PUBLIC SERVICE

ACTIVITY REPORT

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About This Form

Amateur Radio donates thousands of man hours of supplementary public service communications in civil emergencies, official drills and events such as parades and marathons each year. Such events show Amateur Radio in its best light, and it is critically important that ARRL bring documentation of this public service work to the attention of the Congress, the FCC and other public officials. Your information below is an important addition to the record. Please complete and return this form to the Public Service Branch at ARRL Headquarters. Thank you.

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1. Nature of activity (Check one).

Communications Emergency. Amateurs supplied communications required to replace or supplement normal communications means.

Alert. Amateurs were deployed for emergency communications, but emergency situation did not develop.

Special exercise. Amateurs supplied communications for a parade, race, etc.

X      Test or drill. A training activity in which amateurs participated.

2. Brief description of activity: Communications Exercise. Anchorage COMMEX 981003.

3. Places or areas involved: Anchorage, Alaska

4. Number of amateurs participating: 9

5. Event start date/time: 20 Oct 98          6. Event end date/time: 20 Oct 98/2045L

7. Duration of event (hours): .5                8. Total man-hours: 4.5

9. Number of repeaters used: 0

10. Estimated manpower cost: $40.50 (man-hours times $10/hr)

11. Estimated cost of equipment used: $3,150 (hand-helds, repeaters, etc.)

12. Total estimated cost of service: $3,190.50 (add amounts from lines 10 and 11)

13. Nets and/or frequencies used (including repeater call signs): Big City Simplex Net, 146.52 MHz

14. Number of messages handled: Continuous Tactical Traffic

15. Names of agencies receiving communications support: N/A, ARES Communications Exercise

16. Please list call signs of amateurs who were major participants: KL0CY, KL5T, WL7CKB, NL7KN, NL7NN/M, WL7RY/M, KL7CDG, WL7WH, AL7FI/M

17. Other comments: See attached event summary.

Please attach photos of amateurs in action, newspaper clippings or other data.

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Name of Amateur Radio organization providing service: South Central Radio Club, Anchorage Amateur Radio Club, ARES

Location of organization:      City or town: Anchorage         State: AK

Your name: Larry K. Petty                                    Call sign: KL5T

Address: 2631 W. 27th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99517

ARRL appointment, if any: ASM, VE, ARES                  e-mail address: [email protected]

Telephone:  (907) 552-2448      (907) 248-3864
                            (days)                    (evenings)

I attest that the information provided above is complete and true to the best of my knowledge.

                                                                               7 Nov 98

COMMEX 981003

A communications exercise (COMMEX 981003) was held on the Big City Simplex VHF phone net on 20 Oct 98. The net is held each Tuesday evening at 2000L on 146.52 MHz. After net check-ins tapered off, net control, KL0CY, kicked off the exercise.

The purpose of the exercise was to practice our ability to follow net control's instructions and to formulate and pass tactical voice traffic. During roll call, stations were asked to identify if they had packet and/or internet capability. Of the nine stations checked in, six were internet capable and three were packet capable. Once roll call was complete, various tasks were assigned to net stations, some of them dependent upon packet or internet capability. Most of the tasks involved acquiring or identifying a specific piece of information. All data was to be passed back to net control in tactical format.

This exercise was deemed as a success as we did have 100 percent participation.

A hearty congratulations goes out to the following exercise participants:

KL0CY
KL5T
WL7CKB
NL7KN
NL7NN/M
WL7RY/M
KL7CDG
WL7WH
AL7FI/M

A special thanks goes out to KL0CY and WL7CKB for their assistance.

Again, many thanks to those who participated. I highly encourage all to script a communications exercise.

73,

de KL5T

Following is the script for the exercise:

EXERCISE PREAMBLE

STATE: "Attention all net stations, attention all net stations, this is KL0CY. This net will now conduct a communications exercise. This exercise is identified as COMMEX 981003. I repeat, this net will now conduct a communications exercise. The current time is 2015L"

PURPOSE

STATE: "The purpose of this exercise is to practice our ability to follow net control's instructions and to formulate and pass tactical voice traffic. Tactical traffic, as defined by the ARRL Operating Manual, is first response communications in an emergency situation involving a few people in a small area. The 146.52-MHz calling frequency is typically used because compatible mobile, portable, and fixed-station equipment is so plentiful and popular. Tactical traffic, although typically unformatted and seldom written, is particularly important in localized communications when working with government and law-enforcement agencies. In an emergency, the NCS, or net control station, may request specific information from various stations. During this exercise, you will be tasked to acquire and report specific information from various sources. Although some of the information would most certainly NOT be used in a real emergency, it does exercise our ability to tap into tools at our disposal. Our goal is 100 percent participation from all net check-ins. Roll call follows, please respond with 'roger', and state whether you have internet capability, packet capability, or both, to acknowledge your presence."

Conduct roll call and adivise all stations to identify if they have packet and/or internet capability.

STATE: "Are there any additional check ins?"

STATE: "All stations, standby for further instructions. I say again, all stations standby for further instructions. This is (CALLSIGN). Please standby."

PAUSE 30 SECONDS OR SO

INSTRUCTIONS

STATE: "Attention all net stations, attention all net stations, this is (CALLSIGN). Following are exercise instructions. I say again, following are exercise instructions.

Assign tasks to net stations from the attached list. There are several tasks that require special capabilities, i.e. - packet or internet. Assign those tasks based on the information collected during roll call.

Once all tasks are assigned, STATE: "This is (CALLSIGN), net control for the Big City Simplex Net COMMEX, standing by for assignment results. Stations please call when your traffic is prepared."

Once no more stations respond, STATE: "This is ENDEX, or end of exercise, all stations please standby for a brief exercise summary. The current time is 2045L"

Calculate exercise metrics based on the data collected, and announce the following:

"All net stations, the following are preliminary exercise results:

STATE: We had 9 stations checked into the net this evening when we commenced the exercise. All 9 stations, or 100 percent of those stations participated in the event, and that's up from 86 percent participation last week. Six stations, or 66 percent of exercise participants indicated they had internet capability, while three stations, or 33 percent indicated they had packet capability. All stations successfully acquired the requested data. This exercise commenced at 2015L and terminated at 2045L, for a total elapsed time of 30 minutes. Are there any comments or suggestions?"

Note any comments or suggestions for inclusion into the written exercise summary.

STATE: "This is KL0CY, net control for the Big City Simplex Net COMMEX. I want to thank all net stations for their participation in the exercise this evening. A written summary will be provided in the SCRC and AARC newsletters. I highly encourage net members to take the time to script communications exercises of their own, either for insertion into scheduled nets, or for upcoming monthly COMMEXs. Please contact me, KL0CY; or any radio club or ARES officer or participant if you'd like to become more involved in our effort to improve and enhance our emergency communications preparedness."

Turn the net back to net control, or if you're net control, continue the net.
 

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Dial 248-8929, gather the entire initial data set provided, and identify where the data is from.

- Kincaid Park: Temp, Humidity, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, High Temp of the day and time, Low temp of the day and time.

Assigned to:

2. Packet station -- Log onto the Anchorage DX Packetcluster and obtain the most recently posted WWV report

                   - Solar Flux, A-index, K-index, Forecast

Assigned to: 3. Calculate the length of a dipole antenna on 5.1675 MHz

- 90.566 feet

Assigned to: 4. Define the term "alligator" as applied to amateur radio. - Refers to a station that has a strong transmitted signal, but very poor receiver. Or, as the ARRL Operating Manual defines it: An unbalanced repeater with a "big mouth" (high-power transmitter) and "small ears" (insensitive receiver).

Assigned to:

5. Define the term "rabbit" as applied to amateur radio. - Refers to a station that has a strong transmitted signal, but very poor receiver. Or, as the ARRL Operating Manual defines it: An unbalanced repeater with "big ears" (sensitive receiver) and "small mouth" (small mouth). AKA - QRP

Assigned to:

6. Internet station -- Research the date, time, and location of the next Anchorage area VE test session.

                  - Nov 4: License exams, 6:30 PM, Carr-Gottstein Building, APU campus.

Assigned to: 7. Identify the phone operating privileges afforded to GENERAL class operators in Alaska on the 40-meter band.

                   - 7.075-7.100 and 7.225-7.300 MHz

Assigned to: 8. Identify the location and callsigns of the two U.S. based International Time Standard HF broadcast stations.

                   - WWV - Fort Collins, CO and WWVH - Kaui, HI

Assigned to: 9. Internet station -- Go to the NCDXF HF Beacon status web page and identify which beacons are completely off the air or do not exist.

                    - VE8AT- off the air, Russia and China do not exist.

Assigned to: 10. Internet station -- What is the current price per pound to use the ARRL Outgoing QSL Buro?

                     - $4.00 per pound

Assigned to: 11. Report who wrote the original Amateur's Code, and the year he wrote it.

                    - Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, 1928

Assigned to: 12. Identify and recite the first element of the Amateur's Code - CONSIDERATE … never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

Assigned to:

13. Identify and recite the second element of the Amateur's Code - LOYAL …offers loyalty, encouragement, and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally.

Assigned to:

14. Identify and recite the third element of the Amateur's Code - PROGRESSIVE …with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.

Assigned to:

15. Identify and recite the fourth element of the Amateur's Code - FRIENDLY …slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation, and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.

Assigned to:

16. Identify and recite the fifth element of the Amateur's Code - BALANCED …radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school, or community.

Assigned to:

17. Identify and recite the sixth element of the Amateur's Code - PATRIOTIC …station and skill always ready for service to country and community.

Assigned to:
 
 

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The following data should be collected:

1. Note the time of the initial call announcing STARTEX.

2. Note the total number of stations participating in the net at STARTEX, to include net control.

3. Note the total number of stations that accepted exercise instructions.

4. Note how many exercise stations were packet-capable.

5. Note how many exercise stations were internet-capable.

6. Note how many exercise stations successfully acquired and reported requested data.

7. Note the time of ENDEX.