“Emergencies, radio signals, know no boundaries.
Our commitment to public service should also know no boundaries.”

THE EMCOMMWEST BULLETIN - No. 176 - 
16 September 2003

A Weekly Bulletin for ARES and other EMCOMM Operators and Public Safety Officials in “the west”...and beyond.
D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ - Chief Editor - k6soj@arrl.net
Bill Frazier, W7ARC - Associate Editor and Webmaster - w7arc@arrl.net
Ed Ewell, K7DXV - Assoc. Editor Training/Technical - ewell2@fireserve.net
Paul Cavnar, NN7B - Associate Editor, Nevada - nn7b@arrl.net
Sgt. Dave Nicholson, KB6PNT - Search and Rescue Editor/Consultant
INTERNET: www.emcomm.org  E-MAIL: k6soj@arrl.net
A.R.R.L. HQ: www.arrl.org/ (Check it daily!)
---------------------------------------------------------------
• RADIO WATCH • MONITOR • CALLING • TRAFFIC • EMCOMM • GUARD •
• EMCOMMWEST: 7111 KHZ DAY / 3711 KHZ NIGHT / 146.52 MHZ 24/7
• ALASKA WATCH/TRAFFIC/CALLING: 3534 // 7042 // 14050 KHZ
• NEVADA ARES MONITOR/CALLING SSB: 3965 KHZ
---------------------------------------------------------------
L = Current local time in the [PST winter / PDT summer] zone.
Z = Universal Time Coordinated - UTC (same as ZULU and GMT.

    HOMELAND SECURITY ALERT LEVEL:   ELEVATED    (Yellow)

    EXTREME CONDITIONS FIRE SEASON ADVISORY
    INCREASE FIRE AWARENESS AND READINESS
    • Know and obey all fire rules and regulations.
    • Monitor for “Red Flag Watches/Warnings”.
    • Survey your perimeter/horizon hourly (or more often).
    • Report all suspicious smoke immediately.
    • Carry a shovel, rake, water hose, bucket, radio, and personal
      safety gear with you when in rural or remote areas.
    • Keep a dedicated hose of sufficient length ALWAYS ready at home.
    • Tell your family, friends and neighbors to do the same.
    • REMEMBER...EARLY REPORTING MAY PREVENT A MAJOR DISASTER!

IN THIS EDITION ...
+ GROWING PAINS
+ WELCOME NEW SUBSCRIBERS
+ SHORT CIRCUITS
+ EMCOMM ON BERMUDA AFTER HURRICANE
+ WNNN AND JNN COVERAGE EXPANDS
+ SV SECTION ARES LEADERSHIP NEWS
+ FEEDBACK
+ COMING EVENTS
+ TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
  • POSN  (Advanced Training Module)
+ NWS SKYWARN SECTION
+ EMCOMMWEST BULLETIN INFORMATION
  • HOW IS EMCOMMWEST AND EMCOMM.ORG FUNDED?
  • RECENT CONTRIBUTORS
  • SUBSCRIBE TO EMCOMMWEST BULLETIN
  • BACK ISSUES LINK
  • SEARCH FEATURE AT EMCOMM.ORG

+ GROWING PAINS - (Musings by the Editor)

  Recently I have received some complaints that “the ECWB is getting too long!”  I agree.  Over the past three years the ECWB has grown from a local weekly “net reminder” into a weekly source of news and practical information of interest to serious and committed EMCOMM radio operators.

  Our (known) circulation is approaching 600.  We have readers throughout the U.S., Canada, and even a few overseas.  And our staff is growing.  We are committed to providing useful news and information, but at the same time we do not want to overwhelm our readers.

  Regular readers may have noticed that the ECWB has been gradually shifting from its original focus (local information for the northern California area) towards more information of general EMCOMM interest.

  Starting with this issue, we are “slimming down”.  One noticeable change is there is no SPECIAL FEATURE in this issue.  Our focus will continue to be on training...Training...TRAINING.  And...expect us to “raise the bar” slightly by occasionally presenting and discussing “ADVANCED EMCOMM TRAINING TOPICS”..

  There is beaucoup basic training material available to new EMCOMM operators.  Some is good (e.g.- the ARRL’s ARECC courses), and some is not so good. (BEWARE...there are tons of “soapbox” information on the internet. ALWAYS weigh what you read carefully, and compare it with known reliable and recognized sources.)  The ECWB will occasionally review and re-run certain basic training information and include a Special Feature...but not every week.

  Next issue the REFERENCE/RESOURCE SECTION will be smaller.  If there’s anything there you want to keep I suggest you save it.

  The NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SKYWARN SECTION has been trimmed.  Most NWS
SKYWARN groups now have their own websites (links are at: www.emcomm.org). Visit those sites often for updates.

  This will be the last issue that will include “local” items such as the SV SECTION ARES LEADERSHIP announcements (below).  Items of this nature will now appear in other (more local) bulletins.

  ONE ADDITION:  Sgt. Dave Nicholson, KB6PNT, of the Siskiyou County (CA) Sheriff’s Department has joined our staff as our Search and Rescue Editor/Consultant.  He is available as a resource persons for matters that pertain to SAR and EMCOMM.  I have known Dave for over ten years and I am proud to say that I have served under his leadership.  Siskiyou County is known for its extreme climatic conditions and topographical features; including Mt. Shasta at 14,162 ft., several extensive cave systems, two extensive and very rugged wilderness areas, and of course, the mighty Klamath River!

NEXT WEEK: Sgt. Nicholson’s first offering to the ECWB will debut.

+ WELCOME NEW SUBSCRIBERS

  • Robert E. Hoban, KD7SWO, Las Vegas, NV - ARES, RACES, REACT, SKYWARN,
    and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Search and Rescue
  • David French, N7FAN, Chandler, Arizona - Grand Canyon Chapter
    American Red Cross
  • Rich Rasmussen, W6YQQ, Placerville, CA - ARES AEC El Dorado County

+ SHORT CIRCUITS -

  • ERRATA - The correct  NASAR (National Search and Rescue) frequency is:
    155.16 MHz.  (NOT 156.16 MHz as mentioned in last week’s ECWB.)
    Thanks to: Duane Vincent, KA7JEX, Vancouver, WA for catching the typo.

  • QMN Michigan Net - “America's oldest and first traffic net...”
    www.qsl.net/w8ihx/cw.html

  • First Mobile Wireless was on a Train
    http://earlyradiohistory.us/1914trn.htm

+ EMCOMM ON BERMUDA AFTER HURRICANE FABIAN STRIKES  -
  (Excerpted from The ARRL Letter - Vol. 22, No. 36 - September 12, 2003

  "We had excellent assistance and vital communications from five VP9 hams who, unfortunately, had to resort to makeshift antennas and back-up battery power as the storm approached their locations," said Hurricane Watch Net Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP.  WX4NHC Assistant Amateur Radio Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4JR, of the National Hurricane Center, said “while news reporters on Bermuda found themselves uncharacteristically out of touch, "old-fashioned" ham radio HF technology got through. As he put it, "brave Bermuda hams, using car batteries, basic wire antennas and only 50 W of power, were able to send those valued 'surface reports' and receive vital hurricane advisories." Decent conditions on 20 meters also helped.

+ WNNN AND JNN COVERAGE EXPANDS

  The Western Nevada Noon Net (WNNN) has moved to the WA7DG linked repeater system: 147.150+ (123.0); Mt. Rose, SW of Reno, elev. 10,500 ft. // 147.210+ (123.0); Peavine Mtn. near NW corner City of Reno, Elev. 8,280 ft. This expands the WNNN service area to include northwestern Nevada plus northeastern and central California.  In addition to the Reno/Sparks area, communities now served include Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville, Silver Springs, Fallon, and many other areas including the (in California) the Lake Tahoe Basin, Mono County, Alpine County, the Truckee area (Nevada and Placer Counties), Plumas County, Lassen County, and even some areas in the southern Sacramento Valley and northern San Joaquin Valley Sections.

(COMMENT: On 9/15 an operator in Modesto, CA reported in!  This provides a DAILY NOONTIME message/traffic path the Jefferson Noon Net (JNN) service area, to VHF operators over a HUGE area! - Editor)

  Thanks to WNNN Manager Doug Abramson - KA7FOO, and Tony Marcin - KB7PDE, of the Wide Area Data Group of Reno for making this change possible. Matt Parker, N7TOD - ARRL Section Traffic Manager Nevada Section

+ SV SECTION ARES LEADERSHIP -

• W. J. “Casey” McPartland, W7IB, ARRL/OES of Loomis, CA, has been designated as an Administrative Specialist for Logistics at the section level.  Casey will be working on developing a database of resources such as transportation, temporary field shelters, generators, etc.  He will report directly to the SEC, but will be working in close cooperation with the DECs and ECs.  This concept is “a first” in the SV Section.  We are breaking new ground here!

• Frank Sharit, W6DHN, Georgetown, CA, will assume responsibilities as District 4 EC on October 1, 2003.  He is replacing Gary Willet, KB7QWC, who will be moving to Idaho.  One of Frank’s first jobs will be to screen and recommend a qualified replacement for his current job as El Dorado County Emergency Coordinator.  Frank and is also active in Navy MARS, the El Dorado Amateur Radio Club, and much more.

• Darrin Ogletree, KG6FJL, Winters, CA will assume responsibilities as the Yolo County Emergency Coordinator on October 1, 2003.  He will replace Kyle Noderer, KB6OLL, who is stepping down due to an increased workload at his (paid) job with the County of Yolo.

+ FEEDBACK, SQUEALS, WHISTLES...AND SPURIOUS EMISSIONS -

• From the Lone Star State:

  “I am a Boy Scout adult leader and was curious what the link addressed when I read the statement ‘Boy Scouts of America Still Promote Morse Code’ (ECWB 175).  I don't believe it is true today.  Note that the date of the email is: 1997.  It appears the writer was hoping that a requirement or elective be restored to learn and be tested on Morse Code using flashing light.

  I don't have any evidence to show that the BSA promotes the use of Morse Code in any form.  It's been removed from all Merit Badges, even as options. It's no longer a requirement for 1st Class. The email message referenced in the ECWB was in reference to the Sea Scouting program. I checked all the requirements for the various ranks for Sea Scouting and found no reference to flashing light.

  In the ‘Ordinary Requirements’ under Communications is the requirement: ‘Name the three principal methods of visual signaling and explain the advantages and limitations of each method.’  Also: ‘Name the three principal types of radiotelephone equipment in marine use and demonstrate
your knowledge of correct radiotelephone procedures.’

  Morse Code is included in a list of ‘Web References’.  An elective is sending a message using semaphore; but not flashing light or Morse.

  I very much enjoy the EMCOMMWEST Bulletin. Great job. I've learned a great deal and gotten lots of ideas. I promote your Bulletin every chance I get. I know there are numerous ARES and RACES groups that use your material (current and archive) in their training.

  But I do not believe the reference to the BSA in the last issue, supports the promotion of Morse Code.” -  73, Frank, KR1ZAN - Garland, TX

COMMENT: Well, Frank, OM...Your comments and observations are appreciated. I missed the 1997 date on the email. (Maybe I’m guilty of wishful thinking.)  It would be interesting to hear comments from other readers who are active in the Boy (or Girl) Scout movement as to whether there is any current interest in Morse code or other communications instruction on a local (optional) basis.  In my “fifties” collection of Boy’s Life Magazine, there are regular articles about amateur radio, and even advertisements for amateur radio gear.  Now...tell me...how does the BSA do Bar-B-Que brisket in Texas! - Editor

+++ COMING EVENTS +++

++ TOMORROW ++ (9/17)

+ NET REMINDER - (3rd Wednesday of the month)
• Regional ARES LEADERSHIP NET.  A multi-county, multi district, multi-section, multi-state, multi-division net for SECs, DECs, ECs, AECs, and other ARRL leaders.  Visitors may check in at end of net.
• Meet your ARES leaders!
• 1930L 3987± kHz LSB (1982 kHz alternate)

+ ON-THE-AIR RADIOGRAM PRACTICE SESSIONS
• SENDING STATION: K6SOJ - RECEIVING STATION: K7DXV
• MESSAGES will be transmitted on 3987 kHz ± 10 kHz.
• TRAFFIC will begin shortly after the ARES LEADERSHIP NET. (Approx. 2000L)
• Two ACTUAL or TEST MESSAGE formal traffic RADIOGRAMS will be transmitted.
• FIRST: the messages will be transmitted in slow speed CW.
• NEXT: the exact same messages will be transmitted in SSB.
• NON-HF HAMS AND SWLS ARE INVITED TO LISTEN AND COPY.
• RENO, NV VHF stations: The RADIOGRAM(S) will be re-transmitted on the
  Western Nevada Noon Net (WNNN) on 147.150+ (123.0) on Thursday 17 Sept.
• HOW TO CHECK YOUR COPY FOR ACCURACY:  Messages will be published in
  the ECWB the following Tuesday.
• A SPECIAL CERTIFICATE IS AVAILABLE to anyone who submits a correct
  copy of at least one of the transmitted RADIOGRAMS postmarked within
  three (3) days of the practice session.  Specify CW or SSB or both.
• Use standard ARRL RADIOGRAM format and send to: EMCOMM, PO Box 99,
  Macdoel, CA  96058;  (Please enclose 60¢ in mint U.S. Postage stamps.)

+ SPECIAL RADIOGRAM CERTIFICATES HAVE BEEN ISSUED RECENTLY TO:
• Judi Robins, KD7GZR, Sun Valley, Nevada
• Richard Hill, NU6T, Fair Oaks, California

+ AMERICAN RED CROSS SURVEY AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT CLASS (SDA)
  (Prerequisite: ARC course “Introduction to Disaster Services”
DATE: Wednesday, September 17, 2003
TIME: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
LOCATION: ARC Three Rivers Chapter, 2125 E. Onstott Road, Yuba City, CA.
CONTACT: Michael Colvin, W6CUJ, Yuba/Sutter EC w6cuj@arrl.net

++ OCTOBER ++

+ ANNUAL ARRL SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST (S-E-T) - October 4-5, 2003
  Check with your EC for local plans.
  NOTE: The “CALIFORNIA QSO PARTY” (a non-ARRL event) is also scheduled  for that weekend. (This adds to the challenge for S-E-T operators.)

     2003 Simulated Emergency Test forms in Rich Text RTF or Adobe pdf formats
  are available on the ARRL Web site.

  S-E-T Guidelines: www.arrl.org/FandES/field/setguide.html.
  Reporting forms are found at: www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/#ec_set

+ YUBA-SUTTER ARES TO SPONSOR “HYBRID” ARECC LEVEL ONE COURSE
  By Michael Colvin, W6CUJ, Yuba-Sutter County EC

  A ARRL Hybrid Emergency Communications Course Level-01 class has been
scheduled for the five Wednesdays in October beginning:

• October 1, 2003, 7:00 to - 9:00 PM
• American Red Cross Three Rivers Chapter
  2125 E. Onstott Road, Yuba City, California.

  The class cost is $45 for ARRL members (payable to the ARRL).  Students who successfully complete the course will be reimbursed.  The course manual costs an additional $10.

  If you are not an ARRL member, the cost is $75 and is not reimbursable. The good news is that if you pay the $39 for your ARRL membership, not only will you receive a refund of the course fee, but ARRL will include the manual for the course for free.

  The course covers the basics of emergency communication, including message handling and basic net practices.  There are 20 Learning Units (LUs) in the online course, plus a final exam. Each 2-hour class session will cover 4 LUs, assuming that participants in the class have read their
ECC-01 manuals covering those LUs ahead of class.   When the 20 LUs have been completed and the activities are turned in, each participant will take the final exam online.

  Participants should plan to spend approximately 25 hours of time in class and preparing the activities.

  If you are interested in taking this course, please contact me directly at: mcolvin@gmx.net  and I will contact you about registration.

  The information below is taken from the ARRL web site. Please read it over and make sure you understand it.

  ABOUT HYBRID CLASSES:
  The recommended method for students with computer and/or Internet access limitations is a mixture of in-person tutoring with on-line registration and on-line Final Assessments.

  All students go on-line to register during the appropriate registration window. The designated Mentor/Instructor should provide a class roster -- which includes start and stop dates -- during the registration week. At that time, the Hybrid class will be set up and all listed students will be moved into the appropriate Hybrid class. Any portion (or all) of the instruction and Student Activities would be done through the local Mentor/Instructor as coordinated between all persons involved.

  To complete the course, students would return to a computer and take the Final Assessment.   This makes students eligible for reimbursement of their registration fee under any applicable grants being offered for their class. One reason why this works extremely well is because it eliminates the need for exams and related materials to be sent back and forth in the mail. All
grading would be done automatically with the computer software generating the on-line course exam.

  Even students without computers can usually find someone nearby -- or a local library with Internet access -- to enroll and later to take the final exam.

++ NOVEMBER ++

+ CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE EXERCISE (UPDATE)

•  The California Emergency Medical Services Authority and Department of Health Services (EMSA/DHS) will conduct a statewide exercise on 13 November 2003 from 1600 to 2000 PST.

• The California OES/ACS has been invited to coordinate emergency communications.  The exercise will include ACS/RACES and ARES EMCOMM at the local, section, regional and statewide level.  All ACS, RACES, and/or ARES operators should begin now to make sure that their field gear is operational, and that their formal message handling and net operating skills are up to par.  Stay tuned -- UPDATES to follow in the weeks ahead.

+++ TRAINING and CONTINUING EDUCATION SECTION +++
    Ed Ewell, K7DXV, Associate Editor for Training/Technical

Advanced Training Module:

SENDING POSN IN FORMAL TRAFFIC
by D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ in consultation with:
Ed Bruette, N7NVP, Poulsbo, WA - WWA SM
Ed Trump, AL7N, Fairbanks, AK - ACWN Manager
Ed Ewell, K7DXV, Klamath Falls, OR - ARRL OES
Bill Frazier, W7ARC, Silverdale, WA - ARRL OES
Dave Nicholson, KB6PNT, Big Springs, CA - SAR Coordinator Siskiyou County

  Last Spring a question was posed regarding how to properly send a position (geographical coordinates) in a RADIOGRAM text.  Every available source and reference were checked and I have not been able to find any official or authoritative source that gives a standardized protocol as how to send a lat/long in formal (record) message.

  I consulted with the ECWB staff most of who have U.S. Navy and other maritime and/or Search and Rescue experience.  I also queried my cousin, Bob Thorne, WA1VRM, of Guilford, CT, a former U.S. Naval Officer, and who owned and sailed his own sailboat around Atlantic for many years, and is now an active cross-country pilot.

  None of us are in any position to advocate official policy or procedure. (That will be up to those in a higher pay grade!) - HI   What follows are some findings and conclusions plus a recommendation:

#1 - With the advent of GPS the old time-tested system of reporting POSN in degrees, minutes, seconds (46º32'30") has given way to degrees, minutes, and hundredths of minutes (46º32.50') in most (but not all) services.

Aeronautical and land navigation appears to be adopting the “degrees, minutes, tenths or hundredths of minutes” system that is popular with the GPS system.  NOTE:  It does NOT appear that the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) system has caught on in many private services.  However, some jurisdictions and agencies have adopted UTM for SAR operations, and the
trend seems to be in that direction.

#2 - The traditional “degrees, minutes, seconds” system, that can be also be read on most GPS receivers, seems to still be in use by many for maritime navigation.  However, that may change as more and more mariners adopt GPS.

#3 - For most informal voice transmissions the common way to “say your position” is (using degrees, and minutes and tenths, or hundredths of minutes): “We are at” or “our position is”: North 32 degrees 15 decimal (or “DAY-SEE-MAL”) 23 minutes by west 64 degrees 37 decimal 2 minutes”

#4 - The above POSN could be sent in a message text exactly as it was spoken.  It is 15 words and in CW it is 64 characters.  This would work and is acceptable.

#5 - Using deg/mins/secs it would be: 
CW: POSN N 64 51 23 x W 147 52 38
Voice: "Our position is North 64 degrees 51 minutes 23 seconds West 147 degrees 52 minutes 38 seconds."

#6 - RADIO COMMUNICATORS MUST be familiar with both methods. 

#7 - There doesn’t seem to be any consensus as to whether the N (or S or E or W) is sent/stated before or after the figures.

#8 - NOW...(for point of discussion) let’s say you received a message in a RADIOGRAM with the position given as:

POSN N 41 35 10 X W 121 49 77

Most would assume this to be:  N41°35’10” x W121°49’77”

But wait!  The 77 is a dead give away...since there is only 60 seconds in a minute.  BUT if it were 27, how would the receiving station know if the 27 is seconds or hundredths of a minute?

The originator of the message must make it perfectly CLEAR! (E.g. - Where 52.50 minutes = 50’30”.  I’d venture a guess that there has been more than one “mix-up, due to lack of knowledge or unclear signals.)

#9 - This of course (if it were in a 25 word maximum message) will use up more “words”...but it probably would be worth it. 

#10 - Using the above example, my suggestion (whether in a RADIOGRAM or not) as to how to send POSN in a RADIOGRAM text and for ALL MODES would be:

OLD METHOD (deg/min/sec):

POSN N 41 35 10 W 121 49 27  (9 WORDS)
OR:
POSN N 41 DEG 35 MIN 10 SEC W 121 DEG 49 MIN 27 SEC (15 WORDS)

It has been pointed out that messages properly formatted, and properly sent/relayed, with proper spacing/pauses between “words” do not need to include extra words such as: degrees, minutes, etc.

(Some traffic operators are of the persuasion that figures/numerals should always be spelled out in formal message traffic.  Of course this increases the word count.  If band conditions are poor, or are expected to be poor somewhere along the path, and/or the message is short (of course SEVENTY requires more brass pounding than 70 this has some merit.  It is the originating station that decides this.  One a message is formatted no one may change anything along the line. To change “77” (one word) to seventy seven (two words) wreaks havoc with the “check”.)

NEW GPS METHOD:  (Again, this will work for ALL MODES)

POSN N 41 35R10 W 121 49R27 (7 “WORDS”)  Or...

POSN 41 35R10 N 121 49R27 W (same POSN...still seven words) 
(Both are acceptable, but I prefer saying/sending the N or W before the figures.)

By using the R (decimal in CW) it automatically tells the receiving station
that the POSN given is stated in degrees, minutes and tenths (or hundreds)
of minutes.

“The jury is still out” on this subject. If you have any comments or suggestions send them to us.

FINALLY: However POSN is sent...it must be sent in a way that CANNOT be interpreted in any other way. And  "POSN" MUST be sent (and received) with ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURACY...EVERY SINGLE TIME!

SAMPLE RADIOGRAM WITH POSITION INCLUDED:

16 R KP7OOP 23 MARITIME 1900Z SEP 15

OLIVE OYL
44 HARBORSIDE WY
SWEETHAVEN OR 97222
541 555 7388

POSN N 42 51
R78 X
W 124 35R30 CAN SEE
CAPE BLANCO LH X WIMPY
IS SEASICK X HUGS TO
SWEETPEA X LOVE

POPEYE

If you have a question, send it to: k6soj@arrl.net
Selected questions will be answered in this column.

• Previous training bulletins are archived at: www.emcomm.org/svares/training/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
• THE TRAFFIC HANDLER’S “MANTRA”:
“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)

+++++ REFERENCE/RESOURCE SECTION +++++

+ MANAGEMENT OF THE AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTION     by Jerry Boyd, MS, KW7J is “hot off the press”.
  • Available from:
    WORLDRADIO BOOKS, 2120 28th St., Sacramento, CA  95818
    $8.00 plus $2.00 postage and handling. (CA residents add 62¢ sales tax)
  • (Mention that you “heard about it” in the EMCOMMWEST Bulletin!)

+ ANTENNA LENGTH CALCULATION PAGE: www.emcomm.org/svares/antenna/design.htm

+ TRAFFIC HANDLER’S CHALLENGE:  www.emcomm.org (click bar on main page).

+ ARRL FSD-218.  The famous “pink card” that contains (almost) “everything you ever needed to know about RADIOGRAMS”.  An electronic version of the FSD-218 is available at: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/#fsd-218

+ 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

+ DIGITAL DIMENSIONS: www.emcomm.org and click on: Digital Stations.

+ DIGITAL EMCOMM YAHOO GROUP (packet, SSTV, APRS, etc.):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cadigitalemcomm/

+ BEEN AWHILE SINCE YOU OPERATED CW?  NEVER HAD THE ENJOYMENT OF MORSE OPERATING?  Then, take a look at: “A Beginner’s Guide to Making CW
Contacts” by Jack Wagoner, WB8FSV at:  www.netwalk.com/~fsv/CWguide.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

+ CW “NETIQUETTE” (An excellent guide for the advanced operator): http://www.qsl.net/n5lf/cw-nts.html

+ FOR AN INTERESTING HISTORIC LOOK AT... “THE ART OF COMPOSING TELEGRAMS”: www.metronet.com/~nmcewen/telegram.html
(Some of the information at the above URL may NOT apply to ARRL RADIOGRAMS)

+ U. S. AIR FORCE Search and Rescue SURVIVAL MANUAL (AFM 64-5 Aug. 1969) -
Reference Charts - (Print and Save)
GROUND-TO-AIR (close-in) VISUAL SIGNALS:
http://www.emcomm.org/drawings/Ground_to_Air_Signaling_mid.jpg
GROUND-TO-AIR EMERGENCY CODE:
http://www.emcomm.org/drawings/Ground_to_Air_Emergency_Code_mid.jpg
MIRROR (and other) SIGNALING:
http://www.emcomm.org/drawings/Mirror_Signaling_mid.jpg

=== NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SKYWARN SECTION ===
=== MEDFORD -- RENO -- SACRAMENTO -- EUREKA  ===

=== CALIFORNIA/NEVADA/OREGON NWS OFFICE MAP: ===
    www.stormready.noaa.gov/stormmaps/ca-cwa.htm

=== NWS - ARRL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING:  ===
    www.arrl.org/FandES/field/mou/weather.html

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.

REGIONAL NWS SKYWARN NET: WEDNESDAYS AT 1915 PTZ on 3987 Consult the SKYWARN Coordinator for your area for local net information.

+ MEDFORD NWS (WX7MFR) SKYWARN NEWS AND INFORMATION -
OREGON: Curry, Coos, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lake Counties.  CALIFORNIA: Modoc and Siskiyou Counties.
• Jim Reynolds, KD7MLO, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
• Gary Peterson, N7GK, SKYWARN Coordinator
• D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ, Asst. SKYWARN Coordinator
• MEDFORD NWS SKYWARN WEBSITE: www.emcomm.org/skywarn
--------------------------------------------
+ RENO NWS (WX7RNO) SKYWARN NEWS AND INFORMATION -
• RENO FORECAST AREA MAP: www.emcomm.org/reno/index.html
• Roger Lamoni – Warning Coordination Meteorologist
• Matt Parker, N7TOD - SKYWARN Coordinator
• http://renoskywarn.org/
------------------------------------------------------------------
+ SACRAMENTO NWS SKYWARN NEWS AND INFORMATION
• Kathryn Hoxsie, KC8CLO - Warning Coordination Meteorologist
---------------------------------------------
+ CANWARN (Canada “SKYWARN”)
http://hamster.ivey.uwo.ca/~dcolvin/canwarn/what.htm