MORE ABOUT ROPE SAFETY
The tragic accident that killed Ron
Spears, W7IX (ref. June EM) should have been prevented,
but like some in the past, it happened despite the best efforts
of those doing the work. However, I got a twinge when I read
your safety precaution #8, use of properly rated rope. I
just finished a class at the local community college in fire
department rescue. We were trained to use rope not with a 3X
safety factor, but a 15X factor. Thus, if you're using
9,000 pound test rope, the load limit is 600 pounds. Also, don't
waste your time (and perhaps your life) hanging from the utility
rope you can get in any hardware store. Climbers and high-angle
rescue people use life-safety-rated rope, which is a bit more
expensive . Ask for static kernmantle rope. It isn't nearly as
cheap as the clothesline you can get at the local hardware
store. And if you aren't using a safety line, you need to
re-think your premises. As
I got it, if the test (breaking) strength is 9,000 pounds, the
working strength is one-fifteenth of that, or 600 pounds. This
is fire rescue, so I don't know what the mountain climber ratio
is. Short answer: The San Jose Fire Dept. says the ratio
is 15:1. Sounds like a lot, but they're serious. My classroom
text is "Fire Service Search and Rescue" from the
International Fire Service Training Association, and I recommend
any one who plans to do tower work get a copy and understand it
before they leave the ground. There's too few of us hams
now! - John Amos, KC6TVM, San Jose, CA
REPLY: There
is a distinction between working load and tensile
strength (the breaking point under actual tests). You
are correct that the "test" rating should be 15X the
safe working load. When EM said:
"Always be sure that the working load rating
is well above the actual weight being lifted or
supported, a minimum of 3X is not
unreasonable", we were referring solely to working
load ratings. Example: To
safely support a load of 600 lbs. we would use a rope
with a working load rating of 1800 lbs. (27,000 lbs.
tensile strength.) Ratings are for
new, undamaged rope with NO knots. (A
knot can decrease the tensile strength of a rope up to 50%!)
- EM
Learn more about this important subject
at:
http://www.ropeinc.com/ropetensilestrength.html and
http://www.forestapps.com/samson.html
EX LIBERATIS
I was delighted to read your
advice to emcomm hams to take initiative and initiate
operations with or without "official orders" or
other explicit permission. I find an increasingly common
and disturbing attitude among some of our fellows that we are,
in effect, nothing more than the communications auxiliary of
the county government -- and subject to their whims.
Nearly two-hundred years ago, the young, French aristocrat
Alexis de Tocqueville noted Americans neither wanted nor
waited for their government to solve their problems.
Instead, he was amazed at the sheer number of
"societies" they established to address their
conditions, whatever they may be. ARES® and WRRL are
two such societies! Initiative. The
entrepreneurial spirit. The Spirit of '76. Can-do. Thanks
for reminding us of our heritage. Ex libertatis. - Joe
Ames, W3JY, Malvern (Philadelphia), PA
FROM TRINIDAD/TOBAGO
Thank you for the monthly bulletins. I
do appreciate them. They are very educational. I pass them along to
the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio League. I will be
turning 76 later this year and I have been slowing down on my
Emergency radio activities. I think I have played my part on a
voluntary basis and it is time for younger ones to carry on. I
will still be involved in amateur radio but on a limited scale.
My wife and I are leaving for the UK next week and we shall be
there for 5 weeks. Later this year we will travel to India
because our eldest daughter and her husband will be transferred
there. They will be there for 3 years. Our son in law will be
going as the Deputy Ambassador for the UK to New Delhi. My
grandfather came from India in 1870. Keep the bulletins
coming. I will access them from the UK. Take care. -
Irvine Niffikeer, 9Y4IBN, La Romaine, Trinidad/Tobago
REPLY: Thanks Irvine. We always enjoy hearing from
you. Enjoy your holiday and please drop us a line from
wherever you may go! - EM
FROM SAN JUAN ISLAND
Great June issue! I usually deep-six most such
publications, but I keep back issues of EM since
they always have re-readable info. I really agree with the article
on junk "spam" email just for the sake of getting operator's
call signs listed in QST. Most of that
traffic is computer generated, sent by packet on a computer or SSB.
I find that junk highly objectionable and have refused to handle any
of that book traffic. I once delivered one of those "your
license will expire" messages to a sweet lady who nearly broke
down in tears and asked me, "Why do you keep sending me these?
My husband's been gone for years. Can't you please leave me
alone?" Another common is: the "Join a slow-speed CW
net and have fun," or some such nonsense. I delight in
handling third party traffic, but I have no interest in helping
someone get their name in QST with
that junk mail. Bill's (W7ARC) piece was great, when he
mentioned the solitary ham huddled in a tent with a low-power CW rig
handling traffic. Question: As to the QRP CW rig, do you
have any "unofficial" recommendations? I notice a
few on the market and perhaps you've had experience with some. Any
thoughts on this? I check into your nets and you always seem
to put in a good signal up here on the north end of San Juan Island.
I also check into the Washington State Emergency Net as an OES and
Coast Guard Auxiliary. Maybe a throwback to my days as a Coast Guard
radioman -- it was the very best job aboard our ship, by far. -
CW Lindenberg, W7BXH, Friday Harbor, WA
COMMENT: Thanks, CW. And your signals are
usually received well at WRRL HQ. We say that SPAMGRAMS
do more harm than good. Perhaps the ARRL/NTS should think
about adding a new precedence S or J.
This would serve as a "flag" to indicate that
the message is of little or no importance and a traffic handler may
refuse to handle it. Personally I try to dodge this type of
message. WRRL and NETS (NATIONAL
EMCOMM TRAFFIC SERVICE) believes that all message traffic should
be only like FIRST CLASS MAIL
with a precedence of either: EMERGENCY, P, W or R. Personally
I don't have the time to handle these "make work"
messages.
As for your QRP XCVR question: Even
though EM and WRRL
have no corporate advertisers, we usually avoid recommending specific
brands or models of radio gear. This is not much different
from recommending a wine or a spaghetti sauce recipe, which is
normally a matter of taste and/or personal preference.
EM suggests that each operator first
determine what they want a rig to do, how much they can afford to pay,
and then research what is available on the new/used market. A
few factors to consider are: current drain, ease of operation under
adverse conditions, mechanical durability, size and weight, track
record of dependability, etc.
"QRP" generally means 5 watts (or below)
output. There are many excellent QRP kits available. Some
are below $100, others are $500 or more. There
are factory wired mono-band QRP CW XCVRS available for less
than $200, and mono-band QRP SSB XCVRS for under $300. The
old rule: "you get what you pay for" is still true. A
five watt rig, with no LEDs or other lamps will run on a small battery
much longer than rigs with more bells and whistles.
Since I can't hike much anymore and travel mostly by vehicle
I can carry more weight. This also allows for a little more
power capability and more battery. My personal choices
are my old TEN-TEC SCOUT 555 with power output set at 20
watts. (It is possible to install a switch to turn off the
dial light and LED readout and thereby conserve much battery
power.) I really like the built in keyer and Jones filter.
I also like my early Icom 706, because it covers all bands (including
6 and 2 meters) and has general coverage AM for SWLing. Both of
these rigs will fit in waterproof ammo boxes. One rig that I
have always wanted to try is the Tokyo Hy-Power 40-15-6M SSB/CW handie-talkie,
but I have not yet had that opportunity.
There are many light and compact multi-mode,
multi-band, transceivers currently on the market -- probably more
now than ever. One problem that I have with most of them is that
most are program driven and loaded with complex features,
bells, whistles, and other assorted (and unnecessary) gee-gaws. We
are all still waiting for the perfect portable emcomm
rig! - EM
IN A JULY 2004 SURVEY EM
ASKED: “Considering all factors, features and
qualities, if you could have only ONE XCVR for EMCOMM work, what
make and model would YOU choose?" Read the
results of the survey in the August 2004 EM at:
http://www.emcomm.org/em/august2004.htm
ICS DVD?
Thank you for developing your
DVD on message handling. The ARRL should have done it
years ago. Since your DVD was taped at a U.S.F.S.
facility, it occurred to me that you might be able to do a
DVD on and an actual demonstration of the ICS system. It
could follow a major vegetation fire from the first tanker
on scene assuming the command, then the battalion
chief shows up and takes command, then strike teams are called,
fire camp is set up, logistics is set up, base camp, safety,
division A, division B, night division A and night division B,
air ops, utilizing other frequencies giving tones for the
channel, etc. It is summer and it seems like a
natural time to develop a DVD or CD demonstration of the ICS
system as it expands and develops. Include a cam
recorder (with permission) at the command center, fire
camp and various operations, showing the ICS in operation.
- Jim Coulter, K7QCK, Sequim, WA.
COMMENT: That's not a bad idea Jim and it would
no doubt help emcomm operators (and others) who have never
been involved in an actual incident to visualize what it is
actually like...or how ICS should work. While ICS/NIMS
has been nominally adopted in most places...it has yet
to be implemented in many sectors. For single
agency incidents, and in multiple agency incidents that are
single discipline (e.g. - a wild land fire), it has
worked well for over 30 years. But when a wide spread
disaster incident occurs and involves multiple agencies and
disciplines, multiple government agencies and/or NGOs, and
multiple layers of government and political jurisdictions, it
has yet to function as it was intended. This was
never more evident that it was during and after the
gulf coast hurricane catastrophes of 2005.
Many agencies effectively use ICS within their own
structure. But when it comes to relinquishing command
and control to some other leader, it often becomes problematic.
Who will then be in charge? Will it be the fire chief
or the sheriff in the jurisdiction where the incident began? Will
it be local emergency manager, the mayor or the
governor? A military leader? FEMA? As an
incident expands the command must be singular and shift upward.
Seasoned fire service, law enforcement, military and other commanders
may have a difficult time turning command over to some
politician or bureaucrat who has little (or none), experience in
disaster response and relief. Although your suggestion is
a good one, and we agree that someone ought to do it, the
WRRL is in no position to provide any authoritative
instructional materials on ICS/NIMS. Plus, since our
budget is limited by own pockets, we choose to focus
our limited time and resources solely on emergency
communications training and preparedness.
However, EM and WRRL
will continue to promote effective amateur radio emergency
communications. We may eventually produce
a DVD that will depict the basics of setting up an emcomm
field station, a TYPE I ARCT net (see
"What is a Net" below), and follow the routing of
various message traffic from place of origin to final
delivery. However, whatever materials we may
eventually produce will promote the ARCT resource typing system
and will be ICS and NIMS compliant. - EM
ME WRONG?
Maybe I am wrong, but I suspect that Ward
Silver, NØAX, was asking a different question than your
response. (Ref. "POSTMARKS" June EM)
I think that he was asking as the point of origin station rather
than en-route. Consider this scenario: An official
hands the station operator a message draft prepared on the agency
system and date/time stamped based on system time. The operator
transcribes the draft into a radiogram format, has the official
verify the contents of the transcription; then sends the message
into the network to the addressee. This would be an
instance where the time of origin and transmission would be
slightly different. NEW TOPIC - What is your view
on promoting a standardized time stamp for all messages?
This should include both date and time in a one line numerical
sequence using UTC or ZULU. For example:
200606031748Z for this message. - Ralph Brigham,
KG4CSQ - Clarksville, TN
REPLY:
I don't know how it
happened, but the item you refer to was a mix up
of two articles. Somehow while doing some "cut
and paste" I must have fouled it up.
Here is the
original correspondence between myself and Ward:
EM said,"In
a message preamble, when a time of origin (optional) is stated,
ZULU is the universal standard. (No mistaking which
time zone.) Remember, ZULU time must always match the ZULU
date. E. g. - In our time zone (Pacific) at 1600 PST and
1700 PDT the date becomes tomorrow's date until 2400
local."
Ward wrote: "I've heard experienced
traffic handlers say just the opposite - use local time/date for
the time-of-origination. The reason being that the message
originators (not the amateur, but the person generating the
information) are often unfamiliar with Zulu time and get very
confused about Zulu dates. Your thoughts on the requirements of
"network time" versus "user time" would be
of interest.
EM's
REPLY: That's strange. The preamble is filled
in only by the originating station operator or counter
person. UTC/ZULU time has traditionally been the SOP.
The first time we ever heard anyone even suggest that local
time may be used is in the recently developed ARRL
ARECC courses.
(quote)
|
NR
|
PREC
|
[HX]
|
STN-ORIG
|
CK
|
PLACE-OF-ORIG
|
[TIME-FILED]
|
MON
|
DAY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
The
OPTIONAL "TIME FILED" is used only when filing time
has some importance relative to the precedence, handling
instructions, or meaning in the text. TIME FILED is the time
when the message is created by the station of origin. The time
figures are in the 24-hour format followed by the letter
"Z" to denote UTC time, or local time, as in
"0215Z" or "2215EDT". It is acceptable to
specify local time as "L", as in 2215L.
UTC
(Z) date and time is customary on ARRL messages (an unmarked
time is assumed to be UTC). To avoid ambiguity, mark the time
with a Z, time zone designator, or L. Time and date must
agree, that is be related to the same time zone.
The
TIME FILED is normally omitted on routine traffic having no
special time concerns. If used, the filing time must stay with
the message to the point of delivery.
(end
quote)
Everything
in the PREAMBLE is the record and communication between
stations. That same is true for prosigns
and prowords...they are not part of the message.
They
are solely what stations use to "talk" to each other.
Now to your "date and time in a one
line numerical sequence" suggestions. While
this method may work OK in the computer world, it is risky in
the emcomm world. Here are a few reasons:
1. The year is not used in radio traffic.
Why include extra sending that is unnecessary? If the
parties involved don't know what year it is...we might as well give
up.
2. Morse and voice operators may make
mistakes. If in your example, if an operator drops one
character the whole time/date is wrong.
3. There is no mistaking the month when it is
spelled out. Always use these standard three letter
abbreviations:
JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP,
OCT, NOV, DEC.
4. Many operators who originate messages
prefer to spell out numbers. Less chance for error.
5. Why fix what ain't broken?
The WRRL promotes and uses the
ZULU/UTC time and date for radio traffic, not only because we
are international in scope, but because we believe that the
time tested and proven standardized methods that have worked
so well for decades are the simplest and still the most "fool
proof".
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 ICS/NIMS are forwarded to Jerry Boyd, N7WR.
Others may be forwarded to other staff members. Questions
regarding EMCOMM in general are usually handled by D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ.
Some will wind up on our FAQ page at: http://www.wrrl.org/faq.asp
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
currently have a Technician license but I am working on my General
ticket. Morse is kicking my tail though. I could pass
the written tomorrow, but the code is taking a bit longer. My
interest in NVIS is simple. I am charged with
providing/maintaining the county's public safety communications
network. We have everything from low band 46.xxx, VHF, UHF,
and 800Mhz smartzone. Our RACES group is very active and I am
one that believes that ham radio is more than just a reach-back.
It is front line priority. I want my RACES group to be just as
well equipped as one of the Sheriff's deputies. I really want
to build a good NVIS system on top of our EOC as it is less than 150
air miles to either the capital of South Carolina or Georgia.
Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
for everything!
- Lt. Matthew P. Littleton, KE4PAB, Anderson County Emergency
Services Information Technology Specialist Supervisor
A: The Morse language has never
come easy for me either. One mistake that MANY make is trying
to learn it too slow. If you are mentally counting dits and
dahs you will have a difficult time. Try to learn the sound of
each letter, number or character (as a complete sound) at about
10-13 wpm. Your tech license allows you to operate on SIX
METERS and you should be able to find some CW action around
50.200 MHz. Once you make a few contacts on-the-air Morse will
become easier and fun...and you will progress rapidly if you make
just one contact a day. If you can't find someone active who
will work at your speed, try finding a friend who also is interested
in developing his or her operating skills, make a sked and stick
with it. Many modern "multi-mode" transceivers
include six meters, and older transceivers (by Drake, Yaesu,
Gonset, Clegg, etc.) can be found at ham swaps, on eBay, etc. at
reasonable prices.
HF may be the only means of communication left intact
after a disaster, but it is often overlooked by public service
officials. You are wise to include it in your emcomm plan.
You don't say how tall your EOC building is, so I have no way of
knowing at what level is your actual "ground". For
the 50 to 300 mile range, I would start with a simple horizontal
center -fed balanced doublet or an end-fed Zepp. A
length of 137 ft. (for either antenna), fed though an ATU, will
allow you work on 80/75, 60, 40 meters (and up). If
available space does not permit an antenna this long, you might
consider a G5RV (102 ft.), and if needed the antennas may be
installed in an "Inverted V" configuration. (You may
lose some of the NVIS effect.) I would avoid vertical antennas
since most emcomm does not involve DX. If your antenna is
horizontal and is on top of a building, you might improve the NVIS
effect by installing a horizontal wire reflector a few feet below
the actual antenna. Consult a good antenna book for more
information. Commercial wire antennas are available (for a
high price), however since they are so easy to construct, I
cringe every time I hear of hams buying these (especially if it is
paid for with tax payer dollars). Unfortunately, managers of
some publicly owned buildings will not allow "home
brew" antennas and some do not allow "amateurs" to
perform any installation or maintenance work. After a few
tests (over a period of time) you will know how well your antenna
and station work. Oh yes, let us know when you pass your General
exam!
Q: The
Message-Handling DVD's I ordered arrived as promised yesterday, and I
have viewed the material in its entirety. Nice work
getting a well-thought-out live
presentation saved in a way that it can be shared!
I see an additional need for one subject
not really covered in the class / video but likely to be faced by
many Emcomm operators: practical considerations in handling
tactical messages. The ARECC courses touch on this a bit, but
nowhere have I seen described the range of acceptable procedures
when in a vehicle with a first responder, in a convoy of evacuation
vehicles, or shadowing a fire captain.
I have a pretty good idea what
I would do in most of these cases, but does one attempt to keep some
record of how many messages are passed, when, from whom and to whom,
and content? What problems have been encountered by those with
a lot of experience in these situations, and how did they resolve
them? - Marty Woll, N6VI
A: In
the The EM PHILOSOPHY in the June issue
we touched upon this subject where we said: "All
that's really needed is effective communication networks that
are composed of skilled amateur radio operators (ARCTs) positioned at
strategic locations that are accessible to anyone. ARCT
operators using self-powered radio gear that they are familiar with
(they bring their own), and using radio frequencies in
the appropriate mode; and that are capable of accepting, relaying and
delivering third party message traffic. It makes no difference who
is originating the message whether it is a government agency, another
non-government organization (NGO), or a member of the general public.
It may be a short TACTICAL message (which still should always be logged
and recorded), or a RADIOGRAM of any precedence."
TIPS
ON HANDLING TACTICAL TRAFFIC.
1.
It must be 100% accurate. In other words, GET IT RIGHT. Know
exactly what needs to be said and how to say it. THINK BEFORE
YOU KEY THE MIC!
(Ref. "What is your location?" - December
2005 EM http://www.emcomm.org/em/december2005.htm )
2.
It must be TO and FROM someone.
3.
Amateurs do NOT normally originate tactical traffic...even if it's
tactical...it is still "third party".
4.
On occasion it is acceptable to hand the mic to the third party if that
will expedite.
5.
Tactical traffic must be logged. Date/time/from who/to who/
synopsis of message content/subject. Indicate if reply is
requested.
6.
This task can be done by a non-ham, someone monitoring at home, the
NCS, or someone sitting near the NCS.
7. Make
sure that you have a two-way signal path with a competent operator (and
that you're not "doubling") before you attempt to deliver a
message. A
few years I was involved in a SAR operation, and needed to deliver an urgent message.
Our normal SO channels were busy with unrelated law enforcement action.
I called on a local amateur repeater for "anyone monitoring".
I received an instant reply from a thoughtless "it's only a
hobby" type of ham who never let up his mic key when he answered to
see if: 1) I was hearing him; and 2) If I had any traffic.
His reply went something like this: "Oh Hi Dave, how are you?
Gee, did you see that sunset tonight? It sure was a beaut...by
golly! Well, what have you been up to? The XYL and I
have been traveling and when home I have been working in the yard raking
leaves, and getting ready for winter..." (and on and on...).
I really didn't have three minutes to wait for the repeater to time out,
so in frustration, I went to another frequency and raised an
operator who replied by asking if I needed anything.
8.
ALL messages that must go through one or more relay stations MUST be
written in the universal RADIOGRAM format. If
entrusted to operator memory, they cannot be assumed
to be accurate.
Typical
TACTICAL TRAFFIC (using TACTICAL call signs):
Example
- EMERGENCY:
"NET
CONTROL this is ROVER ONE with EMERGENCY traffic."
"ROVER
ONE go ahead."
"Need
an ambulance on County Road 4 at mile marker 41 approximately
ten miles south of Beavertown.
"ROGER.
Stand By."
Example - PRIORITY
"NET CONTROL this is ROVER ONE with PRIORITY traffic."
"ROVER ONE go ahead."
"Advise
Incident Command that the fire just jumped Highway 99 four miles
south of Pleasantville."
"ROGER
WILCO. NET CONTROL."
Example - PRIORITY
"NET CONTROL this is ROVER ONE with PRIORITY traffic."
"ROVER ONE go ahead."
"Engine 4449 has a dead battery and radio. Captain Bullhorn
requests a service truck ASAP to the rest area on Interstate 60 just east
of Red River.
"ROGER WILCO. NET CONTROL."
Example
- ROUTINE:
"NET
CONTROL this is VAN BUREN School Shelter."
"VAN
BUREN go ahead."
"School
custodian requests a call to wife Mary. He is OK but will not
be home tonight." Phone figures fife, fife, fife, too,
niner, ze-ro, ze-ro. ( 555-2900, and never say "Oh" for
ZERO).
∙-∙-∙
"WRRL
WINDS" (WRRL MEMBER NEWS)
∙ WRRL NETS
- MONDAYS on 14.280± MHz USB 1940Z (SUMMER) 2040Z (WINTER)