The ARES E-Letter for June 19, 2013

[ARRL Web site]

********************************************
The ARES E-Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League
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June 19, 2013

Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE <k1...@arrl.net>

In This Issue:

IN THIS ISSUE

- Hurricane Center Station Test Proves Readiness
- National Traffic System Digital Hums Along
- Southern Florida EC Wins Award for Leadership
- Georgia EMA, FEMA, ARES Test Mobile Command Vehicles
- Gulf Coast Amateur Radio Club Presents at Military Officers Meeting
- Renowned Storm Chaser Tim Samaras, WJ0G, Killed in Oklahoma Tornado
- Public Outreach with NTS Messaging
- 2013 Hurricane Season Forecast: "Active"
- 2013 Hurricane Season On-the-Air Monitoring Checklist
- Hurricane Season 2013: Keep ARRL HQ Informed, July Hurricane Webinar
Planned
- K1CE for a Final: Try New Things

______________

==> HURRICANE CENTER STATION TEST PROVES READINESS

On June 1st, the National Hurricane Center <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>
station WX4NHC <http://www2.fiu.edu/orgs/w4ehw/>was activated for its
annual on-the-air live event to test radio equipment, antennas and
computers for the 2013 hurricane season. "As part of our test, we
operated on most of the modes that are available to us at WX4NHC,
including HF phone and CW, HF/VHF APRS, EchoLink/IRLP, VHF/UHF simplex
and local repeaters, and received reports via our on-line Hurricane
Report form and email," reported Julio Ripoll, WD4R, WX4NHC Amateur
Radio Assistant Coordinator. "All of our radios, seven antennas and two
dedicated computers tested well. Although the HF propagation in the
morning was very poor due to a solar storm, operators managed to make
contacts with many states, Caribbean Islands and South America, mainly
on 20 meters."

The afternoon VoIP Hurricane Net <http://www.voipwx.net/> on
EchoLink/IRLP was very

successful, with over 100 contacts made. "We made a special direct
contact, the first that I can remember, with Bob Robichaud, VE1MBR, at
the Canadian Hurricane Center," Ripoll said.

Amateur Radio station WX4NHC has been a permanent part of NHC for 33
years and has 30 dedicated volunteer operators that operate the station
in shifts during hurricane situations in the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf
and East Pacific.

==> NATIONAL TRAFFIC SYSTEM DIGITAL HUMS ALONG

The National Traffic System Digital <http://www.arrl.org/nts> (NTSD)
consists of a group of fully automated store and forward bulletin board
systems known as Mail Box Operations (MBO) or hubs operating on HF
using high speed Pactor 3 protocols on a 24/7 basis moving formal
message traffic. The goal of NTSD is to move that traffic via digital
means to the closest point of delivery at which point it is then
removed from the automated system by operators known as Digital Relay
Stations (DRS). The DRS then take this traffic to the manual NTS system
via the nets at region, section, and local levels for any additional
necessary relay and ultimate delivery.
There were a total of 12,425 pieces of message traffic handled by
Eastern (eastern portion of the United States) Area NTSD during May.
This was accomplished by 8 automated MBO stations representing NTS
regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 and a total of 39 individual Digital Relay
Stations reporting at regional, section, or local NTS levels. A similar
level of activity for May also existed in both the Central and Pacific
Areas of NTSD.

This data for May 2013 is notable for two reasons. First it is the
first time the report includes activity data from Peter Dintelmann,
DL4FN/DF0NTS, operating in the role of German Digital Relay Station
(DEU DRS). Peter's participation along with that of Greg Mossop, G0DUB,
in his position as the Emergency Coordinator for the International
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) , Region 1, represents a new initiative
towards the future development of a fully global automated digital
amateur to amateur emergency communication messaging system. The second
is that this report is the last one from Jerry Galloway, KD8CYK,
Michigan Digital Relay Station. I would like to thank Jerry for his
many years of dedicated service to NTSD and Michigan NTS. - Dave
Struebel, WB2FTX, Eastern Area Digital Coordinator, National Traffic
System Digital

==> SOUTHERN FLORIDA EC WINS AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP

May 22, 2013, Ft. Myers, Florida -- Larry Zimmer, W4LWZ, ARES EC for
Lee County was presented the General James H. Doolittle Award
<http://www.setp.org/criteria/james-h-doolittle-award.html> by Lee
County EOC Operations Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi. The General James H.
Doolittle Award is "Presented to volunteers who exemplify the

volunteer spirit in their generous commitment of time, effort, and
support to our endeavors." The award is relatively new, with the first
recipient being John Ludlum in 2010. Larry is only the second volunteer
to receive it. - ARRL Southern Florida Section News

==> GEORGIA EMA, FEMA, ARES TEST MOBILE COMMAND VEHICLES

Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), conducted a test deployment of Mobile Command
Vehicles (MCV) during the week of May 13 through May 16, 2013. The test
at Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain, Georgia, was to demonstrate and
examine the capabilities of the MCV's. ARES was called upon to test its
capabilities during field operations there.

The Georgia Statewide ARES HF Net was called into special sessions on
Tuesday, May 14, from 9 AM until 5 PM, and on Wednesday, May 15, from 8
AM until 5 PM. A net was called each hour during the day for check-ins
and traffic. Several different Net Control Stations were used and
tested.

A special session of the Georgia State Net (GSN) was called at 10:30 AM
on Tuesday, on 3549 KHz medium speed CW with a special session of the
Georgia Digital PSK31 Net called on Wednesday, on 3583 KHz at 10:30 AM.
Other special nets were called as needed.

In addition to the statewide HF Nets, Georgia D-STAR and Georgia
WINLINK 2000 systems were active. Several repeaters in the metro
Atlanta area were also active in support of these operations. All ARES
operators and groups were encouraged to participate in this drill to
demonstrate the capabilities of Amateur Radio.

Tom Holcomb, K5AES, of Tucker, Georgia, operated station WX4GMA at GEMA
HQ. He reported that the DeKalb ARES VHF repeater on 145.45 MHz,
located in Exchange Park was originally listed as the main service, but
the signal from the MCV site was degraded/blocked by Stone Mountain, so
the W4BOC VHF Repeater (146.76 MHz), on top of Stone Mountain, was
utilized with permission. "The communications were basically good for
the entire exercise with the expected weaker HF signals from the MCV
Teams due to the close proximity of the State Operations Center (SOC)
to Stone Mountain Park," Holcomb said. "However, all MCV teams were
able to make contact with the SOC on HF to verify their task
completion. Most messages were comprised of MCV Grid Coordinates for
location. VHF D-STAR repeaters also provided clear reliable
communications from the MCVs to the SOC." -- ARRL Georgia Section ARES
website <http://gaares.org/> and other reports

==> GULF COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB PRESENTS AT MILITARY OFFICERS MEETING

On March 28, 2013, Gulf Coast Amateur Radio Club (Port Richey, Florida)
president Bill Pfaff Jr., KI4QJK, gave a presentation to the Military
Officers Association of America <http://www.moaa.org/>, Sun Coast
Chapter, Port Richey, Florida. The presentation consisted of the
history of Amateur Radio -- the hobby aspects, and its long record of
community service and emergency communications. Pfaff had set-up a
typical ham "shack" with all of the items found in most stations. He
handed out brochures on hurricane preparation from the Pasco County
Florida, Office of Emergency Management. Those present were amazed at
the current state of Amateur Radio and the advancement of the hobby and
its importance in providing emergency communications. The fact that we
can communicate with the International Space Station and the hobby is
growing more now than ever, was dazzling to the audience. Pfaff
received a certificate of appreciation and a gift from the MOAA Chapter
President Robert Ayers., Col U.S. Army (Ret) that showed their
appreciation for his presentation. - ARRL West Central Florida Section
News

==> RENOWNED STORM CHASER TIM SAMARAS, WJ0G, KILLED IN OKLAHOMA TORNADO

Professional storm chasers Tim Samaras, WJ0G, his son Paul Samaras and
fellow investigator Carl Young were killed
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130602-tim-samaras-dead-storm-chaser-tornadoes-reno-oklahoma-tornado/?source=hp_dl1_news_samaras_dies_20130603>
on May 31 near El Reno, Oklahoma when an EF5 tornado suddenly changed
paths and slammed into their vehicle; they were unable to escape.
According to ABC News
<http://abcnews.go.com/US/storm-chasers-tim-samaras-paul-samaras-carl-young/story?id=19308572#.UazVo0pIFWV>,
Tim Samaras -- an ARRL member -- was found dead in his car, still in
his seat belt; Paul Samaras and Young were pulled from the car by the
tornado; one of the men was found a half-mile away.

National Geographic Society Vice President for Research, Conservation
and Exploration John Francis told
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/tim-samaras-2-other-storm-chasers-killed-in-oklahoma-colleagues-mourn/2013/06/03/6424851e-cc46-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html>
The Washington Post that he fears that there are too many people
jamming the roadways in pursuit of twisters and that this might have
contributed to Friday's fatalities. In a May 2013 online interview
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/06/130602-tim-samaras-dead-storm-chaser-tornadoes-last-interview-weather/>
with National Geographic, Samaras told of the increase in the number of
storm chasers in recent years. "There's lots and lots of storm chasers
out there, but you can probably count on one hand the number of people
who go out into the field and collect data from tornadoes," he said.
"We run into [storm chasers] all the time. On a big tornado day in
Oklahoma, you can have hundreds of storm chasers lined up down the
road. Oklahoma is considered the Mecca of storm chasing. We know ahead
of time when we chase in Oklahoma, there's going to be a traffic jam."

The Samarases and Young were with TWISTEX
<http://twistex.org/site/?page_id=2> (Tactical Weather Instrumented
Sampling in/near Tornadoes EXperiment), a scientific field research
program founded by Tim Samaras to "better understand tornadogenesis,
maintenance and decay processes and to gain insight and knowledge of
the seldom sampled near-surface internal tornado environment." The
TWISTEX team has been featured on The Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers
<http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/storm-chasers>. Tim Samaras holds
the Guinness World Record for recording the greatest pressure drop ever
measured inside a tornado
<http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/3000/greatest-pressure-drop-measured-in-a-tornado>
(100 millibars near Manchester, South Dakota on June 24, 2003) and is
the only person to ever record video from inside a tornado.

In his biography
<http://www.weather.com/tv/personalities/Tim-Samaras.html> on The
Weather Channel's website, Tim Samaras said that he used Amateur Radio
equipment when he chased storms. "Being that we are on a scientific
mission," he explained, "we carry about 8-10 probes, along with other
weather instruments, cameras, laptops, GPS navigation, cellular
telephone, ham radio equipment (I'm a ham radio operator), first aid
kit -- in case we come across tornado victims (most of our crew is
first aid trained), tools, winches, saws...well...the whole garage."

"I chase the most powerful storms on the planet," Tim Samaras said in a
video <http://www.thunderchase.com/about> on his personal website
<http://www.thunderchase.com/>. "All my life I've been on a quest to
figure out how these things worked. Tornadoes have represented the
biggest challenge as they are very fleeting in nature and extremely
difficult to pinpoint their proposed destruction. At times I have mixed
feelings about chasing these storms: On one hand they are incredibly
beautiful and on the other hand, these powerful storms can create
devastating damage that change people's lives forever." - ARRL

==> PUBLIC OUTREACH WITH NTS MESSAGING

The ARRL National Traffic System (NTS) routinely passes practice
messages to help operators build and maintain their traffic-handling
skills. One way to create such messages is to solicit them from the
public at preparedness fairs, exhibit booths and, of course, Field Day.

Click here
<http://www.arrl.org/files/media/News/FieldDayPublicMessageForm.pdf>to
download a pre-formatted message form that's guaranteed to make this
process as smooth as possible. Print as many copies as you need and put
them on display along with a sign inviting visitors to send a message.

Disaster preparedness for individuals and families includes having
out-of-state contacts that can be notified in case of an emergency.
When curious visitors approach the table, explain the importance of
having such information. Be sure to emphasize the fact that in a real
incident Amateur radio may be the best way to reach their designated
contacts.

The message form is easy to use. Your "intake" person simply inserts
the addressee and sender information from the visitor and passes the
completed form to the NTS operator, who adds the appropriate header
information and sends the message on a regular traffic net.

It's a terrific way to engage the public and it will heighten their
appreciation for our disaster communication capabilities. -- -- Clara
Woll, KJ6CNO, ARRL Official Relay Station

==> 2013 HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST: "ACTIVE"

Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA <http://www.noaa.gov/index.html>) are calling for an "active or
extremely active" 2013 Atlantic hurricane season. In its initial
outlook for the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season -- which begins June 1
and runs through November 30 -- NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is
forecasting a 70 percent likelihood of 13-20 named storms (winds of 39
miles per hour or higher), of which 7-11 could become hurricanes (winds
of 74 miles per hour or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes
(Category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 miles per hour or higher). These
ranges are well above the seasonal average of 12 named storms, 6
hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.

"With the devastation of [Hurricane] Sandy fresh in our minds, and
another active season predicted, everyone at NOAA is committed to
providing life-saving forecasts in the face of these storms and
ensuring that Americans are prepared and ready ahead of time,"
explained NOAA Acting Administrator Kathryn Sullivan. "As we saw
first-hand with Sandy, it's important to remember that tropical storm
and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds,
torrential rain, flooding and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far
from where the storm first makes landfall."

According to the CPC, the three climate factors that strongly control
Atlantic hurricane activity are expected to come together, producing an
active or extremely active 2013 hurricane season. These three factors
are:

� A continuation of the atmospheric climate pattern, including a strong
West African monsoon, that is responsible for the ongoing era of high
activity for Atlantic hurricanes, which began in 1995.

� Warmer than average water temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean
and Caribbean Sea.

� El Ni�o is not expected to develop and suppress hurricane formation.

"This year, oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic basin
are expected to produce more and stronger hurricanes," said CPC Lead
Seasonal Hurricane Forecaster Gerry Bell. "These conditions include
weaker wind shear, warmer Atlantic waters and conducive winds patterns
coming from Africa."

NOAA cautioned that its seasonal hurricane outlook is not a hurricane
landfall forecast and does not predict how many storms will hit land or
where a storm will strike. - ARRL Letter

==> 2013 HURRICANE SEASON ON-THE-AIR MONITORING CHECKLIST

Monitor major HF hurricane networks during events this season, which is
predicted to be active to extremely active (see story above).

- The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN <http://www.hwn.org/>) on 14.325 MHz is
one of several key players. It serves the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf
of Mexico regions and activates when a storm is within 300 miles of
land, coordinating with the National Hurricane Center (NHC
<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/>) in Miami. Frequent, detailed information is
issued on nets when storms pose a threat to the US mainland. In
addition to hurricane spotting, local communicators may announce that
residents have evacuated from low-lying flood areas. Other amateurs
across the country can help by relaying information, keeping the net
frequency clear and by listening. See the HWN's website
<http://www.hwn.org/> for more information. The net works closely with
WX4NHC <http://www.wx4nhc.com/>, the Amateur Radio station at the NHC.
- The SATERN Net <http://www.satern.org/> (Salvation Army Team
Emergency Radio Network) provides emergency communication support to
the Salvation Army and populations at large. They also handle health
and welfare traffic. SATERN holds high profile nets on 20 meters
(14.265 MHz) during major hurricanes and has a long history of
excellence, discipline and service. Refer to the SATERN website
<http://www.satern.org/> for more information.
- The Maritime Mobile Service Net (MMSN <http://www.mmsn.org/>) meets
on 14.300 MHz and is composed of hams who serve and assist those in
need of communications on the high seas. According to its website
<http://www.mmsn.org/>, the primary purpose of the net is for handling
traffic from maritime mobile stations. The network is recognized by the
United States Coast Guard and has an excellent working relationship
with that agency. The MMSN has handled hundreds of incidents involving
vessels in distress and medical emergencies in remote locations, as
well as passing health and welfare traffic in and out of affected
areas. They also work closely with the NWS and NHC by relaying weather
reports from maritime stations.
- The VoIP SKYWARN and Hurricane Net <http://www.voipwx.net/> operates
by combining both the EchoLink and IRLP linked repeater networks, while
handling critical wide area communications during major severe weather
and tropical events. These operations have gained national stature in
recent years and are a critical partner with WX4NHC. Whenever tropical
weather is imposing a threat to the US mainland and certain other areas
of interest, the VoIP WX net will be fully operational. See the VoIP
SKYWARN website <http://www.voipwx.net/> for more information.

During hurricane events, there are usually two or three regional nets
(usually on 40 or 20 meters) that are key assets to the disaster
response on an ad hoc basis. Watch for these nets, as well as the
nationally recognized networks described above, this season. Don't
transmit on their frequencies unless you are absolutely sure you have
something substantive to add, and then only under the direction of the
net control station. - K1CE

==> HURRICANE SEASON 2013: KEEP ARRL HQ INFORMED, JULY HURRICANE
WEBINAR PLANNED

ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, KI1U, added that when
ARES activates in response to any tropical event, it is crucial that
information flows up through the ARRL Section and is reported to ARRL
Headquarters. "These reports allow us to develop the situational
awareness and disaster intelligence that is required for us as an
organization to support the Sections that are impacted," he explained.
"In this way, we are able to respond to relevant requests from the
media and finally to coordinate with the governmental and
non-governmental organizations. This information also allows us to make
the decision at Headquarters on whether to activate the ARRL HQ
Emergency Response Team to support and coordinate the operations."

Corey noted that in July, the ARRL will host a webinar on the 2013
Atlantic hurricane season. Details will be posted on the ARRL website
and in the ARES E-Letter <http://www.arrl.org/ares-e-letter>, the
official ARRL ARES Twitter feed <http://www.twitter.com/arrl_emcomm>,
as well as in The ARRL Letter. All those interested in public service
and disaster communications are invited to participate. - ARRL HQ

==> K1CE FOR A FINAL: TRY NEW THINGS

I recently loaded the software for RMS Express/WINMOR and managed to
send an e-mail message to myself via the Telnet mode, and have moved on
to adjusting the sound card and software for transmitting e-mail
messages over the air on the HF bands. WINMOR is a sound card mode that
is a less expensive alternative to the hard multi-mode data controllers
while admittedly sacrificing some efficiencies. The RMS Express/WINMOR
combo sees a lot of use in disaster response communications planning
and operations.

And finally, I've spent more time on D-STAR, thanks to a local D-STAR
repeater KJ4RYH just a few blocks away from my home here in Daytona
Beach, Florida. There are some nuances to be sure, and a bit of a
learning curve to negotiate, but it is a heck of a lot of fun, has a
great deal of potential for ARES applications and will continue to be a
good summer project for me. Diversity and the ability to perpetually
find something new in ham radio after all these years is one of its
diamond facets

Have a great and safe Field Day! - 73, Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor

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