Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B)
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Nov 16 2018 11:15 am
DISASTER DRILL CHALLENGES AMATEURS IN OREGON
PAUL/ANCHOR: Just north of California, in the state of Oregon, the
disaster unfolding was perhaps only a drill, but the challenges were
real. Andy Morrison, K9AWM, explains.
ANDY: If Amateur Radio Emergency Services members in Grant County,
Oregon, were a little bit more tired than usual on the evening of
November 8, it's understandable. Not every ham is faced with responding
to a double virus attack launched by terrorists. The first "attack"
involved a deadly biological virus released intentionally into the
population, followed by a second virus, an electronic one that knocked
out cellphones, landlines and the internet.
First, let's clarify something - this was all just a test. The hams
were part of a statewide ARES Simulated Emergency Exercise, in
cooperation with the state's Office of Emergency Management, and they
were training for what could someday be the real thing. According to
Steve Fletcher, K7AA, Grant County ARES Emergency Coordinator,
participating hams faced numerous challenges: They were instructed
to test Winlink in "radio only" mode within a one-hour window; explore
the best way to employ APRS for the tasks ahead, and of course,
establish clear communications between volunteer and government agencies,
while understanding the instructional materials guiding their procedures
through the test. An HF Net was also established on 75 meters in advance
to avoid relay pileups.
Steve said the hams' enthusiasm was stoked even more by a scenario
called the MacGyver Task, which occurred concurrently with the
double-virus scenario. In this simulation, the antennas on each local
Emergency Operations Center were knocked out by bad weather.
Steve told Newsline in an email, the hams concluded the one-day test
happy, but tired; and better-educated about what they'll need to do
next time.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Andy Morrison, K9AWM.
(STEVE FLETCHER, K7AA)
**
TWO NEW SATELLITES PREP FOR LAUNCH
PAUL/ANCHOR: Satellite enthusiasts rejoice! Launch time is near for
two more, and Neil Rapp, WB9VPG, has the details.
NEIL: Hams, look skyward! Two new satellites are coming your way -
well, a bit ABOVE your way. On November 19th, Spaceflight's SSO-A
SmallSat Express mission is to launch with the Fox-1Cliff satellite
from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9.
In addition to carrying experiments on board from Vanderbilt and Penn
State universities, the Fox-1Cliff has the Fox-1 U/V FM repeater and
AMSAT�'s L-Band downshifter. There is also a VGA camera provided by
Virginia Tech that will provide images at a resolution of 640 x 480,
much higher than that aboard the AO-92.
Meanwhile, anticipation is high for the Qatar Satellite Company's
Es-hail-2 geostationery satellite, that is carrying two AMSAT
transponders, that was launched by SpaceX on November 15th. According
to AMSAT-DL, the satellite will first complete several orbital maneuvers,
then enter a commissioning phase, before ending up in geostationary
orbit. While hams will understandably be enthusiastic about giving
reception reports, AMSAT-DL is requesting reports be made only after
the official release, so as not to get in the way of the commissioning
phase. Think of it as a "repeater in the sky" for some regions where
it will almost constantly be visible, such as Africa and Europe. It is
said to have the potential to link amateurs from Thailand to Brazil.
The satellite will be carrying two transponders for amateur radio,
operating in the 2400 MHz and 10450 MHz bands.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Neil Rapp, WB9VPG.
(SOUTHGATE, AMSAT-UK)
**
HONORING A LEGENDARY NYC FIREBOAT
PAUL/ANCHOR: A historic New York fireboat is getting an 80th anniversary
celebration - ham radio style - as Kevin Trotman, N5PRE, tells us.
KEVIN: Imagine operating a special event station in partnership with a
well-decorated hero, and a veteran of eight decades of maritime
emergency service. That's just what the Long Island CW Club, W2LCW, has
done. Between 1500 and 1900 UTC on Saturday, November 17th, the club
will mark the 80th anniversary of the commissioning of a fireboat known
as Fire Fighter, a vessel that served the Fire Department of New York
City in New York Harbor from 1938 to 2010. According to its website,
both the boat and crew have been decorated for valor numerous times -
more than any other fireboat - owing to its service in the 50 or so
major blazes the boat helped battle. The website calls the vessel's
performance "the stuff of legend." Hams listening on CW or SSB can expect
to hear W2LCW aboard the fireboat calling QR Zed on 40 through 10 meters.
Frequencies will be spotted on the usual clusters.
The boat itself is now berthed in Greenport, New York - in Long Island's
Suffolk County - and it is spending its later years transformed into a
firefighting museum, open to visitors April through October. Answer the
call being sent from this National Historic Landmark on November 17th,
and receive a special certificate for having scored a contact with the
vessel called "America's Fireboat."
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.
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