2010 Wisconsin ARES/RACES Conference WEM Ham Radio Station: What We Do and How to Use It Joseph Senulis, N9TWA 1

2010 WisconsinARES/RACES Conference

WEM Ham Radio Station:What We Do and

How to Use It

Joseph Senulis, N9TWA

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How many of you are involved with Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

communications?

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To provide effective communication via ham radio between local EOC’s and the

State EOC at Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) you need to know:

• Who at WEM you want to communicate with• What communications capabilities we have in

common• How to establish communication in the first

place

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In the interest of time, please

hold your questions to the end.

I will be here all day today and tomorrow.

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Question for you:

How would you want someone to address a message to your EOC?

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• Messages should generally be addressed to a served agency, not WEM

• Your served agencies/EOC should know who the message should be sent to at the State EOC.

• You may have to do some prodding to get the name/role of the recipient.

• ICS-213 and ARRL Radiogram forms format both work

• Most traffic is between hams to establish communications circuits

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• Messages should generally be addressed to a served agency, not WEM

• Your served agencies/EOC should know who the message should be sent to at the State EOC.

• You may have to do some prodding to get the name/role of the recipient.

• If you don’t know the addressee, we will work it out at our end.

• ICS-213 and ARRL Radiogram forms format both work

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Possible addressees:

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Dedicated Radio Room for the EOC

• Separate room adjacent to the EOC• Intercom from the EOC• Messaging and situational awareness through

a WEM computer via E-Sponder• Participate in briefings as appropriate

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I have talked about

how to address your message,

but now we need to discuss

how we transmit the message.

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Technologies

• HF voice, CW, digital (PSK31 and others)• 2m FM voice• 70cm FM voice• WinLink 2000 digital mail• Access to WeComm repeaters

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HF Voice, CW, Digital (PSK31 and others)

• Yaesu Mark V FT-1000MP - 200 Watt• Kenwood TS-440S

• Broad-band dipole

• 80, 40, 20, 10 m trap dipole

• 40-10m vertical (Yaesu only)

• Rockwell Collins - 1 kWatt• Multi-band vertical

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HF Digital

• Kenwood TS-440S• Standalone computer• MixW2

• PSK31

• MT63

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2m/70cm FM Voice

• Two Kenwood TM-V71A dual band radios• Dual band vertical for local communications• Dual band vertical beam on a rotator for longer

range communications (Baraboo Hills is an obstruction)

• All TM-V71A radios have the same memories for redundancy

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WinLink 2000

• Kenwood TM-V71A dual band radio (same programming as the voice radios) for 2 m (other half of the radio could be used for voice)

• Motorola commercial 70cm radio• Dedicated computer with Internet access• Internet access (under repair)• [email protected]

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Access to WeComm Repeaters

• VoIP via X-Lite• Uses same computer as WinLink 2000• System functions, but still under construction.

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That is all good,

but how do we make contact

with each other

in the first place?

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You can't talk with us if we aren't there.

• State EOC activation• ARES/RACES may be activated with rest of EOC

• ARES/RACES staffs station on our own

• ARES/RACES staff monitor net frequencies from home

• ARES/RACES leadership requests activation (SET)• Direct request by local ARES/RACES units to

support exercises

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Establishing Communication

• Our initial plan – if all else fails• www.ares-races.org/Documents/

Activation_Appendix_C.pdf• We will be listening on frequencies/modes that we

think you are likely to use.• This is a bit of a hit and miss proposition.

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WISCONSIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARES/RACES STATION ACTIVATION PLANActivation Plan Appendix C

W.E.M. ARES/RACES Station Initial Communications PlanWhen the ARES/RACES radio station at the Wisconsin Emergency Management Emergency Operations Center, 2400 Wright St. has been activated, District Emergency Communications Plans on file at WEM will be the primary means of establishing initial communications, when applicable. Additionally, the following frequencies and modes will be monitored for initial communication as conditions permit.

1. The WEM ham call sign for all modes is WC9AAG.2. Radio frequencies will be monitored as follows:

(a) HF:i. Phone:

A. Primary 3967 kHz LSBB. 1st Alternate 3975 kHz LSBC. 2nd Alternate 7250 kHz LSBD. 3rd Alternate 7245 kHz LSB

ii. The Badger Emergency Network (BEN) will be monitored when possible:A. Primary: 3985 kHz LSB

iii.Digital:A. BPSK31:

• Primary: 3528.50 kHz USB• Alternate: 7077.50 kHz USB

(b) VHFi. FM phone repeaters: The most likely repeater to be reachable by the local ARES/RACES group needing to contact WEM will be

primary:A. Cambridge WeComm repeater 147.360 MHz (PL 123.0)B. Madison: 147.150 MHz (PL 123.0)C. Baraboo: 146.880 MHz (PL 123.0)

ii. FM phone simplex, as requested:A. 146.535B. 146.580

iii.WinLink 2000:A. 145.610 MHz and 446.100 MHz (WC9AAG-5)

(c) UHFi. FM Phone repeaters: The most likely repeater to be reachable by the local ARES/RACES group needing to contact WEM will be

primary:A. Wisconsin Interstate Network linked repeater system. Check http://www.winetwork.org for your local link.

3. Other WEM ARES/RACES station contacts available only during an activation:(a) Phone: 608-242-3323 or 800-344-9219 x 23323(b) Email: DMA.HAMS(at)wisconsin.gov(c) FAX: 608-242-3299

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Establishing Communication

• Your DEC is the primary link between the local response and WEM

• DEC’s are less likely to be affected by a communications failure.

• DEC’s are likely to know what frequencies, modes and repeaters the local unit is using or could use.

• Helpful to have district communications plans on file at WEM

• VHF/UHF relays may be needed because of poor HF propagation

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WEM Station Staffing

• 9 primary operators• Have WEM/DMA credentials

• Maintain the station between activations

• Mostly from Dane County

• Familiar with EOC procedures

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Station Staffing During Activation

• At least one primary operator and a total of one operator for each voice/CW mode plus one extra

• Other operators are ARES/RACES members, generally from Dane County

• Primary station operators when not on shift are encouraged to monitor frequencies from home as a backup.

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WEM Backup EOC

• There is none, although probably at Volk Field.• Where ever it is, our expectation is that a local

ARES/RACES group will set up a Field Day type of operation in support, with some staffing from the primary operators who know the WEM EOC procedures.

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SUMMARY

• Knowing who we serve at WEM will help you get your message to the correct place

• Knowing our joint capabilities will help you in your planning and actually sending messages

• Knowing how to establish communications will enable us both to serve our agencies more quickly

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Questions?

Joe Senulis

Wisconsin ASEC for WEM/RACES Deputy Chief Radio Officer

[email protected]

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