American Radio Relay League
Amateur Radio Emergency Service
Chaves County, New Mexico

CARES Drill, Saturday, 12 July 2003 -- Results

Objectives:

• Involve the maximum number of participants, including non-ARES hams (build interest in ARES)
• Practice “call up” of the CARES Group (frequencies, phone numbers, addresses, e-mail addresses, etc.)
• Give the various participants a chance to pass a message (some have never passed a formal message)
• Give a couple of members a chance to practice net control
• Establish an interchange with adjacent county ARES groups
• Demonstrate -- the Caprock repeater system for the primary calling
  frequency/emergency net repeater
  
  -- the Buck Mtn. repeater system for the backup calling
  frequency/emergency net repeater
  
  -- the PVARC (Cahoon Park) repeater system for the secondary,
  “logistics” net repeater
  
  -- the New Mexico packet infrastructure for the
  passing of formal messages
  
  -- HF Radio Teletype for the passing of formal messages
  when/where packet is not available
  
  -- HF SSB for the passing of informal
  messages when/where VHF/UHF repeaters are not available
  
  -- two or more simultaneous nets, with interchange
  of messages between the nets
  
  -- a move to a simplex frequency to pass traffic, with a
  return to the calling net
  
  -- what a properly formatted, formal message is like
  
  
• Establish a baseline for where we are now and where we need to concentrate our training

Not Included In This Drill:

• Simulated Emergency – tentatively scheduled for 1 November 2003
• Interface with a served agency (real or pretend) – scheduled for 16 August 2003
• Strict formality in net procedures – will move toward that goal next drill (8/16/03)
• Strict procedures for message passing (except for the formal message demonstration) – will move toward that goal next drill (8/16/03)

Results:

• 23 hams participated; one non-ham participated; one possible check-in attempt
• One ham on the call-up list has apparently moved away, several
  were unavailable for various reasons
• Most of the practice messages were passed accurately (with some timidity, confusion, and repeats) – we got the job done
• Three CARES members practiced net control – nets were intentionally handled in an informal, conversational way (as instructed by the DEC) – more “chatter” than considered good practice – but, we got the job done
• Had participation from and passed messages to: Lea, Otero, and Lincoln county liaison operators and/or DECs. We communicated with Hobbs, Alamogordo (via Cloudcroft area relay), Mayhill, San Patricio, Capitan and Albuquerque (via Rio Rancho).

• Demonstrated the Caprock repeater for the primary calling–frequency, emergency-net repeater; the Buck Mtn. repeater for the backup repeater; and the PVARC repeater for the secondary net repeater
• Demonstrated the New Mexico packet infrastructure for the passing of formal messages; HF Radio Teletype for the passing of formal messages when packet is not available; two or more simultaneous nets; move to a simplex frequency to pass traffic; and, what a properly formatted, formal message is like.
• Otero, Lea, and Lincoln Counties exercised their VHF repeaters and at least one UHF repeater.

Failures:

• We failed to demonstrate the use of HF SSB for the passing of informal, real-time messages to the more distant parts of New Mexico. Although our SSB stations were heard by the Otero County liaison station, and perhaps by a Lincoln County station, we were unable to pass traffic by that means. Propagation/noise on 75 Meters and 40 Meters was too poor at that time of day (has been a characteristic problem this summer).
  
  Our HF radio teletype demonstration went well, but only Chaves County stations were involved. The narrower bandwidth of radio teletype might offer some improvement over HF SSB under poor HF propagation/noise conditions. An error correcting HF mode should be even better.

Future Goals:

· Improve message handling practices

· Improve net control practices (more formal nets)

· Involve served agencies (both pretend and for real)

· Have most messages to/from served agencies (either pretend or for real)

· Improve over-all efficiency

· General education in recommended ARES practices and procedures

· Test HF SSB again

• Test radio teletype over greater distances and from VHF/UHF “dead” mountain areas
• Test error correcting ‘tor modes

Comments:

Earlier this week, W5ALL, Alf spent over twelve hours monitoring the hurricane Claudette Gulf Coast Emergency Nets on 3873 kHz and 7285 kHz. As different net controllers and net participants “came and went,” the quality of the nets varied. But, the problems observed were much the same problems encountered in the CARES drill (compounded by propagation/noise conditions on HF).

The entire ARES community needs to work hard at improving emergency operating practices. In particular we must improve: enunciation; speaking speed (must be slowed); mike techniques; message handling techniques; net operating skills; and, our skill at using the ITU phonetic alphabet.

Our equipment is excellent and our technical skills are quite good. An experienced observer commented that we stepped on each other (doubled) much less frequently than most fire or police departments do.

We have much to offer our communities.