Fw: The ARES? Letter for May 21, 2025
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Next week’s special will be conducted on Tuesday,
May 27. Event description: Discover how to setup WSJT-X for FT8 and FT4 along
with homebrew 10 and 15 meter antennas to participate in this year's ARRL Field Day. We’ll cover:
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WSJT-X installation and setup
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How to operate FT8 and FT4
- Demonstration of each with
a homebrew 10 meter antenna as featured in the May/June On the Air Magazine
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WSJT-X specific setup for ARRL Field Day
--Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, ARRL Education and Learning Manager
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The ARES – Building Relationships
in Public Service forum was held Sunday, May 18 at the Dayton Hamvention?
with excellent attendance. ARRL Director of
Emergency Management Josh Johnston,
KE5MHV, gave an overview of the goals and direction of the ARES program, recent
developments, and how partnerships and collaboration are crucial. He reviewed developments in ARES resources
that he and his staff have worked on. Johnston noted that we are celebrating
90 years of ARES this year and talked about how community service
and emergency communications have evolved recently, and why the Amateur Radio
Service is as critical as ever in a robust disaster plan. Johnston also talked
about being ready, responsive, and resilient for any incidents and events.
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Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, ARRL Director of Emergency Management,
speaks about the goals and direction of the ARES program at the ARES forum at
Hamvention this past weekend. [Rick Palm, K1CE, photo] | | | |
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More than 280 amateur radio operators volunteered during the 129th
running
of the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2025. Operators were working at virtually
every location connected with the race, including the starting line, the entire
course, the finish line, transportation, and various operations
centers, including
the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the State EOC Unified Command
Center (UCC), and the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) Race Operations Center
(ROC) in Boston. Combined, they performed
communications duties that included
logistics support as a primary function and backup support for medical and other
public safety requests for the race as needed. “This is one of the largest public
service events amateur radio supports in the United States and planning started
over 6 months in advance,” said Rob Macedo, KD1CY, of the BAA Communications Committee.
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Hurricane
Season is Here: Prepare Now--Use the National Weather Service’s (NWS) reminders and take the time to find out how rain, wind,
water, and even tornadoes could happen far inland from where a hurricane or tropical
storm makes landfall. Learn how to prepare for how a hurricane
could affect family
members living in the more hurricane-prone areas of the country. . FEMA has two
fact sheets: “Hurricane Hazard Information Sheet” and “Power Outage Hazard
Information Sheet.” The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
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Hurricane
Prep your Station--Ensure availability of an emergency backup power source,
i.e., gas-powered generators, and 12-13 V batteries, check all antenna and radio connections;
and check into your local and section ARES nets and become familiar with them
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The Hurricane
Watch Net (HWN), founded on Labor Day weekend in 1965, is celebrating
its 60th anniversary in 2025. The net, known for relaying surface observations
into the National Hurricane Center, is also seeking volunteers to serve as net
control operators. Net Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, reports HWN is preparing
for what could be, yet again, an above?-average hurricane season, and that the
net needs more amateur radio operators to help.
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“We are starting early this year in preparations and looking to add more
net control stations to our roster,” said Graves. “We are looking for dedicated
new members willing to train to become net control operators (NCOs). While being
bilingual is not a requirement, being fluent in Spanish and English
or French/Creole
and English is a plus.” If you are interested in training to become a net control
operator for the Hurricane Watch Net, please visit HWN’s .
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Armed Forces Day Crossband Test
--The annual Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband
Test, hosted by the Department of Defense, was conducted on Saturday, May 10.
The event tested two-way communications between military stations and amateur radio operators
as authorized by the FCC. The test provided opportunities—and challenges—for
operators to evaluate their individual technical skills in a controlled scenario
that did not impact public or private communications. The annual DOD
message was
to be transmitted via RTTY on 14.667 kHz at 1400 and 2000 UTC. Military stations
transmitted on selected military frequencies and announced the specific Amateur
Radio Service frequencies that were to be monitored. All scheduled transmissions
were upper sideband (USB) unless otherwise noted. For more than 50 years, military
and amateur stations have taken part in this event.
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“Med Comms is Providing First Aid
at Aid Station Three” |
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By
Erik Westgard, NY9D, Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator
for Events, ARRL Minnesota Section
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One of
my favorite running races is held in late April in Minnesota — it’s a good
opportunity to shake off the cobwebs of winter. This race is a 5K and 10K along
the scenic Mississippi River in the heart of Minneapolis/St. Paul. A half marathon
was added, starting near the State Capitol and down historic Summit Avenue.
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Medical communications is managed by volunteer hams in the
Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. The
office has a comms truck that we sign
out and use every year to support the event. We partner with the office on the
deployment of mesh for video and databases for injured runner tracking as well as D-STAR for high-speed data.
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I support the medical director, bringing
my team. We recruit the medics, and the director’s team recruits the hams. The
crossover is remarkable. The last time I worked this race I was assigned as the medic at Station One.
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This year, Peter Corbett, KD8GBL, and I were assigned to Station Three.
The barricades were already up but I grabbed a temporary parking spot for the
radio pickup and medical briefing. I moved the barricade (we were in a Minneapolis
park) for the arriving St. Paul command truck. I was handed a Motorola APX 6000;
I made a note to order a desk charger for these radios for our van. We were on
a public safety talk group, with a two-meter FM repeater as backup.
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At the medical briefing, I asked about the use
of Epi pens on the course. The answer was if there is a bee sting, call 911. “Epi
pens are expensive and perishable, so we don’t issue them.” The MD said rectal
temps were the only way to get a reliable internal temperature;
over 104 degrees
was a sign of trouble. The overall idea was to handle the minor issues if qualified
to handle them. The major issues? “Don’t hesitate to call 911.” At the last
minute, the medics for Station Three were asked to staff a temporary station at
Seven for the 5K/10K, and then move.
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Peter and I stopped at Seven. There was already a Med Comms volunteer there,
so we went to our stop, which was hard to find with the main road and related
intersections closed off. It did not actually have a street address, just a dot
on a map. (Street addresses are generally required for 911.)
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It was 08:30 with our 1,700 runners due at 09:30. Our medics
were not present. We hoisted the medical
flutter flag up with help from the fluid
station captain. We opened the large medical suitcase and located the AED, which
was blinking, a good sign. There was a cooler and ice, but no towels for heat
stroke treatment (it was 50 degrees so they probably wouldn’t be needed anyway).
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We found a rented UHF medical radio set on the medical channel, but we were told
to move to the race ops channel. I called in, and the doc answered. “Med Comms
is here at Three, with no medic yet.” Peter called in on the Med
Comms radio
with the same message. After 9 AM, we made a decision: Since I had current CERT,
AHA Basic First Aid, and CPR/AED certifications, I was assigned as Medical Lead.
Peter was assistant medical lead and Comms. I put on the medical vest. Peter had
his bike but no “mobile” first aid kit.
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At 9:30, we saw the first runners. I called in to Doc, “Med Comms providing
Basic First Aid at Aid Station Three.” They wanted a nearby street address.
With my CERT training, triage became easy: “Are you OK?” If the runner asks
for a bandage for a blister, good. If the runner is face down (or face up) on
the pavement or having chest pain or is beet red (heatstroke?), call 911.
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Around 10:00, our medics arrived, walking in from the distant parking lot.
They were friendly. I handed over the orange vest and we settled into our backup
role. We had one person ask for ibuprofen, and another asked for Vaseline.
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Lessons Learned
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In our experience, there is limited government demand in 2025
for highly trained and credentialed emergency radio communications-only volunteers.
On the other hand, our events (and increasingly,
disaster recovery operations)
are in need of cheerful, trusted volunteers to step slightly outside the box.
Medical professional and volunteer shortages still pose challenges. Properly-trained
volunteers can provide basic first aid and CPR, and use of an AED is permitted.
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Peter Corbett, KD8GBL, left, with Erik Westgard, NY9D, on station.
[Photo courtesy of Erik Westgard, NY9D] | | | |
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ARRL
Simulated Emergency Test: Operation Pungent Waters |
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The morning of October 5, 2024, was
perfect for an exercise with clear weather, temperatures in the upper 60s, and
a high for the day in the mid 80s. Our Simulated Emergency Test (SET) in St. Charles
County, Missouri, started with a page-out to the ARES? volunteers
at 0800 and
then arrival at staging at around 0845. Some 40 volunteers attended, including
from the O’Fallon Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) under the O’Fallon
Police Department, ARES registrants, and representatives from St. Charles County
Regional Emergency Management (REM).
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The scenario was a 500-year flood, similar in scope to the . CERT was deployed to the Katy Trail trailhead near the Duckett Creek water
treatment plant. This plant was almost lost to flood waters in 1993 so the scenario
was realistic. CERT members would undertake sandbagging operations at Duckett
Creek while the Emergency Communications Association (ECA, sponsoring corporation
for St. Charles County ARES) communications trailer was staged at Bible Baptist
Church in St. Charles, close to the sandbag site.
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The scenario
involved rising waters that could soon overcome the sandbagging operation. Air
Force Military Auxiliary Radio Service (AF
MARS) was contacted to bring in Corps
of Engineers assistance with Portadam assets to help keep flood water out of the
treatment plant. AF MARS traffic into the St. Charles County Regional Emergency
Management Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was relayed to staging and from there
to the CERT at the Duckett Creek sandbag site.
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This exercise required the participants to keep track of formal messages
using ICS-213 forms and logging radio traffic on QLOG5, which served as the ICS-309
radio log. ICS-214 forms were used to keep track of personnel assignments and time in each position.
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Staging operated out of the communications trailer with two
dual-band operating positions: one HF transceiver (Icom IC-7100) into a GR-2259
NVIS antenna and one logging position. One lesson learned from the exercise is
to ensure the remote tuner was mounted at the base of the bottom pole of the NVIS antenna, not placed on the ground.
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This exercise featured several aspects of training
that are required for new members to have signed off in their . St. Charles County ARES has several
new members and some older members who need to complete their skills books. The
following are directly related to the training requirements:
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Proper documentation of deployment using ICS-214
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Proper documentation of traffic using ICS-213
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Traffic logging using ICS-309 (QLOG5)
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Participation in SET or similar exercise
- Use of tactical call signs in a net
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Participation in net operations
Initial communications between staging and Duckett Creek
were sketchy but after some troubleshooting and changing the antenna, communications
were clear and easy. The ICS-205 allocated HVTAC 7 (146.595 MHz) as the primary
frequency for staging to Duckett Creek with HVTAC 6 (146.505 MHz) as the backup frequency.
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Staging to EOC was via the 145.490 MHz repeater with the RBARC 145.410 MHz repeater
as backup. For local communications, the CERT team used FRS channel 5. HF frequencies
used were 7.263 MHz as primary for AF MARS and 8.263 MHz as backup. The Red Cross
passed its traffic on the 145.49 MHz repeater.
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Lessons Learned
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All participants did a great job handling the traffic, and cooperation
between agencies was exceptional. There were lessons learned with regard to safety,
traffic handling and antenna installation.
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The exercise was constructed in four phases: Deployment; First Operational
Shift; Second Operational Shift; and Demobilization. This allowed rotating communications crews and
learning the mobilization and demobilization processes with different teams. All
attendees had a part in the various aspects of the exercise with cross training
in the skills required. The exercise then concluded with a hot-wash critique and lunch.
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Participating agencies included AF MARS in Washington County, Missouri;
American
Red Cross of St. Louis; Bible Baptist Church in St. Charles, Missouri; State Emergency
Management Agency in Jefferson City; St. Charles County Regional Emergency Management, O’Fallon, and O’Fallon CERT.
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With what has happened in the southeast during last year'
s hurricane season,
this exercise scenario seemed appropriate. Planning started months in advance
and included several meetings over lunch, video conferences and telephone discussions.
Thanks went to all the entities involved, and to the participants themselves for
making it a very successful test. --Bill Grimsbo, N?PNP, District C Emergency
Coordinator; Emergency Coordinator, St. Charles County, Missouri
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Letters:
Net Control Station Helpers |
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In the process of evaluating some software,
I discovered that there are several popular packages used by net control operators
to keep track of net business. I was unaware of most of them. It seems like it
would be a good idea to let people know about them, and it would also be a great
way to recognize the authors. Here's a list of some of the packages--there may be more:
This is an area of interest to many hams and with severe
weather season already upon us, it would be a timely topic. -- Ward Silver, N?AX
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K1CE
for a Final: WD4R Wins Dayton Hamvention Special Achievement Award |
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Longtime friend and colleague Julio
Ripoll, WD4R, Assistant Coordinator of station WX4NHC, the amateur station at the
National Hurricane Center, won the Hamvention’s Special Achievement Award for
this year. His fascination with hurricanes began in childhood, sparked when Hurricane
Betsy in 1965 damaged his family’s home in Miami, Florida, causing water to pour into his bedroom.
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In 1980, Dr. Neal Frank, then Director of the
National Hurricane Center (NHC), requested an amateur radio station in the center to facilitate communication with the
Caribbean during hurricanes. Julio was chosen for this important task. What is
now WX4NHC handled its first hurricane that year, and Julio’s initial two-year
assignment with the NHC has since extended to 45 years, covering over 100 hurricanes.
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In 2010, shortly after the Haiti earthquake,
Julio was tasked with setting up and managing operations between the University
of Miami (UM) Hospital in Florida and the UM field hospital in Haiti. He swiftly
coordinated with US and Haitian officials, organizing a team
of amateur radio
operators from across the US to run HH2/WX4NHC in Haiti. Beyond the field hospital,
the team provided vital communication links to the US Navy hospital ship Comfort,
facilitating helicopter and speed-boat patient transfers that saved many lives.
Julio and his team’s use of amateur radio in public service demonstrated significant
merit, earning high regard for amateur radio capabilities.
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Having worked with Julio since the mid-eighties, and attending amateur radio workshops at the annual
National Hurricane Conference with him over the years, I have seen him demonstrate
the ability to energize his team of operators for the mission of the National
Hurricane Center. He has a magnetic personality, sense of humor
and most of all,
excitement, professionalism, confidence and skill, all factors in the huge success
of the amateur radio-weather service connection, a symbiotic relationship nurtured
by decades of service. Congratulations, Julio! —Rick Palm, K1CE
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The
Amateur Radio Emergency Service?
(ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications
and equipment with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public
service when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership
in ARRL or any other local or national organization is eligible to apply for membership
in ARES. Training may be required or desired to participate
fully in ARES. Please
inquire at the local level for specific information. Because ARES is an amateur
radio program, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible for membership. The possession
of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership.
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How to
Get Involved in ARES: Fill out the
and
submit it to your local Emergency Coordinator.
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ARES? is a program of
. No other organization works harder than ARRL to promote
and protect amateur radio! ARRL members enjoy many benefits and services including
digital magazines, e-newsletters, online learning
(),
and technical support. Membership also supports programs for radio clubs, on-air
contests, Logbook of The World?, ARRL Field Day, and the all-volunteer ARRL Field Organization.
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Join ARRL or renew today!
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Copyright ? 2025 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated.
Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is permitted
for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution. All other purposes require written permission.
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ARRL
225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1400
· 860-594-0200 |
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? 2025 - ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio?
from this list.
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-- Tyson Brooks W7BL
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KK7MA, Mike
