Emergency Coordination

Previous articles can be found under the "Emergency Coordination" link

Files for download can be found at the bottom of this page.

The terms Amateur Radio Emergency Service and ARES are both registered trademarks of the American Radio Relay League Inc. and are used by permission.  

Questions and comments regarding the content of this web page and articles are always welcome and encouraged. 

Send an email to the address shown below.

Lew Maxwell, KB5HPT

Amateur Radio Emergency Service

DEC, District 6, WTX Section

Email: ldmax12@yahoo.com

++++++WINLINK TUESDAY++++++

This net will run each Tuesday (except 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s) for 24 hours. Check in anytime during the 24 hour period. Address messages to Lew, KB5HPT, DEC, Dist.6, WTX Section unless otherwise noted. 

If you are an ARRL Field Appointee please use your Position/Title for the messages. 

All others please use Radio Operator for your position/title. 

The stations checking into this net are encouraged to use their ARES GO-BOX with the NVIS antenna. The use of EOC and club  stations are also encouraged.

***Sending Messages***

Use VARA HF Winlink through a gateway or Telnet or VARA HF P2P. See below for VARA HF P2P information.

***VARA HF P2P***

My HF station will be listening to 7116.5 MHz center frequency, 7115.0 MHz (dial frequency). Bandwidth is 500Hz. 

***VHF/UHF***

[El Paso Locals] The VHF/UHF mode of the week will be VARA FM. Please use the KB5HPT-10 VARA FM RMS on 439.010 MHz simplex as primary target. 

***NOTE:*** 

MAKE SURE THAT THE REQUEST READ RECEIPT IS CHECKED AT THE TOP OF THE MESSAGE. DON'T FORGET TO MARK THE MESSAGE AS WINLINK MESSAGE, P2P WINLINK or RADIO-ONLY. TO GET CREDIT FOR THE NET ALL SENDERS MUST RECEIVE A MESSAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BACK. WE ENCOURAGE THE USE OF RF  UHF/VHF/HF RATHER THAN TELNET. 

***Form of the Week for Jun 10***

Important! If the new message update or Winlink Express program update screen pops up when opening Winlink Express update them before beginning this exercise.

This week we will take a look at the Incident Radio Communications List (ICS-205). In the Incident Command System usually when one form is created it triggers the creation of another form. At the end of the event there is a complete set of documents giving a time line of what took place and when it happened. 

The ICS 205A - Communication Lists provide information on radio frequencies and/or trunked radio talkgroup assignments for each operational period. The ICS-205 is prepared by the Communications Leader (Comm L) and given to the planning section chief to be added to the Incident Action Plan (IAP). Data from the ICS-205 can be imported from or exported to a spreadsheet.

Treat the instructions below as though your COMM-L has handed you these instructions and asked you to fill out this ICS 205 for him/her.

***READ CAREFULLY***  

The ICS-205 form is found in the Template Manager.

1. In Winlink Express page click on the MESSAGE>>NEW MESSAGE>>SELECT TEMPLATE>>STANDARD TEMPLATES>>ICS USA FORMS>> ICS205 RADIO PLAN.txt. Then double click the form.  The form will appear in your browser window.

2. Click on SETUP at the top left corner of the form and enter WINLINK TUESDAY EXERCISE.

3. Box 1. Incident Name: Enter Winlink Tuesday Exercise.

4. Box 2. Date/Time Prepared: Click on the box and enter 2025-06-10/0700.

5. Box 3. Operational Period: Enter the following:

a. Date From: enter 2025-06-10

b. Date To: enter 2025-06-10

c. Time From: enter 0800

d. Time To: enter 2000

6. Box 4. Basic Radio Channel Use: enter the following:

Line 1

a. Zone Grp. enter 1

b. Ch#. enter 1

c. Function. enter Repeater

d. Channel Name/Trunked Radio System Talkgroup. enter Central City Wide Area.

e. Assignment. enter amateur

f. RX Freq. 145.2300

g. N or W. enter W

h. RX Tone/NAC. enter 123.0

i. TX Freq. enter 144.6300

j. N or W. enter W

k. TX Tone/ NAC. enter None

l. Mode (A, D, or M). enter A

m. Remarks. Amateur Radio Repeater

Line 2.

a. Zone Grp. enter 1

b. Ch#. enter 2

c. Function. enter Repeater

d. Channel Name/Trunked Radio System Talkgroup. enter Central City Wide Area.

e. Assignment. enter amateur

f. RX Freq. enter 146.6400

g. N or W. enter W

h. RX Tone/NAC. enter 100.0

i. TX Freq. enter 146.0400

j. N or W. enter W

k. TX Tone/ NAC. enter None

l. Mode (A, D, or M). enter A

m. Remarks. Amateur Radio Repeater

7. Box 5, Special Instructions: Start comments with Exercise, Exercise

8. In Box 6, Approved by (CUL) Name: enter Joe Tentpeg

a. Date/Time: click on box to get the current Date/Time.

b. IAP Page: enter 5

c. Attach CSV data file to message? select NO.

9. Before going any further with this exercise go back and review the entries to be sure everything is correct. ACCURACY IS IMPORTANT.

10. After filling out the form the HTML data can be saved to a text file by clicking on the Save ICS205 Data button at the bottom of the form. Then later open a new ICS-205 and import the data by clicking on Load ICS205 Data button at the top of the form. When reloading the data into a new form the saved data can be edited to reflect any changes/updates that need to be made. Be sure to save the new data before sending the new form. 

11. Click on Submit. Then OK.

12. Close the browser window.

13. In the Enter a New Message form in Winlink Express be sure the Send As: block is correct.

a. Peer-to-Peer Message for sending P2P mode.

b. Winlink Message for routing message via an RMS.

14. Be sure the Request Message Receipt box IS CHECKED.

15. Address the message to KB5HPT or to my tactical address TXEPCARESDEC.

16. Post the message to the Out box.

17. Listen for a clear frequency and send the messages.  

P2P Information: ***(READ CAREFULLY)***  

On the Winlink Express page in the Open Session box select VARA HF P2P from the drop down menu. Then open the session. The morning 40 meter P2P session is from  8AM to 10AM (MDT). Lew, KB5HPT will be listening on 7116.5 MHz (center frequency). For the Mode use USB-D. Bandwidth=***500Hz ONLY.*** 

In P2P mode even though you created one message and addressed it to two or more people when you post the message to the OUT BOX you will have two or more separate messages in the OUT BOX waiting to be sent.

Feel free to distribute this message to friends/groups and ask them to participate.

Lew Maxwell, KB5HPT

Amateur Radio Emergency Service

DEC, District 6, WTX Section

Tactical Address: TXEPCARESDEC

TX. RACES: DRO-8A

++++++EPCARES Mission Statement:++++++

WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING A VIABLE ARES ORGANIZATION THAT IS PROPERLY TRAINED AND ADEQUATELY STAFFED WITH THE END GOAL OF FUNCTIONING PROFESSIONALLY IN ANY EMERGENCY THAT MAY COME OUR WAY.

Our Core Values Are: 

 Confidence             Commitment         Excellence

Respect                   Integrity