Checkins for 22.01.09 WF4DD KF4EOD KG4FGC N4PAA NA4P

Ken discussed the National Public Health Radio Network sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA. While this HF network does not appear to have an amateur component as yet, it has only been in existence since 2008. Ken drew attention to the technical requirements for equipment and noted that such equipment likely was outside

the normal amateur's budget. He suggested, though, that stations associated with MARS and SHARES might well be able to participate.

Checkins for 15.01.09 WF4DD KF4EOD KG4FGC NA4P KE4TSY KC4WSK

Fred, NA4P, made an announcement about the W3A Inauguration Station that will be on the air 17 January - 24 on 80M, 40M, and 20M. Check spotting networks.

Fred also discussed the operating guidelines for using repeaters in Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur (2d ed.; 2008) 10. This booklet is available at http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/Eth-operating-ENarrl-SITE-1jul2008.pdf.

Checkins for 08.01.09 WF4DD KF4EOD KG4FGC KC8OEX NA4P N4PAA

Ken, KG4FGC, presented a program about the newly formed Hospital Amateur Radio System http://www.nchears.org/news.php , a UHF system in the Charlotte, NC area that eventually hopes to link all of the hospitals in

In South Carolina there is a similar network on two meters that has been in operation longer than NCHEARS. For information on that network go to http://www.sph.sc.edu/acphp/hams_scheart.htm.

Checkins for 01.01.09 WF4DD KC8OEX NA4P

No program: HAPPY 2009!

The net will be suspended on Christmas night (25.12.08) but will resume on New Year's night (01.01.09) Happy Holidays!

Checkins for 19.12.08 WF4DD KG4FGC NA4P N4PAA

Checkins for 12.12.08

KJ4CDM WF4DD KF4EOD KG4FGC NA4P N4PAA KI4SCH

Ken, KG4FGC, introduced the net to the Wilderness Protocol, a schema of times and frequencies for providing aid to those in wilderness areas and out of range of amateur repeaters. Participants would agree to monitor the standard simplex frequencies below as they are able.

The times of monitoring are as follows:

Associated with this protocol is a protocol with the acronym LiTZ (LONG TONE ZERO) in which a station sends a 5-second DTMF "zero" tone for at least 3 seconds to announce that a priority transmission follows.

Checkins for 5.12.08

K4AC WF4DD KJ4DLS KF4EOD KG4FGC WA8IHW N4PAA NA4P

Fred, NA4P, gave a brief rundown of the marine radio service, especially the VHF-FM channels. He discussed license requirements for the marine radio service as well as the emergency authority amateurs would have. Various rules and regulations about antennas, types of contacts allowed and the like were also included. Finally there was a review of the meaning of the MAYDAY and PAN signals.

Checkins for 14.11.08

WF4DD KF4EOD KG4FGC N4PAA NA4P KE4TSY

Fred NA4P gave a brief overview of the EPIRB, ELT, PLB emergency locator beacons and the International Cospas-Sarsat satellite system that make location of a properly working unit almost instantaneous. He pointed out that all three kinds of locator transmit and encoded identification on 406 MHz and simultaneously transmit a homing beacon on 121.5 MHz. As of February 1, 2009 the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system will no longer process signals at 121.5 MHz.

Fred explained aircraft search and rescue using only a 121.5 MHz ELT. While it was fairly easy to create "nulls" of the signal by banking the aircraft, the intersecting lines of position were often only approximate. Nevertheless, the system did work--if somewhat slowly. The problems with 121.5 MHz ELTs included the fact that they were prone to go off for no reason and their signal carried no ID information.

Only since July 1, 2003 has the personal version of the system been allowed throughout the United States. The PLB works just like its maratime and aviation cousins and may also be able to transmit a GPS location to the satellite.

Checkins for 07.11.08

WF4DD KD4EQY KG4FGC NA4P N4PAA

Ken KG4FGC led a discussion of 2M antennas for emergency use, discussing in particular the TV-Lead J-pole, the vertical with ground plane, and mag mounts with appropriate grounding. There was discussion about construction techniques and description of the copper pipe J-pole antenna.

Checkins for 31.10.08

KJ4CDM WF4DD KD4EQI NA4P N4PAA

Fred NA4P discussed the development of a HF soundcard ARQ mode for WINLINK2000. This new mode, called WINMOR, should be available soon for HF operations and will keep amateurs from having to acquire the expensive PACTOR modems required at present. For additional information see http://www.winlink.org.

Frank KJ4CDM reminded the net that both EchoLink and Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) have been used successfully on EMCOMM. A local IRLP repeater is W4SNA 53.310 MHz (r) 52.310 MHz (tx).

Fred also announced that the National Weather System has revamped its winter weather advisory and warning language. For information go to
http://www.weather.gov/os/notification/scn08-40winterwx_simplification.txt

Checkins for 24.10.08

WF4DD
KG4FGC
KJ4HDE
KC8OEX
NA4P
N4PAA

Fred NA4P led a discussion of the Integrated Kinetic Energy scale (IKE) as a better measure of the destructive potetial of a hurricane than the venerable Saffir-Simpson scale. During the discussion the disparity between Hurricane Camille that came ashore in LA was a Category 5 hurricane when it came ashore, whereas Katrina came ashore as a Category 3. Yet the widespread destruction of Katrina vastly outweighed that of Camille. The reason is that the SS scale deals with unrestricted surface winds over a given area whereas IKE creates bands of intensity based on wind speed over various volumes of air. Ken, KG4FGC promised to resend NA4P the URL for another article about the use of IKE with Hurricane Ike (no relation). Although it was only Category 2, the desructive power of Ike was very great and would have been predicted with the IKE scale.

See Mark D. Powell and Timothy A. Reinhold, "Tropical Cyclone Destructive Potential by Integrated Kinetic Energy," Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (April 2007) 513-526.

Checkins for 17.10.08

WF4DD
KG4FGC/football portable
NA4P
KC4WSK

WF4DD closed the net at 0114Z 18.10.08.

Checkins for 10.10.08

WF4DD
KG4FGC
NA4P
N4PAA

WF4DD gave a brief report on the SET. WF4DD was net control for the WFUARC informal net on Saturday (4.10.08) and NA4P was liaison with the Tar Heel Emergency Net. KJ4DLS, KG4FGC, NA4P and WB9SZL participated on the local net. Two messages in the IC-213 format went to the Tar Heel Emergency Net by relay through NA4P.

Checkins for 02.10.08

WF4DD
KG4FGC
NA4P
N4PAA

The club will conduct a non-directed net commencing 0800 LCL on Saturday, October 4 as part of the statewide SET. We are requested to send simulated weather reports via the Tar Heel Emergency Net 3.923 MHz. Reports are to be addressed to the Branch EOC.

ICS-213

Checkins for 25.9.08

WF4DD
KF4EOD
KD4EQY
KG4FGC
NA4P
N4PAA
KC4WSK

Ken, KG4FGC, led a discussion of the merits of establishing GPS coordinates for important emergency sites in the area. Pointing out that those returning to Galveston, Texas after Hurricaine Ike often could not locate their own homes because the storm had altered the topography of the city. In the course of an emergency operation similar alterations may occur so that it becomes difficult to locate shelters, hospitals, and other such locations because of damage. Simple GPS location of sites in the area like the Red Cross, Police, and Parkland High School (shelter) would make it easier for the dispatch of aid or personnel equipped with a basic GPS and a list of critical coordinates. In answer to a query from NA4P, the discussion turned to the virtues and uses of APRS.

Checkins for 18.9.08

WF4DD
KG4ECI
KF4EOD
KD4EQY
KG4FGC
KJ4GOU Welcome, Joe!
NA4P

NCS announced the the Sixth Annual South Carolina QSO Party to be held 1300Z Sept 20 - 2100Z Sept 21, 2008 (CW, Phone, Digital).

Fred, NA4P referred the net to the branches and areas of the NC Division of Emergency Management and mentioned that Navy-Marine Corps MARS has adopted those branches and areas for traffic delivery. The map is located at http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/em-areas.PDF. NC ARES has also adopted the structure for its organization. That implementation is available at http://www.ncarrl.org/ares.

Noting the vital importance of Health and Welfare traffic during times of emergency, Fred urged the net members to participate in one or more of the traffic nets in NC so as to become fluent in traffic procedures. Those who need to upgrade to General might consider doing so quickly so as to be able to participate in the HF nets, the backbone of the system. These nets are listed on the NC ARES site as Appendix E of the new Amateur Radio Emergency Services North Carolina Section Plan.

Note on Web Site: Apologies for the long hiatus in net reports and thank you for your patience. Fred, NA4P

NET SCRIPT FOR THE WFUARC NET
(REVISED 18.4.08)

ALL STATIONS THIS NET THIS IS WF4DD OPENING THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB NET. THIS IS A DIRECTED NET.

THIS NET SERVES THE WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB AND THE LOCAL AMATEUR COMMUNITY WITH TRAINING IN EMERGENCY SERVICES AND PROVIDES INFORMATION ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CLUB.

THIS NET MEETS ON W4NC REPEATER 145.47 DOWN 600 HZ WITH A
100 HZ TONE.

IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE OF THIS REPEATER NET OPERATIONS SHIFT TO 146.58 MHZ SIMPLEX OR W4NC 146.64 MZ DOWN 600 HZ WITH A 100 HZ TONE.

THIS NET COMMENCES THURSDAY AT 9:00 PM LOCAL TIME. OUT

THIS IS WF4DD. ALL AMATEURS ARE WELCOME TO CHECK INTO THE WFUARC NET. PLEASE GIVE YOUR CALL SIGN IN STANDARD PHONETICS, FIRST NAME, LOCATION, AND LIST TRAFFIC. OVER.

ADDITIONAL STATIONS FOR THE WFUARC NET. OVER.

WE NOW COMMENCE A SHORT TRAINING SESSION. OUT

(Training Portion of the Net)

ADDITIONAL STATIONS FOR THE WFUARC NET. OVER.

NO STATIONS HEARD,

CHECKINS FOR THIS SESSION OF THE WFUARC NET WERE--

THIS CONCLUDES THE WFUARC NET. THE NET WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FORSYTH COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB FOR THE USE OF THIS REPEATER.

THIS IS WF4DD OUT.