| Bulletin Board
One last time I'll toot the horn for CW for those still interested.
Here are two articles out of the ARRL section manager's newsletter:
SEPTEMBER 16-17--- "Get Your Feet Wet" CW contest. (WAIT! This could be
JUST what you're looking for!) This is designed especially for people
who've never gotten the nerve to do much in the way of CW operating,
with a focus on sending slowly and clearly, and sending the exchange in
proper order. (Heck! Maybe I'll even give this one a try...) Exchange:
Callsign/N (for newcomers) or Callsign/E (for experienced), RST, Name,
QTH, FISTS number or power level, and the last two digits of the year
you were licensed. 2 points for working someone out of your category,
and one for working someone from the same category. Multipliers: those
stations who were licensed between 2000-2005. Stations may be worked
once on each band, but multiplier counts only once. Logs and score
summary go to NANCY KOTT, WZ8C, at P.O. Box 47, Hadley, MI 48440. See
http://www.fists.org for more info.
** In a recent exchange of emails with EMORY GORDY, W4WRO, we were
discussing the correlation between musical ability and Morse code
proficiency. He has convinced me that "there is a genuine relationship
there. (OK, Mike, so you were RIGHT!) Emory even informed me that toward the end of WW2 the Armed Forces were trying to find a quick
aptitude test to determine the best candidates for CW ops. The ONLY
correlation they could find was: Those people with an aptitude for music
were also good candidates for learning CW. Turns out there's a VERY
specific area of the brain that deals with music...it's the same area
that deals with CW....Doesn't do much else (it just ciphers
sounds)....generally located in the right brain (for right handed
people)." Emory wrote a terrific article dealing with the symbiotic
relationship between music and CW, and I'd urge all of you to check it
out. It can be found at
http://www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/results/2004/FD/guiltless.html
(Emory W4WRO is active with the club in Dallas GA and is married to
Patty Loveless, KD4WUJ.)
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| Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications.
GOOD THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT EM COM
FORMAL PROCEDURES help to eliminate errors and improve efficiency.
Read chapter 7 in the ARRL OPERATING MANUAL. Listen to the emergency
nets that are in operation at this time. Some of them are passing formal
traffic. Pay close attention to these, and notice how smoothly traffic
is passed by experienced operators who follow the principles discussed
in the OPERATING MANUAL.
In spite of this, you will notice some variation from published
procedures. Let's not quibble over this during an emergency. Just pay
particular attention to the procedures and protocol used by the net that
you may participate in. Be flexible and understand their way of doing
things. Accuracy is important. Anything less than 100% is unacceptable.
Above all, STAY QUIET and LISTEN.
MODES OF OPERATION The Amateur Radio service offers many
different modes of operation. AM, CW, and the old teleprinter modes are
fading into history, but are still used to some extent. The old
teleprinter and CW modes are replaced by several very good digital
modes. We have TV, both fast and slow scan, FAX, SSB, FM, PM, etc. I
believe we could provide just about any kind of radio service an agency
might desire.
Now, here is something that may surprise you. As emergency
communicators, we should be prepared to use any of the following radios
that the agency might require: Family Service Radio, General Mobile
Radio Service (requires license), and yes the infamous CB! We could also
be required to be trained to use the agency's own radio and telephone
equipment. If totally secure communication is required, this mode is
available everywhere. It is the pencil and paper! The way this works
is as follows: the served agency person writes a message on a sheet of
paper and hands it to the em com operator. The operator hand
delivers the message to the addressee. Isn't that a clever mode?
However, this mode is useful only for short range depending on walking
or driving conditions.
73, Russ W4YKF
ARES Update
The SET begins (this has been cancelled -- see below -- KC4GCK) on Oct. 1, a Saturday. I propose the following:
The Atlanta CDC has announced a (drill) statement that a major rabies
outbreak has occured in Dawson and Lumpkin Counties. The CDC has asked
for a quick visual survey of 4-legged critters in our respective
counties. We activate our two respective EOC's in formal nets (say 9:00
AM?), and have our check-ins procede to approriate places in the two
counties. Each check-in station sends a simple, formal, message back to
their NCS stating the number of 4-legged critters seen at their
location. We're done by maybe 10:00 or so. We decide on a place for post-SET breakfasts and figure out how we
didn't mess up.
The two NCS's (Yeah ... it'll probably be me and Mac/Scott} prepare a
formal joint message to Phil (DEC) and Susan (SEC) with our humble
summary of the morning, including the 4-legged critter count.
Baby steps, but I think it would be fun. Comments?
ARES Update - September 8, 2005
We now have an "official" joint ARES/RACES net, with Dawson County on
Monday nights at 8:00 PM. The net meets on the Dahlonega repeater,
146.835, positive offset, 100 Hz tone. Please join in! (We'll try to
keep it short and sweet ... but carry a pencil .... there may be traffic
to be copied!)
Although the state cancelled this year's Section Emergency Test (SET),
we still are planning to have a joint-county SET (Dawson/Lumpkin) on
Saturday morning, October 1st. The exercise will be designed to test
simplex coverage in the two counties. It will be simple, fun, and
should last no more than an hour or two. Both EOC's should be manned,
and a formal net will be activated. Plan from 9:00 - 10:30, and be
ready to go mobile on 146.550 simplex.
The EOC station is up and running. Russ, Betty and I ran some simple
simplex checks, and the coverage looks really, really good. We'll know
more after our SET.
I have created a telephone "calling list" and passed a copy to Don, our
EMA director. I will forward copies of the list to all who submitted
ARES applications, along with instructions, very shortly.
73 de Dave W9JWT
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