ARES Activation “Go Kit” Content Suggestions

Looking at the many websites showing what to pack in Go-kits, they all have at least 3 thing in common:

Pack things that will support your communications, your comfort, and your health.


A ‘go kit’ is a bag or pack that is always packed and ready to go at a moments notice.


Health Contents:


Important Medications – insulin, aspirin, Tylenol
Soap and/or sanitizer
Food and water – High Calorie snack bars, canned meats, tuna


Comfort Contents:


Tent, tarp, Blanket, changes of cloths, flashlight, lantern, matches, eating utensils


Communications Items


Radios (h/t, mobile), antennas, spare battery packs, additional antenna configurations (wire dipoles, j-pole, magmount),


Every List I’ve seen indicates FCC license and copies of radiograms, pens, pencils.


Other equipment suggested in go-kits are binoculars, compass and/or GPS in addition to a map of the area you might be deployed.


The idea is that you might be going camping with the added responsibility of being an emergency communicator.


In this capacity, isn’t it better to be overly prepared than not prepared enough?


The above list is a good place to start preparing. Do your own homework and adjust your contents according to your idea of what might be needed.


Some people put their Go-kits in the trunks of their cars, others put them on a shelf in the closet or garage.


As I noted, they should be ready to go at a moments notice, so packing everything up-to, and including, the kitchen sink, might not be practical.

Here is a link to a site with a detailed list.


What are your thoughts? Leave a comment, or sign my guestbook.

GRLevel Radar Reference Sheet

Needing help figuring out how to get GRLevel 2 Analyst going?  Try looking at this reference sheet I was given at the Basic Radar Class Saturday.  It mY help you.

Click on the images to make 'em bigger.

NWS Basic Radar Class Was Great

Saturday from 10am until about 1pm (or so) I went to the Fire Training Center building (Ouachita parish EOC building) to attend the basic radar interpretation class given by a member  of the Shreveport NWS office, Keith Stelhan.

We were familiarized with GRLevel 2 analyst GRLevel 3.

We were shown what storm features to be concerned with as well as calculating relative wind speeds, and other radar anomalies.

I enjoyed the class and took some pictures. 

Of the people who were there, here are some I know:  W5DSG Dave, KF5HLX Chris, KF5HLY Sean, Don Wheeler, N5ARM Bob, KD5IGZ Duffy, WC5M Mark, and a few others. 

Here's the Pictures I took:

Emergency Frequencies for Japan Crisis

I borrowed this list of frequencies from the Tri-County Amateur Radio Association web page. 

Please kindly keep these frequencies clear. 

• 3525KHz+/-5KHz
• 7030KHz+/-5KHz
• 14.100MHz+/-10KHz
• 21.200MHz+/-10KHz
• 28.200MHz+/-10KHz
• 50.100MH、51.000MH、51.500MHz
• 144.100MHz、145.000MHz、145.500MHz
• 430.100MHz、433.000MHz、433.500MHz

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

Hams Helping Hams: Some Ways to help each other

Helping our Amateur Radio Friends can be looked at a number of different ways.


1. Benefiting the ARRL (Many, Many hams)
2. Community level: Benefiting your local hams while volunteering in a club.
3. Individual level


We might further break down the types of help we can give:


1. Supporting/opposing Legislation
2. Availing Technical Expertise in pursuit of common goals.
3. Availing examples good amateur radio practices
4. Training or Teaching things – give classes on building circuits and antennas, for instance.


I have been helped way more than most, I think, with the individual type. Folks have given or let me borrow equipment, they’ve given/built antennas and they are very appreciated.


One of the best types of help I have not mentioned yet, is self help.


If I am given every little thing, and if every little thing is built for me, my growth in this hobby will surely be stunted. 

That said, growth in our hobby can be defined as, "engaging in new aspects with an adventurist' spirit."  Otherwise, boredom can set in.

I plan on building a 2 meter antenna in the next few months. I’ll tell you how it goes.

Study: Sunspots could soon disappear for decades

(PhysOrg.com) -- Sunspot formation is triggered by a magnetic field, which scientists say is steadily declining. They predict that by 2016 there may be no remaining sunspots, and the sun may stay spotless for several decades.

The last time the sunspots disappeared altogether was in the 17th and 18th century, and coincided with a lengthy cool period on the planet known as the Little Ice Age. ..FULL STORY

KE5UTN COMMENTS: 

This situation will come as a disappointment for global-warming and Amateur Radio Enthusiasts alike.

Just about all Hams relish the increased communication distance that comes with sunspot activity, so not having them would diminish the spirits of hams everywhere.

I am told we just came out of a lull in sunspot activity, and the recent increased activity has excited not only our signals, but our spirits as well.

Hopefully these no-spot predictions will not come to pass and we can continue enjoying their energizing effects.

*** What are your thoughts?  Feel free to leave a comment.

Ham radio operators are upset over bill

The following exerpt comes from The Springfield News-Leader:  -

Washington -- Springfield Rep. Billy Long is co-sponsoring a bill in the U.S. Congress that ham radio enthusiasts and others say jeopardizes a system they say is a vital part of emergency communications plans across the country.

When a tornado or ice storm hits southwest Missouri, nearly all of the first-hand reports come via ham radio enthusiasts, often providing crucial and timely information for the National Weather Service.

"They are a critical component of the National Weather Service's job to protect life and property," said Steve Reynolds of the Springfield office of the National Weather Service.
----------------

This is a really good article that points out the importance of ham radio and gives good justification for leaving our frequencies alone.

It is reported in this article that Long said he didn't know we hams had a problem with this bill. 

I would hope he'd do his homework before offering legislation like this.  He should have conducted an exploratory study on the current ban plan and consulted with the potentially affected organizations.

What do you think?  Leave a Message or sign my Guestbook.  Thanks

On-Line Ham Radio Coverage of Disaster: Maritime Mobile Radio Watch

I’m streaming Ham radio in support of the Tsunami and Earthquake areas. You can listen in on my Live KE5UTN Channel. -Posted at 2:19pm Central time zone.



I’ll be switching to the Region 5 Traffic net at 3:15, participate in that net, then switch back to the first frequency.

The Current frequency is 14.300-, and it is the Maritime Mobile Net.

Link to KE5UTN Livestream Channel

Is your Town Repeater Friendly

Like many hams, I’ve traveled through towns of various sizes, repeater directory in hand, hoping to make a few contacts along my way.

All too often, however, After transmitting my call sign, I get absolutely no response.
What gives?


I’ll give my call … wait … Give my call … wait … hear nothing… then hear some guy call his buddy.


Don’t get me wrong, I know there is no law that says someone has to talk to me, but if you’re not going to talk to new people in your area, there’s not much justification for your radios, or your repeaters. And, for that matter, there’s not much use for my participation in the Amateur Radio Hobby.


I carried my handi-talkie to Jackson, Mississippi for two years before people would speak to me, but once they did, I felt right at home.

Believing that we hams can count on each other no matter who or where we are is comforting. That said, when I cant get anyone to even say, “Boo”, that belief is tested.

This situation begs some questions: Are we hams part of a close-knit community? Can we, in fact, count on one another? I believe when push comes to shove, “we are” and “we can“.

So, why not extend a little friendship to strangers when they move through your town? Doing so will be setting an example that just may be extended back to you, one day, when you are driving through a strange town yourself.

Is there a Place for Amateur Radio in a World of Tweets? This Leaves no Doubt!

I asked and thought I answered this question.  That is until I heard the following.

A guy in Haiti, John - HH2J reports from Haiti (via ham radio) right after the terrible earthquake.

New Amateur Radio Publication Gains Momentum

 The Voice of Ham Radio Daily launched in February, 2011 and already has quite a following.

The daily digest, edited by Pete Thomson, KE5GGY, is dedicated to EVERYTHING Ham Radio.  And, that is right up my alley!

Here are just a few current featured headlines:

Look out, Yaesu: amateurradio.com - Chinese-made VHF and UHF hand-held radios are no longer the novelty they were a few years ago when I discovered the Jingtong JT-208 and got one to try. They are no longer the shoddily made bits of...



SWPC D-Region Absorption Prediction: swpc.noaa.gov - NOAA / Space Weather Prediction Center Conditions in the D-Region of the Ionosphere have a dramatic effect on High Frequency (HF) communications and Low Frequency (LF) navigation systems like Lor...

Building a VHF or UHF Ladder Line J-Pole Antenna : collegearc.com - For those of us who live in RF canyons or have difficulties hitting a local repeater with a rubber duck, a better antenna is a must. I live at the bottom of Poly Canyon on the California Polytechni...

I think The Voice of Ham Radio is a great place to get a variety of ham radio news, tips and ideas from across the world wide web.

That's why I give it a big THUMBS UP! 

 Find The Voice of Ham Radio Daily, by using the link on the right hand side of this page.

You can get it like I do,  sent straight to your in-box. 

Severe Weather Threatens Parts of the Deep South... Again!

For the fourth time in less than two weeks, severe weather threatens parts of the South.

Here is the weather map indicating the threat:

The setup for this should sound familiar. A dip, or trough, in the upper levels of the atmosphere will provide the jet-stream energy and cold air aloft (instability) for thunderstorms.  At the same time, a surface frontal system will slowly march through the South with increasingly warm and humid air streaming north from the Gulf of Mexico.

Click Here For Details

Opposition to HR 607 Form Letter

I will be sending the following letter to my Congressman. The letter is from the ARRL web site. Feel free to print this out and send it to your Representative. I implore you to do so. Thanks.

I was instructed to send the form letters to the address at the bottom.  The hard copies will be hand delivered to congress.


The Honorable Congressman Rodney Alexander United States House of Representatives
316 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515


Dear Representative Rodney Alexander:


As a voter in your district and as one of the nearly 700,000 federally licensed Amateur Radio operators across the nation, I ask that you oppose H.R. 607, the "Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011" in its current form. H.R. 607 was introduced by Congressman Peter King (R-NY) and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.


H.R. 607 proposes to allocate the "D-Block" of frequencies (frequencies previously occupied by analog television) to be developed into an interoperable Public Safety wireless network. Earlier, it had been expected that the D-Block would be auctioned by the FCC for commercial use, but there is now substantial support for the allocation of the D-Block to Public Safety. H.R. 607 also provides for the reallocation of other spectrum for auction to commercial users, in order to offset the loss of revenue anticipated by the auction of the D-Block.


While I strongly support the work of the Public Safety officials who put their lives on the line for our safety, my opposition to the bill stems from the inclusion of the 420-440 MHz spectrum (the UHF 70-cm band) as part of a frequency swap and auction. Very little of this spectrum is allocated to Public Safety, and only in very limited areas. Rather, it is allocated to government radiolocation services on a primary basis, with Amateur Radio allocated on a secondary basis. The Federal government uses this band for critical defense purposes, including Pave Paws radars for detecting surface-launched missiles aimed at the United States, and for airborne radars used for drug interdiction. The Amateur Service carefully coordinates its uses of this band to insure compatibility. The two services have a very good record of sharing this spectrum successfully, putting it to good use for both military and civilian purposes in the national interest.


Amateur radio emergency communications rely heavily on our limited frequency allocations in the VHF and UHF radio bands. The loss of access to the 420-440 MHz spectrum would make it very difficult for us to maintain this capability and would mean we could no longer use numerous systems that have been constructed on our own time and at personal expense to provide this important communications support.


Amateur Radio operators across the country repeatedly demonstrate our commitment to public service and emergency communications. Through our work with FEMA and other Homeland Security activities, state and local Emergency Management offices, and numerous charitable relief agencies, volunteer Amateur Radio operators assist the first responders, doing so at no cost to the agencies we support. The role of the Amateur Radio Service as a partner to Public Safety in providing supporting public service and emergency communications necessitates our retention of full access to the entire 70-cm band.


We understand and support that Public Safety officials must have the spectrum they need to do their jobs. However, it is not necessary to do so in the ill-conceived manner proposed in this bill. Other pending legislation provides for this important goal to be realized without the proposed reallocation of non-Public Safety spectrum for commercial auction that is included in H.R. 607. I urge you to oppose H.R. 607 in its current form. Thank you for your consideration.
------------------
sEND TO :

John Chwat
Chwat & Co. 
625 Slaters Lane
Suite 103
Alexandria, VA  22314

Another Bicycle Mobile Fishing Day-Trip Video

This is another video I made of an excursion along the Ouachita River taking my Mountain-Bicycle Mobile.


I am combining some of my favorite activities: Ham radio, mountain biking, exploring, and Fishing.


I'd be interested in seeing your own videos. If you make one, send me the link. I'll post it here.