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   http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/ares-el/?issue=2016-12-21   
      
   The ARES E-Letter   
      
   December 21, 2016   
   Editor: Rick Palm, K1CE   
      
   In This Issue:   
      
    *  Looking Out for Number One in a Disaster Area   
    *  Ohio ARES: A Busy Year in Review   
    *  Letters: American Legion's Amateur Radio Program   
    *  K1CE for a Final   
      
      
   ARES Briefs, Links   
      
   Radio Amateurs Assisting in Wake of Indonesian Earthquake (12/9/16); Emergency   
   Communication Exercise Uses "Hamsphere(R)" to Introduce Youth to Virtual Ham   
   Radio (12/7/16); Amateur Radio Volunteers Providing Shelter Communication   
   Support in Tennessee (11/30/16); Tennessee ARES on Standby in Wildfire   
   Emergency, Local Amateur Radio Volunteers Assisting (11/29/16); Hurricane   
   Watch Net Stands Down after Hurricane Otto Makes Landfall in Nicaragua   
   (11/25/16)   
      
   ________   
      
      
   2016 SKYWARN Recognition Day is a wrap. The popular annual on-the-air event   
   celebrates the long, mutually beneficial relationship between weather   
   forecasters and radio amateurs/spotters. From a banner on the Melbourne,   
   Florida, National Weather Service website: "Another SKYWARN Recognition Day is   
   in the record books! Thank you to all of our Amateur Radio volunteers who made   
   this another successful event! This page will be updated with pictures and   
   this year's stats soon." We will publish stats and anecdotes from this year's   
   SRD as they come in. Watch for February 2017 QST coverage in the Public   
   Service column, including reports of activity at the Taunton, Massachusetts   
   NWS facility and operation from W1AW.   
      
   ______   
      
      
   A new version of the IARU Emergency Telecommunications Guide (September 1,   
   2016) is available here. http://www.iaru.org/uploads/1/3/0/7/130   
   3366/emcommguide_1sept2016.pdf   
      
   ______   
      
      
   A Rural County ARES Group Planned for Hurricane Matthew -- In preparation for   
   Hurricane Matthew's arrival on the Florida peninsula in October, Gilchrist   
   County (a rural county northwest of Gainesville) EC John Greiner, KJ4YPZ,   
   worked at the county EOC with a good plan for his ARES ops: "to monitor the   
   147.285 MHz repeater in [the farming town of] Bell, and when conditions   
   warranted, I would put out a call every hour at the bottom of the hour (30   
   minutes past the hour) for any emergency traffic. If stations were on   
   emergency power, they could call at that time and save power the rest of the   
   hour. At the top of the hour (on the hour) I would change frequency to the   
   146.82 MHz repeater to confer with neighboring Alachua county ARES and EOC   
   where I would remain for 10 minutes to relay and pass traffic/info as needed."   
   Greiner planned for ARES to "monitor in place." If shelters were opened,   
   Greiner would send two radio operators with 2-meter radios, "but I would have   
   the last word on any deployments necessary."   
      
   ______   
      
      
   For a California ARES Hospital Communications Group, it gets real after   
   participating in a major statewide medical drill -- The 2016 Statewide Medical   
   and Health Exercise took place on November 17 and was scarecely over for a   
   month when the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS), a   
   specialized ARES group in Orange County, California, was called out for the   
   real thing. On Monday, December 12, around 1:15 PM, phones went down at   
   Anaheim Global Medical Center. In accordance with the hospital emergency plan,   
   HDSCS was contacted using the HDSCS Call-Up sheet. The hospital's assistant   
   disaster coordinator informed the HDSCS contact of the problem and the request   
   for multiple operators to back-up communications. A call over a local repeater   
   used by HDSCS yielded two operators ready to put the system into action.   
   Within a few minutes a base station was established and a lead communicator   
   was on his way to the hospital.   
      
   The base station and an assistant emergency coordinator made calls using the   
   HDSCS "first wave" sheet. Over the next 15 minutes another three operators   
   were identified and began their responses to the hospital. An additional three   
   operators were contacted in case more would be needed and indicated their   
   availability. As the first operator arrived, a hospital command center had   
   been established. In under an hour, four communicators were on site with one   
   operator staying in contact with the base station and the other three backing   
   up internal communications.   
      
   Training in Hospital Incident Command System protocols was helpful for the   
   radio operators in working with the 213 and 214 ICS forms and the hospital   
   staff knowing about the job action sheet preferred by Orange County hospitals.   
   While this facility did have a back up phone system that provided some   
   coverage for the most critical departments and some hand-held radios, the   
   radio amateurs were wanted also: while some patient care staff could make a   
   call on a hand-held radio, they couldn't always listen and preferred the HDSCS   
   operators to handle communications.   
      
   A relief operator, identified from the initial call-up, did come on site about   
   4 1/2 hours into the incident. The system was declared stable just over 6   
   hours after the activation, and with that, the communicators on site were   
   asked to participate in the debriefing with the hospital staff. This phone   
   outage was the 123rd emergency and the 97th phone outage to which HDSCS has   
   responded since 1980. -- April Moell, WA6OPS, District Emergency Coordinator,   
   ARRL Orange Section, ARES Hospital Disaster Support Communications System   
      
   [Moell added this commentary: "Many groups may drill with hospitals but   
   typically the hams show up prior to the start of the drill and when the   
   activity starts everyone is already in place. That is not the real world case   
   when it hits the fan. The fact that we are always, and I mean always, making   
   sure hospitals have current activation procedures and names, more than one, is   
   why we have had timely responses to our hospitals over the years. We were on   
   site before the phone technicians were in this incident, and it's not the   
   first time. Our first wave sheets really help make call-up more efficient. Our   
   first calls are to those who are closer and most likely available at certain   
   times of day to hospitals. Being educated about hospitals and EMS organization   
   and disaster plans make us valuable additions to the hospitals in the little   
   and big disasters." -- ed.]   
      
      
      
   You Can Take It With You -- Build a Go-Box Station   
      
   In this article I share both my experience with designing a versatile go-box,   
   as well as my operating experiences outside of the shack. Consider the variety   
   of locations you would like to operate from and let this project inspire you   
   to enjoy similar experiences and convenience. Having participated in many   
   field day events, as well as serving in various emergency/disaster   
   communications response roles, I can attest to the benefit of having all the   
   critical components conveniently pre-wired in one place. There is an added   
   benefit to quickly adjust between diverse environments such as home, portable,   
   and mobile operations without the hassle of installing and uninstalling radio   
   equipment.   
      
      
   Background   
      
   Being a requirements engineer, I applied a systems approach to this project   
   with the goals of developing a go-box that would be capable of HF, VHF, and   
   UHF operation; easily transformed between a portable, mobile/rover, or home   
   operating environment; usable for digital modes, using a sound card device and   
   software where possible; lightweight enough to carry (e.g., through an airport   
   terminal); and small enough for aircraft carry-on (i.e., 22x15x9). It was   
   important for me to maximize the capabilities of my station while minimizing   
   the weight and ensuring simplicity. The main focus was on packaging the three   
   basic components of a station: transceiver, antenna tuner, and sound card   
   interface. At the same time, a decision was made not to include a power   
   supply, but rather rely on various power options that were particular to the   
   environment I would be operating in, thus saving on total weight.   
      
   There are a number of HF/VHF/UHF radios on the market that offer multi-mode   
   capabilities. Add to that a wide variety of sound card interfaces, a computer,   
   and lastly, a general-purpose antenna tuner and you have the beginnings of a   
   highly versatile station. As a concept shown in Figure 1, the commonly-used   
   components could be packaged and pre-wired together in the go-box. Depending   
   on the chosen operating environment, the user may substitute various   
   accessories and antenna(s) as needed. Note: For safety and convenience,   
   especially in a mobile environment, I recommend using a radio that has   
   remote-head capabilities.   
      
   After some trial and error, I selected the MTM Case-Gard's sportsman utility   
   dry (SPUD) box, specifically, the SPUD-2 model, as it has a comfortable   
   carrying handle and provides enough depth, strength, and support needed to   
   handle the weight of the radio gear.   
      
   The components I selected for this go-box were the Icom IC-706 Mark IIG   
   transceiver, the LDG Z-100 Plus autotuner with the radio interface cable, as   
   well as the Tigertronics SignaLink USB sound card interface, as seen in Figure   
   2. A small Anderson Powerpole junction box simplifies wiring. The total weight   
   of this packaged solution is less than 17 pounds.   
      
      
   Operating Environments   
      
   Below are typical operating environments and special uses where you can safely   
   and effectively operate the station. You should consider how many of these   
   environments apply to your particular needs before designing your own packaged   
   solution.   
      
     Home station   
     A fully featured system that can be used with a power supply,   
     an antenna, and power for the computer.   
      
     Mobile   
     A limited set of functions on HF/VHF/UHF with a remote head   
     for driver safety and convenience.   
      
     Contesting Station   
     Add a headset and foot switch, and laptop computer, and it is   
     ready for contest logging, DX Spotting, and digital sound card   
     modes. The sound card interface can also act as a digital   
     voice-keyer, saving you from calling CQ for hours on end.   
      
     Emergency Station   
     Perfect for quick setup, a quick-deploy NVIS antenna, and VHF   
     vertical antenna for operating HF, VHF, or the popular e-mail   
     over radio software such as Winlink Express.   
      
     Boating   
     Since many of the sensitive components are packaged securely, it   
     is possible to operate this in a marine environment as well -   
     consider harsh environments when designing your go-box.   
      
   Additional Benefits of a Good Design:   
    *  Security of being able to easily remove the go-box from a vehicle when   
       not in use   
    *  Quickly adaptable among various operating environments   
    *  Allows hams to only need one radio that serves multiple purposes   
      
      
   Design Considerations   
      
   Topic                    Best Practice   
   Component Monitoring     Bolts/nuts are best for installation,   
                            but Velcro should be sufficient for   
                            smaller components. Another option is to   
                            tie wrap components on to sanded plywood   
                            for good results. Mount radio on lower   
                            portion of box, using rubber feet to   
                            raise angle of radio for less strain   
                            when using controls. Put less-used   
                            materials on the top shelf. When   
                            mounting SO-239 connectors through the   
                            case, use star washers to keep the   
                            connectors in place.   
      
   Additional Accessories   As a convenience, add an external   
                            speaker, volt meter, USB port to charge   
                            small devices, and a dual-band DB-J2   
                            roll-up antenna.   
      
   Documentation            Consider adding a manual or guide for   
                            your radio or create your own document   
                            for nontraditional (set and forget)   
                            settings (i.e., port speed for radio to   
                            computer communications, operating   
                            various digital modes software, and   
                            preferred audio settings for each).   
                            Print the document on laminated paper to   
                            fit neatly into the go-box.   
      
   Labeling                 Don't forget to label all connectors.   
                            Also, print labels with your name and   
                            call sign inside the box and cover.   
      
   Mobile Use               If you wish to use the go-box as a   
                            mobile rig, the radio should have   
                            remote-head capability. Mounting the   
                            head unit remotely will provide   
                            additional space inside the box.   
      
   Air Travel               The go-box fits the aircraft carry-on   
                            bag size requirements; however, consider   
                            what you store in the case as there is   
                            an ever-growing list of prohibited items   
                            that cannot be transported on a   
                            commercial flight.   
      
      
   The Guts of it All   
      
   The internals are very simple. A thin high-grade plywood shelf slides between   
   parallel guides as seen in Figure 3. The power, coax, and braided cables need   
   to be long enough to slide out with the shelf when accessing the components.   
   Optional internal fused circuits for protection, or a small fan for cooling   
   that may be needed during mobile operation, are not shown.   
      
   The top shelf holds less frequently-used components such as the SignaLink and   
   auto tuner. Therefore, the bottom shelf is reserved for more frequently used   
   items such as the transceiver, thereby reducing arm muscle strain when in   
   operation. Note, in Figure 4, there is a 1«" hole in the top shelf for passing   
   wires through the shelf to the bottom of the go-box.   
      
   The bottom shelf is mainly for the radio with storage space for remote head or   
   other accessories.   
      
      
   Pennsylvania QSO Party, 2016 - the shake-down   
      
   I traveled from my home in Oregon to operate in Pennsylvania with Randy   
   George, N3ZK and Frank Bobro, N3FB, to test out my new go-box under   
   multi-operator contest conditions. I was able to transport the go-box on board   
   as an airline carry-on (with no fuss from airport security) easily fitting in   
   the overhead compartment. For contesting in the Pennsylvania QSO Party, I used   
   a Heil headset, foot switch, and tablet computer. I was surprised that with   
   running pileups for two hours straight, the heat dissipation from the go-box   
   was sufficient and no additional fans were required. The N1MM contesting   
   software allowed sending digital voice recordings through SignaLink, which   
   worked very well.   
      
   The only additional piece of equipment I needed was a small folding table to   
   hold the go-box, my computer, and I still had ample room for food and drink!   
      
      
   Conclusion   
      
   Building a go-box can be very rewarding and will definitely draw attention   
   from fellow ham club members. Hopefully, I have inspired you to build your own   
   go-box for those times when an out-of-shack operational need presents itself.   
   Just to reiterate, it is important when designing your go-box to consider   
   various operating environments; you never know when an emergency situation may   
   arise that could depend on your services for communication to the outside   
   world. -- Paul Lusardi, N0VLR, Corvallis, Oregon; member, Benton County ARES,   
   Search and Rescue, and Oregon Disaster Medical Team   
      
      
      
   Looking Out for Number One in a Disaster Area   
      
   All of us who have had even minimal experience at the scene of any form of   
   disaster, man-made or natural, know just how rapidly things can change in that   
   environment. We have our "go bags" ready for what we believe we will need to   
   get us through the situation/deployment. But have we given any thought about   
   what would happen if, during our deployment, something were to happen to us,   
   both on a minor scale and a larger scale?   
      
   For the minor scale issues, I suggest what I call a personal comfort pack.   
   This would include items such as pain killers, cough drops, Antacid, lip balm,   
   sun screen, any prescription drugs you may need, a few Band-Aids(R), a few   
   granola or power bars, and anything else you think may make your deployment a   
   little easier and more comfortable for you, such as eye drops if you wear   
   contact lenses.   
      
   All of these items can fit into a small pouch: I use a nice weather proof   
   camera case I found in a local thrift store! Many of the items listed can be   
   found in small quantities in the travel section of some stores. These smaller   
   versions are ideal for your kit. Of course your kit doesn't have to be small.   
   If you want more comfort items than can fit into a small pouch you could   
   always go bigger. Popular now in some sporting goods stores are the plastic   
   military style "ammo cans." These would also be a good choice for your   
   personal comfort kit. They are inexpensive, light weight and have a rubber   
   gasket around the lid to give it some degree of water resistance. These "cans"   
   can even hold a bottle of water if you wanted one.   
      
   Now that you have taken care of the little things, what can you do to help   
   yourself if something more serious happened to you during your deployment and   
   you were unable to communicate? Most Emergency Medical Technicians are used to   
   looking at a person's wrist or neck for a medic alert bracelet or necklace, so   
   I got a very small brightly colored flash drive and labeled it on both sides,   
   "Mike B. MEDICAL."   
      
   Since there are laptops everywhere now, from mobile data terminals (MDT's) in   
   the squad emergency transport vehicles to the desks in the trauma center, you   
   can communicate a great deal of information without being conscious by having   
   it readily available on the little flash drive.   
      
   On mine, I have the following: Page one has my name, address, home phone and   
   date of birth. It also lists the names and cell phone numbers of my wife and   
   daughters. At the bottom, in red and in all caps, I have listed no allergies   
   and my blood type. The next few pages list my personal medical history to   
   include the type of medical incident (broken bones, surgeries, etc.) the   
   attending physician's name, the date and location of treatment. After that I   
   have a sheet with a copy of the labels of all prescription medications I am   
   currently on. This gives the hospital the type of medication, dose, and the   
   name of the physician who prescribed it.   
      
   Next I have a page that has a copy of all my doctor's business cards, from my   
   family doctor to a specialist, my dentist and even my optometrist. I provide   
   this so that if a trauma center or ER doctor has a specific question, he/she   
   can contact my doctor directly. Lastly I provide a page of family medical   
   history. Depending on what has happened to you, this information could be very   
   important.   
      
   You might say, well I have a card in my wallet with my spouse's contact   
   information -- they can just call him/her and get the information needed, and   
   you would be correct, they could. However, in some medical situations, time is   
   of the essence and if they had any difficulty contacting your spouse, they are   
   using up critical time.   
      
   Conclusion: It takes very little effort to put together a personal comfort   
   pack and personal medical information onto a flash drive. Do it for yourself   
   and your family. -- Mike Burg, N8QQN, Emergency Medical Technician [Burg   
   retired recently as Chief of Police. One of the first things he did after   
   making Chief was to install a 2-meter radio and station in the department.   
   Burg said, "Since the department is one of the three 9-1-1 centers in the   
   county, we have a massive generator that runs the entire building in the event   
   of a power outage. By putting the station there, my club was always able to   
   get on the air."]   
      
      
      
   Ohio ARES: A Busy Year in Review   
      
   In addition to providing radio communications in support of public safety and   
   security at the Republican National Convention in July, the ARRL Ohio section   
   doubled its involvement in public events and incidents over the activity of   
   the previous year. Section Emergency Coordinator Stan Broadway, N8BHL,   
   credited his team of local and District Emergency Coordinators for their   
   participation in long planning meetings, intense preparations and successful   
   operations. Ohio ARES solidified its relationships with numerous emergency   
   management agencies and Red Cross offices over the course of the busy year.   
      
   The number of Ohio ARES members completing FEMA IS-100, 200, 700 and 800   
   courses steadily increased: a database shows more than 500 ARES members now   
   holding 3,263 course certificates. In Ohio, ARES volunteers who report to an   
   EOC or incident field operation must hold the NIMS/ICS course completion   
   certificates.   
      
   Some Ohio groups are developing MESH (2.4 GHz) digital networking systems   
   while others are working on applications in Winlink, the hybrid    
   nternet/RF-based email system. In several counties, ARES organizations are   
   upgrading, expanding and developing stations in their local EOCs. The Ohio   
   state EOC station is being fitted with all new radio equipment -- the   
   remodeling and installation is expected to be completed before the end of the   
   year. Many other groups were busy upgrading communications trailers for   
   emergency/disaster response, some in cooperation with CERT programs.   
      
   ARES members again participated in Ohio's NVIS Antenna Day, testing the   
   ability to communicate within the state using HF radio frequencies. In 2015,   
   ARES members participated in their first ARES VHF Contest, designed to test   
   and improve local communication capabilities for those times when all else,   
   including repeaters, fails. The next Ohio ARES VHF Contest will be held on   
   January 14.   
      
   SEC Broadway said about the year, "From bringing aid to a stricken hunter   
   outside of cell phone range to being a standing backup during the RNC, to   
   activating to help at an EOC, our ARES volunteers won the confidence of EMA   
   directors, and assumed a higher position of trust."   
      
      
      
   Letters: American Legion's Amateur Radio Program   
      
   I'd like to pass along some information that I had only recently discovered,   
   and I suspect that many amateurs are unaware of: The American Legion has an   
   active Amateur Radio club and program that seems to parallel what we do in   
   ARES. I thought it was interesting that veterans are involved in public   
   service via the conduit of Amateur Radio also. It's a great story and it made   
   me feel good to join them, along with being an ARES member. You can find more   
   about the American Legion program here. - Joe Wright, KG7CWG, Forks, Washington   
      
      
      
   K1CE for a Final   
      
   Happy holidays from your editor and staff on the ARES E-Letter editorial   
   campus here in Daytona Beach, Florida, "The World's Most Famous Beach"! 73,   
   Rick Palm, K1CE   
      
   _____   
      
      
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   ____________________________________________________________________________   
      
      
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   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
   Do you manage your own servers? If you are not running an IDS/IPS yer doin' it   
   wrong...   
   ... An amusing concept no doubt but the dish itself will brutalize your soul.   
   ---   
    * Origin:  (1:3634/12.73)