September 20, 2016
PREPAREDNESS IN SEPTEMBER - WEEK 3
Because of the numerous repeaters around and the ingenuity of many Amateur Radio operators, we can make a difference in disaster communications. Before we do that, we as hams need to look at three areas of concern.
First is our Equipment. If we don’t have functional equipment stored in a place where numerous hams can access it, then we fail before we even begin. Put what you need together now - before it’s needed. Hendricks County ARES has such a place to be used in times of emergencies.
Second is Training. Having Amateur Radio operators available is an asset to public safety. But you can increase your credibility by taking additional training such as the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communication courses, and most importantly the National Incident Management System courses. The NIMS courses are free, and are listed at the end of the net news. Taking these courses adds to you credibility as a disaster communications operator, and will help you better understand what the various public safety departments need during a disaster, and why.
Third is People. We need good, dedicated, accountable, well trained people to accomplish all of this. During “Preparedness Month,” we encourage you to plan and execute the plan with a drill or exercise for yourself and family.
Fourth, Participate! There are many public service events that need amateur radio operators to assist with communications at marathons, bike rides, parades, etc. These events give you the opportunity to put your training to work, test your equipment, and hone your skills. Get involved!
• More in the next two weeks •
And Now, On With The News . . .
1) From Ron Burke, KB9DJA, Emergency Coordinator: Many, many thanks to those who came out to the Emergency Preparedness Fest this week. We had a host of different public safety and service agencies that came out with their equipment and spent time with us. Pictures will be coming out in the next issue of the Hendricks County Ham'er.
2) Our first monthly simplex net of the season was tonight, at 8 p.m. right after this net. Ken KC9SQD hosted the net on 144.900 MHz. The simplex net gives you a chance to test your radio’s signal strength on a simplex frequency with the NCO station and other hams around the county.
3) The next hospital simplex net will be this Thursday, October 20th, at 9:30 a.m. The hospital nets are always on 147.570 MHz. This important net tests the stations at Hendricks Regional and IU West hospitals, as hams from around the county call in. Mark your calendar and make plans to participate, as did nine local amateurs last week. Note: this will be the last regular hospital net of the year. The nets will start again in January 2017 -- on the 3rd SATURADY of each month.
4) The next hamfest in the area is this Saturday in Bloomington on September 24th. After that is the Hoosier Hills Hamfest in Bedford on October 1st. If you need supplies such as batteries or antenna parts to make your station more ready for an emergency, here are two good opportunities. Check the hamfest link on this website for more details.
5) The fall new-member orientation program is scheduled for Saturday, October 29th. E-mailed invitations will be going out this week to those who have joined since the last orientation. Please RSVP for this important training program for new ARES members.
6) If you are looking for experience in emergency communications, consider helping with one of the many public service events coming up this fall. Go to indyhams.org and click on Events for some good options.
7) You can still go training.fema.gov/is, and earn the National Incident Management System certifications that you do not already hold. To be deployed by local gonvernment agencies, you must have certificates for 100b, 200b, 700a and 800b. There are also many other training courses there that are relevant to emergency communications.
• Jimmy, KC9RPX, provided info on the Bloomington hamfest on Sept. 24th (see link info in item 5 above).
• Mike, WA9NCF, invited everyone to take part in the Hilltop Contest this Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The contest is a good workout for you and your rig to see how many stations in the area you can contact.
HCARS will be operating from Weakley Hill northwest of Danville, elev. 1030 feet, as N9HC. Goal is to have fun and contact as many hilltop stations and other amateur stations on the following Bands, Modes, and Suggested Frequencies:
10m SSB - 28.400 MHz +/- 25 kHz
6m SSB - 50.200 MHz +/- 25 kHz
6m FM - Primary: 52.550 MHz, Secondary: 52.525, 52.575 MHz.
2m SSB — 144.250 MHz +/- 25 kHz
2m FM — Primary: 146.460 MHz. Secondary: 146.430, 146.490 MHz.
Power limit is 50 watts on 2 meters, 100 watts on all other bands
For rules of this event please visit:http://indyradioclub.org/irchilltop.html
• REMINDER: Regarding the ARES digital net, if you need help setting up your HF equipment ahead of time, please contact Wayne AC9HP@arrl.net for assistance. We will use different modes each month, starting with PSK then moving to other digital modes like Olivia MKS63. We will also experiment with RMS Express and WinMor. Specific dates and times will be announced on the facebook page, the hendricksares.org website, and in future weekly ARES nets, so be on the lookout.
At the present time, our training consists of net operations. A new-member ARES orientation is
being planned for early fall. Details will follow soon.
September 24th: Bloomington hamfest ( go to info LINK )
September 24th: Hilltop (radio) Contest ( go to info LINK )
» For these titles, and many more,
check out our Documents page
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BILL GOUGE, AA9EG - Webmaster
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