ARRL Field Day 2014 announcement

News flash: Modes used during Field Day

News flash: ALE AMD during Field Day

News flash: APRS during Field Day
News flash: Field Day Antenna setup

Stay tuned for more updates...

- Public Announcement for immediate release -

The Arkansas Radio Emergency Services (A.R.E.S.) Club, The Central Arkansas UHF (CAUHF) Club and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Ham Radio (CAVHS) Club have once again joined forces for this year's ARRL Amateur Radio Field Day @ the VA Hospital.

We three Little Rock Amateur Radio Clubs will once again be participating in the annual ARRL Field Day event the weekend of June 28-29 on the Historic Ft. Roots Parade Ground, Little Rock, Arkansas using the call sign N5AT.

We will be operating with emergency power and alternate power, erecting a 20m beam antenna, wire antennas and a magnetic loop antenna. There will again be a dedicated SSB station, a dedicated digital station, a digital&voice GOTA station and a VHF station. Digital operations will be CW (straight key) and sound card based modes, including Automatic Link Establishment (ALE AMD).


The AHDNN net will be conducted from this site between 1600h and 1700h CDT, 7.070 mhz 1000Hz +/-, MT63-500L.
Technician Class Licensees - SPECIAL NOTICE: Please check-in with CW on Center Frequency, we are listening out for you! Net will be conducted using the NBEMS software suite with FLDIGI and FLMSG to facilitate section "7.3.6. Message Handling” of the ARRL Field Day 2014 Rules. NBEMS nets in adjoining states have planned to stand by.


We have decided to organize the event per the NIMS / ICS model, as to increase our knowledge and experience with it, making use of and learning about the AUXFOG. We will have an Educational Activity and hope that the Little Rock Boy Scouts will be able to join us! http://fd.ema.arrl.org/FD_ICS.html

Irrespective of the above, our focus is - as always - on the great cameraderie between the clubs and it’s members, where everyone is invited and welcome to visit and operate.

Although we have chosen to follow the ARRL Field Day 2014 Rules Objective closely ("To work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands…” and to "developing skills to meet the challenges of emergency preparedness as well as to acquaint the general public with the capabilities of Amateur Radio.”), we will nonetheless approach it as we always have, with a degree of leisure appropriate for the searing heat at that time of year!

If you have time, come join us!


Directions to the park are here: Google Maps directions and please see the map at the bottom of this post, we will be located on the Parade Ground.


Historical background:
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5807
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/feature/places/13000021.htm

We all look forward to meeting you, be it on air or in person!

Wishing all a most enjoyable and especially safe Field Day 2014,

73 de Marcus NX5MK
A.R.E.S. Club, CAUHF & CAVHS FIELD DAY 2014 UC/IC





ArcGIS - US National Grid with Current Hazards

Maintaining Leadership Focus in Volunteer Emergency Organizations

Outstanding How-To article on how to manage Volunteer Emergency Organizations.
http://bigmedicine.ca/wordpress/2011/11/judy-esmond-options-maintaining-leadership-focus-in-volunteer-emergency-organizations/#sthash.VEClTRzS.dpuf

I especially want to point out the following paragraph of the article:

PEOPLE

1) Leaders should ensure that every step is made to make a newbie welcome. A ʺfather – figureʺ (utilising specific skills and abilities) can take the newbie under his or her wing for the first two or three meetings; making them feel at home and instil a sense of belonging. It is a common fact that if a newbie hasn’t made a friend within the first seven weeks, there is a strong possibility they won’t hang around much after that.

2) Home in on the skills, talents, abilities, attributes, etc of the newcomer and begin to utilize them ASAP.

3) If membership or team spirit appears to be waning, perhaps a change of leadership is needed? Leaders who hold the post for long periods can generate staleness. Fresh blood often introduces a fresh approach.

My comments to this are:

Regarding #1:
I specifically thank all the members of the ARES-Club (Arkansas Radio Emergency Services Club) for having made me feel welcome from the first moment onwards and for your continued elmering. It is not often that one meets HAMs like you.

Regarding #2:
I also thank you for having utilized my skill set from the beginning - it takes a confident and knowledgeable person to guide someone else, knowing how to apply their skill set and allowing them to gain leadership experience - and you did.

Regarding #3:
I certainly see no waning team spirit with the ARES-Club! Why is that? I believe it's because you practice the art of rotating responsibilities. That's exactly what a friend of mine, a US Navy Commander, suggested I practice with our Decon Unit where I work.


See more about "Maintaining Leadership Focus in Volunteer Emergency Organizations" at: http://bigmedicine.ca/wordpress/2011/11/judy-esmond-options-maintaining-leadership-focus-in-volunteer-emergency-organizations/#sthash.VEClTRzS.dpuf

NIMS ICS forms for AUXCOM, CERT, ARES, Amateur Radio operators

This is the best collection of ICS forms that I have found to date for the AUXCOM, CERT, ARES, Amateur Radio operator, covering all ICS forms of interest for the communicator: http://bearsfl.us/files/ics_forms/

Portable hand-crank power in a backpack size...

I have previously posted about an upcoming 12V portable hand crank electricity generator for the commercial market. Here I will report about a Mil-Spec portable hand crank generator that might just be the solution for you.

Sometime back I ordered a Clansman Hand Generator (please perform internet search on these as I do not want to bias you on whom to order it from). It generates 24 Volt DC (open voltage) at moderate speed cranking and a maximum of 30V (open voltage) when cranking at the maximal speed  that I can still manage relatively comfortably. Please see YouTube videos for further details on this crank generator.

So how could you use these 24V to charge a portable battery? Just connect two small 12V batteries in series... and you have a heavy duty (yes - that does also imply fairly heavy weight). 

Amateur Radio Featured at 2014 Preparedness Summit

Just came across the following newsline:


Amateur Radio Featured at 2014 Preparedness Summit
The Preparedness Summit is the largest public health preparedness conference in the United States. Each year, approximately 2,000 preparedness professionals attend this multi-disciplinary event. This year, the Preparedness Summit is highlighting the importance of amateur radio.
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?427424-Amateur-Radio-Featured-at-2014-Preparedness-Summit
http://preparednesssummit.org/ham-radio/

Might be worthwhile to take a look at.

New Year's Resolution: Become a CERT Leader

http://www.arrl.org/ares-el%3Fissue%3Dcurrent#toc01

Right on! See here.