I wonder if either of the followers of this blog wonder what happened with the Signalink unit I had ordered as mentioned in my April 2nd posting. It arrived and I did manage to attach the self stick, non-skid feet to the bottom of the unit just before I left for NE PA to move my mother to assisted living here in Ohio. Between the move and a number of ER visits with both mothers, little time has been available to play with the new toy.
I had acquired a MFJ TNC/MIC switch with a PK232 TNC at a hamfest which of course I never got hooked up. I thought it would be perfect for switching between the Signalink and a mike. Downloaded the manual and removed the cover from the switch box. Totally different. Manual was for Revs 8 & 9. My switch box must have been Rev 0. Checking continuity indicated that the switch box was jumpered for a Kenwood and I planned on using it with ICOM rigs. I searched the web and from different sites downloaded many copies of the manual. All turned out to be for Revs 8 & 9. Even checked with MFJ.
Finally bit the bullet and started to reverse engineer the unit. After I had a schematic of my unit, the next challenge was to figure out how to configure for ICOM 8 pin round plug. Mission accomplished, I think. I still have to change the connector on the switch box TNC cable to an 8 pin round connector to mate with the cable form the Signalink. At this time, the connectors are sitting on my desk waiting for me to fire up a soldering iron.
I attempted last night to check into a SATERN net that is on the Summit County ARES repeater. The FT-8900 that I have been using as net control for the ARES net on the repeater had changed settings for unknown reasons and I could not get in. I made a quick switch to the backup ICOM IC- 48A and I still had problems. After a few minutes of panic, I remembered that I had the switch box connected to that rig and sure enough, the switch was in the TNC position, not the MIC position. Mike PTT works in either switch setting. I did get checked into the net, some what embarrassed by my technical difficulties.
After the net I had to figure out how to get the FT-8900 out of the "Internet Connection Feature" mode that it had gotten into. Once I read in the manual how to get into that mode, it was obvious how I got there and how to get out of it. For future reference, the "Internet Connection Feature" mode (WIRES) is toggled on/off by pressing the 'left volume knob'. Since selecting the right or left dual receive display for transmit is done by pressing the 'channel select knobs' which are above the volume knobs, I assume I got into the unwanted mode by pushing the wrong knob trying to select the left side which I leave on the ARES repeater. It would be real nice if you could lock out unwanted features on radios.
Stay tuned for further updates on this saga. Also, leave me know if you need a schematic showing configurations for ICOM and Kenwood on a MFJ 1272BX unit with a single 30 pin header and no silk screened labels on the board.
zeke, AB8OU
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
AB8OU Comment on DStar for Emergency Communications
After reading the discussion on 'Dstar and Emcomms' on the eham's Emergency Communications forum, I posted the following comment. Since I had planned to post here on the same topic, why waste time writting it again.
From my reading of the comments on this forum, it appears that many assume that DStar infrastructure is only the repeaters and link to the internet. I consider the actual physical DStar radios in the hands of hams to be the most important part of the infrastructure. If you don't have radio's to talk to others, there is no communications.
Looking at some crude numbers, there appears to be about 700,000 licensed hams in the US and about 22,000 repeaters. This works out to about 32 hams per repeater, assuming every ham gets on a repeater. From the ICOM offers, it appears that they feel that you need 10 users minimum to keep a DStar repeater on the air. My quick and dirty count showed about 300 DStar repeaters in the US. At 10 users per repeater that works out to about less that 0.5% of the US ham population. With 32 users per repeater, market penetration goes up to almost 1.5% of the US ham population with approximately 10,000 DStar radios. If the adage that "The first thing every ham does when he receives his license is to buy a two meter handheld." is true, two meter FM probably has greater than 90% market penetration.
Questions that need to be considered are;
1. How many DStar equipped hams could you turn out in a disaster situation including consideration that only 25% of your group will be available in a disaster?
2. How many of your government and other served agencies have DStar equipment installed as compared to VHF/UHF FM?
3. How many DStar radios can ARRL provide under their HAMAID program to a disaster scene?
4. How many of the walk-in or mutual aid hams will have DStar radios with them?
5. How many owners of DStar radios will be willing to leave their expensive radios behind when their shift ends?
Having gotten in to ham radio when the AM/SSB war had reached the point where the technical superiority of SSB was being accepted, it still took almost 10 years and the availability of much less expensive SSB gear before SSB dominated the HF bands. Even so, most HF rigs today still include the ancient modulation mode.
In the ARES group that I am a member of, I am not aware of any members that have DStar capability. One or two may have DStar capable radios but have not seen any reason to spend the extra dollars to add the DStar board.
Until DStar has significant penetration in the ham population, basing an emergency communications plan on it would appear foolhardy at best.
zeke
From my reading of the comments on this forum, it appears that many assume that DStar infrastructure is only the repeaters and link to the internet. I consider the actual physical DStar radios in the hands of hams to be the most important part of the infrastructure. If you don't have radio's to talk to others, there is no communications.
Looking at some crude numbers, there appears to be about 700,000 licensed hams in the US and about 22,000 repeaters. This works out to about 32 hams per repeater, assuming every ham gets on a repeater. From the ICOM offers, it appears that they feel that you need 10 users minimum to keep a DStar repeater on the air. My quick and dirty count showed about 300 DStar repeaters in the US. At 10 users per repeater that works out to about less that 0.5% of the US ham population. With 32 users per repeater, market penetration goes up to almost 1.5% of the US ham population with approximately 10,000 DStar radios. If the adage that "The first thing every ham does when he receives his license is to buy a two meter handheld." is true, two meter FM probably has greater than 90% market penetration.
Questions that need to be considered are;
1. How many DStar equipped hams could you turn out in a disaster situation including consideration that only 25% of your group will be available in a disaster?
2. How many of your government and other served agencies have DStar equipment installed as compared to VHF/UHF FM?
3. How many DStar radios can ARRL provide under their HAMAID program to a disaster scene?
4. How many of the walk-in or mutual aid hams will have DStar radios with them?
5. How many owners of DStar radios will be willing to leave their expensive radios behind when their shift ends?
Having gotten in to ham radio when the AM/SSB war had reached the point where the technical superiority of SSB was being accepted, it still took almost 10 years and the availability of much less expensive SSB gear before SSB dominated the HF bands. Even so, most HF rigs today still include the ancient modulation mode.
In the ARES group that I am a member of, I am not aware of any members that have DStar capability. One or two may have DStar capable radios but have not seen any reason to spend the extra dollars to add the DStar board.
Until DStar has significant penetration in the ham population, basing an emergency communications plan on it would appear foolhardy at best.
zeke
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Moron is Me, Moron is You
Dennis's grand tour of New England colleges seems to have inspired the creative writing juices.
I have been reading the book "The Unthinkable, Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - And Why", by Amanda Ripley. It's a good read and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in increasing their understanding of how people react during a disaster. There is a lot of great information here, and many instructive examples, but I will try to give a very quick summary - just enough to whet your appetite.
There are 3 stages in peoples reaction to a disaster - Denial, Deliberation, and the Decisive Moment. Good examples of all 3 stages are given along with some keen insight into how these responses have evolved as protective mechanisms. Not everyone makes it through the entire process. Some get stuck in various stages and never form an effective response to the event. Others might quickly progress through the stages and then formulate and execute an irrational and ineffective plan. Understanding the process can help us to increase our effectiveness.
Denial is the initial and natural response to a disaster. Some people get stuck in this stage and fail to progress beyond it. This may be manifested as unrational delay in reacting to the situation, such as calling many friends or loved ones to "size up" the situation and never actually taking action. Alternately it may be an unjustified confidence that the event is not as severe as thought, such as trying to ride out a hurricane on a barrier island. These strategies can have fatal consequences.
After Denial comes, hopefully, Deliberation, but only to the extent that you can control your Fear. Once you recognize the reality of the situation, it is very possible to be paralyzed by fear and the story might end right there. In fact, it is common for people to be "paralyzed" in a crisis and thus fail to react. Fear stimulates what Carl Sagan called the "Reptilian brain" and de-emphasizes the rational brain. This is what makes us all Morons in a disaster and inspired the title of this article. Physical and emotional memory and instincts turn out to be much more important here than intellectual knowledge. An excellent example is the behavior that people exhibited in the Twin Towers on 9/11. Some groups who had complete intellectual knowledge of how to escape down the fire exits, but who had only drilled by walking to the stairway doors did not in fact evacuate and did not survive the event. They did not have sufficient physical or emotional memory to overcome the paralyzing effect of their Reptilian brain. The Morgan Stanley group in Tower 1 had conducted numerous drills which included actually walking down the stairs and exiting the building. These physical experiences, as well as a capable leader, enabled these people to evacuate and many lives were saved that day.
This really hit home to me. Our family fire drills consist of us talking about feeling the door for heat, and crawling out through the smoke, and exiting through the windows as Plan B. This book has shown me that this "rational discussion" of what to do in an emergency is not effective. My entire family needs to actually perform these actions repeatedly if we are to rely upon them in a real emergency. I also can apply this to many aspects of ARES. We must practice the actual things that we need to do in an emergency. Handling out a sheet of Message Handling instructions will never take the place of practicing sending messages, for example. I intend to incorporate more practicing into the ARES process, so that we can perform when needed.
A common misconception about a crisis is that many people become hysterical and "lose it". This is actually much less common in real life than in the movies. Many people do become paralyzed or immobile, but they usually are docile and polite and are readily susceptible to groupthink or the influence of a dynamic leader. Thus, if we can have just a few people in a crisis who can process the event and formulate a rational plan, it is likely that the vast majority of people will politely follow directions and possibly be saved. On the other hand, a few hysterical individuals can also trigger behavior such as a stampede with the resulting possibility of trampling people to death in a panic.
The main point of the book is especially germane to Hams. This is the fact that the rational brain shuts down in a true emergency. Hams tend to be smarter than your average bear and they rely upon knowing things and upon their rational abilities. When our natural instincts take over during an emergency, that knowledge is not as useful as we would like to think. Again, the best way to get the brain to perform under extreme stress is to repeatedly rehearse the desired behavior. This is boring and hams sometimes feel like they don't need to do this because they already "know" what to do. The key is that knowing it is not enough. Thus, our natural tendencies tend to leave us less than optimally prepared when a crisis occurs.
I recommend everyone read this book and think about "What can I practice", so that I can be a survivor instead of a victim.
Dennis, AI8P
I have been reading the book "The Unthinkable, Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - And Why", by Amanda Ripley. It's a good read and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in increasing their understanding of how people react during a disaster. There is a lot of great information here, and many instructive examples, but I will try to give a very quick summary - just enough to whet your appetite.
There are 3 stages in peoples reaction to a disaster - Denial, Deliberation, and the Decisive Moment. Good examples of all 3 stages are given along with some keen insight into how these responses have evolved as protective mechanisms. Not everyone makes it through the entire process. Some get stuck in various stages and never form an effective response to the event. Others might quickly progress through the stages and then formulate and execute an irrational and ineffective plan. Understanding the process can help us to increase our effectiveness.
Denial is the initial and natural response to a disaster. Some people get stuck in this stage and fail to progress beyond it. This may be manifested as unrational delay in reacting to the situation, such as calling many friends or loved ones to "size up" the situation and never actually taking action. Alternately it may be an unjustified confidence that the event is not as severe as thought, such as trying to ride out a hurricane on a barrier island. These strategies can have fatal consequences.
After Denial comes, hopefully, Deliberation, but only to the extent that you can control your Fear. Once you recognize the reality of the situation, it is very possible to be paralyzed by fear and the story might end right there. In fact, it is common for people to be "paralyzed" in a crisis and thus fail to react. Fear stimulates what Carl Sagan called the "Reptilian brain" and de-emphasizes the rational brain. This is what makes us all Morons in a disaster and inspired the title of this article. Physical and emotional memory and instincts turn out to be much more important here than intellectual knowledge. An excellent example is the behavior that people exhibited in the Twin Towers on 9/11. Some groups who had complete intellectual knowledge of how to escape down the fire exits, but who had only drilled by walking to the stairway doors did not in fact evacuate and did not survive the event. They did not have sufficient physical or emotional memory to overcome the paralyzing effect of their Reptilian brain. The Morgan Stanley group in Tower 1 had conducted numerous drills which included actually walking down the stairs and exiting the building. These physical experiences, as well as a capable leader, enabled these people to evacuate and many lives were saved that day.
This really hit home to me. Our family fire drills consist of us talking about feeling the door for heat, and crawling out through the smoke, and exiting through the windows as Plan B. This book has shown me that this "rational discussion" of what to do in an emergency is not effective. My entire family needs to actually perform these actions repeatedly if we are to rely upon them in a real emergency. I also can apply this to many aspects of ARES. We must practice the actual things that we need to do in an emergency. Handling out a sheet of Message Handling instructions will never take the place of practicing sending messages, for example. I intend to incorporate more practicing into the ARES process, so that we can perform when needed.
A common misconception about a crisis is that many people become hysterical and "lose it". This is actually much less common in real life than in the movies. Many people do become paralyzed or immobile, but they usually are docile and polite and are readily susceptible to groupthink or the influence of a dynamic leader. Thus, if we can have just a few people in a crisis who can process the event and formulate a rational plan, it is likely that the vast majority of people will politely follow directions and possibly be saved. On the other hand, a few hysterical individuals can also trigger behavior such as a stampede with the resulting possibility of trampling people to death in a panic.
The main point of the book is especially germane to Hams. This is the fact that the rational brain shuts down in a true emergency. Hams tend to be smarter than your average bear and they rely upon knowing things and upon their rational abilities. When our natural instincts take over during an emergency, that knowledge is not as useful as we would like to think. Again, the best way to get the brain to perform under extreme stress is to repeatedly rehearse the desired behavior. This is boring and hams sometimes feel like they don't need to do this because they already "know" what to do. The key is that knowing it is not enough. Thus, our natural tendencies tend to leave us less than optimally prepared when a crisis occurs.
I recommend everyone read this book and think about "What can I practice", so that I can be a survivor instead of a victim.
Dennis, AI8P
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Silence of the Cell Phones
Dennis, AI8P, is our first guest blogger. His topic is very true, I can remember at the Stow 4th July parade when the cell service was so overloaded that parade workers lost their cell communications and were dependent on the hams for their communications.
I read an interesting account of a family that was on vacation in Hawaii when the Japan earthquake hit. The gist of the article was the father lamenting how he was always prepared for an emergency at home, but he was totally unprepared on vacation. When the tsunami warning was issued all the beachfront hotels were evacuated to higher ground. He was glad to have his own rental vehicle so that he did not have to rely upon the hotel to evacuate them, but many other things did not go very well and he wished he had brought a few supplies with him on vacation. I found it particularly fascinating that he really wished he had brought some radios with him because THE CELL PHONES DIDN'T WORK! You may recall that there was NO damage in Hawaii from the tsunami. So here is a situation with ZERO DAMAGE and the CELL PHONES STOPPED WORKING. All that is really required is for a widespread panic and the phones will be jammed and completely useless. Those who claim that the communications infrastructure is more rugged than ever are correct. Those who claim that communications capability can be restored more quickly after a disaster than ever before are correct. But this incident demonstrates clearly how susceptible even an intact system is to overload. Radio communications are not now and will not at any time in the foreseeable future be obsolete in an emergency. The bottom line is we still need to be trained and practiced and ready to help when help is needed. I also encourage you to widen the horizons of your radio world. FRS radios and yes, CB radios, are used by lots of people who might have valuable information, or might need information from us. The ability to scan and communicate on those frequencies can be an advantage in these circumstances.
Dennis, AI8P
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Cricut® Electronic Paper Cutter vs Signalink
One of the problems I discovered using fldigi and digital modes with acoustic coupling is that my wife did not care to hear all that 'noise' coming out of the shack. One new Cricut® machine later and I have a Signalink soundcard interface on order. Should give me better performance without all that 'noise' and the wife can now cut 12" wide paper in addition to the current 6"..
To get fldigi set up, I used two computers with their sound cards talking to each other. For some off the air digital mode experience, Summit County ( Mondays at 7:30 PM on 444.550) and Portage County (Thursdays at 7:30 PM on 146.895) ARES® are trying to have a digital mode segment as part of their weekly nets. Also, Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) has been running digital nets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 7;30-9:30 PM on 146.895.
Of possible interest, last week the Portage County ARES was trying EasyPAL as well as fldigi. EasyPAL allows transferring images. Claim was that it could send a pdf of a document around twice as fast as text with fldigi. While I was successful in sending an image between the two computers in the shack, the volume had to be much higher than with fldigi. It did not appear that acoustical coupling would be acceptable with EasyPAL. The noise was even bothering me in the shack. Something to explore a little more after I get my sound card interface installed and working.
EasyPAL might deserve a spot in my EMCOM toolkit along with fldigi
zeke, AB8OU
ps. The Cricut® machine cost quite a bit more than the Signalink.
"ARES” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Service” are registered servicemarks of the American Radio Relay League, Incorporated and are used by permission.
To get fldigi set up, I used two computers with their sound cards talking to each other. For some off the air digital mode experience, Summit County ( Mondays at 7:30 PM on 444.550) and Portage County (Thursdays at 7:30 PM on 146.895) ARES® are trying to have a digital mode segment as part of their weekly nets. Also, Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) has been running digital nets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 7;30-9:30 PM on 146.895.
Of possible interest, last week the Portage County ARES was trying EasyPAL as well as fldigi. EasyPAL allows transferring images. Claim was that it could send a pdf of a document around twice as fast as text with fldigi. While I was successful in sending an image between the two computers in the shack, the volume had to be much higher than with fldigi. It did not appear that acoustical coupling would be acceptable with EasyPAL. The noise was even bothering me in the shack. Something to explore a little more after I get my sound card interface installed and working.
EasyPAL might deserve a spot in my EMCOM toolkit along with fldigi
zeke, AB8OU
ps. The Cricut® machine cost quite a bit more than the Signalink.
"ARES” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Service” are registered servicemarks of the American Radio Relay League, Incorporated and are used by permission.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System (NBEMS) - First Steps
As those who were listening last night know, we did our initial effort on the net in trying a little NBEMS messaging using fldigi. Two stations did some transmitting while one more was receive only. The three of us were pleasantly surprised at how successful we were. Everyone else just thought it was noise. Hopefully it raised some interest in the groups members. The plans are to provide initial training at the next meeting at the end of April. Also, Dennis, AI8P, wants to try it as part of the towpath drill at the end of May.
For those interested, some links for information on NBEMS and where to download the open source fldigi software are:
www.w1hkj.com - where to download the software
www.panbems.org - great reference material
www.midcoastdigiham.belljar.net - reference material on digital modes including fldigi/NBEMS
NBEMS appeared in the August 2009 QST on page 73 and June 2010 QST on page 76.
My thanks to Matt, W8DEC, for inviting us to the training District 10 sponsored on NBEMS and fldigi and to Harry, W3YJ, for his excellent presentation on the topic. Much of the material on the PA NBEMS web site is Harry's creation.
After years of complaining about the "digital mode de jour" approach being pushed for amateur emergency communications, I now think NBEMS has the potential to acheive sufficient addoption by the amateur community that it would be useful in an actual emergency. While it is being pushed for emergency communications, fldigi itself provides many of the digital modes such as CW, RTTY & PSK that are in everyday ham use so it is not just an EMCOM program.
As it says on the the WPA NBEMS web site:
The NBEMS/FLDIGI software is the perfect package for digital emergency communications because it is:
- FREE!
- Easy to configure
- Easy to use
- Easy to modify and standardize
- Works on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Linux and Mac systems
- Usable without the need for additional/complex/expensive hardware
zeke, AB8OU
For those interested, some links for information on NBEMS and where to download the open source fldigi software are:
www.w1hkj.com - where to download the software
www.panbems.org - great reference material
www.midcoastdigiham.belljar.net - reference material on digital modes including fldigi/NBEMS
NBEMS appeared in the August 2009 QST on page 73 and June 2010 QST on page 76.
My thanks to Matt, W8DEC, for inviting us to the training District 10 sponsored on NBEMS and fldigi and to Harry, W3YJ, for his excellent presentation on the topic. Much of the material on the PA NBEMS web site is Harry's creation.
After years of complaining about the "digital mode de jour" approach being pushed for amateur emergency communications, I now think NBEMS has the potential to acheive sufficient addoption by the amateur community that it would be useful in an actual emergency. While it is being pushed for emergency communications, fldigi itself provides many of the digital modes such as CW, RTTY & PSK that are in everyday ham use so it is not just an EMCOM program.
As it says on the the WPA NBEMS web site:
The NBEMS/FLDIGI software is the perfect package for digital emergency communications because it is:
- FREE!
- Easy to configure
- Easy to use
- Easy to modify and standardize
- Works on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Linux and Mac systems
- Usable without the need for additional/complex/expensive hardware
zeke, AB8OU
Monday, March 28, 2011
Flood Plain Surfing
Well, it did not take long to trip over another item.
The Emergency Management Forum recently had a online program based on a position paper by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), Critical Facilities and Flood Risk. as well as the slides.. While I did not view the presentation, the information in the paper & slides was interesting. I learned a lot about flood plains, levies, 100 and 500 year floods, and why critical infrastructure gets located in flood prone areas. I learned that 100 year flood zone has a 1% chance of flooding each year while 500 year flood zone has a 0.2% per year.and that levies give a false sense of security. While most planning has been based on the 100 year level, the paper questions whether the 500 year level is adequate for the 21st century. Very timely based what happened in Japan this month.
zeke, AB8OU
The Emergency Management Forum recently had a online program based on a position paper by the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), Critical Facilities and Flood Risk. as well as the slides.. While I did not view the presentation, the information in the paper & slides was interesting. I learned a lot about flood plains, levies, 100 and 500 year floods, and why critical infrastructure gets located in flood prone areas. I learned that 100 year flood zone has a 1% chance of flooding each year while 500 year flood zone has a 0.2% per year.and that levies give a false sense of security. While most planning has been based on the 100 year level, the paper questions whether the 500 year level is adequate for the 21st century. Very timely based what happened in Japan this month.
zeke, AB8OU
Back to the Present
Finally, I have moved and updated the set of Emergency Communications Topics that were used for training back in 2006. This updating was requested by our new EC, Dennis - AI8P, since they were only identified by the month and year they were created and he felt that they were being considered irrelevant since they were so old.
Well, for those who keep track, I did do the topic on the available on-line FEMA training recommendations. That topic requires a bit more work and will be up later.
They have been moved to this blog to encourage keeping them up to date and adding new material. There is certainly no shortage of new material available. All I need is the energy and time to get up on my soapbox.
Some topics I hope to address in the near future are:
Well, for those who keep track, I did do the topic on the available on-line FEMA training recommendations. That topic requires a bit more work and will be up later.
They have been moved to this blog to encourage keeping them up to date and adding new material. There is certainly no shortage of new material available. All I need is the energy and time to get up on my soapbox.
Some topics I hope to address in the near future are:
- Volunteer Reception Centers (VRC)
- Background Checks
- Digital Modes de Jour
- Message Handling
- Changing Role of Hams in Emergency Communications
- Training, Training and More Training
Stay tuned.
zeke, AB8OU
Friday, March 25, 2011
Message Authoring
One of the age-old questions is who authors the ECOM message; them or us. There is no question about who authors service messages about net operations, frequencies, relief operators, etc.
Very few ECOM operators will have the authority or knowledge to prepare formal messages for a served agency. The ECOM operator may be able to offer suggestions to improve the clarity or minimize the number of words in the message. The ECOM operator shall never change the wording without the approval of the originator of the message. Don’t forget that every formal message must include the signature and title of the originator so who ever receives the message can determine the validity of the message. Where messages must handled by a number of people before reaching the recipient, formal written messages are almost the only way of getting the message through correctly.
Tactical communications is a little different in that it typically involves informal and unwritten messages. The messages may be time critical such as when EMS is needed for an injured individual. The message, like formal messages, should contain as much of the five W’s as practical.
Remember, the ECOM operator should never change the message on their own.
zeke, AB8OU
Very few ECOM operators will have the authority or knowledge to prepare formal messages for a served agency. The ECOM operator may be able to offer suggestions to improve the clarity or minimize the number of words in the message. The ECOM operator shall never change the wording without the approval of the originator of the message. Don’t forget that every formal message must include the signature and title of the originator so who ever receives the message can determine the validity of the message. Where messages must handled by a number of people before reaching the recipient, formal written messages are almost the only way of getting the message through correctly.
Tactical communications is a little different in that it typically involves informal and unwritten messages. The messages may be time critical such as when EMS is needed for an injured individual. The message, like formal messages, should contain as much of the five W’s as practical.
- WHO – Who is originating the request, a ham or a nurse who is treating a victim?
- WHAT – What is needed, EMS, a fire truck, ?
- WHERE – Where is it needed, address, or location, directions ..?
- WHEN – How urgent? A marathon runner needs picked up or an ambulance?
- WHY – Bad cut which is squirting blood, fell down bleacher steps,..?
Remember, the ECOM operator should never change the message on their own.
zeke, AB8OU
Who’s the boss?
One of the points made at a Red Cross forum at Dayton a number of years ago was why they like amateur
radio volunteers who have had the Level I EMCOM course. The Red Cross speaker felt that the amateurs who completed the course come in with a good attitude.
One of the course lessons emphasizes that “attitude” is even more important than communication skills. A professional and helpful attitude does wonders in achieving acceptance of amateur radio volunteers by a served agency. Remember that you are working for the served agency either as a contract employee through ARES or directly as a volunteer employee.
The served agencies are bureaucracies and have their own policies and procedures that must be followed. Our job is not to question or comment on how dumb we think their procedures are or to tell them how they should be doing their job. We need to meet their needs; including performing any task that we are asked to do as long as we are qualified to do, not just playing radio and passing messages.
Remember who the boss is!.
We are there to serve, not to run the show. A poor attitude creates problems in getting amateur radio accepted as a valuable participant in disaster response. We need to be considered part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Have you had your attitude adjustment?
zeke, AB8OU
radio volunteers who have had the Level I EMCOM course. The Red Cross speaker felt that the amateurs who completed the course come in with a good attitude.
One of the course lessons emphasizes that “attitude” is even more important than communication skills. A professional and helpful attitude does wonders in achieving acceptance of amateur radio volunteers by a served agency. Remember that you are working for the served agency either as a contract employee through ARES or directly as a volunteer employee.
The served agencies are bureaucracies and have their own policies and procedures that must be followed. Our job is not to question or comment on how dumb we think their procedures are or to tell them how they should be doing their job. We need to meet their needs; including performing any task that we are asked to do as long as we are qualified to do, not just playing radio and passing messages.
Remember who the boss is!.
We are there to serve, not to run the show. A poor attitude creates problems in getting amateur radio accepted as a valuable participant in disaster response. We need to be considered part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Have you had your attitude adjustment?
zeke, AB8OU
"Our Net Control is Missing"
Way back in March 2006, Gary Hoffman’s, KB0H, column “The Amateur Amateur: Our Net Controller is Missing” appeared on the ARRL web site. He related the story when forgot one night that he was the net control station for their weekly net and no backup NCS made it either. In the absence of any of the regular net control stations, the awaiting participants jumped in and ran the net. They knew what needed to be done, knew how it was done, and did it.
How would your local net do? Would someone step up and run the net if the net control did not show up? Or would there just be a number of kerkunks as the lurkers check to see if the repeater is alive?
In a real emergency, who would get the nets going if none of the group's leadership or net controls is available? It’s been reported that typically 75% of an emergency response organization may not be available when an emergency occurs. They may be victims, been evacuated, busy taking care of the immediate needs of their family, out of town on business or vacation, etc.
Part of training is having been through an experience so than when you encounter it for real, part of your response is more automatic. Would you jump in and do a net if no NCS shows up? Remember, all the other participants on the net are so happy that they don't have to step up as the NCS that they will consider your performance to be outstanding no matter how bad you think you were.
Better yet, get experience as net control when you can prepare for it rather than having it suddenly thrust upon you. Volunteer to run a net occasionally or fill in for the regular net control when they are on vacation or out of town.
zeke, AB8OU
How would your local net do? Would someone step up and run the net if the net control did not show up? Or would there just be a number of kerkunks as the lurkers check to see if the repeater is alive?
In a real emergency, who would get the nets going if none of the group's leadership or net controls is available? It’s been reported that typically 75% of an emergency response organization may not be available when an emergency occurs. They may be victims, been evacuated, busy taking care of the immediate needs of their family, out of town on business or vacation, etc.
Part of training is having been through an experience so than when you encounter it for real, part of your response is more automatic. Would you jump in and do a net if no NCS shows up? Remember, all the other participants on the net are so happy that they don't have to step up as the NCS that they will consider your performance to be outstanding no matter how bad you think you were.
Better yet, get experience as net control when you can prepare for it rather than having it suddenly thrust upon you. Volunteer to run a net occasionally or fill in for the regular net control when they are on vacation or out of town.
zeke, AB8OU
I'll Be There If You Need Me
Another training topic from 2006 came about after reading an ARRL E-Letter. It may be even more pertinent today than it was in 2006 which had a much higher level of ham participation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Here is an updated version of the topic.
.The March 15, 2006 issue of the ARRL E-Letter included the following in its comments on the “TOPOFF 3” disaster drill:. “On the negative side the drill was held on a weekday with some workers who could not get time off to participate. Others were required to take vacation time to participate. The drill went 36 hours straight in the beginning, which also provided a number of challenges.”
This will always be a problem with volunteer groups. Federal, state and local agencies want to schedule meeting and drills during their working hours. This increases the value of active members a group who are retired.
To be effective, we need to have trained and experienced operators that will show up when needed. This requires participation in drills and public service events and completing training classes. If you say “I don’t have time take the training or to participate in the drills and public service events but I will be there if you need me in an emergency.”, how will you get the training, experience, and qualifications you need? While our participation in these activities are often not really needed or appreciated in some cases, we need the experience in handling communications and working as part of the team.
When our local group was placed on standby to man and provide communications for the Katrina shelters were being prepared, would we have been able to provide the trained manpower to meet the requirements for a 24/7 operation over an extended period? Since we were not put to the test thats time, we will never know. Other local groups have been put to the test and came through. That does not stop me from worrying. One time we had a small activation and just squeaked through. Disasters should never be allowed to occur on Field Day! (I'll be there when you need me except ...)
We don’t get to vote on when our services are required, we just need to respond when requested. But we need to respond with trained and qualified people. Hams are needed who can be part of the solution, not ones who add to the problem.
zeke, AB8OU
.The March 15, 2006 issue of the ARRL E-Letter included the following in its comments on the “TOPOFF 3” disaster drill:. “On the negative side the drill was held on a weekday with some workers who could not get time off to participate. Others were required to take vacation time to participate. The drill went 36 hours straight in the beginning, which also provided a number of challenges.”
This will always be a problem with volunteer groups. Federal, state and local agencies want to schedule meeting and drills during their working hours. This increases the value of active members a group who are retired.
To be effective, we need to have trained and experienced operators that will show up when needed. This requires participation in drills and public service events and completing training classes. If you say “I don’t have time take the training or to participate in the drills and public service events but I will be there if you need me in an emergency.”, how will you get the training, experience, and qualifications you need? While our participation in these activities are often not really needed or appreciated in some cases, we need the experience in handling communications and working as part of the team.
When our local group was placed on standby to man and provide communications for the Katrina shelters were being prepared, would we have been able to provide the trained manpower to meet the requirements for a 24/7 operation over an extended period? Since we were not put to the test thats time, we will never know. Other local groups have been put to the test and came through. That does not stop me from worrying. One time we had a small activation and just squeaked through. Disasters should never be allowed to occur on Field Day! (I'll be there when you need me except ...)
We don’t get to vote on when our services are required, we just need to respond when requested. But we need to respond with trained and qualified people. Hams are needed who can be part of the solution, not ones who add to the problem.
zeke, AB8OU
Assured Power
Lt. General Russell Honore, who headed the military response in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, gave a talk "Military Response to Hurricane Katrina" to The Houston Forum on February 13, 2006.which was carried by CSPAN. This talk inspired a training topic presented to the Summit County ARES® group which is as valid today as it was in 2006. The following is a updated version of what was presented in February 2006.
One of the many points made by General Honore was the need for BAG's ("Big Awsome Generators"). Without power you don't have communications or much else. Where do they put the back-up generators that do exist? In the basement! How many gas stations have emergency generators? If you cannot get the fuel out of the tanks, how can you refuel generators, emergency vehicles, evacuation vehicles, or IBB's ("Itty Bitty Boats") when a disaster occurs?
As an amateur radio operator, what emergency power sources do you have available?
Who has generators? If you have a generator, how much fuel do you have on hand? Where could you find additional fuel to keep the generator running?
How many fully charged battery packs do you have for your handhelds? Are you sure they are charged? How long will backup batteries last? Can you charge or operate your handheld off a car battery? Can you recharge batteries with solar cells if the sun is out? Can you use alkaline batteries with your handhelds? Do you have a stock of alkaline batteries on hand?
How would you power your HF rigs?
The time to think about and act on these questions is before a disaster strikes. That means the time to act on these questions is right now.
zeke, AB8OU
“
One of the many points made by General Honore was the need for BAG's ("Big Awsome Generators"). Without power you don't have communications or much else. Where do they put the back-up generators that do exist? In the basement! How many gas stations have emergency generators? If you cannot get the fuel out of the tanks, how can you refuel generators, emergency vehicles, evacuation vehicles, or IBB's ("Itty Bitty Boats") when a disaster occurs?
As an amateur radio operator, what emergency power sources do you have available?
Who has generators? If you have a generator, how much fuel do you have on hand? Where could you find additional fuel to keep the generator running?
How many fully charged battery packs do you have for your handhelds? Are you sure they are charged? How long will backup batteries last? Can you charge or operate your handheld off a car battery? Can you recharge batteries with solar cells if the sun is out? Can you use alkaline batteries with your handhelds? Do you have a stock of alkaline batteries on hand?
How would you power your HF rigs?
The time to think about and act on these questions is before a disaster strikes. That means the time to act on these questions is right now.
zeke, AB8OU
“
Unauthorized or Unconfirmed Information and Rumors
The Sago coal mine explosion in West Virginia in January 2006 was the basis for a training topic with the Summit County ARES® group. The topic is as valid today as it was in 2006. The following is a updated version of what was presented in January 2006 .
During a coal mine disaster, miscommunication with the rescue crews resulted in the initial belief that there were a large number of survivors. What initially appeared to be good news rapidly spread through the use of cell phones. The corrected information of only one survivor was not immediately released.
Fortunately, amateur radio was not part in this incident. However, it is very easy to picture a similar situation involving amateur radio operators. We always have to be alert to what we say over the air.
Amateur radio should not be responsible for the spread of unconfirmed information or rumors. We must also think about how the words we use could be misinterpreted. “We need more bodies over here.” may not be the best choice of words to use over the air.
Always think about what you are saying over the air. There can always be media and others listing to amateur communications. Never pass unauthorized information or your personal comments over the air when working emergency communications.
zeke, AB8OU
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
This blog is intended to capture thoughts on a variety of amateur radio emergency communication topics. Much of the material will be based on my experiences as an AEC with the Summit County, Ohio Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) ® group. The views expressed are strictly my own or if anyone is brave enough to be a guest blogger, they will be the views of that author.
I hope to cover training topics, references to websites which may be of interest, software that might be of benefit in emergency communication activities, lessons learned from drills and public service events, and my random thoughts on what is going on with amateur radio emergency communications.
zeke, AB8OU
"ARES” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Service” are registered servicemarks of the American Radio Relay League, Incorporated and are used by permission.
"ARES” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Service” are registered servicemarks of the American Radio Relay League, Incorporated and are used by permission.
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