The GATEway System
Every GATEway station serves the entire District.
All that's necessary to send a message from a Borough EOC to anywhere outside the Borough is simply to send it from the Borough EOC to a District GATEway station. That station has both a two-meter radio on the District Net and an HF station on AEN. The two-meter operator just hands the message to the HF operator, or vice versa. Within minutes the message has passed to an HF GATEway on AEN and has been delivered by telephone or email.
GATEways may be clustered in or near major urban areas called Key Cities. Or they may be dispersed anywhere in the District within range of the VHF District Net Either way, the function is the same, with the District Net playing the central role. In a few cases, a DEC may find it necessary to operate the District Net on two different repeaters because of propagation, technical repeater problems, or stubborn geography. In such cases, GATEways might link the repeaters via voice relay on either HF or VHF. All GATEway operations in each District are managed by the DEC through ADECs.
HF GATEway stations are pre-designated Amateur Radio stations. They may use voice or digital modes or both, depending on the assignment including APRS, AMTQR/APLINK, PACTOR, packet and CW. They should be capable of high-quality performance, with good signals that under normal conditions cover the entire Section and beyond.
Selection and recruitment of GATEway Stations are responsibilities of the District Emergency Coordinator.
GATEway stations may be located anywhere within range of the VHF District Net in homes, clubhouses or any site where good antennas and 24-hour operation are feasible. They may be located at public sites such as the Borough EOC. No matter where sited, however, the station must serve the whole ARES system not just its home Borough or District or some specific agency or organization.
In any high-performance station, the antenna is the primary consideration. The best station cannot be effective when driving a poor antenna; yet a modest station with a high-performance antenna can be extremely effective.
A GATEway should have a minimum power output capability of 100 watts, and 500 watts or more is highly desirable under poor propagation conditions. Emergency power is highly desiable to run the station at reasonable output. However, not all GATEways need full-scale auxiliary power if operation can be shifted when necessary to a backup GATEway with either commercial or emergency power.
A GATEway cannot function without VHF links to the Borough EOC and other local points designated by the EC or DEC. ECs are strongly encouraged to use the County and District VHF nets and avoid using HF at all, if possible, for local communications. This reduces congestion and confusion on the HF Emergency Net and expedites all traffic. It also reduces demands on Counties with scarce personnel better used on other assignments.