Subject: NTS Simplex Drill This is a concept for a new series of unannounced drills we are going to try on a trial basis in VA District 2 to see if they are worth continuing. The objective is to encourage routine monitoring of priority channels and for all ARES stations to at l east know rudimentary NTS message handling. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *To: The June "Stuckee" Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to conduct June's test of the Suburban Protocol. If you do not serve as NCS yourself, it is fine to delegate this to your AEC or any ARES member in your county, just as long as it gets done. The day and time are at local discretion. After the drill has been completed, the NCS should send a drill report via NTS to N4ZGI. A sample report follows: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42 R N4ASX 24 ALEXANDRIA, VA FEB 9 Jeanne Rexroad, N4ZGI DEC Virginia District 2 5723 Overly Drive Alexandria, VA 22310 703-971-0384 SUBURBAN PROTOCOL DRILL FEB 8 1800 HOURS QND/39 QNI/12 QNS KR4MU/M N3PDK KD4FRK/P KF4MBE/E K3IZ KE4SKY/E K4KXK/M KD4SRX N3OHS/M KF4FXT AB4YK/M KF4QQP X 73 RICK, N4ASX/NCS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Explanation of abbreviations: QND - Time of net, minutes QNI - Total check ins /P - Portable stations /M - Mobile stations /E - Emergency power - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Proposal for Monthly Unannounced ARES Drills In Virginia District Two. The Wilderness Protocol is a recommendation that amateurs outside of repeater range monitor the established UHF/VHF calling frequencies at specific times in case others have priority or emergency calls (see June, 1996 QST p.85). Few amateurs routinely monitor simplex and it is also common to call on repeaters during non peak hours and receive no response. I propose that we encourage on local nets that ARES stations routinely monitor 146.52 in order to assist transients passing through the area, as well as the "NCAC primary" repeater (146.790-) for five minutes starting at the top of the hour, every three hours t 0700 through 1000, 1300, 1600 and 1900, etc. It is recommended that transceivers able to rapidly scan "priority channel," "marked memory scan" or "dual-watch" be programmed to monitor at minimum the 79 repeater and 146.52. If possible, District 2 common simplex (146.415) the Tysons (146.91-) NCAC Resource Net repeater and Bluemont (147.300+) Skywarn repeaters should also be added to the memory scan group. Stations able to do so should scan or monitor for 5 minutes at the top of every hour or continuously. Priority or emergency activation should begin with the LiTZ signal. I also propose that an unannounced monthly test be conducted of this "Suburban Protocol." The location of the NCS would be rotated among all counties in the District. EC's or AEC's would be notified by e-mail or telephone which month they are responsible for conducting the drill. The exact day and time could be left to local discretion. Monthly drills would always be called at the top of the hour. Routine calls by ARES members or other amateurs for "rag chews" or to see who is monitoring should not take place until four minutes after the hour. Please offer this topic for discussion on your local nets. A pilot test of the protocol will occur in February. N4ASX in Alexandria has volunteered to be NCS. It would be nice if we could follow with Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Price William in alphabetical order in subsequent months and maintain that schedule. Please forward your comments if you agree this is a good idea or why not. I realize it is a bit ambitious, but it IS good training. The following drill procedure is offered as a guide, but may be modified at local NCS discretion: Unannounced Monthly Test of "Surburban Protocol" Five minutes prior to calling the drill and 20 minutes prior to actual drill time, check the working frequency (146.415) to ensure that it is clear: "THIS IS < NCS > IS THE FREQUENCY IN USE? , OVER..." "THIS FREQUENCY IS COORDINATED TO VIRGINIA ARES FOR EXERCISES AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE. AMATEURS ARE REQUESTED TO RELINQUISH THE FREQUENCY DURING ARES OPERATIONS, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE AT OTHER TIMES FOR NORMAL AMATEUR USE. "NOTHING HEARD, AN ARES DRILL WILL TAKE PLACE ON THIS FREQUENCY AT < 15 minutes after call >, THIS IS < NCS >, OUT. Initiate the unannounced drill on the NCAC primary repeater 146.79 and on also National Simplex (146.52) at the top of the hour. If National Simplex or the primary repeater are in use, ask for permission to break in and then make the following announcement: "ATTENTION ALL STATIONS...ATTENTION ALL STATIONS... THIS IS A DRILL...THIS IS A DRILL... A ROLL CALL OF AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICE STATIONS WILL OCCUR IN FIFTEEN MINUTES, AT < time > ON <146.415>. ALL NATIONAL CAPITOL ARES STATIONS -- I SAY AGAIN -- ALL NATIONAL CAPITOL AREA STATIONS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA WHO COPY THIS TRANSMISSION, CHANGE NOW TO EMERGENCY POWER, MOVE TO SIMPLEX FREQUENCY 146 DECIMAL 415 MHZ AND PREPARE TO COPY TEST PRIORITY TRAFFIC. THIS IS < NCS >, OUT." At quarter past the hour, call the drill: "THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS A DRILL... ARES STATIONS, PREPARE TO COPY TEST PRIORITY MESSAGE TO FOLLOW IN ONE MINUTE... THIS IS < NCS >, WAITING... "THIS IS < NCS >, COPY MESSAGE NUMBER < XX >, TEST PRIORITY, I SAY AGAIN, PRECEDENCE TANGO PAPA, HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS HOTEL XRAY DELTA... THIS MEANS THAT RECEIVING STATIONS ARE TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT BY FORMAL TRAFFIC. < station of origin > < place of origin > TODAYS DATE, GOING TO YOUR STATION "STATIONS REQUIRING A FILL ON THE MESSAGE PREAMBLE .. RESPOND WITH YOUR CALLSIGN ONLY... REPEATING PREAMBLE AT READING SPEED... (example format) <91 TP HXD KE4SKY 25 ANNANDALE VA JANUARY 6> TEXT FOLLOWS: ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT DRILL MESSAGE N4ZGI VIA NVTN TONIGHT 147.300 REPEATER 1930 HOURS OR DCTN 145.45 REPEATER 2000 HOURS X SPECIFY STATUS PORTABLE MOBILE OR BATTERY / ARES "STATIONS REQUIRING FILLS OR RELAYS, STATE YOUR CALLSIGN ONLY... NET CONTROL RECOGNIZES < >, < > AND < >. "ANY STATION HEARING A REQUEST FOR RELAY FROM A STATION NOT RECOGNIZED, GO DIRECT AND RELAY TO NET CONTROL, OVER... "STATIONS COPYING THE TEST PRIORITY MESSAGE STAND BY ROLL CALL BY JURISDICTION...RESPOND BY GIVING YOUR CALLSIGN ONLY: "ALEXANDRIA... "ARLINGTON ... "FAIRFAX COUNTY ... "PRINCE WILLIAM... "LOUDOUN COUNTY... "FAUQUIER COUNTY... "ANYONE HEARING A STATION NOT RECOGNIZED, GO DIRECT AND RELAY THEIR CALLSIGN TO NET CONTROL, OVER. "MARYLAND AND DC STATIONS COPYING THE TEST PRIORITY MESSAGE RESPOND BY GIVING YOUR CALLSIGN ONLY... "ANY OTHER STATION COPYING THE TEST PRIORITY MESSAGE FROM ANY JURISDICTION... your callsign... "THIS IS < NCS > NET CONTROL STATION FOR THIS MONTHLY TEST OF THE SUBURBAN PROTOCOL. ATTENTION ALL STATIONS TO ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS... < pause 3 secs. > TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THIS DRILL, STATIONS COPYING THE TEST PRIORITY MESSAGE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE BY ORIGINATING FORMAL MESSAGE TRAFFIC TO N4ZGI. THIS TRAFFIC MAY BE ROUTED EITHER VIA THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA TRAFFIC NET THIS EVENING AT 1930 HOURS ON 147.300, OR ON THE DC TRAFFIC NET ON 145.45 AT 2000. "FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR WITH NTS TRAFFIC, PREPARE TO COPY TRAINING EXAMPLE REPLY MESSAGE TO FOLLOW: ... FIRST LINE OF MESSAGE IS THE PREAMBLE: THE PREAMBLE BEGINS WITH THE MESSAGE NUMBER, IF YOU HAVE NOT SENT NTS TRAFFIC BEFORE, THIS WILL BE YOUR MESSAGE FIGURE ONE... "NEXT FOLLOWS THE PRECEDENCE, ROUTINE. THIS YOU INDICATE BY THE INITIAL ROMEO. THEN "FOLLOWS YOUR CALLSIGN...NEXT IS THE NUMBER OF WORDS, FIGURE GROUPS, LETTER GROUPS OR MIXED GROUPS IN THE MESSAGE "THE CHECK IN THE TRAINING EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW IS ONE THREE. NEXT IS YOUR LOCATION, FOLLOWED BY TODAY'S DATE. THIS COMPLETES THE PREAMBLE. "NEXT COMES THE ADDRESSEE. ADDRESS YOUR MESSAGE TO... JEANNE, I SPELL JULIET, ECHO, ALPHA, NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER ECHO; LAST NAME REXROAD, ROMEO, ECHO, XRAY, ROMEO, OSCAR, ALPHA, DELTA; AMATEUR CALL NOVEMBER FOUR ZULU GOLF INDIA; ADDRESS FIGURES 5723 OVERLY DRIVE, I SPELL OSCAR, VICTOR, ECHO, ROMEO, LIMA, YANKEE, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22310, TELEPHONE FIGURES 703 791 0381,- DOES ANYONE NEED A FILL ON THE ADDRESSEE? ... BREAK FOR TEXT "FIRST LINE OF TEXT READS: , RECEIVED DRILL MESSAGE "NEXT LINE IS: < Number >