WORLDWIDE DISPATCH -
1 SEPTEMBER 2008 -
0000Z
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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. 2
www.emcomm.org/em
SEPTEMBER 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The EM
PHILOSOPHY - "Good...Luck?"
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 - The
Lincoln Noon Net
NETWORK
NEWS - "N.E.T.S." (Update)
SHOW US YOUR SHACK
FEATURE - The Station Log
EMCOMM SPECIALTY ITEMS - Stuff for
NEW SUBSCRIBERS and CONTRIBUTORS
SUPPORT OUR SUPPORTERS
REFERENCE and RESOURCE SECTION
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SPECIAL BULLETIN
Source: Richard Webb, NF5B NTS Central Area Net Cycle 2 Manager
Hurricane Gustav is expected to impact the Gulf Coast sometime on Monday, Sept.
1.
The daytime Central Area Net (CAN) in conjunction with Region Five NTS is
requesting all available proficient traffic handlers and net control stations to
guard 7280 kHz daytime and 3850 kHz nighttime.
A tactical emcomm net will be operating on 7275 kHz daytime and 3890 kHz
nighttime.
7285 kHz daytime and 3873 nighttime may also be occupied with tactical nets if
landfall is along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Region Five NTS managers are attempting to schedule one hour (radio watch)
shifts and ask those who are scheduled to periodically announce that the
frequency is being guarded for the purpose of taking outbound traffic from the
affected storm area.
Region Five and Central Area Nets will NOT accept inbound health &
welfare traffic for the impacted area for the first 72 hours. After 72
hours a review will
be conducted, and where emergency coordinators concur inbound traffic will then
be handled into the affected area.
Richard Webb, NF5B, WRRL 93
NTS Central Area Net Cycle Two Manager - Eads, TN
NOTE: Local emcomm team leaders need to know which members on their team are
trained and capable of originating formal message traffic (RADIOGRAMS),
so messages can be relayed into an appropriate NTS traffic net. Ref.
to "N.E.T.S." section (below) for additional emcomm frequencies that may be
activated. - Editor
SERIOUS EMERGENCY SYSTEM
If you are a subscriber to
SIRIUS
SATELLITE RADIO and monitor Channel 184 you know that the SIRIUS
EMERGENCY SYSTEM has been activated, and that up-to-the-minute hurricane
weather, road reports, evacuation routes and sites, etc. are being broadcast
as information becomes available. This private, commercial satellite radio
service can be heard nationwide and is extremely valuable if local and regional
broadcast stations, the internet, and other infrastructure based systems are
knocked out.
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The EM PHILOSOPHY
GOOD...LUCK?
Summer is rapidly drawing to a close...and EM
is back...right on schedule! We sincerely hope our readers enjoyed the
summer. (Winter for our Southern Hemisphere readers.) We
enjoyed taking the summer off. So starting now,
EMCOMM
MONTHLY will be published ten (10) times a year..September
through June.
Today it feels like Fall at the Lazy T Ranch in the "outback" of northern
California, but we are expecting (as is typical) a very pleasant "Indian Summer.
" When we weren't working on summer projects, we enjoyed exploring some back
country roads and Nannette and I were in the Independence Day parade at Dorris,
CA in our vintage Jeep®! We enjoyed many evening B-B-Q's and lots of relaxing
on our deck watching the mountains, and observing myriads of species of
birds including bald and golden eagles, hawks, vultures, magpies, flickers,
families of quail and doves, and
squadrons
of dragonflies and hummingbirds. Also watching the moon rise and a nightly
parade of stars. Life is good.
We also watched the summer Olympics in Beijing. The Chinese talk a lot
about "luck." But we say that bringing home a medal or two (or more), is a
result of skill, effort, practice and good old fashioned
hard work!
Anyway, as we watched the best athletes in the world compete we couldn't help
but think...not a bad job...for a bunch of
amateurs!
This summer we also observed another type of amateur competition..."Field Day."
Heard (far too often) was:
"Good Luck in the
Contest!" We wonder...just what in the
Wide, Wide
World of Sports does "luck" have to do with EMCOMM? Being a
skilled operator has nothing to do with "luck." It does have a lot
to do with effort, learning standard and proficient operating procedures
and honing those skills by participating in nets that know and practice correct
operating procedures.
Just seeing how many contacts you can make or how many points you can post or
how many rules and procedure violations you can rack up, once a year in a
contest, is worth...well...ZERO. Proficient emcomm operators are a result
of year-round training, study, preparedness, practice, hard work, diligence and
skill...not "luck!"
While we readily admit that "luck" is a significant factor in gambling, we
wonder how many neurosurgeons, airplane pilots, or skilled communicators are a
result of "luck". ZERO. Competency in ANY discipline is the result
of study, effort, perseverance and w-o-r-k! "Luck" may help someone pass a
simple multiple-guess ham exam, but simply having an amateur radio license in
your pocket does not automatically make you a skilled communicator. -
Editor
* Jeep® pic at:
http://www.emcomm.org:80/products (scroll down)
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GREMLINS
This summer we had a few close calls with computer failures. While we try
to "back up" most files, we have come to realize that the state of the art of
the computer world is unreliable and frankly...very fragile. (That's
why some of us don't depend upon computer or infrastructure based systems for
emergency communications.
If in the event we suddenly disappear, you can assume that one of these events
occurred:
1. A major computer crash occurred and we weren't able to recover.
2. We ran low on money and got tired of funding the effort ourselves (in
addition to doing the work.)
3. The Editor-Publisher dropped dead.
Subscriptions to
EMCOMM
MONTHLY are free, and EMCOMM.ORG is
funded solely by voluntary contributions from our readers. We accept no
involuntary "contributions" (taxpayer/government funding) and have no corporate
sponsors. (We don't want any, nor the strings that come attached.)
Most of our costs are domain and internet service fees. However, the
stream has been running a little low the past year. We are private
(non-government, non-commercial) and 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.)
NOTE: If every reader were to send just ONE
DOLLAR A YEAR, out budgetary needs would be met. (Of course a
little more would help a lot!)
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SHORT CIRCUITS
Attention U.S. Readers:
On Thursday, September 11, 2008, an American flag should be displayed outside
every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every
individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this seventh
anniversary of the worst attack ever on the mainland of the United States.
Do this honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and
loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at
home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms. People in other nations may
display a U.S. flag beside the flag of their nation to show solidarity.
LNN - Lincoln Noon Net
Larry Jones, WB9FHP, WRRL 188, Net Manager for the CENTRAL TIME ZONE NOON NET
(CTZNN) has announced that the net will now also be known as the
Lincoln Noon Net.
LNN
(aka CTZNN): MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, and FRIDAYS at 1200 CTZ on 7214
kHz
± LSB.
All
emcomm stations in the Central (U.S.) Time Zone, PLUS the Eastern and
Mountain Time Zones are invited to check in.
The LNN and the JNN (Jefferson Noon Net/1200 daily PTZ) on 7214 kHz 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 this eventually will become a daily circuit.
More about this in TRAFFIC HANDLING (below).
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MIDSOUTH TYPE I ARCT
If you are serious about emergency communications, have a technician class or
higher amateur license, and live within 100 miles of Memphis, Tennessee, the
Midsouth ARCT would like you to join. Our intention is to be able to deploy a
quality Type 1 ARCT* whenever we're called upon to do so.
We limit the range to 100 miles of Memphis as we want to be able to provide all
of our members opportunities to train with us. We intend to
conduct an exercise every 90 days, and will vary locations within this area to
give all team members a chance to participate close to home.
If you're interested in being a part of this team contact Richard Webb, NF5B
elspider@bellsouth.net
and provide your amateur callsign and an evening telephone number where you can
be reached. - Richard Webb, NF5B. Eads, TN
* ICS-ARCT GUIDE:
www.emcomm.org/ARCT/
WRRL ARCT Page
www.wrrl.org/arct_program/
ECS
- Emergency Communication Support
Here is one of the best examples of private initiative and dedication we have seen! The project was spearheaded by Bill Gabour, AB5G, AAR6AG, WRRL#139, of Baton Rouge, LA . Visit: www.emcomm-support.org
Bill says: "You will see a couple of 20 year old radios and RTTY decoders in
there with the new high tech gear. Much of the interoperability is a
combination of equipment and human operators. The equipment is nothing without
trained emcomm operators that understand the lingo of different agencies and can
pass messages between them. We have been the regular emcomm command center for
many special events such as the Special Olympics, Tour de Cure (100 mile
bike-a-thon), Women's Triathlon, and many others. We can exist with full
radio operations for almost a three week period by cycling generator, large
battery banks and chargers.
"This bus has taken a large part of my life over the last 2 years to prove that
it isn't government agencies that are going to bridge the gap in communications.
It will be the trained radio operators that once again become the primary
communicators during disasters. I have supported this project with everything I
have and am now in a financial bind that may soon end my project. Since
insurance, internet satellite, storage fees and now $600 a tank diesel have
taken their toll, this may be our last hurricane season due to lack of sponsors
and support."
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EMCOMM EAST
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Location: St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York
•
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008.
(Registration closes on Sunday, September 7, so don't delay!)
EmComm East is an amateur radio emergency
communications conference, where amateur radio operators involved in EmComm can
attend training sessions on technical topics, learn from served agencies, obtain
VE testing for license upgrades, and interact with other EmComm operators from
all over the area. Check-in begins at 8:00 AM, keynote at 9:00 AM, conference
ends at 4:30 PM. $30 pre-registration required, continental breakfast and
lunch included. To register, please visit our website at
www.emcommeast.org. -
(Via Jeff Wigal, WY7Q, Emergency Coordinator, Monroe County, NY ARES®
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SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH
Info/Home Page:
http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/index.html
List of Members:
http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/members.html
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FACTS ABOUT TERRORISM
•
About 90% of all terrorist attacks are conventional, and the primary explosive
is TNT.
•
You can be a victim by location, by association, or by
opportunity.
•
Easy targets are vulnerable, predictable, and soft.
•
Hard targets are inaccessible, observant, and aware.
•
Terrorists look for highly visible targets such as large
airports, cities, major international events, resorts and high-profile
landmarks.
•
Prior to an attack, terrorists try to blend into the local
community.
•
Most terrorists conduct rehearsals.
•
Real Terrorists won’t stop at hoaxes that frighten their prey.
They want to cause actual events, i.e. damage, destruction, and casualties.
What
can the average person do to protect themselves and others?
•
Stay aware of your surroundings. Stay alert at all
times.
•
Observe and report unusual or suspicious activity to local law
enforcement authorities when at home, at work, or when traveling.
Examples of suspicious activities:
•
The individual is loitering on, or near your property with no legitimate reason
for being there.
•
The individual just doesn’t fit the location they are in either
by dress, or behavior e.g. nervous, or constantly looking around, etc.
•
An unmarked van or truck is parked in an area for an extended
period where it should not be parked, with the driver.
•
All FBI and local law enforcement officials stress over and over
again, that they would rather respond to a false alarm called in by a citizen,
than have to respond to the scene after a crime has been committed.
•
Keep phone numbers of the FBI, and your local law enforcement
authority together with your other emergency numbers.
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FEEDBACK,
MUSINGS and SPURIOUS EMISSIONS
From the "HEART OF DIXIE "
Thank you very much for the fast service. I dropped it (an order for our
RADIOGRAM TRAINING DVD) in mail Sunday afternoon in a rural area so it did not
hit the system until Monday PM Love the EMCOMM MONTHLY and I am looking
forward to the video. I have already announced its use for training in Central
Alabama ARES® and RACES when it gets revived. GREAT JOB! - Christopher E. Hall,
KD6BOD - Autauga County EC, Secretary Montgomery Amateur Radio Club, Central
Alabama Skywarn Net Controller, Central Alabama 2 meter Net Manager.
From
the "GREAT LAND"
Reference N5TD's comment (June
EM)
about the International Distress Signal SOS. I can tell you from personal
experience from working at a coastal station that when you hear the "real thing"
there is absolutely NO doubt about what it is. On 500 kHz, a
distress call was usually preceded (if the distressed ship operator had time) by
the "autoalarm" signal (twelve dashes, each four seconds long, transmitted in
one minute as timed from the sweep second hand of the ship's radio room clock).
By the time the first two or three of these long dashes were heard, ALL activity
and calling STOPPED on 500 kHz, and every operator within range stopped whatever
he was doing and had his ears peeled for what was going to come next.....
The sound "DIDIDIDAHDAHDAHDIDIDIT" repeated three times ahead of the distress
ship's call sign was ABSOLUTELY UNMISTAKABLE and invariably
sent chills up the back of your neck.
SOS was indeed a well chosen signal, similar to nothing else ever heard in any
work in radiotelegraphy. It served us well. - Ed "FB" Trump, AL7N,
Fairbanks, AK
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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: I
was sent to a hospital during a practice/drill. I really found out what
can happen when you stray from practice. Keeping up is very important.
Where do I look on your site to learn by heart the NTS preamble and proper way
to do it? - Bob Hutcherson, KO6JT, Anderson, CA
A: A
few years ago we came up with "THE TRAFFIC HANDLER’S MANTRA” (see below).
It has appeared in every issue
EMCOMM
MONTHLY since then.
It is simply a tool to help operators remember the preamble. BTW, the
universal
RADIOGRAM preamble is not solely the "NTS preamble". It is
used by N.E.T.S., and many other network that handles message traffic. Of
course, you could order one of our preamble rubber stamps.
http://www.emcomm.org:80/products/ -
EM
THE
“TRAFFIC HANDLER’S MANTRA”:
“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”
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ICS PERSPECTIVES
By Jerry Boyd, N7WR, Associate Editor and ICS Advisor
Back from the summer break. For
some readers actively involved in Emcomm in certain parts of the country it has
been a busy fire season. My old
neighborhood near Redding, California burned for several weeks and the State of
California used up most of its annual fire fighting budget in the first few
weeks of the fiscal year!
A couple of changes are in store for this column. First of all it needs to address issues
of interest and importance to the readers of Emcomm Monthly. For that to happen I need to hear from
you as to the subjects you wished discussed.
Questions which you would like to see addressed in this column are
perfectly welcome and are encouraged.
Second, while my role with the WRRL is that of ICS/ARCT Coordinator the
column really needs to focus on a broader array of subjects than pure ICS. That is particularly true since an
Emcomm operator’s intimate involvement in ICS while serving as an amateur radio
communicator should be somewhat minimal. Please address your questions, comments
and concerns to me via n7wr@wrrl.org
For the past few years, except for the summer break, I have been writing this
column monthly. That may change to
every other month or even quarterly sometime in the future. Whether or not it does really depends on
two things: how much “fodder” for
discussion is submitted to me by EM readers (that is the big issue); how busy my
schedule is with what pays the bills—that is, work and the ranch. We have a couple of major public safety
communications projects in progress at the dispatch center that I am responsible
for and that may force me to at least temporarily cut back on other things.
In any event, I look forward to more reader input than has occurred in the past. As they say, the “ball is in your
court”. 73 from NE Oregon
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WRRL NEWS and NETS
∙ REGIONAL
EMCOMM NETS
(ALL SERIOUS EMCOMM STATIONS WELCOME):
Pacific (and Mountain) Time Zones: PTZNN (aka Jefferson Noon Net/JNN)
daily at 1200 PTZ on 7214± kHz (3911± kHz alternate)
Central (and Eastern) Time Zones: CTZNN Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at
1200 CTZ
on
7214± kHz
∙ WRRL NET
on MONDAYS on 14.280 MHz USB (Alternate: 14.270 or somewhere "in between.")
2000Z (SUMMER) 2100Z (WINTER)
∙ 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)
(Repeated from above)
Larry Jones, WB9FHP, WRRL 188, Net Manager for the CENTRAL TIME ZONE NOON NET
(CTZNN) has announced that the net will now also be known as the:
Lincoln Noon Net. The LNN (aka CTZNN) is on:
MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, and FRIDAYS at 1200 CTZ on 7214 kHz ± LSB.
All emcomm stations in the Central (U.S.) Time Zone, PLUS the Eastern
and Mountain Time Zones are invited to check in.
The LNN and the JNN (Jefferson Noon Net/1200 daily PTZ) on 7214 kHz 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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PREPARE YOURSELF AND AVOID SOUNDING
LIKE AN UNTRAINED OPERATOR:
1. REVIEW: OPERATING PROCEDURES: www.wrrl.org/operating
2.
TAKE THE TRAFFIC HANDLER'S CHALLENGE AT:
http://www.emcomm.org/thc
3.
CONSIDER OBTAINING SOME TRAFFIC HANDLER'S SUPPLIES:
RADIOGRAM PREAMBLE "strips" - PDF
printable sheet with 10 of these "cut 'n paste" strips is now
available at:
http://www.emcomm.org/files/preamble.pdf
PREAMBLE RUBBER STAMP - Instantly adds
RADIOGRAM
PREAMBLE to an ICS-213 or plain paper:
http://www.emcomm.org:80/products
MESSAGE SERVICE
CROSS RUBBER
STAMP - Use on plain paper RADIOGRAMS at a radio relay station
at: http://www.emcomm.org:80/products
Additional pictures at:
http://www.emcomm.org/products/images/stamp_impression.jpg and http://www.emcomm.org/products/images/radiogram1.jpg
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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
The Station Log
By D. W. Thorne, K6SOJ - An EM basic studies training module.
“If you’re not keeping score, you’re just practicing” - Vince Lombardi
It's "back-to-school" time for most
youngsters (and some oldsters). Spiral bound note books, clipboards,
yellow legal pads (the "universal form"), pens, pencils, rulers, and just
about everything else you need for the clerical side of operating an emcomm
station are on sale at this time of year. I recently bought twenty 8x10", college
ruled, spiral bound notebooks for 10¢ each! This is a good time to
all serious operators to take advantage and "stock up" for the year.
Many of our EM readers will recall the time when there was more
to obtaining an amateur radio license than just
memorizing some simple answers and taking a multiple-guess quiz. When I
first became interested in ham radio, one was required to learn basic
electronics theory, know and practice some basic shop skills, learn basic
operating procedures, be able to send and receive the Morse code at least 5 wpm,
and know the FCC rules and regulations.
This was when taking "shop classes" (industrial arts) did not indicate that you
were a "slow student" or a "juvenile delinquent." By the time I started my
junior year of high school, I had taken one semester each of metal shop, wood
shop, electric shop and mechanical drawing, plus two semesters of
basic electronics! Of course, these were all "electives." A
year of Latin, Spanish or French, plus two years of English and algebra, a year
of geometry, U.S. History and "civics" were all required for HS graduation.
And we did this all without computers! But I digress....
One of the FCC requirements was that all amateur stations maintain, and
keep a station log. But that requirement, and well as the other
aforementioned skills, has gone the way of the proverbial Dodo bird.
(Raphus cucullatus)
Most DXers and contesters today still keep meticulous station records. And
so should emcomm radio amateurs! Granted, the station log requirement would be
next-to-impossible to comply with in today's world of "open party line" type
talk on most repeaters, and is impractical for the thousands of casual contacts
and the constant chatter that goes on...and on...and on...ad nauseum.
I keep a log of all HF (and some VHF such as 6
meter or 2 meter SSB or CW) contacts. You never know when a QSL
cards will show up in your mailbox, and if you haven't kept a log, you will be
unable to verify the QSO. For casual operating (e.g.- DXing), I prefer
using a commercially produced logbook (ARRL, Yaesu, etc.)
For public service and/or emcomm nets, I find the commercial logbooks, unwieldy.
(Plus they are expensive). I have used 8" x 10" college ruled
spiral note books, for many years and they have worked very well. I make a
label for the cover of each that indicates what net(s) that book covers and add
a "from _______ to _______" place to write in the dates.
With a ruler and pen I draw a vertical line from the top line to the bottom of
each page to divide it into a right and left side. At the top of each page
I write in the date, time, and current weather conditions (temperature / sky
condition / wind direction and speed, and any precipitation over the past 24
hours.
NOTE: You do not need an expensive state-of-the art "weather station" to
report / record skilled observations. A good outdoor thermometer (properly
mounted in the shade with good air circulation), a wind sock or flag*, a rain
gauge and/or yardstick in snow country. To learn weather observation and
reporting, become a NWS Weather Spotter. Inquire at your nearest NOAA/NWS
office.
The left margin is where I make abbreviated notations as to a station's
current status on the net. I indicate stations that will be relaying traffic
from stations that are not audible at the NCS. EXAMPLES:
L = Limited time. (Station checked in but is not staying for the
whole net.)
N = NEW. (Station checking into the net for the first time.)
Ø = OUT. (Station has checked out before close of net.)
SEA = Seattle Relay
RNO = Reno Relay
SFO = San Francisco
Relay
If a
round table is implemented, I use this left margin to write in
an Arabic number to indicate the order of stations of the "loop" or circuit.
NOTE:
Because of propagation patterns the order of rotation is rarely in the same
order of the check ins.
The left main column (half of the page) is for
the station's call sign, operator's name, and location. The right half is
for additional notes such as weather or road condition reports, traffic /contact
call listings, and other information or comments. (I confess that I
occasionally write "LID"...it makes me feel better to "vent" a little in private
It is YOUR log. Develop and use what works best for you. The only requirement is that YOU understand it when you refer back to it!
All serious station operators maintain:
1. A STATION LOGBOOK.
2. A MESSAGE TRAFFIC LOG (in addition to
saving the RADIOGRAMS for one year).
3. NET LOGS (as needed)
REMEMBER: Accurate record keeping is an important part of emcomm!
* Ref. BEAUFORT WINDSPEED SCALE: http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/weather/Met_Codes/beaufort.htm
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(The individuals listed below have recently made monetary contributions to help EMCOMM MONTHLY
and
EMCOMM.ORG survive.)
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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
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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://members.aol.com/emcom4hosp
• 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,
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ARES®
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For
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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 -
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k7dxv@wrrl.org
Ed Trump, AL7N - Traffic Editor and Alaska Correspondent -
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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)
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