WORLDWIDE
eDISPATCH
- 1 JANUARY 2009 - 0125Z
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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. 5 -- No. 6 www.emcomm.org JANUARY 2009
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The EM
PHILOSOPHY
- NEW YEAR
RESOLUTIONS
SHORT CIRCUITS - News and Announcements
FEEDBACK,
MUSINGS and SPURIOUS EMISSIONS
The EM
ADVISOR - "Q and A"
ICS
PERSPECTIVES - by
WRRL NEWS
and NETS
TRAFFIC HANDLING
NETWORK
NEWS - "N.E.T.S."
SHOW US
YOUR SHACK
FEATURE -
"KEEPING THE INTEREST UP"
EMCOMM
SPECIALTY ITEMS - Stuff for
NEW SUBSCRIBERS and CONTRIBUTORS
REFERENCE and RESOURCE SECTION
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The EM PHILOSOPHY
10 NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR EMCOMM OPERATORS
1. I RESOLVE to PREPARE for and PROVIDE public service
communications during emergencies, disasters, or failure or overload of normal
means of communication.
2. I RESOLVE to LEARN, PRACTICE, and DEMONSTRATE -- PROPER and STANDARDIZED
OPERATING PROCEDURES and NET DISCIPLINE at all times.*
3. I RESOLVE to identify by saying my FCC call sign at the end of every
transmission unless I expect to transmit again within ten minutes. (FCC Part
97.119a)
4. I RESOLVE to always clearly state the FCC or tactical call sign of the
station that I am turning the frequency over to.
5. I RESOLVE to use the proword OVER to prevent doubling.
6. I RESOLVE to allow a 1-2 second pause before transmitting.
7. I RESOLVE to only use ITU phonetics.*
8. I RESOLVE to avoid excessive wordiness and repetitious verbiage, and not say
ROGER when answering a question in the AFFIRMATIVE.
9. I RESOLVE to learn, practice, and improve my CW operating skills.
10. I RESOLVE to always set a good example for new operators and others who
demonstrate poor or sloppy operating habits.
HAPPY NEW YEAR !
And be sure to: "Keep yer batteries charged, yer hubs
locked, and yer powder dry!"
* Ref. OPERATING
PROCEDURES: www.wrrl.org/operating
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SHORT CIRCUITS
LNN
ON NEW FREQUENCY
Due to SWBC interference the
LINCOLN NOON
NET is now on 7208 kHz ± LSB.
The LNN is on MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, and FRIDAYS at 1200 CTZ
All emcomm stations in the Central (U.S.) Time Zone, PLUS the Eastern and
Mountain Time Zones are invited to check in.
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FROST
FEST - Richmond, VA - Saturday, February 7, 2009
February is just around the
corner! "Frost
Fest"
www.frostfest.com is sponsored by The Richmond Amateur
Telecommunications Society ("RATS"), and it is held in the winter each year when
most other amateur radio conventions are being planned.
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FEEDBACK, MUSINGS and SPURIOUS EMISSIONS
MALICIOUS INTERFERENCE
(Ref. EMCOMM ADVISOR in the December issue about willful
interference during public service nets.)
OUT IN
PHOENIX
Out in Phoenix (AZ), we find that just ignoring the (intentional and/or
malicious) interference is the best policy. They go away after a while.
Playing the clown's game -- whether acknowledging him in any way, trading
insults, or giving him something fun to do like chasing you across channels --
only encourages him. There's nothing more deflating than misbehaving to
get attention and no one noticing or caring. Of course, tracking is a good
idea. That the FRS range is so limited (despite manufacturer claims of up
to 15 miles) helps narrow the tracking area. That blister-pack FRS radios
cannot use an external antenna doesn't help the trackers, but GMRS radios can
include an antenna jack for a directional beam. - Mike Pulley,
WB4ZKA, Chandler, AZ
EM COMMENTS:
We agree that ignoring these losers is usually the best policy.
(See
Dealing with Jammers - February 2007 EM
http://www.emcommorg/em/2007/february2007.htm)
Re. tracking down an offender's transmitter. With the exception of the 800 MHz
cell phone band, I am not aware of any prohibition against
listening
to any frequency with any type of antenna. It shouldn't be too difficult
to adapt a directional (loop or beam) antenna to a FRS receiver, just be sure
not to transmit. There are probably scanner receivers available that cover
FRS channels.
Also, T-hunt aficionados often use rubber duck antennas. I've watched them
do this using a cardboard center of a toilet paper roll covered with aluminum
foil to form a shield. By sliding it up and down over the antenna they can
attenuate a signal, greater and lesser, and eventually hone in on a transmitter
based upon its field signal strength. Using a receiver with an S-meter (or
LED signal strength indicators) makes it easier. -
Editor
UMBRAGE?
James D. House, KA6IVF,
Walnut Creek, CA wrote about a recent jamming incident (December issue). I
live in Walnut Creek also, and there has been some repeater jamming as well In
response EM wrote:
"Another
idea - Part 95:194 allows non-voice communications (e.g.- tones and text
messages) on the FRS, so you may consider looking into that as a possible way to
foil a jammer. (Too bad CW isn't legal on FRS!)"
As I recall, voice inversion scrambling is legal on FRS. Some sites say it is
legal for GMRS, but I doubt it. It is not legal for amateur radio use.
But I don't see why CW or at least MCW with audio tones would not be legal on
FRS and maybe GMRS. (I think the GMRS repeaters ID in (M)CW).
47
CFR 45, Ch. 1, Part 95.193 (FRS Rule 3): "Types of
communications. (a) You may use an FRS unit to conduct two-way voice
communications with another person. You may use an FRS unit to transmit one-way
voice or non-voice communications only to establish communications with another
person, send an emergency message, provide traveler assistance, provide location
information, transmit a brief text message, make a voice page, or to conduct a
brief test. (b) Non-voice communications. (1) The FRS unit may transmit tones to
make contact or to continue communications with a particular FRS unit. If the
tone is audible (more than 300 Hertz), it must be transmitted continuously no
longer than 15 seconds at one time. If the tone is sub-audible (300 Hertz or
less), it may be transmitted continuously only while you are talking. "
So, using tones to "transmit a brief text message" suggests to me that using MCW
to deal with jamming is permissible, not to carry the text of traffic, but
as an "order line" to direct, for example, a change of frequency or mode or
PL/CTSSS tone, in other words, the words of the Reg: "to make contact or
to continue communications with a particular FRS unit" in the face of the
jamming.
In any event, the likelihood that the FCC will take umbrage with any FRS use in
aid of any civil authority (even in "just a drill") is close to zero.
Moreover, Morse code is not a prohibited code in FCC-regulated radio, because it
does not hide meaning. - Bart Lee, KV6LEE, ARRL Volunteer Counsel and Government
Liaison
COMMENT -
I'm sure we should get into all that in the pages of EM, but thanks for your
scholarly comments, Bart. Remember...we're dealing with non-hams here.
(Hmmmn, this might be a sneaky way to get some non-hams interested in Morse
code. ;-) Umbrage? Now THAT sent me scrambling for my dictionary! -
Editor
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BEING THERE
I just received my first
copy of EMCOMM MONTHLY. It is great and I must thank Bob W7FPY for letting
me know about you. I would like to make a donation, but I'm not sure how
to make out the check. If I make it to EMCOMM can you cash it or do I need
to make it out some other way? The info was not clear on how to do this.
What is clear is that something as good as this is needs support and I will be
happy to do my share.
Next question: I have been forced to medically retire (just lost both legs
below the knee) and funds are tight since all I have is SS disability, would a
donation of $100.00 right now cover me for the next 5 years? Things are
getting more expensive every day and I figure that if I give all I can right now
it would help more now than later. I will have a check in the mail as soon
as you tell me how to make it out. Thank you and thank you for being there
when you are needed most.
Not knowing how long my health will last, I can only hope to continue reading
your excellent newsletter for a long time to come. Like many groups now days I
am sure you are also feeling the economic crunch. If you are able to recruit or
convert one able bodied amateur radio operator to help and do their share my
small contribution is worth every penny.
Fellow
Amateurs! If you make toast and an egg at home instead of
having an egg McMuffin and coffee out just once a year, you could save
$5.00 and send it to EMCOMM.ORG. The $5.00 and you could make a huge
difference. United we stand or divided we fall. Even big money groups
have a hard time trying to take amateur frequencies when we as a united
community stand up and say we provide a service. Emergency back up and
sometimes the only communications in areas of man-made and natural
disasters. We can provide short, medium, and long range RELIABLE communications
that cost the tax-paying public nothing. Ask someone who just survived a wild
fire where the fire radios did not work but ham radio did -- and they still have
a house to live in because a ham helped guide the firemen to their home. They
will ever be grateful and support us should someone want to take away out
frequencies. A part of training and readiness is public education. No this is
not "Skip Shooter One" talking to "Skip Talker 27", who is messing up your TV
with his illegal linear. This is W6DEL calling K6SOJ on our training net. We
are training to be ready to be of service to you and your family. So I
thank you for all you have done and will do in the future. I have done what I
can do and now I challenge others to do what they can do. I hope to catch you
on the air. Take care of yourself in this holiday season. -
David Lamb, W6DEL, Sun City West, AZ
EM
REPLY:
Thanks for
the nice letter, and your donation, David. It certainly sounds like you
are adjusting to a new situation in life.
EMCOMM MONTHLY is free, and
there are no "dues" or "membership" involved. Monetary donations are
purely voluntary. Our costs are relatively low and mostly are internet
related service fees, domain registration fees, plus some office supplies,
copier, etc. If every
EM reader were to
send in just $1.00 a year we would be in great shape! This year only 13
readers made contributions. (In November there were none.) Any
amount a reader wishes to send will be deeply appreciated, but...don't run your
resources down too low. As you say, "things are getting more expensive
every day" and they will no doubt continue to do so.
(Dave Lamb W6DEL has been
licensed amateur for 46 years. He also holds a commercial license and was a
radio engineer for a publicly traded company before his health forced medical
retirement.)
Information as to how readers can make monetary donations can be found near the
end of each issue just below
RECENT
CONTRIBUTOR$.
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RADIO JUMP KITS
I enjoy Emcomm Monthly very
much! Something that may be of interest to its readers is a new group on
yahoo
groups called
Radio Jump
Kits which is basically about discussing the building of Jump
Stations for Emcomm/Portable operations. I think I was about the second or
third person to join and was nominated as one of the moderators. I think
this could be a very interesting and useful group for Emcomm participants and
would really like to see it get going so we could get some portable station
ideas flowing. So, I was wondering if you could possibly announce it in
the next issue of Emcomm Monthly. The URL for the group site is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Radio_Jump_Kits We are looking for members
that have built or are interested in putting together portable stations - VHF,
UHF, and HF. All are welcome as long as they share the same goal of having a
completely self contained "grab and go" station. -
Rick McKee,
KC8AON, Willow Wood, OH
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GUD TRAVEL ADVICE
Regarding "What is Your Location" in the December issue: One good habit to
get into when traveling by car (or boat, plane or whatever) is to note the TIME
(actually write it down) when you pass easily identifiable points along your
route. Maybe note the odometer reading as well if you have it available to you.
After two or three "fixes" you have an idea of what your average speed in miles
per hour over your route is, and you can then figure your approximate time of
arrival at the next known distant point you come to. (Something to keep
your mind working during long boring drives!)
Then if "something" happens, NOTE THE TIME, and you can then come up with a
fairly accurate idea where you are along your route past the last noted point,
figuring the distance from your known average speed over the route. This
is a habit I developed from having to make required position reports enroute
during my flying days as a private and commercial pilot. As an
example, if you are making an average of 50 mph, you have been using 72
seconds to the mile, and if something occurs when you are 35 minutes (or
60x35=2100 seconds) past the last checkpoint you noted, 2100 divided by 72
will indicate that you are about 29 miles past your last "fix".
A simple chart showing how
many seconds for a mile at various speeds can be worked out to keep in your
vehicle if desired. 60 Mph = 1 mile in 60 sec, 50 Mph = 1 mile in 72
sec, 45 Mph = 1 mile in 80 sec, 40 Mph = 1 mile in 90 sec, and so on.
My wife used to think my doing this when we were driving was stupid and "ragged
on me" to no end for doing it all the time when we were traveling. That
is, she did until one dark night a while back. We were half way home in a
remote area when the fuel pump in our truck decided to quit and stranded us out
in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately I could pin down almost to the
mile where we were even without mile markers, because I had kept track of the
time we passed the last "fix", and had an idea of our average speed.
We knew very closely where to tell the tow truck to find us when we finally
contacted roadside assistance via cell phone. Even if we had not had cell phone
communications, we could have passed word with a passing trucker, other motorist
etc. to let the State Troopers know fairly accurately as to where they could
find us.
We also make it a habit to call either "home" or someone at our destination and
let them know the time we passed one or more major "checkpoints" along our
planned route. That way if we don't show up where and when approximately
expected, at least someone will know where to start looking for us. This "flight
plan" habit has paid off positively more times than once for us. - Ed
"FB" Trump, AL7N, Fairbanks, AK
COMMENT: Very good advice Ed. And the same basic
principle also applies to off-highway drivers, horse packers, snowmobilers
and skiers, and hikers. Even if you don't get into trouble yourself, one
never knows when or where they might happen across someone who has. In
short:
ALWAYS KNOW
WHERE YOU ARE!
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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.
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Q:
Is a RADIOGRAM considered delivered if it is sent via email to the address or
left as a voice mail on an answering device?
A:
A message should not be considered "delivered" if it is forwarded to an email
address or left as voice mail or on an answering machine, since there is no way
to know if the addressee ever got the message. If handling instructions
(HX) indicate that a reply is requested, or if the message is undeliverable,
how can the delivering station service the message back to the originating
station? And how can an addressee reply if phones, email, and even the
postal service are down in the originating area?
RADIOGRAMS (routine) that are mailed as a First Class letter (from a local
delivering station) may be considered delivered, because the post office will
"RETURN TO SENDER" (Elvis not withstanding) to the return address on (the
delivering station's) envelope. -
Editor
Ref.
"THE LAST
MILE " - RETRO REVIEW September 2005
EM:
http://www.emcomm.org/em/2005/september2005.htm
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ICS PERSPECTIVES
By Jerry Boyd, N7WR,
Associate Editor and ICS Advisor
As noted in this column several months ago, for its content to be of value to
our readers it must reflect what readers are interested in. I concluded that column by asking those
with questions, comments, or items for discussion to contact me at
n7wr@wrrl.org The input received will be used
to help me focus the column on items of interest.
I regret to say that, thus far, there has been very little input received from
readers. If that continues, ICS Perspectives will become a quarterly column
rather than a monthly one. I’m
fairly creative, but subject matter for ICS Perspectives really needs to come
from those who “use the product”.
Regular readers will recall that I have, on occasion, mentioned the importance
of monitoring the national simplex calling frequencies in the event an emergency
occurs. While it is not an amateur
radio frequency let me suggest that beginning in February, 2009 monitoring the
aircraft emergency frequency of 121.5 MHz (AM) might also be valuable. As of that date 121.5 will no longer be
monitored by satellite yet, for economic reasons, it will likely be quite some
time before private pilots can afford to purchase new emergency locator
transmitters (ELTs). The new ELTs
will operate on 406 MHz and will be monitored by satellite.
The newer ELTs also allow GPS based lat/long information to be transmitted. Amateurs monitoring 121.5 after that date
might provide the only clue of a downed aircraft in the area. If an ELT beacon is heard on 121.5
contacting your local 9-1-1 Dispatch Center is the correct course of action. If you have a directional antenna
providing the dispatch center with the beam heading where the ELT is strongest
along with the lat/long at your location will be very helpful. You can determine your lat/long from a
variety of sources including your own GPS and Google Maps ™ . - Until next time 73 from NE Oregon
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WRRL NEWS and NETS
Pacific (and Mountain) Time Zones: PTZNN (aka Jefferson Noon Net/JNN)
daily at 1200 PTZ on 7204± kHz (3911± kHz alternate)
Central (and Eastern) Time Zones: CTZNN Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at
1200 CTZ
on
7208± kHz
∙ WRRL NET
on MONDAYS on 14.280 MHz USB (Alternate: 14.270 or somewhere "in between.")
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
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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 about Dependability, Accuracy and Accountability!
NET and TRAFFIC HANDLING
LINCOLN NOON NET - LNN
(CTZNN) M-W-F (NOTE FREQ CHANGE)
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, and
FRIDAYS at 1200 CTZ on 7208 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 7204
kHz ± LSB. (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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"SHOW US YOUR SHACK"
•
"SHOW US YOUR SHACK" is at: http://www.emcomm.org/em/shacks
• Send a picture of you
AND
your shack (all in one frame and in JPG or JPEG format) to:
k6soj@wrrl.org
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FEATURE SECTION
KEEPING THE INTEREST UP
An EM basic studies training module by D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ
We recently received a
letter from an EC in the central valley of California. He said that the
last 'disaster' in his county was in 1997, and asked for some suggestions about
"how to keep people interested in emcomm when there is nothing for them to do".
First, we should always remember that FCC Part 97.1 defines the primary purpose
of amateur radio as
service to
the public (that is) provided on a voluntary, non-commercial, basis.
Our mission as emcomm volunteer operators is
primarily
the accepting of, relaying of (if necessary), and delivering message traffic,
on
behalf of a third party, whether it's the general public or on
behalf of an agency or organization. These may be tactical messages (short
and informal, but a record or log is still maintained), or formal record message
traffic (RADIOGRAMS). Whether tactical or formal, messages may be of any
precedence. EMERGENCY is rarely necessary(and EMERGENCY is always stated
clearly on 'phone, and is always spelled out in Morse), H&W (WELFARE or
W), priority (P), and routine (R).
Regardless of the
mode
used, this free service is most valuable when the normal means of communication
fails, is overloaded or is otherwise not available. EMCOMM stations must be
ready and capable to provide message service accurately and as rapidly as
possible, without any dependence upon commercial power, landline (telephone,
email, internet, etc.), or other infrastructure dependant services. (It is
also advantageous to use simple and reliable communications equipment that
require a minimal amount of current.)
10 SUGGESTIONS OF - "HOW TO
KEEP THE INTEREST UP."
Since much of amateur emcomm is provided from home stations, we begin with
what
emcomm volunteers can do as individuals at home.
(Some examples are: monitoring multiple frequencies to alert an emcomm net of
relevant information, handling/relaying message traffic, maintaining a net
incident log, assisting an emcomm leader with scheduling of volunteer personnel,
logistics support, and much more.)
AS AN INDIVIDUAL AT HOME
1. Keep your home station
in good order, including maintaining an emergency power back up system.
Ref. "THE WELL EQUIPPED
AMATEUR RADIO STATION" -
EM
April 2007
http://www.emcomm.org/em/2007/april2007.htm
2. Know, practice (and thereby demonstrate) proper operating procedures. - Ref. http://www.wrrl.org/operating/
3. Know, practice and use
the universal
message format (RADIOGRAM)
4. Learn and practice Morse code. One short QSO a day will work
wonders!
5. Participate in a public service and/or traffic nets at least once a week.
AS A "TEAM EMCOMM"
1. Train, practice and function as a TEAM! Ideally
you will form or be a member of a TYPE 1 ARCT. Ref. ICS-ARCT GUIDE:
www.emcomm.org/ARCT/ or
WRRL ARCT Page
www.wrrl.org/arct_program/ -
also EM February 2008 at http://www.emcomm.org/em/2008/feb2008.htm and
many other articles on the value of a TEAM APPROACH to emcomm.
Or, go to our site search at:
http://www.emcomm.org/em/2008/feb2008.htm and search the site by typing in
the word symphony.)
2. Set up classes on various skills.
RADIOGRAM training can
take up two evenings, and should be reviewed annually. (Ref. RADIOGRAM
TRAINING DVD below)
3. Many hams have never soldered two wires together, much less solder on a
PL-259 properly. One-day workshops are VERY
helpful and promote camaraderie. Consider setting up soldering stations.
Teach/learn basic soldering skills in the morning, and build and test and use
simple projects such as a dipole, G5RV, or at VHF twin-lead J-pole in the
afternoon.
4. For a long-term project -- obtain a trailer, step-van, or bus and build a
mobile field communications unit.
5. Providing public service communications for local community events has great
value towards promoting team work, experience in portable/field operations, and
net operating discipline. Use these events for training of net control
operators. Do not let those who always "get to do it" or those "who do
such a great job" monopolize the NCS duty. Rotate others through the net
control role to gain some experience before a disaster incident occurs.
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EMCOMM SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
View at:
http://www.emcomm.org:80/products/
$10.00 each or 2 for $18.00 - postpaid
Or, outfit your emcomm team
by ordering:
10 for $70.00 - postpaid (shipped to one address)
Mail check or money order to:
EMCOMM, P.O.
BOX 99, Macdoel, CA 96058
RADIOGRAM TRAINING DVD
Features D. W. Thorne,
K6SOJ, as the instructor. The session was taped live at the U.S.F.S.
facility at
Send check payable to:
EMCOMM,
MORE EMCOMM SPECIALTY PRODUCTS AT:
http://www.emcomm.org:80/products
=====================================================
NEW SUBSCRIBERS - WELCOME!
• Mike Klaiss,
KC8BUJ, Bettsville, OH - ARES®, RACES, EMA, EMS, Bettsville Fire Dept
• Joe Getlein, W1FAI, Hickory, NC - ARES®, RACES, Red Cross
• Mike Tyler, KE7DIF, Seattle, WA - Seattle ACS, EOC, ARES®
• Sean Ryan Russell, KI4REX, Monroe, GA
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• Wm. W. Aird, P.E., KI4DHY, Sterling, VA
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• David Salt, KC2KQB, Bloomfield, NJ
• Mark Garton, KD5EQG, College Station, TX - ARES®
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• Danny Straessle, KE5WLR, Little Rock, AR
• Lynn Fielding, KE6JZD, Torrance, CA - Military Radio
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• Jason MacKay, KC8OVS, Grand Haven, MI - ARES®, RACES
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• John Murphy, KCØJPO, New Town, ND - ARES®, AFMARS
• Roger Fidler, KC5NPU, N. Little Rock, AR - RACES
• Bill Smith, W4HMV, Las Vegas, NV - ARES®, RACES
• Charles Tasker, K6MAZ, La Verkin, UT
• Robert Dyer, WB5EAT, Palestine, TX - ARES®
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RECENT CONTRIBUTOR$ - Thank you for your support!
(The individuals listed below have recently made monetary contributions to help EMCOMM MONTHLY
and
EMCOMM.ORG survive.)
• Steve Wopschall, KD6SNH, Redding, CA
• David Lamb, W6DEL, Sun City West, AZ
• Charles R. Nehrbass, N7TGB, Sun Valley, NV
• Gary Jones, WB7DIE, Mount Vernon, WA
• Russell F. Davis, W9PTK, Richmond, IN
EMCOMM MONTHLY and EMCOMM.ORG are private (non-government, non-commercial) endeavors and
are funded by donations from emcomm operators who are concerned about preserving
the ability of amateur radio operators to be prepared to provide skilled,
accurate and efficient emergency communications during times of disaster or
other events where normal channels of communication may be interrupted or
overloaded. 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 payable to: EMCOMM.
Mail to: EMCOMM,
SORRY: We have no PayPal®, credit card, or other methods to accept the
electronic transfer of funds. "We do it the old fashioned way!"
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:
http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/IS/crslist.asp
• FEMA TRAINING COURSE IS-700 (NIMS): http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/IS/is700.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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The opinions expressed by individual contributors do not necessarily reflect the
EM
philosophy, the editorial position of
EM,
or its staff.
ARES®
and
Amateur Radio Emergency Service® are registered service marks of
the
American Radio Relay League Inc., and are used with
permission.
For
permission to reproduce material in EMCOMM MONTHLY
contact: D. W. Thorne at:
k6soj@wrrl.org or write:
EMCOMM MONTHLY,
EM
STAFF:
D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ - Editor and Publisher -
k6soj@wrrl.org
Bill Frazier, W7ARC - Associate Editor and Webmaster -
w7arc@wrrl.org
Ed Ewell, K7DXV - Technical Advisor -
k7dxv@wrrl.org
Ed Trump, AL7N - Traffic Editor and Alaska Correspondent -
l.trump@att.net
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EMCOMM MONTHLY -- The Official Journal of the World Radio Relay League - WRRL®
EM
is published 10 times a year (September through June) and is copyrighted (c)
2009 - All rights reserved.
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