/region/timezone.htm
• HOSPITAL DISASTER SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM (HDSCS): http://www.hdscs.org
• U. S. AIR FORCE Search and Rescue SURVIVAL MANUAL MIRROR SIGNALING (AFM 64-5
Aug. 1969)
http://www.emcomm.org/drawings/Mirror_Signaling_mid.jpg
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