The ARES E-Letter for December 16, 2009
ARRL Web site
The ARES E-Letter
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
December 16, 2009
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE <k1...@arrl.net>
==> THE VIEW FROM FLAGLER COUNTY
Instead of the usual "View from Flagler County," let's get it from
Blacksburg, Virginia, for a change this month, where operators there
enjoyed a fine SKYWARN Recognition Day
<http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/hamradio/> (SRD) celebration. SRD is an
annual event sponsored by the ARRL and the National Weather Service,
involving radio amateurs from across the country putting stations in
their local National Weather Service Forecast Offices on the air to
work other amateurs and participating NWS offices. Operators practice
skills for sending and receiving simple weather reports to their local
County Warning Areas (CWAs) using repeaters that have been set up for
SKYWARN spotting and reporting. SRD is also just plain fun.
Veteran SKYWARN operator Carter Craigie, N3AO, reported: "To start SRD
off Saturday, December 5, at our Blacksburg, Virginia forecast office,
it seemed appropriate that a snowstorm was blowing into the region --
our first weather reports consisted of "snowing" and "32 degrees." The
Blacksburg operators used the SKYWARN radio station call sign WX4RNK.
The 40-county CWA for Blacksburg boasts nine 2-meter SKYWARN repeaters
in southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina, as well as a
440 MHz linked repeater system called the Three Dog
Repeater Group. This system ran Echolink and IRLP, with Mike Knight,
K4IJ, the group's guru, posting simple step-by-step instructions for
ops new to those modes.
The previous night, a VHF operation was run by Glen Sage, W4GHS, who
checked in on one repeater to the next, soliciting weather reports.
Sage was assisted by Bill Perkins, KJ4ASH, on 2-meters and 440 MHz as
well as on 20 and 40 meters, and by Matthew Terry, KI4TYR, who also ran
the rotation on 2-meters and 440 MHz. Dean Davison, KC2MTW, worked 440
MHz also. The 40-meter band offered good conditions and the band logs,
provided by NWS Meteorologist and SKYWARN Supervisor Phil Hysell,
KI4CKP, filled up rapidly as contact after contact was made, both
locally and all over the continent.
Meteorologist-in-Charge Dave Wert, KB2FZO, provided an excellent
overview of the approaching snow storm, which was especially
appreciated by SKYWARN Desk newcomer Ron Angert, N4AJT, giving him and
the assembled crew many insights into work the forecasters do in order
to accurately provide safety communications to the public. Angert went
on to familiarize himself with the equipment at the SKYWARN
Desk--another benefit to attending SKYWARN Recognition Day -- and then
proceeded to make a few contacts.
The HF operators kept the Kenwood TS-570D radio on the air from 9 AM
Saturday until 5 PM. Craigie said they were pleased that the new loop
antenna provided by SKYWARN Coordinator Phil Benchoff, N3PB, and Vic
LaFon, W4VLL, worked so well.
The HF crew took shifts starting with Craigie, who was relieved by Rick
Armstrong, KS4XO, and ending with anchorman Roger Bell, N4FPA. Craigie
said "we tried hard to surpass last year's effort and came close, but
we'll have to wait for next year to break into the next higher NWS SRD
category."
NOAA sends out handsome certificates to their NWS Forecast Offices
congratulating them for their effort. "Last year, the Blacksburg office
won the Cumulonimbus Award; next year it will be at least the Lightning
Award," said Craigie.
____________
In This Issue:
IN THIS ISSUE
- The View from Flagler County
- 2010 National Hurricane Conference Set for Orlando
- 2010 Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference: Fort Lauderdale
- International Humanitarian Award Nominees Sought
- Letters
- EvComms Prepares Ops for EmComms: Check Out the SECM
- New ARRL Course on Digital Technology for EmComms
- EmPower: Q&A on Power for ARES Ops
- Tip: PowerPole Updates
- 20th World Conference on Disaster Management Slated for Toronto Next
Year
- K1CE for a Final
___________
==> 2010 NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE SET FOR ORLANDO
The 2010 National Hurricane Conference is scheduled for
March 29-April 2, 2010 at the Hilton Orlando, in Orlando, Florida.
There is always a robust Amateur Radio and ARES presence at this
important conference. Don't miss it.
The primary goal of the National Hurricane Conference
<http://www.hurricanemeeting.com/> is to improve hurricane
preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save lives
and property in the United States and the tropical islands of the
Caribbean and Pacific. In addition, the conference serves as a national
forum for federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas and
recommend new policies to improve Emergency Management. To accomplish
these goals, the annual conference emphasizes:
* Lessons learned from hurricane strikes.
* State of the art programs worthy of emulation.
* New ideas being tested or considered.
* Information about new or ongoing assistance programs.
* The ABCs of hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation
-- in recognition of the fact that there is a continual turnover of
emergency management leadership and staff.
Look for a well-attended Amateur Radio seminar on the Tuesday of the
meeting week, with participation by many Amateur Radio and hurricane
response luminaries, and a good Q&A session. ARRL HQ usually sends a
representative to discuss ARRL emergency planning and preparedness. The
Hurricane Watch Net always has a presence.
==> 2010 FLORIDA GOVERNOR'S HURRICANE CONFERENCE: FORT LAUDERDALE
The 24th Annual Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference
<http://www.flghc.org/> is slated for Fort Lauderdale, May 23 - 28,
2010. The 23rd Annual Governor's Hurricane Conference was a huge
success, with over 2700 in attendance. Many of the 2009 presentations
are posted on its Web site for viewing: Go to the Program page and
click on Training Session or Workshop Descriptions to view.
This is another conference that is well-attended by radio amateurs
involved in supporting emergency management during tropical weather
events, especially in the southeast and Gulf regions.
==> INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINEES SOUGHT
The deadline to nominate an amateur or group of amateurs for the 2009
ARRL International Humanitarian Award
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/awards/humanitarian.html> is coming
up fast -- December 31, 2009. This award is conferred upon an amateur
or amateurs who demonstrate devotion to human welfare, peace and
international understanding through Amateur Radio. The League
established the annual prize to recognize Amateur Radio operators who
have used ham radio to provide extraordinary service to others in times
of crisis or disaster.
The Programs and Services Committee, appointed by the League's
President, recommends the award recipient(s) to the ARRL Board, which
makes the final decision. The committee is now accepting nominations
from Amateur Radio, governmental or other organizations that have
benefited from extraordinary service rendered by an Amateur Radio
operator or group. The ARRL International Humanitarian Award recognizes
Amateur Radio's unique role in international communication and the
assistance amateurs regularly provide to people in need.
Nominations should include a summary of the nominee's actions that
qualify the individual (or individuals) for this award, plus verifying
statements from at least two people having first-hand knowledge of the
events warranting the nomination. These statements may be from an
official of a group (for example, the American Red Cross, The Salvation
Army or a local or state emergency management official) that benefited
from the nominee's particular Amateur Radio contribution. Nominations
should include the names and addresses of all references.
All nominations and supporting materials for the 2009 ARRL
International Humanitarian Award must be submitted in writing in
English to ARRL International Humanitarian Award, 225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111 USA.
==> LETTERS
Amateurs Participating In Drills On Behalf Of Their Employers
I strongly disagree with the popular consensus about government
employees participating in radio drills. Did anybody listen to a single
word uttered by the FCC's William Cross and Laura Smith at this year's
Hamvention? The regulation is there to protect Amateur Radio from all
those who would seek to steal our spectrum.
Making this just about drills greatly oversimplifies things. Sure,
nobody is "harmed" by a government employee participating in a radio
drill. But where will it end? I don't think it will. Soon, paid
employees of the Red Cross and Salvation Army will want their special
dispensation, too. Who's next?
Maybe you think that the 2-meter band isn't worth saving, and we should
just turn it over to public service and disaster relief organizations.
If that is the case, you are certainly going about it the right way.
IMHO, you are opening Pandora's box, and the potential for loss of our
spectrum is huge. - Bruce Liddell, KC0RRS, Lawrence, Kansas, Douglas
County ARES; Certified ARRL Emergency Communications Level One; FEMA
ICS100, ICS200, NIMS700, NIMS800
CPR, Wilderness, Red Cross Training
Regarding the items on CPR training in the last issue, you are correct
that the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association are both
CPR training suppliers, but ARES operators should also check with their
local hospitals for CPR courses, too. They might be less expensive than
the other providers.
But wait, there's more: Stonehearth Outdoor Learning Opportunities
<http://www.soloschools.com/> (SOLO) offers Wilderness Emergency
Medical Courses ranging from basic to advanced levels, all oriented
towards outdoor and remote activities. The National Outdoor Leadership
School <http://www.nols.edu/> (NOLS) also teaches these courses, as
does Wilderness First Aid <http://wfa.net/> (WFA), sponsored by the
Wilderness Safety Council.
The American Red Cross is upgrading their Wilderness First Aid Basics
course and it will become Wilderness and Remote First Aid as of March
1, 2010.
These are all resources that we use in the Boy Scouts of America to
meet the camping requirements for remote camping and for long term
sailing trips for Sea Scouts. These courses would be good for disaster
operators since they teach skills needed when emergency help is
potentially delayed. The courses have been around since the 1980s, but
organizations such as the Red Cross and the National Safety Council
started looking at them more closely after Katrina, when it was
discovered that many first responders did not have the training to deal
with delayed response issues or to improvise. Katrina caused areas that
were within Urban Protocols to become Wilderness Protocol areas in an
instant. -- Bill Stewart, WFA, W2BSA
Your report in the last issue on the Red Cross training institute in
Kentucky points out that the Red Cross is a rich source of training for
ARES members. I urge ARES ops to contact their local chapters for
information on classes that are being taught locally.
However, potential attendees should go into Red Cross classes with
appropriate expectations. These are, after all, Red Cross classes. They
provide valuable information, but the emphasis is on material that is
important for Red Cross volunteers. We've had issues with local hams
who have attended Red Cross classes with the expectation of the
material being ARES-related or communications-related and were
disappointed with what they got.
Each Red Cross class has a Fact Sheet that clearly describes the class.
I encourage anyone who is considering attending a class to ask the
local chapter for the Fact Sheet and review it carefully to be sure
that the material in the class matches their need. Here's an example:
You listed "Disaster Assessment Basics" in the newsletter. This is a
three hour class that is intended to provide basic information for
volunteers who are performing the task of evaluating the damage caused
by a disaster. This task is extremely important since it sets the scope
of a disaster, and it's critical to get it done as soon as possible by
local volunteers.
ARES often participates in the job by providing communications for the
teams performing the assessment. If the ARES member wants to actually
participate in the assessment, this course is vital. But if the ARES
volunteer is insistent that their only task is providing communication,
this course is going to seem a waste of time, although understanding
the information that we're communicating makes us better at that job.
I urge ARES members to affiliate with the Red Cross or another local
disaster organization and learn how they can participate in disaster
operations beyond simply being a communicator. Communication is vital,
but it is only part of the mix in an actual disaster. People who have
the capability to help in several areas can contribute more than
one-dimensionally. -- Steve Bonine, KB9X, Albert Lea, Minnesota
==> EVCOMMS PREPARES OPS FOR EMCOMMS: CHECK OUT THE SECM
We hams are, of course, well known for communications support of relief
agencies in disaster and post-disaster situations. But we also provide
a plethora of communication services on a "preventive medicine" basis
to the public during special events such as marathons and bike-a-thons.
For ARES operators, it is the experience and practice for disaster
situations that make working "EvComms" so valuable. Work every one you
can!
The purpose of the ARRL'sSpecial Events Communications Manual
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/spevman/index.html> is to give you
tips and suggestions to assist you in planning your EvComms efforts.
It's free and can be found by clicking on the link.
==> NEW ARRL COURSE ON DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY FOR EMCOMMS
With digital technology becoming an integral part of Amateur Radio,
hams interested in emergency communications now have a new tool to help
them take advantage of emerging modes such as Packet Radio APRS,
Winlink 2000, IRLP, EchoLink and WIRES-II, D-STAR, APCO25, HF sound
card modes and Automatic Link Establishment (ALE). The ARRL Digital
Technology for Emergency Communications Course
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?item=1247> will introduce hams to all of
the ways Amateur Radio operators are using digital technology as a
valuable emergency communications tool.
Written by ARRL Publications Manager and QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY,
this self-study CD-ROM will answer such questions as: Can you transfer
supply lists or personnel assignments between emergency operations
sites? Can you get critical e-mails to the Internet if a connection
goes down? Can you relay digital images of damage at specific
locations? Can you track the locations of emergency personnel and
display them on computer maps?
Illustrations, screenshots, Internet links and audio files are used to
demonstrate transmission modes and equipment configurations. Bite-sized
learning units and interactive knowledge checks make learning
interesting and fun.
"This course is a great starting point for anyone interested in the
public service applications of digital communications technology," said
Ford.
==> EMPOWER: Q&A ON POWER FOR ARES OPS
Emergency power is often the critical link in any ARES operation. The
following Q&As on this subject were harvested from an article written
by ARRL Lab staff.
Start by considering your power source. If a larger, sustained
operation is indicated, consider a generator.
Q. Our ARES group has a small 600-watt generator available. Will that
be enough for four transceivers?
A. Not if they're typical "100-watt" transceivers. That's only 400
watts, you say? Not exactly. You'll have to calculate the total power
requirements for all equipment you intend to use, including the station
lights and accessories. To determine how much generator power you need,
start by making a list of the power consumption of your station
equipment (which will be much more than its RF power output). If you're
lucky, some of the equipment may have its power consumption listed in
the owner's manual or on the enclosure. If only current consumption is
provided, multiply the current in amps by 120 volts to determine the
power consumption in watts.
If there is no information available on the unit's power consumption,
two rules of thumb may help: (1) A transmitter will usually operate at
about 50% efficiency, so double the RF output to obtain the amount of
power required. (2) The equipment fuse is usually rated at 150- to 200%
of the actual current draw, so multiply the fuse value by 0.5 to 0.67
to calculate the approximate current consumption. Use one of these
steps for all station equipment, including accessories and lighting.
Now, determine how much of this equipment will be operated
simultaneously -- perhaps four transceivers, two 100-watt lights, and
several accessory items such as CW keyers, voice keyers, etc. If you
are going to use the generator to power a piece of non-station
equipment, such as a coffee pot, you'll need to include it as well.
Some equipment may require more power than you have calculated, so
adding a few hundred watts to your estimate is a good idea. Let's look
at a typical calculation based on using only one HF transceiver:
Transceiver 400 watts, Laptop computer 40 watts, Lamp 60 watts, and
Soldering iron 100 watts, for a total of 600 watts.
Some generators have a continuous power rating and an intermittent
power rating. If you find that the total station requirement exceeds
the available generator power, remember that transceivers draw full
power only in transmit, and that they're not going to be in transmit
100% of the time. They could, however, all be in transmit
simultaneously, so you need to make sure that the total possible power
consumption doesn't exceed the intermittent power rating of the
generator.
Check the output voltage and frequency, if possible. If the generator
doesn't have a built-in over-voltage protector, make sure the voltage
is correct before you use the generator to power your equipment.
Also, check the generator for radio noise. Some generators are not
fully suppressed for ignition noise. You would rather find this out now
than at the disaster site. If there is a problem, it may be possible to
use resistor-type spark plugs or spark-plug wires. Check the owner's
manual. You can also connect the generator to a good earth ground with
a ground rod.
Q. We won't have generator capability at our disaster site. How about
battery use?
A. Keep in mind that an automotive lead-acid battery was designed for
one task -- to deliver a lot of current for a brief period of time. Its
output voltage does not remain constant during its discharge cycle, and
it is not a good idea to discharge it completely. An automobile battery
won't tolerate too many deep-discharge cycles before it's ruined!
A deep-discharge lead-acid battery is much better suited to your needs.
It can be discharged repeatedly without damage, and will maintain full
output voltage over much of its discharge cycle. You'll find this type
of battery at automotive and marine parts supply outlets. They are not
much more expensive than regular automobile batteries and are designed
to deliver moderate current for long periods of time.
Q. Is it possible to operate using batteries with a 100-watt
transceiver?
A. Yes, but you may find that a 100-watt station is a heavy drain on
your battery. A car battery would probably last only a few hours--less
if it's cold. (Cold batteries lose up to 70% of their capacity.) A
deep-cycle battery has a typical capacity of 1000 watt-hours, but you
may not be able to use all of this capacity with a transmitter or
receiver: As the battery discharges, its output voltage drops. When it
drops below 12 volts or so, most amateur equipment will not function
properly.
Q. Well, I can recharge the battery, right?
A. Yes, from commercial mains or a gasoline-powered generator.
Alternative sources of charging power, such as solar panels or
wind-driven generators, can be used.
Q. Solar power sounds interesting. Is a solar panel difficult to use?
A. No. Solar panels have only two wires to connect to your battery or
circuit - one positive, one negative. Some solar panels have a diode in
series for polarity protection and to reduce current flow from the
battery back through the solar panel. This is no longer the case with
many modern panels, particularly the larger ones where efficiency is
important. Tests have shown the diode causes more energy loss during
the day than the very small wattage dissipated in the solar panel at
night.
Solar panels typically deliver 15 to 18 volts at 600 to 1500 mA in full
sunlight. This will not damage a high-capacity battery, such as a
deep-cycle unit. All you need do is hook up the battery, put the solar
panel in full sunlight, and charge away. The battery will regulate the
maximum voltage from the panel.
If you're going to use a solar panel to recharge a smaller battery,
such as a Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) battery or gelled-electrolyte lead-acid
battery, you'll need to pay a bit more attention to detail. These types
of batteries can suffer damage if charged too quickly, so a regulated
charge is necessary. The ARRL Handbook has several solar-panel charging
and regulator circuits.
Q. A large lead-acid battery sounds a bit heavy. Are there any other
types of batteries that we can use?
A. It depends on how long you want to operate. If you're planning only
a few hours of low-power operation, you might be able to get away with
using dry cells, either standard carbon-zinc or alkaline. (Don't forget
that a carbon-zinc or alkaline battery should not be recharged!) An
alkaline cell can deliver quite a bit of current and will last a
surprisingly long period of time. NiCd batteries are usually not
suitable for sustained operation above a few watts, but if you are
planning to recharge them from solar power, they may be good for quite
a few hours. If you do use NiCd batteries, do not allow them to become
fully discharged. This can cause permanent damage.
Medium capacity lead-acid batteries are made with a gelled electrolyte.
These are commonly called gel cells. In most cases, they are completely
sealed and can be operated in any position. They are available in a
variety of sizes, ranging from 1 Ah to about 50 Ah. (A list of
suppliers is found at the end of Chapter 35 of the ARRL Handbook, or go
to http://www.arrl.org/tis/tisfind.html and search the keyword
BATTERY). Gel cells are a good compromise between portability, capacity
and ease of use. They must be charged properly, though. If you charge
them too fast, bubbles can develop in the electrolyte, permanently
damaging the battery. They should be charged at no more that about 10%
of their output rating in ampere-hours.
Q. Someone told me that there is a device that will convert 12 volts
from a battery to 120 volts ac. Why can't I use one of these?
A. You can! The device is known as a dc-ac converter, or inverter. It
converts 12 volts to a square-wave ac output at approximately 60 Hz.
Inverters are limited to about 100 to 400 watts, however, and some
equipment (especially motors!) cannot be powered by a square wave. An
inverter will run a few light bulbs or a small soldering iron and can
be a useful addition to a battery-powered station. Some newer ones use
switching technology and are quite lightweight. (Test them ahead of
time, though. They may generate RF noise or run hot at full output.)
Q. Does the ARRL have any information about emergency power?
A. The ARRL Handbook discusses all types of emergency power, ranging
from batteries, to solar power and solar-panel charger circuits, to ac
generators. QRP Classics contains reprints of several QST articles
about emergency power. See the ARRL publications catalog on the ARRL
Web site for more information. Also see the rest of the
Emergency/Alternative Power TIS Web page, also on the ARRL Web site.
Consider purchasing Emergency Power for Radio Communications
<http://www.arrl.org/catalog/?category=&words=Emergency+Power&SearchWords.x=0&SearchWords.y=0>,
by Michael Bryce, WB8VGE, published by ARRL
==> TIP: POWERPOLE UPDATES
Powerpoles are now available in welded assemblies from Anderson Power
Products
<http://www.andersonpower.com/contact/sales-distribution-contacts.html>.
There is typically a minimum of 500 to 1000 pieces (250 to 500) mated
sets. These are ultrasonically bonded. Because Red and Black are so
popular, there is a standard part number: PPHSG12RB. These cost a
little more because of the extra labor to bond them, but now you can do
away with the roll-pin. You can order this from any of our
distributors. See our Web site for our regular distribution
channels.There are also numerous smaller distributors that carry some
product as well.
Also, Anderson finally made a waterproof powerpole pak. We call the
Product Line SPEC Pak. We use 15/45 powerpoles inside an IP67 shell.
Currently we have a 4 and a 6 pole version released with many other
configurations in design to be released throughout 2010 and 2011. By
mid 2010 we'll have versions to handle all the way up to 3/0 wire and
hundreds of configurations in between. We also now have a premate
ground
<http://www.andersonpower.com/litlib/files.html/download/504>powerpole
and a powerpole that will accept 4 signal contacts in the same 15/45
housing.
<http://www.andersonpower.com/litlib/files.html/download/540>-- Eric
Brown, Product Manager, Anderson Power Products
==> 20TH WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT SLATED FOR TORONTO
NEXT YEAR
The 20th World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM) is scheduled
for June 20 - 23, 2010, in Toronto, Canada. The theme is "20 Years of
Progress." Industry experts will discuss the progress of past, present
and future trends. This four day conference will offer new ideas and
approaches that will help build solutions for a global community. Click
for more <http://www.wcdm.org/Toronto/toronto.html> info. According to
its Web site, "The World Conference on Disaster Management
<http://www.wcdm.org/Toronto/toronto.html> (WCDM) offers a unique
experience, bringing together experts, practitioners, certifying
bodies, service and product suppliers from Emergency Management,
Business Continuity and other Disaster Management disciplines.
==> K1CE FOR A FINAL
Notable of the Month: If you Google "Emergency Communications," five of
the first ten results reference Amateur Radio. Are you thinking what
I'm thinking? Amateur Radio is a key emcomm asset in this country.
And finally this year: Long time friend and former Hurricane Watch Net
Manager Jerry Herman, N3BDW, always closed his annual presentations at
the National Hurricane Conference with the following: "It's not about
the radios, it's about the people we serve." I'd like to echo that
sentiment, and add that it's also about us as a community of ARES
operators that not only find reward and joy in serving the public in
times of need, but also the camaraderie and friendships that evolve
along the way. All of the above are the reasons we do it year in and
year out. Happy Holidays! 73, Rick Palm, K1CE
<http://www.qrz.com/db/k1ce>, Flagler County, Florida
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