Valley Radio
Club on the web: www.valleyradioclub.org
***** THIS MONTH'S
MEETING: June 6, 2008 *****
BIll Riley's 75th
Anniversary Club Special Presentation
Bill Riley W7EXB is a long-time local ham (try 1932 and before!). Bill
will relate his experiences with the beginning days of our club. Your Program
Chairman met him as a 14 year old ham in 1964 as he operated his Johnson Ranger
on the 80 meter OEN net (AM, a bit before SSB became the rage!). Do NOT miss
this program.
I encourage everyone to attend and be an active part of this very special
upcoming event. If you have other thoughts or suggestions, please bring
them to the meeting next Friday, June 6th, at 7:00 PM at the Red Cross,
73,
Ron WJ7R
Program Chmn.
***** VRC DX
*****
Next Tech Class
Starts June 19th
Report on April SET
Solar Cycle Data
Chuck Adams K7Q0 Interview Online
430-448
Mhz Going To Surveillance Robot For Emergency Use?
Who Put
the Ham in Ham Radio?
MINUTES of the
Valley Radio Club Meeting May 2nd, 2008
VRC CLUB CORNER
VALLEY RADIO CLUB ACTIVITIES CALENDAR
***** FROM THE ARRL *****
Monthly Oregon
Section News Summary
Oregon Section Club News
Red Cross Responds To ARRL Concerns Regarding Background Checks
New NASA Tool Allows Exploration of Ionosphere From Inside
NWS Has New Web Page For Reporting NOAA Weather Radio Outages
New Russian Amateur Radio Satellite in Orbit
New Amateur Radio Satellite Receives OSCAR Designation
Ten New Satellites In Orbit
Japanese Amateurs Receive More Privileges on 75/80 Meters
Chinese Olympic Special Event Stations Are On-the-Air
Chinese Officials Give Kudos to Amateur Radio Operators
FCC Looks to Raise Vanity Call Sign Fees
Solar Update
W1AW 2008 Spring/Summer Operating Schedule
The ARES E-Letter
*****
VRC DX *****
(Please email
your news, articles, buy&sell, etc for the Valley Voice to
KE7GBO@arrl.net)
Next Tech Class Starts
June 19th
Matt W7ARD will teach another Technician class starting June 19 and ending on
August 7, on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm at the Red Cross, 862 Bethel
Drive, Eugene. The Ham Radio License Manual is available from Matt or from
Norvac Electronics, 985 Conger, for $25. There is no cost for the class. Students
should download supplemental info about the book at http://www.arrl.org/hrlm.
Please contact Matt via email at w7ard@msn.com or phone at 689-0640 to sign up.
Report on April SET
Thanks to all the area Emergency Communications operators who participated in
the April 26th SET. In addition to ably performing the State wide goals,
you also accomplished the local elements in fine form. A big THANK YOU!
For the SET, the Emergency Operations Centers at Springfield Fire Station,
Eugene EOC, Lane County EOC, Red Cross,
The few glitches were minor in the scheme of things, and the SET did what it is
supposed to do; verify what is good and what improvments are needed, for the
real emergencies in the future.
About every quarter from now on, all of the local EOC's will be opened up and
all Em Comm ops will be asked to visit and operate a short test session.
Hams will be rotated so that all have a chance to be in all the EOC's and be
able to respond no matter who the served agency is in the event of the
incident.
The 911 Center will be added to the list of EOC's to visit and operate, for the
summer time exercise. And, the
There are a variety of pre-placed antennas around the County, and some of these
will be added for the quarterly exercises. Some time this Fall, the OADN
digital equipment initiative from the Governor will be implemented locally, and
an open house will be in order.
Interesting things are happening in the Em Comm arena. Stay tuned for
opportunities to show your skills as Em Comm radio ops in the upcoming Olympic
Trials.
Again, thanks to all who are committed to helping with Emergency Communciations
and preparedness in our communites.
73,
Mark Perrin N7MQ
Lane Emergency Coordinator
ARES/RACES
mperrin@ordata.com
Solar Cycle Data
Separate rumor from science.
http://www.tmgnow.com/repository/solar/lassen1.html
73 de KO7N
rewing1@teleport.com
Chuck Adams K7Q0 Interview
Online
Here is a video of the Wall Street Journel interview with Cuck Adams, K7QO
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bmiEkguQqk>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bmiEkguQqk
Don Robertson
ac7vx@comcast.net
430-448 Mhz To Surveillance
Robot For Emergency Use?
Richard Ewing <rewing1@teleport.com>
Most interesting.
de KO7N...
From: Howard W3CQH
I just picked this up from another group!
A Public notice posted by the FCC has a proposal to use 430-448 MHz for
remotely-controlled surveillance robot for emergency use.
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1077A1.pdf>http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-1077A1.pdf
For the power proposed and the limited use, I don't believe the device will
cause any significant interference to the ARS.
The real issue for the manufacture is how to stop the ARS from interfering with
the device. It seems the real possible threat may be that once the
manufacturer has its foot in the door so to say on 440mhz, they may start
petitioning for channelization to be done and assigned to it, citing
interference problems that have occurred in alleged emergency situations.
Have to watch this one closely.
Who Put the Ham in Ham
Radio?
There's an enjoyable article in the Journal Times online about the history of
ham radio and where the name ham might have come from. They point to a website
by the
73's -
Dave NK7Z
***** MINUTES of the
Valley Radio Club Meeting May 2, 2008 *****
Recorded
by Steve N7STS, Secretary
President Riley W7RIL called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm, saying,
"Look at this crowd!" Riley gave his name and call sign and had
everyone in the room give theirs. (66 members and guests signed the
attendance sheet.) Riley passed out membership applications and copies of
the May newsletter.
CURRENT BUSINESS
Tom KE7GBO asked for articles to put in the newsletter.
ke7gbo@arrl.net
John K7JU said he has updated, printed copies of the roster available.
Electronic copies are available by sending a request to: jgschaad@gmail.com
Matt W7ARD said both of his license study classes are well underway and are
going good, with 4 students in his Tech class and 7 students in his General
class.
Vice President Ron WJ7R reported there was a very large group at the last DX
SIG meeting where they watched a DVD about the 3B7C DXpedition. The next
meeting will be on the fourth Wednesday, 6PM at Countryside Grill and Pizza.
Ron said he hopes to see new people. Ron Snow K7EB said he enjoyed his visit to
the DX convention in
Mindy KE7OFG said she has a list of jackets available for ordering. She
is hoping to place an order at the end of the month.
Mark N7MQ, Emergency Coordinator for
Jim KI7AY said the March of Dimes radio support event was the best one he has
run. He thanked Kenton K7BQ for his role as net control and his nice
preamble. Jim said this was the first year he didn't have anything to do
and he liked that. He plans to incorporate APRS at the next event in October.
Riley announced that this year's Field Day will be at the Red Cross building. A
station can be set up outside. If people want, they can spend the
night. There can be a BBQ in the early evening. Rich KE7PGO didn't
respond to hopeful looks that he would take care of the BBQ. Riley said
this event gives a chance for Techs to get on the air with help from extra
class ops. ARRL Field Day tee-shirts and pins can be ordered during the
break.
Riley showed off the new ICOM 718 for raffle. Tickets will be sold for $5
during the break. 110 tickets need to be sold. Riley said he hopes this radio
will encourage someone with a Tech license to upgrade.
Bill KE7JFL said he sent a flyer to Riley announcing a chili cook-off for the
WA7ABU repeater on 146.29 MHz.
Ron WJ7R reminded that this weekend is the 7th Area QSO Party.
Doug KA7NVB said he has confirmed we will be participating again in this year's
Scoutaganza on September 13th. We will have the same spot we had last
year.
Joe KE7ICY said he is looking for a study buddy to practice CW QSOs. Joe
is now at about 12 wpm and is learning to copy in his head, only writing down a
contact's name, call and QTH.
PROGRAM
Rudy N6LF gave a power point presentation on the results of his tests on 40m
vertical antennas. Rudy explained that while there is a lot written about
vertical antennas, there isn't a lot of real performance data for ham band
antennas. Rudy used a Vector Network Analyzer to accurately measure the
radiated power of vertical antennas with different arrangements of ground plane
radials. One of Rudy's graphs showed radiated power vs. number of radials.
Having 16 radials provides 4 dB gain over having only 4 radials - worth the
effort. He also determined the increase in radiated power from raising radials
off the ground. Rudy found that his test results generally confirm the results
of antenna modeling software. Rudy's power point presentation will be
posted on the VRC website.
BREAK started at 8:40 pm. The meeting resumed at 9:06 pm.
Riley said 50 raffle tickets were sold during the break.
ROUTINE BUSINESS
Riley asked if anyone saw any mistakes in the minutes of the April
meeting. None were noted and the minutes were approved.
Treasurer Al K3DUW reported the following balances:
General Fund $1712.67 Raffle Fund $857.09 Station Fund
$1276.90 Grand Total $3846.66
Trustee Larry WJ7S was not present to report on the club station. Riley
said he was up in the shack and all is OK. The station is getting better and
better all the time.
VE Riley reported that at the last test session 2 people passed the Tech exam,
3 passed the General exam, and that EmComm 1 & 2 tests were given.
The next test session will be on the 14th (always on 2nd Wednesday). Riley
said, "Thanks again to all the VEs who help. I can't do it by
myself." It was noted that July will mark the 9th year that Riley
has been giving exams. He was applauded for his years of service.
MEMBERSHIP READINGS
Al K3DUW gave a first reading of application for membership for:
David Stone KE7PGN
Al gave second readings for:
Mark Gorham KE7SLU
Roland Jillings KE7RRS
Richard Howard NK3B
Sylvia Sycamore KE7SLT
Toney Peters KE7RRR
The second reading applicants were escorted out of the room and all members
said AYE to being in favor of making them a new members of the club. As
the new members came back in, Riley said "Welcome aboard."
GOOD OF THE ORDER and BRAGS
Jeff KE7OUR said he received a "Thank you" from the Hearing Loss Association
for his presentation on Ham Radio. Appreciation was also extended to Scott
W7SOT and the radio club for helping Jeff with the presentation.
Riley adjourned the meeting at 9:18 pm saying, "Great Meeting! Glad Rudy
came and gave us his presentation. Let's go out and play radio."
***** VRC
CLUB CORNER *****
ARRL MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS: The Club can receive money when you
renew your ARRL membership. VRC gets $15 or each new ARRL
membership for members of ARRL affiliated clubs and $2 for each ARRL
membership renewal. For the details contact VRC Treasurer, Al K3DUW.
CLUB BADGES: You too can get a name badge with the VRC logo.
And when ordering that, get one of the great Club patches as well. Check
with Prez Riley at the next meeting and get the details on how to order yours -
show and wear the club badge and the club patch.
CLUB HATS: Club hats with names and call signs are good to have
and wear at the various public service events where club members provide radio
support. To get the hats, go to "J & S Embroidery" and ask about
"ham radio hats". They are custom made and available for about
$13.00. J & S Embroidery is located at
***** VALLEY
RADIO CLUB ACTIVITIES CALENDAR *****
6 Meter SIG: Informal net held at 7:30 p. m. local time Tuesdays on
50.125 USB, run by Larry and Marv. For more, contact Larry WJ7S
[wj7s@yahoo.com] or Marv W7AE [marv.w7ae@gmail.com].
VE Sessions: second Wednesday each month at Red Cross bldg - contact
Riley W7RIL for info and registration. His number is 345-2407, or
w7ril@arrl.net.
Em Comm Testing: contact Riley W7RIL well in advance of the regular VE
sessions and he will arrange for Em Comm testing on ARRL Em Comm certification
categories.
Code Class: no current plans, but if interested, contact Ron WJ7R
wj7r@comcast.net.
Technician License Classes: Matt W7ARD will teach anothe Technician
class starting June 19 and ending on August 7, on THursday evenings from 7 to 9
pm at the Red Cross,
DX and Contest Sig: now meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month
[except November and December to adjust for holidays] at Countryside Pizza
& Grill,
Em Comm Classes: For the next emergency communication classes, based
upon Em Comm I or Em Comm II certification by ARRL please contact Mark
N7MQ at n7mq@arrl.net.
Packet Information Group (P.I.G.): Meetings are generally on the
3rd Saturdays of the month from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the Red Cross building
located at
*****
FROM THE ARRL ****
MONTHLY
Remember to visit the
Oregon Section website regularly at http://www.arrloregon.org.
Newly submitted news, will be at the top of the front page. When you get
to bottom of the page, you can enter page two and move forward to older
news. Additional older news is listed on the left side of the front page
below the calendar. If you know of any event that should be added to the
calendar, please let me know. Pat Roberson, N7PAT, and Dean Davis, N7XG,
can also make updates to the website. There is a place to logon to the
site, but that is currently only used for those of us who update the
website. I am going to start posting the ARES reports to the news when
they come in also.
For more frequent emails than those that are sent out via the ARRL server,
please join the Oregon Section Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrloregon/.
If your request to join was inadvertently not approved, please resubmit it and
we'll make sure it gets approved. Dean's been doing a great job with
getting this list going and I forward items of general interest to it fairly
regularly. Members of the group can also forward messages to the
list. Dean just upgraded me to administrator of the list also. He
said he gave me rights to do everything on the list except delete him! We
may be adding another administrator as well.
CSEPP EXERCISE
The CSEPP Exercise was held on May 5-7 and information about it can be viewed
from the UMESRO website at http://ares.csepp.net.
NEW AFFILIATED CLUB
Congratulations to Lane County Sheriff's AR Operators, Inc., on becoming an
ARRL affiliated club. This affiliation will allow them to purchase
insurance for their repeater upgrade project. The insurance was something
that is required for the grant.
NEW EMERGENCY COORDINATOR APPOINTMENT
Ron Morell, KA7U, District 6 Emergency Coordinator, has appointed Dennie
Dunkeson , WA7YPR, as Klamath County ARES/RACES. Dennie has been busy
inventorying and marking radios for property control and setting up a newly
acquired communications trailer. This trailer and equipment was obtained
through the County on a grant that a previous Emergency Coordinator set
up. This included dual band antennas, Yaesu dual band radios, HF tuners,
and Kenwood 570 transceivers. After the initial inventory of equipment
and meeting with the emergency manager where he was allocated a budget to get
the trailer set up, Dennie took the trailer to the weekly HAM lunch to show to
other local hams. Those hams volunteered designs, thoughts and some
parts. The county bought plywood, linoleum, paint, fittings, a
screwdriver antenna and more. So Dennie took the trailer home and began
working on it, along with other ham volunteers.
2008 PACIFIC NORTHWEST DX CONVENTION
The Willamette Valley DX Club is pleased to announce The 2008 Pacific Northwest
DX Convention, August 1-3, 2008 in Portland, OR.
Please join us for the 53rd annual convention which includes many technical
sessions, a banquet and breakfast, door prizes, and raffle prizes. It's a
great opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. QSL Field
Checkers will be present to check DXCC submissions.
Join us at the Monarch Hotel in Portland. The Monarch's web site is available
at http://www.monarchhotel.com and offers a convention rate of $93 per night.
Ask for the Northwest DX Convention Rate when calling.
August is a great time to visit Portland, with many opportunities for travel
and fun. The convention hotel is located across the street from
Portland's largest mall, and with no sales tax, presents a great shopping
experience. There is also a local Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) store for those
interested in picking up new gear.
Please visit http://wvdxc.org/dxconvention where you can find both paper and
online registration forms, the latest information on programs, door prizes and
a list of who is attending. Registration forms received before June 15
will receive a free raffle ticket for a $1000 USD gift certificate at HRO.
If you have any questions, please contact Al Rovner, K7AR at k7ar@arrl.net.
MY ACTIVITIES
I am looking forward to the Northwest Division Conference coming up in a couple
of weeks and seeing all of you there. Mark and I will be going out
there on Thursday evening and will be there until the close on Sunday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRL Oregon Section
Section Manager: Bonnie M. Altus, AB7ZQ
ab7zq@arrl.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Oregon Section Club News
The Oregon Tualatin Valley Amateur Radio Club (OTVARC) held their 30th
anniversary banquet on May 9. The club actually turned 30 on May 8. The
event took place at Ernesto's Restaurant in Portland and was well attended by
current members as well as past Presidents and board members. Oregon Section
Manager Bonnie Altus, AB7QZ and Northwestern Division Director Jim Fenstermaker,
K9JF were in attendance and congratulated the club members on their
accomplishments.
Entertainment was provided by the Signature Quartet. Lots of prizes were
raffled off, with thanks to Ham Radio Outlet for providing donations.
A special thanks to Everett Curry, W6ABM for the great job he did at putting
the event together. Congratulations OTVARC.
I know that this is a busy time of year for most clubs, but if you could please
drop me a note and let me know what your club is up to, it would sure be
appreciated.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you at Sea-Pac.
73 for now.
Pat Roberson, N7PAT
Assistant Section Manager-Administrative
Red Cross Responds To ARRL
Concerns Regarding Background Checks
At the ARRL ARES forum at the Dayton Hamvention, ARRL Emergency Preparedness
and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, announced that the American Red Cross
(ARC) has finally moved to the issue of background checks for ARES volunteers.
In November 2007, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, wrote to the American Red
Cross (ARC) regarding concerns voiced by ARRL volunteers. In 2006, the Red
Cross stated it would implement background checks that included, among other
things, a credit check and a "mode of living" check for its staff and
volunteers, including ARES volunteers providing services to the Red Cross
during disasters. ARRL saw these portions of the background check as unneeded
and inappropriate for ARES service.
In a letter dated May 8 of this year, Armond T. Mascelli, ARC Vice President
for Disaster Response Services replied to President Harrison: "I can now
report back to you that [these] actions have been completed and changes have
been instituted which I trust resolves the concerns detailed in your letter.
This effort took considerably more time and attention than originally
envisioned, but I believe the results will now benefit our respective
organizations.
"A new background consent form now [is] to be used by all Red Cross
chapters for ARRL members and other partner organizations. The form and related
process is limited to the name and social security number verification of the
individual, and a criminal background check. References and suggestions to
other related investigative possibilities have been stricken."
Harrison said that "We are very pleased that the American Red Cross has
addressed some of the issues that we raised regarding their background
investigations and that we can move forward in a relationship that has existed
for a long, long time. The American Red Cross and the ARRL have shared a
productive relationship for many years which has been of benefit to both the
organizations and to the public. We are glad that throughout the past months we
have been able to negotiate the issues that we had and have finally come to a
resolution."
With the background check issue apparently resolved, the ARRL will be working
with the ARC in the negotiation and creation of a draft for a new
"Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) or similar document to replace
the one which expired last year; Dura and Keith Robertory of the ARC will be
leading the effort. When complete, the draft of the MOU will be presented to
the leadership of both organizations for approval.
"While we believe that the Red Cross is implementing some changes that
will address some of the concerns expressed to them by ARRL, at this point, it
is work in process," said ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer,
WJ1B. "There are many questions yet to be answered, but we believe that
the Red Cross is progressing in good faith to complete the changes to their
policy and their background check consent form, which was the primary concern
expressed to the Red Cross by ARRL. There will be more clarifications and
information in the near future. Please keep an eye on the ARRL Web site for
updates as we know them. We are very much aware of your concerns and have
conveyed them to the Red Cross. We expect the Red Cross to address these and
other concerns on subject of their background check policy in the near
future."
"The ARRL is very pleased that the American Red Cross has responded
appropriately to our concerns about the background check issue," said ARRL
Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "We believe it now will be
possible to go forward to negotiate a statement of understanding between the
two organizations. We look forward to renewing and expanding the relationship
with the Red Cross."
Dura warns that when requesting a background check on the ARC Web site,
volunteers from partner agencies, such as the ARRL or ARES, should select
"I am an ARC partner" when asked "What is my Red Cross
role?" Otherwise, he says, volunteers will see the background check form
that asks for "everything."
New NASA Tool Allows
Exploration of Ionosphere From Inside
Last week at the Space Weather Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, NASA released a
4D live model of the Earth's ionosphere
<http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30apr_4dionosphere.htm?list2125
89>. Without leaving home, anyone can fly through the layer of ionized gas
that encircles Earth at the edge of space itself. All that is required is an
Internet connection and a free copy of Google Earth
<http://earth.google.com/>. NASA calls the ionosphere the "last wisp
of Earth's atmosphere that astronauts leave behind when they enter space. The
realm of the ionosphere stretches from 50 to 500 miles above Earth's surface
where the atmosphere thins to near-vacuum and exposes itself to the fury of the
sun. Solar ultraviolet radiation breaks apart molecules and atoms creating a
globe-straddling haze of electrons and ions."
Using a Google Earth interface, users can fly above, around and through these
regions getting a true 4D view of the situation. "The fourth dimension is
time. This is a real-time system updated every 10 minutes," said W. Kent
Tobiska, president of Space Environment Technologies and chief scientist of its
Space Weather Division. The proper name of the system is CAPS, short for
Communication Alert and Prediction System. Earth-orbiting satellites feed the
system up-to-the-minute information on solar activity; the measurements are
then converted to electron densities by physics-based computer codes. It is
important to note, Tobiska said on the NASA Web site, that CAPS reveals the
ionosphere not only as it is now, but also as it is going to be the near future.
According to propagation specialist Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, this model
"can provide Amateur Radio operators a broad view of what the ionosphere
is doing 'now.' This broad view is due to the fact that the resolution in the
color coding schemes only gives coarse estimates of the six parameters
available." Luetzelschwab, former editor of "National Contest
Journal" (NCJ) <http://www.arrl.org/ncj/>, writes a propagation
column in NCJ and other publications.
"This is an exciting development," said NASA solar physicist Lika
Guhathakurta on the NASA Web site. "The ionosphere is important to pilots,
ham radio operators, earth scientists and even soldiers. Using this new 4D
tool, they can monitor and study the ionosphere as if they're actually inside
it." Guhathakurta made his comments on the NASA Web site.
NASA understands that "[h]am radio operators know the ionosphere well.
They can communicate over the horizon by bouncing their signals off of the
ionosphere -- or communicate not at all when a solar flare blasts the
ionosphere with X-rays and triggers a radio blackout." As radio amateurs,
we use -- and depend on -- the ionosphere to make contacts.
Tobiska agrees: "For ham radio operators, this is a great application
because it enables them to figure out what frequencies that are going to be
available for communicating with any part of the world they want to communicate
with at that moment in time. So ham radio operators who are in South Carolina
want to talk to someone in Europe or Africa, they can know exactly what
frequencies to turn to on their dial."
Luetzelschwab said he personally believes that "The importance of this new
product is the fact that this is likely the first physical model of the
ionosphere available to the widespread Amateur Radio community. This is in
contrast to the model in our current propagation predictions -- such as VOACAP,
W6ELProp and the like -- that is based on years of measured ionospheric data
correlated to a proxy for the true solar ionizing radiation (the proxies being
sunspots and 10.7 cm solar flux)."
NASA explained that it appears that this new physical model takes satellite
measurements of solar radiation at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths (the
true ionizing radiation) and inputs this data, along with a geomagnetic field
activity index, into a model of the atmosphere to determine electron densities.
Luetzelschwab said "Yes, it only offers a broad view now -- but I think it
is a sign of things to come."
More information on this tool for radio amateurs can be found on the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/06/10081/>.
NWS Has New Web Page For
Reporting NOAA Weather Radio Outages
The National Weather Service has announced a Web page for hams and others to
report outages of the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Transmitters (NWR). The
Web page <http://www.weather.gov/nwr/outages.html> explains how to report
a transmitter that may be off air in a listener's area. -- Joe Lachacz
New Amateur Radio Satellite
Receives OSCAR Designation
Earlier this week, Bill Tynan, W3XO, announced that Amateur Radio satellite
Delfi C-3 <http://www.delfic3.nl/> has been issued an OSCAR number:
Delfi-C3 OSCAR-64 or Dutch OSCAR-64. The shortened version of either of these
two designations is DO-64. Delfi C-3 was successfully launched April, 28, 2008
from India aboard a Polar launch vehicle and was successfully commissioned,
currently transmitting telemetry on the 2 meter amateur band. In addition to
its 2 meter downlink, Delfi C-3 has an uplink on the 70 cm band. This newest
amateur satellite was developed by a team of some 60 students and facility
members from various polytechnic schools in The Netherlands. Delfi C-3 carries
two experiments: one involving thin film solar cells developed by Dutch Space,
and an autonomous wireless Sun sensor from the Dutch Government Research
Institute (TNO). According to Delfi C-3 Project Manager Wolter Jan Ubbels,
Delfi C-3 has been duly coordinated through Region 1 IARU representative Graham
Shirville, G3VZV, that the satellite meets all of the criteria necessary to be
issued an OSCAR number. "AMSAT-NA is pleased to welcome DO-64 into the
family of Amateur Radio satellites," Tynan said. "We are hopeful that
it will fulfill its intended mission of furthering education and increasing
interest in the Amateur Radio space program. We congratulate all of those
responsible for designing, building, testing and launching this new Amateur
Radio satellite and look forward to its long and productive life."
New Russian Amateur Radio
Satellite in Orbit
A Russian rocket launched from Plesetsk on May 23 carried a number of payloads
to orbit, including a new Amateur Radio satellite named Yubileiny -- Russian
for jubilee -- since christened Radio Sputnik 30 (RS-30). Operational details
are vague at this time. Amateurs throughout the world report receiving signals
at 435.315 and 435.215 MHz; some report reception of CW telemetry while others
report what appear to be image transmissions from the satellite. RS-30 is
orbiting at a maximum altitude of 1500 km, creating a substantial
communications footprint below. The satellite will broadcast audio and video
about the history of the Soviet and Russian space programs, as well as signals
imitating those broadcast by Sputnik I in 1957. According to the satellite's launch
team, "The motive for development of the Yubileiny small spacecraft was
the 50th anniversary of the first space satellite. With the help of that
satellite, the new space systems and equipment are expected to get flight
qualification, and radio-amateurs all over the world will be able to receive
information on the history of space development and domestic cosmonautics
achievements."
Ten New Satellites In Orbit
Ten satellites reached orbit April 28 aboard an Indian PSLV-C9 rocket launched
from the Satish Dhawan Space Center. The primary payloads were India's
CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 satellites. In addition to the NLS-5 and RUBIN-8
satellites, the rocket carried six CubeSat <http://www.cubesat.org/>
research satellites, all of which communicate using Amateur Radio frequencies.
All spacecraft deployed normally and appear to be functional at this time.
The SEEDS satellite was designed and built by students at Japan's Nihon
University. When fully operational, SEEDS will download telemetry in Morse code
and 1200-baud FM AFSK packet radio at 437.485 MHz. The satellite also has
Slow-Scan TV (SSTV) capability. Several stations have reported receiving SEEDS
CW telemetry and the team would appreciate receiving more reports from amateurs
at their ground station Web page
<http://sat.aero.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp/gs/english/cardform_e.html>.
AAUSAT-II <http://aausatii.space.aau.dk/eng/> is the creation of a
student team at Aalborg University in Denmark. It will downlink scientific
telemetry at 437.425 MHz using 1200 or 9600-baud packet.
Can-X2 <http://www.utias-sfl.net/nanosatellites/CanX2/> is a product of
students at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Space
Flight Laboratory (UTIAS/SFL). Can-X2 will downlink telemetry at 437.478 MHz
using 4 kbps GFSK, but the downlink will be active only when the satellite is
within range of the Toronto ground station.
Compass-One <http://www.cubesat.de/> was designed and built by students
at Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The satellite features a
Morse code telemetry beacon at 437.275 MHz. Compass-1 will also provide a
packet radio data downlink, which will include image data, at 437.405 MHz.
Cute 1.7 + APDII <http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/cute1.7/index_e.html>
is a satellite created by students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. This
satellite will not only provide telemetry, it will also offer a 9600-baud
packet store-and-forward message relay with an uplink at 1267.6 MHz and a
downlink at 437.475 MHz.
Delfi-C3 <http://www.delfic3.nl/> was designed and built by students at
Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It includes an SSB/CW linear
transponder. The satellite will be in telemetry-only mode for the first three
months of the mission, after which it will be switched to transponder mode.
Delfi-C3 downlinks 1200-baud packet telemetry at 145.870 MHz. The linear
transponder, when activated, will have an uplink passband from 435.530 to
435.570 MHz and a corresponding downlink passband from 145.880 to 145.920 MHz.
Japanese Amateurs Receive
More Privileges on 75/80 Meters
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) announced that
Japan's Table of Frequency Allocations and the Japanese Amateur Bandplan
<http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/6_Band_Plan/JAbandplan.pdf> have been
amended, giving amateurs in that country more privileges on certain frequency
blocks in the 75/80 meter band. Japanese amateurs are now allowed to operate
the following additional frequencies on the 75/80 meters: 3.599-3.612 MHz,
3.680 to 3.687 MHz, 3.702-3.716 MHz, 3.745-3.747 MHz and 3.754-3.770 MHz. As of
April 28, 2008, Japanese amateurs will have privileges on the following
frequencies in the 75/80 meter band: 3.500-3.520 MHz (CW only), 3.520-3.525 MHz
(Digital Mode and CW), 3.525-3.575 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.599-3.612 MHz (CW and
Phone), 3.680-3.687 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.702-3.716 MHz (CW and Phone),
3.745-3.770 MHz (CW and Phone) and 3.791-3.805 MHz (CW and Phone). "This
makes it a bit easier for US amateurs to make contacts with Japanese amateurs, especially
in contests, since Japan does not have phone privileges on the 160 meter
band," said ARRL Membership Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N.
"These new privileges will also make it easier for DXpeditions to work
Japan." -- Information provided by JARL
<http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/>
Chinese Olympic Special
Event Stations Are On-the-Air
Special Event stations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games began operating May
18, running through Wednesday, September 17. Five special calls, representing
the five rings of the Olympic flag, will be on the air: BT1OB, BT1OJ, BT1OH,
BT1OY and BT1ON. The last letter of the call sign corresponds to the color of
each of the rings of the Olympic flag -- Beibei (Blue), Jingjing (Black),
Huanhuan (Red), Yingying (Yellow) and Nini (Green). Zheng Feng, BA4EG, will be
the QSL manager for all stations. QSLs can be sent either direct or via the
bureau and will begin to be answered in October. A Web site supporting the
Special Event stations will include an on line log search, QSL card received
and sent status, as well as other information
<http://www.bj2008ses.com.cn/>; award criteria will soon be posted on the
site. -- Thanks to "The Daily DX" for this information .
Chinese Officials Give Kudos
to Amateur Radio Operators
As disaster recovery efforts continue following the earthquake in the Wenchuan
area of China's Sichuan province on May 12, China's Information Office of the
State Council reports that the death toll has reached more than 67,000 persons
as of May 27. Communications in some of the surrounding areas were cut off, and
communications in some other areas experienced network congestion due to
drastically increased traffic. According to the Chinese Radio Sports
Association (CRSA) -- the Chinese IARU Member-Society -- Chinese government
officials and the news media have recognized that when communications failed
after the earthquake, Amateur Radio operators stepped in to provide vital
links.
CRSA designated 14.270, 7.050 and 7.060 MHz for emergency communications use during
the quake, but these frequencies are now no longer restricted for this use;
should a severe aftershock occur, CRSA said it will make the call for them to
be kept clear again.
On Monday, May 26, China Central Television (CCTV) reported that, "When
all other communication means failed, Amateur Radio operators came out! An
Amateur Radio emergency communication network was set up, and one of the
commanders, Liu Hu [BG8AAS], called for Amateur Radio operators on air to
provide services for disaster relief."
Fan Bin, BA1RB, on behalf of CRSA, said, "Thankfully, one main repeater
survived during the earthquake. This repeater provided 100 km coverage to
Mianyang. Amateur Radio operators from Chengdu, Shenzhen, He'nan went to the
center of the disaster area, set up repeaters in Beichuan County and provided
various valuable first hand information from the center."
CRSA officials said they hoped to report more detailed information on the role
of Amateur Radio emergency communications in the big earthquake at a later
date. In the meantime, Fan said, CRSA acknowledged that the main organizer of
local Amateur Radio traffic, Luo Minglin, BY8AA, "continuously coordinated
VHF/UHF communications for a 100 km radius from Chengdu, the capital of
southwest China's province of Sichuan. More repeaters were set up in both
Beichuan and Mianyang -- among the worst hit areas outside the epicenter -- to
form an effective Amateur Radio communication network."
Zhang Zhen, BG8DOU, said that right after the earthquake, "Two ham radio
operators drove to the center of the earthquake area and had a repeater set up
by the morning of May 13. This repeater enabled the transmission of rescue
instructions and status reports, and was a main communication channel for
public use. The repeater carried communications for the Mayor of Mianzhu City
who gave orders to those on the front line rescue and recovery activity."
The CRSA said it appreciates the support given by the Amateur Radio community
in helping to keep clear the emergency communication frequencies of 7050 kHz,
7060 kHz and 14270 kHz during the critical period after the earthquake:
"Thanks for the cooperation and efforts made by all Amateur Radio
societies." The CRSA also acknowledged having received inquiries and the
"warm concerns" of Amateur Radio societies worldwide. -- Information
provided by Fan Bin, BA1RB, on behalf of CRSA, via IARU Region 3 Disaster
Communications Committee Chairman Jim Linton VK3PC.
FCC Looks to Raise Vanity
Call Sign Fees
The FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order (NPRM) on May 8
seeking to raise fees for Amateur Radio vanity call signs. Currently, a vanity
call sign costs $11.70 and is good for 10 years; the new fee, if the FCC plan
goes through, will go up to $12.30 for 10 years, an increase of $.60.
The FCC is authorized by the Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) to collect
vanity call sign fees to recover the costs associated with that program. The
vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new
vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term.
Instructions on how to comment on this NPRM are available on the FCC Web site
at, http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/howtocomment.html.
The vanity call sign fee has fluctuated over the 12 years of the current
program -- from a low of $12 to a high of $50; the current fee of $11.70 is the
lowest the fee has been since the inception of the vanity call sign program.
The FCC said it anticipates some 15,000 Amateur Radio vanity call sign "payment
units" or applications during the next fiscal year, collecting $184,500 in
fees from the program.
The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new
vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new
term. The first vanity call sign licenses issued under the current
Amateur Radio vanity call sign program that began in 1996 came up for renewal
two years ago. Those holding vanity call signs issued prior to 1996 are
exempt from having to pay the vanity call sign regulatory fee at renewal,
however. That's because Congress did not authorize the FCC to collect
regulatory fees until 1993. Such "heritage" vanity call sign holders
do not appear as vanity licensees in the FCC.
Amateur Radio licensees may file for renewal only within 90 days of their
license expiration date. All radio amateurs must have an FCC Registration
Number (FRN) before filing any application with the Commission. Applicants can
obtain an FRN by going to the ULS site at, http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls, and
clicking on the "New Users Register" link. You must supply your
Social Security Number to obtain an FRN.
Solar Update
Tad "My Sun sets to raise again" Cook, K7RA, this week reports: This
week we saw only one sunspot, number 997, and only on Memorial Day, May 26.
Alas, this was another sunspot left over from fading Solar Cycle 23 and its
appearance was very brief. One day it weakly emerged, it quickly faded from
view. The previous five days were spotless; spots appeared on the five days
prior to that, and previous to those spotted days were 10 days of no spots.
Sunspot numbers for May 22-28 were 0, 0, 0, 0, 12, 0 and 0 with a mean of 1.7.
The 10.7 cm flux was 69.3, 67.8, 68.5, 68.3, 68, 67.9 and 67.8 with a mean of
68.2. Estimated planetary A indices were 9, 10, 7, 6, 4, 3 and 12 with a mean
of 7.3. Estimated mid-latitude A indices were 7, 7, 4, 7, 3, 2 and 10, with a
mean of 5.7. For more information concerning radio propagation, visit the ARRL
Technical Information Service Propagation page <http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html>.
To read this week's Solar Report in its entirety, check out the W1AW
Propagation Bulletin page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/prop/>.
W1AW 2008 Spring/Summer
Operating Schedule
Morning Schedule:
Time
Mode Days
------------------- ---- ---------
1300 UTC (9 AM ET) CWs Wed, Fri
1300 UTC (9 AM ET) CWf Tue, Thu
Daily Visitor Operating Hours:
1400 UTC to 1600 UTC - (10 AM to 12 PM ET)
1700 UTC to 1945 UTC - (1 PM to 3:45 PM ET)
(Station closed 1600 to 1700 UTC (12 PM to 1 PM ET))
Afternoon/Evening Schedule:
2000 UTC (4 PM ET)
CWf Mon, Wed, Fri
2000 "
"
CWs Tue, Thu
2100 " (5 PM ET)
CWb Daily
2200 " (6 PM ET)
RTTY Daily
2300 " (7 PM ET)
CWs Mon, Wed, Fri
2300 "
"
CWf Tue, Thu
0000 " (8 PM ET)
CWb Daily
0100 " (9 PM ET)
RTTY Daily
0145 " (9:45 PM ET) VOICE Daily
0200 " (10 PM ET)
CWf Mon, Wed, Fri
0200 "
"
CWs Tue, Thu
0300 " (11 PM ET)
CWb Daily
Frequencies (MHz)
-----------------
CW: 1.8175 3.5815 7.0475 14.0475 18.0975 21.0675
28.0675 147.555
RTTY: - 3.5975 7.095
14.095 18.1025 21.095 28.095 147.555
VOICE: 1.855 3.990 7.290 14.290 18.160
21.390 28.590 147.555
Notes:
CWs = Morse Code practice (slow) = 5, 7.5, 10, 13 and 15 WPM
CWf = Morse Code practice (fast) = 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 13 and 10 WPM
CWb = Morse Code Bulletins = 18 WPM
CW frequencies include code practices, Qualifying Runs and CW bulletins.
RTTY = Teleprinter Bulletins = BAUDOT (45.45 baud) and AMTOR-FEC (100 Baud).
ASCII (110 Baud) is sent only as time allows.
Code practice texts are from QST, and the source of each practice is given at
the beginning of each practice and at the beginning of alternate speeds.
On Tuesdays and Fridays at 2230 UTC (6:30 PM ET), Keplerian Elements for active
amateur satellites are sent on the regular teleprinter frequencies.
A DX bulletin replaces or is added to the regular bulletins between 0000 UTC (8
PM ET) Thursdays and 0000 UTC (8 PM ET) Fridays.
In a communications emergency, monitor W1AW for special bulletins as follows:
Voice on the hour, Teleprinter at 15 minutes past the hour, and CW on the half
hour.
FCC licensed amateurs may operate the station from 1400 UTC to 1600 UTC (10 AM
to 12 PM ET), and then from 1700 UTC to 1945 UTC (1 PM to 3:45 PM ET) Monday
through Friday. Be sure to bring your current FCC amateur license or a
photocopy.
The complete W1AW Operating Schedule may be found on page 97 in the March 2008
issue of QST or on the web at, http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html .
The ARES E-Letter
May 21, 2008
=================
Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor
<http://www.qrz.com/database?callsign=K1CE>,
===================================
ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or comments:
<k1ce@arrl.net>;;
===================================
+ News From ARRL HQ
American Red Cross Responds to ARRL Concerns Regarding Background Checks
In November 2007, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, wrote to the American Red
Cross (ARC) regarding concerns voiced by ARRL volunteers. In 2006, the Red
Cross stated it would implement background checks that included, among other
things, a credit check and a "mode of living" check for its staff and
volunteers, including ARES volunteers providing services to the Red Cross
during disasters. ARRL saw these portions of the background check as unneeded
and inappropriate for ARES service.
In a letter dated May 8 of this year, Armond T. Mascelli, ARC Vice President
for Disaster Response Services replied to President Harrison: "I can now
report back to you that [these] actions have been completed and changes have
been instituted which I trust resolves the concerns detailed in your letter.
This effort took considerably more time and attention than originally
envisioned, but I believe the results will now benefit our respective
organizations.
"A new background consent form now [is] to be used by all Red Cross
chapters for ARRL members and other partner organizations. The form and related
process is limited to the name and social security number verification of the
individual, and a criminal background check. References and suggestions to
other related investigative possibilities have been stricken."
ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, announced
the resolution at the ARRL ARES forum at the Dayton HamventionÆ and received
hearty applause.
"We are very pleased that the American Red Cross has addressed some of the
issues that we raised regarding their background investigations and that we can
move forward in a relationship that has existed for a long, long time,"
Harrison said. "The American Red Cross and the ARRL have shared a
productive relationship for many years which has been of benefit to both the
organizations and to the public. We are glad that throughout the past months we
have been able to negotiate the issues that we had and have finally come to a
resolution."
What's Next?
With the background check issue apparently resolved, the ARRL will be working
with the ARC in the negotiation and creation of a draft for a new Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) or similar document to replace the one which expired last
year; Dura and Keith Robertory of the ARC will be leading the effort. When
complete, the draft of the MOU will be presented to the leadership of both
organizations for approval.
"The ARRL is very pleased that the American Red Cross has responded
appropriately to our concerns about the background check issue," said ARRL
Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "We believe it now will be
possible to go forward to negotiate a statement of understanding between the
two organizations. We look forward to renewing and expanding the relationship
with the Red Cross."
+ The View from Flagler County
Add a satellite capability to your EmComm arsenal. If terrestrial platforms are
out, a satellite may be all you have left. Operating through low earth orbiting
satellites also improves operating skill: it's like driving your car with the
road moving. You must tune your uplink and downlink frequencies to compensate
for a fast Doppler shift, as you send and receive your CW or SSB signal. It's
not easy at first; but like anything, the more you practice, the better you
get.
Try the FM repeater bird AO-51 first, with an uplink of 145.90 MHz, and a
downlink of 435.225 MHz. No fancy tracking software is necessary: Use AMSAT's
pass predictor at: <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/>.
You won't be satisfied for long on AO-51. Move up to VO-52 for real operating
on a wide transponder pass band: the uplink is 435.220 MHz to 435.280 MHz and
the downlink is 145.870 to 145.930 MHz. Both SSB and CW work just fine. Signals
are good without preamplifiers, nor even rotating beam antennas. Believe it or
not, I use a cheap, simple fixed 2-meter/70 cm beam
<http://www.arrowantennas.com> pointed skyward at a 45 degree angle.
Prior to the pass, I check the AMSAT predictor for the access times and the
highest elevation azimuth, and walk out to the backyard and hand turn the mast
accordingly. I usually get a ten-minute window and decent signals to work a few
CW contacts, including a recent one with Honduras. For upgrades, I am planning
to add a separate 70 cm beam to reduce a bit of de-sense on voice operation,
and a used/rebuilt Alliance U-110 rotator from
<http://www.rotorservice.com>.
It's not rocket science (pun intended): if I can do it, anybody can do it.
Satellites may be all you have in a doomsday scenario, and are great ways to
improve your operating skill. (And frankly, they are a blast of fun to play
with!)
----------------
In This Issue:
+ News From ARRL HQ
+ The View from Flagler County
+ "Hurricane Ulysses" Exercise Preps Mississippi Gulf Coast
+ China EQ
+ Midwest, Southeast Tornado Responses
+ Illinois Earthquake Drill Turns to Reality
+ Brady, Texas, Hospital Communications Outage
+ ARES Forum at Gainesville, Florida Hamfest Lauded
+ Crisis in Trauma and Emergency Care
+ Colorado Group Receives D-STAR Equipment; Will Support ARES
+ Interoperability Video
+ Pandemic Flu Video
+ UPDATE: SMS E-Mail Address for AT&T Phones
+ LETTERS: "SMS" on APRS
+ LETTERS: From the Hurricane Watch Net Manager
+ LETTERS: Diminished Licensing, Technical Standards?
+ LETTERS: "Digital Call signs"
+ LETTERS: Observations of a FEMA Disaster Assessor
+ EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESOURCE: Live News Cameras
+ K1CE For a Final
----------------
+ "Hurricane Ulysses" Exercise Preps Mississippi Gulf Coast
For a drill in preparation for the 2008 hurricane season, "Hurricane
Ulysses" moved ashore with 115 mph winds as the eye passed over Biloxi
Bay, Mississippi. This was the beginning of the annual Mississippi EMA (MEMA)
Hurricane exercise, which commenced at 0800 on May 1 with the eye just east of
Laurel, and continued until 1530. This exercise saw the first deployment of an
Amateur Radio station on the MEMA Mobile Operation (MOBOPS) Center, which was
located for the exercise at the Air National Guard Training Center in Gulfport
and operated on HF, VHF, and WinLink. This was also a successful test for the
MEMA to the Coast VHF Link, which has been put in place through the continuing
efforts of the members of the South Mississippi Repeater Coalition.
Nets were operated on HF and VHF. The Mississippi ARES Net operated on 3862 kHz
with EOC check-ins from numerous counties.
As expected, most participants experienced some operational and equipment
glitches, but that is why we have exercises: Find the problems now, and not
during an actual event. The MEMA Scenario gave ARES a chance to check out links
and equipment. Exercise action was not limited to southern Mississippi.
Northeastern Mississippi DEC Paul Reiselt, WB5CON, reported that Operation
Vigilant Guard '08 went well. The Tennessee Army National Guard moved into
Alcorn County after a simulated earthquake along the New Madrid fault. Alcorn
County was a staging area for troops moving from central and east Tennessee
toward the Memphis and Millington area. Alcorn County ARES was involved in the
first 24 hours of the 6-day operation and set up two communication trailers
with HF and VHF equipment. At the EMA, they were self-contained with batteries,
inverters, generator, a 30-foot Rohn 25 tower with inverted V antenna and a
2-meter omni antenna. At the Magnolia Regional Health Center, Alcorn ARES set
up a trailer with inverted V and 2 meter omni antennas, batteries, generator,
and solar panels. -- Excerpted from the April 2008 Mississippi Section Report,
Malcolm Keown, W5XX, Section Manager
+ China EQ
On May 12, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Sichuan, China. According to the
Chinese Radio Sports Association <http://www.crsa.org.cn/english.php>,
the Chinese IARU Member-Society designated frequencies for emergency services
involved in the rescue: 14.270, 7.050 and 7.060 MHz. The ARRL encouraged US
amateurs to be aware of the emergency operations on those three frequencies.
The CSRA called on its members to learn what is most needed by people in that
area and report it to the local government authority; to pass messages for
citizenry and support disaster relief authorities.
Liu Hu, BG8AAS, of Chengdu, reported that a local UHF repeater survived the
disaster. "It keeps functioning from the first minute and more than 200
local radio hams are now on that repeater. A group of hams from Chengdu has
headed for Wenchuan, the center of the quake, trying to set up emergency
communication services there," he said. The UHF repeater directed
"social vehicles to transport the wounded from Dujiangyan, Beichuan and
other regions."
On May 13, a group of radio amateurs were transmitting from Wenchuan, the
center of the quake: "Signals are very weak. They tried to keep
communication with BY8AA, the Sichuan Radio Orienteering Association in
Chengdu, seeking resources needed. During a contact, they were asking for
raincoats, water, tents and outdoor living facilities." -- CRSA Web site,
information provided by Michael Ye, BD4AAQ, and Michael Chen, BD5RV/4,
excerpted from the ARRL Letter
+ Midwest, Southeast Tornado Responses
The Midwest and Southeast were affected by tornadoes last month and earlier
this month. A series of major storms moved through Mississippi in April. The
storm of April 4 left parts of Warren, Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties
looking as if Katrina had returned. SKYWARN ops fed a series of key information
reports to NWS-Jackson that aided in developing warnings for residents in the
path of the storm as it moved from east to west across Central Mississippi. EC
Donna Harrison, KD5GWM, reported that the storm finally exited the Meridian
area leaving 95 homes damaged.
Several lesser storm events occurred during the month until an EF2 tornado
struck Union County on May 2. EC Gregg Fitzgerald, W5LMW, reported that the
tornado left a 20-mile long path of destruction across the County. The
Northeast SKYWARN Net was activated. Thomas Hall, WB4VYB, initially sighted the
tornado with quarter-sized hail. The list of damage is long with 19 houses
destroyed; 47 houses with major damage; 103 houses with minor damage; and
multiple other structures damaged. Union County ARES was activated the
following morning with traffic passed for the Red Cross. W5LMW escorted the
Memphis NWS staff on their damage assessment tour. -- Mississippi Section
Report, Malcolm Keown, W5XX, Section Manager
An EF2 tornado hit Stafford County, Virginia, on May 8. EC Curt
"Bart" Bartholomew, N3GQ, said ARES members handled more than 100
traffic messages for the American Red Cross, the Stafford Sheriff's Office, the
Stafford Sheriff's Office 911 Center and the Stafford Emergency Management
Division. ARES members also set up a SKYWARN net. Residents reported the
tornado blasted in at about 10:30 PM amid a "lurid red-and-green sky laced
with lightning that sent many rushing into their basements," said
Spotsylvania County EC Tom Lauzon, KI4AFE.
In Oklahoma, Assistant SEC Mark Conklin, N7XYO, said served agencies were
contacted and ARES groups in the area were placed on standby status:
"Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters were very busy and were of great help to
the National Weather Service office in Tulsa during the storm events."
+ Illinois Earthquake Drill Turns to Reality
Illinois ARES conducted their annual EQ drill last month in support of the
Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC)
<http://www.cusec.org/> efforts in preparing for earthquakes, and to keep
attention focused on the New Madrid fault zones.
The drill was dubbed "Shake, Rattle and Roll," and held in the early
morning of April 8. The scenario was a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. An emergency
net was up and operating within two minutes of the cessation of shaking, taking
reports from the tri-state area. First, it was determined that the event was
definitely an earthquake with a widespread impact. Local public safety radio
systems went down owing to an overloaded and crashed computer system. (The
single computer controlled all of the radios).
The drill and net closed at 9 AM. Then at 10:15 AM, the area was shaken into
reality by a real Richter scale 4.6 EQ. The net re-opened and took reports.
Thirty seismic events of measurable strength were recorded. According to Gary
Auerswald, WB9UDJ, EC, Lawrence County, "the first quake scared everyone,
and the second strong one created a lot of concern." Auerswald added this
anecdote: "We have one operator, Chuck, KB9KHB, who lived at the epicenter
of the activity, so we called him 'Epicenter Chuck' at 'Rock and Roll Central.'
He thinks Mother Nature is mad at him, with all of the quakes at his location
and a bolt of lightning that exploded a power pole transformer on his property.
As Chuck left his house to check it, a skunk sprayed him. No one will stand
near Chuck anymore." -- Gary Auerswald, WB9UDJ, EC, Lawrence County,
Illinois, and Pat Ryan, KC6VVT, Illinois SEC <kc6vvt@arrl.net>
+ Brady, Texas, Hospital Communications Outage
The Heart of Texas Ham Operators Group (HOT-HOG) and McCulloch County ARES have
an agreement with the Heart of Texas Memorial Hospital in Brady for providing
back-up emergency communications. The hospital has many communication needs,
including the need to confer with Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo before
transferring patients from Brady to Shannon. That communication is normally
conducted by telephone.
During a communications outage that isolated the community from the outside
world, with long-distance land line service, cellular service and Internet
service not working due to a severed fiber optic cable, the hospital called
upon Amateur Radio operators for help.
Using the link between a repeater at Brady and one north of San Angelo, an
operator in Brady made direct contact with a colleague at the communications
center at Shannon, and notified that facility of the situation. A few hours
later, there was a need to transfer a patient, and the system was put to the
test. One Amateur Radio contact from within the Heart of Texas Memorial
Hospital building put the doctor in direct voice communication with Shannon so
that the necessary patient and administrative information could be transferred
between them. With that and the summoning of an ambulance, the patient was on
his way.
All of the amateur equipment is funded and maintained by the hams and their
local organizations, but some outside assistance is always welcome. The radio
repeater link that was used to cover the outage was upgraded only ten days
earlier thanks to a grant that the Heart of Texas Memorial Hospital obtained
from the Concho Valley Regional Administrative Council. At the time, no one
could have known that the advisability of that expenditure would be tested and
proved successful so soon. -- Rick Melcer, N5KAO, EC, McCulloch County, Texas
<n5kao@arrl.net>
+ ARES Forum at Gainesville, Florida Hamfest Lauded
Northern Florida's Suwannee District ARES members conducted a forum at the
Gainesville Hamfest on April 26. Presentations on the ARES programs in Alachua,
Gilchrist, and Columbia counties were shared with more than 33 hams. Public
service events, drills, and emergency activations were reported by the county
ECs for the past year. Richard Heston, KE4BQI, EC for Columbia County, gave a
first hand report on the communications loss and ham radio support provided
following the March 7 EF2 tornado that damaged 50 homes in Lake City. The
program ended with encouraging comments from DEC Richard Block, KG4CHW, SEC Joe
Bushel, W2DWR, and ARRL Southeastern Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK.
Bushel said "I congratulate you on the fantastic presentation. You are
hard workers and do a great job. Please continue to set the good example for
the rest of us." Director Sarratt added, "You guys put on a very good
ARES forum and Hamfest. I enjoyed my visit." -- Jeff Capehart, W4UFL,
EC/RO Alachua County ARES/RACES
+ Crisis in Trauma and Emergency Care
For any Amateur Radio operator involved in providing emergency communications
to a hospital or other EMS centers, a recent article in "Homeland Security
Today" should be required reading. This follows several media accounts in
the past two weeks citing a GAO report that hospitals would be incapable of
providing the level of care needed for a Madrid (Spain) terrorist event with
mass casualties.
Any mass casualty event is also likely to produce loss or reduction of
communications ability. Amateur radio can help to fill these gaps, but it will
be vital that amateurs have close working relationships with their served
agencies, and understand the environment that they'll be working in. In the
past year, I've visited Level 1 trauma centers in five U.S. cities, and in
every case, you see waiting rooms filled nearly to capacity. Bed space,
doctors, nurses, lab techs, and other resources are usually operating at
maximum capacity around the clock. Any mass casualty event would certainly
overwhelm the system, and triage would become a necessity.
In order to be effective, it's vital that amateurs know the capabilities of
their served agency, contingency plans for mass casualty events, security
arrangements, and diversion hospitals and routes. Think about how you'll be
able to communicate with the hospitals that overflow patients would be diverted
to, and then plan for losing all or part of that communications capability.
<http://hstoday.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3334&Ite
mid=150>
-- Les Rayburn, N1LF, Shelby County EC, Alabama
+ Colorado Group Receives D-STAR Equipment; Will Support ARES
The Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) recently teamed up with Ham
Radio Outlet (HRO) in Denver to donate a 2 meter, 70 cm and 23 cm D-STAR system
stack. According to ARRL Colorado Section Manager and CCARC Board Member Jeff
Ryan, K0RM, the two groups hit upon the idea of issuing a Request for Proposal
(RFP) to Colorado radio amateurs. "We received three excellent
proposals," Ryan said, "and on March 21, CCARC and HRO awarded the
D-STAR system to the Colorado D-STAR Association, a consortium of Denver area
individuals, clubs and ARES groups." Ryan explained that the goal of the
CCARC, which also serves as Colorado's frequency coordination body, was
"to spur the interest and use of digital Amateur Radio technology. This is
the first D-STAR system that will go on the air in Colorado. The hope is that
it is the first of many such systems, ultimately linking the entire Amateur
Radio community throughout Colorado and beyond." The 3-band D-STAR system,
serving the Denver Metro area and the Front Range of Colorado from Ft Collins
to Castle Rock and points east, will be installed this summer at a mountaintop
site. The system will have a coverage area of more than 5400 square miles,
nearly the size of Connecticut. Ryan said that the RFP placed "special
emphasis" on the D-STAR systems being available to ARES groups in the
served area, "and also requires the host group to link to any other
requesting D-STAR system that comes on the air in Colorado." - ARRL Letter
+ Interoperability Video
There is a very current video that addresses progress on interoperability among
first responders, and the technical, funding, and political challenges that
still dog this issue. It's from Homeland Security Today Magazine, and can be
viewed at: <http://tinyurl.com/567dmj> --Les Rayburn, N1LF, Shelby
County, Alabama EC
+ Pandemic Flu Video
There is an excellent resource video available on-line that speaks clearly
about the threat of a flu pandemic, its potential impact, and common sense
steps that can be taken to mitigate, deal with, and recover from such an event.
It was produced by the King County, Washington Dept. of Public Health and can
be viewed at: <http://www.metrokc.gov/health/pandemicflu/video/>
Amateur Radio would have important roles in helping to manage such a crisis,
and yet we would also be affected by it directly. Does your ARES program have a
plan to meet its critical missions if 30% or more of your members were unable
to participate? Is it possible for you to meet the needs of your served
agencies while operating from home (social distancing) rather than going to
their site? Are you personally prepared to deal with disruptions to the food
supply, or other essential services?
This video offers common sense approaches that you can take personally, as well
as organizational steps that will help us all plan for, and deal with a
pandemic when it occurs. -- Les Rayburn, N1LF, Shelby County, Alabama EC
+ UPDATE: SMS E-Mail Address for AT&T Phones
I enjoyed Les Rayburn's letter in the last issue, but it seems that AT&T
(formerly Cingular, formerly AT&T) has changed their email-to-SMS gateway
again. Here's the information from their FAQ at <http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/messaging-internet/messaging/faq.j
sp>:
"Q. Can I send and receive email messages using my wireless phone? A. All
wireless phones are set up to send and receive email messages by using the
following address: yournumber@txt.att.net. You can exchange short emails with
any email address worldwide.
Q. How long can email messages be that I receive on my phone?
A. Just as with regular text messages sent to your phone, each message longer
than 160 characters will be broken up into multiple segments and delivered
separately. Messages longer than 160 characters are billed as multiple
messages." Thanks, Blake Sobiloff <blake@sobiloff.com>, San Jose, CA
+ LETTERS: "SMS" on APRS
We also have an "SMS" in the form of APRS. It works great and if an
I-Gate is available, e-mail can now be sent over APRS. Our area in South
Mississippi has also experimented with NBEMS and found that with a sound card
equipped computer NBEMS can send text over repeater networks merely by keying
the mic and holding it next to the speakers to both send and receive. -- James
Lee, KC5TYL, Lamar County, Mississippi EC
+ LETTERS: From the Hurricane Watch Net Manager
Many thanks for the kind words about our net in the latest ARRL Letter. We're
all primed for a busy season, but will be just as happy not having to go to
work. We have several new members that got some "hot seat" time last
year and show great promise to be future solid performers during the high
pressure operations and tempo with a storm bearing down on land, or on vessels
at sea. Again, many thanks for the nice write-up. -- Dave Lefavour, W7GOX,
Manager, Hurricane Watch Net
+ LETTERS: Diminished Licensing, Technical Standards?
I read with interest the recent letter from Alton Higgins, W4VFZ related to the
diminished level of technical expertise of today's hams and the eased
examination standards, and to that issue, I might add the reduced barrier to
getting licensed resulting from the relatively new no code license procedures.
My disagreement with Alton rests on the fact that each ham has a different
reason for being in ham radio and different interests that attracted him or her
in the first place.
Some, like Alton are very technically oriented (he reports that he is an
aerospace electronics design engineer) but for others, the sheer joy of
operating a station in community service is paramount. We need hams like Alton
to further the technical aspects of ham radio, but we also need operators like
me who may not know every nuance of what goes on under the lid, but we are skilled
in setting up an effective emergency station and efficiently handling traffic.
I hold an advanced class license and I am studying for the extra class, but it
seems that some of the electronics questions are not as important as the
regulation and operator questions--at least for an operator. How important is
it for me to know the difference between a Colpitts and a Hartley oscillator? I
would never advocate eliminating all theory questions from the exam--we all
need a baseline of basic knowledge; however, which element of the exam should
be given more emphasis while at the same time not setting the bar so high that
it discourages people from becoming hams in the first place? Wasn't this the
rationale in eliminating the code requirement?
Clearly Alton approaches ham radio from the standpoint of his career technical
expertise, and is willing to give his time to teaching the technical aspects of
our hobby (for this, I applaud him) but there are many aspects of our hobby
that appeals to different people, and I believe that good operators are needed
whether or not they can tear down and rebuild their gear blindfolded. --
Michael W. Popejoy, Ph.D., N4TIM
I have to take issue with last month's letter regarding the lowering of
licensing standards. I am a "no code" licensee. I have progressed to
Amateur Extra and also have my Emcomm level 3 and VE certifications. I mention
this not to seek compliments, but to bring me to my point.
I had hesitated for years to obtain my amateur license: The prospect of
learning the code was daunting and there was no local mentor.Enter the no-code
Technician license, and I passed the test on my own. I then wanted to get my
General, and once the code requirement was dropped, I obtained it and my Extra
class license in less than 6 months.
I faced what many others have faced: Many hams today do not "Elmer"
as willingly as they once did. Help for people interested in ham radio is not
as readily available as I think it should be. As President of my local club
this year, I am trying to initiate a movement of "Elmering" and
hopefully create a group of Code proficient hams who would run a code course
for us who do wish to learn and use code.
Elimination of the code requirement has made obtaining a license easier, but is
perhaps offset by the more complex technical knowledge required. The pursuit of
ham radio for me includes all aspects of ham radio, including code, EmComm and
helping others. The ultimate Amateur Radio test to me is the willingness to
help others. Good Elmers have passed the highest test. -- Rebekkah L. Whiting,
W2WHT
+ LETTERS: "Digital Call signs"
I enjoyed the latest e-letter. One area we are struggling with in digital modes
is the notion of operator authentication. It is trivial to spoof a call sign.
The FCC Part 97 rules request us to authenticate users of message forwarding
systems "...(1) Authenticate the identity of the station from which it
accepts communication on behalf of the system" -- we need to develop a way
to assign a digital signature to a call sign. The ARRL could lead this effort,
and it would not be very hard using off-the-shelf software and standards-based
technology. When we get an urgent emergency message on our open channels, we
right now have a difficult time telling if it is real or fake. I am not asking
for encryption, just a "message/payload" that can be verified. --
Erik Westgard, NY9D
+ LETTERS: Observations of a FEMA Disaster Assessor
In re the letter by the FEMA assessment agent in last month's issue, I too, am
a Disaster Assistance Employee with FEMA and do many jobs including Preliminary
Disaster Assessments (PDA). I take a hand-held with me on my PDA deployments.
Not one time have I been able to raise anyone on 146.52 MHz, but while deployed
in
While
+ EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESOURCE: Live News Cameras
One of the biggest needs during any emergency is "situational
awareness." More and more, news organizations are relying on live news
cameras, weather cams, and similar technology. There is an online resource that
will allow you to watch live news feeds from cities around the country in real
time. It's called "Livenewscameras.com." They also provide a host or
moderator, who will recommend the most interesting feeds available at any given
moment.
<http://www.livenewscameras.com/>
There is a "chat" feature that shows on the page when it first loads,
but I recommend ignoring that. -- Les Rayburn, N1LF, Shelby County, Alabama EC
+ K1CE For A Final
The observations of ARRL's Harold Kramer, WJ1B, in last month's QST on obesity
in the ham population struck a chord with me, as both an RN and ARES official.
I see the end stages of obesity every day on the Intensive Care Unit where I
work: the gross complications of diabetes, the loss of skin integrity and
ultimate respiratory and heart failure. A good friend, a ham and accomplished
county emergency manager, recently died as a result of the comorbidities of his
obesity.
Other than the obvious one, an additional benefit of a good diet and exercise
is a more professional appearance to served agency officials.
Next hamfest, skip the traditional hot sausage and onion stand. See you next
month! 73, Rick K1CE
======================================================================
The ARES E-Letter is published on the third Wednesday of each month by the
American Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225
Main St, Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
<http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.
Material from The ARES E-Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in
part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The
ARES E-Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
======================================================================
73,
Tom KE7GBO
Editor - Valley Voice
KE7GBO@arrl.net
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