Blog

Jan 23, 2020 Meeting Minutes

Posted on by Steve DeWeese

ANCS (Alternate Network Control Station)

Starting in March, please sign up for ANCS slots.  The ANCS will send traffic on the net to the NCS. Other duties includes tracking call ins. For examples, 4 mobile call ins and 6 standard calls ins.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0E48A8A829A6F49-loudoun

Traffic

  • There will be a Feb Traffic Training Session. Date TBD.
  • Starting in March, the NET will practice traffic handling each week between the ANCS and NCS.
  • Others may send traffic too.

PACE

We will develop PACE for both Voice and Digital.  Digital will include HF.

Other

LAST NOVEMBER 2019 ARES MEETING – Tuesday, 19th at 7:00PM

Posted on by Steve DeWeese
Location:  Viet Chopsticks, 19385 Promenade Dr, Leesburg, VA 20176  (EOC is not available)
Agenda:
  • Discuss Loudoun ARES Net that will soon be held Tuesdays at 8:30PM on N4FSC Repeater – 145.31 MHz (PL 77)
  • Review NCS script
  • Discuss anti-jamming techniques such as Primary, Alternative, Contingency and Emergency (PACE) and alternating PL (requires repeater coordinator)
  • Steps to complete INOVA WINLINK install
  • January SEP – Need just two more volunteers to sign up for the 8AM-2PM At Home.  See attached sheet. NB: signing up is a firm committment. You can of course participate even if you cannot sign up now.
  • Bring your Training Task Books for signature

November 12, 2019 INOVA Hospital Field Visit

Posted on by Steve DeWeese

The Kenwood D710 located on the second floor radio room  was connected via a USB-to-Serial (8 pin) cable to a laptop with WINLINK.  We successfully sent and received email over the radio.  Hospital located at 44045 Riverside Pkwy, Leesburg, VA 20176

STEPS

  • Plug the USB side of the cable into the PC.
  • Plug the 8 pin accessory plug in the back of the head unit of the D710 labeled COM (NOT in the main body, that is the programming port).
  • Start Winlink
  • Configure Winlink
  • Open a Telnet Winlink session to download any backlogged messages.
  • Open Packet Winlink session.
  • From SETUP, pick the D710 from the drop down menu. Be sure you choice the correct Band A or B.
  • Pick the correct Serial Port for your USB cable.
  • Change the Maximum frames to 2.
  • Click OK.
  • Choose CHANNEL SELECTION.
  • Pick a nearby by gateway and not the frequency.
  • Set Band A or B to that frequency.
  • Choose Start.
 To Send a message:
  1. Create New Message
  2. Post to Out box
  3. Select “Open Session”
  4. Select Start

Oct 22, 2019 Meeting Minutes

Posted on by Steve DeWeese
MINUTES
Reviewed the new ARRL ARES Training Task Book.  Signed off on educaton, participation and skill tasks. AECs can sign off on tasks, but the EC is required for level sign off. Kevin is considering becoming an AEC.
Discussed the January 18, 2020 SET – Grid Failure.  An Exercise Design Team (Rob, Joe D., Dave P, Kevin M., Kurt R., Steve D.) was established to meet three times to develop the exercise.
Kevin, can you please setup those three meetings.  You might want to use Signup Genius. Let me know if you don’t have time.
There was unanimous consent to establishing a weekly Loudoun ARES Net.  It would use a repeater three times and simplex once a month.  The NCS could use the EOC for simplex night.  Traffic would be stricly tactical. There was much interest in relaying traffic for those times the NCS on simplex night cannot hear everyone. Think Reston Bike or Oktoberfest.  That will require defining procedures, training and practice.
Loudoun ARES needs a general Ops Plan for those procuedures, a NCS script and other topics such as communication methods (PACE).
  • Primary (Voice Alpha repeater frequency)
  • Alternative (Voice Bravo simplex frequency)
  • Contingency (WINLINK)
  • Emergency (TBD)
If you are interested in being on a team that establishes our ARES Net or drafting Ops Plan, please let me know.