Upcoming Public Service Events

There are several public service events which are still looking for a few good hams to help provide communications support (contact email addresses are (callsign) at arrl.net unless otherwise noted)

26-27 May (Saturday/Sunday):  Angel Ride, benefiting the Hole In the Wall Gang camp, will occur across northern and eastern Connecticut.   If you can volunteer for one or both days, please contact Wayne N1CLV

28 May (Memorial Day): The Bloomfield Memorial Day Road Race will occur in Bloomfield.  If interested, please contact Mark WA1VVB or Josh AC1N

3 June (Sunday): MS Society Bike Tour, starts and ends from the Griffin Office Park in Windsor, and covers four routes of 25-100 miles in length.   If interested, please contact mark WA1VVB or Josh AC1N

9 June (Saturday): The Jim Calhoun Ride starts and ends in Simsbury.  There are four routs of 10-75 miles in length.   Potential volunteers should contact George AB1GL

Reminder–Skywarn Training

Just a reminder, there are two Skywarn training sessions in the area in the near future:

The Canton, CT session will be at 7pm on Wednesday, 16 May at the Canton Community Center at 40 Dyer Avenue in Canton.

The Chicopee, MA session will be at 7pm on Thursday, 31 May, at the WWLP (channel 22) studios, 1 Broadcast Center.

If you are interested in being a Skywarn spotter, or if you are a Skywarn member but haven’t been through training in the past couple of years, please consider attending one of these sessions.  Registration is not required.

Skywarn Training Scheduled

As announced through various channels:

A Skywarn Basic Spotter Training Class will be held on Wednesday, 16 May at 7pm in the Canton Community Center Multipurpose Room at 40 Dyer Avenue in Canton, CT. Folks interested in becoming Skywarn spotters, or spotters needing to recertify are invited to attend.

CT ARES Annual Meeting

In case you haven’t heard it through other channels: the CT ARES annual meeting will be held this Sunday, 18 March, at the Southington Hamfest (8am-noon, Southington High School, 720 Pleasant St)

Digital Workshop in Guilford, 11 February

An announcement posted to the CT ARES reflector:

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Good Morning CT ARES TEAM members!

At the September 2011 TAPR Digital Communications Conference, one featured presentation was:

“Catastrophic Communications – Which Digital Emission Type Would YOU Use?”

Of course, the question assumes that YOU have the necessary training, experience and equipment to answer the question.

In light of the fact that our Served Agencies are now accustomed to email type communications (digital), we need to be able to go beyond the ARRL/NTS Radiogram format… today!

YOU are invited to join us at the next Training Session in our 2012 series: “Getting the Message Through”.

DATE: Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012

WHAT: Data Communications & APRS Workshop

- Meeting the Needs of our Served Agencies in the Digital Age.

When: 8:30 am – Noon
Where: Guilford Fire Department - Training Room
390 Church St. , Guilford, CT
(I-95, Exit 58: 1 block North on Left)
Presenters: Wayne Gronlund (N1CLV) – Data Communications
Bill Covey (W1GTT) – APRS

This is going to be an exciting HANDS-ON program designed to get you set up and going with Data Communications and using APRS effectively.
BOTTOM LINE:
YOU need to be at this Training Session.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain the knowledge you need to operate these vital EmComm modes.
Don’t worry about not having all the gear now: If you’ve got a computer (Lap tops are easier to transport), a ; 20’-25’ extension cord and an power strip, you’ve got enough for this meeting.

Make your Reservation. Send a “REPLY” before Wednesday(2/8) to reserve your place.
What to BRING

Minimum Equipment List:

• PC Computer – Laptop preferred (Desktop is OK… if you want to lug it and its “accessories”)
• 20’- 25’ Extension Cord
• Power Strip

Complete Equipment List:

• PC Computer – Laptop preferred (Desktop is OK… if you want to lug it and its “accessories”)
• 20’- 25’ Extension Cord
• Power Strip
• Hardware TNC (e.g. Kantronics KPC-3, KPC-3 Plus, etc.)
• Connecting Cables (PC-to-TNC & TNC-to-radio)
• 2m HT

DO NOT ; pre-load/install “Airmail” – this will be part of the program.

Regards,
Douglas Sharafanowich, WA1SFH
District Emergency Coordinator, Region 2
Connecticut Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)
www.ctaresregion2.org
email: wa1sfh <at> optonline <dot> net

The workshop will essentially be an opportunity to get basic APRS and Winlink software installed and configured. ; If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge into the VHF packet world, this would be a great opportunity.

Please note that a hardware TNC isn’t, strictly speaking, essential to getting up and running with VHF digital.  There are a couple of soundcard-based TNCs available which permit working APRS, Winlink, and packet without investing in more hardware. They aren’t quite as robust as hardware TNC’s, but they are usable.  For more information, please contact Michael, AB1OD (email: ab1od <at> arrl <dot> net // packet: ab1od@w1edh.ct.us.noam).

There are other digital modes available, even on 2m, which don’t require a TNC. However, Connecticut ARES is currently standardized on packet-based modes, and in an emergency, it would be good if there were many members who are packet-capable.

EmComm Class In West Haven, 19 May

(Note: This was rescheduled from the original announcement. This post has been updated to reflect the revised details announced on 25 January.)

As seen on the ConnARES mail reflector, and as announced on the Monday evening Region 3 net:

The 1 Day ARRL EmComm Level 1 Course (EC-001)

Why spend 9 WEEKS “On-Line”?

DETAILS This course is designed to provide basic knowledge and tools for any emergency communications volunteer, and is a core requirement for CT ARES ECs .

The 1 DAY EmComm Level 1 Class (EC-001)

Date: May 19, 2012
Time: 8am to 5pm
Cost: $60.00 (includes Text Book, Lunch, Testing Fee)
Class limit 30 students
No walk-ins

Must register by May 11, 2012

For Registration Form, contact:

Edwin Rhodes ( WA1LEI )
email: wa1lei yahoo com

The class provides a good introduction to how amateur radio operators can support our served agencies and communities during a communication emergency, covering the tools available, suggested protocols, and other generally useful information.

If you are interested in the material but can’t make the in-person class, the subject is also available as an online class through the ARRL’s website. Despite the announcement above, the online class isn’t 9 weeks long; instead it’s a self-paced experience, but you do have to finish the required assignments within a 9-week window.

SET Bulletin #4

Note the change in plans:

On more occasions than we can count in the history of the Connecticut
Section, our Simulated Emergency Tests have been negatively impacted by
the ACTUAL weather! Seems that if you want to produce foul weather in
Connecticut, all you have to do is schedule an SET! This weekend’s
potential for an early-season coastal Nor’easter threatens to add one
more “gotcha” to that list!
Because the SET is an important measure of our capability and readiness
to support our Served Agencies in an emergency, we do not want to cancel
it. BUT we do need to MODIFY it appropriately based on expected REAL
weather conditions. Since many of us have already invested considerable
time and energy preparing for this exercise, we will include our
preparations and response to the expected ACTUAL storm as our 2011 SET.
So, here is our modified PLAN B for this weekend’s SET!
A) Fictitious Hurricane ZETA and a possible CT earthquake, the subjects
of the three previous SET Bulletins, are no more! Aside: If only we had
the power to control the real world that easily!
B) The guidelines for conducting an SET allow response to an actual
event to be counted as the exercise. Up to a 48 hour period of activity
can be included in the scoring. We will utilize the period from 0600
Saturday through midnight on Sunday as our SET scoring period. Those
responsible for SET reporting should capture all ARES/SKYWARN/NTS
activity during that time period on their SET reports.
C) Based on the current forecast, the National Weather Service is
likely to activate SKYWARN on Saturday to provide REAL wind and
precipitation data. So SKYWARN exercise activity originally planned for
Friday evening as part of the SET is CANCELED. SKYWARN personnel should function as they normally would during an actual event.
D) In order to not interfere with any possible actual response efforts,
we will focuse the ARES and NTS exercise activity to between 0900 and
1200 on Saturday. District Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers
should direct the call up of their respective nets as soon after 0900
as repeater resources allow. DECs should have their leadership cadre
conduct a roll call of available operators and determine answers to the
following questions about their operating capabilities:
  1) Can they operate fixed, mobile, and/or portable?
  2) On what bands/modes can they operate?
  3) Do they have an emergency power source available, and if so, for
what duration?
  4) Any other specific capability or limitation?
E) District Emergency Coordinators and Net Managers are authorized to
conduct whatever training and exercise activity during the 0900-1200
time period that is appropriate for their area and existing weather
conditions. Specific options include, but are not limited to, the
following:
  1) Conducting Regional nets to determine simplex coverage areas
  2) Originating and sending message traffic in NTS format – make sure
TEST messages are so marked
  3) Operating on emergency power (i.e., battery, generator, solar,
wind)
  4) Testing communications to EOCs, hospitals, and shelters
  5) Practicing with data/digital modes (e.g., Classic Packet and/or
Winlink)
F) For purposes of both the SET and the ACTUAL storm, we will elevate
the ARES Activation Level to “Level 1 Alert” effective at 1800 Friday
evening. We will raise the ARES Activation Level to “Level 2 Standby”
effective at 0830 Saturday morning. After further changes to the
Activation Level and our ARES response posture will be made as needed
to address ACTUAL conditions and needs as they develop. Any actual
requests for assistance received from Served Agencies should be handled
in the normal manner.
NOTE: No one should actually deploy as part of the SET unless
conditions are absolutely SAFE to do so!! An increased level of
personal risk is something we are forced to accept in a real emergency
response, but not in a drill!
Your support of the upcoming Simulated Emergency Test is sincerely
appreciated and contributes to our overall emergency preparedness! See
you on the radio this weekend!
Thanx & 73, Wayne, N1CLV
SEC – CT ARES(r)
SET Exercise Director