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(The first eNews article text arrived via the WinLink system. Paul and his
wife were camping at a lake somewhere near Paducah, KY and had no Internet
access. Once again, the system demonstrates its worth. Works great for
boats, too.)
TN Army MARS in 2006
PaulDrothler/AAA4TN, SMD
We are very proud of the progress that has been made
by TN ARMY MARS so far in 2006. Many of our members have worked hard toward
achieving our team goals. The new TN MARS newsletter has received many
compliments from our own membership as well as from MARS members in other
states and from the other MARS branches. The advancements that we have made
in digital modes have also been significant and have helped to prepare us to
better serve our nation during times of emergency.
Your staff sends
a BIG thank you to everyone who actively participated in our April Emergency
Exercise. This was a joint exercise involving both MARS and ARES teams.
Barbara (AAR4TD) did an excellent job of coordinating the ARES involvement
and Howard (AAM4ETN) did a super job of developing the overall exercise. We
will continue to promote interoperability during future exercises and other
training efforts.
Exercises are
designed to enhance our level of skill and prepare us to perform our mission
in an effective and efficient manner. I encourage each member to review the
recent state level After Action Report and determine if there are areas
where you could use refresher training. Please advise our State Training
Officer of any subjects that you would like added to our training program.
Asking questions during our training nets is helpful to everyone. Please do
not hesitate to promote discussion on the nets by either asking a question
or sharing your experience.
Thanks to each
of you as we move forward … Proud, Professional and Ready!
Beale Street Views—The
Memphis End of April's Emergency Exercise
Barbara Abrams/AAR4TD
Prior to last month's emergency exercise, I coordinated with Pat
Lane/AAA9EC, and then contacted the Shelby County ARES membership via e-mail
and telephone.
On Wednesday morning, the exercise was initiated on the 6 am TN Army MARS
Charlie net. I came on the net at 6:15 with an emergency exercise
announcement for the net that an earthquake had occurred in East Tennessee.
The net was then closed and an exercise net opened until 7 am. The exercise
resumed at 6 pm on the Tango net and continued until the end of the Bravo
net. Many Essential Elements of Information reports were passed, with Pat
Lane sending most of the messages from West Tennessee to Army MARS using
MT-63. Both our MARS and ARES command stations, HF and VHF, were on battery
power.
The ARES part of the exercise began at 3:45 pm and ran until 6:35 pm. The
ARES net had 20 amateur operators check-in from throughout Shelby County.
Also, there were 3 additional ARES groups that took part. Two of these also
were part of their EMA Operation Emergency Command Center (OEC), which
activated for the exercise. The Emergency Coordinators at those sites were
Randy Bryan, KF4CMJ, Lauderdale County; Bill Hancock, WA4MJM/AFA2FC, Fayette
County; and Billy Freeman, KD4FTS, Oakland, TN. At those sites there were 17
participants. There were a total of 37 participants for the exercise, two of
whom are also AF MARS members, with 5 EEIs and 3 radiograms.
Thanks to Pat Lane/AAA9EC/ WA4OQG and Rick Garrett/AI4BN/AFT2KC (our NCS
operators for the exercise), Bill Kuechler/N9ACQ for his efforts from the
Central US Earthquake Consortium location, and to all of you who took part.
Planning for Deployment
Pat/AAA9EC
If you are ever called upon to
deploy to a disaster site and provide communications, do you know what to
bring and how to use it?
-
Don’t rely on your cellphone or on the internet to one thing for you. You
will be on your own, and others will be looking for you to provide
assistance.
-
In
the heat of the moment, if you aren’t prepared, you probably will forget
several important items. This is the reason it is so important to have a
packing list and have a “to-go” kit ready to grab and run.
-
Don’t forget your personal items including toothpaste, soap, any
prescription medications, and medications for “pain and aggravation” such
as Tylenol or aspirin.
-
What will be your source of power? If you bring an electric generator,
will fuel be available? If you use batteries, how will you charge them?
These are both valid concerns you need to address prior to departing.
-
Will you be providing VHF point-to-point communications, or will you be
providing long-haul HF communications? Will you have digital equipment
that can be operated from your power source?
-
A
simple HF antenna that is frequency-agile can be constructed from a
120-foot or longer piece of wire with a roll of small nylon rope for
support between two trees. Remember that this type of antenna works
against ground, and without such will radiate most of its power back into
the chassis of your equipment. A good ground system, possibly including a
counterpoise is a must. This antenna can be fed with a simple T-tuning
network such as the MFJ-949E or many others. A very efficient VHF antenna
such as a J-pole can be constructed from copper pipe or even from a piece
of 300-ohm twin lead.
-
Before you deploy, make sure your coaxial cables and power cables are
serviceable. You don’t want a connector falling off in your hand as you
are setting up camp.
-
A
rod and reel with a dead 9-Volt battery for a weight, or a bow and arrow
can be used to throw a line over a high tree limb to support a wire
antenna. A J-pole antenna can be supported from a single tree limb and
pulled up with a piece of nylon rope.
-
A
simple light source can be made from an automotive tail lamp bulb with
half of a cutoff drink can used for a reflector.
-
Improvise, improvise, and improvise.
-
ARRL field day will be coming up at the last part of June. Go out with
your local amateur radio club and practice some of these skills.
I would like to see an
upcoming emergency exercise where stations are required to deploy, even to
your backyard, and throw up a temporary antenna and operate from a source of
power that is independent of your local utility company.
And finally,
practice, practice, practice.
WinLink and Interoperability
Carmen/AAM4ITN
Hello all, here's hoping the
spring weather has been kind to you, your
family and your antennas.
The subject of
interoperability is definitely at the forefront of the
ARRL's agenda,
as the March article featuring Tennessee's own
AAR4WU/Steve
Waterman makes clear. As the network admin, MARS team
leader and
all-around Winlink guru Steve will enable MARS and a host
of government
and other agencies to communicate more efficiently in a
disaster. Steve
is a valuable addition to Army MARS and Tennessee is
lucky to have
him. The article can be viewed in its entirety at the
URL below:
http://tinyurl.com/em5an
Panic Could Overwhelm Communications in Pandemic
Apr 27, 4:28 PM (ET)By Maggie Fox, Health and Science
Correspondent
Contributed by Gary J Buczkowski
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
Telephone and Internet services could be overwhelmed and shut down in the
early stages of a bird flu pandemic as people panic and try to work from
home, according to a report released on Thursday.
Businesses need to think of
other ways to keep going as governments close schools and direct people to
stay home, management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton reported.
The company
issued the report based on a exercise conducted at the World Economic Forum
in January, involving 30 chief executive officers of companies, government
ministers, and senior officials of the United Nations.
The scenario
assumed a pandemic was already underway in Germany and the participants
thought through the consequences.
What they found
matched with what other experts have predicted -- large numbers of people
will stay home from work, either because they are sick, caring for family
members, because schools are closed or simply because they are afraid.
And many may
presume that they can telecommute -- perhaps too many, the officials and
business leaders agreed.
"
Telecommunications (phone and Internet) will likely be overwhelmed early in
a pandemic, with experts predicting shut-downs in two to four days, meaning
that telecommuting will not be viable and alternative communications need to
be explored," the report read.
" Governments
will likely direct the general population to stay in their homes, and
minimize social contact," it added.
" Alternate
facilities, such as schools and churches will need to become hospitals with
the recovered filling vacant essential jobs. This will require individuals
to receive a minimal level of training to perform critical functions."
The H5N1 avian
influenza has spread to more than 40 countries, from Asia into Europe and
across parts of Africa. Experts predict it will become permanently
established in the world's bird population.
Humans Rarely Affected
It rarely
infects humans, but has made 204 people ill, killing 113 of them. If the
virus mutated so that it could pass easily from person to person, it would
set off a global pandemic that would infect hundreds of millions. Depending
on its virulence, it could kill tens of millions of people.
Businesses and
government should start making clear their priorities now for essential
services and personnel, the report said. They should list who should get
scarce antiviral drugs and vaccines first.
The report also
raised several critical questions:
" If you expect
everyone to stay at home, how do they get healthcare such as antivirals?
What happens when counterfeit Tamiflu and masks hit the black market?"
Tamiflu, known
generically as oseltamivir, is one of only two drugs that can treat
influenza, if taken early enough after infection. Manufacturer Roche AG
cannot make the pills fast enough to fill demand for government stockpiles.
The report also
asked who would pay for the extra healthcare needed, especially for first
responders.
It said
businesses should look to ways to preserve their capital as markets panic,
perhaps by moving to gold.
Business
leaders said their first priority would be the protection of their employees
and families. They said companies may need provide essential employees with
food and care.
They would then
have to decide which nonessential operations to shut down for the duration
of the pandemic, which could last for more than a year, and how to retrain
healthy employees to fill needed posts.
What Being an Army MARS Auxiliary Member Means to
AUX4EB
Emily Bishop/AUX4EB
 I
want to tell you what being an ARMY MARS Auxiliary member means to me. It
has helped me to be a better radio operator and learn what helping others is
all about. I have learned about sending and receiving messages not only by
filling out and sending them by email but by sending them by digital means.
I have learn about antennas and radio installations. I help tally the
Monthly Participation Reports. I have helped man MARS booths at hamfests and
attended many MARS meetings. I have my own shack and I am set up for PACTOR
and sound card modes.
I have met several MARS members from all branches and
had the pleasure of meeting the former Chief of ARMY MARS Mr. Bob Sutton,
the former EAMC Robert Hollister as well as the WAMC , Pat Lane/AAA9EC, the
former and present SMD and the Chief’s of AIR FORCE and NAVY/MARINE CORPS
MARS. I have met several members in the state and treasure the friendships I
have made.
I will be going the Dayton Hamvention in May and hope
to see some of the MARS members again from our state as well as other out of
state members I’ve met before.
I really enjoy
the joint MARS meeting that takes place there and I hope to meet the new
Chief of ARMY MARS.
The last few
months have been very busy for my family and I’ve not been able to join in
on many Nets and send exercise reports but I am committed to get back on
track and send at least 2 exercises a month I challenge each Tennessee
member to do the same. If I can do it so can you. Being a MARS members to me
is about helping in the time of need. I’m proud to say I am a member of
TENNESSEE ARMY MARS and can’t wait until I’m 17 years old and become a full
member.
Remember to
pray for the service men and women protecting our freedom.
My name is
Emily/ALPHA UNIFORM XRAY 4 ECHOOO BRAVOOO
Emily's Ham History
Emily became a
ham on 9/20/2003. Afterwards, she began studying Morse code, and it took her
over a year of studying and four tries before she passed the exam on
1/15/2005. She was a determined young lady.
Following a
break from all the studying, she began working toward her General Class
license. She took the test on 8/20/05 and did not pass (she was
heartbroken). With fresh determination, she started studying before school
each morning. In the evenings after her homework was done and she had had
supper, she would study again until bedtime. During this period she was also
studying for the Amateur Extra Class license.
On 9/17/2005,
she went to the Cleveland Amateur Radio Club of Cleveland, TN, where she
once again attempted the general exam. On that day she not only passed
Element III, but also became an Amateur Extra Class Operator--all
accomplished at the age of 10 years, 4 months and 9 days.
From your AA4RGN Sysop...
Basic System Capabilities and User Requirements
Paul Drothler/AAA4TN
SYSOP/AA4RGN
Last month’s article provided
an introduction to the Army MARS Winlink 2000 system. This month we will
focus on the basic system capabilities and the minimal requirements for
utilizing the digital modes.
The AA4RGN Radio Message
Server (RMS) has both HF and VHF ports. In other words, you can connect to
the system utilizing either one or both of the bands that are supported. The
system scans a variety of HF frequencies on a 24/7 basis. The frequencies
were selected in order to allow users to connect from anywhere at any time.
The HF frequencies range from 3 to 13 MHZ and have been shared with the
membership in a previous message.
There is
currently a single HF radio connected to the RMS. So, even though the system
is scanning multiple frequencies, only one station at a time is able to
connect. As traffic volumes continue to increase a second or third radio
will be added to the system. Such an arrangement will allow for multiple
simultaneous connections. The system software provides statistical
information which will help determine when system expansion will be
required.
Pactor I, II
and III are all supported on each of the scanned HF frequencies. This
accommodates the use of any pactor capable modem. AEA (Timewave), Kantronics
and the SCS modems are the most popular. If you are shopping for a modem
please make sure that it is capable of operating PACTOR (if you plan to
operate on HF frequencies).
The VHF ports
support Packet connections. Since Packet is used on the VHF frequency, there
are many more choices available for modem (TNC) selection. Either 1200 or
9600 baud service is supported. The RMS is currently configured to handle a
maximum of five simultaneous connections.
One of the
limiting factors for the use of VHF is the distance that can be covered
between the user and the RMS. Numerous plans are underway to “bridge the
gaps” by installing digipeaters. These repeaters will allow the user to make
a more local connection and have their signal repeated to the RMS. By this
time next month we hope to have the Digis fully operational.
Regardless of
whether you plan to operate HF Pactor or VHF Packet you will need a radio,
some type of modem/TNC, connecting cables, a computer and the AirMail
program. Setup is normally very simple and requires a minimum of time and
effort. New guides and “initiation files” are being prepared to further
simplify your installation efforts.
In last month’s
introductory article we mentioned that the AirMail program was highly
encouraged. This is a program that looks very much like the Outlook Express
email client and provides a very simple means of preparing, sending and
receiving messages. There is no cost for the AirMail program and it is
designed to work extremely well with the Winlink 2000 system. Another
advantage of having everyone using the same program is that we can prepare
user instructions which will be applicable to everyone.
During our
recent emergency exercise (19-20 APR 2006) the RMS was put to excellent use.
Message traffic can be sent at speeds that are between 10 and 75 times
faster than we are able to send using regular voice methods. It is also
possible to send digital traffic (error free) at times when noise or other
interference issues would completely prevent voice transmissions.
Our Saturday
evening Tango nets have been devoted to discussion and training on Digital
modes. Please participate in these nets to learn more about the operations
of the Army MARS Winlink 2000 system and have your questions answered.
As a final note
… we are not trying to convert all voice transmissions to digital modes.
What we are trying to do is increase the effectiveness of our MARS
operations by providing new modes and communications methods that will
better serve our customer base in times of emergency.
23 Months of 100% Reporting
Mike Bishop/AAV4SZ/AAM4ATN
I have missed a lot of Nets
during the month of April because of work. I’m hopeful in the very near
future I can get back to my normal work schedule and be able to participate
more.
Traffic on the State MMCS/BBS,
AT4TTN has dropped in resent months because of a number of factors one in
which is less traffic coming from the Fort. The MMCS/BBS is a GREAT tool as
is the RMS and I want to encourage the membership to use both. Frequencies
can be found in the Tennessee ARMY MARS Roster that Ed/AAT4GM sends out.
We are on a
good run with the Monthly PARTICIPATION REPORTS. April 2006 will mark 2
years of 100% in Reporting and I am confident we can achieve this goal. As
you know the time for sending in your Monthly Reports is from the 1st until
the 10th of each month but I ask that if you are going to be out of town
during this time I have no problem with the reports being sent earlier. You
can send your reports over the air on a scheduled Net, BBS or RMS and by
email.
I’ve been
unable to conduct a couple of the Wednesday Bravo Nets because of work and I
want to encourage the membership if you do not hear a NCS open a Net by 2
minutes after the hour to go ahead and open the Net.
In closing I
want to thank the membership for 23 months of 100% in Reporting and all the
good work during the resent exercise and for your support to ARMY MARS.
Emergency Operations Update
Howard Bradley/AAM4ETN
This month’s column is mostly
an informal take on our recent emergency exercise. All Tennessee members
should have read the consolidated After Action Report from AAA4TN so I’ll
provide a short synopsis for other readers of the newsletter, as well as
adding some sidelights to the official AAR.
The exercise scenario was
based on a major earthquake occurring in the Memphis area, beginning on our
morning net and resuming for two hours on our evening nets. The folks in
Memphis did much of the work and there was a very substantial ARES
involvement thanks to the efforts of Barbara Abrams/AAR4TD, who is also
Emergency Coordinator for ARES in Shelby County. For a look at how much the
ARES members contributed to the exercise, read Barbara’s article in the
newsletter.
In designing an
exercise, there are always a variety of ways to go. One possibility was a
tightly scripted exercise with a great deal of information released prior to
the exercise to allow reports to be generated in advance. Another choice was
to provide a minimum of information beforehand which more closely resembles
an actual emergency. Both approaches are good: the first provides a
drill-like environment to polish technique and the second encourages
flexibility and improvisation. This exercise favored the second approach,
with most of the staff having little advance information about how the
exercise was going to play out. Due both to the surprise element and very
poor band conditions, there was plenty of room for improvisation and we had
a very good simulation of the early phase of an actual emergency. One of the
“take home points” from an actual emergency is that chaos, uncertainty and
limited knowledge will form your environment—and a very unpleasant
environment it will be--but proper and thorough training can provide the
tools to deal with those issues.
During the
exercise, we made use of all possible modes: Voice, keyboard-to-keyboard
digital using MT-63, and Pactor on the Winlink RMS. Because our alternate
frequency was totally unusable for a separate digital channel, we had to
send the MT-63 traffic over our voice channel. This hadn’t been practiced
before but, even though the procedures were a little rough sometimes, it
worked just fine. Had it not been for the digital capability of a number of
participants, the traffic simply would not have gotten thru in a reasonable
length of time. . We came away from the exercise with a number of training
items to cover in the near future—always a desirable exercise outcome—as
well as with a feeling of satisfaction at the overall performance of our
members.
Coming up in
the near future will be an exercise that will emphasize interoperability
with other states and other services. This will probably be more tightly
scripted than last week’s exercise, with the goal of bring together as many
different groups as possible, and involve a fair amount of advance planning.
Also in the planning stage is an exercise that will introduce the Incident
Command System to our exercises. The ICS is simply the one common operating
tool in the United States today for management of emergency operations. In
fact, one of the Tennessee Army MARS 2006 goals is to have 75% of our
members complete the FEMA ICS courses and that goal will be emphasized in
the coming months.
Finally, thanks
again to all who participated in the exercise and sent in their After Action
Reports. Well done!
TN Army MARS Staff
To use an email address below, copy and paste it to
your email client, and then replace the asterisk with an "@".
AAA4TN/Paul
Drothler • State Director
paul.e.drothler*us.army.mil
AAM4ATN/Mike
Bishop • Administrative Officer
aam4atn.bishop*us.army.mil
AAM4ETN/Howard
Bradley • Emergency Operations Officer
AAM4ITN/Carmen
Thompson • Interoperability Officer
aam4itn*bellsouth.net
AAM4TTN/Chris
Bindrim • Training Officer
ke7gz*comcast.net
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