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 for the week of Sep 2***

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

***READ CAREFULLY***

The form this week will be the GPS Position Report. When this form is sent it can be reported to the APRS web sites and shows up on the APRS maps. A copy of the position report will be saved to your computer. If you should have a reason to send another GPS Position Report click on Load Position Data at the top of the Position Report page.

Your served agency has handed you the information shown below and ask you to submit an updated GPS Position Report form for them. 

If an external GPS devise is being used then continue to SETUP below. If a GPS devise is NOT being used go to MANUAL below.

***SETUP***

If using an external GPS devise it must be setup first in Winlink Express. If this is the first time the device is being used with this computer the correct drivers may be required to make it work.

1. Click on Settings on the Winlink Express page.

2. Click on GPS/Position Reports...

3. Enter the Com Port number used by the devise.

4. Be sure the GPS baud rate is correct (usually 4800 baud).

5. If all goes well the GPS Status box should populate and the coordinates should be displayed in the GPS Latitude and Longitude boxes in the GPS Status box. Click on the SET button.

6. In the Position Report box click on Use GPS Position and Use Current Time. The rest of the position report information will populate.

7. Close this page. The setup is finished.

8. If a GPS devise is being used go to AUTOMATIC below. If entering the GPS manually go to MANUAL below.

***MANUAL***

The GPS Position Report form is found in the Template Manager.

1. Click on MESSAGE>>NEW MESSAGE>>SELECT TEMPLATE>>STANDARD TEMPLATES>>GENERAL FORMS>>GPS POSITION REPORT. Double click the GPS Position Report.txt. The form will open in your browser window.

2. The top left part of the form is for manually entering the GPS coordinates.

3. The Date/Time box should automatically populate with the current UTC Time. 

4. In the Manually Enter your Decimal Degrees: box enter your GPS coordinates manually as shown in the box.

5. In the Comments Box enter WINLINK TUESDAY EXERCISE.

6. The bottom of the form will automatically populate.

7. Click on Submit then OK.

8. Then click OK again to save the report.

9. Close the browser window.

10. Go to SUBMIT below.

***AUTOMATIC*** 

1. Click on MESSAGE>>NEW MESSAGE>>SELECT TEMPLATE>>STANDARD TEMPLATES>>GENERAL FORMS>>GPS POSITION REPORT. Double click the GPS Position Report. The form will open in your browser window.

2. The top right part of the form is for an external GPS device and will automatically populate if the external GPS is setup correctly.

3. Click on Click to use connected GPS LAT LON.

4. The bottom portion of the form will automatically populate.

5. Click on SUBMIT then OK. To save this position report click OK again.

6. Close the browser window.

7. Continue to SUBMIT below.

***SUBMIT***

In the ENTER A NEW MESSAGE page in Winlink Express.

1. Be sure the SEND AS: block is correct.

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

b. select Winlink Message for routing message via an RMS.

2. Put a check mark in the Request message receipt box.

3. The TO: block will have QTH entered automatically.

4. If the position report is being sent via an RMS then in the Cc: block send the message to KB5HPT or my tactical address (TXEPCARESDEC). Go to 7 below.

5. If the Position Report is being sent as P2P go to 6 below. Otherwise go to 7 below.

6. If the position report is being sent P2P then in the To: block enter KB5HPT and DELETE QTH.

7. Post the message to the Out box. 

8. Listen for a clear frequency and send the message. 

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 waiting to be sent. 

Feel free to distribute this to friends/groups. 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