Chapter 6 Emergency Communications

Chapter 6Emergency Communications

04/21/23 1Technician - Chapter 6 - 1 Jul 10-30 Jun 14

Providing communications support during and emergency or in response to a disaster is one of the amateur radio’s primary reasons for existing.

Emergency communications take priority over all other types of amateur radio communication on any frequency.

Emergency communications require efficient and high levels of performance.



• Don’t become part of the problem. You are there to provide communications support. Nothing else.• Maintain your safety.• Maintain radio discipline• Never speculate or guess• Protect personal information• Don’t give out unauthorized information• Do not relay news messages and reports on behalf of broadcasters/reporters.



Operating on behalf of or at the direction of your employer, even when off-duty, is prohibited.

Participating in training exercises and drills organized by your employer is allowed of two conditions are met:

1. The drill must be government sponsored.

2. Your employer is a government agency who has obtained a written waiver for the exercise from the FCC.



There are two exceptions to the previous slide:

1.Teachers that use ham radio as part of their instruction

2.Operators employed to operate a club station that transmits bulletins and code practice at least 40 hrs per week on at least six amateur bands.



In a serious widespread emergency, the FCC may declare a temporary state of communications emergency.

The declaration will contain any special conditions or rules that are to be observed for the duration of the emergency including prohibited frequency usage.

The only time a frequency can be set aside for use by a specific user is during a FCC-declared communications emergency. Unless you are involved, avoid those frequencies.



The FCC recognizes the need for flexibility during emergencies and allows its rules to be “broken” in order “to provide essential communications… in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communications systems are not available.”

This means that unlicensed persons (e.g., Firemen, Medics, Police, your family) can use your radio to communicate when there is an immediate risk to human life or property and normal means of communication (e.g., telephone, cell phone) are not available.



This also means you can communicate via ham radio using frequencies not normally allowed by your current license as long as there is an immediate threat to life and property and normal means of communication are not available.

Once the threat to life and property has passed, you must operate within the FCC rules and in accordance with the privileges granted with your license.

The FCC rules must be followed at all times, even if using your radio in support of a public safety agency.



If you are in immediate danger or require immediate emergency help, you may make a distress call on any frequency on which you have a chance of being heard regardless of your license class.

• Using voice say “Mayday Mayday Mayday”• Using Morse code send: SOS SOS SOS”• Give your call sign• Give your location• State the nature of your emergency• Describe the type of assistance required• Provide any other pertinent information.



If you hear a distress call on any frequency, you may respond.

• Suspend any ongoing communications immediately• Record everything the station in distress sends• Try to respond to the station in distress and if successful, let them know you’ve copied their information, clarify any information as required, and immediately notify the appropriate authorities (e.g., Police, Fire, Rescue, Coast Guard, etc.)• Stay on frequency until help arrives.



To increase efficiency and smooth coordination, amateurs who provide communications support to public service events (e.g., parades, marathons, walkathons, etc.) as well as during emergencies often use what are called “tactical call signs”.

Tactical call signs usually indicate a station location or function during a public service event or actual emergency.

“Net Control”, “Race Director”, “Water Stop 3”, “Shelter 2”.“EOC”, “Medic 1”, “Hospital 2” are examples



Tactical call signs DO NOT satisfy the FCC regulations for station identification. You must identify your station using your FCC-granted call sign.

“Net Control this is Shelter 1”

“Go ahead Shelter 1”

“This is Shelter 1. We need 25 lunches”

“QSL Shelter 1. Expect delivery in 30 minutes”

“Thanks. Shelter 1 standing by. This is W3VPR”



The two largest amateur radio emergency response organizations are ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) sponsored by the ARRL and RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service).

Both organizations provide emergency communications.

The following slide compares the two organizations.


ARES and RACES

ARES RACES

• Sponsored by ARRL• Sponsored by government agencies

• Command and control via ARRL Field Organization

• Command and control via a civil defense organization at many levels

• Served agencies include American Red Cross, Salvation Army and National Weather Service

• Served agencies are government agencies at state, county, and local levels

• ARES stations may communicate with other stations (less RACES)

• RACES stations may communicate only with other RACES stations

• FCC can restrict frequencies of amateur stations.

• FCC can restrict frequencies of RACES stations.

• Any licensed amateur (ARRL member or not) can join ARES

• Only RACES operators (18+) can be the control operator of a RACES station



The success and effectiveness of amateur radio operators when responding to an emergency is due to their training which includes lots of practice.

Emergency communications practice is designed to improve your operating skills as well as familiarize you with the specific processes, procedures, and techniques necessary to perform as an emergency communicator.

You can also improve your skills by getting on the air.



You don’t need “special equipment” in order to provide communications support during an emergency. But you do need to be prepared.

Many hams develop a “Go Kit” which contains the essentials for quick response to an emergency and will support them for at least 24 hours.

Radio gear including extra batteries, antennas, power adapters and headsets.

Personal gear – rain jacket, hat, sun glasses, medicines, snacks, etc.



The Emergency Coordinator for Anne Arundel County is

Frank Winner N3SEO - [email protected]

A complete listing of EC’s and the MDC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN can be found at: www.arrl-mdc.net/



The following slides are some examples of “Go Kits” as they apply to radio gear.

While each are unique in design they are very similar. They contain a complete radio station in a box. All you have to do is take it to the emergency, connect power and an antenna and you can immediately start operating.

The radio gear can be HF only, VHF/UHF only, or both.









Chapter 6Special Activities, Modes & Techniques


In addition to building and improving your operating skills, DXing and Contesting are fun!

DX refers to “distance” but in most instances we use DX to refer to foreign countries because distance is a relative thing.

On HF and occasionally 6 meters, DX = thousands of miles.

On VHF/UHF contacts beyond the radio horizon is considered to be DX.



DX contacts can be exciting and enjoyable. If conditions are good your contact could turn into a pleasant ragchew. If conditions are bad, your contact may be limited to an exchange of signal report, location and name.

Log each contact using Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) or GMT or Zulu time (They’re all the same).

Send your QSL card directly to the DX station and include return postage), to an indicated QSL manager or to the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau (You must be an ARRL member to use the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau)



VHF/UHF DX contacts tend to be short due to band openings being relatively brief.

You’ll need a multimode transceiver to use SSB or CW for VHF/UHF DXing.

The most important piece of information you will exchange with a DX station on VHF/UHF is your grid square.

Chapter 6Contact Basics


Grid Square EM covers all or part of 19 states


Chapter 6Contact Basics

Maryland stations are located in Grid Squares FM09, FM18, FM19, FM28, and FM29



Pursuing DX contacts is a great way to hone your technical and operating skills. You will learn about the nuances of propagation, antennas, and the natural environment.

It will be frustrating, exciting, rewarding and fun.

Another amateur radio activity that will expand your operating skills is Contesting. The common goal of most contests is to make as many contacts as possible in a fixed period of time.



Some contests last 4 hour (called “sprints”), others last 24 hours and some last 48 hours (called “death by amateur radio” – just kidding).

Most contests are fast paced – make a contact and exchange specific information (varies by contest) and move on to the next contact.

Contests are conducted using a specific or multiple modes, on a specific or multiple bands, and every weekend.



When you encounter a contest, listen before you jump into the action. Learn what the contest involves. Check the ARRL website for contest schedules and exchange information. These are exchange examples:

211 M KI3DS 01 MDC (Nov Sweeps)

KI3DS 59 04 (CQ WW DX)

WN4FUI FM19 (VHF Sprint)

www.arrl.org/general-contest-information



Participants in DXing and Contests, as well as other activities such as Special Events can earn “awards”. There are over 3300 awards available for DXing and Contests.

All of the awards have little to no monetary value.

Cheap plaques (Under $50) Certificates

Some of the awards must be purchased (DXCC, VUCC).



Another activity that will build your operating skills is known as “Foxhunting” and involves locating a hidden transmitter.

Developing the skills to locate a hidden transmitter has applications in finding downed aircraft, lost hikers and sources of interference or jamming.

All you need is a portable radio with a strength indicator and a handheld or portable directional antenna such as a small Yagi beam.





“Homebrewed”



A word about Special Events… These are operating events that are on the air for a brief period (a day or two – usually on a weekend) to commemorate or publicize an activity of special significance.

In addition to the novelty of the event, they often offer unique or colorful QSL cards or certificates for making a contact.

The sometimes use a special call sign (a “1x1” formatted call) for their event.



Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald

Nov 5-Nov 7, 1700Z-1700Z, N8F & K8F, Whitefish Point, MI. Stu Rockafellow Amatuer Radio Society. 18.160 14.260 7.240 3.860 . Certificate. Richard A. Barker, W8VS, 264 N East St, Brighton, MI



Since 1961 radio amateurs have designed and built more than 50 amateur radio satellites.

These satellites are nicknamed OSCAR – Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio.

The sole purpose of these satellites is to enable amateurs to communicate with each other. They do not provide navigation or other services.

A satellite far enough from Earth can relay signals between countries and some amateurs have earned DXCC via satellite contacts.



While it may sound complicated, all you need is a radio that can transmit on one band and listen on another (e.g., your typical handheld), a directional antenna and some software for tracking the satellite.



Any amateur who is licensed to transmit on the uplink frequency can make contacts via satellites including contacts with the International Space Station.

That means amateurs with a Technician class license or higher.

Satellite uplink and downlink frequencies are restricted to special sub-bands:

29.300-29.510 MHz145.80-146.00 MHz435.00-438.00 MHz1260-1270 MHZ2400-2410 and 2430-2438 MHz



Satellite Communications Lexicon

Apogee – The point where the satellite is farthest from Earth

Beacon – A signal from the satellite containing information about a satellite.

Doppler Shift – a shift in a signals frequency due to relative motion between the satellite and the Earth station.

Perigee – The point where the satellite is closest to Earth.




Keplerian elements – a set of numbers that describe the satellite’s orbit for tracking purposes.

LEO – Low Earth Orbit

Elliptical orbit – An orbit with a large difference between apogee and perigee.

Spin fading – Signal fading caused by rotation of the satellite and its antennas.




Pacsat – A satellite equipped with FM packet radio for digital communications.



To make contacts via satellite you’ll need the following:

A satellite tracking program.

The Keplerian elements for the satellite

Determine the satellite’s operational mode – the bands on which it is transmitting and receiving. Specified by two letters separated by a slash bar (e.g., U/V). The first letter indicates the uplink and the second letter the downlink band.



Example

The uplink for a satellite in U/V mode is in the UHF band (70cm – 435.00 to 438.00 MHz) and the downlink is in the VHF band (2 meters – 145.80 – 146.00 MHz)

Always use the minimum amount of transmitter power to contact satellites, since their relay transmitter power is limited by their solar panels and on-board batteries.



For more information about amateur satellites visit the website of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation or AMSAT as it is officially known.

www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php



Hams love to communicate and as a result will try just about anything that involves radio communications. The following are three examples.

Video – Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) and Amateur Television (ATV)

Meteor Scatter and Moonbounce

Radio Control



Slow-scan TV was invented in the 1960’s in order to send still images over conventional voice radios.

Similar to a FAX transmission.

Modern SSTV images are generated using computers and inexpensive digital computers.

A new image is transmitted about every 8 seconds.

You can hear SSTV signals around 14.225 – 14.230 MHz with their distinctive “warbling sound”



Fast-scan or ATV signals are found in the UHF bands at 430 MHZ and above.

Because the bandwidth is so large (6 MHz) ATV transmissions are restricted to the UHF bands.

ATV NTSC fast-scan color TV signals are the same as an analog broadcast TV signal.

As of June 2009, broadcast TV switched to a digital format. Newer TVs may not receive analog signals.



In the previous discussions about propagation, we briefly mentioned that VHF and UHF signals could be “bounced off” meteors and this was called “Meteor Scatter”.

Most hams use special software, a data interface and sound card (just like keyboard-to-keyboard modes – e.g. PSK31).

The best known programs are: HSMS and WSJT



What about that large reflector in the sky?

Hams do in fact bounce VHF and UHF signals off the moon and back to Earth.

Hams use the some of the same techniques used for meteor-scatter for Earth-Moon-Earth or EME contacts.

High gain antennas are a must for recovery of the extremely weak signals .



Hams use amateur radio to remotely control (operate, fly, drive) model craft such as boats, cars and planes.

Amateur frequencies in the 6-meter band are set aside just for radio control “telecommand” signals.

By getting your license you can avoid the congested non-ham remote control frequencies near 27, 72 and 75 MHz.



Telecommand signals are one-way transmissions intended to initiate, modify or terminate functions of the controlled device (e.g., model craft, etc.).

Telemetry signals are also one-way transmissions that send back measurements or status information from a measuring instrument or system.

Amateur satellites usually send telemetry signals to ground controllers on Earth.



Amateurs may transmit telecommand signals with an output power not to exceed 1 watt.

Because telecommand signals do not identify the licensee on the air, remote control (RC) operators are required to display their call sign, name and address on their RC transmitters.



Questions?Read Chapter 7 for the next session.

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Chapter 6 Emergency Communications