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Dedicated
to Emergency Communications by RADIO
EMCOMM
MONTHLY
“PREPAREDNESS
is our most important PRODUCT”
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"SPECIAL
ANNIVERSARY EDITION"
Welcome to the FIRST
ANNIVERSARY EDITION of EMCOMM MONTHLY! Another
JAM PACKED issue loaded with down-to-earth-hard-core
information for radio operators who are serious about service
to the public. As usual we begin with SHORT
CIRCUITS, A Special EM PHILOSOPHY, and
of course FEEDBACK. Next is The
EM ADVISOR with questions from our readers. In
ICS PERSPECTIVES Jerry Boyd, N7WR answers some additional
reader's questions. After NETWORK NEWS, EMCOMM TRAFFIC takes
a closer look at "ARL FORTY SEVEN" and also
offers some suggestions on "how-to" include
email addresses in RADIOGRAMS. After RETRO
REVIEW and QSH, we proudly
introduce a new regular column: EMCOMM STATION &
OPERATOR NEWS...which debuts just above "SHOW US
YOUR SHACK" (with the names of the winners of our
recent drawing). A very special FEATURE
ARTICLE is next: "My
First SOS" by Jeffrey Herman, KH6O, Radioman at NMO
Honolulu. EMCOMM SPECIALTY ITEMS, NEW
SUBSCRIBERS, CONTRIBUTORS, SUPPORT OUR SUPPORTERS plus
our handy REFERENCE SECTION wraps up the
first issue of EMCOMM MONTHLY's second
year.
SHORT CIRCUITS
• JOHN MORIARITY, K6QQ, EM's Associate
Editor and Technical Advisor - SK
It is with great sadness that we
announce that John Moriarity, K6QQ's key went silent the evening of
Wednesday 11 MAY 2005. John was a licensed radio amateur most of
his life, a tremendous CW operator, and a superb technician. He
was a member of the ARRL, and the SOJOURNERS, an AEC in ARES®, as
well as an Associate Editor and Technical Advisor for EM.
John was a very kind and helpful man and his ethics were
unsurpassed. He will be sorely missed. The family has indicated
that memorial contributions may be made in John's name to: EMCOMM, P.O. Box
99, Macdoel, CA 96058
• SKILLED MORSE OPERATORS ARE
DYING AT AN ALARMING PACE
The above announcement makes two Morse
operators just within the past two months that have become silent keys in one
section alone. All of us need to work hard to maintain our pool of
operators skilled in the "essential language". Not only do
we need to replace the CW SKs, we need additional operators who are
willing to become proficient traffic handlers in all modes!
• NEW TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Ed Ewell, K7DXV, has returned to EM's
staff as our Technical Adviser. Ed has an extensive
background in radio which began as a U.S. Navy radioman and later
served as a Radio Officer aboard a NOAA ship. He has worked as a
broadcast engineer and announcer, and retired commercial as a commercial
radio technician ofter working for the U.S. Forest Service and the
Oregon Department of Forestry for many years. He holds an Extra Class
license, is an ARRL Official Emergency Station and serves as the Friday
evening net control for the West Coast Net (WCN) at 1900 Pacific on
3702 kHz. He currently maintains several repeaters and lives with his
wife Evelyn in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
• POSITIVE MEDIA EXPOSURE
Chip Margelli, K7JA and Ken
Miller, K6CTW, who appeared on the NBC Tonight Show
on May 13 (complete with their old time telegrapher costumes), should
inspire us all to become more active on CW and improve our Morse
skills! Story at: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/05/16/3/?nc=1
• ARL FORTY SEVEN
The ARRL Programs and Service Committee, a committee of
the ARRL Board of Directors, has authorized adding FORTY SEVEN to its list
of ARRL Numbered Radiograms (FSD-3). The definition of ARL
FORTY SEVEN is: "Reference your message number ____
to _____ delivered on ____ at ____ UTC."
The list of ARRL Numbered Radiograms (including FORTY SEVEN) is at this
ARRL Web page in three different formats: HTML, Adobe PDF, and Word for
Windows. http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/#fsd-3.
- Steve Ewald, WV1X - ARRL Field Organization/ Public Service Team
Read more about using ARL FORTY SEVEN in EMCOMM TRAFFIC
(below)
• NEW: "EMCOMM
STATION & OPERATOR NEWS"
Calling EM readers!
Station news from our readers. For an idea of what we are looking
for from you...read this month's reports
(below).
• NEW: "EM
BASIC AND ADVANCED TRAINING MODULES"
Although EM is
considered "99 and 44/100% pure training" by many, beginning
this month look for "EM
Basic or Advanced Study Training Modules" cleverly
disguised (but identified) in every issue. Each will have a reference
identification number. Use for questions and/or
correspondence.
• HURRICANE SEASON OFFICIALLY STARTS
TODAY
June 1st is the official beginning of the
“Hurricane Season”. Do not think that just because your home
station isn’t located in the SE US or the Caribbean you can’t be of
service. Band conditions may be such that a relay
station outside of the normal service area of these nets occasionally
may be of great benefit. As with all emergency nets: DO
lots of listening and DO NOT check in unless
called, or your help is needed, or you have traffic.
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AMATEUR
STATION: http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/w4ehw/
HURRICANE FREQUENCY LISTINGS: http://www.qsl.net/g3yrc/hurricane.htm
• WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA OFFICIAL EMERGENCY
STATION WEB SITE:
An excellent reference
and teaching aid on traffic handling is at:
http://pgh-net.com/oes/traffic-handling-overview.html
• HOSPITAL EMCOMM GROUP RECEIVES
AWARD
The Orange County (CA) Hospital Disaster Support
Communications System has been awarded the "Meritorious Service
Award" for twenty-five years of hospital communications support.
This was one of six service awards given at the 2005 Emergency Medical
Services Ceremony that is part of the Orange County Health Care Agency's EMS
week events. Dr. Bruce Haynes, medical director of EMS,
recounted HDSCS's growth from one hospital twenty-five years ago to the
support now of 33 medical facilities. He also cited 87 emergency
callouts, 69 stand-bys, and over 130 drills to which HDSCS has responded;
and emphasized that HDSCS communicators have provided countless hours of
volunteer time using personally owned radio equipment. http://members.aol.com/emcom4hosp/
• RADIO FOR CLIFF DWELLERS
"Ham Radio Projects for the One Bedroom Apartment" -
by George S. Hughes, WØWEB, San Francisco
• ARRL FIELD DAY 2005 - JUNE 25 -
26
http://www.arrl.org/contests/forms/05-fd-packet.pdf
The EM PHILOSOPHY
WHERE WE HAVE BEEN? AND
WHERE ARE WE HEADED?
Editorial by D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ - Editor
and Publisher
As
with most endeavors, it is wise to periodically stop, take a deep breath,
look around to see where you have been, where you are at, and decide which
direction you want to go. Time and distance markers are traditional
times to pause and re-group. As EM begins
its second year, this is as good a time as any to take a
look back...and ahead.
Long time readers
know that EM's precursor was the EMCOMMWEST
BULLETIN that began as a weekly net reminder to emcomm
operators in northern California and southern Oregon. Interest and
distribution rapidly grew, and news and training articles became regular
items of interest. Soon it became a regional newsletter. It
wasn't long before subscriptions from all parts of the country
began to flow in; and soon, foreign subscriptions began to
trickle in. It became obvious that there was (and there still
is) a demand for down-to-earth, nitty-gritty, "how-to"
information and training about emergency communications by
radio. Our focus gradually shifted
from local interest items to regional to national subjects of interest
and value to emcomm radio operators world-wide.
After four years of producing a weekly bulletin the
workload became burdensome. We looked for a way out. We
even considered "pulling the plug", and going fishing.
But a few readers "got wind" of that idea...and
successfully persuaded us to keep some kind of a
journal...alive. Finally, after much soul searching, it
was decided that we would continue...but as a monthly.
The staff considered several new titles. After it was narrowed
down to two: EMCOMM WORLD and EMCOMM
MONTHLY, our staff of 7 voted 4 to 3 in favor of EMCOMM
MONTHLY.
EM No. 1 (June 2004) began with
asking the question: "What Killed Amateur
Radio?" A month-long reader survey was conducted
and the results were published in subsequent issues. (Read in
the archives at www.emcomm.org/em )
The number one answer received was "apathy".
EM suggested however that upon some future post-mortem
examination, the primary cause of the death of amateur radio will
be the same thing that gave it life: technology.
While amateur radio is not yet
dead...it is slowly dying. With every SK a little more
of amateur radio dies. It's three step-sons: E. Mail, I. N.
Ternet, and C. Phone are thriving, and they are leading a generation of
so-called radio operators into the Abyss of Cyber
Space . But all things change. And we recognize
that in the future, there may only be amateur radio re-enactors,
who will communicate with "antiquated", uncomplicated, and maybe
even "homebrew" gear.)
SO...as we begin our
second year let's take a look at what EMCOMM
MONTHLY is all about. But first, let us state what EM
is not about:
EM is not for
everyone. It has been estimated that 95% of licensed amateurs have
little or no interest in public service or emergency communications.
Of the 5% that claim to have an interest in emcomm, many (include those
who already know it all), will reject much of what is published here.
But there are others (perhaps less than 1% of all radio amateurs), who
are hungry for both basic and advanced, solid,
understandable, useable information about emergency
communications by radio.
EM is not
about law enforcement. (Badges, guns, red lights, sirens, etc.)
Some volunteers see emcomm as patrolling the parking lot at an
EOC and using HTs. If that is what they want to do...so be it. However,
non-hams can easily perform that type of duty. Explorer
Scouts using FRS HTs often provide this type of service.
EM is not about
fire suppression. (Helmets, goggles, turnouts, boots, etc.)
Volunteer hams perform thousands of hours of very meaningful
service every year in this type of service. And they often use
amateur radio for back up communications. They are to be
commended. But emergency communication is much more than standing
guard at a road barricade or checkpoint during a fire or a flood.
EM is not about
Search and Rescue. (Tracking sticks, ropes, carabineers,
helicopters...and all that other really cool stuff!)
EM does not
stand for Emergency Medicine. (Stethoscopes, resuscitators,
compresses, etc.) Although many emcomm volunteers are trained
in first aid and/or have an EMT rating and many expert
communicators are nurses or doctors.
EM does not
stand for Emergency Management. (Although we ought to be managing
ourselves.)
(NOTE: If you are a
professional or volunteer in any of the above named services, and
occasionally use amateur radio for back-up, this is not in anyway
intended to diminish your contribution(s). You have our full
support. It's just that EM is about much more
than short-range tactical communications.)
EM is not about
experimenting with, or promoting, the latest high-tech electronic
gadgetry. There are many fine scientific journals available on
those subjects. But if that is what you are looking for you
will not find it here.
EM advocates
using only what is known to work (every time) during emergencies;
whether it's a life jacket, a fire extinguisher, or an emergency
communication system!
Sadly, the railroads have
abandoned the ubiquitous caboose and replaced its live crew with an
electronic box on the rear of the train; and commercial
maritime companies have replaced shipboard radio officers with
satellite telephones (one less officer and the Master also now
serves as the Radio Officer); and the GPS has
replaced the compass, sextant, chronograph and short wave receiver
tuned to WWV, CHU, JJY, VNG. It's the easy way
out. Let machines do the work.
Now, emergency communication
organizations are falling over themselves in a rush to adopt many of
these same trends and are replacing skilled radio operators with
automated "high tech" systems. Advocates say that
knowledge of radio propagation patterns, antenna repair and/or
construction, Morse code proficiency, proper voice net operations,
operator discipline and courtesy; and all the other things that has made
the ability to communicate by radio so unique for over a hundred
years, are no longer necessary. One wonders what will happen when
this massive infrastructure (power grid, landline, microwave and
satellite communications, and much more) breaks down during a major
disaster or a terrorist attack? Or, what if the Internet
and the GPS is shut down for security purposes?
SIDEBAR: Most of our
public schools have abandoned geography and spelling as part of a basic
curriculum. A great way to have your children and
grandchildren learn some of this essential knowledge...is to get
them into ham radio! We cannot think of a better (and
more fun) way to teach geography! And nothing teaches
spelling and self-discipline better than learning (and using) the Morse
language!
So if we're
not junior fire fighters, reserve traffic control officers, amateur
doctors, or armchair weather forecasters...what are we? Before we
consider that question, first some comments about...
WHO SHOULD CONTROL AMATEUR RADIO EMCOMM?
(NOTE: This will not be popular with some readers.)
Hardly a day passes that we don't hear
someone say: "But, shouldn't all local amateur emcomm be
under one "umbrella" organization such as the sheriff or a
fire marshal? Or, shouldn't all amateur emcomm be under DHS/FEMA?"
(The "War Powers Act" not withstanding.)
EM says that this
makes about as much sense as telling the U.S. Postal Service that they
are "under" the sheriff, a fire marshal...or FEMA. To
those who advocate this we say: "What happens when
there is a communications or other emergency incident in your area and
local officials are either slow to react or don't respond at all? What
if they deny there is any need for emergency response...including
emcomm? Every year, the Red Cross responds to thousands of emergencies
and small disasters (there is no such thing as a small disaster if
you are the victim) and "local government" is not needed or
involved. And what about incidents and events outside your area
where radio traffic or net relay assistance is needed?
Probably the closest the amateur
service has ever come to having an overall "umbrella"
emcomm organization free to handle traffic for both non-government and
government agencies, as well as the general public, was in the
mid-1960's when the ARRL sponsored the Amateur Radio
Public Service Corps and had a National Emergency
Coordinator. The ARPSC included both
non-government and government agency emergency communications.
(Ref. QST November 1965) Also see: www.emcomm.org/creed.htm
In today's world,
(especially since 9/11/01) non-government organizations have either
been ignored, or have been moved to the back of the
bus. Managers and the general public have subscribed
to the theory that more government bureaucracy is the answer.
EM
subscribes to the axiom: NGO's
(non-government organizations) can perform most services to the
general public and government agencies more
efficiently and certainly less expensive! After all, do not
private contractors design and build our roads, bridges, dams,
electric power infrastructure, defense hardware, and communications
systems for government agencies? The list is endless. So
why not use a civilian NGO to provide disaster emcomm?
EM
believes that "emcomm is emcomm is emcomm". It should
make no difference to the emcomm operator or station as to who is
originating a message. Whether it is local, short-range tactical
traffic: (e.g. - "Net Control this is W6SOJ with PRIORITY traffic
for Fire Command. Captain Williams reports that Engine
49 has a dead radio and is requesting a service truck to respond
to mile marker 14 on Highway A-12 just south of Big Springs Rd.
Advise ETA. W6SOJ standing by."). Or, it might be
a RADIOGRAM on behalf of a disaster victim
in a shelter who wants to notify her family in the next state that she
is safe. Again, it should make no difference to a
radio operator who is originating a message. Just
remember, to always assign the appropriate precedence
to all traffic whether it is tactical or formal. In the first
example (although it is a tactical message) the precedence is
PRIORITY (a crucial piece of fire apparatus is out of service) and
should be noted as such in the field station's log along with the date
and time and the call sign of the station to which it was relayed.
In the second example it is WELFARE.
Someone recently asked:
"It appears that everyone thinks that they should be in
charge of emcomm, but no one wants the other guy to be in charge. Wouldn't
the best solution be for each agency to have it's own team of amateur
communicators?" Again, this makes about as much sense as
suggesting that each agency develop it's own postal service! Of
course fire, law enforcement, EMS, flood control, public works, the
Red Cross, etc. each must have their own communications system(s) for
their day-to-day operations. And it would be ridiculous to
suggest that fire, police, and others all share the same radio
system for regular daily operations. But, in a catastrophic
incident the reality is: there just isn't enough capable amateurs
available to be able to provide a team of trained operators to
every agency. Even if there were, it would not be
good utilization of the volunteer resource or the available
frequency spectrum. Again..."emcomm is emcomm is
emcomm"...and "a message is a message is a message."
And, do not forget, under the
ICS, ARCTs are under communications, which is under
logistics. (Ref. www.emcomm.org/ARCT/index.html )
EM doubts, however, that
all of amateur radio emcomm will ever really be under one roof.
To put it bluntly, there are "too many cooks in the kitchen"
each with their own recipes, agendas and egos. But
that should not prevent us from preparing ourselves to do the job
right!
SO JUST WHAT IS EMCOMM
MONTHLY REALLY ABOUT?
EMCOMM MONTHLY maintains that amateur radio emcomm should
be an all volunteer public service that uses highly
skilled licensed amateur radio operators to deliver
non-commercial messages. Our mission is to educate, train, test,
and prepare, communicators who can "get
messages delivered". (No matter who is "in
charge".)
EM is a
specialty publication. It is about: communications.
Human communication is the ability to convey or transfer a thought or
idea or information from one person in one place, to another person or
persons, in another place.
EM
is specifically about communications between two points
beyond the line of sight, without using connecting wires
or commercial power or infrastructure.
EM is more
specifically about emergency communications.
Communications when normal systems fail or are overloaded due to a
natural or man-made incident.
EM is even more specifically
about emergency communications by radio. Amateur radio.
EM is about
preparing radio operators to send, relay, and deliver EMERGENCY,
PRIORITY, WELFARE, and ROUTINE traffic messages. Anytime,
anywhere, and for whoever needs them delivered.
Efficiently, effectively, in a timely manner and with 100% accuracy!
Without using, or being dependent upon any landline, Internet, or
other commercial communications systems.
EM is about voice,
RTTY, digital or Morse stations. At one time, the Western Union
boasted 60,000 telegraph offices in North America. But that
extensive network eventually gave way to other landline
services. Today, nearly every home (and car), has a
telephone and/or computer email, and the Western Union has pretty much
been relegated to a money order service. But what happens when
(not if) these systems "crash"?
EM envisions a network
of 60,000 amateur stations (10% of the 600,000 licensed
radio amateurs in the U.S.), plus others around the world at
outposts, villages, towns, or cities on land, plus as many
maritime mobile stations as possible. Each with the ability
to accept and receive record message traffic! EmComm operators
are much like old time Western Union telegraph operators. The
difference is that we, as radio amateurs, don't need wires on
poles (or underground)! We can deliver messages when others are unable
to do so, and we can do this using only simple equipment. It is
our knowledge of propagation, signal paths, antennas, and the
ability to use a variety of modes and variable frequencies. That
alone distinguishes us from all others. And we don't charge
for our service!
EM
believes that there are literally thousands of stations
world-wide that are capable of providing a skilled message
communication service. Plus, there are hundreds of already
existing networks. (Most are specialty nets.) The problem
is that there is no real effective overall planning or
coordination.
EM is somewhat
"old fashioned" (to some). So be it. We
make no apology for promoting what has been proven to work
and can be depended upon.
EM is about training
and practice. Training + practice =
preparedness! We are of the persuasion that
a skilled carpenter needs to master the claw hammer and hand saw,
before advancing to the nail gun and skill saw. A mechanic needs
to learn how to use open-end wrenches and basic sockets, before using
a power ratchet. Likewise emergency radio communicators must
master the basic skills of handling radio message traffic accurately
and properly, before advancing to automated keyboard communication
devices. Ed Ewell, K7DXV said that before he could be graduated
from the Navy's basic training, he had to demonstrate that he could
swim. In other words: LEARN THE FUNDAMENTALS
FIRST! (We assume all EmComm hams already
know how to rig up an impromptu antenna and hook up to auxiliary
power sources.)
Stephen Ambrose, the
noted historian, says that one of the reasons that the United
States and its allies were victorious in World War II, was because the
American "citizen soldiers" from the farms and towns of
America could repair their own trucks and tanks. The German and
Japanese soldiers were mostly professional soldiers...specialists.
They were dedicated warriors...but when a truck or tank broke
down...they were forced to wait for another specialist to come from
far way to make the repairs. Hams, traditionally, have been
noted for their ability to fix a radio, or otherwise rig up something
to get a message "through". Think about it.
Sadly, this "CAN-DO" aspect of amateur
radio is dying.
WARNING! THIS MAY BE
PAINFUL!
We know of hams that have never soldered two wires together. We
know of EC's who have never built a simple wire antenna or
pruned and tuned one to a resonant frequency. We know
DECs who have never formatted a RADIOGRAM. We
know of SECs who have never made a CW contact. We know
of licensed amateurs who have never read FCC Part 97...and worse
yet...some even scoff at those who do! We have heard
too many (professed) Emcomm operators on the air whose voice or CW
skills are so bad, that tapes could be made and sold commercially on how to
be a first class lid! Some are borderline illiterate.
Sorry if this hurts. But if we don't (at least attempt to) fix
these deficiencies...we might as well give up trying to be viable service
to the public.
EM is about
preparedness. I often think of many long nights in the
sixties and seventies when I walked the quiet halls of the hospital
where I worked. I often noted the battery powered emergency lights
high on the walls. Their sealed beam lamps were
ready and aimed up and down the hall. I knew...that if the
power failed...they would come to life and illuminate my path with
their eerie but life saving light. I also knew that the white
"Hospital Property" flashlight in my hip pocket was also
always "at the ready". These two simple items induced
a certain level of safety and security. Why? Because
they were always ready...and did not rely upon the power mains during
a power outage! The lesson for us is this: For
emergency communications, anyone who advocates using the Internet
or any other device or system that is not 100% self-reliant;
is either trying to make a profit or doesn't understand what
emergency preparedness is all about!
EM
takes the position that emergency preparedness is best if we use
simple, reliable and fail-safe methods to communicate beyond the
horizon. While others spend their time and money on elaborate
and expensive systems, and fail to learn the basics of
emergency communications; we will focus on what has worked well for over
100 years.
EM believes that
there is no substitute for a real, in-person, alive and well, trained,
skilled and experienced, operator who can communicate by radio.
Especially when it comes to disaster communications. We believe
that the human brain is still the best computer ever created.
EM's
mission therefore, is to educate and train radio operators
in the art and science of communications, solely by RADIO. Performed
accurately, efficiently, and in a timely manner. The stakes
are high...and we promote, attempt to maintain, and hope to preserve
these essential communication skills.
EM may be the last
organization to focus upon producing skilled amateur radio operators
capable of handling message traffic and relaying it from
point-to-point-to-point-to-point to the addressee under adverse and even
extreme emergency conditions without needing commercial power or a
truckload of commercial apparatus.
WHAT LIES AHEAD?
EM believes
that "the fundamentals never change". But
we are alarmed because they are currently being bypassed, overlooked
and ignored by most of those who call themselves radio amateurs.
EM will
continue to encourage personal growth and advocate achievement
in the skills necessary to provide effective public service radio
communications.
EM will place special
emphasis on preserving, protecting, promoting and defending the
use of the universal RADIOGRAM format
for record message traffic, and solely by radio. Specifically
by amateur radio operators who are independent of commercial
landline or other infrastructure dependent system(s).
EM and
EMCOMM.ORG are not about "empire
building". We do not seek to be in competition with
others. And we are certainly not
about creating more work for ourselves...or anyone else!
We would rather be handling a piece a of traffic, or working on
improving our stations, or enjoying a DX contact.
EM, however, believes that our
survival depends upon how much we all choose to support the
basis and purpose of the amateur service as stated in FCC Part
97.1.
EM,
therefore,will continue to attempt to fill in the gaps of what (we
believe) is being abandoned or bypassed by many; and we'll attempt
do it in a manner that is enjoyable to read, while also being informative
and educational.
EM will begin
in the next issue, by presenting some
down-to-earth concrete suggestions and an outline, as to
how our amateur radio service emergency communication system
can be improved and strengthened. We also will be
re-running the classic series "Trump's Traffic Trilogy"
(by Ed Trump, AL7N...not Donald.)
YOU can start preparing
(or renewing) yourself by taking our Traffic
Handler's Quiz at: www.emcomm.org/test/index.html
Take it as a pre-summer pre-test.
Then take it again at the end of summer to see how much
you have improved! NOTE: Your score will
not be made public unless you give consent.
NOTE 2: It was recently discovered
that 29 persons had taken our Traffic Handler's
Quiz and that their tests were stuck somewhere in
the Abyss of Cyber Space.
Our computer guru (W7ARC) had since freed the captive
messages...and the scores of those who consented...are now posted
at: www.emcomm.org/scoreboard.htm
The system appears to be working again! (This only
serves to reinforce our position to avoid the use of computers
for emergency traffic.)
EM
also has some new and exciting ideas and plans up its
sleeve. Watch for practical tips on operating procedures and
station improvements. So...as we forge ahead
together..."stay tuned". NOTE: There is a
significant CLUE embedded in this issue that indicates one
possible direction that this organization may be headed.
Some readers will spot it immediately. Others may take a
little longer.
EM plans to
continue to offer FREE subscriptions. Please
realize however, there are costs involved, (e.g. - postage,
office supplies, domain fees, Internet charges and web space).
If you are one of our supporters...thank you! If you are not,
and have benefited from our efforts, please consider supporting us
in a tangible way by sending a check or money order payable to:
EMCOMM to: EMCOMM, PO Box 99, Macdoel, CA 96058.
(Your donation is an outright gift and is NOT tax-deductible.)
FEEDBACK,
MUSINGS... and SPURIOUS EMISSIONS
I have served many years as the Thursday night NCS for the NCN
(Northern California Net at 1900 Pacific on 3690kHz). Recently, I
copied a couple of messages for our area, and my thoughts went back to
some recent comments about message forms in EMCOMM MONTHLY.
As I copied the messages, I wrote the preamble, address, text and
signature, really without thinking about each part. Also, the
sending station did not have to waste time saying, to, from, date,
address, text, signature, as we were using the standard ARRL form and
everything came in a particular order.
When I first became a ham, I joined the old
"AARS" which predated the MARS; and we used a message
form, which was nearly the same as the one I was using for ham messages.
The word count was different, but format was the same. I don't
know which message form came first, the Army's or ARRL's. Later,
when I was a civilian radio operator for the Army, we used the same
format! I know everyone likes to have their own form and be in
control, but this form has been used by me, (and many others), for 68
years! I think it will continue on for years.
About "one way propagation":
One night I was in contact with a station in South Africa, and my beam was
on the long path, he came back to me and I mentioned I was on the long
path. He said he was on the short path, I turned my beam to short
path and we could not communicate, we then reversed, but could not
communicate as long as both our beams were in the same direction - normal
or long path, but when we were at opposite paths the signals were strong.
Will wonders never cease!
-
Jettie Hill, W6RFF, Roseville, California - ARRL Section Manager,
Sacramento Valley Section
One final
note to consider on the use of the ICS 213. It was never intended to be
used as a RADIOGRAM substitute, because the folks that created the 213
had no reason to consider that kind of a specialized need. Incident
traffic rarely gets relayed from station to station to station, since
the vast majority of incidents are of a local nature. ICS is ICS, and
they will never likely approve the use of a RADIOGRAM as a substitute
for the ICS213 (we’ve tried to improve it too locally and the system
has resisted it. Welcome to entrenched bureaucracy, right?).
As an IMT COML, I use what I get. The
triplicate 213 form is a great general-purpose message form that is
ideally suited to regular incident use. ARES is not the primary mode for
incident responder public safety communications, but functions very well
in a supporting role. My only issue comes up when we try to use two
different messaging forms, one for the “incident” and one for the
logistics support function that ARES/RACES is so good at. Hey, life’s
not perfect is it? As long as the message gets from point A to B to C
and back, does it really matter what form we use, as long as it contains
all of the information necessary?
Just more to chew on. I like my Jeep, but have
also learned the capabilities of my Lincoln. Great analogy!
- Mark
Hall, KD6ZEK, Communications Unit Leader - Fairmount Fire Department
Wildland Team - Jefferson County IMT (Type 3) - Eastern Great Basin IMT
(Type 2, Brunner), FEMA Communications Specialist - Colorado Task
Force One - Urban Search & Rescue
Q: I
wanted to thank you for teaching me more about the code. Last time I
checked in on the JNN I said portable and you replied mobile. I am
not sure whether you want me to correct you when you do that, or does it
even matter? I never really thought about it. -- Ruth Clary,
W6RAC, Redding, California
A:
Thank you for your question and concerns Ruth. It demonstrates
your desire to be as proficient operator as possible! Good operators usually
correct a relay operator or a NCS if they have not copied a
check in or a message correctly. This is different (of course) than
on-the-air criticism, in which courteous operators do not
engage.
The FCC rules no longer require a station to
identify (and enter into log) as to whether they are
"mobile" or "portable". (It once was.) But
it is a nice touch, demonstrates good operating style and shows good
common sense (which seems to be uncommon today). But
when it is added after a call sign...it should be used
properly! In addition say your location correctly and
accurately. (See: "What is your Location?" EM
Number Three http://www.emcomm.org/em/august2004.htm.)
This tells the NCS where you are in case there is any traffic or queries
about weather or road conditions, etc. for that area.
There is much confusion
(and misuse) of the terms "mobile" and "portable". Actually
"mobile" and "portable" have nothing to do with
the type of radio in use. If you are at your home location (the
location stated on you FCC license), you are not "mobile"
if you're in your car in the driveway or even parked on the street in
front of your house. And you are not "portable" if
you are using a Handie-Talkie" in your back yard.
Here is how the terms have been traditionally
defined: (Source: The FCC Rule Book. A Guide to the FCC
Regulations. ARRL 1989)
"Fixed operation.
Radiocommunication conducted from a specific geographical land location
shown on the station license. Your home shack, normally.
Portable
operation. Radiocommunication conducted from a specific geographical
location other than that shown on the station license. A vacation
home, or friend's house, for example.
Mobile operation.
Radiocommunication conducted while in motion or during halts at
unspecified locations. (Note: It's important to make the distinction
between portable and mobile operation. Mobile
refers to talking on your 2-meter rig while driving your pick-up truck,
while jogging or while backpacking in the Green Mountains. Portable
means operation for an extended period of time at a specific, definable
location, such as your retreat cabin on Lake Indian Name."
Maritime mobile
and aeronautical mobile are occasionally heard. I have
heard pedestrian mobile, wheel chair mobile, bicycle mobile,
equestrian mobile, railroad mobile, and other such definitive terms. They
always grab one's attention and (as far as I am concerned) are
fun to contact.
A portable
station is a solitary hiker using an HT camping at Beaver Lake for a
few days. Or, it could a multi-band, multi-mode, multi-operator
Field Day Station, with multiple tents, numerous antennas and several
transmitters running up to full legal power with a 12 KW diesel generator
running 24 hours a day!
Sadly, amateur radio (like
many other things in today's world), has embraced a “laissez faire”
(anything goes) approach to what was once a discipline. I for one,
still prefer "the old ways" and still try to follow the
traditional good operating procedures. -- Editor
Q: Have there been any
articles published in EM on amateurs carrying
firearms during public service or emcomm activities? If so,
what was the general consensus? - Tom Fagan, WB7NXH - ARRL Section
Manager, Arizona
A:
Very little mention has been made regarding the carrying of firearms while
on EmComm assignments. The only reference I recall is in our GEAR
LIST which was introduced in ECWB #193 (13 Jan. 2004) http://www.emcomm.org/svares/archives/number193.htm
Part 6.11: Side arm. (Be LEGAL and do not carry unless
you know how to safely use it!) The entire GEAR LIST is at:
http://www.emcomm.org/gear_list.htm
As I recall, one person "took me
to task" on that issue. My own practice is
that I may carry a side arm in a wilderness setting
primarily as a survival tool (a .22 revolver with the first three
chambers loaded with #12 snake shot and the others with long rifle
hollow points. It can also be used safely as a signal device, or
to dispatch a stubborn timber rattler, and as a "game
getter". Although, I much prefer some fresh trout (or
even a can of tuna) or some cheese and crackers or a hard boiled
egg or two and a Snickers bar from my knapsack! - Editor
Q:
I enjoy reading EM each month and I
finally got around to subscribing (I read it online and download for
my archives). My question is on the training radiogram in the
May issue, and the editor's comment -- (If General Patton had been
originating the reply, it would have been a two word message!)
Looks to me that the radiogram would have been a ONE word message,
"NUTS", without a final "X-RAY".
Although the ARRL NTS MPG says that the final "X-RAY" may be
included, it is redundant and, at least here in the Northwest is
discouraged for brevity. Your comments please. Thanks
again for a great newsletter and the EMCOMM site!
-- Howard Merritt, KD7ZLF, Gaston, Oregon
A:
Well Howard, your comments are appreciated.
And you are exactly right! In a RADIOGRAM, X
("X-RAY" on 'phone) is a separator
(not a "period"). It is improper to use it as the
last "word" in a message TEXT.
My comment about George S. Patton choosing two or three words to
reply to a demand to surrender (General McAuliffe simply sent: "NUTS"
) was an attempt at some subtle humor. (It
never entered my mind that a final "X"
might be implied...but perhaps for "X-Rated?) It is generally
(sorry, I just couldn't help it) known, that "Old Blood and
Guts" was reputed to be very direct (shall we say colorful?)
in his choice of language. Since EM
strives to be a "G Rated" publication, suffice it to say,
that it is easy to imagine that Gen. Patton might have responded
with a common two word expletive or perhaps the universal three
word "Go To H...!" With all due respect for this great
American General, here are three favorite Patton quotes:
"Don't
tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and let them
surprise you with their results."
"A
good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next
week."
"If
everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking."
--
General George S. Patton (1885 - 1945)
ICS
PERSPECTIVES - by Jerry Boyd, N7WR
To
EM readers: I'm taking the summer off from this column. To
wrap things up for this Spring, I'll field some recent questions:
Tom Hyers, W7TCH, Douglas County (Oregon) EC has asked me to address
the issue of “shadowing”. His question could not have been
more timely. I say that because
the Tactical Dispatchers that work in my
9-1-1
Center just completed an advanced fire dispatch course and one of the
subjects addressed was “shadowing”.
It is not only the amateur radio Emcomm operator who provides such
services, but professional communicators do so as well.
Shadowing involves an amateur being “in the
shadows” with a representative of the served agency.
Sometimes that is the Incident Commander, sometimes the Operations
Chief, and sometimes it may be the Director of the local Red Cross Chapter.
In any event, the shadow's job is to serve as communicator for the
person s/he is shadowing. Probably
the most important aspect of a shadow assignment is to meet with the person
being shadowed prior to beginning the assignment in order to establish “groundrules”.
Does the person shadowed want you at arms length at all times or is
it preferred that you remain close at hand but not so close as to overhear
discussions with others? If you
are assigned to shadow a law enforcement command officer the latter might be
the case for confidentiality reasons.
A second consideration can be proper equipment and
training for the Emcomm operator. In
the early days of shadowing the “fire boss” on a wildland fire might be
shadowed by a ham wearing levi’s, tennis shoes and a polo shirt.
No more! Shadows in such
situations must wear the same personal protective equipment (PPE)required of
a fire fighter and the shadow may have to hold a federal “red card” to
access the fire ground.
Shadows must remember that they serve as the mouth
and ears of the “principal”….but they mouth only the message given by
the principal. Shadows never,
(absent an emergency), initiate messages, make them up, or decide on their
own that information is to be communicated.
Finally, there is nothing wrong with the shadow
simply giving the radio to the principal.
In the types of assignments usually given to shadows, third party
traffic (the principal using the ham radio under the watchful eye of the
control operator) is permitted. It
is important for the EmComm operator, however, to insure that proper station
identification is given at the required intervals.
Another reader has asked my opinion concerning the
application of certain amateur radio modes to EmComm.
A detailed answer will be found in one of my upcoming columns in CQ
Magazine. However,
since the question was asked by a reader of this journal and since my answer
relates to ICS, I thought I’d deal with it herein.
The specific question had to do with Winlink
2000®. My answer to that
question is that it has little application to amateur radio EMCOMM for
(among others) this simple reason. ICS
(now NIMS) more and more involves the “typing” of resources.
That is, to be used under ICS, a resource must be a commonly accepted
and understood type and it must be something found nearly everywhere.
Examples are: Type I ambulances, Type III fire engines, etc.
Winlink 2000® is not now, nor is it likely to be, a
resource available nationally. Within
certain regions (frankly in those regions where its proponents/profit makers
live) it is operational. It is
doubtful, due to cost and complexity, that a national backbone system to
support it will ever be created. If
it isn’t a nation-wide resource it most likely won’t be used.
I have little expectation that even the ARRL’s campaign to promote
it won’t make it a generally available resource.
Ham radio Emcomm using voice, data modes not reliant on the Internet
or a substantial backbone system, and sometimes CW is a far surer bet than
some of the more “exotic” modes popular in some circles.
Finally, to our Publisher-Editor (K6SOJ):
Congratulations on this publication’s first successful year!
And to all EM readers 73 from northeast
Oregon.
COMMENT:
Thanks Jerry. Have a great summer and see you back in the
Fall. - Editor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NETWORK NEWS
Schedules and updates on regional,
national, and international EMCOMM and TRAFFIC nets.
• REGIONAL CW 7111 kHz DAYTIME / 3711 kHz
NIGHTTIME
• ALASKA WATCH - 3540 / 7042 kHz / 14.050 MHz
• NEVADA ARES® MONITOR/CALLING SSB: 3965 ± kHz SSB
• NATIONAL RADIO EMERGENCY NETWORK: 7068 / 10122 / 14050 kHz •
• WEST COAST NET (WCN) Slow Speed Traffic/Training Daily 1900 Pacific
3702 kHz
• IMRA TRAFFIC NET (INTERNATIONAL MISSION RADIO ASSOCIATION)
14.280 MHz USB M-F 1800Z (summer) 1900Z (winter)
• ARES® 146.55 MHz
• ARES®/Red Cross 147.42 MHz
• NATIONAL CALLING (and Wilderness Protocol) 146.52 MHz
• WILDERNESS PROTOCOL (ref. June 1996 QST, page 85).
Primary frequency: 146.52 MHz (FM simplex). Secondary frequencies:
446.0, 223.5, 52.525
and 1294.5 MHz. All stations (both fixed, portable or mobile)
monitor the primary (and
secondary if possible) frequency(s) every three hours starting at 7:00
am local time, for five
minutes (7:00-7:05 AM, 10:00-10:05 AM, etc.) Additionally,
stations that have sufficient
power resources monitor for five minutes starting at the top of every
hour, or continuously."
WINCOM NETWORK - 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 1930 Pacific Time
on 3987 kHz (down).
WINCOM is for EmComm stations in
Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon,
Montana and anywhere else within range. Scheduled nets are on the 1st
and 3rd Wednesdays
at 1930 Pacific Time on 3987 kHz (down).
The WINCOM NETWORK may be
activated during disasters, communications system
failures, and other emergency incidents as a regional SSB network
for tactical and/or formal
EMCOMM traffic. WINCOM is not intended to replace local or section
ARES® or RACES nets,
but rather to supplement and provide regional support by skilled
operators who know each
other and work together on a regular basis.
EMCOMM stations are encouraged to monitor
and/or use these frequencies for routine
calling and for a RADIO WATCH during actual or potential incidents.
(During actual events
move message traffic at least 5 kHz up or down.)
Nighttime: 3987 kHz (down) 1982 kHz (down) alternate). Daytime:
7232 kHz (up)
NOTE: These frequencies may be in use for other scheduled state or
regional nets.
Always yield for scheduled nets. E.g. - JNN is daily at 1200
Pacific on 7232 kHz SSB.
REGIONAL EMCOMM NET LIST AVAILABLE
EM maintains a
roster of REGIONAL EMCOMM NETS. These are active
ARES and other EMCOMM nets (RACES and club nets are not listed).
It lists VHF and HF local, district, state and regional nets
in Washington, California, Oregon, Nevada, and Alaska. For a
current copy of the list contact: k6soj@arrl.net
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMCOMM
TRAFFIC
“For want of a letter, a word was
lost. For want of a word, the message was lost.
For want of a message, a life was lost.”
ABOUT "ARL
FORTY SEVEN" (EM
Advanced Study Training Module - No. 2.1.a)
The ARRL has authorized FORTY SEVEN to its list
of ARRL Numbered Radiograms (FSD-3). (See SHORT
CIRCUITS above.)
The definition of ARL FORTY SEVEN
is: "Reference your message number ____ to
_____ delivered on ____ at ____ UTC."
An example of how ARL FORTY SEVEN would be used
in the TEXT of a service message to an originating
station to comply with handling instructions HXC:
345 R W6SOJ 9
MACDOEL CA JUN 1
TRAFFIC STATION
WA8SOJ
BEAVER DAM FLOOD
INCIDENT
GRAND RAPIDS MI
49507
ARL FORTY SEVEN 148
FRED
ABERNATHY MAY 30
2140
DW
Whether you choose to reply using the ARL
FORTY SEVEN numbered message method (9 words) above; or, spell it
out (15 words) as:
345 R W6SOJ 15
MACDOEL CA JUN 1
TRAFFIC STATION WA8SOJ
BEAVER DAM FLOOD
INCIDENT
GRAND RAPIDS MI
49507
REFERENCE YOUR MESSAGE
NUMBER 148
TO FRED ABERNATHY
DELIVERED ON
MAY 30 AT 2140 UTC
DW
You will need the ADDRESS of the station of
origin to service a message of this type. Since
"call books" are no longer being produced, most hams
today use one of several Internet based call sign data base
services. Others use a commercially produced CD-ROM.
Since the Internet cannot be depended upon during incidents, and
the CD-ROM data bases require a computer to utilize; all ARCT
logistics and team leaders would be well advised to make
sure that a portable, battery powered computer, with an
up-to-date call sign directory is available at all
traffic stations during disaster incidents. (Let
this also serve to remind all hams that they need to report any
change of address to the FCC immediately after changing their
address.)
NOTE: THIS HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED
BY THE ARRL - IT IS ONLY A PROPOSAL:
One suggestion is that when a station of origin
sends an HXC or HXD message that they automatically add
the two/three letter ARRL Section designator immediately after the
HXC or HXD. Example: HXC SV. This
would at least get the service message back to the section
where it originated. The rest should not be that difficult.
There is no rush since ARL FORTY SEVEN always has a
precedence of R (routine). EM would
like feedback from its readers on this idea.
=======================================================================
EMAIL ADDRESSES
IN RADIOGRAMS (EM Advanced
Study Training Module - No. 2.1.b)
Although there is currently no standardized
protocol for including an email address in the address of a
RADIOGRAM (there probably should be) it would probably work OK to
add it (if known) directly under the telephone number. Since
punctuation is not used in RADIOGRAMS in would be formatted and sent
like this:
D W THORNE
POB 99
MACDOEL CA 96058
530 555 5555
(or)
D W THORNE
POB 99
MACDOEL CA 96058
530 555 5555
K6SOJ AT ARRL R NET
A skilled operator should have no trouble with
either method and this should work OK when transferring by a
relay station between CW, voice, and/or digital modes.
BUT: It gets tricky when
people set up their email accounts with an "underscore"
included.
EXAMPLES:
ROGER DOT RACCOON AT
STP DOT NET
or
ROGER R RACCOON AT STP R NET
ROGER UNDERSCORE RACCOON
AT STP DOT NET
SUGGESTION:
Avoid using the _ (underscore) when setting up your new email
address.
THE “TRAFFIC HANDLER’S
MANTRA” (Recite to help remember the eight
parts in preamble):
“No • Prepared • Ham • Should • Copy • Priority
• Traffic • Delayed”
“No • Prepared • Ham • Should • Copy • Priority •
Traffic • Delayed”
“No • Prepared • Ham • Should • Copy • Priority •
Traffic • Delayed”
NUMBER • PRECEDENCE • HX •
STATION OF ORIGIN • CHECK • PLACE
OF ORIGIN • TIME • DATE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RETRO REVIEW - “EMCOMM
viewed through the Retrospect-O-Scope”
I listen to several nets. Often I notice
that many stations seem to be on a slightly different frequency.
I’d bet that their frequency readouts are all set exactly alike,
but their radios are actually transmitting on a slightly different
frequency.
Most modern transceivers use a reference
oscillator to set and calibrate the dial reading. Over time,
as a crystal ages, the reference frequency may “move” slightly.
I check my radios for readout accuracy every six months, but all of
us should check our rigs at least once a year. Here is a
simple method to perform what is some times called the “display
calibration procedure” for most modern dual VFO transceivers:
1. Turn on your transceiver and let it warm up for one hour to
let the reference crystal stabilize at its normal operating
temperature.
2. Set your readout to: 10.000 MHz (WWV / WWVH) on both the A
and B VFO (AM)
3. Set VFO A to: 10.001.00 MHz LSB.
4. Set VFO B to: 9.999.00 MHz USB.
5. “Toggle” back and forth between VFO A and VFO B.
6. Listen carefully to hear if the audio frequency tones sound
alike.
7. If they are equal your dial readout is calibrated properly.
8. If one is higher or lower (in pitch) than the other, then
your frequency calibration is off a bit and the reference oscillator
needs to be adjusted.
9. Your manual will give instructions under “adjusting the
reference oscillator” or “display calibration procedure”.
Adjust the oscillator
trimmer or variable inductor carefully, while switching between the
A and B VFOs until the audio tone from VFO A and VFO B are equal.
10. DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY INTERNAL ADJUSTMENTS UNLESS YOU HAVE A MANUAL
AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! If you need help, ask for
technical assistance from a qualified fellow ham operator or a
commercial service technician.
=========================================================================
QSH -- (I HAVE
HUMOR FOR YOUR STATION)
EM’s Quiz,
Survey, and [attempt at] Humor Section...
WARNING! EM is not advertised
"As seen on TV!" and it is not "found in finer
stores everywhere", nor is it "available at your local
news dealer".
ALSO... EMCOMM MONTHLY may
be habit forming!
"OFF THE
WALL"..... SIGNS of the TIMES?
-------------------------------------------
EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS
SHUT UP and let the experts do the job!
-------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------
POOR PLANNING ON YOUR PART
Does NOT constitute an emergency
on our part!
------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
IF YOU MUST SOUND LIKE A IDIOT...
PLEASE USE A TELEPHONE!
--------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
!
WARNING !
GOOD OPERATING
PROCEDURES
ARE
CONTAGIOUS
--------------------------------------------
EMCOMM STATION &
OPERATOR NEWS
Arizona: WO6P is new
Phoenix EC and has been heard on JNN and other 40M Nets.
California: KE6MZT recently
visited Kauai, Hawaii. Says she wants to move
to the Aloha State. K6ME has been
active on 6 Meters. WB6FZH and other members
of the Trinity County ARC and ARES® unit had a nice display at
a Red Cross Preparedness Fair http://www.tcoe.trinity.k12.ca.us/~tcarc/tcares6.html
Oregon: N7WR taught AR class
8 out of 9 passed Tech or General. Most are eager to provide
good quality EmComm. K7DXV is NCS on Fridays
for WCN 3702 kHz 1900 Pacific daily.
Nevada: N7TOD has completed advanced
engineer training for U.P.R.R. in Salt Lake City, UT and is
on-the-air more at Spanish Springs, NV.
Washington: W7ARC
WWA STM is now an amateur extra also recently received the ARRL
Brass Pounders Medallion award. Stays
QRL with RN7 and WA traffic + B.C. Public Service CW Net evenings
on 3723 kHz. Recent hard drive crash and re-install of
all software. Bill says: "Good reason we shouldn't rely on
computers for EmComm."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And the winners of EM's
- "SHOW US YOUR SHACK" DRAWING - are...
1st Place - Dave
Gomberg, NE5EE - San Francisco, California
2nd Place - Richard Nehrbass,
N7TGB - Sun Valley, Nevada
3rd Place - Debbie Grys,
KG6GCQ - Winnetka, California
(The winners are being contacted and
each will choose a prize from EM's "box of
radio stuff".
• THE CONTEST IS OVER...but keep
those pictures of you at your primary operating position coming!
• BUT WHERE ARE ALL THE YL's ???
So far we have only one (a winner!): Debbie Grys, KG6GCQ
of Winnetka, California
• Send a picture of you AND
your shack (all in one frame and in JPG or JPEG format) to: k6soj@arrl.net
=======================================================================================================
FEATURE
ARTICLE
"INCREDIBLE
RADIO TALES" by Jeffrey Herman, U.S.C.G. Radioman - NMO
Honolulu
Excellent reading from the days when
Coast Guard stations stood watch on Morse circuits in every
band and operators proudly displayed their speed key
certificates. Below is a first hand
report of what it was like to receive a real SOS. You
can read all seven parts of these http://www.radiomarine.org/tales.html
Reports From NMO Part
VI - "My First SOS"
by Jeffrey Herman, KH6O -
Copyright 1994 All Rights Reserved.
In the following true narrative, the ship's
name and her callsign have been changed.
As mentioned in an earlier Part 1, I always
sat the 12 hour 500 kc night watch on my duty nights; I loved
listening to the steady flow of calls from ships in far off
waters. Even though we sat in the Central Pacific I would
sometimes even copy a fluttery East Coast US shore station.
Throughout the night I would hear ghostly signals, just above
the noise level, that would fade in and out from who knows
where. We used a Beverage-type long wire that stretched over one
mile in length, and NMO sat in a very electrically quiet region.
We were able to copy any ship or shore station anywhere in the
Pacific.
One evening, feeling a bit drowsy (0200 local!), I thought I was
dreaming when I heard a long dash, a pause, another long dash, a
pause, another long dash, a pause, ..... Like an electric shock,
adrenaline flooded through me at the speed of light - OH MY GOD
- SOMEONE IS SENDING AN AUTO ALARM! My eyes shot to the clock to
time the dashes: 4 seconds on, 1 second off, 4 seconds on, 1
second off - those 12 long dashes almost froze me. I yelled into
the intercom to the chief `Auto Alarm on 500' knowing at the
same time alarm bells were ringing on board every ship scattered
around the Pacific within radio range of the distressed ship.
Recall that when a shipboard operator goes off watch, ITU rules
dictate he leaves a receiver tuned to 500 kc with a decoder
attached - if that decoder hears at least four 4-second dashes
each with 1-second seperation, relays in the decoder will clamp
shut triggering alarm bells in the radio room, in the radio
officer's sleeping quarters, and up on the bridge, to warn of a
distress message about to be sent on 500 kc.
Now, the two-tone AA used on the voice SSB MF distress/calling
freq of 2182 kc was common: Mexican fishing crews used them when
they were drunk. But AA's on 500 kc are *never* sent except when
a ship is in distress.
This was the first one I'd heard since my radioman school days;
I can't put into words the terror I felt while sitting out the
ITU-required 2 minute wait (recall that the ITU dictates every
step the distressed vessel's radio officer takes: Auto Alarm,
then the 2-minute wait [if possible] for off- duty ops on other
ships, woken by their Auto Alarm receivers, to race to their
radio shacks to copy the distress).
500 kc was now in an extended silent period. Someone started
tuning up and was immediately pounced on by myself:
QRT SOS was all I needed to send - dead silence.
One of the Australian shore stations was sending a CQ at the
same time the AA went out - he must have heard the AA through
his CQ for he stopped in mid broadcast. Nothing but an
occasional static crash - dead silence. Throughout my brief
500kc career there had never been a silence like this I thought.
Then it came:
SOS SOS SOS CQ DE DJNK DJNK DJNK SOS BT
MV PANAMA TRADER HULL CRACKED IN HEAVY SEAS MAJOR FLOODING
42-27N 42-27N 178-51W 178-51W NOW ABANDONING SHIP SOS BT MASTER
AR K
Then came the 10 second-long dash (ITU: for direction finding).
I was first - in A2 I sent:
SOS DJNK DJND DJNK DE NMO NMO NMO RRR SOS
and after me 500 kc was flooded with ships and shore stations
sending sending the ITU response:
SOS DJNK DJNK DJNK DE NMC NMC NMC RRR SOS (San
Francisco)
SOS DJNK DJNK DJNK DE NOJ NOJ NOJ RRR SOS (Alaska)
SOS DJNK DJNK DJNK DE NMQ NMQ NMQ RRR SOS (Long Beach, CA)
SOS DJNK DJNK DJNK DE KPH KPH KPH RRR SOS (San Francisco)
along with KFS in California, NRV in Guam, a couple Japan shore
stations; the radio operator aboard DJNK must have breathed a
sigh of relief and taken some comfort knowing his message was
heard by so many.
Once the RRR SOS replies ceased NMO took control; I asked the
standard questions for situations such as this:
SOS DJNK DE NMO BT NEED FOLLOWING INFO NR OF POB (number
of persons on board) CSE (course) HULL ES SS COLOR (hull and
superstructure colors) NR OF BOATS (number of lifeboats) BOAT
RADIO FREQS, EPIRB WX, WIND SPD ES DIR, SWELL HT ES DIRECTION,
CURRENT (weather and sea data) BT SOS K and DJNK patiently
answered each.
After getting these important answers I had the uncomfortable
task of asking:
SOS DJNK DE NMO BT OM PSE CL KEY BEFORE U LV OK? K
SOS NMO DE DJNK WILL DO OM
Every shipboard telegraph key has a switch which, when closed,
will continuously cause the ship's radio to transmit. This
enables rescue aircraft to home in on the distressed vessel
using their direction finding equipment. I had asked the op to
close his key switch before he leaves the ship.
At the same time our AMVER computer was generating a printout of
the locations of ships transiting the North Pacific: No ships
were in DJNK's area! At least no AMVER reporting ships; it's
possible there was a ship close to DJNK that wasn't sending us
his AMVER position reports. A very slim possibility but a chance
we couldn't ignore.
I was ordered by our Rescue Center to send the DDD SOS, i.e. to
relay DJNK's distress message from our 10 kW transmitter. In A2
I sent:
AUTO ALARM (12 four second dashes with a one second
pauses) then with my hand shaking, clenching the key: DDD SOS
SOS SOS DDD CQ DE NMO NMO NMO SOS BT (DJNK's message) BT ANY
SHIPS IN AREA DIVERT AND ASSIST SIGNED US COAST GUARD AR DDD SOS
K
Dead silence reigned for minutes that seemed like hours. An
awful, awful feeling of helplessness overcame me as I sat in
that chair with the entire NMO crew standing in silence - all of
us knowing at that very moment men were perishing in an icy
ocean... Already we had aircraft in the air heading to DJNK's
position so I notified him:
SOS DJNK DJNK DE NMO NMO BT USCG AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED TO UR
POSN ETA 3 HRS BT HOWS UR COND? K
SOS NMO DE DJNK HV TO LEAVE SHIP NOW TU OM FER
His transmitter had emitted a - a scream - it actually screamed!
I turned to the Chief asking ``Is that...?'' ``Yes, the ocean
water just flooded his radio room shorting out his transmitter
and batteries.'' I couldn't accept this - the man at that key
couldn't have just perished! I sent:
SOS DJNK DE NMO
SOS DJNK DJNK DE NMO
At this point the Chief put his hand on my shoulder and only
said ``He can't answer you - he's gone.'' Throughout the night
at 15 minute intervals I continued to send the Auto Alarm and
the DDD SOS to no avail.
At daybreak our aircraft reported seeing only debris: bales of
hay, which was the cargo of DJNK; no lifeboats, no bodies, only
debris. Even to this day I sometimes hear, in my sleep, the
scream DJNK's transmitter emitted that terrifying and horrible
night. I pray the crew of that ship rest in peace.
===============================================================================================================
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