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CX2SA > ARES 21.03.23 14:30l 419 Lines 24177 Bytes #999 (0) @ ARRL
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Subj: The ARES E-Letter - 03/2023
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The ARES E-Letter
=================
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE March 15, 2023
- ARESİ Briefs, Links
- A Brief History of Amateur Radio EmComm Organization
- In-Building Radio Signal Considerations
- Tips for New ARES Operators
- Lightning Protection Basics for the HF Station
- On Building Relationships: Editorial by Northern Florida Section Emergency
Coordinator Arc Thames, W4CPD
- ARESİ Resources
- ARRL Resources
ARESİ Briefs, Links
-------------------
After the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Northern Syria on February
21, 2023, BBC's Digital Planet spoke to Aziz Sasa, TA1E, who is the
President of the Turkish Amateur Radio Association. Aziz explained the vital
role of amateur radio as a key communication method in the region. He also
talked about how radio amateurs were aiding relief efforts with the use of
repeaters on VHF and UHF frequencies. You can hear the interview on BBC
Sounds -- it starts at 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the broadcast. - Radio
Society of Great Britain (RSGB)
The Keystone Emergency Management Association (KEMA) in Pennsylvania is
seeking proposals for the 6th Annual Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness and
Homeland Security Conference presented by KEMA, October 15-17 in Altoona,
Pennsylvania. The conference will provide educational workshops and
presentations to showcase concepts, technology, processes, and
evidence-based practices in emergency management around the theme "Meeting
the Challenge of Tomorrow." Radio amateurs have presented at this conference
in the past. "The key to a successful Amateur Radio related presentation
submission is to tie the presentation to the conference theme, focus, and
audience." - Blair ARES Alert, March 2023 issue [The Alert is the newsletter
of the Blair County, Pennsylvania, Amateur Radio Emergency Serviceİ].
John Gendron, NJ4Z, has been named the recipient of the 2022 Roanoke
Division ARRL Service Award. This award is the highest and most prestigious
recognition of an ARRL member operator who has shown consistent and
extensive leadership within the Division's four states. First licensed as a
Technician in 2016, Gendron quickly advanced to the General- and Amateur
Extra-class licenses. At the same time, he helped revitalize the Amateur
Radio Emergency Serviceİ (ARESİ) in his area.
Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has released its 2022 Annual
Report detailing grants made for amateur radio projects. In 2022 overall,
ARDC approved nearly $6.7 million in grants, and distributed nearly $7.7
million. An example of a standout project is the one proposed by Bay Area
Mesh (BAM). BAM's goal is "to install a resilient, high-speed, wireless
network throughout San Francisco and the greater Bay Area." The network
would be used by responders, volunteers, and served agencies during
disasters, emergencies, and large community events. ARDC is a private
foundation that exists to support amateur radio and digital communication
science and technology.
Colorado ARES members are encouraged to enroll in Colorado Volunteer
Mobilizer (CVM). CVM is provided to Colorado ARES by the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). CVM is a volunteer management tool
providing: Member Roster, Training Tracking, Contact Management, Activation
Notification, State Issued Credentialling, and Routine Background Checks.
There are approximately 200 Colorado ARES members currently enrolled on CVM.
CO ARES District Emergency Coordinators and their District designees can
sign up for CVM Administrator training.
A Brief History of Amateur Radio EmComm Organization
----------------------------------------------------
In the early days, amateur radio and hams were considered irritations and
nuisances to the "real" communicators -- the commercial sector and the
military. We were almost outlawed, and ultimately relegated to the "useless"
frequencies of "200 meters and down." That was until it was demonstrated
that we could actually be of use as a service. In 1913, college
students/hams in Michigan and Ohio passed disaster messages when other means
of communications were down in the aftermath of severe storms and flooding
in that part of the country. A Department of Commerce bulletin followed,
proposing a dedicated communications network of radio amateurs to serve
during disasters. Five special licenses were reportedly issued. A magazine
article noted that amateurs were now considered to be essential auxiliary
assets of the national public welfare.
ARRL was formed in 1914, and disaster response communications as provided by
radio amateurs became organized and useful. In 1920, amateur radio was used
to help recover a stolen car, of all things! Soon, the use of amateur radio
for natural disasters that we traditionally think of now emerged with hams
active in responding to deadly flooding in New Mexico and an ice storm in
Minnesota.
More organization followed, with a memorandum of understanding emerging with
the American railroad system for amateur radio support when the railroad's
wire lines were down: There was an ARRL Railroad Emergency Service
Committee. There was even a Q-signal designated: QRR, a kind of land SOS.
More reports of disaster response communications provided by amateurs
appeared in QST, much as they do there and here in this newsletter today. A
major New England flood had amateurs supplying the only efficient means of
communications from the devastated areas to the outside world, prompting the
chairman of the Federal Radio Commission to say the future of radio depended
on the amateurs.
Hams worked with the Burgess Battery Company for emergency radio power. Many
of us old-timers, including myself, used those batteries when we were kids
for our electrical experiments and kits. They looked like tall, thick candle
columns! We learned our electrical principles from them. More organization
followed, and traffic handling was recommended as the best way to gain
discipline and proficiency to prepare for the efficiency and effectiveness
needed in response communications situations.
ARRL Field Day was started to prepare amateurs for portable operation, as
was necessary in disaster situations when commercial power and means of
communications were down. In 1935, the ARRL Emergency Corps was formed with
the goal of having an Amateur Radio Emergency Station in every community --
a goal that remains just as urgent today as it did then! To wit, just look
at today's emphasis on the neighborhood and community as "first responder"
and on self-reliance in the post-disaster survival chain. More "served
agencies" emerged as potential partners, including the Red Cross. In 1936,
major flooding across a 14-state region served as the ARRL Emergency Corps'
first major testing, serving well, and solidifying amateur radio's status as
a critical disaster response communications asset and public service.
Communications operating protocols and the appointment of Emergency
Coordinators followed.
Technical advances supported this evolution. Spark-gap transmitters gave way
to the vacuum tube, making portable operations more viable. Articles on
portable transmitters and receivers appeared in QST. Exploration and
experimentation in the VHF region also spurred more development of portable
equipment. The development of the variable frequency oscillator, or VFO --
something that modern generations of hams take for granted -- was at the
time a liberating breakthrough offering more versatility and flexibility,
and of course more efficiency in meeting the demands of a disaster response
communications situation.
World War II meant a shutdown of amateur radio, but many hams joined the War
Emergency Radio Service, which did provide some communications during the
war period for natural disasters. After the war, ARRL reconstituted its
disaster response communications programs and networks, and the first
Simulated Emergency Test was run in 1946. The Cold War followed, and the
government formed the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) for
civil defense (CD) purposes. It served as the forerunner of the modern
emergency management model that we know so well today.
Throughout the 1960s and later up to today, the role, procedures, protocols,
equipment, and techniques of amateur radio in public service, disaster, and
emergency communications continue to evolve, ebb and flow. This evolution is
fueled by advances in Amateur Radio technology and its application, lessons
learned from each and every incident that involves amateur communications
support. - Rick Palm, K1CE, based on an excellent article titled "QRR: The
Beginnings of Amateur Radio Emergency Communications" by Gil McElroy,
VE3PKD, that appeared in the September 2007 issue of QST
In-Building Radio Signal Considerations
---------------------------------------
First responders such as fire, EMS, and police depend on reliable two-way
radio communication when lives and property are at risk. That's not always
an easy task in many buildings. In-building radio signals are often absorbed
or blocked by structures that are larger, underground or constructed of
concrete or metal. Additionally, building features designed to create more
sustainable facilities such as low-E glass windows can attenuate the signal
from public safety radio systems. When this occurs, weak or non-existent
signals result in radio communication "dead zones" within commercial
structures that can jeopardize coordination among and the safety of first
responders during an emergency. As a result, most fire codes now mandate the
installation of Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems
(ERCES) for both new and existing commercial buildings. These advanced
systems boost the signal inside the building, providing clear, two-way radio
communication without dead spots.
"The challenge is that first responders operate on many different
frequencies which vary significantly from city to city, so the ERCES
equipment must be designed to amplify only the specific assigned channels,"
said Trevor Mathews, Wireless Division Manager at Cosco Fire Protection, a
provider of business fire suppression and life safety systems for more than
60 years. [This article first appeared last month in the FEMA Disaster
Emergency Communications News Clippings and Topics of Interest. Published
twice monthly for the FEMA Regional Emergency Communications Coordination
Working Group (RECCWG) stakeholders, this newsletter provides articles of
interest from various sources across the emergency communications and
homeland security communities.]
Tips for New ARES Operators
---------------------------
Most hams new to public service operating begin their efforts on the air
through a local 2-meter FM repeater. Area hams tend to congregate there for
sundry activities: traffic and ARES nets, swap nets, weather spotter nets,
club meetings, training nets, and informal chats, discussions, and weather
report exchanges. You will quickly learn their protocols, courtesies, and
nuances of repeater and net operating, which, along with simplex (i.e.,
direct communication without repeaters) operation, form the bedrock of
public service operating. Listen at first, and don't transmit until you feel
that you have a basic idea of the above. It could take listening to several
nets over the course of many evenings before you feel comfortable
transmitting and checking in.
To do it, you'll need a radio, of course! Start with a simple-to-operate
2-meter/70-cm FM handheld with a short, flexible rubber-coated antenna, or
better yet, a simple "whip" antenna that will yield more gain. The
marketplace has a plethora of choices available from many manufacturers, and
most are advertised in QST. Browse the ads, and check out QST's Product
Review, which regularly features reviews of handhelds. Search for past
reviews on ARRL's website -- www.arrl.org/product-review -- and ask local
hams for their recommendations; try other hams' handheld radios.
You will be taking your radio into the field for public events, emergencies
and disasters, so portability is a critical, needed feature. You will have
to operate "off the grid," that is, away from commercial mains, so you will
need alternative power sources such as batteries, portable generators, and
solar panels. The same goes for antennas: you will want to find a balance
between getting antenna gain sufficient to initiate and maintain
communications from potentially remote locations, and the ability to easily
transport and erect them in the field.
Keep power output as low as possible: Just a watt or two should be enough
power to talk across your neighborhood or community on simplex and through
your local repeater. Higher power output translates to faster battery
discharge and depletion. Most handhelds come with a basic rechargeable
battery pack and "wall wart" battery charger, but have as options larger
capacity battery packs, and higher-power desk "drop-in" chargers that will
charge your batteries faster (although faster charging rates tend to reduce
the life of the battery). Buy a second battery pack to use when you're
charging your first battery. Buy the optional alkaline battery holder as a
backup in the event your standard rechargeable battery pack(s) fail(s). The
use of batteries for handhelds and other types of radios was addressed in
the Public Service column in the March 2015 issue of QST. The use of
portable generators is discussed in the Public Service column in the October
2015 issue of QST.
For enhancing your reception and transmitted signal, forego higher power in
favor of a better antenna instead. Consider purchasing a telescoping 5/8
wave whip antenna that replaces the rubber-coated shorty antenna that your
radio came bundled with, which will give you higher gain, and hence, wider
coverage for your signals and better "copy" on weak or distant stations.
(Don't toss out the flexible rubber antenna, however: it's useful for
close-in communications). - Originally written by K1CE for The ARRL
Operating Manual.
Lightning Protection Basics for the HF Station
----------------------------------------------
By Walt Mahoney, KC1DON
With spring (hopefully) just around the corner, late winter is a great time
to evaluate our station lightning protection arrangements prior to lightning
season. This short article is not a comprehensive review of the subject, but
does suggest some basic protective measures we can all take. The suggestions
are based on my experiences as an AM broadcast engineer, and later in my
career with industrial plant control systems. Two comprehensive resources
are Grounding and Bonding for the Radio Amateur (2nd Ed., ARRL), and a
three-part series, "Lightning Protection for the Amateur Radio Station," by
Ron Block, KB2UYT (now NR2B), which was published in the June, July, and
August 2002 issues of QST. The later articles are available for free online
at http://www.arrl.org/lightning-protection.
Lightning as a natural phenomenon is usually (~90% of the time) a downward
negative electric discharge, with the earth as the anode. The length of the
discharge is usually 1 second or less, and the potential can vary between 40
and 120 kV. Once the arc is established, the rise time to peak current is
about 0.3 seconds, during which time the peak current flow can be from 5 to
over 200 kA. If we consider the time integral of the lightning current over
the entire flash duration, the energy released is something on the order of
10 billion watts. The key takeaway with this amount of energy is, we don't
need to take a direct hit to cause harm to people or damage equipment. A
lightning strike will induce hazardous voltages in nearby conductors through
induction or via any reasonably conductive material.
I am assuming that nobody will be operating their station when lightning is
anywhere in the vicinity, and all equipment is de-energized and grounded per
recommendations in the ARRL Handbook. Even in this condition, the two routes
that damaging amounts of energy can be coupled to a transceiver are via the
power supply and the antenna connections, with the antenna connection being
far more vulnerable. These two routes require different protection strategies.
On the power input side, obviously the best protection is to unplug the
power supply from the branch circuit. I realize this isn't a practical
solution for everyone, and we may not even be at our operating location when
the storm arrives. The next best thing in this case is to use a quality
surge protected power strip having an on/off switch. The quality and
effectiveness of these surge protective devices (SPDs) vary greatly, and as
always one "gets what they paid for." I recommend the Tripp Lite "Isobar"
power strips.
Look for units that are circuit breaker protected and provide a minimum of
900 joule protection, and be aware that some imported power strips offer
zero surge protection beyond a simple fuse. Our most common transceiver
configuration now uses an outboard 14 V dc power supply. Obtain a broadband
ferrite ring and wind as many turns as can comfortably fit of the dc
transceiver cable through the ferrite. It's important to wind the positive
and negative conductors together, and locate the ferrite as close as
possible to the transceiver.
Protecting the antenna connection is a little more challenging. As a kid I
would unscrew the feed line PL-259 and stick it in a pickle jar, which sort
of worked. In modern times we have coax antenna switches, and it goes
without saying your transceiver should always be switched to a dummy load of
an appropriate power rating when not in use. The dummy load is highly
recommended to avoid transmitting into an open circuit when one inevitably
forgets to throw the switch. Some switch manufacturers such as Alpha-Delta
and Daiwa also incorporate gas discharge tube (GDT) surge protection. Look
for a switch that grounds all unused connections, and be sure to ground the
switch body itself. 450-ohm ladder line can be protected by old-time knife
switches, which are getting scarce. The second step is to add a GDT- type
lighting arrestor which will shunt current to ground when the gas ionizes at
a given voltage. As with SPDs, not all GDT arrestors are suitable for
amateur use. Ideally, we want a device having a low let-through energy and
minimal insertion losses. As part of my professional work with industrial
radio modems, I found the Polyphaser IS-NEMP series offers the happy
combination of low VSWR from 1.8 MHz through low-band VHF and a very
fast-acting GDT. The housing and connectors are built to mil-spec standards.
Again, there are less expensive arrestors of dubious provenance available
through online sources. I caution some of these will demonstrate much
greater VSWR than is advertised.
On Building Relationships: Editorial by Northern Florida Section Emergency
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coordinator Arc Thames, W4CPD
-----------------------------
As we move into 2023, we're looking forward to an exciting year filled with
new challenges and opportunities. This year we will continue to work to
enhance our readiness and improve our response capabilities, but it's
important that we also focus on building strong relationships with our
served agencies. As ARES volunteers, we play a crucial role in supporting
our communities during times of crisis. To be most effective, it's essential
that we have close partnerships with our served agencies, such as county
Emergency Management. Why is this so important? There are several key
benefits to developing a good working relationship with these agencies:
Improved Coordination: When we have established relationships with our
served agencies, it's easier to coordinate our efforts during an emergency.
This leads to a more efficient and effective response, which ultimately
benefits those who are impacted by the disaster.
Enhanced Communication: Good working relationships help to ensure clear
and consistent communication between all parties involved in an emergency
response. This can greatly improve response times and minimize confusion.
Increased Trust: Trust is a critical component of any partnership, and
it's especially important in emergency response. By working closely with our
served agencies, we can build trust and establish a mutual understanding of
each other's roles and responsibilities.
Access to Resources: Our served agencies often have access to valuable
resources that can greatly enhance our ability to respond during an
emergency. By partnering with them, we can tap into these resources and use
them to our advantage. Whether it be equipment or training, our served
agencies are a wealth of knowledge and support. Don't lose sight of the
small things you can do to build a relationship with your agency. Even if
it's baking the Emergency Management staff a cake or some cookies, every
little step helps build a foundation of trust and understanding.
- Arc Thames, W4CPD, Northern Florida Section Emergency Coordinator
ARESİ Resources
---------------
Download the ARES Manual [PDF]
ARES Field Resources Manual [PDF]
ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Fillable PDF]
ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Word]
ARES Plan
ARES Group Registration
Emergency Communications Training
The Amateur Radio Emergency Serviceİ (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.
How to Get Involved in ARES: Fill out the ARES Registration form and submit
it to your local Emergency Coordinator.
ARRL Resources
--------------
Join or Renew Today! Eligible US-based members can elect to receive QST or
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________
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Copyright ¸ 2023 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated. Use and
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* CX2SA 1978-2023 - Salto Uruguay *
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