ARES Letter for June 20, 2008

The ARES E-Letter
June 20, 2008
================= 

Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor

<http://www.qrz.com/database?callsign=K1CE>,

===================================
ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or
comments: <k1ce@arrl.net>;;; 
===================================

+ The View from Flagler County

Many readers responded with comments and questions in re the new Red
Cross policy discussed in the last issue. Here is the further
statement of ARRL HQ's Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B:

"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. 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." -- Harold Kramer, WJ1B, Chief Operating
Officer 

------
In This Issue:

+ The View from Flagler County
+ Midwest Floods
+ Amateur Radio Session Held at National Hurricane Conference
+ 2008 Alabama and Mississippi Hurricane Conference 
+ Hawaii State CD Makani Pahili Hurricane Exercise
+ Colorado Tornadoes Response
+ Florida Fires Response
+ A Repeater on the Fire Line in Northern California
+ NHC Director Joins WX4NHC Annual Test
+ LETTERS: New E-Mail Software
+ LETTERS: Red Cross Recruiting Hams in Chicago
+ LETTERS: Message Content Needed
+ LETTERS: On Obesity in Hams
+ LETTERS: Satellites in a Doomsday Scenario
+ LETTERS: United Way Lead for ESF 15?
+ LETTERS: Diminished Licensing, Technical Standards
+ CORRECTION: AO-51 Frequencies
+ K1CE For A Final
-------

+ Midwest Floods
 
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) activated ARES
members for tornado and flooding emergencies earlier this month. SEC
Tony Langer, W9AL, said ops worked in EOCs and shelters, bagged sand,
and aided in rescue efforts. Tornadoes visited 11 Indiana counties.
As water inundated the region, President Bush declared 29 counties in
central Indiana a major disaster area. Four people died. 

On June 8, IDHS called for more hams: "The flood waters have impacted
several counties here in Indiana severely. Ham radio operators have
been operating continuously since activated and are growing weary.
Some counties do not have a vast amount of active hams to relieve
these tired operators." Specific areas needing amateur assistance
were overnight relief operators at the Bartholomew County EOC, as
well as the EOC and three shelters in Columbus County. 
 
Marion County EC Mike Palmer, N9FEB, called out his ARES members:
"People might think, 'Why not just use telephones or cell phones?'
Well, many phones are not working down there at this time. With the
high waters, electric transformers are out all over; even those
servicing cell towers are out. Even with today's technology, we find
ourselves looking at ham radio to assist. If you can spare a few
hours or an entire evening, please consider helping." 
 
In Wisconsin, five counties had called operators for duty ranging
from backup communications to damage assessment. One county called on
ARES members to provide patrols of flooded areas. Wisconsin SEC Bill
Niemuth, KB9ENO, had 90 ARES members responding: "In Columbia County,
ARES members provided dam monitoring communication, giving critical
information to public safety officials about two dams that were
nearly compromised."

Richland County ARES members provided a variety of services,
including answering information calls in the County's EOC and
providing specialized communications for disaster assessment by hover
craft and airplane. These communications were in addition to
providing traditional ham radio communication links between the EOC
and evacuation shelters.
 
On June 12, more rain caused the state and more counties to request
aid from area operators. Winnebago County ARES members provided
damage assessment in the county and in the City of Oshkosh, while
hams in Fond du Lac helped with shelter communications. ARES teams in
Marquette and Outagamie provided back-up communications and flooding
reports to their respective EOCs. -- excerpted from the ARRL Letter

[An inquiry to Iowa ARES leadership is pending in re the colossal
tragedy of flooding events there and elsewhere - ed.]

+ Amateur Radio Session Held at National Hurricane Conference

[Ron Mettler, WB4GHU, represented the ARRL Northern Florida Section
at the National Hurricane Conference, April 1, in Orlando, Florida.
Here is his report of the Amateur Radio Session there. -- ed.]

The Amateur Radio portion of the conference was divided into three
presentations and was moderated by Dennis Dura, K2DCD, Manager of
Emergency Preparedness & Response, ARRL and Chair of the National
Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Committee. The first session was
given by the National Hurricane Center's Amateur Radio station WX4NHC
organization, John McHugh, K4AG and Julio Ripoll, WD4R. In this
segment, the many roles of Amateur Radio were illustrated by charts,
audio clips, and video clips. Amateur Radio was praised for its
historical role of assistance through the years in tracking
hurricanes. The paths of access to the NHC were given:
<wx4nhc@wx4nhc.org>;, the Hurricane Watch Net (14.325 MHz), the VoIP
Hurricane Net, and the Citizen Weather Observer Program (CWOP). Both
the NHC and the Coast Guard are considering implementing WinLink as
well.

Another source of access to the NHC is through APRS. They appreciate
this mode because gathering the data is automatic. In the past, NOAA
initiated a program to provide weather stations to various amateur
stations throughout the Caribbean, but the funding for that program
was lost before the project was completed. For those amateurs
interested in using APRS, the system that was used in this program is
the Peet Brothers Model U2100.

In addition to the Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz, the NHC also
gleans information from the Maritime Service Net on 14.300 MHz, and
the Waterway Net on 7268 kHz.

One final way to get a report to the NHC is via an in-line reporting
form on <http://www.wx4nhc.org/>.

The second segment of the program was devoted to VoIP and EchoLink
activity and presented by Rob Macedo, KD1CY. Using these methods
provides an interoperability among government and non-government
agencies to provide weather data to the NHC. There is a VoIP node on
7203 kHz, with an IRLP of 9219. A weekly net meets at 0000Z on Sunday
(2000 Saturday night Eastern time) during hurricane season, and a
monthly net at the same time on the first Sunday of the month during
the hurricane off-season. The NHC is excited about using this mode to
gather data, and amateurs are strongly encouraged to support it by
checking into the VoIP Net.

The third portion of the program was dedicated to the roles that
amateurs play during hurricanes. This session was presented by Dennis
Dura, K2DCD and Rob Macedo, KD1CY. We are being looked to for weather
reporting, damage assessment, monitoring of critical resources and
infrastructures, communication augmentation, and communication
infrastructure replacements. In addition, intelligence gathering
through the SKYWARN program training is another expectation. The NHC
shares such information with other agencies, once it is verified.

ARES and RACES intelligence gathering includes shelter communications
and mass care communications, and this information is also shared
across multiple levels of agencies. MARS members who are also SKYWARN
trained can share information with DOD and other federal entities.
Even FEMA uses such information to determine appropriate responses.

The role of the amateur is changing. The new motto is "Before it
fails, Amateur Radio gives situational assessment." We are no longer
just communicators. We are being looked to for intelligence
gathering, providing real-time assessment of conditions where we are.

In summary, if hams are actively performing all of these functions,
we will have the situational awareness to know that something will
fail, so we can be there when it does fail.

The future of Amateur Radio in disasters is changing dramatically,
and our role is expanding in a new direction. It becomes an issue of
personal responsibility for each of us to stay abreast of our
training and technology in order to perform our role to its maximum.
-- Ron Mettler, WB4GHU, Sanford, Florida 

+ 2008 Alabama and Mississippi Hurricane Conference 
 
Emergency management personnel from Alabama and Mississippi assembled
in late May for a three day hurricane conference in Mobile, Alabama.
The visitor list was an impressive one that included Alabama Governor
Bob Riley, Alabama and Mississippi State EMA Directors, Director of
the National Hurricane Center, and many FEMA Directors and personnel.
 
The conference brought exhibitors, vendors, presentations, meetings
and breakout sessions that included a broad range of emergency
management, hurricane disaster and lessons-learned related topics.
These conferences are a "must attend" event for Section Managers and
Section Emergency Coordinators that are serious about providing
emergency and disaster public service operations. Meeting many of the
emergency management personnel, building relationships and discussing
preparedness, must be done before the next disaster. 
 
Alabama Section Manager Jay Isbell, KA4KUN, ASM Penny Isbell, KA4KUM,
Baldwin County (Alabama) EC Patty Link, KI4JEO and ARRL Southeastern
Division Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, hosted an ARRL booth and
attended the conference. 
 
Logged were nearly 30 Amateur Radio operators from the 460 conference
attendees that stopped by the ARRL booth. While at the booth, the
Emergency Management visitors repeatedly expressed their appreciation
and respect for what Amateur Radio operators do. -- Greg Sarratt,
W4OZK, ARRL Southeastern Division Director

+ Hawaii State CD Makani Pahili Hurricane Exercise

On Wednesday, May 21, Amateur Radio operators with the Hawaii State
CD RACES (HSCD) program operated the KH6HPZ station at the EOC in
Birkheimer Tunnel within Diamond Head crater from 10:00 AM to 2:00
PM, in support of the annual Makani Pahili hurricane exercise. Two
days later on Saturday, May 24 from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, HSCD RACES
and Pacific Section ARES participated in a communications exercise
simulating the recovery from the exercise hurricane, organized by
Pacific SEC Kevin Bogan, AH6QO. 
 
Six operators were situated at the State CD EOC, with additional ops
on all major islands. More than 25 stations were on HF, including at
Red Cross and County EOCs at Maui and Hilo, and individuals at homes
and other locations were operating on 40- and 80-meters. Another
dozen were on the state-wide VHF Repeater system.
<http://ronhashiro.htohananet.com/am-radio/hawaii/scd.html> 
 
This year featured a major push to implement and test the use of the
NIMS (National Incident Management System) ICS-213 message form. It
was used for the first time in Hawaii and the majority of the
messages were exchanged in ICS-213 format. The use of the form and
message handling protocol worked reasonably well. The advantages of
the form include: minimal training needed; clearly notes the sender
and the intended receiver; and the received message can easily be
given to another person for subsequent handling. During the Wednesday
exercise, incoming messages were entered into the EOC e-mail system
for handling by the EOC staff as part of the exercise simulation.
<http://ronhashiro.htohananet.com/am-radio/emcomm/ics-213-radio-protocol.html>

A handful of messages were sent via the traditional ARRL Radiogram
message format. While the message format, handling and contents are
well understood by Amateur Radio operators and can be sent very
quickly, the message format and content needs translation by a ham
operator before entering into the formal EOC message/situation
handling systems. Further work continues regarding emergency
communications and training in Hawaii. -- Ron Hashiro, AH6RH,
Honolulu, Hawaii State Civil Defense RACES

+ Colorado Tornadoes Response
 
Colorado Section Manager Jeff Ryan, K0RM, reported that ARES District
10 was activated by David Markham, W0CBI, Colorado SEC, on May 22,
for a large tornado that touched down in northern Colorado near the
town of Windsor. Ryan said it was just one of several across northern
Colorado and part of Wyoming. 

Colorado ARES District 10 EC Randy Long, W0AVV, reported that 31
operators provided communications service to the EOC and Fire
Department in Windsor, the Weld County EOC, the Larimer County EOC,
the City of Loveland EOC, the Loveland Mobile Command post and two
Red Cross shelters. 
 
Markham placed an additional 15 Amateur Radio operators in Larimer
and Weld County on standby in anticipation of an overnight shift; he
also requested adjacent districts to prepare in support of the
ongoing operations.
 
Ryan said that at the peak of the ARES operation, "Colorado ARES had
55 operators supporting emergency response and relief efforts." 
 
+ Florida Fires Response
 
Brevard County (Florida) amateurs responded during recent wildfires
in Palm Bay and Malabar. The "Mother's Day Fires" started on May 11,
and burned 13,000 acres. (Brevard County is home to Kennedy Space
Center).
 
John Weatherly, AB4ET, and Clayton Bennett, KA4NHW, manned a 2-meter
station in a shelter set up by the American Red Cross. Additionally,
the Brevard Emergency Amateur Radio Services (BEARS) donated the use
of their mobile command center to public safety agencies. The command
vehicle, dubbed BEARS-I, was obtained through a $100,000 grant from
the State of Florida. The interior was designed and built by a group
of Amateur Radio operators from local Brevard County clubs that are
members of BEARS. BEARS-I is outfitted with Brevard County 800 MHz
public safety radios and amateur equipment. 
 
BEARS-I was used as a command post in the week-long operation. The
Palm Bay Fire Department, the Palm Bay Police Department, ARES and
Florida Power and Light manned the four operating positions. The unit
was put in place at Bayside High School when the fires started; it
was relocated the next day to the US Air Force tracking station that
became the new command center, as well as the staging area for trucks
and teams from other counties. BEARS-I was used as a self-contained
command center around the clock for over five days. - excerpted from
the ARRL Letter; information provided by Jan Heise, K4QD, and Dan
Fisher, AI4GK 

+ A Repeater on the Fire Line in Northern California

Late in 2007, Sunnyvale ARES (Santa Clara County, California) was
offered a high-level (3612') 440 MHz repeater. SARES saw this as an
opportunity to provide a back-up for its low-level, local 2-meter
repeater (K6GL) and to also provide a wide-area resource in time of
emergencies. The location provides coverage of the South San
Francisco Bay Area, including peninsula communities, East Bay, Santa
Clara County to Gilroy, the Salinas Valley, and Monterey to Santa
Cruz. The SARES Repeater Group was formed by the EC and AECs, and the
repeater call sign was changed to K6SNY. They didn't realize how soon
it would play a role as a wide-area resource.

The "Summit Fire," in neighboring Santa Cruz County, started on May
22. Immediately, K6SNY was linked to the Santa Clara County
ARES/RACES 2-meter repeater (AA6BT) to facilitate a county-wide
resource net. The linking facilitated communication between the
ARES/RACES EOCs for Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. After the
Santa Clara County EOC closed for the evening, K6SNY handled
logistical traffic for Cal-Fire.

Two days later, overnight, the fire crossed Summit Road, into Santa
Clara County and the county EOC was reactivated. The AA6BT/K6SNY link
again provided a county-wide resource net. ARES members were advised
to monitor for updates. The Santa Clara County EOC was closed again
on May 25. By May 28, the fire was 100% contained.

A total of 4,270 acres were burned along with 35 residences and 64
outbuildings. There were 16 injuries. There were 12 cooperating
agencies involved, 946 fire personnel, 32 fire crews, 45 engines and
various other pieces of support equipment. As of May 30, the
estimated cost is $16.1 million. -- Neal Enault, WA6OCP, SARES AEC
and PIO

+ NHC Director Joins WX4NHC Annual Test
 
On May 31, WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.org/>, the Amateur Radio station
at the National Hurricane Center (NHC), held their annual
Communications Test from 1300-2100 UTC. According to WX4NHC Assistant
Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, this annual test has two purposes: To
verify that ham radio equipment will not interfere with any equipment
at the NHC, and to ensure proper performance of Amateur Radio
equipment at the NHC. 
 
During the test, NHC Director Bill Read, KB5FYA, addressed the
Amateur Radio community on the VoIP Hurricane Net and on the
Hurricane Watch Net <http://www.wx4nhc.org/Bill-Read-QST.mp3>. Read
spoke about the importance of Amateur Radio in hurricane-related
disasters and thanked Amateur Radio operators for their support in
past hurricanes. He encouraged hams to continue to provide that
strong support as WX4NHC enters its 28th year of service and the 2008
Atlantic hurricane season begins. Read made several contacts with
Amateur Radio operators during the test. 
 
"We all know how important it is to maintain communications during a
hurricane to relay our hurricane warnings to those in the affected
area which may have no other means to receive this vital
information," Read said. "We are also very appreciative for the
surface reports from those in the storm which add to our database and
help our forecasters better visualize what is actually happening at
the ground level in real time. As our own ham radio station, WX4NHC,
celebrates its 28th year of volunteer service at the National
Hurricane Center, we extend our thanks to all ham radio operators
that continue to support our mission to help save lives." 
 
WX4NHC made 346 contacts during this event: 291 on HF and 55 on
EchoLink/IRLP. They heard from 23 states and US territories, as well
as countries including Bermuda, Curacao, Jamaica, Cuba, Honduras,
Estonia and Canada. 
 
"The WX4NHC Coordinators and Operators extend their thanks to all ham
radio operators that participated in our Annual Station Test," Ripoll
said, "and look forward to your continued support during the
hurricane season." 

+ LETTERS: New E-Mail Software

There is new software entitled JNOS for passing e-mail messages over
Amateur Radio during emergencies: 
<http://ronhashiro.htohananet.com/am-radio/packet/jnos.html> 
 
Readers can download the program, and try it as noted in the
documentation. Configuration is simple: it takes only ten to fifteen
minutes editing in your call sign, password, and log-on banners to
get started. The beauty of JNOS is the sending and receiving of
e-mail messages over the Internet as well as Amateur Radio
seamlessly. It can print incoming e-mail messages on a printer
unattended, one message to a sheet, just like a fax machine. 
 
JNOS will also take advantage of the ICOM ID-1 in digital data mode,
and I'm in the process of testing and documenting that configuration.
At some point, I'd like to implement this at Hawaii State CD and Oahu
DEM, when a sufficient critical mass has been implemented. -- Ron
Hashiro, AH6RH, Honolulu, Hawaii State Civil Defense RACES

+ LETTERS: Red Cross Recruiting Hams in Chicago

[The following was forwarded by Bob Small, K9MUY, Chief, Emergency
Management, City of Oak Forest, Illinois <k9muy@netscape.net>; and
serves to enlighten ARES members as an example of Red Cross
recruiting efforts. Thanks, Bob. -- ed.]

"Disaster Assessment Opportunity

"I'd like to tell you about an interesting Red Cross activity which
may be particularly appealing to Amateur Radio operators and to
anyone interested in public safety and public service.

"The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is recruiting volunteers
to join its Disaster Assessment Team. Disaster Assessment is an
activity that provides support in the earliest stages of disaster
relief operations. Team members gather, analyze, interpret and report
accurate and timely information about the extent of damage and
overall impact, weather conditions, and demographics of a
disaster-affected community. The team also provides mapping support.
This information is reported and processed by various methods
including Red Cross and Amateur Radio, conventional telephones,
computers, and paper. The Disaster Assessment team is engaged as soon
as it is safe within minutes of a major storm or other event
occurring. Some members of the team, if they are able, may continue
assessment activities for days following the event.

"We think this activity may be particularly appealing to Amateur
Radio operators because, as hams, we are committed to public service,
we have invested in radio equipment, and for many of us, we have
emergency communications training and experience with damage
assessment and reporting from our weather spotting activities.

"Please let me explain how this will work. The Disaster Assessment
team will be comprised of three types of volunteers depending on the
amount of time and scope of involvement one is able to provide. The
first two types of volunteers, which we call Core and Affiliated
volunteers, upon the chapter obtaining satisfactory background
checks, are issued Red Cross identification and are allowed to
display the Red Cross signage on their vehicles when conducting field
assignments.

"However, unlike core volunteers who choose to be much more involved
with the chapter, Affiliated volunteers are used when a disaster
happens and are not solicited for additional participation within the
chapter. In other words, Affiliated volunteers will be focused on the
Disaster Assessment activity.

"The third type of volunteers, which we call External Partners,
unlike Core and Affiliated volunteers, are not required to have
background checks, but then will not be issued Red Cross credentials,
will not be able to display the Red Cross signage on their vehicle
while conducting Disaster Assessment activities, and the Red Cross
will not assume liability for their service.

"As you can see, there are opportunities for everyone in this
important activity. There is some Red Cross, Emergency Management,
and weather spotter training required of all three types of team
member, which will be provided at no cost to the volunteer. Some of
this training is available online and the classroom training will be
scheduled at times and locations with consideration for the volunteer
schedule.

"In closing, the Greater Chicago chapter serves about 8.5 million
people in seven counties covering more than 4,000 square miles, and
as a Regional Chapter, lends support to the Northwest Indiana, Grundy
County, Kankakee County, and Fox-River Valley chapters.  If you are
interested in being a core, affiliated, or external partner Disaster
Assessment volunteer, please reply by e-mail to
<DisasterAssessment@arcgcdst.org>; and someone will follow-up with you
promptly." /s/ Craig Dieckman, KC9HWK, Volunteer Lead-Disaster
Services Technology, Disaster Services, American Red Cross of Greater
Chicago <www.chicagoredcross.org>

+ LETTERS: Message Content Needed

Here in Utah we don't have a lot of disasters, but we do spend a lot
of time on drills and simulations. My issue is: You tell us a lot
about what ham radio units worked with which agencies, but never
discussed are the actual contents of messages. It would help our
simulations if I could be more aware of the contents of the messages
passed by amateurs. If your contributors could keep this need in mind
when reporting, that would be a great help to us. -- Jim Cox, W7QIS,
Pleasant Grove, Utah <JCW7QIS@cs.com>; 

+ LETTERS: On Obesity in Hams

[Here are two comments received in response to my editorial item on
obesity in the last issue - ed.]

In re your comment in the last issue "Other than the obvious one, an
additional benefit of a good diet and exercise is a more professional
appearance to served agency officials," good one, Rick. Exercising a
key or the push-to-talk switch isn't quite enough. Too many of us are
either on the radio or couch potatoing in front of the tube when
we're not killing ourselves with our fork or swilling down a few
brews. I have seen too many publicity pix with the hams that haven't
seen their belt buckles in years. - Gary Britten, W4GNB, Wilmore,
Kentucky

There are more pressing problems in ham radio than "fat people." I
cannot believe you have gotten into medical subjects at all. Just
when our populace got over "classifying" people, you start publishing
letters bashing fat people, whose medical problems you have NOT A
CLUE! Go pick on smokers now. -- Larry Coppala, K4SFC, Fairdale,
Kentucky

+ LETTERS: Satellites in a Doomsday Scenario

In re your comment in the last issue "Satellites may be all you have
in a doomsday scenario, and are great ways to improve your operating
skill," this statement may not be entirely true. If by a doomsday
scenario you mean a nuclear event, the detonation of a single nuclear
device or many nuclear devices will create EMPs that will wipe out
most solid-state equipment on earth and in space. It was the Russians
testing nuclear devices that fried Telstar. - Mike Hemeon, K1MH, NBC
Principal Engineer Satellite Systems (retired)
 
+ LETTERS: United Way Lead for ESF 15 in Palm Beach County

The following report is a new one on me. I checked United Way's Web
site and there is no mention of "communications" or a "communications
plan." I wonder how Amateur Radio volunteers would play into this
arrangement:
 
"United Way of Palm Beach County [Florida] is the lead agency for
'Emergency Support Function 15 Volunteers and Donations' in Palm
Beach County's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. That means
should a hurricane or other disaster hit Palm Beach County, United
Way would coordinate volunteers and donations to assist the County in
recovery efforts. Part of United Way's Disaster Volunteer Management
includes Operation Step Up - Volunteer Reception Center, or VRCs. The
VRCs would open within 72 hours of a disaster and would serve as a
central location for the coordination of volunteers assisting in the
relief efforts. United Way of Palm Beach County recruits volunteers
year-round who would help staff VRCs, especially those volunteers 55
years of age or older. United Way provides VRC operations training
including the roles of VRC volunteer staff.
 
"Here's how a VRC would work: In an instance of disaster, United Way
of Palm Beach County would open a VRC and would call registered VRC
volunteers to help staff the VRC. Next, the County, other governments
and agencies would inform United Way where they need assistance.
Then, United Way's VRC would coordinate volunteers and send them to
the areas in need."

Do any readers have any insight into this? - Warren Rothberg, W4WR,
former New Hampshire Section Manager and New England Division Vice
Director <w4wr@bellwouth.net>;,

+ LETTERS: Diminished Licensing, Technical Standards

I read with interest the recent opinions about the role of relaxed
test standards on the technical competence of the amateur community.
As someone who has been away from the hobby for about a decade, and
recently became active again on VHF and UHF, I have to observe
decline in our effectiveness I've noticed which has little to do with
exams. Simply put, we appear to be licensing lots of new hams, but
failing them after they get their tickets. I notice this in two major
areas.
 
First, some newcomers appear unable to master the daunting feature
sets of even low-end FM transceivers. I've heard ARES volunteers
unable to field-program a new frequency, CTCSS tone, or other
unexpected setting, not just when using unfamiliar rigs at emergency
operations centers, but even when using their own handhelds.
 
Second, we appear to have many hams operating FM who have extremely
low audio levels, don't realize it, and/or don't know what to do
about it. It occurs to me that we old-timers who learned AM modes
such as SSB on HF probably developed better awareness of ensuring
adequate audio levels. Perhaps newer hams accustomed to consumer
electronics and "automatic record level" everywhere have never
learned the basics of mic technique and setting proper audio levels.
 
In the spirit of "bring me solutions, not problems," let me suggest
that clubs and ARES groups, where possible, bring back the annual
"rig clinics" which were once popular, at which members were invited
to bring their rigs, service manuals and little screwdrivers, and a
local two-way shop or well-equipped ham brought the equipment
necessary to check for frequency accuracy and deviation. When we hold
routine training nets, let's be honest with signal reports, and offer
them even when they're not requested. If someone checks in with voice
audio that's neck-and-neck with his own CTCSS tone, don't tell him
he's "loud and clear!"
 
Consider recording receive audio during a training net, and posting
the entire recording in MP3 format on a club or ARES Web site for
download. Some of us never get to hear our own received signal, at
least not in comparison to other signals during a net on an FM
repeater.
 
During at least some training nets, let's also practice a
short-notice, mass migration to another repeater or simplex
frequency, odd split, or a change in CTCSS tone, acknowledge everyone
who gets there successfully, and follow up with instruction for those
who don't.
 
Finally, if you hold a course to prepare newcomers for the Technician
exam, consider adding a session two weeks after the test, and have
everyone bring his new handheld. The owner's manuals are obviously
not an adequate resource.
 
In one community along the Oregon coast, 18 new Technicians had
gotten licenses and equipment specifically to be ready for an
emergency. Just weeks later, their county was virtually cut off for
two days by a storm-related break in a fiber-optic cable, and not one
of them could figure out how to get a piece of traffic to the outside
world. This is not only a sad waste of human resources and expensive
gear, but has to be demoralizing to anyone who tried his best to be
prepared.
 
None of this has anything to do with CW proficiency, or knowing your
Hartley from your Colpitts. This is simply, "No Ham Left Behind." --
Paul W. Plack, AE4KR, Murray, Utah

+ CORRECTION: AO-51 Frequencies

In the "The View From Flagler County" article last month, the uplink
and downlink frequencies for AO-51 are incorrect. The uplink is
145.920 MHz and the downlink is 435.300 MHz. I like the suggestion
about adding Satellite Ops to the Emcomm portfolio, you never know
when you might need that! -- Jeff Moore, KE7ACY, Deschutes County
ARES, Bend, Oregon

+ K1CE For A Final

Ham radio is about collegiality and friendship, and we enjoyed
heaping portions on Friday, June 13, when friends and colleagues of
retiring Northern Florida Section Manager Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP,
gathered at historic Wakulla Springs lodge to honor him. Hubbard
served as SM for 18 years, returned ARES to a place in the state EOC,
and worked tirelessly to track Florida operators traveling to meet
Katrina communication needs along the Gulf Coast.

ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, said it perfectly: "Dear Rudy:
Twenty-five years ago, at a point in life when many people are
beginning to wind down, you were just getting started in your service
to the ARRL Northern Florida Section: as Public Information Officer,
then as Section Emergency Coordinator and finally as Section Manager
for 18 years. Amateur Radio and the State of Florida have seen many
changes over the past quarter-century, but your dedication and your
willingness to speak up have been two great constants that have
served the ARRL, Amateur Radio, and the public very well. 

"Today your colleagues have gathered to pay you well-deserved
tribute. As you prepare to transfer the heavy responsibility of
Section Manager, please know that admiration for Rudy Hubbard and
gratitude for his service extend well beyond the boundaries of
Northern Florida. On behalf of the ARRL, its members, officers,
directors and staff, thank you."

See you next month! 73, Rick K1CE

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