DX
Conditions
| VHF
Aurora |
 |
144
MHz E-Skip in Europe |
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| 144
MHz E-Skip in North America |
 |
Solar
X-rays: |
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| Geomagnetic
Field: |
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Estimated
K-Index (Kp): |
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Hello everyone,
After a few
months of inactivity I'm working on getting everything back in order.
The first is
going back to the old website. The blog was nice but it made it
difficult to find links and files we sometimes need to get to in a
rush. We will add a link and keep it and it should work as before, just
not be the main page.
Next is to get
the net attendance up. Steve and Larry have been doing a good job of
keeping it going now lets use it and bring up those checkins.
Also I've asked
Moe to work on a few minor changes on the District 5 SKYWARN site, so
check back there every so often.
Jeff Yawn
K4IK
Emergency Coordinator,
Anderson County ARES
Anderson
County ARES
The Amateur Radio
Emergency Service (ARES)
consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their
qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public
service when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of
membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is
eligible for membership in the ARES. The only qualification, other than
possession of an Amateur Radio license, is a sincere desire to serve.
Because ARES is an amateur service, only amateurs are eligible for
membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable,
but is not a requirement for membership. To join Anderson County
ARES Click Here Information on ARES field kits Ready Kit
Information (UPDATED 3/13/07) Just added to
the site is a PDF copy of the ARES Field Resources Manual. Click Here
Emergency
Coordinator and Staff
The State of Tennessee has a
active plan in place for ARES activation. Click
HERE Update Jan 2006
Public Communications should
be handled ONLY by properly trained individuals. This
procedure should be reviewed by all ARES members. Click HERE
New Photo's of the W4ACA digipeater, antenna and
the W4SKH repeater. CLICK HERE
National
Traffic System
The
National Traffic System plan is a means for systematizing amateur
traffic handling facilities by making a structure available for an
integrated traffic facility designed to achieve the utmost in two
principal objectives: rapid movement of traffic from origin to
destination, and training amateur operators to handle written traffic
and participate in directed nets. These two objectives, which sometimes
conflict with each other, are the underlying foundations of the
National Traffic System.
MORE
INFORMATION HERE
National Traffic
System Methods and Practices Guidelines - This manual will
be a working reference document---subject to change as Amateur Radio
continuously improves how the tasks are performed. The methods
presented are a reasonably accurate snapshot of current practices. They
are indeed practices, and not strict rules, but the beginner, Section,
Region, Area, and TCC net operators and management alike will find it
beneficial to have a uniform protocol reference to be used by
operators. For the complete Click HERE
The Tennessee Phone Net is
currently active on 3980 kHz. The TN Phone Net schedule can be
found HERE.
Click Here to Print FSD-218 / PINK CARD
Click Here to Print FSD-3 / ARL MESSAGES
Click Here to Print
Radiogram.
For more information on the
NTS Digital system Click Here
For more information on the
The National Digital Traffic System Click HERE
Enhanced Digital Messaging
for Amateur Radio is provided by Winlink 2000 Click HERE
PSK31 is translated literally, it's an acronym for "Phase Shift
Keying, 31 Baud". PSK31 is a form of modulation (or "mode") that offers
a new and higher level of performance in conversational communications
(keyboard-to-keyboard) that we "hams" (amateur radio operators) can
enjoy. And it's been made instantly usable by all of us, due in
part to the proliferation of the personal computer, and in part to the
superb and generous efforts of some very talented ham/programmers. For
more information Click HERE
SKYWARN
The District
5 Homepage has upgraded, we are now offering specific area weather
warning alerts via the web page and via email. Please feel free to go
over and look around and let Jeff or Moe know what you think about the
changes.
What is SKYWARN?
The effects of severe weather are felt every year by many Americans. To
obtain critical weather information, NOAA's National Weather Service
(NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN with
partner organizations. SKYWARN is a volunteer program with over 230,000
trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local
communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe
weather to the National Weather Service. Click to here to see the local
Skywarn information.
Spotter Guides ( Basic /
Advanced )
We recommend using the
Emergency Managers Page on the National Weather Service Click Here
for current weather alerts.
Free Email Weather Alerts are
also available from ETSkywarn.ORG Click Here
to subscribe.
With the integration of APRS
in local Skywarn activates some people have ask what is APRS? The Automatic Packet Reporting
System was designed to support rapid, reliable exchange of
information for local, tactical real-time events or nets. More
information can be found here APRS Automatic
Position Reporting System
Most APRS users in the local
area use a APRS operating system called UI-View. UI-View is a
Windows APRS program. This application differs from most APRS software
in that it isn't designed just to be used with TNCs in terminal mode.
UI-View also supports TNCs in KISS mode, AGWPE host mode and BPQ host
mode. The 32 bit version of UI-View also supports WA8DED/TF host mode,
and the variant of it used in the SCS PTC-II and PTC-IIe. The host mode
support means that UI-View can be used with an extremely wide range of
packet hardware and allows up to 16 RF ports to be used.
It can run as a full-featured internal intelligent digipeater with the
TNC in KISS mode, and with modification to the UI-View2.INI file,
supports the new WIDEn-N settings, and has full support for connecting
to APRS servers on the Internet and running as an I-Gate or Internet
Gateway. More information can be found here. Click HERE Help
with designing mapping and incorporating into your system please
contact Moe or Jeff.
Please see the message box for
more information on APRS links and information.
ARES
Articles Of The Month
Suggestions or ideas for the monthly articles?
Click here to submit.
I found another idea for a
ARES radio box here. (Click
here) It does not appear as neat and well thought as
others but might provide so ideas of NOT what to do.... The
article was seen and commented in Eham.net (Click here)... some of
it is good information and others....well not so good.
Happy reading.
Now New Opportunities
for Every Ham (pdf) - This is a guide to the New Technician Class
and above operating guide and band plan from the ARRL.
New FCC Band
Plan (pdf file)
As former volunteer fire
fighter I always had a copy in my car and at home of the Emergency Response
Guide Book (2004). This is a guide book for First Responders
that is used during the during the initial phase of a Dangerous Goods /
Hazardous Materials Incident. As ARES members we may called upon to
respond to almost anything from tractor trailer wrecks, train wrecks,
tornado outbreaks and anything else in-between. Not that we don't
trust other people but this would be a good item to carry in your READY KIT.
We would also highly recommend that EVERYONE take the time to read the
instructions on how to use it, it will not do you any good to have the
book printed and not understand how to cross reference or be able to
index appropriate data in a timely fashion.
This is free document that is
open to anyone to copy and use with out charge. The document is
374 pages or a file size is 2.80 MB so it is large and may be slow to
download.
Something that every ARES
operator should have is a copy of Part 97. Click Here
To start the new section
off, I have found some very interesting ideas:
THE BOX: PORTABLE
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS STATION IDEAS
The ARES Boom Box,
Emergency
Operations Portable VHF Station,
Emergency Communications Portable Base Stations I and II
A Portable ARES/RACES EMCOMM Station Project,
An ARES/RACES Communication JumpBox
This is my version of the
portable concept. Click Here
It is still in use and charged ready to go.
FEMA
Independent Study Program
The Emergency Management Institute
The Emergency Management Institute
(EMI) serves as the national focal point for the development and
delivery of emergency management training. This training enhances
the capabilities of the Federal, state, and local government, volunteer
organizations, and the private sector to minimize the impact of
disasters on the American public. EMI curricula, including the
Independent Study Program (ISP) courses, are structured to meet the
needs of this diverse audience with an emphasis on how the various
elements work together in emergencies to save lives and protect
property. Continued
Here...
Recommended Courses:
IS-100:
Introduction to Incident Command System, I-100
As an introduction to the Incident
Command System (ICS), this course provides the foundation for higher
level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and
principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It
also explains the relationship
between ICS and the National Incident Management System
(NIMS). Site LINK
Here
IS-700: National Incident Management System
(NIMS), and Introduction
On February 28, 2003, President Bush
issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 (HSPD-5). This
directive instructed the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and
administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). The NIMS
provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government,
private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to in concert during
domestic incidents. This course explains the purpose, principles,
key components, and benefits of NIMS. It also contains "Planning
Activity" screens giving you an opportunity to practice some planning
tasks.
Site LINK
Here
American
Red Cross
American Red Cross designates
Appalachian Chapter as one of Top Performing Chapters in Nation
The Appalachian Chapter of the American Red Cross has been named one of
the best-performing chapters in the United States by the national
American Red Cross, headquartered in Washington, D.C. To achieve this
outstanding designation, the chapter was evaluated on a comprehensive
set of performance criteria through its Chapter Performance Standards
system.... For more information Click HERE
Since its
founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red
Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As
part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to
the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguished itself by also
aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the
organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of
preventing and relieving suffering.
Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross
offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services
that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their
families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving
blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and
safety; and international relief and development
programs. More about the American Red
Cross
