NEWS
(No minutes posted)
_______________________________________________
Repeaters
444.225+ no PL access
147.240+ PL 114.8
Sunday night net
147.240+ 9:00PM
Nets & Emergency Info.
The Great River Amateur Radio Club has a two meter net weekly and during times of emergency. All Licensed amateur radio opertors whether a member of the club or not are welcome to check in.
Our Two meter nets meets Sunday night 9:00 PM local time. This net passes general club information and news bulletins of interest to amateurs. After the formal net and after traffic, net control calls the check-ins a second time opening up comments or remarks of a more general nature. Check-ins usually comment about their week, dx, their travels and being in a farming area the weather is always a favorite topic.
Net Control Operators
No List Submitted.
UHF Repeater on 444.225 – UP 5.00 no PL
2 Meter Repeater on 147.240 – UP .600 PL 114.8
***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 18
May 5, 2006
***************
BPL interference complaints keep coming
in Manassas, Virginia
ARRL Education and Technology Program "a force for
the future"
ISS astronaut Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, has successful first
school contact
Some WRC-03 ham radio rule changes now in effect; no decision
on Morse
code
California high school offering Amateur Radio/EmComm-related
class
Lone mine disaster survivor KC8VKZ remembers details of
tragedy
Solar Update
IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
AMSAT issues first call for papers for 2006 symposium
Astronaut Eileen Collins completes career of space
firsts
James T. Hanson, W1TRC, wins April QST Cover Plaque
Award
Former RSGB President John Case, GW4HWR, SK
Corrections
Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
===========================================================
==>NEW BPL COMPLAINT ARRIVES AS ARRL
NUDGES FCC TO ANSWER EARLIER FILINGS
Another Manassas, Virginia, radio amateur has joined the
growing list of
those filing formal complaints about disruptive interference from the
city's
broadband over power line (BPL) system. The May 4 letter from ARRL member
Arthur R. Whittum, W1CRO, went to the FCC's Spectrum Enforcement Division
just one day before the ARRL again prevailed upon the same office to act
on
several earlier--and similar--complaints of BPL interference. Whittum
reported that BPL interference to his mobile station on April 25 and May
3
made 40-meter SSB operation impossible "during a transit of streets
in
Manassas" covering about two miles.
"The digital hash from BPL obliterated even strong
signals on 7255 kHz to
the point of unintelligibility," Whittum wrote the FCC. "Since
I couldn't
identify who was transmitting or who was net control, I couldn't check
into
the nets and couldn't even identify whether or not there was any radio
message traffic destined for this area."
Whittum said his latest complaint is the third he's attempted
to submit.
"The first two seem to have gone astray, even though they were introduced
in
advance by e-mail," he told Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief Joseph
Casey. "I hope this one finds its way to you."
On May 5, the ARRL wrote Casey to ask when the FCC planned
to respond to
longstanding interference complaints from four other Manassas radio
amateurs. The League said it also wants to know when it can expect the
FCC
to require BPL system operator COMTek, equipment maker Main.net and the
City
of Manassas "to comply with the Commission's rules governing radiated
emissions and the non-interference requirement of §15.5 of those
rules."
On March 7, Casey called on the city and COMTek to follow
up on the January
19 complaint of Dwight Agnew, AI4II, citing harmful BPL interference along
Virginia Business Route 234. The Commission instructed the city to conduct
measurements to ensure its system complies with FCC Part 15 rules and
to
"resolve any continuing harmful interference." In another letter
the same
day, Casey asked George Tarnovsky, K4GVT; Donald Blasdell, W4HJL; William
South, N3OH and Jack Cochran, WC4J, to provide additional information
regarding their longstanding interference complaints or the FCC would
not
consider them further. All four provided the requested addenda by early
April.
"Since then, no action has been taken by the Spectrum
Enforcement Division,"
the League said in its May 5 letter to Casey. "An investigation of
these
complaints is now long overdue and amply justified by the responses of
Messrs Cochran, Tarnovsky, Blasdell and South to your March 7, 2006,
letter."
On April 6, COMTek filed a report with the FCC in response
to Agnew's
interference complaint. The company said it did not believe the Manassas
BPL
system caused the interference Agnew and other Manassas ham radio operators
have heard. Agnew told the ARRL a few days after COMTek's report that
the
BPL interference continues.
In a consolidated complaint on behalf of Tarnovsky, Blasdell
and South filed
October 13, the ARRL asked the FCC to order the BPL system shut down "until
the operator can demonstrate compliance with the requirement that it not
cause harmful interference to licensed radio services."
==>A FORCE FOR THE FUTURE: EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM NEEDS YOUR HELP
To those who wonder--or worry--about what the League is
doing to ensure the
future of Amateur Radio, ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH,
offers a prompt response: the ARRL Education and Technology Program (ETP).
More familiar to many as "The Big Project," the program has
provided turnkey
Amateur Radio stations and educational materials to more than 170 schools
across the US. More important, Hobart says, the ETP each year exposes
many
youngsters and their teachers to Amateur Radio, wireless technology,
electronics and even robotics--something that likely wouldn't happen if
the
program didn't exist. With the ETP kicking off its 2006 fundraising campaign
this month, Hobart emphasizes that the program depends entirely on
individual donations.
"The Education and Technology Program is unique among
ARRL's programs in
that it is totally funded by voluntary member contributions, so the onus
to
continue to put stations in schools and to grow the program rests on those
willing to contribute," she says. "This is an awesome responsibility
for the
Amateur Radio community."
Campaign revenue not only covers the cost of placing stations
in schools,
Hobart notes. It also funds a burgeoning schedule of Teachers Institutes
each summer as well as ongoing efforts to guide national educational
standards in science and mathematics. Hobart called the Teachers Institutes
"a powerful tool" to inspire educators and to help them develop
confidence
in teaching about wireless technology and electronics through Amateur
Radio.
Generous gifts helped the ETP to expand to five the number
of free Teachers
Institutes it's offering in 2006, its third year, and Hobart is optimistic
that the program will be able to afford additional sessions in the years
ahead. Some, but not all, of those who attend are Amateur Radio licensees,
while others become hams as a result of attending the week-long sessions.
In
any event, Hobart points out that Teachers Institute alumni influence
thousands of youngsters each year.
In fact, the "poster boy" for the 2006 campaign
is Ronny Risinger, KC5EES, a
teacher at LBJ High School in Austin, Texas--an ARRL "Big Project"
participant. Risinger attended the first ETP Teachers Institute in 2004
at
ARRL Headquarters. His success with the program became the centerpiece
of
this year's ETP fundraising effort.
"Ronny's story is a powerful one," said Hobart.
"He's a teacher and a ham
who's taken advantage of all the ETP resources at his disposal. This is
why
we tell his story."
Risinger credits the ETP and the Teachers Institute with
his success in
inspiring and teaching his students. He says the League program gave him
a
strong sense of confidence that allows him to be a better teacher,
presenting his classroom material in unique and engaging ways--and
especially hands-on projects that captivate his students.
Hobart says Risinger is just one example of how ETP participation
and
attendance at a Teachers Institute can inspire educators and help their
students to embrace both wireless technology and Amateur Radio.
"Supporting the ARRL Education and Technology Program
is an opportunity to
do something about the future of Amateur Radio and attracting the younger
generation," Hobart says. "Outside of the League's ongoing and
essential
effort to defend our spectrum, I can think of no other initiative that
prepares ham radio for its future."
Contribute to the ARRL Education and Technology Program
by July 31 via the
secure donation Web site
<https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/education/education.html>.
Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
==>JROTC CADETS AT ALABAMA SCHOOL QUERY ISS ASTRONAUT
US Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC)
cadets at Bob
Jones High School in Madison, Alabama, got the first shot at speaking
with
new ISS crew member Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ. The Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) program arranged the May 1 contact
with
NA1SS, which marked the inaugural school QSO of Williams' duty tour as
part
of Expedition 13. Posing the first question was Williams' nephew, Adam
Williams, who wanted to know if his uncle found it difficult to adapt
to
living in space.
"It takes a little bit of adaptation to get used
to living in space, no
matter times you've been here, but after you've been here the first time,
you know what to expect, so it's a lot easier to adapt," Williams
told his
nephew. "It still takes a little bit of time to adapt to the weightless
environment and to know your way around--in this case, in a new spacecraft,
the space station."
Williams flew aboard the shuttle Atlantis in May 2000
on a 10-day space
station assembly mission. During that flight, he performed a spacewalk
lasting almost seven hours. He told the Bob Jones students that he's already
looking forward to his next spacewalk, set for later in his mission. As
opposed to the initial jolt of a shuttle launch, Williams told the cadets,
the Russian Soyuz rocket launch is easier the first couple of minutes
but
gets rougher as it continues its flight into space.
Williams also described the science experiments he and
Expedition 13
Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, have under way. "We do a variety
of
experiments," he explained, adding that some projects deal with fluid
dynamics, to help understand how fluids behave in a weightless environment.
In addition, the crew is growing crystals to study materials science,
"because crystals will grow more uniformly and precisely in a weightless
environment without the force of gravity."
Other research is investigating the effects of weightlessness
on the body
"so that we understand how to counter the impact on the body for
future,
long-duration missions--especially to places like Mars or living on the
moon
for a long period of time," Williams said.
Replying to a later question, Williams said he expects
astronauts to again
land on the moon, but he added that he doesn't expect that to happen before
2010. "Nothing goes as quick as we want it to, but we will go back
to the
moon--I'm confident of that."
The school's senior aerospace science instructor, Lt Col
Randy Herd (Ret)
served as the master of ceremonies for the event as students and other
faculty members looked on. Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, served as the Earth
station for the event. Verizon Conferencing donated a teleconference link
to
provide two-way audio between the school and Hutchison's QTH in Kingston,
Australia. The contact Dieter Schliemann, KX4Y, served as the ARISS mentor
for the Bob Jones High School contact, which was the 238th school QSO
since
the first crew arrived aboard the ISS in 2000.
ARISS <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>
is an educational outreach of a nine-nation
consortium, with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
==>FCC WRC-03 AMATEUR RULE CHANGES NOW IN EFFECT
Several FCC Part 97 Amateur Radio rule revisions to implement
changes agreed
to at the international level during World Radiocommunication Conference
2003 (WRC-03) went into effect May 3 upon their publication in The Federal
Register. The FCC Order
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-79A1.pdf>,
released
in January, affects §97.111, Authorized transmissions; §97.113,
Prohibited
transmissions; §97.115, Third party communications, and §97.117,
International communications. The FCC has yet to deal with the so-called
"Morse code proceeding," WT Docket 05-235, which also stemmed
from decisions
made at WRC-03. The Commission has proposed deleting the Element 1 5 WPM
code test as a requirement to obtain any Amateur Radio license.
"These amendments will ensure that the Commission's
Amateur Radio Service
rules conform to Article 25 of the international Radio Regulations adopted
at the 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference, and will further the
Commission's ongoing efforts to streamline its Amateur Service Rules,"
the
FCC Order said.
The FCC Order revises:
* §97.111(a)(1) to permit "transmissions necessary
to exchange messages with
other stations in the Amateur Service, except those in any country whose
administration has notified the ITU that it objects to such communications.
The FCC will issue public notices of current arrangements for international
communications." The old language permitted communication among amateur
stations in different countries "except those in any country whose
administration has given notice that it objects to such communications."
The FCC said the change does not prejudice its consideration
of comments to
rule changes it's proposed to §97.111(a)(2) in WT Docket 04-140--the
so-called "Omnibus" proceeding that covers a wide range of rule
changes and
proposals. The Commission wants to amend that rule section to clarify
that
amateur stations may at all times and on all authorized channels transmit
communications necessary to meet essential needs and to facilitate relief
actions.
* §97.115(a)(2) to facilitate the transmission of
international
communications on behalf of third parties in emergency or disaster-relief
situations, whether or not a third-party agreement is in place between
the
US and the countries involved. The revision now permits communication
with
any non-US station "when transmitting emergency or disaster relief
communications" as well as with any non-US station "whose administration
has
made arrangements with the United States to allow amateur stations to
be
used for transmitting international communications on behalf of third
parties."
The revised rule further provides that no station may
transmit third-party
traffic other than emergency or disaster relief communications to a station
whose government has not made a third-party arrangement. Still excepted
from
the prohibition is any third party eligible to be the control operator
of an
amateur station.
* §97.113(a)(4) to prohibit amateur stations exchanging
messages with
amateur stations in other countries from making transmissions that are
encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning, except for control
signals exchanged between Earth command stations and space stations in
the
Amateur-Satellite service, something Part 97 already provides for. The
old
rule referred to the use of "codes and ciphers."
The same rule also already prohibits transmitting music,
communications
intended to facilitate a criminal act, obscene or indecent words or language
and false or deceptive messages, signals or identification.
* §97.117 to state that amateur stations may transmit
communications
incidental to the purposes of the Amateur Service and to remarks of a
personal character.
The FCC also revised §97.3 and 97.309 to update the
definition of
International Morse code and of various digital codes in the amateur rules
to reflect changes in the Radio Regulations.
The WRC-03 Final Acts revising the international regulations
that apply to
the Amateur and the Amateur Satellite services became effective July 5,
2003. These latest Part 97 revisions now bring the FCC's Amateur Service
rules into conformance with the international Radio Regulations.
==>HIGH SCHOOL TO OFFER "RADIO AMATEURS AND DISASTER OPERATIONS" CLASS
A California high school that's participating in the ARRL
Education and
Technology Program (ETP--also known as "The Big Project") will
offer a
year-long elective course, "Radio Amateurs and Disaster Operations"
(RADIO),
starting this fall. Moorpark High School math and meteorology teacher
Tom
Baker, NC6B, says the course is the first of its kind anywhere in the
US.
The class curriculum was created in conjunction with the ARRL, the American
Red Cross and various Ventura County agencies. ARRL ETP Coordinator Mark
Spencer, WA8SME, gives the new course high marks and says it has a great
chance to succeed.
"This program has in place all three components that
will be necessary for
success: a motivated teacher, supportive school administration and strong
support and involvement by the local ham community," Spencer said.
He
attended an April 4 meeting at the school to discuss its "Learn and
Serve
Program," and he believes the support shown at that session will
greatly
boost the RADIO initiative.
"The meeting was well attended, and the attendees
included representatives
of all the emergency management participants in the program, the mayor's
office, the school and district office, school support staff and the ARRL
Division and Section," Spencer said. Among those on hand were ARRL
Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton, N6AA, and Santa Barbara Section
Emergency Coordinator Jennifer Roe, AA6MX.
The elective RADIO course is open to students in grades
9 through 12, and it
will feature instruction from certified experts in their respective fields.
After studying, testing and meeting any practical skills requirements,
all
RADIO students will come away with an Amateur Radio license (at least
Technician class), American Red Cross First Aid Training Certification,
American Red Cross CPR Training Certification and American Red Cross AED
Training (Automated External Defibrillator) Certification.
Students will learn about and how to seamlessly interface
with the National
Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS) and local
government infrastructure. They'll also learn search-and-rescue techniques
among other disaster and emergency preparedness skills. RADIO participants
will even learn peer mediation skills.
The RADIO course not only will provide service-learning
opportunities for
students but will make them prime candidates as volunteers for service
organizations and, later, as potential service professionals.
Moorpark High School, which has an enrollment of approximately
2700,
established its Amateur Radio club, W6MHS, last August, and it became
an
ARRL-affiliated club in October. In December, W6MHS won an ARRL ETP grant
and received station equipment through the program (some 170 schools now
participate in the "Big Project"). This August, Moorpark High
School will
host one of the ARRL ETP Teachers Institutes.
"We are very excited about this program," said
Baker of the RADIO course. He
has offered to help other schools in the US to establish RADIO curricula.
"This will be quite a challenging and enjoyable class. It will give
students
skills to become positively and directly involved with their community,
and
it gives this high school a pool of talented, trained individuals who
can
assist with many on-campus situations."
Contact Baker (805-378-6305) for more information or visit
the RADIO page on
the school's Department of Meteorology Web site
<http://www.mhsweather.org/pages/10/index.htm>.
==>MINE DISASTER SURVIVOR KC8VKZ RECALLS DETAILS OF TRAGEDY
Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ--the lone survivor of the January
2 Sago Mine disaster
in West Virginia--has expressed his sorrow to the victims' families and
shared his personal recollections of the tragedy.
"I cannot explain why I was spared while the others
perished," McCloy wrote
April 26, the Associated Press reports. The letter publicly revealed for
the
first time McCloy's memories of the incident that almost took his life.
Following weeks of hospital treatment and rehabilitation, McCloy, 26,
is
still recovering from the ordeal.
While he does not remember the explosion that trapped
12 colleagues and
himself in the mine, he said he does recall the mine's filling quickly
"with
fumes and thick smoke," making breathing difficult. He said at least
four of
the emergency air packs failed to function, so the miners shared the units
that did and there were not enough to go around.
The trapped miners also tried to signal their location
by beating on mine
roof bolts and plates with a sledgehammer, McCloy told the victims' families
in his letter. As they began to accept their fate, he said, the group
prayed
and wrote letters to their loved ones. He says as his co-workers lost
consciousness one by one, he just sat and waited, "unable to do much
else."
McCloy, who did not testify during a public hearing into
the Sago disaster
this week, said he didn't know how long it was before he also fell
unconscious from the gas and smoke. He was rescued after 41 hours
underground.
The McCloys and their two children live in Simpson, West Virginia.
Heliophile Tad "Seasons in the Sun" Cook, K7RA,
Seattle, Washington,
reports: This was a nice, quiet week with no notable geomagnetic activity.
In fact, the middle latitude K index was zero for a 36-hour period centered
on April 30. At approximately the same time the high latitude college
K
index was zero for 51 hours straight. Average daily sunspot numbers were
nearly double those of the previous seven days, rising by more than 29
points to 59.7.
As of early May 5, the IMF was pointing south, leaving
Earth vulnerable to
solar wind. The planetary A index reached five on Thursday, May 4, and
it's
predicted to hit 20, 30, 20 and 12 for May 5-8. Geophysical Institute
Prague
gives a forecast until May 11 of active geomagnetic conditions on May
5 and
6, unsettled May 7, quiet to unsettled May 8, quiet on May 9, back to
unsettled on May 10, and unsettled to active on May 11.
Sunspot numbers for April 27 through May 3 were 63, 68,
64, 62, 51, 58 and
52, with a mean of 59.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 100.7, 100.1, 101.2, 99.9,
93.4, 89.4, and 89, with a mean of 96.2. Estimated planetary A indices
were
5, 12, 3, 1, 2, 4 and 3, with a mean of 4.3. Estimated mid-latitude A
indices were 3, 10, 2, 0, 2, 4 and 2, with a mean of 3.3.
__________________________________
* This weekend on the radio:
The New England, Seventh Call Area and Indiana
QSO parties, the MARAC County Hunter Contest (CW), the 10-10 International
Spring Contest (CW), the Microwave Spring Sprint, and the ARI International
DX Contest are the weekend of May 6-7. The RSGB 80-meter Club Championship
(Data) is May 10. The Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is May 12 (UTC). JUST
AHEAD: The Mid-Atlantic QSO Party, the VK/Trans-Tasman 80-Meter Contest
(phone), the VOLTA Worldwide RTTY Contest, the CQ-M International DX
Contest, the F.I.S.T.S. Spring Sprint and the 50 MHz Spring Sprint are
the
weekend of May 13-14. The Run for the Bacon QRP Contest is May 15. The
NAQCC
80-Meter Straight Key/Bug Sprint is May 18, the RSGB 80-Meter Club
Championship (CW) is May 18 and the Thursday NCCC Sprint Ladder is May
19
(UTC). See the ARRL Contest Branch page <http://www.arrl.org/contests/>
and
the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html>
for more info.
* ARRL Certification and Continuing
Education course registration:
Registration remains open through Sunday, May 21, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE). Program on-line courses:
Amateur Radio Emergency Communication Level 1 (EC-001), Radio Frequency
Interference (EC-006), Antenna Design and Construction (EC-009), Analog
Electronics (EC-012) and Digital Electronics (EC-013). Classes begin Friday,
June 2. To learn more, visit the CCE Course Listing page
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html>
or contact the CCE Department
<cce@arrl.org>.
* AMSAT
issues first call for papers for 2006 symposium: AMSAT-NA has issued
a first call for papers and presentations for its 2006 Space Symposium
October 6-8 near San Francisco, California
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2006CallForPapers.php>.
Speakers
are invited to submit and present papers dealing with the science of Amateur
Radio satellites and associated technologies. Speakers originally scheduled
to present at the cancelled 2005 Symposium are encouraged to resubmit
their
papers for 2006. Recommended topics include--but are not limited to--AMSAT
Phase 3E, AMSAT Eagle, microsatellites, cubesats and nanosatellites, ARISS,
antennas, ground stations and more. The AMSAT-NA Board of Directors will
meet October 5-6, and the annual general membership meeting will be October
6. AMSAT International will meet October 8. In addition, the IARU Satellite
Committee will hold a public roundtable discussion on frequency coordination
October 8. The ARISS International Delegates Meeting takes place October
9-10. Applications to present papers must be submitted by July 15, and
papers are due August 1. An online registration system is available to
submit and track abstracts
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2006PapersProcedure.php>.
This
system lets users submit papers and subsequent changes online. Complete
information on the 2006 Symposium is available on the AMSAT Web site
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/>.
* Astronaut Eileen Collins completes
career of space firsts: Astronaut
Eileen Collins, KD5EDS, is leaving NASA. The first woman to command a
space
shuttle and the leader of the shuttle Discovery return-to-flight mission
last year, Collins plans to pursue private interests and spend more time
with family. "Eileen Collins is a living, breathing example of the
best that
our nation has to offer," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin.
A veteran
of four space flights, Collins' career at NASA has been punctuated by
firsts. She was the first woman selected as a pilot astronaut, the first
woman to serve as a shuttle pilot and the first woman to command a US
spacecraft. Mike Coats, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center called
Collins "a true pioneer in space and on Earth." Collins was
selected as an
astronaut in 1990. She served as the shuttle pilot on Mir space station
rendezvous missions in 1995 and 1997. In addition to the 2005 Discovery
mission, Collins commanded the shuttle Columbia on the 1999 flight that
launched the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. NASA Flight Crew Operations Director
Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, described Collins as "a gifted leader who knows
what
it takes to get a team through the most difficult of times."
* James T. Hanson,
W1TRC, wins April QST Cover Plaque Award: The winner of
the QST Cover Plaque Award for April is James T. Hanson, W1TRC, for his
article "A Home-made Ultrasonic Power Line Arc Detector." Congratulations,
James! The winner of the QST Cover Plaque award--given to the author or
authors of the best article in each issue--is determined by a vote of
ARRL
members on the QST Cover Plaque Poll Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/members-only/QSTvote.html>.
Cast a ballot for your
favorite article in the May issue by Wednesday, May 31.
* Former RSGB President John Case,
GW4HWR, SK: The Radio Society of Great
Britain (RSGB) reports that a past society president, John Case, GW4HWR,
has
died. Case served as RSGB President in 1991 and continued to be active
in
Society affairs until the mid-1990s. Case was the longtime chairman of
the
RSGB Training and Education, and he led the team responsible for the
introduction of the Amateur Radio Novice license and was the author of
a
number of RSGB training guides and other publications. A service was held
April 24 in Cardiff.--RSGB
* Corrections:
In The ARRL Letter, Vol 25, No 17 (Apr 28, 2006), the news
brief "Armed Forces Day 2006 military/amateur activities set,"
contains an
incorrect or incomplete hyperlink to the detailed Armed Forces Day crossband
communication test information. The tentative schedule of Armed Forces
Day
on-the-air events--including a list of participating stations, the Secretary
of Defense's message transmission schedule and more information--is on
the
US Army MARS news page <http://www.netcom.army.mil/mars/news/>.
Click on the
"Armed Forces Day" link. In the same issue, the story "Supply
and Demand:
VU4AN Andamans Operations Create a Clamor," contained some incorrect
information: (1) Indian telecommunications authorities granted licenses
to
approximately 30 foreign licensees for the Andamans event (ie, approximately
70 operators total). (2) Bharathi Prasad, VU2RBI, won the 2005 Dayton
Hamvention Special Achievement Award. (3) Individual participating stations
will announce QSL routes. Only a few stations are accepting QSL requests
via
VU2JOS at NIAR.
===========================================================
===========================================================
The ARES E-Letter
April 19, 2006
=================
Rick Palm, K1CE, Editor
<http://www.qrz.com/database?callsign=K1CE>,
<http://www.iaru-r2emcor.net>
===================================
ARES reports, other related contributions, editorial questions or
comments: <k1ce@arrl.net>
===================================
Titles Contest!
Let's have some fun: Send me an e-mail <k1ce@arrl.net>
with a list of
the emcomm-related titles you hold. I'll publish the winner with the
most titles. He or she will be the 2006 ARES E-Letter Titleist. The
only rule is that each title must be universally recognizable in the
ARES and/or emcomm domain!
====================
In This Issue:
+ MIDWEST TORNADOES
+ "OPERATION TRIFECTA" IN NEW YORK CITY
+ NIMS COURSE REQUIREMENTS
+ FLORIDA EXERCISE MAY 22-26
+ ACS THANKS MERLIN WILLIS, N6OFY
+ ALTAMONTE SPRINGS (FLORIDA) ARES TESTS CAPABILITY
+ NEW MEXICO FUNDS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION NETWORK
+ APCO AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR TASK FORCE
+ AMATEUR RADIO SESSION AT NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE
+ HENRY COUNTY (VIRGINIA) EMERGENCY MANAGER STRENGTHENS
COMMUNICATIONS
+ MAYOR THANKS TENNESSEE ARES GROUP
+ TULSA AMATEURS SUPPORT HOSPITAL COMMUNICATIONS
+ EMCOMM PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AVAILABLE
+ LETTERS: NO CB BEEPS PLEASE
+ APCO INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTS USE OF PLAIN SPEECH
+ LETTER OF THE MONTH: A NEW ARES MEMBER'S PERSPECTIVE
+ LETTERS: WORK WEEK AMATEURS
+ "EMCOMMWEST 2006" MAY 6-7 RENO, NEVADA
+ PERSPECTIVE: EMBRACE TRAINING
+ PERSPECTIVE: EMERGENCIES VERSUS DISASTERS
+ A FINAL FROM K1CE
===================
ARES was active in Tennessee and elsewhere on April 2
for tornadoes.
Two dozen died and many were injured. Tennessee SEC Jimmy Floyd,
NQ4U, stated SKYWARN volunteers relayed reports to the National
Weather Service Office in Memphis. "Several hams were active in the
Dyersburg-Newbern area Sunday night passing local traffic for the
area folks needing to let relatives know that they were okay," Floyd
said.
In Illinois, Lawrence County EC Gary Auerswald, WB9UDJ,
found himself
in the middle of "a horrendous storm" while returning home with
his
family from Indiana. "Trees were coming down, and people were getting
blown off the road," he told SEC Pat Ryan, KC6VVT. "All electricity
in the area went out." Fallen power lines prevented Auerswald from
taking his usual route along Illinois Route 1. "We traveled by back
roads and oil field roads and made it home," he said. When he got
there, he found his antenna farm gone; it had been taken out by the
storms.
The ARES Net on the Starved Rock Radio Club W9MKS repeater
in Lenore
yielded to an ongoing weather-spotter net activated earlier by Jim
Morris, N9PLM, who served as net control. "Weather Net members
monitored for storm activity and, at one point, the LaSalle County
EOC was activated," Ryan said. One person died in Illinois.
Kentucky SEC Ron Dodson, KA4MAP, reported nets up and
running the
evening of April 2. Dodson says the storms decreased in severity by
the time they reached his state. "Trees, power and phones lines went
down," he said, "but there were no major structural incidents
or
injuries." - Rick Lindquist, N1RL, ARRL Letter
[At press time, reports of tornadoes in Iowa have circulated
and
we'll try to cover ARES responses there in the next issue. - ed.]
+ "OPERATION TRIFECTA" IN NEW YORK CITY
New York City District ARES and SATERN participated in
a mass
casualty disaster drill March 26, dubbed "Operation Trifecta."
The
scenario: A mock explosion in Queens of a chemical bomb aboard a
freight train that occurs just as a commuter train passes, with 100
people dead or wounded. The elaborate simulation involved 1500
emergency workers. ARES supported the American Red Cross.
"We were an integral part of the Red Cross response,
and they were
duly impressed with our capabilities and deeply grateful for our
participation," said NYC ARES DEC Mike Lisenco, N2YBB. ARES supported
the Red Cross EOC, its on-site command vehicle, and a shelter set up
to care for area residents affected by the incident. ARES also
maintained liaison with SATERN, Lisenco said, "and we had additional
volunteers standing by had there been a request for more operators."
Operation Trifecta referred to the fact that, during the
seven-hour
drill, responders not only had to deal with the explosion and
hazardous materials but potential saboteurs hiding in the railroad
freight cars.
Roger Rischawy, who directs The Salvation Army's Greater
New York
Division-Emergency Disaster Services with assistance from Carlos
Varon, K2LCV, reports the division assembled two canteen crews, three
staff vehicles and a SATERN emergency communications van. Greater New
York SATERN Amateur Radio Liaison Officer Jeff Schneller, N2HPO,
managed communication activities for The Salvation Army's response.
Emergency responders once again are looking to ham radio
volunteers
as "a resource that is desperately needed in a disaster situation,"
Lisenco said. "To that end, the Red Cross here in New York City has
redoubled its efforts to maintain a strong working relationship with
ARES." He said NYC District ARES also has strengthened its
relationship with The Salvation Army. - ARRL Letter
In Pennsylvania, NIMS [National Incident Management System]
training
is now a requirement for ALL first responders by decree of the
Governor. There is also a requirement from Homeland Security to put
NIMS in place (or lose federal funding opportunities). Currently in
Pennsylvania the requirements are the IS-100, 200, and 700 courses.
See <http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIweb/IS/crslist.asp>.
IS-800
(National Response Plan Intro) will also be required soon.
Pennsylvania's requirements can be found on the PEMA web site
<http://www.pema.state.pa.us>.
It's of note that the Pennsylvania
requirement explicitly applies to volunteers. -- Donald D. Cripe,
KE3MM, Western Pennsylvania DEC, New Galilee, Pennsylvania
As of last year, just before I departed FEMA HQ, all FEMA
employees
are now required to complete the following EMI courses within one
year of being on board: IS-100 (Intro to ICS), IS-200 (ICS for
Federal Disaster Workers), IS-546 (Continuity of Operations
Awareness), IS-700 (NIMS Intro), and IS-800 (NRP Intro). - Bart
Bartholomew, N3GQ
NIMS has been required for all of us in Prince William
(Virginia)
since last year (about 80% of my ARES team have it now) and IS-100
and IS-200 are required by the end of the year (2006). I am signed
up for 200 and 300 next weekend. ECs and AECs are also required to
have the NRP Intro course (IS-800). It looks like the League needs to
embrace these as requirements for all ARES members sooner rather than
later. -- David A. Lane, KG4GIY, EC/RO Prince William County
ARES/RACES <http://www.qsl.net/pwcares/>
I keep seeing statements from various areas about FEMA
course and
ARECC requirements for ARES appointees. However, here in our Section
I got flak for suggesting it. If the ARRL takes a stand, then I can
enforce the practice in use around the county. -- David Pifer, N9YNF
NIMS compliance for volunteers - CORRECTION: In the March
newsletter,
I had passed on a response from the NIMS Integration Center
concerning how NIMS and ICS applies to Amateur Radio volunteers. Due
to editing for brevity, the letter gave an incorrect impression that
NIMS and ICS training is required for all Amateurs. This was
incorrect. The NIMS Integration Center response related to FEMA FAQ
399 that indicated NIMS and ICS training was not required for
Amateurs.
Since that response, FEMA FAQ 399 has been withdrawn,
and FAQ 313 has
been updated twice. FAQ 313 now states, in part, "The NIMS
Integration Center strongly recommends that volunteers with a direct
role in emergency and incident management and response take NIMS and
ICS training."
For additional history on these FAQs and the updates,
see
<http://ares.rf.org/dist6w/e_letter.htm>
-- Ron Breitwisch, KC0OX,
ARES District Emergency Coordinator - Iowa District 6 West
The State of Florida Emergency Exercise will be held from
May 22 to
May 26. ECs will contact their Emergency Managers to participate in
this exercise. Working with these personnel in exercises and drills
is the best way to build their confidence in ARES capabilities when
the real thing hits.
Each group will be sending at least one formal message announcing
their participation to the Northern Florida SEC, promoting
message-handling training. The SEC will reply to each message
received. June 1 is only a month away. -- Joe Bushel, W2DWR, Northern
Florida SEC, Assistant Section Manager
+ ACS THANKS MERLIN WILLIS, N6OFY
California's Auxiliary Communications Service, part of
the state's
Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security, has made an
official "Thank You" award to Merlin Willis, N6OFY. Willis is
the
long-serving ARES District Emergency Coordinator for San Francisco.
He has been instrumental in fostering emergency response capability
and readiness among San Francisco Amateur Radio operators, including
management of the weekly ARES net. Willis has also assisted ACS in
various drills and exercises including its recent Operational
Readiness Inspection. He has also taken part in, and facilitated
ARES participation in, ACS drills involving San Francisco hospital
readiness.
ACS also made "Thank You" awards to its volunteers Adrian Wadley,
KG6MRC, and Larry Bernard, KG6VOM, for their extraordinary
contribution to the ongoing success of three weekly Amateur Radio
emergency drill nets in San Francisco: the Siren Net, the ACS Net
and the Department of Public Works Net.
The "Thank You" awards were publicly presented at the last ACS
meeting as a lapel or safety-vest pin, and will be certificated as
well. -- Bart Lee, KV6LEE, San Francisco ACS (OES) Liaison Officer,
ARRL government liaison officer, <KV6LEE@gmail.com>
ARECC-III,
IS-200, Medic I, ARES
+ ALTAMONTE SPRINGS (FLORIDA) ARES TESTS CAPABILITY
Altamonte Springs, Florida, March 10, 2006 - In preparation
for
hurricane season, ARES members here operated from each shelter site
in the city during a drill. Antennas had been installed in 13 county
disaster shelters at public schools. The goal was to test voice
operations from each school over several VHF and UHF repeaters as
well as simplex frequencies. The county EOC radio room and our backup
EOC, were staffed and handling net control duties.
For this activation, enough volunteers were available
to operate each
and every station requested for this half-day event. The response was
excellent. Packet stations, operating on the Winlink system, were
also tested for message-handling capability.
Participants agreed this was the most productive and successful
test
event. Since Hurricane Charlie, each activation, either for emergency
response, testing or public service, has improved. Critiques, or
after-action reports, and atually publishing and acting on lessons
learned have begun manifesting themselves with more successful
operations. -- Keith Kotch, KF4BXT, Seminole ARES/RACES Group, AEC
(former EC)
+ NEW MEXICO FUNDS EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION NETWORK
New Mexico has allocated $500,000 to design, construct
and install a
statewide Amateur Radio emergency communication network. Rep Tom
Anderson (R-Bernalillo), KB5YSG, sponsored the funding bill in the
2006 New Mexico legislative session.
"After hurricane Katrina, we've seen firsthand just
how valuable
Amateur Radio can be in a disaster," Anderson said. "The Gulf
Coast
hurricanes destroyed communications infrastructure and overwhelmed
government resources. It was Amateur Radio operators who helped to
save the day."
The state Department of Public Safety will pay for the
equipment for
Amateur Radio volunteers to use in disasters and emergencies. All of
the equipment will be state-owned. Early plans call for the
installation of strategically located, interlinked VHF and UHF
repeaters to handle both voice and digital communication.
In New Mexico, the potential exists for disastrous wildfires,
tornadoes and floods. This year, when range fires broke out near
Hobbs, ARES provided communication support. Over the past several
years, radio amateurs in New Mexico have been called upon to support
communication during fires, for severe weather spotting (SKYWARN),
during public service events and to assist Albuquerque with Hurricane
Katrina refugees. - Rick Lindquist, N1RL, ARRL Letter
+ APCO AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR TASK FORCE
The Associated Public Safety Communications Officials
International
(APCO) is appointing a formal "Amateur Radio Task Force" that
will
consist of four APCO members appointed by the APCO Board of Officers.
The task force will use the existing APCO Ham group, which consists
of more than 130 members, as a resource to develop formal projects to
support the role of the Amateur Radio operator in public safety
response. -- APCO
+ AMATEUR RADIO SESSION AT NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE
On Tuesday, April 11, ARRL and Amateur Radio operators
hosted an
informational session at the National Hurricane Conference in
Orlando, Florida. Amateur Radio operators, including representatives
from the ARRL Field Organization and Headquarters, planned to discuss
their experiences and lessons learned during the unprecedented 2004
and 2005 hurricane seasons. The forum expected to address current
issues in Amateur Radio emergency communications and provide a chance
to highlight best practices. [We'll have a full report in the next
issue - ed.]
+ HENRY COUNTY (VIRGINIA) EMERGENCY MANAGER
STRENGTHENS
COMMUNICATIONS
Henry County Emergency Manager Steve Eanes, and ARES EC
Mark Jackson,
AI4LI, met recently to promote a communications agenda. Eanes
immediately installed the Henry County ARES Unit in the Henry County
Emergency Operations Plan. He gave ARES space at the EOC in the
county Administration building.
They tested the new capabilities: Eanes developed a simulated
emergency test around a mock mass casualty disaster. The Martinsville
Speedway served as the site. Eanes shared the scenario with volunteer
organizations, public safety and military groups, who were to work
with Henry County and ARES. The Air National Guard, National Guard,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Virginia State Police,
Virginia Department of Emergency Service, Henry County Public Safety
(the Sheriff, Fire and Rescue), as well as a myriad of mutual
assistance units from public safety organizations in surrounding
counties, participated. Dates were March 31, April 1, and April 2.
ARES objectives included providing supplemental communication
for the
Henry County communication system; a communication line to the state
EOC at Richmond; and to train operators in specific procedures and
message handling. -- Ron Sokol, K4KHZ
+ MAYOR THANKS TENNESSEE ARES GROUP
"Please extend my thanks on behalf of the Williamson
County,
Tennessee, Government to the Williamson County Amateur Radio
Emergency Service volunteers for their excellent work this Saturday,
March 4, 2006. As a part of the drill, I am sending you this message
from the Winlink 2000 system. In addition, having witnessed other
types of communications support as well from WCARES, it is certainly
comforting to know that our County is prepared should any need arise
for the use of these volunteers and their communications systems."
--
Roger Anderson, Mayor, Williamson County, Tennessee
+ TULSA AMATEURS SUPPORT HOSPITAL COMMUNICATIONS
Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 11, 2006 - A drill of the Tulsa
Area Amateur
Radio Hospital net was conducted in partnership with the Tulsa Area
Emergency Management Agency (TAEMA), Metropolitan Medical Response
System (MMRS), and ARES. The Tulsa Chapter of the Red Cross also
participated.
Tulsa area hospitals have dual band VHF/UHF mobile radios
permanently
installed, and ready for use in a communications emergency. Amateur
Radio is an important part of the Tulsa emergency communication plan.
The drill was successful, with a few equipment issues
discovered at
two hospitals. The hospitals will be working hard to address them. --
Mark D. Conklin, N7XYO, Assistant SEC for Northeastern Oklahoma
<n7xyo@arrl.net>
+ EMCOMM PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AVAILABLE
Go to <http://www.arrl.org/pio> for a 30 second
public service
announcement (PSA) on Hurricane Katrina operations. (To download,
right-click once on the above link and choose "save target.")
The 30
second PSA was made possible thanks to Johnny Donovan at WABC-AM and
Howard Price, KA2QPJ, of WABC-TV in New York who is Acting President
of the Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society, a member of the ham
organization at WABC Radio and TV in New York and also the BEARS.
More audio PSAs will be coming out - about one every 8 weeks in 2006.
An Emergency Communications video PSA is available:
<http://www.arrl.org/pio>
for a 30 second mpeg of Katrina operations
video. -- Allen Pitts, W1AGP, ARRL Public Information Office
+ LETTERS: NO CB BEEPS
PLEASE
Re: Suggestion for end of transmission beeps discussed in the last
issue. We don't need CB beeps during emergencies. They cause
unnecessary delay and can result in beep ping pong on quick
transmissions where people get covered up by the preceding beep.
That's why we have the word "over" and "go ahead"
like every other
professional uses. This is a rotten idea. -- Matt Cassarino, WV1K,
Level 3 ARECC (and nine FEMA courses)
+ APCO INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTS
USE OF PLAIN SPEECH
The Associated Public Safety Communications Officials International
(APCO) has agreed with the NIMS Integration Center that the use of
plain speech in emergency response situations is a matter of public
safety, especially the safety of first responders and those affected
by the incident. To best assure the use of common, universal language
during a major event, its daily use is required.
APCO said the entire Incident Command System (ICS), an effort of NIMS
to provide a common organizational structure for the immediate
response to emergencies involving the coordination of personnel and
equipment on-site at an incident, requires resources to be managed
and functioning under a planned approach that diminishes the risk
created by unclear, unfamiliar or misunderstood codes and signals.
Using plain speech is a simple remedy to reduce communication
failures. This common approach is essential to achieving functional
interoperability across all jurisdictions and disciplines.
+ LETTER OF THE MONTH: A NEW ARES MEMBER'S PERSPECTIVE
I am a new ARES member. I read my first ARES E-letter
with interest,
especially the section entitled: "Opinion: Stigma of 'Amateur'".
This in no way is a criticism of the writer, but I have observed the
described phenomenon for years and I believe that we amateurs may
have created our own credibility problem.
I once asked a non-ham coworker to give me his impression
of ham
radio operators (he was a fellow engineer who went to the
Gaithersburg, Maryland hamfest to shop for electronic parts). His
answer shocked me deeply. He said that from outward appearances we
hams looked like "a bunch of slobs!" He cited the obvious lack
of
personal grooming that was evident in a large percentage of hamfest
attendees: poor personal hygiene, dirty clothes and soiled baseball
caps which presented an exceedingly poor image of ham radio to
non-hams. He was also quick to point out the many unusual things that
we've all seen at hamfests: the hams who carry four HT's on their
belt (each with its own speaker/mike clipped to a t-shirt) or
multiple vertical antennas protruding from a hardhat.
Admittedly, a hamfest may not be the best place to sample the ham
radio population. I was quick to remind my friend that most hams were
decent family people, and that the eccentric minority was very
visible at hamfests.
The point that I'm trying to make is that we need to be cognizant of
our appearance when dealing with non-hams, especially those in the
media or in positions of governmental authority. The contact should
be treated as a business meeting, with appropriate professional
appearance (i.e., a tie and jacket). Some time ago, I saw a photo of
a ham speaking to a government official (regarding an antenna issue).
The official was in a suit; the ham was in shorts and T-shirt. Not
good. -- Paul Akimov, W2RIA
In past newsletters, I've noticed comments about disaster
drills
being held on weekdays that resulted in various numbers of personnel
not being able to get time off from work to respond. Folks need to
keep in mind that this factor mimics the number of personnel who
might be stranded, injured or even killed in an incident. Teams need
to be prepared to function with as little as 25% of their total
response capability.
Like the man said: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong!
Every team
member needs to be cross-trained and ready to do multiple jobs for
undetermined periods. -- Jeff Sabatini, KI6BCX, Redlands Emergency
Communications Group
+ "EMCOMMWEST 2006"
MAY 6-7 RENO, NEVADA
Reno, Nevada - Preparation for the 2006 edition of EMCOMMWEST is
underway. This year the conference will be held at the Atlantis Hotel
and Resort in Reno. Many new and exciting themes will be added this
year, much of which will center on response to large-scale disasters,
such as Hurricane Katrina, and how Amateur Radio is there when all
else fails!
The event is once again sponsored by the ARRL, and will feature
exhibits and presentations, including keynote speaker Dave Patton,
NN1N, Manager of ARRL Field and Educational Services, from Newington.
Emergency Communication Vehicle displays, ARRL Forum, data and
digital communication forums will be held.
For conference registration, banquet and special room rates at the
hotel, log on to <http://www.emcommwest.org>
today. Additional
contacts: Don Carlson, KQ6FM <kq6fm@charter.net>
and Dee Arnold,
KA7LOZ <deearnold@charter.net>
issue
+ PERSPECTIVE: EMBRACE TRAINING
The responses to recent tornadoes in Alabama, Tennessee
and other
states are continuing examples of the worth of Amateur Radio.
Operators logged hundreds of hours assisting multiple served agencies
before, during and after these tragic events. These localized
disasters drive home the need for operators to continually train,
prepare, practice and test so we can provide the best and most
valuable public service.
We are doing that. For example, the American Red Cross
has improved
its training and is focusing more on Amateur Radio. I was recently
invited to attend the Red Cross Response Technology Training in
Austin, Texas. This was an informational and intense seven-day
classroom and hands-on training workshop that taught the attendees
about trends in technology. State of the art technology is being
used in networking, servers, routers, computers, databases,
communications, and IP technology. Wireless and satellite technology
is being used to connect all of these systems together. Several
amateurs attended this training.
In the evenings, Red Cross volunteers taught an amateur license class
for interested training attendees. At the end of the week, the local
VE team tested the candidates and we now have 11 new amateurs. The
previous class session produced 25 new amateurs.
Many amateurs are now embracing training, preparing, practicing
and
testing more than ever before to be better organized, equipped and
ready when needed. I challenge you to take all the training you can,
and gain experience by participating in public service and emergency
events. I also challenge amateurs that worked in the Katrina relief
effort last year to pass on what you learned and share your
experiences: Put on a presentation at your club or teach a class.
June 1 is the start of hurricane season and we must be ready, but we
were reminded last week that other threats exist, and are real and
constant. We must be prepared for all emergencies large or small. --
Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, Alabama Section Manager <http://www.arrl-al.org>
PERSPECTIVE: EMERGENCIES VERSUS DISASTERS
Tom Cox, VE6TOX, in his Communications Academy paper,
recently helped
me to a new understanding about the important differences between
emergencies and disasters. Amateur Radio resources are seldom called
upon for "emergencies," and nearly always called upon for
"disasters."
In emergencies, conventional communications systems remain
intact and
available, although perhaps overloaded or unable to connect all
responders. In disasters, conventional communications systems are
destroyed. Emergency services train and respond to "emergencies"
every day; it is what they do, and they usually become very good at
it. No one becomes very good at disasters because they are
infrequent events and do not repeatedly happen in the same areas
(except Florida). Look at an incident and ask yourself "will
applying more emergency services (fire, police, EMS) to the problem
quickly make it better?" If it would, then it is an emergency
incident; if not, it is a disaster. All the king's horses and all the
king's men could have done little in South Mississippi last season.
Disasters are incidents that exceed the ability of emergency services
to make an effective response.
We are seeking recommendations to prepare us for rare,
perhaps
once-in-a-lifetime, events, not the common. -- Jerry Reimer, KK5CA,
South Texas SEC; ARRL National Emergency Response Planning Committee
member
A few weeks ago, I handled a radiogram on one of the local
VHF nets
routed via a major HF net in the Northern Florida section. The
message had a simple preamble, address, text, and signature, and yet
it was garbled significantly from the original. If there is one thing
that we must do right ARES operators, it is to send a message
accurately. It is more important than timeliness, or any other
feature of message-handling. Take the time to send it right. We hang
our hats on that.
issue
_____________
The hundredth anniversary of the 1906
San Francisco Fire, and the
recent spate of tornadoes in the Midwest remind us that it's not just
hurricanes that rip up lives and property. Natural and man-made
disasters are pan-continental, and we must be prepared to deal with
all of them. And, by judging from the ARES reports received, we are.
See you next month! - K1CE
===========================================================