=== POST FIELD DAY EDITION ===
A REGIONAL Bulletin for ARES and other EMCOMM Stations and
Public Safety
Officials in northern California, southern Oregon, northern Nevada, and
elsewhere. D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ, SV Section EC, Editor.
INTERNET: www.emcomm.org E-MAIL: k6soj@arrl.net
L = LCL (Local time in the (PST winter / PDT summer) zone
Z = ZULU (Universal Coordinated Time - UTC)
+ IN THIS EDITION:
- SHORT CIRCUITS
- REPORT ON NORTHERN NEVADA FIRES
- WEDNESDAY EVENING REGIONAL ARES NET IS
CHANGING
- ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE
- TRAINING and CONTINUING EDUCATION
- ON-THE-AIR RADIOGRAM PRACTICE UPDATE
- NWS-SKYWARN NEWS
- WX SPOTTER CLASS SCHEDULE - UPDATED
- ARES TRAFFIC AND OTHER NETS REMINDER/SCHEDULE
- ON THE CALENDAR
=== SHORT
CIRCUITS ===
+ TALES OF FIELD DAY -
At the tail end of this bulletin is the first installment of what we hope
will become a series: “Tales of Field Day”.
This week the “tale” is about the FD adventures of The SOJOURNERS.
Pictures are on their website at: www.emcomm.org/sojourners
If your ARES, other EMCOMM unit, or emergency services oriented club has a Field
Day 2002 tale to tell...send it in. We run one at the end of each 5-1-2+
Bulletin.
+ WELCOME NEW SUBSCRIBERS -
- John Hill, (soon-to-be-ham), Rainier, WA
- Paul R. Zuhlke, II, KC8PNN, Oxford, MI, ARES, RACES, SKYWARN
+ EMCOMM 2002 FEATURED IN THE JULY ISSUE OF QST -
(See the Public Service pages)
+ PICTURE PAGE OF HIGHLIGHTS OF EMCOMM 2002 POSTED! -
Now at: www.emcomm.org (click: EMCOMM 2002)
Also, the ARRL website story and pictures is at: www.emcomm.org/ (click: “EMCOMM
Story”.)
+ ARES EMCOMM SUPPORT FOR NORTHERN NEVADA FIRES -
By Matt Parker, N7TOD, Northern Nevada District EC:
Nevada hams associated with the Northern Nevada Amateur Radio Services (NNARS),
Douglas County Amateur Radio Team (DCART), and Lyon County ARES (LCARES)
responded to a request for communications support from the Sierra Nevada Chapter
of the American Red Cross in Reno June 17-19. Amateur radio was used to set up a
communications link between evacuation centers in the communities of Topaz and
Coleville, California and the Chapter House in Reno. Mountainous terrain and the
80 miles distance between Reno and the fire area made communications using the
Red Cross radio system impossible. 2 meters was used from Reno while HF was used
into the fire area. DCART members in the Minden/Gardnerville, NV area provided
relays between the two points. Support operations began on the afternoon of June
17 and ended at noon on June 19 when movement of the fire took it away from
populated areas and evacuation orders were cancelled.
Editor’s NOTE: Topaz and Coleville are located in Alpine County (SV Section),
but since there is no ARES Team there, we thank the NNARES for covering this
event.
From Jim Utterback, Director Emergency Services, American Red Cross
Sierra Nevada Chapter, Reno, NV
Matt,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your team for the
excellent support to the Red Cross. Most recently the Canon Fire. As you might
know, cell phone service is nonexistent in the Coleville area of CA. We
could not get any satellite phones and there was only one landline available to
support four different agencies. As always you answered the call and established
reliable communications between the chapter HQ and the Coleville operating
location. We very much appreciate the work of your amateur radio operators in
disasters and look forward to many years of working together. Again THANK
YOU for a JOB WELL DONE.
Jim
+ WEDNESDAY
EVENING REGIONAL ARES NET IS CHANGING -
The Wednesday night ARES Leadership Net has enjoyed a very successful “run”
for over five years. Dedicated and effective leadership is essential if
any amateur organization expects to survive AND remain a viable “service to
the public”. Cooperation and coordination between leaders is essential.
This Regional ARES Net might well be the only net of its kind, since it crosses
over county, district, section, state and even division lines! The ARES
leaders who have participated in the net on a regular basis have learned a lot
from each other...and as a result are more effective leaders.
However, it seems to have possibly “run its course”, the value of the net as
it is currently being utilized has been reviewed; and as of July 3, 2002 the net
will take on a slightly different “character”. Each Wednesday the net
will have a different focus. (Note the ARES Leadership Net will now be
MONTHLY on the third Wednesday.)
ALL NETS WILL ACCEPT FORMAL TRAFFIC AT CLOSE OF NET.
NETS BEGIN AT: 1930 PDT summer (PST winter) on 3987 KHz LSB
1st Wednesday:
Regional “open” ARES net (any and all ARES stations welcome). ARES
members
everywhere (within range) are invited to submit appropriate topics for
discussion or questions via e-mail or at net time. NCS: Active ARES members will
share in the net control responsibility on a pre-scheduled basis. If you will
serve as a NCS contact the net manager at k6soj@arrl.net.
2nd Wednesday:
Sacramento Valley Section ARRL net (any and all stations welcome). ARES
and
other topics of interest to ARRL members. Stations outside the SV Section
are welcome. NCS: An ARRL leader or other designated station within in the SV
Section.
3rd Wednesday:
Regional ARES LEADERSHIP net (same as current). NCS: An ARES Leader on a
pre-scheduled basis.
4th Wednesday:
Sacramento Valley Section ARES Net. (ARES stations outside the SV Section
are welcome.) NCS: SV SEC, DEC, EC. or AEC.
5th Wednesday of the month:
No net.
DATE - TYPE OF NET - NET CONTROL STATION
JUL 3 - OPEN ARES NET - Sacramento Valley SEC K6SOJ
JUL 10 - SV SECTION ARRL NET - TBA
JUL 17 - REGIONAL ARES LEADERSHIP NET - Josephine County AEC KC7IXX
JUL 24 - SV SECTION ARES NET - SV Dist. 1 & 2 DEC WO6P
JUL 31 - bye
---------------------------
+ ELECTROMAGNETIC
PULSE - (Or, ”Keep Your Old Vintage Gear Operational”) -
Ray Balch, K6VX, brought this to my attention. With the increased
possibility of a nuclear detonation, or non nuclear electromagnetic weapon
attack, I keep my 35 year old SWAN 350 in operating condition. To
learn more about EMP...here are some websites with some interesting (and
alarming) information. (de K6SOJ)
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/5971/emp.html
http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/security/has280010.000/has280010_0f.htm
The excerpt below (from the above URL) is from testimony by Stanley J. Jakubiak,
Deputy Chief of the Command Center’s Division, Joint Chiefs of Staff, to the
House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Military Research and
Development Subcommittee, Washington, DC, Thursday,
October 7, 1999.
“However, since the nuclear EMP, even from a single exoatmospheric detonation,
covers a wide area of the ground and the atmosphere above it, nuclear EMP can
produce electronic system failures at many widely distributed points
simultaneously. Unless special nuclear EMP recovery preparation and training has
been implemented, system operators will have no experience with recovering the
system from simultaneous, widely distributed multi-failures and would have to
discover how to recover from such failures at the time they occur, which would
be a highly stressful time. I know of no training in U.S. commercial
systems focused on multiple, widely spread, simultaneous failures of highly
reliable equipment.”
+++ TRAINING and
CONTINUING EDUCATION SECTION -
(Previous training bulletins are archived at:
www.emcomm.org/svares/training/index.htm
+ AN EXCELLENT NATIONAL TRAFFIC SYSTEM (NTS) TRAINING
WEBSITE IS AT: http://www.qsl.net/aresco/nts-top.htm
ADDITIONAL (VERY) USEFUL information is available at:
http://www.remote.arrl.org/FandES/field/pscm/sec2-ch11.html
http://www.area-ham.org/tngdocs/ntsdocs/ntsman.htm
When composing a RADIOGRAM, pretend that you will be charged ONE DOLLAR for
every “word”.
-------------------------------
“TRAFFIC HANDLING IS FUN AND REWARDING!”
------------------------------------
+ NWS-SKYWARN
SECTION
Jim Reynolds, KD7MLO, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Medford NWS
Gary Peterson, WA7MUY, Acting Medford SKYWARN Coordinator
D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ, Asst. Medford SKYWARN Coordinator
SKYWARN is the National Weather Service program of trained volunteer spotters
reporting severe weather. The ARRL/ARES has a national “memorandum of
understanding” (MOU) with the NOAA/NWS.
MEDFORD NWS SKYWARN WEBSITE: www.emcomm.org/skywarn
+ NWS MEDFORD WX NET PARTICIPANTS ARE POSTED EACH WEEK ON THE NWS WEBSITE:
www.emcomm.org/skywarn/nets.htm
+ NWS / SKYWARN WEATHER SPOTTER CLASS SCHEDULE -
All Spring classes have been completed. Future classes “to be
announced”.
MEDFORD NWS WX SPOTTER / SKYWARN NETS:
The Medford NWS WX SPOTTER NET every Wednesday at 1915L on:
147.26+ / CTCSS: 123.0, (Mt. Ashland - Jackson County and more)
146.55 SIMPLEX (eastern Siskiyou and Klamath Counties)
146.97- (Likely - Modoc County Relay)
3987LSB (1982 LSB alternate).
SKYWARN nets will be activated on these frequencies during severe weather
events.
NWS SKYWARN NET CONTROL STATIONS -
DATE 147.26+
3987 LSB
JUN 26 WA7MUY KB7EKF
JUL 3 K6SOJ
KC7WEU
JUL 10 WA7MUY N2RSN
JUL 17 N2RSI
KC7WEU
JUL 24 WA7MUY KB7EKF
JUL 31 TBA
ADDITIONAL NWS NET CONTROL OPERATORS SOUGHT -
For more information contact:
Gary, WA7MUY, gpederso@OregonVOS.net;
or,
Dave, K6SOJ, k6soj@arrl.net
NWS PACKET NODE ON MT. ASHLAND is on 145.030 MHz, ID is: skywrn.
NWS is asking for SKYWARN and ARES packet stations
to connect and let them know
your location, the type of antenna and power you use to access the Mt. Ashland
node. The “connect” to NWS packet bbs (direct) is 145.090 and the ID is
NWSMFR. Then connect to NWSBBS, e.g., c nwsmfr. Then, c nwsbbs. The NWSMFR at
nws mfr is a node.
Questions? contact Gary, WA7MUY e-mail: gpederso@OregonVOS.net
Check in to the JEFFERSON NOON NET daily at 1200L on 7232 LSB
(alt. 3987)
for announcements regarding anticipated or actual severe WX.
+ REMINDER -
5-1-2+ REGIONAL ARES AND NWS NETS
DAILY:
1200 to 1230L: Jefferson Noon Net on 7232 LSB (3987 LSB alternate)
NOTE: ALL STATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR AND/OR CALL ON 146.52 and/or 146.55
MHZ DURING THE NOON NET TO RELAY CHECK-INS OR TRAFFIC.
WEDNESDAYS:
1915 to 1930L: NWS WX SPOTTER NETS (see NWS-SKYWARN section below)
1930 to 2000L: A.R.E.S. LEADERSHIP NET on 3987 LSB (1982 LSB alternate)
ALL ARES and other EMCOMM leaders are welcome. A net roster is available at:
www.emcomm.org/svares/nets/nets.htm
ARES REGIONAL NET CONTROL STATION SCHEDULE:
------------------------------------
JUNE 5 Sacramento Valley SEC K6SOJ
JUN 12 Klamath County AEC N2RSN
JUN 19 Siskiyou/Modoc EC KE6MZT
JUN 26 Dist. 1 & 2 DEC WO6P
JUL 3 Sacramento Valley SEC K6SOJ
JUL 10
JUL 17 Josephine County AEC KC7IXX
JUL 24
JUL 31
------------------------------------
ARES leaders* who are willing and available to serve as the NCS on one of
the blank dates above, please contact K6SOJ to be placed on the schedule.
(* SECs, DECs, ECs, AECs, OES, ORS, etc.)
+ ARES TRAFFIC NETS - Beginning with this issue a list of local
and regional
ACTIVE daily traffic nets capable of handling formal traffic in ARRL
RADIOGRAM format will be listed. Managers of nets that meet this
criteria are welcome to submit their information for listing in this format:
- JEFFERSON NOON NET (JNN):
Check in between: 1200-1230 LCL. Traffic at: 1230 LCL 7232 ± LSB (3987 ±
LSB alternate) plus relays (when available) via 146.55 // 146.52 //
147.26+/123.0 (Mt. Ashland) Primary service area: Northern California, southern
Oregon. Extended service area: Washington, northern Nevada, Idaho, southern
California, ships at sea, and “anywhere else the signals reach”.
- ALASKA ARES / TRAFFIC NETS -
The ALASKA ARES maintains a “listening watch” on 3535 and 7042 kHz (CW)
for NTS traffic within or into ALASKA. Listen for AL7N, Fairbanks; and/or
KL5T and KL7HF, Anchorage. Full details at: www.qsl.net/aresalaska/news/ACWN.html
Also check out their main page at: www.qsl.net/aresalaska/index.html
- ALASKA-PACIFIC EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS NET 14292 kHz at 1630Z
weekdays.
- ADDITIONAL ARES and other EMCOMM NETS - list at:
www.emcomm.org/SVARES/nets/index.htm
+ ON THE
CALENDAR +
- REDWOOD COAST AMATEUR RADIO CONVENTION - June 28-30, 2002
• ARRL San Francisco Section Convention
• Hosted by Humboldt County’s Amateur Radio Clubs
• HUMBOLDT COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS - FERNDALE, CALIFORNIA
• Talk In: 146.850- and 147.090-/103.5
• ADVANCE REGISTRATION: 1 day $3.OO, 2 days $5.00
• AT THE DOOR: 1 day $4.00, 2 days $7.00
• SENIORS: HALF PRICE • FAMILY: $5.00 day
• Swap Meet • Commercial Dealers • ARRL FORUM • Fox Hunt • Early Bird
• Prizes • Guest Speakers • Field Day Competition • Wine & Cheese
Welcome
Friday at 6:30 PM
Saturday - 9 am to 5 PM
• Saturday Banquet - 7:00 PM in the TURF ROOM (BY RESERVATION ONLY!)
• Keynote Speaker - Mary E. Lau, N1VH, ARRL Field and Educational Support
"THE POWER OF CLUBS AND WHAT MEMBERSHIP CAN DO FOR YOU"
• Sunday - 9 am to 3:00 PM (Closing)
• Additional Information and ONLINE REGISTRATION: www.humboldt-arc.org
--------------------------------------------------------
=== A FIELD DAY TALE ===
+ SOJOURNERS ENDURE SEVERE WEATHER ON FIELD DAY BUT WERE NOT DAMPENED -
(But they did get a little damp!)
Early Friday afternoon a work party composed of Chuck, KF6YKQ;
John, K6QQ
(and wife Nancy); David, N2RSN; Terry, N2RSI; and Dave, K6SOJ assembled under
threatening weather at Lake Juanita (high in the Goosenest Ranger District of
the KNF in eastern Siskiyou County) to prepare for FIELD DAY 2002.
The command post tent was laid out on the ground, but before we could get it up, the thunderstorm(s) moved in. We hastily covered the tent with the ground canvas, and took cover in our vehicles. About 7 PM (just about the time the war stories and yarns were running out) the rain ceased.
Since June 21 is the longest day of the year, we had 2+ hours of daylight remaining and the tent was erected without incident. B-B-Q hot dogs, chips, soda pop and beer were the next item on the agenda. Nannette, KE6MZT, arrived with fresh baked oatmeal/currant cookies. We all retired for the night shortly thereafter.
Saturday morning brought blue skies. Buck, W6HOR; Carter, W6YJG; Carter’s daughter Erica, (who is visiting from England); Randy, K7RPM; Bob, WA7IZU; Barbara, KB7OMN; and her husband Vern completed the list of Saturday arrivals.
David “William Tell” Bell, took aim at the tree tops with his trusty bow and arrow and the antenna erection party was underway. We were now about 3-4 hours behind schedule as a result of the Friday storm. 1800Z came and went. We were not QRV! Shortly thereafter, Terry, N2RSI, went on 20M SSB, and W6SOJ (“Worked State Of Jefferson”) 5A Sacramento Valley was on-the-air!.
One multi-band antenna produced nothing...except high SWR readings and increased frustration levels. It was now noon. Time for the Jefferson Noon Net. Dave K6SOJ, and the team quickly got an ever reliable G5RV up, and we were on 40M SSB by 1215. “Forty” was VERY active!
The next station to go on the air was on 20M CW, with W6HOR, W6YJG, and K6QQ taking turns operating/logging and they continued well into the night in a clearing with only a sun-shade canopy for shelter. I won’t mention the name of the person who was heard saying, “it won’t rain again today”...but his call sign ends with HOR.
Next, Bob, WA7IZU and Randy, K7RPM, went on 40 CW from the command post tent; while Dave, K6SOJ operated on 15M SSB (which was right on the edge of the MUF), from safely inside the “Beach, Mountain, Desert and River Express”. (A 1971 Ford/Gillig/Caterpillar bus)
KF6YKQ, went fishing for contacts on 10M SSB...from within his newly acquired 1985 Ford van. He caught one contact on 10M.
The potluck was served at 5:30 PM. Steaks, burgers, baked beans, chicken-almond salad, and “low country boil” (herbs from Louisiana, Cajun sausage, shrimp, celery, corn, carrots, okra...) plus other accoutrements, completed the vast repast.
Soon after the Lemon Pound Cake by Nannette (in honor of David and Terry’s 25th Wedding Anniversary) became history...the BIG thunder storm hit! Duck and cover! The lightening strikes were too close for comfort. We all shut down and rode out the two hours deluge. No rain gauge was available, but the gauge at the Lazy T Ranch (about 15 miles away) recorded .68 inches.
Once THAT storm has passed...we resumed operations...in somewhat
soggy
conditions. By midnight everyone was exhausted and we shut down.
Sunday brought nicer weather, and we were able to dry things out
a bit.
Breakfast was served. Fresh cantaloupe, a huge “River Scramble”
consisting
of eggs, shrimp, Cajun sausage, (gleaned from the Saturday night “low country
boil”), plus diced ham and cheese, was concocted in a huge iron skillet, more
B-B-Q steak (it had to be cooked before it “turned”) and warm scone bread
(Nannette again) filled our bellies and lifted our spirits.
About 10 AM, while a few “die hards” continued operating, the rest of us began the job of breaking camp and packing up. Scott, KC7RPM and Rose arrived and help with the task.
The totals will come later, but our public display WAS map
indicated that
we had worked 49 states (Maine eluded us), 7 Canadian Provinces...plus Cuba.
By 1 PM we were headed for home...and FIELD DAY 2002 was history!
All-in-all...it was a GREAT FIELD DAY...and thanks to all of you
who
joined in on the fun and folly! - de K6SOJ
---------------------------------------
+ BACK ISSUES OF THE 5-1-2+ BULLETIN ARE ARCHIVED AT:
www.emcomm.org/svares/archives
+ The “5-1-2+ BULLETIN” - Copyright (c) 2002 - D. W. Thorne,
K6SOJ Permission is hereby granted to reproduce and re-circulate items from this
bulletin providing appropriate credit is given to the “5-1-2 REGIONAL ARES
BULLETIN” and/or the author or originator of the material. Send corrections,
updates, etc. to: k6soj@arrl.net
=== end of bulletin ===