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The ARES E-Letter

January 18, 2017
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE

In This Issue:

 *  Western Pennsylvania Group to Participate in Winter Field Day
 *  Oregon ARES/RACES: New On-Line Training Programs
 *  DMR Growing in Ohio
 *  Two-Meter Simplex Net Standard Protocol in Vermont
 *  Spotlight: Virginia Section ARES --Cooperation/Coordination Key to
    Success
 *  Letters: Noise in the EOC
 *  Letters: Clark County, Washington ARES Protocols; EYEWARN Program
 *  K1CE For a Final


ARES Briefs, Links

Ohio ARES Adds 6 Meters to its VHF Simplex Contest (1/13/17);
http://www.arrl.org/news/ohio-ares-adds-6-met...

Nevada ARES Standing Down as Flood Threat Abates (1/11/17);
http://www.arrl.org/news/nevada-ares-standing...

FEMA Region 10 to Conduct Monthly Interoperability Communications Exercises
during 2017 (1/3/2017);
http://www.arrl.org/news/fema-region-10-to-co...
munications-exercises-during-2017

Philippines' Ham Emergency Radio Operations Net Activates for Super Typhoon
(12/28/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/philippines-ham-emer...
es-for-super-typhoon

FEMA Interoperability Exercise Deemed a Success (12/23/16);
http://www.arrl.org/news/fema-interoperabilit...

Hawaii Amateur Radio Volunteers Assist Honolulu Marathon (12/19/16)
http://www.arrl.org/news/hawaii-amateur-radio...
on


Just Ahead: Winter Field Day

Field Day is not just for summertime anymore. Winter Field Day, sponsored by
the Winter Field Day Association (WFDA) http://www.winterfieldday.com/ , will
take place over the January 28-29 weekend, and it can be a good time to prep
for ARRL Field Day in June. The annual event's stated purpose is to encourage
emergency operating preparedness in the winter, but it's also an excuse to get
out of the house and enjoy the great outdoors. According to the WFDA, getting
ready for emergency communication in a winter environment is just as important
as the preparations and practice that take place each June during ARRL Field
Day. Maintaining operating skills should not be limited to fair-weather
scenarios.

The event, which got its start in 2007, is not restricted to North America. All
 Amateur Radio operators around the world are invited to participate, and there
 are three entry categories -- indoor, outdoor, and home. The rules are similar
 to those for ARRL Field Day. The WFDA encourages both group and solo
operation. -- ARRL News

See below for the Winter Field Day plans of the Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio
 Club of Pennsylvania.


New Year's Resolution for ARES members: Take the ARRL Emergency Communications
Training Courses

The ARRL Intro to Emergency Communication course is designed to provide basic
knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer. The course has
6 sections with 29 lesson topics. It includes required student activities
(mentor-assisted and evaluated), a 35-question final assessment and takes
approximately 45 hours to complete over a 9-week period. Students have access
to the course platform at any time of day during this 9-week period.

The ARRL Public Service and Emergency Communications Management course trains
ARES and other operators who will be in leadership and managerial roles
organizing other volunteers to support public service activities and
communications emergencies. Topics include: preparing and organizing to support
 local community events; working with governmental and other emergency response
 organizations; and deploying services to provide communications when needed in
 an emergency or disaster response.

Find more information for both courses, including registration, here
http://www.arrl.org/online-course-catalog . I made two New Year's Resolutions
for myself for 2017: first, to become more active
in my home (Volusia County, Florida) ARES program; and second, to take both of
these on-line ARRL training courses and report on my experiences. -- K1CE


Western Pennsylvania Group to Participate in Winter Field Day

The Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club (CVARC) of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania,
 will be participating in Winter Field Day https://www.winterfieldday.com/ on
January 28-29. Radio amateurs have been setting up their stations in the great
outdoors every June for ARRL Field Day for decades; Winter Field Day is a new
twist on an old idea. Emergencies and disaster responses are not limited to the
other seasons. CVARC President Ray Smith, N3TWU, reports that following last
year's successful Winter Field Day, the members are ready to make this year's
event the best one yet. The public is invited, along with visiting operators
ready for possible cold and winter conditions. For more information, visit the
CVARC http://w3ach.org/ webpage.


Oregon ARES/RACES: New On-Line Training Programs

Oregon ARES/RACES has launched new on-line training programs for Amateur Radio
operators, which have been very well received, according to John Core, KX7YT,
ARRL Oregon Section Manager. The Oregon training is conducted in three parts.
This is in addition to the required completion of the ICS 100, 200 and 700
courses and a required background check. Participants register on line at the
OregonARESRACES.org website http://oregonaresraces.org/ before they start their
 training. The elements are:

1. Completion of an on-line Amateur Radio Operator (ARO) knowledge-based course
 done in Microsoft(R) Sway https://sway.com/ . Sway is a highly visual
environment; many Internet-linked videos and photos of Oregon ARES members in
action make the course interesting. It includes six modules, two multiple
choice exams and a final exam. The course also includes materials on the use of
 the Winlink http://www.winlink.org/ system, critical frequency plans, ARES
fundamentals, Oregon Emergency Management, participation in Nets, antenna
systems and many other topics. Currently, 200 participants are taking the
training and there are 54 ARO element 1 graduates. It takes new ARES volunteers
 about 20 hours of study to complete element 1. Experienced volunteers can
complete it in one day. This is an innovative approach to training as it is
self-paced and can be done from home. Significantly, changes to the training
materials can be done on-line and "on the fly" by the Training Administrator at
 no cost. Changes are instantly available to all trainees the next time they
log into the system. Administrators use PollDaddy web based software for
construction of the exams and can easily track student progress as well as
scores.

2. An 8-week proctored class in the Oregon ARES Digital Network (OADN) Forms is
 conducted on-line using email and Winlink Express. This course teaches
operators how to properly fill out and use various ICS forms
https://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/icsresour... as well as
Oregon-specific forms for Disaster Declarations, Situation Reports, Requests
for Assistance and unit Activation/Deactivation reports that are set statewide.
 Close to 100 people have now completed this course, which is offered twice
yearly and is very popular! The Oregon ARES Digital Network http://www.oadn.us/
 is a statewide Amateur Radio system designed for emergency and disaster
response communications.

3. Completion of a Task List that is signed by the County EC certifying that
the participant has programmed their radios to local communications frequency
plans, is personally prepared for deployment, has various on-the-air skills and
 has participated as an operator in an Oregon Simulated Emergency Test.

Topics included in the courses are discussed on ARES Nets and at meetings on an
 on-going basis. The entire three-part training program was launched in late
July 2016 and now involves volunteers in 20 counties and 200 trainers. This
month, Oregon leadership is presenting Basic Amateur Radio Operator
Certificates to the first 10 members that have completed all of the required
training. - Oregon Section News


DMR Growing in Ohio

Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) technology and activity in Ohio has witnessed an
upsurge recently. Fueling the activity is a wide selection of hand-held and
mobile radios available on the market today, with prices of DMR radios within
range of the budgets of most radio amateurs. As with any new technology and new
 radios, Ohio amateurs are asking many questions to help them climb the
learning curve. "DMR-101" classes are popping up across the state, thanks to
eager, experienced operators conducting these classes, hoping for even more
activity and development. New operators are taking advantage of their
experience. Ohio DMR operators point to several useful resources to help get
amateurs new to the mode/network started:

DMR-MARC website http://www.dmr-marc.net/

K4USD website http://www.k4usd.org/

Amateur Radio Guide to DMR
http://www.dmr-marc.net/media/Amateur_Radio_G...

Digitally Speaking (a great guide to DMR)
http://arrl-ohio.org/digital/Digitally%20Spea...

DMR Best Practice Guide
http://www.dmr-marc.net/media/DMR_MARC_Best_P...

Amateur Radio Digital Hotspot Comparison
http://arrl-ohio.org/digital/Amateur%20Radio%...
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Tips

In Ohio, operators are purchasing radios such as the Tytera MD-380 or 390
hand-held product -- they are the same radio except that the 390 has GPS
capability. [There is a Facebook Tytera MD-380 users group on Facebook: click
here https://www.facebook.com/groups/9929670073805... .] The radios will work
right out of the box, but for best performance it is advised to update the
radio with the latest programming and firmware available. The latest updates
can be found here http://www.va3xpr.net/programming-software-fi... .

Operators must also register and obtain a Motorola Amateur Radio Club MARC ID
https://www.dmr-marc.net/cgi-bin/trbo-databas... before accessing
and using a DMR repeater. It can easily be obtained free of charge through the
DMR-MARC website. Registrants are advised to read all of the information that
is contained on this website before registering.

Readers can hear worldwide DMR communications here
https://hose.brandmeister.network%20/ . [From its website, Hose line is an
online streaming platform for the DMR Brandmeister network. The project is
still under development and when I checked it out, it ran a little roughly, but
 it works and readers can get a taste of DMR audio and activity -- ed.] Also,
listen to past transmissions on the Ohio Statewide Talkgroup here
http://hose.brandmeister.network/3139/archive... . Just select a date that you
wish to listen to. You can also view activity from the K4USD C-Bridge here
http://cbridge.k4usd.org:42420/MinimalNetwatc... .

After acquiring the ID, new operators will need to program their new radios --
a "codeplug" is a solution. For a description of a codeplug, click here
http://arrl-ohio.org/digital/codeplug.html . There are many codeplugs out
there. For Ohio, a codeplug contains all of the DMR Ohio users and repeaters,
written by Andy Crowl, K4AWC. The operator's DMR ID must be added to this
codeplug.

What if there's no local DMR repeater available? You are not left out: there's
a solution called an openSpot(C) https://www.sharkrf.com/products/openspot/
from Shark RF. Click http://arrl-ohio.org/digital/shark.html here for
information on how to get it up and running quickly and easily. To make an
openSPOT(C) completely portable, click here
http://arrl-ohio.org/digital/wireless-shark.h... . It's a way to access DMR,
System Fusion and D-STAR networks without having to purchase a repeater. DMR is
 another tool for the ARES/RACES toolbox! - Ohio Section News; Ohio Section
Manager Scott Yonally, N8SY n8sy@n8sy.com


Two-Meter Simplex Net Standard Protocol in Vermont

Vermont Section Manager Paul Gayet, AA1SU, has announced a 2 Meter Vermont
Simplex Frequency to be used as a central gathering point for potential
emergency/disaster response situations -- 146.490 MHz. The Central Vermont
Amateur Radio Club https://w1bd.com/ has been using this frequency to meet on
after their Sunday evening net on the local repeater. They have had great
success with it. The value of having a standard simplex frequency is to have a
place to go to in the event that local repeaters are off the air during an
emergency or disaster response. Vermont radio amateurs are being asked to
program the frequency into all 2-meter radios and use it/test it regularly with
 another operator within range. Operators are also asked to program the
frequency into their radio's priority watch function if available. - Vermont
Section News


Spotlight: Virginia Section ARES --Cooperation/Coordination Key to Success

Virginia Section ARES and other groups have seen advances and successes this
past year. Learning from and building on the past, a goal for 2017 is to
elevate cooperation and coordination among ARES groups, other amateur public
service communications groups, and relevant local and state agencies. All
entities have rules and requirements for training and other components of a
successful program, and it's imperative that all members play by those rules.
Knowing and understanding the National Incident Management System
https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-manage... (NIMS) and the
sections and functions of the Incident Command System
https://www.fema.gov/incident-command-system-... (ICS) is essential to
any successful program. All groups and individuals need to take this training
if interoperability across the various disciplines and jurisdictions can be
realized during any incident, large or small. Groups should be cross-trained
in, or at least familiar with the Department of Homeland Security's AUXCOMM
protocols for working under that umbrella of numerous entities when the need
arises.

As another example of the importance of cooperation/coordination, technology is
 an integral part of communications advances, usually adopted by some groups,
but only through cooperation by all stakeholders can the advances be learned
and subsequently used to their fullest extent by everyone everywhere. Funding
for these new technologies is also an important need that can be addressed
through cooperation/coordination with the agencies that can fund them.

_____


Virginia Section Manager Dr. Joe Palsa, K3WRY, has been requested to be part of
 the Virginia Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee
https://pshs.virginia.gov/homeland-security/i... , representing
the state's Amateur Radio community. This committee is to provide
recommendations to the State Wide Interoperability Committee to determine
priorities related to Public Safety interoperable communications in Virginia
and surrounding states. In addition, Palsa was selected to be a member of Radio
 Interoperability Best Practices Working Group
http://www.npstc.org/radioInteropBP.jsp , which is part of the National Public
Safety Telecommunications Council, an ARRL national level partner.

______


SKYWARN plays a critical role in all types of severe weather emergencies and
disaster responses. It is important to note that NWS' technical abilities to
forecast weather -- use of radar, satellites, etc. -- has improved our warning
and reporting, but no technology can beat a report from a live observer on the
ground. Thus, SKYWARN trained Amateur Radio operators/observers are extremely
valuable to NWS forecast offices and ARES emergency coordinators. Last month's
national SKYWARN Recognition Day was a great success, with Virginia NOAA NWS
offices participating.

Steve Crow, KG4PEQ, was named SKYWARN Coordinator for the NOAA NWS Wakefield
office in 2008 and developed the Wakefield program covering numerous counties
in central and southeast Virginia and North Carolina. Crow is retiring, and is
credited with developing one of the most comprehensive and successful programs
in the country. Crow is also credited with partnering the SKYWARN program with
ARES programs around the state. - Virginia Section News


Letters: Noise in the EOC

I'm in Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas valley), and a member of ARES and Air
Force MARS. The issue of noise in the EOC came to light for us in 2014 when
four MARS operators including myself were invited to Nye county, Nevada, to
participate in a statewide, multi-agency earthquake disaster drill. The first
problem was the RF noise created by all of the public safety radio systems'
antennas mounted on the roof of the EOC within a few feet of the two HF
antennas, making it impossible to hear any incoming HF signal less than 20 dB
over S9. It rendered impossible communications from Pahrump to the Carson City
area. The solution was to use VHF Winlink packet peer-to-peer and VHF voice
from the EOC to the training center two miles away. The center operators would
then take the traffic and relay it on HF to Carson City. Traffic followed the
reverse path, of course, back to the EOC.

Expediting written traffic handling was accomplished using thumb drives. We
provided ICS-213 and Radiogram templates on a thumb drive to the ICS scribe,
who filled in the blanks and brought the thumb drive from the EOC command room
to the EOC radio room. We simply copied and pasted messages from the thumb
drive to Winlink for packet transmission to the training center site. It was
received via VHF then copied and pasted to their thumb drive. The VHF operator
handed the thumb drive to the HF operator where it was copied and pasted into
Winlink for PACTOR HF relay on a MARS or state authorized frequency. When the
PACTOR link failed, they switched to HF WINMOR.

Having had the above experience in 2014 has proved valuable as we have since
deployed for numerous exercises and actual events where we have had the same RF
 noise problem at all of the half dozen EOCs in our area. For in-house ambient
noise, we have opted for headsets on each radio.

Our Multiple Agency Coordination Center (MACC) is currently located in a high
electrical noise environment and is treated the same. We do have, however, an
Incident Command Post vehicle that is parked outside the MACC in the parking
lot that can be used for packet, voice, and sound card digital modes. This is a
 former fire department command post and has five operator positions built in.

On another point, advance-of-incident coordination with agencies is critically
important: We have about a dozen organizations that now work together and know
what ARES/RACES/MARS can do. MARS and ARES work hand in hand in our state.
Also, we have about a dozen operators with deployable go-boxes that include
VHF/UHF/HF capability for voice, packet, and sound card modes. We are currently
 training on Winlink modes to allow faster/easier interface with the National
Traffic System, after experience in Cascadia Rising
https://www.fema.gov/cascadia-rising-2016 2016. - Jim Bassett, W1RO, ARRL
Nevada Section Traffic Manager


Letters: Clark County, Washington ARES Protocols; EYEWARN Program

In our county (Clark County, Vancouver, Washington) ARES operators are deployed
 on command by the county's emergency management agency (Clark Regional
Emergency Agency) to various locations in support of first responders and
entities such as hospitals, and the Red Cross. We have about 1700 hams in Clark
 County and approximately 100 members in ARES. In a disaster, our EYEWARN(R)
visual situation reporting program, sponsored in the county by the Clark County
 Amateur Radio Club, operators collect damage and injury information from any
ham radio operator in the county. We have multiple modes (digital and voice)
that are used for reporting. EYEWARN program members self-activate at the start
 of a disaster with reports going to the EMA office. The primary mission and
objective is for the EYEWARN operator to "report what we see from where we
are." There is no deployment, per se.

EYEWARN and ARES work cooperatively, communicating damage and injury
assessments from EYEWARN to the regional EMA. ARES has a team and radio room
instantiated in the EOC - "Team 9." We contact the ARES NCS and request
communications with Team 9. While ARES supports the first responders and
institutions, EYEWARN is responsible for data collection and reporting.

See the EYEWARN http://www.eyewarn.net/ website for more information. EYEWARN
addresses the issues mentioned above in a unique and direct way. -- John
Gaynor, NO7DE, Vancouver, Washington


K1CE For a Final

I plan to attend the ARRL Southeastern Division Convention in Orlando, Florida,
 Hamcation(R) 2017, on Saturday, February 11, and would enjoy meeting readers.
Hope to see you there! -- Editor, Rick Palm, K1CE, Daytona Beach, Florida

_____________


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