NEWS & VIEWS
- The meeting will be celebrating "Anniversary of 10 Year on Red Mountain"
Speaking about repeater history, Art Rideout-WA6IPD, Chris Durso-AA4CD, Bob Gonsett-W6VR, Ron Patten-KG6HSQ.
- "Avenue of the Oaks" Bicycle Ride
- Avocado Festival
President Jon-K6QVA, Immediate Past President Bigs Parker-KG6GIU. Jon presented Bigs with a plaque from the
Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club recognizing him for his leadership and direction
of the club during the years of 2005, 2006 and 2007. He was thanked
for his leadership and service by all present.
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Ken-W6MF, presented Bigs with a new
set of his ARRL VE credentials. Bigs lost his original credentials
when he and Ruth’s home was destroyed during the Rice Canyon Fire.
Ken had contacted ARRL and told them that the Club wanted to present the
credential to him at a formal club meeting. ARRL VEC Coordinator, Maria
Somma-AB1FM, prepared new credentials along with a very nice note for presentation
to Bigs. She also provided a $25.00 ARRL gift certificate that he can
apply to any ARRL item of his choosing.
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Randy-KD6UAK, ARES AEC presented Ron-KG6HSQ,
with a plaque and thanked him for all the services and time that he devotes
to maintaining equipment, attending meetings, organizing events and a multitude
of other functions that he provides for FARC and the community. Randy
also recognized Ron’s dedication and the long hours and hard work that he
provided during the Rice Canyon Fire in 2007.
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From: ARRL Headquarters Newington CT February 20, 2008
To: all radio amateurs
In the only contested Section Manager race this Winter, Steve Early, AD6VI, was elected ARRL San Diego Section Manager with 332 votes; his opponent, Pat Bunsold, WA6MHZ, received 264 votes. Election ballots were counted at ARRL Headquarters on February 19, 2008.
Early, whose two-year term begins on April 1, 2008, said that he is looking forward to the opportunity to serve. He has been active in several Amateur Radio clubs and ARES, as well as providing public service support to agencies such as the American Red Cross and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). He is also president of the Palomar Amateur Radio Club (PARC). Early takes over from Harry Hodges, W6YOO, who was appointed to fill the vacant position in November 2007.
Jim Eyerman KI6OHOMark Johnson KI6OHPKatherine Beebe KI6OHQPaul Wilms KI6OHRFrances Hubert KI6OHSBill MacKenzie KI6OHTLynda Brooks KI6OHXKen Dickson-W6MF, Fallbrook VE
2008 Avocado Festival, April 20th
Fallbrook Chamber AvoFest Webpage
Radio operator page at: www.fallbrookarc.org/psevents.html
The Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club, will be helping with communications for "Avenue of the Oaks" bicycle ride on April 5th, 2008 in Fallbrook. The ride has a choice of three distances, metric century , metric half century & 15 mile ride. All three rides start and finishing at historic Live Oak Park in Fallbrook. Proceeds benefit P.E.D.A.L for Kids. www.avenueoftheoaks.com
Radio operator page at: www.fallbrookarc.org/psevents.html
March 1st 0800-1200
Station 7, in the training modular/trailer
110 Jones Road, Oceanside
With Echo III as the added main attraction.
Palomar Amateur Radio Club's March meeting will be presented by Jonathan Kramer, W6JLK, titles "I'm from the Government (Planning Department) and I'm here to help you!" This is in reference to antenna support structures.The meeting will be held on March 5, 2008 (the first Wednesday of each month). Arrive at 7:00pm for set-up and chat; the meeting starts at 7:30pm. Talk-in on 146.730 MHz repeater. Directions to the Safety Center.
Carlsbad Safety Center
2560 Orion Way
Carlsbad
Fallbrook 75 meter net meets every Thursday 8pm on 3.924 MHz ± 5kc.
Join us if you can for ragchew, intellectual conversation (lots of wind) technical talk or anything you might want to bring up.
73,
Stephen, kc6mie
| ARRL Club Newsletter February 2008 Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, Editor clubs@arrl.org |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
+ Leadership for the Amateur Radio Club + Swiss Army Knife Leadership for the Amateur Radio Club By Norm Fusaro, W3IZ Congratulations! You have just been appointed to a leadership position of your Amateur Radio club. You may be on the board of directors or an officer of the club or you may be chairperson of an event like a hamfest or Field Day. Other positions of leadership may include heading up a team of Volunteer Examiners or organizing a new licensing class. Whatever the responsibility, the fact remains that the members of your organization are now looking to YOU to lead them to accomplish a set of goals. Leadership is not a popularity contest. During the course of your tenure some people are not going to be happy with some of the decisions that are made. That is unfortunate but a leader has to do what is best for the organization. Trying to please everyone is a losing proposition and will only alienate those that truly have something to offer. This does not mean that as the leader you get to ride roughshod over everyone. There are always diplomatic ways to affect change. As a leader you are the champion of change. Doing things the same old way is not leading, it is simply repeating the mistakes of others. Not that the way things were previously done were necessarily wrong, but a leader is one who will look at ways to do things better. Finding ways to tweak it, move it up a notch, fine tune it, or whichever cliché that you choose, is what a leader will do. As a leader you are not going to have all of the solutions so keep an open mind and consider fresh ideas from your members. Rather than doing things "the way that we've always done" look for better ways to do them. It is neither "your way" nor "my way" but the best way. Stimulate your members to find new approaches to the challenges at hand. An effective leader is one whose people believe that they did things on their own. Be innovative, not imposing. Be influential, not demanding. Inspire your team to take ownership of the project and do the best that they can do. Leaders Must Have Integrity Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. --Warren Bennis, Ph.D. "On Becoming a Leader" In order to be a good leader one has to develop trust from the membership. Trust is inspired by actions. Being open and fair with people is the best way to gain their trust. Nobody will trust someone who lies or doesn't give honest feedback. People will become skeptical of secret or closed meetings. Avoid these behaviors at all cost. They will be the downfall of even the most well intentioned person. You and your team have made a commitment to the club to accomplish a task. It makes no difference if the position is voluntary or compensated; a promise has been made to do the job. As a leader you will delegate jobs and responsibilities. Be specific about what is expected. You will also have to provide feedback. Be honest in your feedback and don't blame others for things that did not work out. A good leader will always see the glass half full. Avoid being cynical or negative as this will just undermine your objectives. Inclusion Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment. --Stephen Covey-- Your radio club is comprised of people. People are individuals and each person has something unique to offer to the group. As the leader of the organization you will be tasked with identifying the talents of the individuals and delegating tasks that will achieve the mission of the club. The individual members of your club also have needs. We will assume that the basic needs of life are being met--food, shelter, clothing--so we will look at people's other needs. All people have a need to belong, to be recognized, to learn, to accomplish something and to express an idea or vision. By focusing on your people, the goals of the organization will be met. However, if you simply focus on the goals and not the members then you will not have the support of the people needed to accomplish the mission, in which case you will have failed all around. The members of your club want to be a part of the activities. Deep down even the most introverted person in the club wants to be involved but they are just waiting to be invited to participate. When looking for people to do jobs for an event, passing around a clipboard with a sign up sheet will net very little. Walk up to people and ask them if they would care to assist by doing a specific job. "Bob, would you like to help us by putting address labels on the envelopes for the hamfest fliers?" Or "Mary, could you be the contact person to register new hams for the upcoming licensing class?" These are specific jobs asked of specific people. By asking people to participate you are satisfying their needs to belong, to accomplish something and to perhaps learn something. Even the simple task of mailing labels may teach someone about the process of mail merging and computer generated labels from a data base. You will never know unless you ask. Furthermore, when recognizing these individuals for their part in the project start with the smallest job first. By putting them in the front of the parade you are making them important and not trivializing their contributions. Have A Mission Statement The goals of the club should be communicated to every member. Committees of a club should also have a mission statement. This statement should clearly define the objective and the mission of the group. Your mission statement may only be one sentence, "The mission of this club is to have fun." The Frankford Radio Club in Philadelphia has a very simple statement, "Proficiency through competition." For a contest club that pretty much says it all. Whatever the mission of the group is, write it down and communicate it to everyone. Keep it handy and visit it often. Don't loose sight of what it is that all of you are there for. Effective leaders will continually find new ways to communicate this vision. Commit To Excellence The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. -- Vincent T. Lombardi Always do things to the best of your ability and accept nothing less than the best that anyone can do. The key to this is to empower your people. Don't micromanage your team. Set goals and guidelines and your people will find ingenious ways to accomplish them. Good enough is never good enough. Accept Responsibility No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it. -- Andrew Carnegie Own the project. It is not what "they" want or what "the board" or somebody else wants. It is what needs to be done and we are going to do it. Own it and do it. Nobody wants to listen to a wishy-washy person. A leader is going to take command of a situation and gather input from the team and then make a decision on how to accomplish the goals. If things fail, a leader takes responsibility and doesn't blame others. Leaders don't take credit for successes, leaders acknowledge the entire team. Create Excitement You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm. -- Colette Lead by example. Your excitement about the project should be contagious. "This is going to be the best event ever." Say it and mean it. Avoid sarcasm or negative comments. You were not drafted or bamboozled into doing this job. You volunteered to do this job because you wanted it to be successful. Remember the first part of this exercise where we said that you are not going to be able to please everyone? This may be true, but if you have a naysayer that is trying to undermine the operation so that should it fail they can say "I told you so." perhaps you may need to talk to that individual and find out specifically what it is that he or she sees wrong with the project. You will have to try to create the excitement on a personal level. Surely you won't expect this person to jump up with bells and balloons but you may just be able to neutralize their negative outlook. Always Remain Positive Celebrate the victories, no matter how small, and never dwell on the negative. If something didn't work this time, look at it as an opportunity to improve upon it next time. We learn from our mistakes as well as our successes. A good leader has the humility to admit that something didn't work but also takes a lesson from it. Be proactive and anticipate changes. Always have a "Plan B" in case something should happen that wasn't part of the initial plan. Build Relationships Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with the important matters. -- Albert Einstein Everything we do in life is interdependent upon the relationships that we develop with other people. We said earlier that clubs are comprised of people. As a leader you will have to build relationships with everyone in your club. Everyone has something to offer. Avoid playing favorites or developing a click. Leaders do not seek hero worship. As a new leader you may be called upon to mend broken relationships. This may require some tact and in most cases may not happen overnight. Time really does heal all wounds. The first step in these types of situations is to extend a hand in friendship and acknowledge that, though not intentional, things did not turn out exactly for the best. Make a concerted effort to go forward and apologize for anything that may have happened in the past. Take this lesson from the ancient Chinese who used gold to fill the cracks in a broken vase making it more valuable than the original. It is the uniqueness of every individual that makes your club work. If everybody was exactly the same the group would be dysfunctional. Celebrate diversity and utilize the many points of view that everyone has to offer. People are not objects that can be shelved and returned to at a later date. We must continually work at the relationships in our lives and in our club. This means that we must be mindful of other commitments to family and work and other organizations that we are involved in and respect other's prior commitments. Balance is the key. Have Fun Lead and inspire people. Don't try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be lead. -- Ross Perot As a leader you are going to take risks and challenge the status quo. You are going to upset some people sometime. As long as you continue to build strong relationships with your club members you will not alienate anyone. The idea of a club is to have fun. Even the most serious of people enjoy a break and some fun. Maintain a sense of humor and learn to laugh at your own mistakes. Leaders are not gods. They are human beings just like everyone else in the club. So, don't take yourself too seriously. The reward for any good leader is being asked to tackle the next challenge. Summary - Respect people - Earn trust - Set goals - Communicate effectively - Strive for excellence--Accept responsibility - Celebrate victories--learn from mistakes - Create excitement--stay positive - Be proactive - Build and maintain relationships Important Words The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake." The five most important words: "You did a good job." The four most important words: "What is your opinion?" The three most important words: "If you please." The two most important words: "Thank you," The one most important word: "We" The least most important word: "I" -- Author unknown Swiss Army Knife The Swiss Army Knife for PIOs CD, version 2008, is now available. This is the "all in one" toolkit on a disk for Amateur Radio public relations. To receive a copy, send a self-addressed stamped envelope (make sure the SASE is large enough for a CD disk!) with at least 70 cents postage on it and a note to: Public Relations ARRL 225 Main St Newington, CT 06111 Past issues of The ARRL CLUB NEWS are available at www.arrl.org/FandES/field/club/clubnews/ |
| ARRL Southwestern Division Newsletter February 9, 2008 Richard Norton, N6AA n6aa@arrl.org |
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California License Plate Issue Resolved
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has made it official that Amateur Radio callsign license plates will again be issued without spaces in the callsigns. Those who currently have plates with spaces can get them exchanged. Information is on the DMV web-site at www.dmv.ca.gov/ham/ham_plate.htm . Amateur Radio's case was made by a number of individuals including a number of individuals who contacted DMV and/or their elected representatives. DMV apparently has several lists of license plate numbers, such as regular automobile, motorcycle, commercial vehicle, and amateur radio. Therefore California law enforcement personnel have to search their DMV database computers for callsign plates under the "ham" designation. Several people have reported that certain policemen were unaware of this, and unpleasant confrontations have occurred. People are suggesting fixes for this, such as putting the words "Amateur Radio" on the plates. These suggestions are being politely passed on to DMV. In the meantime, remind any officer stopping you that he must search for ham plates. California - Use of Cellular Telephone While Driving Law After initial concern that California's law prohibiting use of a cell phone while driving might be misapplied to use of Amateur Radio mobile equipment, DMV's web-site clearly now states that the law, scheduled to begin on July 1, does not apply to two-way radios. See www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/ Antenna Zoning Issues The WB6X case in Palmdale continues to brew, and is in the early stages of court action. Stay tuned for reports on future developments. The city of Grand Terrace, in San Bernardino County, is apparently considering an antenna regulations that are very unfavorable to Amateur Radio. A hearing before the city council is planned for Tuesday, February 12. Vice Director Marty Woll, N6VI, is assembling a response team from the Amateur Radio community. We hope to stress the contributions of Amateur Radio to the public, particularly in times of disaster, and make the city aware of PRB-1 and California Government Code Section 65850.3. Hopefully they will exempt Amateur Radio antennas, or at least comply with PRB-1. If you are able to help, please contact Marty at n6vi@arrl.org Call for Speakers for Radio Clubs Would you be willing to be a speaker at radio clubs? We have requests for volunteers to cover topics like DX'ing from the standpoint of "how to" rather than a report on an adventure, and digital modes such as PSK31, PSKMail, Winlink, APRS, D-Star, Telpac, and Packet Radio. If you would be willing to volunteer, just send me the information and how far you would be willing to travel to a club, and I'll see that it gets to the appropriate club councils and Section Managers. ARRL Membership Up in Southwestern Division At the end of January, 2008, ARRL membership in the Southwestern Division is up over 2-1/2 percent from one year ago. Every Section within the Division shared in that growth. Our thanks go to all of you who are helping to bring in new members and strengthen our national voice. Vice Director Marty Woll, N6VI, and I welcome your comments and suggestions regarding ARRL policies. ARRL Southwestern Division Director: Richard Norton, N6AA n6aa@arrl.org |
| The ARES E-Letter February 22, 2008 Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or comments: k1ce@arrl.net |
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+ The View from Flagler County Orlando Hamcation (the Disney World for hams) was a blast this year, with packed exhibit halls and forums, a good bellwether for Amateur Radio. Northern Florida Section Manager Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP, hosted the ARES Forum with attending luminaries John Fleming, WD4FFX, and Kimo Montague, K4IMO, of the Florida State EOC staff in Tallahassee. These two guys are veteran war horses of emergency management, and are ARES' greatest supporters at the state level. SEC Joe Bushel, W2DWR, and East Central DEC Jay Musikar, AF2C, handed out certificates for new Assistant SEC and Assistant DEC appointments (recently authorized by the ARRL Board, see story below), and Bushel was honored with a plaque for distinguished service to the section. Discussion focused on ARES emergency operations in support of the State. The meeting was SRO. Hubbard is retiring as SM after 18 years of dedicated service. He was responsible for working with Fleming to integrate Amateur Radio in State emergency communications planning, and getting ARES back into the EOC after a long absence. Hubbard worked closely with the EOC during the Katrina disaster. Rudy has been a great friend to hundreds of radio amateurs throughout the southeast with his Dixie wit, warmth and charm. ---- It has been a terrible season for severe weather. January tornado responses are covered in this issue, while reports for February's storms were summarized in the ARRL Letter www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/0208/. The story of the response to the January outbreak in the Ozarks is particularly gripping, and it leads this issue's storm reports. _______________ In This Issue: + The View from Flagler County + ARRL Board Adds Two New ARES Positions + Tornado Outbreak Response in the Ozarks + Caledonia, Mississippi Tornado Response + Wisconsin Tornado Response + Illinois Flooding Response + New England Nor'easter ARES/RACES/SKYWARN Response + California License Plate Debacle Resolved + Oregon Governor Allocates $250,000 For Digital Communications Network + New Emcomm Software For Windows Now Available For Beta Testing + LETTERS: Traditional Media Vs. New Media in an Emergency Situation + LETTERS: More on Certification + NEW PRODUCTS: WXSpots Software Freely Available! + EmComm East September 20, 2008 + K1CE For a Final _______________ + ARRL Board Adds Two New ARES Positions Last month, two new ARES positions were created by the ARRL Board of Directors at the recommendation of its Programs and Services Committee: Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator and Assistant District Emergency Coordinator. The Board authorized Dave Patton, NN1N, Manager of the Membership and Volunteer Services Department, to develop and implement terms of reference for these positions. Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, presented the final report of the Ad Hoc Background Investigation Committee. He reported that there is no Statement of Understanding with the American Red Cross (ARC) at this time, since the previous SOU expired in September 2007. The Committee has communicated to ARC that there are still conflicts with the ARC's background investigation policy as compared to the published statements of its online background investigation contractor. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, has written to ARC, but as yet there has been no formal response. The remaining issues related to credentialing and to renewal of the expired SOU with the Red Cross were referred to the Programs and Services Committee and to staff. The Board decided to seek a Memorandum of Understanding with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The ARRL and the BSA have mutually supportive goals, such as education, development of skills, leadership, emergency preparedness and awareness. A resolution of support was adopted by the Board for AMSAT's initiative seeking access to an Intelsat platform in geostationary orbit. AMSAT is in consultation with Intelsat regarding an application of an Intelsat platform carrying amateur satellites into geostationary orbit, with potential benefits for emergency communications. AMSAT has been the principal initiator of projects in the Amateur Satellite Service and continues to play a key role in significantly advancing the state of the art in space science, space education and space technology. + Tornado Outbreak Response in the Ozarks SKYWARN operators tracked the largest outbreak of tornados ever experienced during the month of January in Missouri. Long-range forecast models had identified the weather pattern ten days ahead of the outbreak, which occurred January 7-8. Broadcasts of the hazardous weather outlook were made on NOAA weather radio, the Southwest Missouri Regional SKYWARN repeater N0NWS on 145.49 MHz, and other local SKYWARN repeaters throughout the National Weather Service (Springfield, Missouri office) warning area. ARES groups, emergency managers and SKYWARN spotter groups were well prepared. At 1:55 PM on January 7, the first tornado watch was issued and immediately transmitted on the N0NWS repeater, with the regional SKYWARN network placed in standby mode by NCS Jim Sellars, N0UAM. Bill Davis, KC0KQT, Meteorologist-in-Charge in Springfield, operated the N0NWS amateur station located at the NWS office and monitored emergency traffic and severe weather reports. By 5 PM, tornado warnings were in effect for several counties in the Missouri Ozarks and the full 37 county regional SKYWARN network was active. James Vroman, AC0BN, reported a tornado on the ground just southwest of Monett, Missouri, to the NWS via the 146.97 MHz Ozarks ARS club SKYWARN repeater. The EF-2 tornado struck a mobile home park there. Amateurs passed ground truths to the NWS, confirming what the RADAR operator saw. The NWS was able to provide increased warning times for people living along storm tracks. Scott Hilmes, KC0WTL, was also intercepting the storms along with professional storm chaser Randy Hicks, providing reports on wall clouds, funnels and tornadoes in the Lawrence, Christian and Greene county areas to the NWS. Randy Atkinson, KC0IQM, Terry Shoemaker, KE4LQW, and Christian County ARES EC/Deputy Regional SKYWARN Coordinator Pat Conway, WA6JGM, acted as net controls on the 145.23 MHz Highlandville ARES repeater in Christian County. They coordinated the efforts of 30 mobile intercept spotters as they tracked the repetitive storms crossing their area through the early evening. Greene County ARES/RACES EC Ken Baremore, W0KRB, monitored numerous repeaters and assisted the Red Cross and the Greene County EOC with staffing and response. After 6 PM, super cell thunderstorms were producing tornadoes in Lawrence, Greene and Webster counties simultaneously. Numerous mobile intercept and fixed SKYWARN spotters provided ground truth reports of wall clouds, funnels and at least 10 confirmed tornadoes in these counties. Mobile operators Jeff Johnson, K0NI, Ian Horton, KB0UTW, Doug Schumpert, K0DPS, and Bob Hessee, N0XJJ, intercepted an EF-3 tornado northeast of Springfield and reported on it until it was near Conway in Webster County where they were blocked by a poor highway network. They stopped and rendered aid along the damage path in the Strafford and Marshfield areas until other first responders arrived on the scene. John Jackson, WA0DFE, repeatedly crossed the tornado path relaying critical information to the Greene County EC, NWS and emergency responders. At the same time, mobile intercept and fixed spotters were reporting damages in southwest Greene County while continuing to track the super cells crossing the area, reporting wall clouds, funnels, baseball size hail and dangerous winds of more than 70 miles per hour. By 7 PM, Steve Palmer, KA0SPM, activated the damage assessment and information net on the 146.91 MHz W0EBE repeater and began relaying storm damage reports to the NWS and helping pre-stage spotters across the rest of the region. After a tornado would rip through an area, Amateur Radio mobile reports became damage reports as the hams metamorphosed from storm spotters to first responders. The Springfield NWS office itself became a target of two tornadoes, forcing meteorologists and liaison Rod Kittleman, K0ADI, to take cover in the NWS tornado bunker and relinquishing forecasting and warning responsibilities to the National Weather Forecasting office in Paducah, Kentucky. At 7:50 PM, the Storm Prediction Center issued tornado watch #5, with the designation of "This is a particularly dangerous situation," meaning that long track, strong to violent tornadoes were expected. By 8 PM, severe storms were moving northeast on a line from extreme southwest Missouri into central Missouri along the Interstate 44 corridor. These storms were "training," which means one storm was following another. McDonald County, Missouri, was under 6 to 8 separate tornado warnings within an eight-hour period. The regional SKYWARN net remained active until the threat of severe weather no longer existed, coinciding with the Tornado Watch expiration at 5 AM, Tuesday morning. Three people were killed and about 20 were injured during this tornado outbreak. Multiple repeater systems were used and hundreds of Amateur Radio emergency responders contributed thousands of man-hours to enhance the safety of the citizens of southwest Missouri and Kansas. -- Rod Kittleman, K0ADI, Southwest Missouri ARRL PIO + Caledonia, Mississippi Tornado Response January 10, 2008 -- An EF3 tornado hit Caledonia, Mississippi, causing major damage to the town. Before the storm, the Lowndes County EOC requested storm spotters to be activated. The Amateur Radio station at the EOC was activated and operators received weather reports from the field. After the stormed passed, the EOC deployed radio operators to the town of Caledonia, who then reported major damage to homes and buildings. The EOC set up a command post at the fire station there, and ARES was requested to handle traffic for the EOC and American Red Cross. The American Red Cross set up a shelter at a church outside of the disaster area. Hams set up portable lights and generators for the shelter. The Monroe County Amateur Radio Club set up their repeater for a secondary emergency contact frequency in Monroe County. The EOC ham radio station was manned from 1:20 PM until the scale-down time at 7 PM. Amateurs providing emergency communications were: Jacky Schwartz, KA1RBC (Monroe County Net Control); Diane Scallions, KD5HVF (Lowndes County Net Control); Dale Casterline, KM5MS; James Wells, KE5AID; Ken Campbell, AD5DO (Monroe County EC); John Rowe, KE5ECA; and Doug Scallions, KD5FUO (Lowndes County EC). -- Doug Scallions, KD5FUO, EC Lowndes County + Wisconsin Tornado Response January 7, 2008 -- A rare January EF3 tornado in Wisconsin destroyed houses and knocked out power, displacing about 160 people. The Red Cross activated Kenosha County and Racine County ARES groups to provide logistical communications at the two relief shelters in Kenosha County, as well as from a communications station at the Kenosha County EOC. Shadowing American Red Cross teams, ARES members helped relay damage assessments back to the Red Cross building in Racine. Racine Assistant EC Alex Voss, N9RGX, said "We set up a communications network at the American Red Cross in Racine, outside of the affected area. We were ready to go when activated. I couldn't be more proud of our volunteers. We will work with the responding agencies as long as they need us. We'll take what we've learned this time and use it to improve our response in the future." Wisconsin SEC William Niemuth, KB9ENO, reported "in Wheatland, 20 homes were destroyed. In Kenosha, six homes were destroyed." He thanked the 18 ARES and RACES members who responded. "I bet this morning that [the 18 responders] never thought they would be responding to help their community recover from an EF3 tornado by evening! But, the reality is emergency and disaster situations most always catch us by surprise. That is why we train and prepare." Sheriff Beth concurred: "It was heart-wrenching to see how most of these people are volunteers, and they just strap on their clothes, they leave their loved ones at home and they go running to help others. -- Racine County EC Jim Markstrom, KB9MMA; Racine County AEC Alexander Voss, N9RGX; Wisconsin SEC William Niemuth, KB9ENO; David Voss, WB9USI; in the ARRL Letter + Illinois Flooding Response January 10, 2008 -- Flooding of the Iroquois River and Sugar Creek in Iroquois County, Illinois, resulted in the Iroquois County Amateur Radio Club ARES Group supporting American Red Cross and the Iroquois emergency management agency with communications using agency radios. ARES members provided Red Cross with damage assessments and shelter support. There were 13 amateurs participating. Duration of the event was 12 days. The Iroquois County Amateur Radio SKYWARN Net was held on the 147.03 MHz (W9RWX), 444.625 MHz (W9QKF), and the 146.85 MHz (K9TA) repeaters. ARES members worked at the American Red Cross local chapter office, Red Cross Shelters set up for displaced persons, the Iroquois County EOC, and with Red Cross Damage Assessment Team members. Justin Kaiser, KC9GNH, provided emergency information via AM/FM Radio Station WGFA located in Watseka. This station was reachable only by boat. The W9QKF repeater site was also flooded but a quick thinking Kaiser put the repeater up on a table and kept it in operation. -- Roy Eades, KA9MZJ, EC Ford/Iroquois Counties ka9mzj@mchsi.com + New England Nor'easter ARES/RACES/SKYWARN Response January 14, 2008 -- A Nor'easter prompted an activation of ARES/RACES/SKYWARN groups across New England as the storm brought a heavy wet snow to the region causing damage to trees and power lines particularly in portions of Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut, and Northwest Rhode Island. The National Weather Service (NWS) Taunton, Massachusetts Amateur Radio station, WX1BOX, NWS Gray, Maine station WX1GYX, and the Massachusetts State EOC and Region 1 Headquarters covering northeast Massachusetts were active. SKYWARN nets were activated to report snowfall and storm related damage. Ray Weber, KA1JJM, and Eric Tuller, N1QKO, from Western Massachusetts SKYWARN were active gathering reports, with the hardest hit areas being in the Springfield area. Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Eastern Massachusetts SEC and ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton, said "At the height of the storm, over 9,000 homes in the area lost power." The Mount Tom, 146.94 MHz repeater was used. In northern Connecticut, Roger Jeanfaivre, K1PAI, Hartford-Tolland County SKYWARN Coordinator relayed reports from the 146.79 MHz Vernon repeater, sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Radio Association (PVRA). The KB1AEV Connecticut linked repeater system was also used. In Rhode Island, ARES activated their snow desk providing reports on road conditions and snowfall reports and SKYWARN there also monitored the situation. John Buco, N1EGS, from Rhode Island SKYWARN, reported significant tree and power line damage. Rhode Island EMA Coordinator and ARES SEC Rick Andreano, K3OQH, and SKYWARN Coordinator Martin Mendelson, closely monitored the situation. The New England EchoLink/IRLP Reflector gateway system was active on Echolink conference *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123/IRLP 9123. This served as an interoperability hub between the Massachusetts State EOC, the Massachusetts Region 1 Headquarters, NWS Taunton, Massachusetts and NWS Gray, Maine. Snowfall and damage reports were received from over 20 connections that were attached to the system. In Central and Eastern Massachusetts, North Shore SKYWARN was active on the NSRA 145.47 MHz Danvers repeater with SKYWARN monitoring in Central Massachusetts on the 146.97 MHz Paxton repeater. The 146.895 MHz Walpole repeater operated under emergency power. "We had numerous trees and wires down with the weight of the snow," said Roger Turner, W1ZSA, Walpole EMA Director and Norfolk County SKYWARN Coordinator. Tom Kinahan, N1CPE, Massachusetts State RACES Radio Officer, relayed a report from Public Information Officer Peter Judge at Massachusetts Emergency Management HQ in Framingham that at the height of the storm 45,000 people were without power in the state. Kinahan did a shift at the State EOC and staffed the State EOC with ham operators starting at midnight Monday and securing at 4 PM Monday afternoon. -- Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Eastern Massachusetts SEC and ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton, Massachusetts + California License Plate Debacle Resolved The California ham vehicle license plate debacle has reportedly been fixed. A link has been posted at the California DMV for hams to have their plates fixed if they received them with a space. Here is the direct link: www.dmv.ca.gov/ham/ham_plate.htm -- Mike Beckstrand, KG6IFV, Inland Region ACS Officer/SOCC Operations Officer, California Governor's Office of Emergency Service kg6ifv@earthlink.net + Oregon Governor Allocates $250,000 For Digital Communications Network The State of Oregon's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) received $250,000 from Governor Ted Kulongoski's Strategic Reserve Fund to further develop a statewide Amateur Radio digital communications network, said ARRL Oregon SM Bonnie Altus, AB7ZQ. "This network, the Oregon ARES Digital Network (OADN), already uses a combination of different radio equipment and spectrum segments, computers and the Internet to provide a robust backup communications system in times of disaster. With its enhancements, all Oregon counties will be able to communicate with the state OEM," she said. "In December, this system proved its usefulness in the storms and floods by utilizing Winlink stations in Lincoln and Clatsop Counties to communicate with OEM. Early in that activation, the OEM's Amateur Radio Unit found they were not able to keep up with maintaining a complete log of communications when using voice communications, but Winlink activities maintained an automatic log for them." According to Altus, the primary purpose of the OADN is to provide back-up digital communications capabilities between county Emergency Operations Centers and Oregon Emergency Management and other state agencies in Salem, in the event that normal communications systems fail in an emergency. Through an Intergovernmental Agreement between the individual county Emergency Managers and Oregon's Office of Emergency Management, ARES/RACES groups in each county will be responsible for installation, maintenance and operation of the network. + New Emcomm Software For Windows Now Available For Beta Testing The NarrowBand Emergency Messaging System (NBEMS) development team announced that a Windows NBEMS software suite is now available for beta testing. NBEMS for Windows is a suite of programs designed for point-to-point, error-free emergency messaging. According to developers Skip Teller, KH6TY, and Dave Freese, W1HKJ, the NBEMS system is designed primarily for use on VHF and up, or on HF with Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) antennas. The system uses the computer soundcard as the modem. Other than a simple interface connection between the computer and transceiver, no additional hardware is needed. Composing and sending emergency messages on NBEMS is no more difficult than sending e-mail via the Internet. All forwarding is done by stations manned by live operators on both ends who can confirm that a frequency is clear locally, or negotiate a frequency change to avoid causing interference. The NBEMS software can also be used for daily casual communications on PSK31, PSK63, RTTY or MFSK16 and is capable of sending flawless, high resolution, passport photo-sized color images in less than 10 minutes over any path that can sustain PSK250 without excessive repeats, according to program authors. Radio amateurs are invited to participate in the beta test of the NBEMS. The NBEMS suite can be downloaded from the NBEMS Web site w1hkj.com/NBEMS/. Send comments and bug reports via e-mail kh6ty@comcast.net. [Jay Musikar, AF2C, DEC for East Central District of Northern Florida, wrote this about his experience with the suite: "It can be very useful as another tool for emcomm. The software enables the user the option of using any one of six digital modes "on the fly." The modes offer the opportunity to receive and transmit everything from simple text to graphics, all in narrow banded digital modes. Some of the main advantages: intuitive installation and usage, and choice of modes - PSK 31, PSK 62, PSK 125, PSK 250, MFSK and RTTY. Digital modes work well using low power and NVIS antennas during emergencies. Modes are narrowband. A minor disadvantage is that the Macros must utilize upper-case letters for commands <COMMAND>. The software is rather Spartan, but as an emcomm program it deserves consideration. It is simple and offers many options. Oh yes, and it's free!"] + LETTERS: Traditional Media Vs. New Media in an Emergency Situation There has been interesting discussion about the changing definition of "media," especially as it applies during emergency events. I read quite a bit about the use of Twittermapping during the recent California wildfires, and personally saw how tools like text messaging, Google maps, and Web based tools were used extensively in the Katrina response. www.ddmcd.com/situation.html Locally, our state EMA and other agencies like the National Weather Service have started making use of on-line "chat" room service where traditional media outlets, trained (and vetted) storm spotters, and EMA personnel can all exchange information. It's become a mixture of storm/damage reports, speculation about upcoming weather events, and real time collaboration. It works because everyone in the group is vetted, and responsible for their postings. If it were opened up to the general public, I imagine the flow of information would become chaotic. These tools offer increased situation awareness, but they also present new challenges regarding access, and information control. It's a brave new world. -- Les Rayburn, N1LF, Shelby County EC, Alabama + LETTERS: More on Certification Certification in the IT community has gotten to a point where it means very little to prospective employers. Certification testing has become a profitable business and does not validate a person's ability to carry out a specific task; it just proves that someone can pass a test. Yes, we all need to be on the same page and understand the jargon used and requirements of our served agencies. But, I would trade a certified ARES member who is "book smart" only, for anybody who was willing to come out in the cold for an activation or drill, knew how to program and fully use the radios he was using without looking at the manual, willing to take directions and orders from senior members, and knew the difference between a left, right and double mouse click on a compter. -- Steve Fleckenstein, N2UBP, EC/RO, Orange County, New York ARES/RACES Gee, isn't the answer obvious? Every year or two I am required to renew my CPR for the Professional Rescuer (or equivalent) card. I do this not by retaking the original course but by taking a refresher course. Same with my EMT cert, which requires 24 hours of refreshment plus skills testing. The refresher is actually more advanced than the original class and provides ample opportunity to update people on changes and remind them of skills they do use very often. I am not sure why people even need to discuss "repeating" classes when the answer is so darn obvious: Let's create refresher courses. -- David Coursey, N5FDL, Emergency Coordinator, San Joaquin County ARES, SJV Section, California n5fdl@arrl.net, david@coursey.com + NEW PRODUCTS: WXSpots Software Freely Available! WXSpots, a new tool in the tool chest for SKYWARN operations and weather enthusiasts is now available. WXSpots is a free, Internet based system designed to quickly disseminate observed reports of severe weather to all connected users. It provides the means to help monitor local severe weather as it unfolds with many more observers able to communicate what they are seeing. WXSpots features include: - The ability to disseminate observations quickly and efficiently anywhere. - The ability to add the eyes of SKYWARN enthusiasts who aren't Amateur Radio operators. - The ability to instantly create message groups with other connected users on the fly. - The ability to monitor observations from all users, or only display observations for your state or county. - An automated, historical record of recent observations. - The ability to keep tabs on current observations without necessarily being near a radio. To download the software and learn more, please visit www.wxspots.com + EmComm East: September 20, 2008 EmComm East will be held at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, Saturday, September 20, 2008. EmComm East is an Amateur Radio emergency communications conference, where Amateur Radio operators involved in EmComm can attend training sessions on technical topics, purchase equipment and supplies from vendors, learn from served agencies, obtain VE testing for license upgrades, and interact with other EmComm operators from all over the area. The EmComm East Conference Committee encourages Amateur Radio operators, served agencies, and others involved in emergency communication to submit presentation proposals for general interest sessions. $30 pre-registration, continental breakfast and lunch included. For more information, please visit www.emcommeast.org. Contact Jeff Wigal, WY7Q, at info@emcommeast.org + K1CE For a Final A number of readers wrote in response to "The View" in the last issue on the IPCC's report on climate change and implications for ARES, with many suggesting that the whole issue has no foundation, or is based on a political, as opposed to a scientific, agenda. I don't know, but it just seems to me that if you can't trust a large group of scientists with solid credentials from multiple disciplines and many countries and cultures, under the umbrella of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), vetted by the Nobel Prize Committee itself, then who can you trust? See you next month! 73, Rick K1CE Copyright American Radio Relay League 2008. All Rights Reserved. The ARES E-Letter is an e-mail digest of news and information of interest to active members of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). Editorial questions or comments: Rick Palm, K1CE, k1ce@arrl.net Past issues of The ARES E-Letter are available at www.arrl.org/ares-el/ |
| Checking Balance December 31, 2007 |
$2005.82 |
| Petty Cash Balance December 31, 2007 | $27.94 |
| Total |
$2033.76 |
|
JANUARY INCOME |
|
| FARC Membership Dues | $160.00 |
| ARRL VE Fees (8 @ $14.00) | $112.00 |
|
Total |
$278.00 |
| JANUARY EXPENSES |
|
| ARRL VE Fees (8 @ $11.00) | $88.00 |
|
Total |
$88.00 |
|
|
|
| Checking Balance January 31, 2008 | $2189.82 |
| Petty Cash Balance January 31, 2008 | $27.94 |
| Total |
$2217.76 |
Dewey ECC Committee
Bigs-KG6GIU, Ron-KG6HSQ, Ken-W6MF, Randy-KD6UAK, Bob-W6VR, Hayden-KG6YVD
Technical Committee
Bob-W6VR, AA4CD-Chris, Bob-WB6DIJ, Paul-W6SJL, Daryl-WA5QMV, Ron-KG6HSQ
| News Items from CGC Communicator Newsletter Robert Gonsett - W6VR Editor |
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HAM (AND CB) NOTES o 160 meters to 24 GHz in one mobile vehicle: o Mobile power for 15 kW on 27 MHz (note the domain name): On October 23, 2007, fire swept over the top of the Red Mountain radio communications complex in Fallbrook, CA. Now, images from an HPWREN research Web camera installed at the site have been stitched together into a movie that shows the flames approaching and then engulfing the mountain peak. The camera is perhaps 40 to 50 feet above ground level on the CalFire communications tower atop Red. The camera is pointed east. Just after the video starts, watch along the bottom edge of the picture and just a little to the left of center. A portion of the Red Mountain Reservoir comes into view as firelight is reflected off the water. It is remarkable that the Web camera survived and was able to provide these graphic images. Although the power poles feeding Red were destroyed in the blaze, most of the electronic equipment continued to operate because the site switched to generator power. This video is courtesy of Ron Patten of the Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club who patiently stitched the frames together. |
| Duane, AA6EE is offering FARC members discount prices on ARRL items: |
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Duane, AA6EE is offering FARC members a free ARRL 2008 Amateur Radio Calendar with an order for any of the following:
For the free calendar, order must be confirmed via email by 28 Feb. |
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