The ARES E-Letter
Published by the American Radio Relay League
********************************************
March 16, 2011
Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE
==> JAPAN EARTHQUAKE
We've all seen the horrific images of the devastation in Japan. Our
hearts go out to the people of that country in their time of dire need.
For information on the Amateur Radio response: Japan Asks Radio
Amateurs to Keep Frequencies Clear As Country Goes into Recovery Mode
after Devastating Earthquake
on the ARRL Web site.
In This Issue:
IN THIS ISSUE
- Japan Earthquake
- 2011 National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio Activities
- Twitter, Other Methodologies for ARES Alerting
- N5FDL: Ten Sure-Fire Ways to Grow Your ARES Group
- Spectrum Management Bill Threatens Amateur Frequencies
- Celebrated Tampa Bay Area EM Retires
- Northern Florida Adds D-RAT Reflector
- Help Wanted: Training Topics for N5FDL
- ARES E-Letter Now in Audio Form
- K1CE For a Final
==> 2011 NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE AMATEUR RADIO ACTIVITIES
The National Hurricane Conference
will be held April 18-22, at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Atlanta,
Georgia. There will be several Amateur Radio activities going on during
the week. The National Hurricane Conference leadership recognizes the
valuable contribution of Amateur Radio and has again invited us to
participate with two sessions. This is always a great opportunity for
Amateur Radio.
On Monday, April 18, from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm, the main Amateur Radio
session titled "Amateur Radio Training Sessions: Disaster
Communications Before, During and After Hurricanes" will be held.
On Tuesday, April 19, from 8:30 am to 10:00 am, an Amateur Radio
session designed for Emergency Management agencies titled "Amateur
Radio Rap Session --The Emergency Manager's Hidden Resource" will take
place. All radio amateurs are invited at no cost to attend these
National Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio sessions.
On Monday evening, April 18, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the ARRL
Southeastern Division, the Georgia Tech Amateur Radio Club, Atlanta
Radio Club, and several local ARES groups will host an interactive,
free "NHC Workshop" for ARES and other interested Amateur Radio
operators. Participants will be able to meet other like-minded radio
amateurs and the presenters of the Hurricane Conference Amateur Radio
sessions. The agenda: introductions, conference presenters summarize
the NHC Amateur Radio presentations, emergency communications
discussion, questions and answers, and door prizes.
Whether or not you are able to attend the conference during the day,
you are invited to this event to hear from and meet the conference
presenters and learn what went on at the conference. This workshop will
be held on Georgia Tech's campus at Building 167, the Molecular Science
and Engineering Building, in room G011. See the campus map
.
For additional information see:
National Hurricane Conference
2011 National Hurricane Conference Brochure PDF
National Hurricane Conference Flyer
ARRL Southeastern Division
Hurricane Conference presenters are:
Julio Ripoll, WD4R, WX4NHC Amateur Radio Assistant Coordinator,
National Hurricane Center
John McHugh, K4AG, Coordinator for Amateur Radio, National Hurricane
Center, WX4NHC
Rob Macedo, KD1CY, Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
and ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator,
Eastern Massachusetts
Dennis Dura, K2DCD, Assistant Director of Operations for the VoIP
Hurricane Net
Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, ARRL Southeastern Division Director
We encourage you to visit all the activities you can, learn more about
Amateur Radio emergency communications and meet the people doing it.
Hope to see you there! -- Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, ARRL Southeastern
Division Director and Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, ARRL Southeastern
Division Vice Director
==> TWITTER, OTHER METHODOLOGIES FOR ARES ALERTING
South Carolina
Greenville County, South Carolina ARES has been using Twitter
for group alerts for a couple of years.
County EC Johnny Allison, WD4DYH, and I set up a greenvilleares account
on Twitter for this purpose only.
There are a few things that must be done for this to work. Your group
user must NOT "follow" any other user so only YOUR posts are on the
account's page. Anyone interested in getting the alerts from your group
on their cell phone or other mobile device must set up a Twitter
account and "follow" your ARES group. In the Twitter setup, there is a
"mobile" option that allows you to receive alerts on your mobile
device. You can turn this feature on or off for the entire account or
you can select which users you are following whose posts will be
forwarded to your mobile messaging. In my case, my wife's posts and the
ARES group posts are the only ones I elect to forward to my phone. The
options on the "mobile" tab are self-explanatory.
We run a test on the first of every month to make sure that the group
is receiving the alerts, and so far each time we have needed it for
real alerts, it has worked. Most alerts instruct the group to tune to
our local 2-meter repeater, since you can't give a lot of info in 140
characters! We do have a fairly small group, but anyone can follow
@greenvilleares to see how we operate it. -- Robert Martin, WA4HRK,
Easley, South Carolina, Greenville ARES
Other Alerting Methodologies
While Twitter is certainly the easiest of the social networks to use,
it's not the only thing going. Benefits of Twitter include NO smart
phone required, one SMS to the team (and the world), and tracking
keywords, for example: #Altus would get an SMS when that keyword #Altus
is sent.
Google Latitude is great for tracking
operators around the field (like APRS) but with very limited messaging
capability.
I like FourSquare because you can notify
only your friends or your friends and Twitterland or no one, when you
update. I also use LOOPT for messaging and
tracking some of my family. You can use it (like FourSquare) without
setting up Twitter accounts. Loopt also works with Facebook.
Facebook, while I've had concerns about their ability to keep my data
secure, offers private pages that only members can join. Our SKYWARN
group here has a SKYWARN Page (search Altus SKYWARN).
Set up an e-mail list on YahooGroups or
GoogleGroups . Have the user subscribe. Let
them decide how they want to get their information; for example, by
e-mail and/or text to phone. One e-mail goes to all 60 of our
subscribers. It's free of fees or charges. If you do this, have more
than one moderator. While the user can change their own information, my
experience shows that some won't.
One caveat to social media (and FourSquare) is that, if the team is
using it, the team must set-up one account for team use and another
account for personal use. In other words, the team must decide what
service to use and strictly use only it. When I start posting personal
stuff on the team account, it will quickly reduce the benefit.
I have used CallingPost , a prepaid service
good for small groups. The benefit for small groups is their pricing is
under $25 for 200 calls. The detractor is there's no way to call out
from midnight to 0600. As a volunteer, I have experienced only three
times in ten years when that was a problem. Register online
and use the referral code 8002197092 for
10 free calls. The referral code is the same as their tollfree number.
The City of Altus uses Blackboard Connect.
If
the ARES group would contact their local emergency management office,
it may be possible to piggyback on the City or County users account.
Blackboard may offer a competitive product for small groups. Contact
them at 800-213-7168. -- Lloyd Colston, KC5FM, Director, Altus
Emergency Management , Altus, Oklahoma
==> N5FDL: TEN SURE-FIRE WAYS TO GROW YOUR ARES GROUP
This month, I'll share some simple ideas for growing your ARES group.
You can probably implement most or all of them.
Location - Having a great location is one of the keys to success of
ARES groups. Among the most important things a served agency can
provide to your group is a place to hold meetings and events. Finding
places to "do things" was the most difficult part of getting our group
started. Now that we are established, it isn't a problem--but, we are
careful to provide special support to the groups that support our
program by providing meeting locations.
Dinner Meetings - If you haven't considered holding dinner meetings,
you should. I was initially reluctant because of the expense to
members. I didn't want anyone to avoid our meetings because they
couldn't afford an expensive meal or would be unable to find something
to eat at the restaurant I chose. One way to handle this is to separate
mealtime from program time or select a restaurant that is OK with
someone just ordering a cup of coffee. This has not turned out to be a
problem. Dinner meetings can keep groups alive when non-dinner meetings
will not.
HamCrams - Creating new, emergency-minded hams may be the best way to
grow your group and goes hand-in-hand with the next item. One-day
licensing classes don't teach someone how to be a ham, but the license
makes someone trainable and worth investing in.
Make Friends - I am a big proponent of linking ARES to Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT)
groups, church emergency preparedness, Scouts and anyone else who we
can help get a license. I don't expect these people to become "ham
first" volunteers, but they add significantly to the number of trained
persons we can call upon. And some really do get interested in Amateur
Radio as a primary hobby.
Don't Say No to People Who Want to Make You Look Good - If someone has
an idea that will make your ARES group look good, by all means let
them. Good judgment matters--the person has to actually be able to
deliver, but make it known you are open to good ideas that aren't your
own. And bask in the glow of their success. This is where future
leaders come from.
Be more than just an ARES group - There is, I am led to believe, more
to ham radio than emergency stuff. We've licensed lots of HamCram folks
and it is a fair complaint that we don't teach them enough radio. So,
I've developed events that combine emergency training with other ham
activities, like antennas, DXing, and contesting. Just did the first
one.
Stay in touch - I use a variety of tools to keep in touch with our
members, would-be members, inactive members, area clubs and other
groups. I have websites (sjham.com and
n5fdl.com ), multiple free Yahoo Groups
and have recently begun using a mailing
service to distribute newsletters. I am using madmimi.com
, though mailchimp.com
looks like a good option and offers small
mailings for free and a discount for non-profits (including ARES
groups). All handle subscriptions and unsubscriptions automatically.
Do Something - This seems obvious, but the more you do the more
involved your members will be and the more people you will be exposed
to. You will probably have to invest in some small events before
attendance picks up. Accept that it may only be you and three friends
to begin with, but consistency leads to growth. Take advantage of
opportunities that present themselves to tie-in with other people's
events and turn them into your own. Field trips to events in nearby
cities are an opportunity to involve your members. Training offered by
other groups, such as ICS classes, are another opportunity.
Watch for Inflection Points - This is when your program reaches
"critical mass" that presents opportunities to do things that were not
possible previously, such as adding served agencies or new programs.
This deserves more discussion in a future post. Just be aware when the
"next big thing" becomes possible. Think big.
This isn't a growth strategy per se, but it is often much easier to
hold on to an existing member or reenergize an inactive one than to
bring someone totally new into your group. Interest ebbs and flows.
Accept this but always remain in touch so that when someone's interest
returns you're ready to welcome him or her back. (Eventually this may
happen to you - the topic for a future essay).
How have you grown your group? Let me hear from you! E-mail:
n5fdl@arrl.net. Visit my blog at n5fdl.com . --
David Coursey, N5FDL, EC San Joaquin County (CA)
==> SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT BILL THREATENS AMATEUR FREQUENCIES
On February 10, Representative Peter King (R-NY-3), Chairman of the
House Homeland Security Committee, introduced HR 607, the Broadband for
First Responders Act of 2011. The bill been referred to the House
Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles telecommunications
legislation. HR 607 addresses certain spectrum management issues,
including the creation and maintenance of a nationwide Public Safety
broadband network. As part of that network, the bill provides for the
allocation of the so-called "D-Block" of spectrum in the 700 MHz range
for Public Safety use.
The D-Block consists of two, 5 megahertz-wide segments of spectrum
(758-763 and 788-793 MHz) that became available when the FCC ended
analog television broadcasts in June 2009 and reallocated the 698-806
MHz band for Public Safety and commercial broadband. It was anticipated
that the D-Block would be auctioned for commercial use. There are
several bills in Congress providing for the allocation of the D-Block
for Public Safety use, and HR 607 is one of those. But HR 607 uniquely
provides for the reallocation of other spectrum for auction to
commercial users, in order to offset the loss of revenue that would
occur as the result of the allocation of the D-Block to Public Safety
instead of commercial auction. HR 607 lists the paired bands of 420-440
MHz and 450-470 MHz among the bands to be reallocated for commercial
auction within 10 years of its passage. More here
.
- ARRL Letter
==> CELEBRATED TAMPA BAY AREA EM RETIRES
Larry Gispert, KR4X, recently retired as the Director of Emergency
Management for the County of Hillsborough, Florida (Tampa Bay area).
His contributions have seen him take on leadership positions in
regional, state and national emergency management organizations. He has
been a presenter at major national conferences around the country and
in Washington, DC.
The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners recently presented
Gispert with a proclamation for his work. He was commended for his
straight talk approach when dealing with Emergency Management issues.
The local media regarded him as a jewel for real information. When the
local world seemed to be coming apart, Gispert could always be relied
upon to be the calm in the storm.
Gispert's four years as a Radioman in the U.S. Coast Guard made him an
avid CW operator. He is a member of the Radio Association of North
Tampa (RANT) and the Tampa Amateur Radio Club (TARC).
Professionally, Gispert had fully integrated Amateur Radio into all
aspects of the EOC's operations. He was in the vanguard of implementing
digital emergency radio networks in Florida. In retirement, Gispert
intends to remain radio active, operating and experimenting. Here is a
YouTube video about
Gispert. - Pete Kemp, KZ1Z, Wesley Chapel, Florida
==> NORTHERN FLORIDA ADDS D-RAT REFLECTOR
A new D-RAT reflector has been added to the
digital emergency communications assets of the ARRL Northern Florida
section, reports Section Manager Paul Eakin, KJ4G: "We are happy to
announce that in Tallahassee, a team of amateurs have installed the
D-Rat reflector for ARES use in emergencies and for general amateur use
at all other times." The new system is set up for use on the Internet
and over the air on the K4WAK D-Star repeater.
The asset provides both mobile and Internet operators with the ability
to communicate among one another, along with the Florida State EOC
station. In the next few weeks, an e-mail function will be established
to coincide with Winlink 2000 systems for both mobile operators and
Internet users. The file transfer function is available now.
Two servers were installed, one being made public and a back up that
can be activated if needed. The Florida EOC is equipped to handle full
time service both on the local D-Star repeater and on the Internet with
local ARES volunteers.
This system augments other data assets in the northern part of the
state: APRS , SEDAN ,
and W2K .
The multi-server system is being made available to all three ARRL
sections in Florida and to neighbors in Georgia and Alabama for mutual
assistance planning and operations. In an emergency, any section or
district outside of the three states can notify the administrator of
their needs and use the reflector.
The system employs the latest version of D-Rats found at
http://d-rats.com/download/beta with this version to be used:
d-rats-0.3.3b5-installer.exe.
Eakin thanked the Florida State EOC staff for their support and
contributions to this project, as well as others who have made it
possible. Special thanks went to Dan Smith, KK7DS, for his hard work in
the design and implementation of this service.
==> HELP WANTED: TRAINING TOPICS FOR N5FDL
I have been wanting to do some short recorded and scripted "training
topics" that people could use on ARES nets. I want to call them "The
ARES Minute" and have them run about two minutes. I have been stuck on
what topics I should do in the first batch of ten programs. Can readers
suggest ideas that I can get started on? Each needs to be easy to
describe in one sentence and teach in 90 seconds. Help! - David
Coursey, N5FDL , EC San Joaquin ARES, California
==> ARES E-LETTER NOW IN AUDIO FORM
The ARES E-Letter is now available in audio form. There are three
editions currently available, including the most recent recording of
the February 16 ARESŪ E-Letter. Edited for audio by Al Brown, KZ3AB,
the ARESŪ E-Letter is voiced by Tony Riggs, W1FHN. Brown was licensed
in 1966. He was a member of the White House Press Corps before retiring
from the International Broadcasting Bureau/Voice of America (IBB/VOA).
Licensed since 1955, Riggs has worked in both the commercial and public
broadcasting venues. He retired after 21 years as a staff announcer and
news anchor with the VOA. With more than 35,000 subscribers, the ARESŪ
E-Letter is written by Rick Palm, K1CE and
is published each month. Click here
for the audio version
of the ARESŪ E-Letter. - ARRL Letter
ARES/EmComm Survey
The first ARES/EmComm Survey (from last month) has garnered nearly 900
resposnes. This particular survey is still open! If you haven't checked
it out yet, please access the poll by clicking here
. ARRL Headquarters will be
reporting the results soon.
==> K1CE FOR A FINAL
It's T minus 3 months and counting to the launch of hurricane season --
'nuff said! 73, Rick K1CE, Flagler County, Florida
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==============================
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