Emergency-Communications

Tower Collapse, Concord NH

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Chuck Cunningham, K1MIZ, writes on the NEDECN list:
 
 
From: Chuck Cunningham <c.cunningholst@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Dec 23, 2022 at 2:39 PM
Subject: [NEDECN] Tower Collapse
To: <nedecn@googlegroups.com>
 

This morning the 190’ free standing red and white tower owned by ATC located on Plausawa Hill over looking Concord NH collapsed. The tower itself was ripped right out of the ground. Foundation and all. This tower had AT&T cellular and First Net on it. It appears when it collapsed it missed the public safety, National Weather and some Ham Radio towers.  It pulled on a 900 MHZ feed line and ripped a cabinet right across the room. I would love to know what the wind speeds were at the time of collapse.
—
http://www.nedecn.org/
—

Sincerely
Charles Cunningham
K1MIZ

Amateur Radio Operators Using DMR Assist in NH rescue

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From New Hampshire ARRL Members Only list:

“When all else fails, Amateur Radio” proved to be more than just the ARRL tagline on Sunday December 11, 2022.

An elderly New Hampshire man went out for a day hike with his dog yesterday in the Belmont area of central New Hampshire. Things went well, until his cellphone battery died. With the oncoming snow and darkness, a leisurely day hike was quickly turning into a serious health and safety issue for the hiker.

Fortunately for him he is also an amateur radio operator and had his DMR HT with him. With no cell phone capability, he made a call on a DMR NH statewide channel through the Gunstock DMR repeater seeking assistance.

His call was answered by Bill Barber, NE1B who was monitoring the channel. The hiker asked Bill to call his wife as he could not text or get pinged with his dead cell phone. Bill contacted the hiker/ham’s wife, and she was glad to hear that someone was in contact with him.

Unfortunately, he did not know exactly where he was and believed he would have to walk through brush for an hour or more to get to a road.

His wife called in the local police department who began a search along with their FD.

Ham radio was the only communication from about 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Bill called up Rick Zach, K1RJZ, who lives closer to the search area, and he was familiar with the area snow mobile trails and roads. Rick coordinated communication between the responding police units and the lost ham on the NH Statewide talk group.

The police and fire units attempted to assist in the search by activating their sirens in different locations to try to obtain a location on the ham, however, he was not able to hear them.

Another ham, Chuck Cunningham, K1MIZ, was monitoring the events on net watch and noticed that the lost ham had accidentally changed channels.

This information was passed along and 2 meter DMR communication continued until the lost ham walked out to a road and could advise where he was. The search and checkout ended successfully at 6:30 PM.

Thanks to the efforts of Bill, NE1B, Rich, K1RJZ and Chuck, K1MIZ the wayward ham is going to be able to enjoy another Christmas holiday with his family.

Bill listed some very important lessons learned from the incident:

  • Radio batteries last longer on DMR radios than on analog mode
  • Even his wife had trouble on her cell phone coverage at home
  • Monitor your local State DMR channel for helping others nearby
  • You may want to program 146.52 FM next to your State channel for signal strength DFing if and when out of repeater range
  • Some hams still monitor 52!
  • But stay on the primary channel until you know more hams are nearby to DF
  • Hike with DMR. Our network sites cover many areas of New England that do not have any cell service
  • Hike with a flashlight

And I would like to add one more item to the list. My son is one of the leaders of Pemi Search & Rescue and unfortunately responds to too many calls for lost hikers. One very important item that he stresses is that hikers file a “flight plan.” Let someone who is not going on the hike know where you are going, how long you expect to be gone and what communication equipment or capability you have with you. This also applies if you are going out hunting, fishing or boating.

Raul “Skip” Camejo – AC1LC
Public Information Coordinator
ARRL New Hampshire Section

K1XFC Appointed as CT Section Emergency Coordinator

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CT ARES logoBetsey Doane, K1EIC, writes:

I am sending this note to you all with respect for and heart felt thanks to AB1GL who was very active in so many ways including our immediate past SEC. George was a gift to us all.

We are very fortunate to have a volunteer step up and offer to fill this vacancy.

I am pleased to appoint Phil Crombie, Jr, K1XFC, as our Section Emergency Coordinator. Phil has been a licensed Amateur radio operator since 2014 and has a wealth of leadership experience. He has volunteered for the South Windsor Fire Department for the last 40 years and served as chief for 10 of those years. Notice the call—XF(ire) C(hief)!

He started getting involved right away with the Western CT Traffic Net after listening for a few times—in fact, that net was his very first contact.

Phil holds an Amateur Extra class license and is the trustee of the ham radio station at the South Windsor EOC. He is currently the vice president of The Bears of Manchester. This club has a long standing tradition of running the comms for the well known Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day. Phil has coordinated that event with over 50 ops for the last seven years.

Phil served as EC South Windsor, Assistant District Coordinator, District Coordinator and now Section Emergency Coordinator.

He is currently the chair of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Fire Investigation Subcommittee.

I know you will all give Phil the support you always give to our leaders. You can write to him at k1xfc@arrl.net. So do write him a note preferably off list and give him a warm welcome to the Section cabinet. Remember—the Section is a team. He will need your help. Congrats Phil—join the fun!

73,

Betsey Doane, K1EIC

Interim SM

Sign Up to Operate WX1GYX for SKYWARN Recognition Day

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SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 iconFrom the WS1SM Ham Radio blog:

For 23 years, SKYWARN™ Recognition Day, developed jointly by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League, celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN™ radio operators make to the National Weather Service.

Since radio gear at the NWS Gray facility was put into storage during the pandemic and won’t be setup in time for this year’s SRD, SKYWARN Amateur Radio operators within the forecast area are encouraged to take turns activating the WX1GYX call sign, either from their home stations, portable, or mobile, during the event.

If you’d like to use the WX1GYX call sign during SRD, please click here to sign up for a time and band slot (or multiple slots) to operate.

Participants are asked to log contacts in an electronic logging program, such as N1MM, and submit their logs to kb1hnz@yahoo.com in an ADIF format, so they can be merged afterwards.

During the periods that operators are not using the WX1GYX call sign, they may use their personal call signs to exchange their name, SRD number (which can be obtained here) and current weather conditions with other participating stations.

The event website provides complete operating guidelines, including the suggested exchange. SRD is a fun on-air activity that feels very much like a contest, but its informal. There’s no band or mode limitations, and you can even use repeaters. Just get on the air and have fun!

73′

Tim Watson, KB1HNZ

SKYWARN Recognition Day, December 2-3, 2022

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SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 icon

From ema.arrl.org:

Rob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on SKYWARN_Announce:

**SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 will occur this year and for the first time since 2019, Ops at the NWS office will be permitted but modified due to COVID19 to have more limited operations inside the office than prior to the pandemic. Similar to the last years, a social media component will be added to engage non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters more with 2022’SRD.**

**SRD Numbers will now be issued automatically when Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters register via the Google form on the SRD web site. You do not need a SRD Number to participate in SRD’2022 but it is now automatically available if you register via the Google form and most NWS offices will not have a SRD number.**

For the first time since 2019, SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 will have Ops at NWS office with volunteer Amateur Radio Operators, however, the scale of what is done inside the office for SRD will be more limited as we will have limited Amateur Radio Operators in the facility. This is similar to other NWS offices who will have volunteer operators into the office this year but more limited in scale than before the pandemic.

Also, all participants are welcome to register on the SRD web site. SRD Numbers will now be issued automatically when Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters register via the Google form on the SRD web site. You do not need a SRD Number to participate in SRD’2022 and most NWS offices will not have a SRD number. The SRD Number for this year is part of the qso exchange but is not a requirement.

For WX1BOX Amateur Radio operations, we will cover the typical SKYWARN repeaters on VHF/UHF as well as simplex and be on HF via the WX1BOX Amateur Radio station, various remote home stations, potentially one Amateur Radio Club station, along with our WX1BOX social media pages. In addition, contacts with other Amateur Radio SKYWARN stations will count towards NWS certificates. Similar to the last two years, there will be a social media component to engage non-Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters alike.

Additional details on SKYWARN Recognition Day including a registration link opened up to all Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio Operators can be found via the following link:
https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition

As mentioned previously, this year’s Google registration form also auto-issues SRD Numbers to participant Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters. The form can be found off the SKYWARN Recognition Day web site and can be see at the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdsiwFThctxPqEht9r7j1V1OLBNiAQjt-yJe7z3-XFMwiIx-w/viewform

There is also a SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) Facebook group open to all SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators. The Facebook group link is listed below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/srd2021

On the web, the following link on the WX1BOX home page will feature all SRD updates for WX1BOX operations as well as social media efforts that can include SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators alike:

Special Announcement: SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2022 Friday Evening 12/2/22 700 PM ET to Saturday Evening 12/3/22 700 PM ET

New for this year is we’d like to conduct an experiment to test and experiment with a radio email system known as Winlink. We would like to have Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN spotters test sending email to a radio based email. This system allows for emails to be retrieved over Internet but also over radio. You do not have to be an Amateur Radio Operator to be involved in this experiment. During the SRD period from Saturday 12/3/21 from 0000-2400 UTC (Friday Evening 12/2/21 7 PM EST-Saturday 12/3/21 7 PM EST), we’d like people to do the following:

1.) Compose an email with a report in text format or using one of the Winlink system specific weather or other forms to wx1box@winlink.org with either a current observation from the SRD time period or a prior severe weather event that occurred dring the last 2 years. Do “not” include file attachments. For Amateur Radio Operators who have winlink setup, please go ahead and use winlink. For other Amateur Radio and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters who do not have Winlink setup, feel free to use your normal email client but only use text and no attachments in the report.
2.) Put in the subject of the email //WL2K as this will allow for emails to get filtered through the built-in spam protection of the winlink system

We will acknowledge all emails as a contact and publish results of this work as part of the SRD’2021 report.

Similar to last year, the SKYWARN Spotter Map that is being tied to SKYWARN Recognition Day 2022 but also shows a great display of SKYWARN Spotters across the country whether you are able to participate in 2022’SRD or not. To add yourself to the map, utilize the link below (and it also appears once you have submitted your Google registration form):
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/31f1c4cd9b504068b2d15a7d3cdd4d05

The SRD’2022 schedule for repeater rotation and WX1BOX coverage will be included in the next SRD update by Monday Morning 11/28/22 as we are planning the various modes of operation at the NWS office and at home/Amateur Radio Club locations.

The VoIP Operations on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system will take place once again for 2022’SRD. Here is the info regarding Echolink/IRLP operations as of Friday Evening 11/25/22 and will be updated by Monday Morning 11/28/22:

Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: N0NWS (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0100-0200: WX1GYX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0200-0300: WX7SLC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0300-0400: WX9GRB (Confirmed time slot from 2020)
0400-0500: WX1BOX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0500-0600: WX9LOT (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0600-0700: WX4HUN (Confirmed time slot from last year)
0700-0800: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0800-0900: WX8APX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
0900-1000: Open
1000-1100: WX7SLC (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1100-1200: WX1GYX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1200-1300: W7NWS (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1300-1400: WX7SLC (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1400-1500: WX1AW (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1500-1600: WX1BOX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
1600-1700: WX4NC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Confirmed time slot from last year – new NWS office from 2021)
1800-1900: WX6LOX (Time slot confirmed for this year)
1900-2000: K0MPX (Confirmed time slot from last year)
2000-2100: WX4JKL (Confirmed time slot from last year – new NWS office from 2021)
2100-2300: WX4NHC (Time slot confirmed for this year)
2300-2400: Open

There will be other conference systems utilized for SKYWARN Recognition Day. They are as follows:

The New England Reflector Gateway System will be utilized by the NWS Boston/Norton, Mass. and NWS Gray, Maine offices from 0000-0500 UTC and 1200-2400 UTC. The New England Gateway system is on EchoLink Conference server *NEW-ENG3* Node: 9123, IRLP reflector 9123. If other NWS offices would like to join the system, they are welcome to do so and participants in SKYWARN Recognition Day can also use that system to make contact with various NWS offices. This is a great place to move off the *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system after your scheduled time if other Amateurs or NWS offices whish to make contact with you.

Also, the Western Reflector will be having NWS offices calling CQ as in past years and have multiple reflector channels and Echolink conferences available. There is reflector 9250/Echolink Conference *HI-GATE* node: 357564, IRLP 9251 and the *WORLD* Echolink Conference node: 479886, IRLP 9257/*DCF-ARC* Echolink Conference node: 336037 and IRLP 9258/EchoLink Conference *NV-GATE* Node: 152566 open for NWS offices. Please contact Kent-W7AOR for additional information on the Western Reflector.

A few technical reminders for folks interested in making contacts with the NWS Forecast Offices on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and New England Reflector Gateway IRLP 9123/*NEW-ENG3* Echolink Node: 9123 systems:

-The system allows both EchoLink and IRLP connections. For EchoLink users, you connect to the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203 conference system. For IRLP users, you would connect to IRLP reflector 9219.

-If you are using EchoLink, the RF node or PC that you’re using must have EchoLink conferencing disabled. If it is not disabled, the system will automatically kick the node or PC off of the system. The reason this occurs is to prevent unintentional interference from a conferencing station that may not know the node is connected somewhere else. This will keep traffic moving on the net and reduce interference considerably.

For more information on VoIP Technical Configuration Tips, please go to our web site at http://www.voipwx.net where we have a link to that information on the main menu of the web site. This announcement will also be on the web site.

We are looking forward to another fun SKYWARN Recognition Day on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system, Allstar 28848 along with DMR/DSTAR and other modes provided by VK3JED-Tony, New England Reflector Gateway system and Western Reflector system. Thanks to all for their support!

Thanks to all for their continued support of the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
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Director’s Update for 3Q-2022

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Fall has gone by very quickly for me. I have been busy with ARRL Board work, New England Division projects, attending Ham Fests, Mentoring and Licensing work, and a 6m Antenna Project. I am pleased to report good progress on all fronts. Here’s more about what I’ve been up to.

BIG E Space Chat

BIG E Space Chat Students and Speakers
BIG E Space Chat Students and Speakers

New England school students made live radio contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station from The BIG E on September 27th. You can view a video of the contact below. This and other videos made by folks who attend Space Chat were viewed more than 3,000 times by people worldwide.

The “BIG E Space Chat” is part of a project to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) educational activities and Amateur Radio learning activities for young people. We brokered the creation of this project through a partnership between The BIG E, New England Sci-Tech (a STEM education group in New England),  Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), and Black Helicopter Creative LLC.

We received quite a bit of television and newspaper coverage for our contact as well. Here’s an example of some of the TV coverage that aired on New England stations –

 

In addition to inspiring the young people who participated in Space Chat, we were able to help to make the public aware of the value that Amateur Radio brings to young people. I want to thank the many folks here in New England and the great people at the BIG E for making this project possible.

You can learn more about the BIG E Space Chat project here.

Club Grants

Mike Walters, W8ZY, and I worked with a team to select and award the first round of grants as part of the ARRL Foundation Club Grant program. We received a total of 128 grant applications totaling over $1.7M! We awarded a total of $270K to 24 Radio Clubs in the United States. 

ARRL Club Grant Program at a glance:

  • Clubs do not need to be ARRL-affiliated clubs to submit proposals
  • Looking to fund projects that create significant impact beyond the applying club: transformative impact on Amateur Radio; create public awareness and support for Amateur Radio; educational and training impact.
  • Examples of projects include, but are not limited to: get-on-the-air projects; ham training and skills development through mentoring; STEM and STEAM learning through Amateur Radio; station resources for use by the ham community; emergency communications and public service projects that emphasize training; club revitalization projects.

The second round of grants will be awarded early in 2023.

Board Projects and Meetings

National Traffic System 2.0 Project

I’m also leading a subcommittee within the Emergency Communications and Field Service Committee that is working on a plan to create the next generation of the National Traffic System (NTS). We are in the process of holding a series of briefings for Traffic Handlers across all ARRL divisions on the NTS 2.0 project. The briefings will be completed in December. We have signed up a total of 35 volunteers to help us work through the details of implementing the NTS 2.0 program. We are planning a kickoff meeting for the volunteers and I expect that the Implementation Teams will begin their work by the end of this year.

The ARRL has initiated a routine Traffic Origination program as part of NTS 2.0. The first messages were sent in October to all Section Managers, STMs, Directors, Vice Directors, the ARRL CEO, President, and first and second Vice Presidents.

NTS 2.0 Project - ARRL Routine Traffic Origination
NTS 2.0 Project – ARRL Routine Traffic Origination

The purpose of this program is to provide information about our work on the NTS 2.0 program as it rolls out and to measure the performance of the National Traffic System.

ARRL Club Development Webinar Series

Mike Walters, W8ZY, Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, and I are working on a program to create a series of webinars for clubs to help them develop skills and solve problems. This webinar series will kick off in 2023 and will feature presentations by ARRL members on the following topics.

ARRL Club Development Webinar Series
ARRL Club Development Webinar Series

Please get in touch with Mike Walters at mwalters@arrl.org if you are interested in helping us to produce content for the new Club Webinar Series.

Additional Board Committee Work

My work as chair of an Administration and Finance Subcommittee that is looking at ways to grow ARRL membership and increase active participation in Amateur Radio is nearly complete. The subcommittee will be sharing our final recommendations with the Administration and Finance Committee later this year and with the ARRL Board in January.

Finally, I have been serving as one of the ARRL Board members on the newly formed Investment Management Committee. The Investment Management Committee provides oversight of ARRL’s external investment manager and advises ARRL’s Administration and Finance Committee and the Board of Directors on investment policies and portfolio management. We have been working on procedures and processes that govern our oversight work with our outside investment manager.

Assistant Director Teams

Our Division Assistant Directors have all held several meetings with their working groups this quarter. In addition, the Spectrum Protection team has received a generous grant from ARDC to equip RFI Teams in each New England Section with direction-finding radios and antennas to enable them to assist Hams across New England in resolving interference problems. Our Assistant Directors and their working group areas follow –

  • Cory Golob, KU1U – Assistant Director, Emergency Communications and Public Service Activities
  • Rob Leiden, K1UI – Assistant Director, Spectrum Protection and Use
  • Anita Kemmerer, AB1QB – Assistant Director, Mentoring and Ham Development
  • Dan Norman, N0HF – Assistant Director, Youth Outreach and STEM Learning

Each team has projects underway that will benefit hams across New England. This newsletter features articles about what our Assistant Directors are doing.

Communications, Club Meetings, and Hamfests

We continued with our work to improve communications this quarter. There are three parts to our activities in this area:

  • Quarterly Division Cabinet Meetings with Club Presidents, Section Managers, Field Staff Members, and other leaders
  • Triannual (every 4 months) Division Town Hall Meetings with all ARRL Members in New England
  • Frequent attendance at Club Meetings (at least 6 times a quarter for each New England Division leadership team member) 

We held our third Town Hall Meeting on October 19th. We provided an update on ARRL and New England Division activities and answered questions from the folks who attended. You can see what was discussed, including a recording of the event, here. We are planning to hold our next Town Hall Meeting in February 2023.

We held an ARRL Forum at Fall NEAR-Fest in Deerfield, NH, where we updated folks on ARRL and New England Division projects and answered questions. We joined Peter Stohrer K1PJS at NEAR-Fest to talk with folks and answer questions.

Our next Cabinet Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, December 17th. We are inviting members of the HQ Staff to these meetings so that they can share information on what they are doing and receive feedback directly from division leaders.

Here’s a summary of the many events and communications activities that we’ve participated in and hosted this year –

New England Division Events & Communications 2022 YTD
New England Division 2022 Events & Communications

The New Division Team has been attending club meetings to stay in touch with what clubs are doing and to hear feedback and concerns from folks. We each try to attend at least six club meetings every quarter. If you’d like one of us to visit your club’s meeting, don’t hesitate to contact me at ab1oc@arrl.org.

AB1OC Amateur Radio Activities

I’ve been working on an upgrade to the 6m antenna system at our QTH. The project consists of adding a total of 12 new 6m antennas along with tower-mounted preamplifiers. We are putting up three fixed stacks of 3-element Loop Fed Array (LFA) yagis and a new 7-element LFA yagi on our main tower. The project is just being completed, and I have been making Meteor Scatter contacts on 6m with the new antennas. You can read more about the project here.

US West Stack of LFA Yagis & Large LFA Yagi on Mast
US West Stack of LFA Yagis & Large LFA Yagi on Mast

I hope to see you soon at a Hamfest, Club Meeting, Town Hall Meeting, Cabinet Meeting, or some other event in the near future. All the Best, and 73,

Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC
ARRL New England Division Director
Email: ab1oc@arrl.org

National Weather Service, Gray Maine, Winter Weather Spotting Training Courses

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Bill Arcand, W1WRA, writes on the Granite State ARA mailing list:

 

NWS NOAA banner image

2022 NWS Gray Winter Spotter Training (Virtual)

Help your National Weather Service by becoming a Winter Weather Storm Spotter! Storm spotters report snowfall, ice accumulation, ice jam flooding and coastal flood erosion during Northern New England’s long harsh winters. Spotter training will teach you how to accurately measure and report significant winter weather phenomena!

For other training in upcoming months, check out the National Weather Service online at https://www.weather.gov/gyx/skywarn. You can contact Donald Dumont Donald.Dumont@noaa.gov for additional information on this training.

Winter weather images

Connecticut Region 2 Simulated Emergency Test, October 22, 2022

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CT ARES logoThe ARRL SET (Simulated Emergency Test) 2022 is taking place in the CT Section next Saturday (10//22/2022).

All ARES Team Members in REGION 2 are invited to participate in this exciting event in North Haven.
– Check your listed CT ARES email for information.

Please go to ctaresregion2.org, Log-in, and Pre-Register for the SET 2022.in Region 2
– Registrations close this Wednesday night.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or problems with Pre-Registering.

Thank you.

—
73, Douglas Sharafanowich – WA1SFH
ARES District Emergency Coordinator (DEC)
Region 2 – Connecticut Section
email: wa1sfh “at” arrl “dit” net

NH Simulated Emergency Test, November 5, 2022

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ARES logoDave Colter, WA1ZCN, writes on the Twin State Radio Club mailing list:

The annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is on the first Saturday in November in NH. It’s intended to be our annual full-scale exercise of plans and systems across the entire Section/state. We begin at 8 AM and usually wind up between 1 and 2 PM. This year’s SET is based on a big hurricane, since it’s the most likely large-scale disaster we’re likely to experience in NH. It will be a simplex/HF only exercise. Repeaters won’t be used. We also encourage field station setups – even from your own backyard. One assumption is that any storm bad enough to require ARES support will probably take down our regular antennas, so it’s going to be an ad hoc operation.

One critical item I neglected to mention – every message MUST contain the words “this is an exercise”, and that phrase should also accompany any transmission that could be mistaken as real by a casual listener, as well as periodically during operations.

Simplex operation presents some interesting and fun challenges in our rather lumpy state. The goal is to send Situation Reports (SITREPS) to the State Emergency Operations Center liaison station in Concord, and handle any return message traffic. Clearly, we don’t have good simplex paths to Concord, so we use hilltop relay stations. The Concord liaison will likely be on Woods Hill in Bow. We’ve identified 2000’ Bly Hill in Newbury, NH that can reach Concord pretty easily. It’s accessed from Rt 103A. There is a turn-around at the summit I’ve used in the past for a discrete mobile relay station.

The first order of business will be determining who can hear whom so that relays can be organized. Then we can start generating SITREPS (in the form of weather/damage reports – a suggested form will be forthcoming) and passing them along to Concord. It’s likely to be chaotic, but that’s the nature of ad hoc operations and disasters. Work-arounds will be essential.

We can use both digital and manual (voice) methods to send the forms. Digital is preferred for accuracy and speed, and we use the very popular NBEMS suite of software, the core of which is Fldigi, a versatile sound-card digital modes app that’s also good for day to day use. The other key app in the suite is Flmsg, the message forms utility. There is a good tutorial on the NE ARES Academy channel, and some good (but need updating) beginner’s guides on the NH-ARES website.

We also use a system called Winlink, with a sound-card app called Winlink Express, which allows for email access through servers around the world. Its primary value is for sending and receiving internet email messages, but it can be used for ham-to-ham email via the same servers, and peer-to-peer connections between stations. Winlink email server access is only available via HF from our area. The most difficult bit of getting set up for Winlink is getting your computer to control your radio, but after that it’s pretty easy. Computer control isn’t essential, but it’s far faster. This is too big a topic for this email, so watch the video.

Both NBEMS and Winlink Express can be used on either HF or VHF/UHF, and certain NBEMS modes can be used on repeaters.

Manual voice messages using the RadioGram and radio version of the FEMA ICS-213 General Message Form require specific knowledge. Luckily, there is also a good video on this on the NE ARES Academy channel.

NBEMS – www.w1hkj.com Groups.IO page: https://groups.io/g/nbems

Winlink – www.winlink.org Groups.IO page: https://groups.io/g/winlink

George N1GB’s NH-ARES digital modes info site: https://www.gblakesl.net/N1GB/N1GB_ARES.html Loads of information on NBEMS and Winlink here.

Special Announcement: Amateur Radio Hurricane Nets Activating for Major Hurricane Ian & Florida Impacts

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SKYWARN logoRob Macedo, KD1CY, writes on the SKYWARN_Announce list:

The Amateur Radio VoIP Hurricane Net and Hurricane Watch Net will be active for Major Hurricane Ian and impacts on Florida. Details on their net activation plans can be seen at the following links:

VoIP Hurricane Net:
https://www.voipwx.net

Hurricane Watch Net:
https://www.hwn.org

For any SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators in our region who may have friends and family in the affected area and have the ability to provide surface weather or damage reports, pictures and videos, reports can be provided over these nets with pictures and videos provided to WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org

We hope everyone in the affected area of Florida stays safe as major Hurricane Ian approaches.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org