Georgia Section On My Mind

October, 2004

Greetings, All. It's unbelievable that there have been three more hurricanes in the southeast since last month's newsletter. There simply are no words that can sufficiently express the profound gratitude that goes out to each and every one of you who have been involved in the emergency preparations and mammoth relief efforts involved with these hurricanes. That saying about there being "no relief for the weary" has certainly been reinforced this past couple of months. Let's all hope for a long and peaceful stretch of days in front of us.

There've been a number of Hamfests lately, with a number of others just over the horizon. If you possibly can, try to support your local Hamfest. It takes an awful lot of work for clubs to host these fun events for us; the best way to show our appreciation is by attending. And our reinforcement and appreciation of their efforts make them more likely to do it again into the future. (besides, it's a GREAT way to spend a beautiful fall day among friends)

Before getting on with it, just want to say a special thanks to each of you who takes the time to send me news and keep in touch. I genuinely appreciate your input, and it's always good to hear from you. Also, a tip of the hat and a great big thank to JOE DOMALESKI, KI4ASK, who sent me a terrific list of "you might be a ham if"s that grace this newsletter.

OK, enough, let's see what's been happening and what's coming up around the corner....

If you've "known" someone for over twenty years, but have never "met" him........ you MIGHT be a ham.

SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

September 4-5 --- Shelby Hamfest --- What can I say? Always a top notch Hamfest, this one never fails to please, with its sprawling boneyard, multiple buildings crammed full of bustling activity and all-around carnival atmosphere. This may not be the best place for folks who don't care to do a lot of walking, but quite a few people managed to get around that hurdle by scooting around the grounds on golf carts or zippy little scooters. Southeastern Division Director FRANK BUTLER, W4RH, was a first-time attendee at this year's fest, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself, whether hobnobbing from behind the ARRL table or rummaging through the goodies in the massive boneyard. (I can't remember who told me this, but I was recently told that there are three levels of Hamfest attendees: I is the casual attender who has a passing interest in his surroundings, II takes a closer look at the goods, and has a real appreciation for what he's seeing, but Level III is the nitty gritty, climb under the table and dig through the boxes kind of ham, and I think Frank registered a strong two and a half...)The overall attendance appeared to be down just a tad this year, but that may have had something to do with the threats posed and evacuations caused by Hurricane Frances. Any concerns about the weather at the fest were misplaced, however, because it was absolutely the best weather we've ever encountered at this usually sweltering (or rainy) locale. It was a beautiful weekend, where we saw lots of familiar faces and thoroughly enjoyed sharing a Friday night dinner with some fellow Georgia hams and ARRL folks at a local eatery. (and, of course, the mandatory AFTER the dinner meeting in the parking lot..) A great time. If you've never attended this NC Hamfest before, I'd urge you to consider putting it on your calendar for next year. The weekend before Labor Day... it's definitely worth the trip. (plus it offers you the opportunity to pick up a big ol' basket of fresh peaches for a particularly sweet ending to the summer.)

September 11 --- Praters Mill Hamfest --- I've called this one a "best kept secret", because there isn't much in the way of advertisement or promotion involved with it, but there doesn't have to be for it to attract its faithful fans every year. This old-fashioned, tail-gating gathering starts at first light and usually ends by lunchtime, and is held in a beautiful and serene setting, where some Southeastern AM Radio Club members start trickling in on Friday afternoon. They sit back beside the water to share camaraderie and swap tales, then later enjoy their "manly man" slabs of meat around a campfire. In a direct contrast to the high energy, carnival atmosphere of the Shelby Hamfest, this one is more like a quiet summer's day spent in the hammock under a shade tree with a tall glass of iced tea. Refreshing and relaxing. A marvelous and mellow way to spend a morning among friends. Thanks to the Dalton ARC for sponsoring this enjoyable event every year. It's truly an oasis of peace in our busy lives.

September 18 --- Dallas Hamfest --- Held at Paulding Meadows Park, this 14th annual event, sponsored by the Paulding ARC, offered another good outing for all who attended. Club president DANNY ALLEN, AG4PR, played the consummate host, ably flipping burgers and dogs on the big ol' shiny Cadillac of a grill he towed in for the occasion (aptly borrowed from a Cadillac dealer, I understand) and generally bending over backwards to make sure everyone felt welcome. In fact, ALL of the club members seemed intent on throwing out the welcome mat.... A very friendly crew. My better half, MIKE, K4HBI, did his best impersonation of a used car salesman out in the boneyard again, offering some terrific deals, while clearing off a tiny spot in our domicile at the same time. (Never fear! Those tiny "clear spots" have a way of filling up again very quickly... one of life's little mysteries, I suppose, something about how nature abhors a vacuum...) Everybody's favorite Director of Vice, SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, (RU4RU?) and I manned (person-ed?) the ARRL booth and enjoyed chatting with everybody. Even managed to sign up a new member, GLENN GRAY, who passed his technician test at the VE session held that day, then made a beeline to our table to sign on the dotted line, the dear man. (KI4HCX, a very bright man, no doubt... welcome to the hobby and to the ARRL!)

If your radio equipment is worth more than the vehicle you've got it in....... You MIGHT be a ham.

CLUB NEWS

ALBANY ARC --- In the month of September, these folks sponsored a weekly technician class for three consecutive weeks, followed by a VE test session. The cost of training was $40 per student, which included the cost of the "Now You're Talking" book and the VE exam. A Morse code class was also offered.

ALFORD MEMORIAL ARC --- The club's new 146.760 repeater is on the air and sounding good. Word has it that you may soon be sounding even better, with the addition of the long-stilled dulcet tones of "Mrs. Callabash". Plans are underway to make this year's Hamfest, coming up on November 6th and 7th at the Gwinnett Fairgrounds on Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville, bigger and better than ever.

ATLANTA ARC --- Is a "pi network" just so much "Greek" to you?? At the next club meeting, to be held on October 7th, ALEX CARVER, KF4LVZ, will present, in plain English, a program on basic electronics, discussing such topics as pi tuners versus T tuners, and hosting an informal Q & A session. A great opportunity to refresh your electronics knowledge and to pick up some new info from this GA Techie.

COLUMBUS ARC --- As evidenced in many other areas, the approach of Hurricane Ivan elicited a terrific response from hams from the Columbus area. A great big thank you to these dedicated club members, who were lined up to help provide communications for Muscogee, Houston, Troup, Sumter, Macon, Upson, Lamar, and Spalding counties, as well as for several Red Cross shelters.

DALTON ARC --- Club members were provided a presentation on emergency communications by Murray county EC CECIL CLEMENS, KG4RSU, at their September meeting. Coming up on the 9th and 10th of October, members will be providing their services for the Praters Mill Country Fair, and conducting tours of the gin.

GWINNETT ARS --- STEVE GARRISON, N4SEG, provided the September meeting with a presentation that he calls "APRS for Dummies". Club members will be doing a "return engagement" amateur radio demonstration on October 21st at Berkeley Lake Elementary School, in conjunction with the school's "Science Night". Last year, these radio demos were visited by an amazing (and amazed!) 747 students and parents.

JASPER RADIO CLUB --- This group's September meeting provided enlightenment and informal discussions on digipeaters, PSK-31, packet nodes, and other digital mode topics.

KENNEHOOCHEE ARC --- Georgia's favorite Vice Director, SANDY DONAHUE, W4RU, (RU4RU?) will present the program at the October 5th on the latest news on BPL and the scoop on the ARRL's proposal to restructure the band plan, based on signal bandwidth.

LAGRANGE ARC --- Kudos to club members who rose to the occasion by meeting with various emergency agencies, conducting formal nets, and providing communications during Hurricane Ivan. There may not be a formal ARES group and EC in their area (yet!) but by all accounts, they did a stellar job. Now, they're looking forward to JOTA, when they'll be working at Camp Lumpkin with Cub Scout Pack 326 and the Chattahoochee Council.

MIDDLE GEORGIA ARC --- These folks will be participating with the Scouts for Jamboree on the Air, Oct 16, at Northside High School, from 9 - 5. On the 25th of October, they will be setting up for the Intergalactic Jamboree, at Trinity UMC, from 5-9PM. Coming up in November, from Nov 12-14, the group will be sponsoring a Ham Radio Class.

NORTH FULTON ARL --- Another fox hunt is being planned in the metro Atlanta area by these folks, slated for Saturday, October 23rd. As I get more details, I'll pass them on to you.

NORTHEAST GA. ARC --- These folks will be holding technician class license classes for 6 weeks, beginning on Tuesday, October 19, in Commerce. For information, contact JOE TILLER at jtiller@alltel.net OR LARRY OSBORNE, WT4XX, AT WT4XX@YAHOO.COM. Testing will be on Saturday, November 20. The club will also be setting up a radio demo at an upcoming Civil Air Patrol meeting in Athens. The next club meeting will be October 7th at the Commerce library.

PAULDING ARC --- Thanks to these fine folks for their warm reception when my better half, MIKE SWIDERSKI, K4HBI, and I attended their September meeting to tell them about the MARS program. (Hopefully, we may have even recruited a few for the cause.) Also in attendance with us was Affiliated Club Coordinator, ROBIN CUTSHAW, AA4RC, who enjoys visiting various club meetings around the state as much as we do.

SOUTHEASTERN DX CLUB --- Shortly after participating in a reception that was held for the adventurous group heading to Peter I after the first of the year, members were treated to a program on the planning and preparations for the upcoming DXpedition at their September meeting, presented by BOB ALLPHIN, K4UEE, and GEORGE NICHOLAS, N4GRN. Another interesting program is slated for the October meeting, with STAN CLAY presenting "Life and Times of Nicola Tesla", sure to elicit an "I didn't know that!" response from everyone in attendance. For more information and directions to their meeting, see http://www.sedxc.org/

THOMASVILLE ARC --- At a timely club meeting, just prior to Ivan the Terrible, Thomas county EMA director CHRIS JONES and Red Cross representative DG BOZEMAN engaged members in a lively discussion about what the emergency response community expected in the way of emergency communications.

VALDOSTA ARC --- Club members took advantage of Amateur Radio Awareness Day on September 18th to set up an exhibit in the city park and show the public a thing or two about who we are and what we do. And, smart folks that they are, after whetting the public's interest, they'll be following up the exhibit with a free technician class, starting on October 2nd. Saturday, October 23rd, will be the club's annual Fox Hunt, kicking off at noon at Drexel Park, near VSU. President WAYNE BRANT, KO4QJ, had this to say; "Let's see if the Atlanta stations that came last time can actually win it this year. A challenge is issued to all amateurs to COME DOWN AND TAKE OUR TROPHY AWAY!"

HAS YOUR CLUB KEPT ITS INFO CURRENT WITH THE LEAGUE??? In looking through the database for Georgia's Affiliated and Special Service Clubs, I see that many have fallen behind in filing their annual reports, or in keeping their club's designation as a Special Service Club up-to-date. Some of you guys have changed your meeting place, or your meeting date, had elections, whatever, and have forgotten to make those changes. If you want new members to find you, you can make it just a little bit easier for them by keeping accurate meeting and contact information available to them online. Special Service Clubs can renew at http://www.arrl.org/field/club/forms/fsd7/renewal.html Annual reports, or any changes, can be made at http://www.arrl.org/field/club/biglist.html (And if your club is now listed in the "inactive" database, the filing of a report can get you back in the "active" file.)

Looking for some brochures for an upcoming exhibit your club may be planning? WAYNE BRANT, KO4QJ, provided this handy website where you can download just what you need: http://www.arrl.org/htdig/?method=and&words=brochure

If you have more antennas than your local cable company.... You MIGHT be a ham.

ARES NEWS

GWINNETT -- At the August meeting, this group had a discussion on batteries and saw a demonstration of the West Mountain Radio Computerized Battery Analyzer. In September, members had the chance to compare Ready Kits and share ideas.

LOWNDES --- Under the leadership of EC WAYNE BRANT, KO4QJ, this fledgling group has taken flight. A successful meeting with EMA director NICK LACEY has opened the door to what promises to be a strong relationship. And in a PR double header, local TV 6 and AM talk radio 1450 both featured mention of the role of hams in emergency communications. With the permission of TV reporter MONICA BUCHANAN, the report she gave follows:

Ham Radio Link
Monica Buchanan

With the recent hurricanes and storms impacting our area, many people have found themselves without power and phones. The same is true for many emergency management organizations that rely on power for communication equipment.

First it was Bonnie, then Charley and let's not forget Frances. These storms kept Lowndes County emergency officials on their toes working hard to coordinate relief efforts, but what if their lines of communication were to be knocked out by the weather?

Their answer is now amateur Ham Radio.

Wayne Brant, Ham Radio operator, says, "The advantage of amateur radio is that we continue to operate. Even if the power goes down, it doesn't make any difference to us."

County emergency officials are enlisting the help of Ham Radio operators in the area to serve as a backup service in the event power is lost and standard communication lines go down.

Nick Lacey, Lowndes Emergency Management director, says, "That stuff is reliable. It's been around for a long time. Much of their radio equipment has been and it's proven, and when you have proven technology it is quite reliable."

For Wayne Brant, serving as the county's main Ham Radio operator is a volunteer service he's happy to provide. He knows the importance of his hobby.

Brant says, "As we all know, you hear for example in the British Isles and Grenada that every form of communication is gone except Ham Radio. It's always Ham Radio that gets the message out."

The Ham Radio operators in the area say they're more than happy to serve their community.

Amateur Ham Radio classes are available for those interested in learning more about the service. Call Wayne Brant at 229-794-4677.

EMERGENCY NET FREQUENCIES - Last month, some emergency net frequencies, as used by some of our surrounding states, was provided by STEVE REYNOLDS, W4CNG. This month, here are some additional, as researched by SEC MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX:
NC- 3923/ 7232
NFL- 3950
SFL- 3940/ 7247
TN- 3980/ 7238
WCFL- 3911/ 7281

INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM --- When the Department of Homeland Security adopted the Incident Command System (ICS) earlier this year, they renamed it National Incident Management System (NIMS) and made it the official mode of operation in emergency response. Those of you who've taken the Emcomm courses through the ARRL should be somewhat familiar with what this system entails. JERRY BOYD, KW7J, wrote in the October "WorldRadio" magazine:

"What do we need to know about ICS? We need to know the structure and where we fit into it. We need to know how to respond, where to respond, and who to report to if our services are requested. We need to know how the system 'orders' resources and thus, how to configure our Emcomm groups into units that are 'orderable'. We need to know about ICS forms, particularly ICS message forms and formats. We need to know what it means to work for a Branch, versus a Division, versus a Team. We need to know what a 'single resource' Amateur is versus what a strike team of Amateurs might look like. We need to know that when our service in an incident is complete we don't just pack up and go home, but, rather, we go through a formal, required process known as demobilization. In short, the cursory attention most (not all) Amateurs involved in Emcomm have given to ICS is insufficient. To be marketable to our clients means we must be as conversant with ICS as their professional peers."

To ADD to your basic understanding of ICS, FEMA offers online course IS-195 at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp plus a new NIMS course, IS-700, at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWEB/IS/is700.asp

SET coming up

2004 Simulated Emergency Test Guidelines and Reporting Forms

You may download a copy of the 2004 SET reporting forms and read the SET Guidelines on the ARRL Web Page. See http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/setguide.html for appropriate links. The reporting forms (Forms A, B, and C) are found at this specific address in Adobe PDF and Rich Text RTF formats: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/#ec_set

IMPORTANT: if you would like to submit your SET reporting forms or EC Annual Report via e-mail, please send it to sewald@arrl.org rather than clicking the "reply" button.

2004 Simulated Emergency Test, October 2-3

The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test is a nationwide exercise in emergency communications, conducted by ARRL Section, District and local Emergency Coordinators, and by Net Managers. Both Amateur Radio Emergency Service (r) (ARES (r)) and the National Traffic System (NTS) are involved. The SET weekend gives communicators the opportunity to focus on the emergency-communications capability within your community while interacting with NTS nets. The SET weekend this year is October 2-3, 2004.

Purpose of SET

1. To find out the strengths and weaknesses of ARES and NTS, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) and other groups in providing emergency communications.
2. To provide a public demonstration--to served agencies such as Red Cross, Civil Preparedness, and through the news media--of the value to the public that Amateur Radio provides, particularly in time of need.
3. To help radio amateurs gain experience in communications using standard procedures and a variety of modes under simulated-emergency conditions.

Format

The scoring format reflects broad objectives and encourages use of digital modes for handling high-volume traffic and point-to-point Welfare reports out of the affected simulated- disaster area. Participants will find SET an opportunity to strengthen the VHF-HF link at the local level, thereby ensuring that ARES and NTS are working in concert. The SET will give all levels of NTS the chance to handle exercise-related traffic. The guidelines also recognize tactical traffic on behalf of served agencies.
Test messages should carry the word "TEST" before the precedence; that is, "Test Priority" on phone and "TEST P" on cw. The text of such messages should also begin with the words "TEST MESSAGE."
ARES units and other groups are free to conduct their emergency exercises anytime between September 1 and November 30 if an alternative date is preferred. The activity period should not exceed 48 hours.
The ARRL Web Page is a resource available to you as you prepare for the upcoming test. Check the ARRL Field Organization Page on the ARRL Web Site, http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/ for electronic versions of the SET reporting forms, traffic handling information, and several other items related to public service and emergency communications. You may e-mail your SET summaries to ARRL Headquarters via sewald@arrl.org. (Electronic copies of these forms are attached to this message.) If you mail them to ARRL via the postal service, the address is: ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494.

Preparation is Important

Steps for the Emergency Coordinator

1. Sign up all available amateurs in the area under your jurisdiction and work them into your SET plans.
2. Call a meeting of all ARES members and prospective members to briefly outline (no details!) SET activities, and give general instructions. Do not divulge the exact time or nature of the test to them at this time. This should come as a surprise. Take this opportunity to register new ARES members and get up-to-date information on others. Hold an on-the-air meeting if it's not possible to meet in person.
3. Contact served agencies and explain the intent and overall purpose of the SET. Offer to send test messages to other branches of their agencies, and invite officials to your ARES meetings and SET operating sites.
4. Contact officials of any adjacent communities having no active amateurs and offer to provide representation in amateur networks for them as well.
5. Arrange publicity in consultation with an ARRL Public Information Officer in local newspapers and radio/TV stations by preparing an announcement and/or inviting the press to observe your group's SET operation.
6. Set up liaison with one or more NTS local/section nets (if you don't already have liaison) so you will have an outlet for all messages out of the local area.
7. Formulate your plans around a simulated disaster. Possible "plots" include: a flood, a serious fire, an ice storm, a missing person, a serious accident (automobile, bus, aircraft, for examples), a broken gas line, and so forth. Elaborate on the situation by developing a scenario, but please be realistic.

During the SET

1. Announce the emergency situation. Activate the emergency net. Dispatch mobiles to served agencies.
2. Have designated stations originate messages on behalf of served agencies. Test messages may be sent simulating requests for supplies. Simulated emergency messages (just like real emergency messages) should be signed by an authorized official.
3. Emphasize tactical communications for served agencies.
4. As warranted by traffic loads, have liaison stations on hand to receive traffic on the local net and relay to your section net. You should also be sure that there is a representative on each session of the section net to receive traffic going to the local area.
5. Operate at least one session (or substantial segment of a session) of the local net on emergency-only basis. Or, if a repeater is on emergency power, allow only emergency-powered stations to operate through the repeater for a certain time period.

After the SET

An important post-SET activity is a critique session to discuss the test results. All ARES (and RACES) members should be invited to the meeting to review good points and weaknesses apparent in the drill. Emphasize ways to improve procedures, techniques, and coordination with all groups involved. Report your group's effort using the appropriate forms and include any photos, clippings and other items of interest.

The Role of NTS

The main function of the National Traffic System in an emergency situation is to tie together all of the various local activities and to provide a means by which all traffic destined outside of a local area, section or region can be systematically relayed to the addressee.
Normal NTS routing should be followed. A valid exception is the handling of emergency traffic that should be routed as rapidly and efficiently as possible, bypassing various levels of nets when delivery can be expedited. Another exception is when one station is loaded down with traffic for one region or section. At the discretion of the Net Control Station (NCS), the station may be directed to bypass a normal channel and go directly to a lower (or higher) echelon net.
The interface between NTS and ARES lies in the liaison function between local nets and other NTS nets, particularly at the section level. Responsibility for representation of the local network on the section net lies with the local net manager who may or may not be the EC. Although we usually think of ARES members being the representatives in section nets, it is equally valid to expect NTS personnel to act as liaison to local nets.
At least one net session or substantial segment of a session should be conducted on emergency power. Plan a surprise session or two. Advise the NCS just before net time. If NCS is unable to operate on emergency power, then someone else must be net control. Only stations operating on emergency power may report in during this time.

Summary

One of the first steps on the way to a successful SET is to try to get as many people as possible involved, and especially new hams. In a real emergency, we find amateurs with all sorts of varied interests coming out of the woodwork. Let's get them involved in SET so they will know more about how emergency communications should be handled. Promote SET on nets and repeaters, and sign up new, enthusiastic radio amateurs. Many of those offering to help will be inexperienced in public-service activities. It's up to you to explain what's going on to them, and provide them with useful roles. They may like it so much that they become a permanent fixture in your ARES or NTS group. For a review of last year's nationwide Simulated Emergency Test, read the article in July, 2004, QST, or see the SET announcement in September QST.

STORM SPOTTER CLASSES --- Because of a high demand, there will be some Storm Spotter classes held in various locations throughout October, November, and December. To see if there are any classes being scheduled by the Peachtree City NWS office at a location near you, see www.srh.weather.gov/fcc/html/sched.shtml

BOBBY RICHARDSON, KG4FJM, came across an exciting program for anyone who is interested in tracking the weather. He says, " It displays Nexrad radar from the weather service using the newer Level III data. It is as near real time as we get - showing the most recent sweeps and it continues polling for new data. The neat things about this program are:
1. Its free!
2. It does GIS mapping using Tiger (or other) shape files
3. It zooms and pans very easily
4. It can display counties - which can be toggled on and off. It also
displays town names when you zoom in close.
5. It displays storm cell data
6. It shows SRV (storm relative velocity) on all tilts
7. It displays Sever Storm and Tornado warnings boxes on the radar!
8. You can click the warning in the window and the radar focuses on the box
9. You can click the cell in the Storm Attributes Window and the radar
focuses on the cell
10. You can download historical data and play it back in the radar. I
have reconstructed the 5/7/2003 storm in my area with GIS data to see
what exactly happened.
11. Custom color palettes are available
12. Program has smoothing if your video card can handle it

Runs on Windows 98, XP, 2000
http://www.grlevelx.com/grlevel3/
Screen shots are on that page
Its a light install with uninstall available.

Are you into STORM CHASING??? Boyohboy, I sure hope this page stays up long enough for you to check it out! Sent by JOHN CALDWELL, N4HIC, these are some of the most amazing pictures of tornadoes that I've ever seen. WOW!
http://www.livejournal.com/community/wichitalife/51336.html?thread=325000#t325000

If you ever named your cat "Dummy Load"..... you MIGHT be a ham.

HURRICANE HUMOR

Now, you might think that it'd be impossible (and possibly, in poor taste) to try to say anything at all humorous about hurricanes, in light of the misery that Florida has endured these past couple of months. But, in fact, I've received a number of funnies regarding hurricanes. And most of them have come from Floridians. Fancy that. Guess that's typical of the way we Americans cope. The following comes to us from someone from South Florida, who has spent an awful lot of time living in a shelter these past weeks. Sometimes, you've just gotta laugh...

Top 10 reasons hurricane season in FL is like Christmas:

10. Decorating the house (boarding up windows)
9. Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season (camping gear, flashlights)
8. Last minute shopping in crowded stores
7. Regular TV shows pre-empted for "specials"
6. Family coming to stay with you
5. Family and friends from out-of-state calling
4. Buying food you don't normally buy... and in large quantities
3. Days off from work
2. Candles

and the # 1 reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas...

.... at some point you know you're going to have a tree in your house.

If you can remember the formula for finding the electrical length of a half-wave dipole in free space,
but don't have a clue as to what day your anniversary is on........ you MIGHT be a ham.

ARES REPORT FROM SEC MIKE BOATRIGHT, KO4WX

1 Jurisdictions Reporting 47.0
2 Total # of ARES Members 889.0
3 Change since last month 16.0
4 Total Net Sessions 152.0
5 # Drills, tests, training sessions 126.0
6 Man hours 755.6
7 # of public service events 12.0
8 Man hours 372.0
9 # of emergency operations 15.0
10 Man hours 427.0
11 Total # of ARES operations 304.0
12 Total man hours 2228.9

Section EC Notes
+Hours include some time for TS Bonnie/Hurricane Charlie Activation
+Reports and hours are down due to Hurricane Frances Activation first week of September
+WA4DYD gave ARES presentation to US CDC/Working with N4ZRA on plan for NDMS/NSS
+Completed Section ARES online-database
+NWS SKYWARN activations
+Increased ARES/EMA Activity
Counties/Jurisdictions Reporting

GEMA- KG4FXG

DISTRICT 1: Bartow-KG4SRX; Carroll-K4DEY; Coweta-KD4SHK; Floyd-WB4FGM; Gilmer-W4YNE; Gordon- WQ4T; Haralson-KD4YDA; Murray-KG4RSU; Whitfield-KV4ED

DISTRICT 2: Clarke-N4ZRA; Forsyth-WA4NEE; Hall-KT4VP; Heard-KE4OBM; Madison- N4ZRA; Oconee-N6LHZ; Oglethorpe-N2YYP

DISTRICT 3: Cherokee-WA6IKS; Clayton-WB4WQE; Cobb-WK4E; Dekalb-N4SEG; Fayette- AG4ZR; Gwinnett-WA4DYD; Newton-AG4LS; Rockdale-KC4ELV;

DISTRICT 5: Baldwin-KD4NGC; Bibb-W4ALQ; Houston-WB4EEL; Peach-AA4JF

DISTRICT 6: Jefferson-KR4JI;

DISTRICT 7: Baker-K4GCR; Calhoun-W4KEF; Decatur-KE4RWR; Lee-KB4OMV; Macon-N4IFO; Randolph-W4KEF; Telfair-WA4EHO

DISTRICT 8: Brantley-KE4WXD; Bryan-W4KTN; Bulloch-KF4MLT; Camden-N4TIS; Charlton-WB4GPR; Coffee-KD4QFH; Dodge-KG4WQZ; Evans-W4HYU; Glynn-WO4X; Lowndes- KO4QJ; Wayne-N4RRO

Comments

Floyd: Appointed N2TKL(Mike Ramsey) Net Control Floyd Co. ARES NET. WB4ARL ( Chuck Hall ) Appointed Assistant EC for Floyd County in EC's absence.

Clarke: August provided some challenges in presenting programs. Net participation was low-so training was not conducted for the month. With school starting back we have already seen an increase in participation and will start training again next month along with more drills.

Coweta: Provided support communications for Turin Antique Tractor Parade

Forsyth: Information includes Forsyth & Dawson Counties

Hall: Weekly net at 8:00PM local time on 146.670 -.

Madison: This net has not been very successful and I am considering trying a different day and time for the net starting in September. I suspect that Tuesday at 7:00 PM is a better time. Also this will give me an opportunity to remind everyone of the Banks/Jackson Cos. Net at 7:30 on the same day. This could be good for both groups if the nets are held back to back and I allow time for everyone to switch over to the other net by 7:25 PM.

Oglethorpe: Jeff Fitzpatrick is now assigned the position of AEC as of August 6 2004. Jeff has also been running the net and conducting training sessions.

Cherokee: Met with EMA Director to plan for tie in with CERT program

Fayette: Public Service events include the Brooks Ride and the PTC Triathalon.

Gwinnett: Note: All net hours are included in the report. Weekly training nets: 101 check-ins for 37 man hours. Hurricane Charlie - 5 participants for 38 hours. Members spent time monitoring; handling welfare traffic and participating in the Section ARES net. On 8/4 Stan Edwards, WA4DYD, gave an ARES overview presentation to a group at the CDC. Included in the presentation was the Amateur Radio Today video clip, a description of the ARES structure, and specifics related to Gwinnett ARES and the East Metro Health District support plan.

Rockdale: INCLUDES 20.5 HRS NET OPERATIONS

Houston: Erected temporary antennas at 911 center/EOC

Jefferson: NCS/GTN CW training net

Baker: Computers been down-back up for monthly report.

Lee: Monthly CERT training (2 hours X 4 people).

Randolph: Randolph had some bad weather and we checked in with the EMA person to see if they needed any thing. They were ok

Bulloch: County ARES leadership meeting weekly to plan for operations and public relations. Attendees include EC Mark Aulick, KF4MLT, and AECs Brian Koehler, KE4TYQ, and Dan Thornton, W4WDT, and others. These sessions are included under training sessions.

Camden: This past month we made many contacts with city and county officials talking with each about our mission.

Charlton: T.S. Bonnie and Hurricane Charley resulted in activity by Charlton County ARES. After Action Report submitted to SEC August 16

Dodge: We are currently working to get a 2 meter repeater up and running for ARES and Skywarn in the Dodge/Telfair/Laurens/Wheeler County area. The antenna is up on a 253 foot tower but the repeater is not ready to go online. Sam Rawlins WA4EHO Telfair County EC

Evans: I did receive my certificate

Glynn: Sorry to be late this month. Frances came calling and we have been intermittently without power and DSL Computer connection.

Lowndes- Just starting group here in Lowndes county. Slow start-but seems to be picking up!

If you've ever tried to repair a $5 radio..... you MIGHT be a ham.

NET REPORT FROM JIM HANNA, AF4NS, STM

NET ACTIVITY:

*****NOTE: Don't forget the South CARS net, which meets every day from 8 AM until 10 AM and again from noon until 2PM, on 7.251 MHz. A friendly, welcoming group of folks. Especially great company while on the road.

***** Other GREAT nets:
SE 6M SSB Net: Sundays at 9 PM on 50.145 MHz
SE AM Net: Tuesdays at 7:30 PM on 3885 kc (AM nets ALWAYS meet on kcs...)

PUBLIC SERVICE HONOR ROLL:

STATION ACTIVITY REPORTS:

Traffic handled (QTC):

***CONGRATULATIONS to SID HUTCHINSON for once again ditting and dah-ing his way to a BPL award, with 368 messages sent, 392 received, and 3 delivered.

"In days of old, when ops were bold and sideband not invented,
the words were passed by pounding brass, and all were quite contented."
Anonymous

UPCOMING CLASS

This is to let everyone know that we will be offering a training class to prepare folks for the Technician amateur radio license exam, on Saturday, October 23, from 8 a.m. until about 4:30 p.m. (with an hour break for lunch). The class will be held in the Fellowship Hall of Eastern Heights Baptist Church, located on US Highway 80 just east of Statesboro. The class will feature video instruction, and is free of charge.

After the class, a VE test session will be offered, so that class participants may immediately take the license exam. There is a $12 fee for the test.

For info, contact MARK AULICK, KF4MLT AT kf4mlt@arrl.net

If you've ever saved the power cord from a broken appliance.... You MIGHT be a ham.

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ADVANCED RADIO TECHNOLOGIES (ISART 2005)

MARCH 1-3, 2005

CALL FOR PAPERS
===========================

FORECASTING THE FUTURE OF RADIO TECHNOLOGY

The ISART technical program committee is soliciting papers describing new developments in radio technology, or novel applications of this technology, for the 7th annual International Symposium on Advanced Radio Technologies (ISART) to be held in Boulder, Colorado March 1-3, 2005. These papers will discuss new technologies, research and development, innovative ideas, enabling technologies, standards, protocols, business practices and policies, and government regulation for the purpose of forecasting the future development and application of radio frequency technologies into the next decade. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
- Future of 802.16
- Wireless/Hybrid LANs
- New Wireless Convergence and Protocols
- Software Defined/Cognitive Radios
- Digital Video Broadcasting: Handhelds (DVB-H)
- New Wireless Protocols
- Voice over IP (VoIP)
- IPv6
- Global Mobile Communication Systems (2/2.5/3/4G)
- Mobile VSATs
- Broadband over Power Lines
- GPS, Galileo, Glonass Interoperability and standards
- 2004 Olympics Communications Lessons Learned
- Effective Spectrum Management
- First Responder Communications
- Human Computer Interface
- Propagation Modeling in Urban Environment
- VPN/Wireless Security
- Mesh Networking
- High Speed Digital Packet Access
- Battery/Power Sources
- Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
- Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)
- UWB Communications
- Signal Compression
- Conformal Antenna Design
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
- Automatic Voice Recognition
- Automatic Language Translation
- Automatic Direction Finding Network
- Network Services (Artificial Intelligence)
- Quantum Computing

Some possible questions include:

- What new and enabling technologies exist?
- What improvements to the technology are available now?
- What are the current and future applications of the technology?
- What will the technology look like?
- How will the technology be implemented?
- How will the technology be interoperable?
- What new technologies should be developed?
- What are the current and projected techniques, standards, and protocols of the technology?
- Where is the technology going in the next decade?
- What is the long term forecast in the technology area?
- What other related enabling technologies are needed?
- How soon until we see the deployment of the technology?
- What is the impact of the deployment of the technology?
- How do network strategies and design affect the technology?

IMPORTANT DATES:

Oct. 8, 04 - Deadline for submission of draft paper.
Nov. 5, 04 - Notification of acceptance to authors.
Jan. 31, 05 - Deadline for submission of final paper.

CALL FOR PAPERS FORMAT:

- Submit a draft copy of the proposed paper.
- Indicate the contact author with an e-mail address.
- Note: the length of the final paper may not exceed ten pages, see the manuscript preparation instructions
  online at: http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/meetings/art/paper_instructions.php.

HOW TO SUBMIT: Submit all materials electronically to Jeanne Ratzloff in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/adobepdf.html. Authors will be notified of receipt of submission via e-mail. If you do not receive notification contact Jeanne Ratzloff.

Jeanne Ratzloff DOC/NTIA/ITS.M
325 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80305-3328
Tel: 303-497-3330
Fax: 303-497-5323
e-mail: ratzloff@its.bldrdoc.gov

If your three-year-old son (or grandson) asks why the sky is blue,
and you try to explain atmospheric absorption theory to him.... You MIGHT be a ham.

JOTA: HELP WANTED

We have TWO areas where help is needed: (make that THREE!)

1. GAINESVILLE AREA: MIKE MURRAY, WØAG, says that there is a Scout group in the Gainesville area that is VERY interested in participating in the fun on-the-air activities of JOTA weekend. Unfortunately, most members of Gainesville's own Lanierland ARC have made a prior commitment to be either participating in emergency relief work or providing communications for the Special Olympics that weekend. So, we're looking for another club or group of individuals who'd be willing to work with these boys, or for information on another JOTA set up that may be in near enough proximity for these boys to be included. Please let me know, and I'll put you in touch with Mike.

2. COVINGTON AREA: TOM MADIGAN, K4TDM, puts out this plea for help: "The Yellow River District (Rockdale and Newton Counties) of the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America is holding their Fall Camporee on JOTA Weekend, October 15-17, at Bert Adams Scout Reservation on SR36 South of Covington. The theme of the Camporee is Hurricane! and the Scouts will endure six training sessions on Saturday. As they alternate through these sessions, three will be devoted to Preparation For, Survival Of, and Recovery From Severe Weather. During the remaining three sessions, two other amateurs and myself will teach requirements for the Radio Merit Badge, much like I did at the Alford Memorial Radio Club Hamfest last year. The toughest requirement, however, is for each Scout to have a 10-minute QSO. Since we expect 120-150 Scouts, I need a LOT of operators to help out with this. I want to have operators available Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning, if possible. I don't expect them to camp with us, unless they'd like to, but whatever time they can spare will be great! All are welcome, but since it's JOTA weekend, operators with HF privileges will be especially appreciated. We want to have a successful Merit Badge program, but we also want to spark these Scouts' interest in amateur radio! In that spirit, I would also like to have as many modes represented as possible, to show the great variety and diversity of this hobby." K4tdm@arrl.net

3. While I'm putting out the pleas, let me reiterate the need for a coordinator to set up a radio station next year, October 7-9, at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, for the GSA 50th annual convention. PLEASE consider heading up these efforts.

If you refer to your house as "Ohm, sweet ohm".... You MIGHT be a ham.

SECTION NOTABLES

CONGRATULATIONS to Assistant SM MARSHALL THIGPEN, W4IS, who has earned DXCC for the 160M band, a "Challenge Cup" award.

DARREN PIERCE, AG4BF, will be soaring to new heights, when he ventures into the exciting area of balloon launching in the near future. His equipment is ready, and so is he. He says, "The launch is going to be at 0900 EDT on Saturday October 9, 2004. The position of the launch site in Grayson, Georgia is 33° 53.22'N, 83° 56.32'W (WGS84/NAD83). The APRS callsign for the balloon will be AG4BF-11 and will have CW beacon on 144.340 MHz."

CONGRATULATIONS to the Pine Mountain DX Rangers of southeast Atlanta, our TI8M adventurers who do their contesting from Costa Rica. They were listed in the October QST as having placed 4th internationally in the ARRL DX Phone contest, with a score topping five million. (5,464,152 to be exact) Obviously, these guys don't let their beautiful surroundings distract them from the contesting task at hand. Listen out for them in the CQ WW contest the last weekend in October.

FRED WALL, WW4LL, and JOHN LANEY, K4BAI, will be operating 10 through 160 M, both SSW and CW, and hopefully with some 6 M activity thrown in, from December 7th through the 15th as PJ4/WW4LL and PJ4/K4BAI. While there, they will be QRV as PJ4Z in Bonaire during the ARRL 10 M contest. QSL to K4BAI.

If your back-up power supply is bigger and better than the local hospital's.... you MIGHT be a ham.

PIGLETS (AKA YOUNG HAMS)

FCC KIDS' ZONE--- A website for kids to learn fun facts about the telephone, satellites, fax machines, computers, TV, radio, and much more. www.fcc.gov/kidszone

The Alford Memorial Hamfest is coming up the first weekend in November, and once again, there will be some happenings just for the younger set. The following comes from ANDREA HARTLAGE, KG4IUM:

CQ, CQ, CQ, calling all young hams. Be sure not to miss the Stone Mountain Hamfest and Computer Expo, http://www.totr-radio.org/04hamfest/index.html, in Lawrenceville, GA on November 6 &7. Besides being a GREAT Hamfest, there will be a Youth Forum, for the second year in a row. Arrangements are being made to have a young ham (or even more than one) as a speaker. And, there will be several drawings for some really neat prizes. So, if you want to know what's going on in the youth world of Amateur Radio, the Youth Forum is the place to find out. Everyone is welcome, the young and young-at-heart. And, if you know any other young hams or hams-to-be, bring them too; after all, it is a Youth Forum, so the more youth, the merrier! Stay tuned for details, including a time.

Also at the same Hamfest, there will be a "Youth Lounge." Since there isn't enough time to really get to know each other during the forum, the Youth Lounge is sort of a "gathering place" for youth. Everyone seemed to enjoy it last year, and plans are being made to make this year's Youth Lounge even better. Mainly, it is so that young hams have a place to "chat" and get to know each other. There will be many fun things to do-board games, snacks, fox-hunts, Amateur Radio scavenger hunts, and geocaching, to name a few. If you can't find any other young hams, try calling them on this Hamfest's youth calling frequency-FRS channel one for those who aren't licensed yet, or 147.555 simplex for those who have a license.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the Youth Forum or Youth Lounge, please contact Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, via e-mail to kg4ium@yahoo.com.

Thanks and 73,
KG4IUM Andrea

If your baby's first words were "CQ, CQ,CQ"...... you MIGHT be ham.

TECH TIPS

Here's an link to an excellent site chock full of info and FAQ on BPL http://www.qrpis.org/~k3ng/bpl.html.

From DALE KEENER, KG4SSY, comes this info on software that can enhance your station. He says, "It has a lot of cool, free programs. I am going to try the CW decoder. Maybe I will finally be able to tell where the beacons are on 6!"

http://www.hotamateurprograms.com/

BUG ME NOT!! Are you like me? I'm one of those kinds of people who refuses to fill out the paperwork to get a "savings card" for any of the local stores. It's none of their business what products I purchase in their store, so I dig in my heels and shop elsewhere, to avoid what I perceive as an attempted invasion of my privacy. It's the same thing with a number of websites these days. You go there to read an article, and are faced with a myriad of "mandatory" fields to fill out of personal information. I opt not to read the article, rather than answer their invasive questions. But, ah, ha! There appears to be a way around it, at a site called, appropriately, BugMeNot. I haven't tried it out yet, but I've been told that this site allows you to bypass those login "requirements". (worth a shot, anyhow!)
http://www.winxpnews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=040928TI-BugMeNot

In case you didn't catch this under the ARES NREWS section, it's worth repeating here. (C'mon! I KNOW all of you don't read "every word" of these newsletters...!) Anyhow, this is an exciting weather tracking program. Check it out: http://www.grlevelx.com/grlevel3/

If you still own a slide rule.... And you know how to use it....you MIGHT be a ham.

UPCOMING EVENTS

OCTOBER 1-2 --- Special Event Station W4G - Macon-Bibb EMA Volunteers and Exchange Club of Macon. 1600Z Oct 1- 2400 Oct 2, to celebrate the 149th anniversary of the Georgia State Fair. 14.255 and 7.255 MHz. Certificate.

OCTOBER 2 --- SET

OCTOBER 2 --- Georgia Cracker Picnic, Ellijay

OCTOBER 8-18 --- Special Event Station W4A, from 2200Z October 8 until 0200Z October 18, SSB & CW, by the Ellijay ARC, for the 23rd annual apple festival. Certificate.

OCTOBER 9 --- ARC of Augusta Hamfest. 9 AM- 3PM, at Evans Middle School, 4318 Washington Road. Free tailgating with paid admission of $5; indoor tables: $10 Talk-in 145.490 (-)

OCTOBER 15-17 --- Special Olympics, to be held in the Gainesville area. If you can help, please contact PHIL LOGGINS, K4PDL, at k4pdl@charter.net

OCTOBER 16 --- NW Georgia ARC's Al Brock Memorial Hamfest, in Rome. From 8 AM- 2:30 PM at the Rome Civic Center, on Civic Center Hill. Free tailgating with paid $5 admission. Indoor tables $10. Talk-in 146.940 (-) PL 88.5

OCTOBER 16 --- RARE OPPORTUNITY to hear a retransmission of seasoned telegraphers sending telegrams using American Morse Code, for the dedication of the Steam Railroad Institute's telegraph office and national telegraph hub in Michigan. 14.050 MHz (+/- 3kHz) from 1600z until 2000z. For more info on the Morse Telegraph Club, who designed and built the hub, see http://www.members.tripod.com/morse_telegraph_club/ and for more info on the Steam Railroad Institute, see http://mstrp.com/ To get a QSL card, send SASE to Morse Telegraph Club, P.O. Box 457, Allegan, MI, 49010

OCTOBER 16-17 --- JOTA, Jamboree on the Air. From 0001 local time October 16 until 2359 local time on the 17th.

OCTOBER 30-31 --- CQ WW DX contest

NOVEMBER 6-7 --- Stone Mountain Hamfest, at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds on Sugarloaf Parkway, in Lawrenceville. Bigger and better every year. Hope to see YOU there.

If you have a box full of old wall warts that you hope to use... "someday"... you MIGHT be a ham.

SILENT KEYS

MATTHEW HARDISON, KC6HTE
ED LOWRY, W4JEL
CARLTON SHY, KU4UC
RICK WITHERINGTON, KB4KZR

Sincere condolences to the families and friends of all of these fine men. They will be missed.

Well, folks, that's it for now. Hope to see a bunch of you at upcoming Hamfests. (Stop by the ARRL table and say HI.) Until next time, this is AF4FO, signing clear. Take care of yourselves. And each other.

73, Susan af4fo@arrl.org   (Send me your news and tech tips!!)
ARRL Georgia Section Manager

No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However,
a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

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