XPost: rec.radio.info

********************************************
The ARES Letter

Published by the American Radio Relay League ********************************************

July 20, 2022

Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE <k1ce@arrl.net>

IN THIS ISSUE

- SoCal Shifting 2022 Functional Exercise
- Club Collaborates with Rural City to Build First EOC
- ARRL Section News
- FEMA Modernizes Mobile App to Improve User Experience
- Emergency Management Institute's Community Emergency Response Team
(CERT) Virtual Courses FY23: K0427 CERT Program Manager and K0428 CERT Train-the-Trainer
- K1CE for a Final: Notes from Field Day '22
- ARES® Resources
- ARRL Resources

ARES® Briefs, Links

The city of Waldo, Florida, has its first EOC. The Gainesville Amateur
Radio Society (GARS) worked with city management to establish a room at
the Waldo City Square that can serve the citizens with emergency communications. The Alachua Chronicle published an article about the collaboration <https://alachuachronicle.com/collaboration-between-city-of-waldo-and-gars-creates-waldos-first-emergency-operations-center/>.
Please see additional story below.

The New England Emergency Communications and Public Service <https://nediv.arrl.org/emergency-communications-public-service/> group
hosted a presentation by former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,
KK4INZ, on July 18. It is anticipated that Administrator Fugate's
presentation will be available on-line. (There are numerous videos of
Fugate's presentations over the years; search YouTube for the videos).

A 2-minute Nassau County (northeastern Florida) ARES <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG5fksZ-uJQ> video shows this month's
EOC recabling project by the group.

SOCAL SHIFTING 2022 FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE

The weekend of June 18-19, 2022, saw more than 100 amateur radio
operators flexing their Winlink hybrid email/radio system skills during
an earthquake scenario functional exercise centered on Southern
California and dubbed "SoCal Shifting 2022." Organized by ARES LAX
Northeast <https://laxnortheast.groups.io/g/main>, other participating
groups included LA County DCS <https://lacdcs.org/>, San Diego ARES <https://www.sdgares.net/>, San Diego County Sheriff ACS <https://www.sdsheriff.gov/recruitment/auxiliary-communications-service-acs>, and Ventura ARES/ACS <https://www.vccomm.org/>, as well as the United
States Geological Survey USGS <https://earthquake.usgs.gov/data/dyfi/>
and many other groups across the US.

The goals of this Winlink exercise were to:

· familiarize participants with the battle rhythm of organized
earthquake response,

· encourage operators to share their reports with more than one
organization with the intent of working toward a common operating
picture, and

· practice Winlink under blue skies and identify challenges to operator
form submissions and net control/traffic station message handling.

Wide Participation

Word quickly spread about the exercise and in addition to operators
from coastal and central California ARES groups, operators affiliated
with various organizations such as LAFD ACS, Red Cross, Rapid Response Communications Assistance Group (RRCAG, from Texas, see reference
information below), and Seal Beach CERT joined the exercise. The Emcomm Training Organization (ETO) <https://www.emcomm-training.org/>
publicized the exercise, encouraging operators from across the United
States to participate.

Operators were free to choose their bands and locations. Some elected
to operate from parks or hospital locations, while others participated
from home. The organizers also advised the USGS DYFI (Did You Feel It <https://earthquake.usgs.gov/data/dyfi/>) team of the SoCal Shifting
2022 exercise ahead of time. "Scenarios and exercises are always
welcome," Vince Quitoriano, contractor for USGS, wrote in reply.

SoCal Shifting 2022 Initial After Action Report - LAXNORTHEAST

What Went Well

Operators overwhelmingly sent in excellent reports based on the
scenario. Latitudes and longitudes were correct and mappable in all but
a handful of the 370+ messages received. Most operators included all
the recipients the exercise asked for. What Can Be Improved: The
12-hour check-out delay was to simulate an end of shift. Most opted to
send their check-outs with the other traffic.

Lessons Learned

Some stations commented that they learned about new forms, and some
experienced propagation challenges and are exploring alternative
pathways. Stations feel more confident tackling the next exercise. On
the net control side, we learned that stations using PAT Winlink <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxdUZD11q_I> Peer to Peer (P2P) are
not mapped automatically in Winlink and net controls need to be aware
of that.

Given the amount of data involved, net controls/traffic stations also
need to pay close attention to capture all messages and de-conflict if necessary. In regular exercises and deployments, it is the sending
operators' responsibility to ensure the traffic has been received and
read.

Collaboration

This exercise came together in less than 5 days thanks to the close
exercise coordinator collaboration of ARES LAX Northeast, LA County
Sheriff DCS, San Diego ARES, Ventura County ARES/ACS and the Emcomm
Training Organization (ETO). We would also like to thank all
coordinators of the many participating organizations for distributing
this exercise and encouraging their members to participate. Special
thanks to Bob Tykulsker, KM6SO, for producing an excellent results map
and doing a deep dive analyzing the data received by LAXNORTHEAST. Bob
created a fun Watermelon count map <https://bit.ly/SoCal_Shifting_2022_WatermelonMap >, available by
clicking on the link.

Results

USGS received 110 DYFI reports related to this exercise. LAXNORTHEAST
received 94 check-ins and 78 check-outs. 83 DYFI reports related to the exercise were received by Ventura ARES/ACS. Maps are available <https://bit.ly/SoCal_Shifting_2022_Maps >.

Daniel Sohn, WL7COO, ARRL San Joaquin Valley Section Emergency
Coordinator offered the following response: "SoCal Shifting 2022 stands
out as a real 'Field Day' Exercise, demonstrating on a National level
an impressively successful, organically evolved, Amateur Radio Service,
grass roots HSEEP <https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/exercises/hseep> process executed exquisitely well over the last couple of years. Kudos
went to each of the Coordinators and every Amateur Radio operator in
each of the groups participating. SoCal Shifting 2022 stands out as a
landmark demonstration that the Amateur Radio Service is a National
Resource." See the report here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_9oAi-y6wRR91sLoYlOLDyGhv1pN0VAKdyh4_vXVFR0/edit?usp=sharing>.
- Thanks, Oliver Dully, K6OLI <K6OLI@arrl.net>, Winlink Development
Team

[RRCAG is the Rapid Response Communications Assistance Group. It was
formed 10 years ago when Texas created several Rapid Response Teams
around the state. When created, amateur radio was a part of these
teams. Today the RRCAG is attached to the ARRL West Gulf Division. -
source: John Galvin, N5TIM]

[Editor's note: Oliver Dully, K6OLI, serves as District Emergency
Coordinator for ARES LAX Northeast, which provides amateur radio
communications backup for 911 receiving hospitals in northeastern Los
Angeles County. Operators with ARES LAX Northeast use innovative
technologies such as Winlink with VARA HF, VARA FM, Packet and AREDN
mesh, for examples, to provide amateur radio solutions for the complex communications demands of medical facilities when commercial options
may have been compromised. He is one of the initiators of the VARA FM
Winlink Autobahn connecting Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Dully has authored several popular Winlink Quick Guides for Packet and VARA FM.
He coordinates the Winlink Did You Feel It (DYFI) project, a Winlink Development Team collaboration with the United States Geological
Survey. With his friends, Dully enjoys supporting events such as the
AC100 UltraRace and the Baker2Vegas Relay Cup Race.]

CLUB COLLABORATES WITH RURAL CITY TO BUILD FIRST EOC

By Barbara Matthews, KO4TWZ, Gainesville (Florida) Amateur Radio
Society Public Information Officer

When the Gainesville (home of the University of Florida campus) Amateur
Radio Society (GARS) began its volunteer efforts to create the first
EOC for the rural neighboring City of Waldo, it was truly going to be a
journey of talent and treasure hunting. Starting from scratch, the
depth of skills in the GARS group soon became evident. Waldo, a city
with less than 1,000 residents, needed a creative partner: GARS members
stepped up. The room offered by the city was a former computer lab in
the shuttered Waldo Community School. The building, constructed in the
1920's, was upgraded with emergency power capability, but there was no
air conditioning and it was empty. It was a canvas upon which many
skill sets would paint a technical masterpiece.

In order to equip the room, executive board member Larry Rovak, WB2SVB;
Pete Winters, W4GHP, the GARS Treasurer, and club Vice President
Shannon Boal, K4GLM, employed Winters' excellent documentation of the
club's nonprofit status and proceeded to the University of Florida
Surplus sales department in search of computer equipment. When the
sales staffer heard of the need and purpose of the EOC and the club's
status was assured, great things happened: UF donated five computer
setups. The 10-year-old Dell desktops (complete with monitors, mice,
and keyboards) had Intel I5 chips and 8 gigabytes of RAM. They had
tested but "wiped" hard drives.

Rovak used his computer technology expertise to check the machines and
then loaded Windows 7 on three machines (to be used for logging
programs) and Windows 10 on two (one to be used for digital logging and
one to act as the logging server). The logging software the club will
be using is N3FJP <https://www.n3fjp.com/>. In order to get the
machines to all communicate with each other, he was able to activate
the building's hardwire internal network and created a private IP
network within the room. He was also able to modify the Wi-Fi signal of
the building (which houses Waldo's city government) and converted Wi-Fi
into ethernet and fed it into the room's private network for internet
access (useful especially for EOC functions).

Club volunteers prepped the room, furniture and power supplies and
installed four stations, with complete equipment. The antennas are
connected through the window of the second story room to the roof and
pole locations. Corkboards were put up, and the club donated dry-erase
city, state, and US maps. The cooperative effort between GARS and the
Waldo City government means this room is available for club use and
training sessions; in turn, the members will maintain the room and are
ready to assist city citizens with emergency communications by manning
the EOC communications positions. For more information about GARS
please go to www.gars.club <http://www.gars.club/>. - QST NFL,
newsletter of the ARRL Northern Florida Section

ARRL SECTION NEWS

Pacific Section -- Hawaii Hurricane EmComm Drill

Hawaii Hurricane Emergency Communications Drill Held -- Makani 'Ino is
Hawaiian for "big wind" and the name of Hawaii's Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES) hurricane emergency communications drill. The
drill's purpose was to assess the ability of amateur radio operators to establish emergency radio communications in the event of a severe infrastructure failure due to hurricane-like conditions.

In addition to testing two-way radio communications, the drill also
used Winlink Global Radio Email® to send and receive messages from
surrounding islands and participating agencies. Radio operators first
used radio, then sent simulated digital messages using Winlink for
reports and requests for assistance.

Hawaii ARES Public Information Officer Michael Miller, KH6ML, said,
"With this drill, we were also trying to increase the level of
participation, so that all operators have the chance to develop the
skill sets for real-world situations." Miller added, "It is important
for younger, and/or newer, amateur radio operators to know they can use
their digital skills in emergency situations."

Miller also said they will be sending after-action reports to
participating agencies, such as the National Weather Service and the
American Red Cross, to help improve their communications with radio
amateurs and amateur radio technology. This is the second statewide
drill conducted by Hawaii ARES in 2022. - The ARRL Letter, John E.
Ross, KD8IDJ, Editor

Minnesota Section -- ARES, Your New Situation Unit

At Hams in the Park
<https://www.hamoperator.com/Park/2015/HamsinthePark.html> earlier this
month, a member of the public walked up to our communications trailer
and asked what we were up to. I explained amateur radio and emergency communications. He asked the usual question--what is your role in the
age of cell phones? It's a good question--an excellent answer was found
at our "Downdraft 2" exercise last week. This coordination and exercise
was called by Ryc Lyden, KD0ZWM, the Minnesota Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster (MNVOAD) President and Minnesota ARES (MNARES)
ASEC-L.

Minnesota Section Emergency Coordinator Benton Jackson, K0BHJ, said,
"The exercise was designed to use ARES volunteers to practice
communicating between VOADs. In addition to ARES, we had volunteers
from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Team Rubicon <https://teamrubiconusa.org/>. We paired up a VOAD volunteer with an
ARES communicator at each work site, and they had a lot of fun
generating simulated traffic. We also had VOAD volunteers at the
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to provide simulated traffic."

Led by MNVOAD, we were hosted by Washington County and the City of
Cottage Grove. The Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Team Rubicon sent top leaders. The State of Minnesota was there. We built a flooding scenario
using the HSEEP Exercise Planning Template <https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/exercises/hseep>.
We had several simulated worksites, including a sandbag production
site, a sandbag distribution site, and a Temporary Evacuation Point.The
main EOC was out of Cottage Grove City Hall, with no fixed antennas for
us. All information was then relayed to the Washington County EOC. We
brought serious experts, and did our best.

Our host and coach was Emergency Manager Gwen Martin (PhD, Emergency Management). After the exercise, we asked how we did. She was so
impressed with the information that we were providing, using our CAN-P (Conditions, Actions, Needs and Personnel Accountability) reporting
that she called it "pure gold" for the emergency manager and wants to
promote this to other emergency managers.

Actions speak louder than words: We were invited back next year for a
larger version of the exercise, with an evacuation scenario for an
island that regularly floods. Martin then thought for a minute, and
said she would use us as part of the "Situation Unit" in future large
events. This unit is under the Planning Section in the ICS: they
prepare the maps and briefings for the Incident Management Team (IMT).
There is even a position called "Field Observer" -- Field Observers
(FOBS) are responsible for collecting incident status information from
personal observations at the incident and providing this information to
the EOC. The EM Martin also indicated that from now on she wants the
Comm Team to be at the table next to her.

This exercise fixes so many role problems for us--we are not just the
third wheel over in communications. We are now where we need to be,
with the trusted, seasoned professionals, providing leadership with
reliable situational awareness, not swayed by organizational politics,
or rumors on social media. -- -- Erik Westgard, NY9D, Assistant SEC-T,
ARRL Minnesota Section

Colorado Section -- High Park Fire Response

Colorado ARES provided amateur radio operators for the federal Type 1
Incident Management Team fighting the High Park Fire <https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8102/> in Teller County, Colorado.
The fire was reported on Thursday, May 12. Due to other deployments
such as the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire in New Mexico, no National
Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)-certified RADOs (Radio Operators)
were able to answer the call for several days. We have had 12 ARES
operators who have supported as RADOs, not using amateur radio. Duties
have involved radio operations on the Command channel, inventorying,
cloning, issuing, and receiving radios. The initial COML and COMT were extremely pleased with our support. Our operators also helped establish
and remove a fire radio repeater and an amateur radio repeater on
nearby Mt. Pisgah to fill in coverage. Teller County Search and Rescue
relies on Amateur Radio and were having a problem communicating from
the initial ICP. Subsequently, an INCM and one RADO arrived, and ARES
was still assisting, but with reduction of the number of operators.
[The Incident Communications Center Manager (INCM) is responsible for
managing the administrative documentation and inventory of the
Communications unit and acts as a Radio Operator (RADO <https://www.nwcg.gov/positions/rado>) in the absence of an operator.
The INCM supervises RADO <https://www.nwcg.gov/positions/rado>s in the Communications unit and reports to the Communications Unit Leader (COML <https://www.nwcg.gov/positions/coml>). The INCM works in the Logistics functional area.]

Additionally, when the fire initially kicked off, some residents
reported never getting notifications. Cellular and internet service is
not great in much of the county and the old alert system had been
bought out and not everyone had updated their information. There may
have also been glitches in the system. As a result, the Teller County
Sheriff and Sheriff's Office PIO requested that members of the Mountain
Amateur Radio Club <http://nx0g.org/>, which operates several repeaters
in the county, disseminate information about evacuations, closures, and shelters via ham radio with the hopes of getting information into the
hands of other local operators who could in turn get this information
to their neighbors.

One of the ARRL Colorado Section PIOs worked initially with the
Sheriff's Office PIO and then with the incident JIS (Joint Information
System, an ICS function) to help get the word out via social media,
since most of the local news media and many local hams already follow
the local ARES accounts.

The incident transitioned back to local control on May 20 and we stood
down from the RADO role at that time. The Mountain Amateur Radio Club
did continue to disseminate info after that, but we also had some
weather move in and significantly dampen the fire. I believe that they
have ceased monitoring for hot spots. Total person hours was about 320
hrs. Photos can be found on the Pikes Peak ARES Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/PikesPeakARES/>. -- John Bloodgood, KD0SFY,
ARES Region 2 Emergency Coordinator, and ARES PIO, ARRL Colorado
Section

Northern Florida Section -- Testing Hurricane Shelters' Communications
Systems Resumes

Before 2020, St. Johns County ARES (SJC ARES, south of the large city
of Jacksonville) tested each site designated as a hurricane shelter in
the event of evacuation as to the ability to communicate via ARES
amateur radio from the shelter to the county Emergency Operations
Center (EOC). Each site is a school in the St. Johns County School
District. There are 15 sites designated as possible hurricane shelters
in the County. In addition to the shelters, ARES also conducts
communications tests from the radio room at Flagler Hospital to the
EOC.

The tests have varied in format from year to year. In each year, the
test was performed with individual operators proceeding to a number of
shelters with their own equipment and connecting to the pre-installed
antenna at each shelter. In one year, as an additional one-time test,
the operators were to try to communicate with a low-powered handheld transceiver, point-to-point with the EOC.

In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of
these tests. As a result, the testing of communications between the
shelters and the EOC had not been done for 3 years. An after-action
report described the methods, procedures, and results of the testing
performed in February 2022. The documentation of this exercise can be
found here <https://nflsec.groups.io/g/NFLARES/message/102>. [And is
well worth reviewing. - Ed.] During the testing, the operators were
instructed to download the manuals for their respective shelters from
the SJC ARES <http://kx4eoc.org> website. An example of a manual <https://www.kx4eoc.org/activation-information/pacetti-bay> can be
found here. The manuals all show photographs with directions to the
location of the radio room and the location of the antenna connection
in the shelter.

FEMA MODERNIZES MOBILE APP TO IMPROVE USER EXPERIENCE

After a year of working with designers, programmers, and disaster
survivors, FEMA rolled out new features and a new design for the mobile
app, which should increase engagement for the 2022 hurricane and
wildfire seasons.

The app is designed to be a tool that empowers survivors with the
information they need to make informed disaster decisions. With this
app you will:

· Be Informed. Get the information you need to make disaster decisions
for your family.

· Access your disaster toolkit. The FEMA resources you need are always
in hand.

· Personalize your app experience. Get preparedness information,
alerts, sheltering and assistance information specifically tailored to
your location.

· Feel in control. Use the FEMA App to understand how to prepare for a
disaster and where to go during one. Customize the information you
receive so it's always just a click away.

Learn more by watching the FEMA App animation <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA3MDcuNjA0NDUyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbS93YXRjaD92PVVtc013SjM4UnF3In0.ZpOIleFse8XLcn9DW2Bkd0wTKH_
rjHDRS3UAq5daZKA/s/131030018/br/136476417863-l>
and visiting the App web page
<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9. eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA3MDcuNjA0NDUyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mZW1hLmdvdi9hYm91dC9uZXdzLW11bHRpbWVkaWEvbW9iaWxlLXByb2R1Y3RzP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9ZmVtYXdlZWtseSZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWl
nbj0zLjBfbGF1bmNoIn0.IU---TQ3six_ueW4LPfb63BtKjeGZNvsCvITaSWD_c4/s/131030018/br/136476417863-l>.
Current users will need to update their app and enter profile
information but will not need to re-download it to access new features.
If you haven't downloaded the app yet, do it today and be better
prepared for disasters. - FEMA news release

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE'S COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

(CERT) VIRTUAL COURSES FY23: K0427 CERT PROGRAM MANAGER AND K0428 CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER

FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI) will offer the K0427 CERT
Program Manager
<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9. eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMjIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA3MDcuNjA0NDUyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RyYWluaW5nLmZlbWEuZ292L2VtaWdyYW1zLzIwMjIvMTcyMC10cmFpbmluZyUyMG9wcG9ydHVuaXR5LWswNDI3JTIwY29tbXVuaXR5JTIwZW1lcmdlbmN5JTIwcmVzcG9uc2U
lMjB0ZWFtJTIwcHJvZ3JhbSUyMG1hbmFnZXIlMjBmeTIzLnBkZj9kPTUvMTAvMjAyMiJ9.Cbw_mFuhK3K2vyuknH4mXaEzcstJcL9t6B1bIS6yAYM/s/131030018/br/136476417863-l>
and K0428 CERT Train-the-Trainer
<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9. eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMjMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA3MDcuNjA0NDUyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RyYWluaW5nLmZlbWEuZ292L2VtaWdyYW1zLzIwMjIvMTcyMS10cmFpbmluZyUyMG9wcG9ydHVuaXR5LWswNDI4JTIwY29tbXVuaXR5JTIwZW1lcmdlbmN5JTIwcmVzcG9uc2U
lMjB0ZWFtJTIwdHJhaW4tdGhlLXRyYWluZXIlMjBmeTIzLnBkZj9kPTUvMTAvMjAyMiJ9.3GEIDEk_pfXnpTxu86_aLxnlrLSvNYe6GKgjZBbejpM/s/131030018/br/136476417863-l>
courses online. Participants will learn how to establish and sustain an
active local CERT program and deliver FEMA's CERT Basic Training
course.

Cost: No cost. Students must have a FEMA Student Identification number
(SID), computer with microphone, speaker, and stable access to the
internet. Visit the FEMA Student Identification System <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMjQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA3MDcuNjA0NDUyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2NkcC5kaHMuZ292L0ZFTUFTSUQifQ.fU94mkKJKJO0yIFOS6w5yJb4vkOScALdVbR7ojcqJTU/s/131030018/br/
136476417863-l>
to obtain a SID. To Apply: Prospective students should apply through
the Emergency Management Institute's online admissions system <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMjUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA3MDcuNjA0NDUyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RyYWluaW5nLmZlbWEuZ292L25ldGNfb25saW5lX2FkbWlzc2lvbnMvIn0.eljls6hKG1FZsRHP0JOEulHPhf_kGAi7j_
BqP0lQakc/s/131030018/br/136476417863-l>.
For additional information, contact Jamie "Betsy" Mauk, EMI Course
Manager, at Jamie.mauk@fema.dhs.gov. Please refer to the EMI website <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMjYsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjA3MDcuNjA0NDUyMjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RyYWluaW5nLmZlbWEuZ292L2VtaS5hc3B4In0.xjfjVYSAlDAOVArPaEj-sEtKBAnaqS9VnUs7-7ZzEFM/s/
131030018/br/136476417863-l>
for course date availability.

K1CE FOR A FINAL: NOTES FROM FIELD DAY '22

I enjoyed supporting the members of the Columbia County Amateur Radio
Society (CARS) in Lake City, Florida, with setup and assistance with
their fine Field Day effort. It was an efficient setup process, with
some minor antenna and radio glitches that were expertly troubleshooted
by some savvy tech-oriented operators. One tool that I had never seen
used in my over 40 years of Field Days, was an antenna analyzer. This
device turned out to be a game-changer for the CARS Field Day crew,
quickly identifying a bad bulkhead connector, and examining the SWR
graphs across the bands. It told us instantly about our antennas'
efficiency. I would recommend such a device for all aspects of
operation in the field, for future Field Days, and deployments to
incidents and events. They're not inexpensive, but worth their weight
in gold, in my humble opinion. There are several models available;
check out the advertising pages in QST. I also congratulated CARS on
its fine public information campaign, which netted visits from the Lake
City Reporter, the county's Sheriff, and the county Emergency Manager.
See photo.

One of the reasons for its great score and success was two Field Day practice/preparatory sessions for operators, which were run under the
Incident Command System (ICS), and complied with a Homeland Security
Exercise and Evaluation Plan (HSEEP) template. I participated in one of
them. Check out their training exercise and evaluation plan <https://qsl.net/nf4cq/documents/2022FieldDayPractice2.pdf> here.

Bravo, CARS, and thanks for having me along this year!

__________

I returned home to operate my station in the 1E category, logging 70 CW
QSOs on 20 meters. (Band conditions were a bit tough). I submitted my
score and log, and uploaded my QSOs to ARRL's Logbook of The World <http://www.arrl.org/logbook-of-the-world>. I was happy to see my QSLs
populate there.

When you really think about it, Morse code and the CW mode is the
bedrock of emergency communications (tapping two wires together is all
it takes). All other, more advanced and efficient modes have stemmed
from its humble beginnings when on May 24, 1844, Samuel F. B. Morse
transmitted the first message across a telegraph line (radio wouldn't
be invented for another 50 years) connecting Washington, DC, to
Baltimore. I say, Fine Business, Mr. Morse. -- 73, Rick, K1CE

______________________________

ARES® RESOURCES

· Download the ARES Manual [PDF] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARESmanual2015.pdf>

· ARES Field Resources Manual [PDF] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ARES_FR_Manual.pdf>

· ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Fillable PDF] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARRL-ARES-FILLABLE-TRAINING-TASK-BOOK-V2_1_1.pdf>

· ARES Standardized Training Plan Task Book [Word] <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/ARES/ARRL-ARES-STANDARDIZED-TRAINING-TASK-BOOK-V1_2_2.doc>

· ARES Plan <http://www.arrl.org/ares-plan>

· ARES Group Registration
<http://www.arrl.org/ares-group-id-request-form>

· Emergency Communications Training <http://www.arrl.org/emergency-communications-training>

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (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 <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Public%20Service/fsd98.pdf> and submit
it to your local Emergency Coordinator.

ARRL RESOURCES

Join or Renew Today! <http://www.arrl.org/join> Eligible US-based
members can elect to receive QST <http://www.arrl.org/qst> or On the
Air <http://www.arrl.org/on-the-air-magazine> magazine in print when
they join ARRL or when they renew their membership. All members can
access digital editions of all four ARRL magazines: QST, On the Air,
QEX, and NCJ.

Subscribe to NCJ -- the National Contest Journal
<http://www.arrl.org/ncj>. Published bimonthly, features articles by
top contesters, letters, hints, statistics, scores, NA Sprint and QSO
parties.

Subscribe to QEX -- A Forum for Communications Experimenters <http://www.arrl.org/qex>. Published bimonthly, features technical
articles, construction projects, columns, and other items of interest
to radio amateurs and communications professionals.

Free of charge to ARRL members: Subscribe <http://www.arrl.org/myarrl-account-management#%21/edit-info-email_subscriptions>
to the ARES Letter (monthly public service and emergency communications
news), the ARRL Contest Update (biweekly contest newsletter), Division
and Section news alerts -- and much more!

Find us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ARRL.org>. Follow us on
Twitter <https://twitter.com/ARRL_ARES>.

ARRL offers a wide array of products <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-store>
to enhance your enjoyment of amateur radio.

Donate <https://www.arrl.org/arrl-donation-form> to the fund of your
choice -- support programs not funded by member dues!

Click here <ads@arrl.org> to advertise in this newsletter, space
subject to availability.

_________

The ARES Letter is published on the third Wednesday of each month. ARRL
members may subscribe at no cost or unsubscribe by editing their Member
Data Page as described at http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/.

Copyright (c) 2022 American Radio Relay League, Incorporated.
Use and distribution of this publication, or any portion thereof, is
permitted for non-commercial or educational purposes, with attribution.
All other purposes require written permission.

<http://www.arrl.org/>

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