On my way to Circle K in Williams, this evening (this evening being Saturday, September 7), I stopped off at Bellemont to check out Route 66 On-The-Air. My goal was to get more experience in HF. I had a lot of fun and made 61 confirmed kills, uhhh, contacts. It also just happens to be one of Prince’s favorite spots along Route 66. Prince and I wandered around a bit while Andrew WA7DPS made his contacts.
When my turn came up I had keep in mind 3-kHz for sideband and 6-kHz for straight AM. Of course we were working sideband. So I stepped up to the mic and began calling out. Surprisingly they kept rolling in creating what is commonly called a “pile up.”
It was a little difficult, at first. I soon realized that I when I caught a partial call sign, I called for that and was able to make contact. Another method used by W6G (we were W6T) was to call for call signs by numbers. In other words, he called for call signs with 0 first, then 9’s and worked his way down. Ron KG7OH explained that is a technique used the help clear the pile ups.
I also learned that people on HF use a different set of phonetics from those in the ARRL books. The phonetics used actually seem to work better for HF.
The contacts rolled after I figured that out. I even made contact with one QRP station and one working on solar power—although by that time he was working off of the batteries. In the end I made 63 contacts. I’m still waiting to see if my final count beat Andrew’s.
I learned a little more about working the many knobs and dials on the HF rig and how to check the SWR with the internal meter.
And I learned HF can be fun. I got to talk with people in places I have been such as Napa Valley, Oklahoma City and Fort Smith, Arkansas.
So if you have not thought about upgrading to a General, you should think about it.
On Sunday July 21, I turned on my two radios to monitor the 146.980 (- 162.2) repeater on Mt. Elden and the 146.780 (- 91.5) repeater on Bill Williams mountain as I normally do. On Sunday I did not expect much as traffic is normally light. To my surprise, I heard Janice KI6WCK announcing that the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) in Flagstaff was active and the Coconino Amateur Radio Club (CARC) Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) was providing communication services.
The ARES group was providing backup communications in support of a fire that was being called the Museum Fire. I listened to monitor the situation for a few minutes. When it was clear they were asking for volunteers, I volunteered. This is, after all, what we train for. I could not drop everything and run up that day. So I volunteered for Monday. I contacted Joe W7LUX who is the District Emergency Coordinator for Coconino County. He needed someone late in the day Monday so I volunteered.
There were other things happening on Sunday. Amateur radio operators responded to the call to tow the CARC antenna tower trailer and the communication trailer to the EOC. Others brought coaxial cable that was needed. Some came to help set up and relieve Janice. It was a busy day.
The trip to Flagstaff for me is about 80-miles round trip and about two-hours travel time. Arizona Department of Transportation is currently doing repairs on the highway in both directions east- and west-bound on I-40. So that was another thing I had to contend with.
I packed my emergency dual-band antenna and mast in my car and an extra power supply in case it was needed. I carried them to Flagstaff every time I went up.
When I arrived in Flagstaff, I was actually stunned by the magnitude of the fire. To make matters worse, the fire was in an area called Shultz Pass that had a fire years ago. This caused flooding when it rained. Fortunately Coconino County had been working on the problem long before this fire. There was some flash flooding because of rain on Tuesday—according to NOAA radio—but it did not damage any private structures, as far as I know.
The big concern was whether or not the fire would reach the repeaters at Devil’s Head on Mt. Elden. I was impressed that the CARC trailer was set up for its intended purpose of emergency communications. The CARC antenna trailer had been set up and Ken KF7DUR had a VHF and UHF emergency repeater set up in the trailer in case the worse happened.
We were also able to maintain communications with the Bill Williams Mountain Club repeater in Williams. The 146.780 (- 91.5) Bill Williams repeater is also attached to Echolink. Under normal conditions, I’ve met some new Hams coming in on Echolink.
By the end of the day Monday, it was clear that there was less danger to the repeaters. Things slowed down and Erv KE7QFI conducted the Skywarn net.
On Tuesday I had an appointment at the VA in the morning, so I went to the EOC right after. I did not expect to, but I wound up staying until they secured ARES for the day. In the morning, the Southwest Area Type I Incident Management Team 2 took over management of the fire. What that means, in layman’s terms, is that this was a serious fire. The terrain was rugged and aircraft had been bombing the fire with water since the fire began.
The big news (though not over the amateur radio airwaves) was that Governor Doug Ducey was going to come to the EOC to sign the Declaration of Emergency for the Museum Fire. They had podium, flags and chairs set up for the purpose. He did not arrive at the scheduled time. It turns out he went into the field. He did,however, show up at the EOC later and took time out to thanks us for our work. He also patiently took time so we could all snap a picture with him.
After he left we returned to duty. The monsoon rains started. They were relatively light but seemed to help slow the fire a bit. Surely it helped cool off the fire fighters. The problem was that there was now a flash flood warning until 7 p.m. People were given the opportunity to get sand bags for their homes. At about 5:30 p.m., I checked NOAA radio and it was reported that a flash flood was crossing Paradise Road and heading toward the community of Sunnyside. It was reported by Skywarn observers that the flash flooding carried ash and debris from the fire. I did not hear of any damage to homes. After 9.5 hours I went home.
On Wednesday I returned to the EOC at about 12:45. The fire was still going as was the EOC. I did notice that there was considerably less smoke. I received a surprise visit from an amateur radio friend, Ian, who was a fire fighter on the TYPE I team that was sent in to manage the fire. He got to see just what ARES does.
Wednesday is the regular ARES net. I remembered to take my computer, but forgot to take a copy of the roster and even the script. So I had to text Ron KG7OH to email me a copy of those items. It was an interesting experience running the net from the EOC. I made it more interesting by playing with the buttons on the radio and forgetting to re-set it back to the proper settings before the net. I was familiar with the Yaesu radios, so it was no problem getting it set properly and conducting the net.
I simply could not return on Thursday due to personal reasons. I still monitored the radio, of course. On Friday I monitored fully prepared to respond if needed. I learned, however, that ARES was being de-activated at 10 a.m., but that the EOC was still being staffed over the weekend. So we are still “on call,” though we are breaking down the CARC equipment tomorrow.
Overall it was an interesting experience participating in an actual ARES activation. It was more interesting because this was such a major emergency. I met new Ham operators both on the radio and in person. It gave me a chance to learn to interact with the different groups in the EOC.
The EOC provided plenty of food and snacks. In fact on Tuesday they provided an Italian cuisine with spaghetti, Parmesan chicken and the works. Of course, no Italian menu would be complete without Chinese fortune cookies. They had a box of them. This was one of my fortunes:
ARRL and the FCC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that paves the way to implement the new and enhanced Volunteer Monitor program. The memorandum establishes the Volunteer Monitors as a replacement for the Official Observers (OO) program. Current OOs have been encouraged to participate in the new program.
“We
are excited by the opportunity to codify our partnership with the FCC and to
work together to achieve our mutual interests of protecting the integrity
of our Amateur Radio bands,” said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. “This
Memorandum of Understanding will serve as the foundation for a new
level of partnership on this very important issue.”
ARRL
has contracted with retired FCC special counsel and former Atlantic
Division Vice Director Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH, to oversee the ARRL’s role in
the development and implementation of the Volunteer Monitor program.
Approved by the ARRL Board of Directors at its July 2018
meeting, the new Volunteer Monitor program is a formal agreement between the
FCC and ARRL in which volunteers trained and vetted by the ARRL will monitor
the airwaves and collect evidence that can be used both to correct
misconduct or recognize exemplary on-air operation. Cases of flagrant violations
will be referred to the FCC by the ARRL for action in accordance with FCC
guidelines.
The intent of this program is to re-energize
enforcement efforts in the Amateur Radio bands. It was proposed by the FCC
in the wake of several FCC regional office closures and a reduction in field
staff.
“Under this program, the FCC will give
enforcement priority to cases developed by the Volunteer Monitor program, without
the delay of ARRL having to refer cases through the FCC online complaint
process,” Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth has committed
to FCC and ARRL officials to ensure the adequacy of training for the new
positions, to review the quality and utility of Volunteer Monitor submissions
to the FCC for enforcement actions, and to advocate for rapid disposition
of cases appropriately submitted to the FCC.
ARRL
officials estimate that the first Volunteer Monitors will be in place and ready
to begin their duties within 6 to 9 months. Read more.
FLAGSTAFF – On March 23, the Emergency Operation Center in Flagstaff held an open house to allow the public to peer inside for the first time.
The Emergency Operation Center is based on a modular, FEMA model. That means that only those areas necessary for the current emergency are staffed. That could mean representatives from federal agencies, State agencies or local agencies. Local agencies can be anything from the American Red Cross, Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Community Emergency Response Team, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, representatives from fire and police departments from anywhere in Coconino County to name a few.
The Coconino Emergency Operation Center is operated by Coconino Emergency Management. It received national recognition during the Tinder Fire in the Blue Ridge area. Amateur radio operators from the Coconino Amateur Radio Emergency Service was the only communications to get through to the EOC at the beginning to issue evacuation orders.
Visitors got a chance to see the various community emergency services in Coconino County. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) sponsored by the Sheriff’s Department was one. The group is made up of volunteers that respond to various emergencies as directed by the CCSO. This can be anything from assisting in searching for a lost person to providing traffic control. CERT training, provided by the CCSO, is required to be a member.
The Coconino Amateur Radio Club Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group mans their space at the EOC for almost every emergency. Amateur radio—aka “Ham”—operators are people of all walks of life licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate amateur radio equipment on several frequencies. This is not the same as a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license. Although amateurs are not required to, many donate countless hours in training and providing emergency communications. Amateur radio can get through when many other means of communications fail. They use a variety of digital and voice modes and sometimes even old-fashioned Morse code. Some FEMA courses are required to work with the amateur radio operators in the EOC, however any amateur radio operator can participate by providing reports in their area. ARES is a program sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. There is no requirement to join any group or provide emergency communications attached to an FCC amateur radio license.
The American Red Cross also provided an information table for their continuing role in many emergency situations in and outside of the EOC. The State Emergency Management Agency also presented their role.
Outside there were several agencies present . The Flagstaff Police Department bomb squad had their bomb robot present. The State Emergency Management Team had their “Ground Control” unit that provides cell and Wi-Fi services in remote areas. There were also representatives from the fire department and ambulance services.
By Miguel Alcaine, Representative of the ITU Area Office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
In recent years, the increasing number of disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and floods has highlighted the urgency of establishing strong telecommunication systems, which are essential if medics, firefighters, police and others are to provide effective relief during emergencies.
In the aftermath of disasters, alternative telecommunication systems are often needed to replace normal systems that have been damaged or destroyed. ITU membership has recognized this need: For many years, emergency telecommunications has been a priority in the Americas Region.
n 2018, ITU teamed up with regional telecommunications bodies in the Americas such as la Comision Regional Tecnica de Telecommunicaciones (COMTELCA), the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) to set up an alternative telecommunication system for use in times of emergencies. The system does not rely on conventional means of communication such as the Internet, but rather on amateur radio systems.
The benefits of Winlink
The alternative telecommunications system used is known as Winlink, a worldwide email service that uses radio pathways and is capable of operating completely without the Internet.
WILLIAMS – At the last meeting of the Williams Amateur Radio Club, Harry KQ7G, Rose K7NAZ, Jud N6GYF and Bryan Whipp W7BNW attended the meeting and discussed the merger. They explained that the clubs are merged. They elected Kevin Kelly KK7NAZ as Vice-President.
Here are the minutes of the meeting.
Date Friday, February 15, 2019
PRESENT
Ron Gerlak KG70H
Kevin Kelly KK7NAZ
Ken Williams KI6VDT
George Murray KK6RLV
Bryan Whipp W7BNW
Harry Ober KQ7G
Rose Ober K7NAZ
Jud N6GYF
Glen Davis KG7YDJ
Merger with BWMRC
We are officially BWMRC.
Kevin Kelly KK7NAZ elected Vice-President
Glen Davis KG7YDJ appointed Emergency Coordinator/Liaison between the BWMRC and Coconino ARES/Emergency Operation Center.
Meetings will now be held the first Friday of every month at 6 p.m. at the Wild West Junction Breakfast room.
Social net will be held every Friday at 7 p.m. on the 146.780 repeater (91.5 CTCSS – offset). The net on the Friday after the meeting will be time for members to catch up on what happened at the meeting in case they could not attend. They can make inputs on items also on that net.
Glen KG7YDJ discussed attending the Williams Non-Profit Huddle on January 21.
Glen discussed the CARC Winter Field day and lessons learned. He is developing a package for the next Winter Field Day if anyone is interested in participating.
New Business
We discussed the upcoming Young Life Auction and Dinner. Harry NQ7G noted that we should not give radios as we did last year. Kevin suggested and it was decided that we would donate a package with a Technician License Manual and if the person studies and passes the exam, they would be given a radio and a year membership in the Bill Williams Mountain Radio Club.
Glen discussed the upcoming American Legion Woman’s Auxiliary Freedom Celebration on August 13th. Last year Glen, Kevin and Bill KQ1S from CARC attended and prepared demonstrations for radio and satellite communications. Kevin noted that the Williams Fire Department did not attend. They usually attract attention, especially yournger people.
ARRL Summer Field Day
Glen sent a package containing information about the upcoming ARRL Field Day. The package explains what the Field Day is about and possible locations. The club discussed the locations and possible pitfalls. Harry pointed out that we could do a mini-field day of less than the 24-hours. That would give us a chance to try it, let everyone see what it is about. The package is for an extensive Field Day, but it can be trimmed and we can build on it next year. Or even wait until next year to do it. We do have time to plan for this year if there is enough interest. Most of our members visited the CARC Field Day last year and have an idea of what it is about already.
FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino Amateur Radio Club finished a successful class and exam cycle for 2018. The club held two Technician and one General license class in 2018 in Flagstaff. They also sponsored a Technician and General license class in Williams.
Several amateurs from CARC were responsible for the successes of the year. Phil AD7EO, Ron KG7OH, Jack Lunsford NT7MM from the NADX Club taught antenna courses in Williams and Flagstaff. New amateur extra Joe Ellison AG7OR taught the electronics section for the last Technician course. Joe passed all three exams to earn the amateur extra in one sitting in Williams.
“I really appreciate the assistance of all of the instructors and volunteer examiners,” said Glen Davis KG7YDJ, CARC Training Coordinator. “This year we added General classes for the first time. We held one in Flagstaff and one in Williams. Next year we will probably only hold one Technician and one General class in Flagstaff. We’ll do the same in Williams if there is interest.”
The last exam was held Saturday, October 10. Mary Lou and Bill Hagan and Ron Gerlak administered the final exam. Three new technician licenses, 3 General and one Amateur Extra license were earned at the exam. Joe W7LUX coordinated the effort with the assistance of Glen KG7YDJ.
Thomas Pifer, Lance Husted and Matthew Frentzen earned a Technician license at the exam session. David Jackson passed element 2 & 3 to earn a General license. Jerry KI7RHL and Robert KJ7APS upgraded to General and Pete KI7ZWP earned an Amateur Extra license.
Peter Blakan, who gave up a General license in 1962, came in to earn a new General license.
The FCC has issued a Citation and Order (Citation) to Amcrest Industries, LLC (formerly Foscam Digital Technologies, LLC), an importer and marketer of popular and inexpensive Baofeng hand-held transceivers, alleging that the company violated FCC rules and the Communications Act by illegally marketing unauthorized RF devices. The FCC asserts that Amcrest marketed Baofeng model UV-5R-series FM hand-held radios capable of transmitting on “restricted frequencies.” The Baofeng models UV-5R and UV-5R V2+ were granted an FCC equipment authorization in 2012 to operate under Part 90 Private Land Mobile Radio Service (Land Mobile) rules.
“Under § 2.803 of the Commission’s rules, an entity may not market a
device that is capable of operating outside the scope of its equipment
authorization,” the FCC Citation said. “RF devices that have been
authorized under Part 90 rules, such as the model as issue, must
operate within the technical parameters established in those rules.” The
FCC also maintained that the UV-5R 2+ is capable of operating at 1 W or
4 W, while the Part 90 Equipment Authorization limits the power output
to 1.78 W.
Amcrest conceded that the units were capable of operating on
restricted frequencies but told the FCC that, per discussions with the
manufacturer, were “only capable of operating at 1 W, the FCC said. The
company instructed the manufacturer to fix the problem and later
confirmed with the manufacturer that all Amcrest inventory on order and
in the future would operate only on 145 – 155 MHz and 400 – 520 MHz.
While the Citation does not mention Amateur Radio, the UV-5R
series radios can be programmed in a channelized configuration to
function on 2-meters and 70-centimeters. According to the Citation,
Amcrest had added a warning in its user manuals and marketing and sales
materials implying that the UV-5R V2+ could operate on unauthorized and
restricted frequencies, including Part 87 Aviation Services
frequencies, Part 80 Maritime Services frequencies, and frequencies
reserved for federal government use. The FCC said Part 90 radios that
permit the operator to use external controls to program and transmit on
frequencies other than those programmed by the manufacturer are
“generally prohibited.”
Amcrest told the FCC that it had ceased marketing four models in the
Baofeng UV-5R series “a few years ago,” but it did not remove them from
its website until last February. Numerous online retailers continue
selling UV-5R series radios for less than $25, with some ads indicating
that these are “ham” equipment.
Amcrest Industries, LLC, which owns and operates Baofengradio US, is
an import, distribution, and marketing company based in Houston, Texas.
It also sells hand-held transceivers under its own label.
“While we recognize Amcrest’s efforts to date to achieve compliance
with the Commission’s rules, the company must nonetheless ensure the
version of the UV-5R V2+ it is marketing operates only on frequencies
specified in its Equipment Authorization,” the FCC said in its Citation.
The FCC directed Amcrest “to take immediate steps to come into
compliance with the Commission’s equipment authorization rules and cease
marketing unauthorized RF devices in the United States.” Amcrest could
face fines of nearly $20,000 per day if it fails to comply.
At the ARRL Member Forum at 2018 Hamvention® last month, hosting Great Lakes Division Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, chairman of the ARRL Public Service Enhancement Working Group, spoke about the dramatic changes that are occurring among agencies serving in the emergency/disaster response sector. He discussed planning for proposed new guidelines for participants in the ARES program, including plans for a new volunteer management software system, called ARES® Connect. Upgrades to ARES training and resources will ensure the service continues to be a valuable partner for its served agencies into the future.
Williams’ program was titled ARES Advances into the 21st Century — A New Program, A New Mission. The vision is for an ARES that is comprised of organized, trained, qualified, and credentialed Amateur Radio operators who can provide public service partners with radio communications expertise, capability, and capacity.
Goals include aligning the ARES organizational structure with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). The Emergency Coordinator (EC) will continue to lead the ARES team locally during an incident, while the District EC and Section Emergency Coordinator will continue to serve as resources and support for the EC. ARES Connect is the new platform designed to support Reporting, Membership, Database – Portability, Record Keeping, and Statistics.
It is envisioned that additional training will be mandated, including ARRL Emergency Communications courses and the now standard FEMA NIMS/ICS courses IS-100, 200, 700, 800, with IS-300 and 400 for higher levels. Other specialty courses will be required in certain cases such as SKYWARN and other agency-specific training.
Levels of training attained would dovetail with three new levels of participation: Level One would be comprised of all entering the program with no training, while progressing through the ARRL emergency communications training and the FEMA Independent Study courses 100, 200, 700, and 800. Level Two would be attained upon successful completion of these courses, and would be considered the “Standard” level for ARES participants. Level Three would be attained upon completion of the advanced FEMA courses IS 300 and 400, which would qualify candidates for the ARES leadership positions EC, DEC, SEC and Assistants.
Level One participants would be able to fulfill most ARES duties with the target of attaining Level Two in one year. Level Two would be considered the normal participant level, which would gain the participant access to most incident sites and EOCs. Level Three would convey full access as granted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), and qualification for ARES leadership.
It is proposed that ARRL will provide a basic ARES ID, which would convey recognition of registration with ARES nationally and indicate level of training. No conveyance of site access is guaranteed. The AHJ would grant an additional ID/pass for site access, which would be “owned” by the AHJ.
What is Happening Now
The ARES Connect system is currently being field-tested and implemented, with ARRL HQ staff undergoing training in its administration, and group registrations currently being made. Group IDs are being assigned. Beta testing with four ARRL Sections with large ARES organizations is underway.
The plans as described above are pending approval by the ARRL Board of Directors. An ARES Strategic Plan for the ARRL Field Organization, and an Introductory Announcement are being drafted. Editing/updating ARRL ARES-related publications is underway.
A full article on the ARES enhancements, once approved, will appear in September QST.
ARES® Connect
ARES program administrators at ARRL HQ will phase out the traditional ARES report forms later this year in favor of an online system called ARES Connect — a new volunteer management, communications, and reporting system. The new system will allow information to be logged by ARES members and managed through the Field Organization.
It does not change how ARES operates when serving a partner entity; it is simply a system that will make managing volunteers and incidents/events easier. Beta testing of ARES Connect began in March
ARRL Emergency Coordinators may register their ARES group here for a group ID.
WX4NHC, the amateur station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, will conduct its annual station test on Saturday, May 26, 2018 from 9AM-5 PM EDT (1300Z-2100Z). This year marks the station’s 38th year of public service at the NHC.
The purpose of this event is to test station equipment, antennas and computers prior to this year’s Hurricane Season, which starts June 1st and runs through November 30th.
This event is good practice for ham radio operators worldwide, and helps NWS offices across the country become familiar with Amateur Radio communications support services available during times of severe weather.
WX4NHC operators will be making brief contacts on many frequencies and modes, exchanging signal reports and basic weather data (“Sunny”, or “Rain”, etc.) with any station in any location. WX4NHC will be on-the-air on HF, VHF, UHF, 2 and 30 meter APRS and WinLink wx4nhc@winlink.org (subject line must contain “//WL2K”).
Operators plan to stay on the accepted Hurricane Watch Net frequency 14.325 MHz most of the time. Due to space and equipment limitations, there will only be two operators per shift. Hams may be able to find the operation on HF by using one of the DX spotting networks, such as DX Watch.
Operations will also be run on the VoIP Hurricane Net 4PM to 5PM EDT (2000-2100Z). (IRLP node 9219 / EchoLink WX-TALK Conference node 7203). The Florida Statewide SARNET and local VHF and UHF repeaters will also be employed to make contacts.
QSL cards are available via WD4R. Please send your card with a S.A.S.E. Do not send QSLs directly to the Hurricane Center address, as they will get delayed.
Due to security measures, NO VISITORS will be allowed entry to NHC without prior clearance from the NHC PIO and Security. Only WX4NHC Operators on the pre-approved operating schedule will be allowed entry. For more information about WX4NHC, please visit the website.
Thank you for your participation in the WX4NHC Annual Station Test event. — Julio Ripoll, WD4R, WX4NHC Amateur Radio Assistant Coordinator, www.wx4nhc.org — celebrating 38 years at the National Hurricane Center, www.nhc.noaa.gov
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