Amateur (ham) radio, VHF/UHF, portable operating, backcountry adventure and technical stuff
ARRL Field Day is the single most popular on-the-air event held annually in the US and Canada. Each year over 35,000 amateurs gather with their clubs, friends or simply by themselves to operate.
The information packet for Field Day is now available on the ARRL web site.
– Bob K0NR
The Colorado FM Sprint
Sponsored by: The Colorado VHF Group (KØYB) and the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Radio Association (WØTLM)
Direct any questions to k0yb@qsl.net
Rules and FAQ are posted on the KØYB web site.
Saturday – September 10, 2011
This contest is held concurrently with the ARRL September VHF QSO Party, with compatible rules and operating procedures. The purpose of this contest is to:
Saturday, Sept 10, 2011; 1200 to 1700 Mountain Time (1800 to 2300 UTC)
To work as many stations as possible using FM simplex on the 146 MHz, 222 MHz and 440 MHz bands in as many different VHF grids as possible.
Operate on FM simplex frequencies consistent with the Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) band plans
(Consistent with the ARRL Rules, 146.52 MHz is not allowed to be used in the contest.)
Suggested Frequencies:
2 Meters: 146.58, 146.55
222 MHz: 223.5 MHz
440 MHz: 446.0, 446.100 MHz
Do not operate on repeater frequencies or 146.52 MHz, the National Simplex Calling Frequency.
Remember to be a considerate operator and share the frequency with other operators.
To complete a contest QSO, you and the other station must copy each other’s callsign and 4-digit Grid Locator. You may optionally exchange Name and geographic location (city, landmark, etc).
The following entry categories are available for this contest, consistent with the entry categories for the ARRL September VHF QSO Party. All categories (excluding Single Operator Portable) operate within these power limits: (146 MHz–200 W PEP, 222 MHz 100 W PEP, 440 MHz 100 W PEP).
Single Operator – same as Single Operator Low Power in the ARRL rules
Single Operator Portable – power limit of 10 W PEP, operating from a fixed location using a portable power source, portable equipment and antennas
Rover – operates from 2 or more grid squares with 1 or 2 operators, same definition as Limited Rover in the ARRL rules. Rovers must sign “Rover” after their callsign.
Multioperator – operates with more than with operator from a fixed location
QSO Points: Count one point for each 146 MHz QSO and two points for each 222 MHz and 440 MHz QSO.
Multiplier: The total number of different grid squares worked per band. Each grid counts as one multiplier on each band it is worked.
Final score: Multiply the total number of QSO points from all bands operated by the total number of multipliers for final score.
Rovers only: The final score consists of the total number of QSO points from all bands times the sum of unique multipliers (grid squares) worked per band (regardless of which grid square they were made in) plus one additional multiplier for every grid square from which they successfully completed a contact.
1. Use only one call sign per entry per station, except family members who share a station.
2. A rover station may use only one call sign.
3. Soliciting contacts during the contest on repeaters, e-mail, telephone, etc. is not allowed.
4. Final interpretation of these rules is the sole responsibility of the contest committee.
Certificates will be issued to top scoring entrants in each category. Other certificates may be issued depending on the level of competition present in the contest. Results will be listed on the KØYB web site at http://www.qsl.net/k0yb
1. Log entries must be received by September 30, 2011.
2. A log entry contains the following for each contact completed: Date; Time (Universal Coordinated Time); Station Worked; Grid Locator
3. A summary contains: Your name, call, and address; entry category; grid locator; score calculation; and this statement: “I have observed all rules of the contest and have operated my station in accordance with FCC rules.”
4. Entrants are strongly encouraged to submit an electronic log in Cabrillo format, using commonly available logging programs (configured for ARRL September VHF QSO Party). Send electronic logs to k0yb@qsl.net, with Cabrillo file attached and subject line containing your call sign and the words “FM Sprint”.
5. Paper logs may be sent to: K0YB – Contest Logs, 21060 Capella Drive, Monument, CO 80132
Grids are 2° longitude x 1° latitude squares designated with 2-letters and 2-numbers, such as DM78. To determine which grid you are operating from, refer to this web page: http://www.k0nr.com/rwitte/vhf_grids.html or use a GPS receiver that displays the location in Maidenhead (vhf grid) format.
Here are some general guidelines that may help in case you work someone who does not know their grid square:
I just finished writing about how Field Day can be “seasoned to taste”…adapted to your particular interests. Overall, I think the ARRL has done a good job of crafting Field Day rules that provide some incentives for certain types of operation and activities. Get On the Air (GOTA) station, the free VHF station, and Class F (EOC location) are examples of positive rule changes that have been made over the years.
Still, I think there is room for improvement:
Well, my VHF+ tendencies are showing. These are my suggestions—what do you think?
73, Bob K0NR
It happened again. A disaster hits — this time a series of storms in the southeast— and the amateur radio community rises to the occasion to supply emergency communications. See
Tornadoes and Thunderstorms Keep Radio Amateurs Busy in Midwest, Southeast.
I’ve noticed that there is a tendency for some members of the amateur radio community to characterize this activity as a being a “first responder”. (Most recently: Amateur Radio Newsline, 6 May 2011) This may make for a more exciting story about how amateur radio operators assist during a disaster, but I think it is just sloppy terminology. Here’s one definition of a first responder from dictionary.com:
first responder–nouna person who is certified to provide medical care in emergencies before more highly trained medical personnel arrive on the scene.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration (NHTSA) has a 342-page standard that describes the training required to be a First Responder. Similarly, the wikipedia entry for Certified First Responder describes the skills necessary to be considered a First Responder. Most hams won’t even come close to meeting this level of training, unless they happen to have it for reasons other than ham radio.
Why does this matter? By telling radio hams they are “first responders”, it puts entirely the wrong emphasis on the Emergency Communications (EmComm) role. The EmComm role is, well, uh, providing emergency communications… in support of First Responders (Fire, Police, EMS) and agencies that support First Responders (Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc.). Where hams can really make a difference is making sure effective communications are established when disaster occurs. The “I am a first responder” mindset can lead to some behavior that makes some radio amateurs look silly. The folks over at hamsexy.com have made a hobby out of ridiculing the so-called whackers that try to make ham radio into a lights-n-siren kind of operation. An even more serious issue is having radio hams engaging in dangerous activity without proper training.
Now, should radio hams get training on skills such as CPR and First Aid? Absolutely. Actually, everyone should have that training…you might find yourself in the situation of saving someone’s life. But don’t confuse that with being a trained First Responder.
That’s my opinion, what do you think?
– 73, Bob K0NR
P.S. I fully appreciate the role that ham radio volunteers play in providing emergency communications during disasters. It is real, important work.
This week I attended the International Wireless Communications Expo, a wireless radio conference centered on land mobile radio (LMR). While not an amateur radio event, it was three fun days totally immersed in radio technology. Being a professional show, not a hobby event, the emphasis was on modern and emerging technology in the industry. No boat anchor radios here.
Amateur radio often adopts and adapts technology from the LMR industry, especially for mobile operating on frequencies above 50 MHz. I guess we could call VHF FM amateur land mobile.
A few highlights from the show:
I was struck by the forward march of technology in the LMR industry. In the ham radio world, we often see strong opposition to adopting anything new. And we’re supposed to be the experimenters!
– 73, Bob K0NR
As the year 2010 comes to an end, I feel compelled to write something really insightful and meaningful as we log another trip around the sun. Perhaps some brilliant insights for the coming year? Or predictions of future technology breakthroughs?
Instead, I am writing this.
This is a mishmash of my thoughts about amateur radio at the start of 2011:
Amateur radio is clearly my #1 hobby interest, and by a wide margin. But it is primarily a hobby (yes, with a public service hook to it…at least for me). It is important to keep it in perspective and not let it turn into another job. I already have one of those.
What are you going to be doing in 2011?
73, Bob K0NR
The summer is flying by and it has been difficult to keep up with the blog. Here are a few things that just spewed out of the internet.
This week there is a nasty wildfire burning west of Boulder which has already consumed 92 structures. (Take a look at some of the photos here.) We have gotten used to the occasional wildfire in the west, some big, some small. This one seems to have spread rapidly and damaged many homes in a short time. And its not over yet. And yes, the local amateur radio community is actively helping out.
K3NG writes about a situation concerning a public service event. He makes some really good points about the amateur radio role in such events. Sometimes I see radio amateurs working events and not really providing much value. This gives us some on-the-air practice but that may not be enough to justify participating.
The Southgate ARC has an item about keeping the AM mode alive. To me, AM definitely means ancient modulation, clearly approaching the Duty-To-Die phase. Please end the life support on this mode and let it slip away. It really will be better for everyone. (OK, I suppose these guys are just having fun…hard to knock that. But they could do it with half the bandwidth. )
Back to the future with a reworked Commodore 64. I could see getting one of these PCs.
Here’s a good article from unplggd on emergency preparedness from a tech point of view (but not necessarily amateur radio). It’s worth a read.
Those Compact Florescent Light (CFL) bulbs are gaining in popularity. I believe they are an ecological time bomb because of their mercury content. See this article for more information. Oh, and if they aren’t designed well, they tend to radiate radio frequency interference.
73, Bob K0NR
The FCC has adopted rule changes to Part 97.113, allowing employees to communicate on behalf of an employer during emergency preparedness drills.
I’ve posted several times about this topic, see EmComm Trouble, Time to Change the Rules, FCC Moving Ahead on the topic.
The new version of the rules are listed here:
(a) * * *(3) Communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer, with the following exceptions:(i) A station licensee or control station operator may participate on behalf of an employer in an emergency preparedness or disaster readiness test or drill, limited to the duration and scope of such test or drill, and operational testing immediately prior to such test or drill. Tests or drills that are not government-sponsored are limited to a total time of one hour per week; except that no more than twice in any calendar year, they may be conducted for a period not to exceed 72 hours.(ii) An amateur operator may notify other amateur operators of the availability for sale or trade of apparatus normally used in an amateur station, provided that such activity is not conducted on a regular basis.(iii) A control operator may accept compensation as an incident of a teaching position during periods of time when an amateur station is used by that teacher as a part of classroom instruction at an educational institution.(iv) The control operator of a club station may accept compensation for the periods of time when the station is transmitting telegraphy practice or information bulletins, provided that the station transmits such telegraphy practice and bulletins for at least 40 hours per week; schedules operations on at least six amateur service MF and HF bands using reasonable measures to maximize coverage; where the schedule of normal operating times and frequencies is published at least 30 days in advance of the actual transmissions; and where the control operator does not accept any direct or indirect compensation for any other service as a control operator.
The FCC does allow for drills that are not government sponsored, but did include some time limits on these exercises. At first glance, these rules look reasonable to me. What do you think?
73, Bob K0NR
This weekend is the ARRL Field Day, the major ham radio operating event in North America. Here in Monument, the Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association and the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Radio Association will operate from TLMF Station 1. Details are on the PPRAA web site.
The “Get On the Air” station is perfect for new hams that want to try out HF. Everyone is welcome to stop by, operate, chat or just observe.
73, Bob K0NR
It’s time to do one of those miscellaneous collections of drivel that spews forth from the interwebnet pipes. Some of this might even be important!
Some upcoming events: ARRL June VHF QSO Party and the Colorado FM Sprint, on the weekend of June 12th. The FM Sprint runs concurrently with the ARRL contest but only on Sunday afternoon. This is a good chance to get on the air with very basic equipment and have some fun.
The ARRL Field Day is coming up on June 26th and 27th. This is arguably the biggest on-the-air amateur radio event in North America.
I was playing around with setting up an SMS text messaging system for callsign lookup. The idea is that you send a text message (containing an amateur call sign) with your mobile phone and get the FCC or QRZ info back. In the meantime, I found that this problem has been solved by Callsign By Text. Very nice, check it out.
Female radio amateurs should check out Chick Factor International. It looks like a fun group.
I picked up a DV Access Point (DVAP) for D-STAR. This is a neat little device that provides flea-powered D-STAR access on 2 Meters by plugging it into a PC with internet connection. The South Yorkshire Repeater Group has a good description of the product. So far, this thing works really well.
By the way, the South Yorkshire group has a really good web site…interesting and timely information. Although they are in the UK, I find it relevant to US ham radio activity, too.
The Technician Class License question pool will be updated as of July 1, 2010. Our next Tech Class in Monument will be in October, so we’ll be updating the classroom material before teaching that class. It is clear that more technical content is being added to the question pool, which I think is a good thing. See KB6NU’s posting on the topic.
From The Complete Waste of Time Department, the FCC once again dismissed a petition from K9STH to change the amateur radio station identification requirements. Look, the FCC doesn’t see a problem here (and neither do I) so save yourself the trouble.
The FCC is seeking comments on the proposed new rules concerning emergency communications. I took the time to file a short comment, basically saying that the FCC is on the right track but they should remove the reference to “government-sponsored drills”. Any legitimate emergency communications drill should be included, regardless of who sponsors it. The ARRL made similar but more detailed comments.
– 73, Bob K0NR
The Colorado FM Sprint is a short and simple VHF contest that runs in parallel with the ARRL June VHF QSO Party. Basically, it’s a chance to have some fun on the VHF bands for not-so-serious contesters.
Sponsored by: Colorado ARES and the Colorado VHF Group (KØYB)
Direct any questions to k0yb@qsl.net
This contest is held concurrently with the ARRL June VHF QSO Party, with compatible rules and operating procedures. The purpose of this contest is to:
· Promote the use of FM VHF/UHF simplex
· Provide an opportunity for radio amateurs to test the limits of their stations using FM VHF/UHF and to experiment with ways to improve their stations
· Practice deploying portable and mobile operation as a means of identifying effective locations for temporary relay stations
· Provide a simple and enjoyable radio contest experience (“Have fun!”)
Sunday, June 13, 2010; 1200 to 1600 Mountain Time (1800 to 2200 UTC)
To work as many stations as possible using FM simplex on the 146 MHz, 222 MHz and 440 MHz bands in as many different VHF grids as possible.
Operate on FM simplex frequencies consistent with the Colorado Council of Amateur Radio Clubs (CCARC) band plans with special emphasis on using ARES designated frequencies.
(Consistent with the ARRL Rules, 146.52 MHz is not allowed to be used in the contest.)
Suggested Frequencies:
2 Meters: 146.58, 146.55, 146.49 MHz
222 MHz: 223.5 MHz
440 MHz: 446.0, 446.025, 446.100 MHz
Do not operate on repeater frequencies or 146.52 MHz, the National Simplex Calling Frequency.
Remember to be a considerate operator and share the frequency with other operators.
To complete a contest QSO, you and the other station must copy each other’s callsign and 4-digit Grid Locator. You may optionally exchange Name and ARES District.
Note: These are an abbreviated set of rules…the complete rules and FAQ are at http://www.qsl.net/k0yb/Colorado_FM_Sprint.html
73, Bob K0NR
The FCC has released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) concerning use of amateur radio by employees of governmental and other agencies. I had previously posted my thoughts on this topic back in October 2009. A read of the NPRM on the FCC web site reveals that the FCC clearly sees this as an issue that needs to be addressed.
The tone of the NPRM is “what is the best way to address the problem” rather than “should we address this issue”? In fact, the FCC went ahead and proposed this specific rule change for Part 97.113:
§ 97.113 Prohibited transmissions.
(a) ***
(3) Communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer, with the following exceptions:
(i) A control station operator may participate on behalf of an employer in a government-sponsored emergency preparedness or disaster readiness test or drill, limited to the duration and scope of such test or drill, and operational testing immediately prior to such test or drill.
(ii) An amateur operator may notify other amateur operators of the availability for sale or trade of apparatus normally used in an amateur station, provided that such activity is not conducted on a regular basis.
The ARRL article concerning this development provides a good summary of the proposal. N5FDL has a brief discussion of the NPRM on his blog. Comments can be filed electronically on this NPRM on the FCC Electronic Filing Comment System.
I think this is moving in the right direction.
– 73, Bob K0NR
Part 97.113 has been the topic of much discussion lately, ever since the FCC communicated a rather narrow interpretation of the rules. See my previous post on this topic for more background information. From the ARRL web site, we find that the ARRL Board of Directors has chimed in:
The Board instructed the ARRL staff to seek a change in Section 97.113(a)(3) of the FCC rules to permit amateurs, on behalf of an employer, to participate in emergency preparedness and disaster drills that include Amateur operations.
This is not really a surprise and despite the usual criticism coming from some quarters, I am encouraged that the board sees this as an issue that requires action.
N5FLD lists the specific wording that the ARRL Board has approved, expressing some concern about the particular text chosen. I think we are clearly headed towards the standard FCC rule making process that will give everyone their say and, hopefully, we’ll arrive at a reasonable decision.
The February issue of CQ Magazine, arrived in the mail today, with a W2VU editorial taking on this topic. Rich points out that if you really want to get picky about it, ham radio publications are at risk due to a narrow interpretation of Part 97.113. For example, if an author is getting paid to review a new ham transceiver for publication in CQ, can he actually put it on the air without getting the foul flag thrown for “pecuniary interest”? So CQ wants to broaden the discussion, and has their own proposal for Part 97.113.
My read: stay tuned as we hash through this. There is enough support (based on good reasoning, I think) that this issue will get addressed. But it will take some time.
73, Bob K0NR
I have been traveling quite a bit lately for work, so here’s a catch up on a number of things spewing forth from the interwebnet.
I’ve recently re-discovered High Frequency Electronics Magazine, edited by Gary Breed, K9AY. This is a top quality trade pub that targets RF design engineers. In Gary’s September editorial, he highlighted the environment that the college class of 2013 grew up in….such as “text has always been hyper.”
I came across this summary of Top Ham Radio Blogs. They clearly have excellent judgment, since my blog is listed. 🙂
Computer World published this article, Want to bone up on wireless tech? Try ham radio, a good read on the experimentation side of amateur radio written by John Edwards, W6JE.
Google’s Eric Schmidt talks about the future of the web…some interesting thoughts. I hope his prediction of 100MB broadband comes true…but I am not expecting it to come down my road any time soon.
KB9MWR posted an interesting article about the radio range of D-STAR.
Ham radio saves the world (again)…. hams assist rescue on Catalina Island. This reminds me of when I was out climbing Uncompahgre Peak and radio’d in a fallen hiker report.
Last weekend was the CQ Worldwide DX Contest (SSB version), so I did get on the air for a few hours. Mostly, I got clobbered on 20 Meters with my 100-Watts-to-a-dipole station being overrun by the Big Gun Stations. I did manage to work some DX on both 15M and 20M.
The FCC actions concerning EmComm and Part 97.113 have exposed different views on the role of amateur radio in emergency communications. See the comments on my blog posting, this article by Steve K9ZW and N5FDL’s blog. There seems to be some pent up frustration with ham radio EmComm folks coming from some corners of the ham community.
I encourage everyone to go back and read Part 97.1, the Basis and Purpose of the Amateur Radio Service. It lists five different items as the purpose of amateur radio, all of which are relevant and important. I’d also suggest that everyone lighten up just a bit (and be sure to stay on your meds).
73, Bob K0NR
The FCC continues to drive out any ambiguity on how it interprets Part 97.113. (See previous post EmComm Trouble From the FCC. ) On October 20th, the FCC released Public Notice DA-09-2259, which reiterates the principle of no amateur radio communication on behalf of an employer, even if the employer is a government agency such as a fire or police department. OK, I think they got that point across.
The FCC also described a process for requesting a waiver of this rule for a specific emergency preparedness drill. A governmental entity, not the amateur radio operators involved, must apply to the FCC for a waiver in advance of the drill. According to N5FDL, the FCC intends these waivers to be for very specific events and not a regularly scheduled activity such as a weekly net. This can help facilitate a major event but is still fairly limited. I wonder how many waiver requests the FCC be receiving? I suspect there will be many.
A group of radio amateurs, The Amateur Radio Policy Committee, consisting of N5GAR, WB6NOA and N5FDL have filed a Petition for Rule Making with the FCC to address this situation. Basically, they propose that an additional item be added to the section of rules (Part 97.111) that calls out Authorized Transmissions:
(6) Transmissions necessary for disaster relief or emergency response, including training exercises, planning, drills or tests, without regard to whether the amateur operator has related employment, where the transmissions are for the exclusive use of amateur radio operators for noncommercial purposes.
This seems like a reasonable and measured approach to changing the rules to support emergency communications training activities, without opening the door too wide. I am not sure why they proposed to modify Part 97.111 instead of 97.113 where other employment exceptions are handled (e.g., control operator of a club station that sends telegraphy practice, teacher in a classroom setting). The RAIN Report has an interview with N5FDL concerning this petition.
I still believe the FCC could have avoided this ruckus with a slightly more liberal interpretation of the rules. They didn’t do that, so now we will have to go through the rule making process to deal with the situation. I suppose that the FCC could decline to address the issue but this seems unlikely to me given the legitimate public interest in supporting emergency communications. (Anyone remember 9/11 ?) We’ll likely get to a reasonable outcome that protects the amateur radio service from undesirable encroachment while still enabling emergency communications training.
What do you think?
73, Bob K0NR
Amateur radio has a deep tradition of providing emergency communications during all kinds of disasters. Of course, some emergencies are more urgent and serious than others.
The Golf November Tango frequency is an important frequency to always have programmed into your radio. Established as 146.55 MHz ( FM simplex, no CTCSS), the GNT Frequency is the critical logistics channel for certain types of incidents (to use ICS terminology).
This all started when three ham radio operators found themselves stranded on the shore of Lake Michigan. Well, actually they were not so much stranded as just sitting there watching the waves roll in. Without warning, they found themselves getting thirsty without any liquid refreshment in sight. Rather than make the long, treacherous walk back to the beach house, a 2M FM transceiver was employed to make the critical call. Fortunately, the wives of these dehydrated amateurs were also FCC licensed amateur radio operators monitoring the designated GNT frequency.
Without delay, communication was established with the beach house and the critical resupply of Gin and Tonic was delivered. There was some thought that the guys on the beach were just being lazy, but the requested GNTs were quickly dispatched anyway.
After that incident, 146.55 MHz was established as the GNT Frequency for all of North America.
Like they say, When All Else Fails.
73, Bob K0NR
There has been quite a ruckus about the FCC and Part 97.113 concerning emergency communications but I have been taking a wait and see attitude about it. These FCC Rules say: No amateur station shall transmit communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer.
The question on the table is whether this prohibition strictly applies to employees of a public safety organization. For example, is it a violation of the rules for a firefighter or hospital employee to use ham radio as part of a emergency communications practice exercise? Apparently, the answer is yes.
Read this posting on the N5FDL Blog for more details, including some correspondence with the FCC. The ARRL offered this explanation in the September issue of QST. This article reports that W0WLS is withdrawing from ham radio emcomm work after getting a letter from the FCC’s Laura Smith.
The K3NG Report says that The FCC is Throwing the Baby Out With the Bathwater. I agree.
If you are involved with emergency communciations, you should make sure you understand this latest development.
73, Bob K0NR
One of our local radio groups has put a 70 cm D-STAR repeater on the air here in Monument. Here’s the announcement from Elliot KB0RFC:
The W0TLM B repeater and gateway are on the air in their new PERMANENT home in monument near hwy 105 and I 25, coverage reports are needed. All gateway functions are operating please feel free to link to the repeater, or just call around.
The repeater is a joint effort between the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire radio association, the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Department Communications Auxilary, And the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District. The purpose of this repeater is to support emergency communications in northern El-Paso County. we will do what we can to create an environment conducive to training and support for actual emergency events.
We run a net on 447.725- 100.0hz tone every Monday night except the last Monday of the month where we have our monthly meeting at Tri-Lakes Fire station 1. All are welcome We hope to be participating in the CO-D-STAR net soon. W0TLM++B and W0TLM++G are on 446.8875- please check it out!
Please email any questions to kb0rfc@arrl.net
Elliot Linke
KB0RFC
I got a chance to try D-STAR out from a remote perspective when I was out in the San Francisco Bay area. I got on the W6YYY repeater in Oakland on 440.03750MHz and chatted with Elliot KB0RFC back in Monument. This is way cool!
OK, you may be thinking “I can do that with EchoLink or IRLP”, which is true (and that is also way cool). The benefits of D-STAR are still emerging, but one big difference is that each transmitted packet has callsign routing. One feature that I see as useful is the callsign squelch mode. I can keep my radio squelched expect for people specifically calling me. Other advantages of the “all digital” network are starting to surface, so stay tuned on that.
There are several D-STAR repeaters popping up in Colorado. The group leading the way is the Colorado D-STAR Association in the Denver area. The Cheyenne Mountain Repeater Group has a system on the air in Colorado Springs, currently in a test phase (limited coverage) on 446.9125 MHz (KC0CVU B). A group in Boulder is also working on a system but I am not sure of the status of that effort.
New technology, new learning, new fun.
73, Bob K0NR
Sometimes I get a little wrapped up in a particular ham radio project I am working on. Like how many antennas does a VHF contest rover really need? Is 6 enough? Is 12 too many? I think “gee, maybe this is getting a little out of hand.”
Then I come across someone else, usually on the internet, that is really taking the hobby seriously and I feel better. I think “hey, I am not that wacked out….look at this other guy…he is way more intense than me.”
The cellular telephone industry has the concept of COW: Cell on Wheels. This is a portable cell site that can be dropped into a special event (think Super Bowl or World Series) or into a disaster area (think hurricane Katrina).
Enter Roland N1JOY, who decides to build himself a HAMCOW (Ham radio Communications on Wheels). What a project….a ham radio trailer with 5 operating positions, shower, toilet and bed! OK, I feel more normal now. Thanks, Roland.
Seriously, cool project….good luck with it!
73, Bob K0NR
Jeff KE9V picked up on a news item about the ham radio response in the recent Oregon floods. (The ARRL has a more detailed report here.) There is a news report from KPTV that has this great quote in it:
“One of the problems in this is always communication,” Gov. Ted Kulongoski said after a visit Tuesday to Vernonia and a fly-over there and other affected areas. “I’m going to tell you who the heroes were from the very beginning of this…the ham radio operators. These people just came in and actually provided a tremendous communication link to us.”
KE9V has some great comments in his blog about this. Basically, Jeff says he is glad that ham radio can once again come to the rescue in the face of a communications breakdown. But then he questions how our tax dollars are being spent on the public safety communication systems that seem to fail just when they are needed. He has a point here.
In my state (Colorado), the public safety agencies have migrated to a statewide 800 MHz system (based on APCO Project 25). This has really helped with interoperability issues but the system is known to be inadequate for high levels of radio traffic. This is not rocket science…you can evaluate the number of radio sites, the capacity of each site and how many radio transceivers and transmissions that need to be supported. The answer is when a wide scale emergency occurs, the 800 MHz system is likely to be overloaded.
It is great that ham radio can fill in the gaps, but these systems should be designed to operate in adverse conditions.
73, Bob K0NR