Prowords in Formal Messages

As a follow up to the net training topic December 19:

PROWORDS aka OPERATIONAL WORDS

These words are spoken to begin or end a formal message, indicate information for the receiving operator, or to separate parts of the message or books. They are not written in the message or counted in the check. Following are several common prowords with descriptions of their use:

Number

The proword “number” begins message copy. It tells the operator to copy everything after hearing the word “number”. To begin the message say "number ..." then transmit the preamble.

Figures

Used to indicate you are about to give a series of numbers. Variatons include Zip Figures - used immediately before giving a zip code, and Phone Figures - used immediately before giving a phone number.

Initials

Indicates you are about to give one or more initials phonetically.

Mixed Group

Indicates you are about to give is a mixture of numbers and letters.

Direction

Used for cardinal direction in an address.

I Spell

Indicates you are about to spell phonetically the word you just said.

Amateur Call

Used before saying an amateur call sign.

Say Again, (use #1)

To repeat for clarity: say the group(s), then "I say again", repeat the group(s), and then continue. 

Say Again, (use #2)

Used if you missed a portion of the message and need it repeated. Example: Say Again all before _ _ _ _ or, Say Again all after _ _ _ _ .

Break

The proword “break” marks the start of the text, and “break” at the end of the text marks the start of the signature. 

Go, Go Ahead

Used by the receiving station to indicate he or she is ready for the next section of the message

No More, One More, Two More

Indicates if you have additional traffic to follow - or not. These terms follow the “end” or “end book” termination of copy.

Over

Indicates the end of your transmission and signals the receiving station to go ahead

Roger

Indicates you received the transmission successfully. Example: I Roger your number # # #

End 

The proword “end” signals the end of groups to be copied, in other words, the end of the written message.

Book Of (#)

Used to begin transmission of a book of messages. To begin the book say “BOOK OF (#)” then begin the fixed parts of the message. 

End Book

Used to end copy of a book of messages. In other words book copy is begun with “book of (#)” and terminated with “end book”.

Transmitting Formal Messages

Since 1915, messages have been passed back and forth across the country by

amateur radio operators using the structure of the National Traffic System, or

NTS.

Messages are sent in the standard ARRL Radiogram format, and relayed fromAmateur Radio operator to another through a series of formal networks. Thereare four levels of nets, each covering broader territory -- local, section, regional,and area. These nets are held throughout the day in order to move messagesaround the country.

During normal times, these messages are routine greetings such as "Happybirthday Aunt Mary" and keep the system well oiled and the operators trainedso that everything works when needed. When there is an emergency or disaster,the NTS works closely with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service to provideemergency communications. If you want to learn more about the NTSvisit arrl.org/nts.

I hope everyone was able to review the Radiogram Preparation blog post fromNovember 29, the sections of the ARRL Radiogram.

Are there any questions related to the process of preparing a radiogram?

Now let’s discuss how to transmit a radiogram.

During a regularly scheduled radio net it is customary for net control to inviteany station having formal message traffic to come forward. Any station holdingformal message traffic responds to the request, stating the destination of themessage.

Net control will then make a call for any station who could handle the traffic forthe specified location. If there is no station who can handle the traffic for thelocation, net control informs the station with the message that no one can handlethe message at this time.

If there is a station who can handle the traffic, net control will suggest a simplexor repeater frequency the sender and receiver can use. This allows net operationsto continue while the formal message traffic is handled on that frequency. Later onin the net, net control can call for the station with traffic to verify the messagehad been passed successfully.

The Beehive Utah Net is a Section level net within the Utah Section of the American Radio Relay League. Ocassionally you can hear formal message traffic over the Mount Logan Repeater System when two operators from the Beehive Net move to this system to pass a message. 

During the weekly BARC net there is a call for any station with formal message traffic. Sometimes you may hear net control coordinate formal message traffic during that net.

Moving a radiogram occurs in 3 sections: the preamble and address; the text; and the signature, with a break after each section where the receiving station has an opportunity to request the sender repeat unclear parts of the message. Accuracy is more important than speed.

Messages can originate with either hams or non-hams, and quite often the finaldelivery will occur by another mode, such as a phone call. Therefore it is importantto transmit and copy the address and telephone information carefully.

When sending or receiving formal message traffic, you may encounter or need to use prowords - also called procedural words or operational words. Prowords are not written in the message or counted in the check count.

For those not familiar with the prowords used when passing message traffic I will post a reference on the net blog page at the close of the net.

When the sending and receiving station have arrived on the assigned frequency,and the receiving station signifies he or she is ready to copy, the sender beginstransmitting the message.

The sample radiogram from the November 29 blog post will be used todemonstrate the process of transmitting a message, and the transmission goeslike this:

Number 101, Routine, HX Echo, November Seven Golf Romeo Fox,

One Five, Newton Utah, Fifteen Hundred Mountain Standard Time,

November Two Nine.

Greg Fabricius I spell Fox Alpha Bravo Romeo India Charlie India Uniform

Sierra, Amateur Call November Seven Golf Romeo Fox, Address figures 147, Direction W, Main, Newton Utah, Zip Figures 84327, Phone Figures 435 757 3330.

Break

At this point the receiving station has an opportunity to ask the sender to repeata portion of the content, such as please repeat address figures. Or the receivingstation acknowledges the preceding was understood by saying “Go Ahead”.

The sending station continues:

December, nineteen, is, our, next, net, Initial X-ray, Will, you, be, able,

to, join, us, Query.

Break

Again, the receiving station has the opportunity to request a repeat of the Textportion of the message, or acknowledge the preceding was understood by saying“Go Ahead”.

The Sending station continues:

Greg, Amateur Call November Seven Golf Romeo Fox, End number 101, no more - how copy?

At this point the receiving station can request clarification for the Signaturesection of the message, or signify the message was received.

Even though message handling does not happen often, in the event of anemergency activation it would be a good idea to have radiogram forms andpencils close by your radio equipment in case you need to copy down a formalmessage at a moment’s notice.

Radiogram Preparation

As a follow up to the net training in November, the process of preparing an ARRL radiogram is detailed below. I encourage each of you to become familiar with this message format as the training topic in December will discuss the process of transmitting the formal message over the radio.

First, open a copy of the form from this link: ARRL Radiogram. It should open in a new window and you can reference the form as you read on.

A Radiogram consists of 5 sections: Preamble, Address, Text, Signature and the Rec'd / Sent logging section.

There are 8 blocks in the Preamble. Note: the "Time Filed" and "Handling Instructions" (HX) blocks are optional, for most messages.

Block #1 – Message Number – Any number assigned by the originating station. Common practice is to start with the number “1” at the beginning of the emergency operation. Alphanumeric combinations are acceptable, but not recommended.

Block #2 – Precedence – The relative urgency of the message. There are four levels of precedence:

Routine – “R” – Most day-to-day message traffic

Welfare – “W” – Used for an injury as to the health and welfare of an individual in a disaster area, or a message from a disaster victim to friends and family.

Priority – “P” – Time limited messages. Only used with official traffic to, from or related to a disaster area.

EMERGENCY – “EMERGENCY” – No abbreviation. Used for life or death situations. Due to lack of privacy on radio, EMERGENCY messages should only be sent via Amateur Radio when regular communication facilities are not available.

Block #3 – Handling Instructions (optional) - The seven standard HX prosigns are:

HXA## – Collect telephone delivery authorized by addressee within X miles. If no number is included, unlimited distance is authorized.

HXB## – Cancel if not delivered in (X) hours of filing time.

HXC – Report to originating station the date and time of delivery.

HXD – Report to originating station the identity of the station you received the message from and the date and time received. Also report the identity of the relay station you sent the message to and date and time of delivery.

HXE – Get and send a reply from addressee.

HXF## – Hold delivery until (specify date).

HXG – Deliver by mail or telephone. If expense involved, cancel message.

HX combinations can be used, i.e. HXAC. 

Block # 4 – Station of Origin – First station to put message in NTS format.

Block #5 – The check – Number of words in the text section only. The originating station counts the number of text words and the receiving station confirms the number upon receipt. **If the word count is different in what you received compared to the word count the originating station entered in the Check field, make note of this on the written copy you create when receiving the message over the airwaves.

Block #6 – Place of Origin – The name of the community, building, or agency where the originator is located, whether a ham or not.

Block #7 – Time Filed – This is an optional field unless handling instruction “HXB” is used, or if the message is emergency, priority or welfare related. Use the 24 hour time format, ideally UTC. If not UTC then indicate the time zone, such as 16:00 MST.

Block #8 – Date – The date that the message was first placed into the traffic system. 

The "Address" section comes next, with the recipient information on the left side of the form.

In the "Address" block, enter the recipient name and street address. If the recipient is a licensed amateur, include the call sign. As many radiograms are final delivered with a local phone call, include the area code and phone number of the recipient.

You will notice there is a Receiving Station area to the right of the address field. This section is not commonly used to log receipt of the message, as there is a section below the Text and Signature area where the recipient logs the date and time of receipt of the message, and again when the message is passed to the next station - if applicable. 

One instance where you would enter your information in this area is if you are mailing the form to the intended recipient - instead of passing the message to another station via radio transmission. This area may also used if you are required to turn in your paperwork at the end of a shift during an emergency, as a convenience in case there are any questions about the content of the message.

Next come the Text, Signature and Rec'd / Sent sections of the form:

The Text section has a limit of 25 words. Punctuation is not used in the text section, but you can enter the letter "X" to signify a period at the end of a phrase or sentence - but remember it counts as one of the words. Do not use an "X" at the end of the entire message, even if there are unused spaces. If the text of the message includes a question, the word "Query" is used in place of the question mark punctuation symbol.

Below the word blocks in the Text area you will see one additional long block, directly above the REC'D and SENT logging area. This is the Signature section. The name and call sign (if licensed) of the original author of the message is entered here and continues on in the Signature line of the message as it is relayed.

Here is an example of a completed ARRL Radiogram form ready to transmit:

In the training topic of December's net we will discuss the procedure used to pass this message along. I hope you will be able to join us.

Message Handling

Both formal and informal messages have their place in emergency communications. In general, informal messages are best when the content is non-critical and simple, or when they require immediate action, those are delivered directly from the author to the recipient.

Formal messages are more appropriate when two or more people will handle them before they reach the recipient, or when the contents are critical or contain important details. 

Some emergency messages are best sent informally in the interest of saving precious seconds. If you need an ambulance for a severely bleeding victim, you do not have time to compose and send a formal message.

Other messages do not require a formal written message because they have little value beyond the moment. Letting the Net Control Station (NCS) know where you are or when you will arrive need not be formal. The message is going directly to its recipient, is simple and clear, and has little detail. Many of the messages handled on a tactical net fit this description. 

If someone gives you a short message to relay to someone else, you should repeat it as closely to the original as possible. Messages that will be relayed more than once should always be sent in a standard format to prevent multiple modifications that may affect the meaning.

A standard written message format is used so everyone knows what to expect. This increases the speed and accuracy with which you can handle messages. Two message formats, FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) form ICS 213 and ARRL’s message form, or “Radiogram,” are used for passing messages on various nets and are required for all messages sent through the National Traffic System.

ARRL Radiogram

FEMA ICS 213

FEMA ICS 214 - Message log form.

While these formats may not be perfect for all applications, they serve as a baseline that can be readily adapted for use by specific partners. Regular practice with creating and sending messages in any format is recommended.

Do not speculate on anything relating to an emergency! You do not want to be the source of any rumor. If your partner requests an estimate, you can provide that information as long as you make it very clear that it is only an estimate. For example, “The estimated number of homes damaged is 12,” would be an acceptable thing to say. 

Pass messages exactly as they have been written or spoken. Even more important than speed is accuracy; your job as a communicator is to deliver each message as accurately as possible. Therefore, you must not change any message as you handle it. If it is longer than you would like, you must send it anyway. Seemingly misspelled words or confusing text must be sent exactly as received. Only the original author may make changes. If you note an inaccurate word count in an NTS format message, you must maintain the original count and follow it with the actual count received at your station, i.e., “12/11.”

Log all incoming and outgoing messages. Record the name of the sender, addressee, the station that passed the message to you, the station to whom the message was sent, the message number, and the times in and out. Keep the written copy of each message in numerical order for future reference.

Also, log which operators are on duty for any given period and record any significant events at your station. These might include changes in conditions, power failures, meals, new arrivals and departures, equipment failures, and so on.

In addition to the log, copies of all messages should be kept and catalogued for easy retrieval if needed later for clarification or message tracking. Many operators make notes about when the message was received and sent, as well as to whom and from whom, directly on the message form itself. This helps speed up tracking later on. Never rely on your memory.

- source: ARRL Intro to Emergency Communications Section 3

More on Emergency Power

Revisiting the training topic from the October net, specifically battery power for handheld radios.

One happy accident of buying newer, inexpensive handheld radios to augment the gear that makes up my kit is related to emergency power. Each of these radios came with a charging base and wall plug adapter to use with commercial power. Small, easy to store and carry, but useless if the electrical grid is down.

My latest handheld addition, however, came with the standard wall plug adapter and a bonus adapter with USB connector compatible with the charging base, or it can connect direct to the battery without the charging base in between. Only one of my radios has a charging port on the battery, but my older model handhelds from this same manufacturer can be charged with the USB adapter connected to the charging base.

It's been a game changer. Now that I have an emergency power source as part of my radio go kit, I no longer need to worry about a clam shell and alkaline batteries as a backup power source for the handheld radios I will take. My 12 volt power box has USB ports built in and the adapter and charging bases are stored in the kit, ready to go at a moments notice.

If you are interested in putting together a radio go kit but a 12 volt battery and mobile radio is a bit much right now, I would recommend a Baofeng handheld radio with USB charging capability, a spare radio battery and a solar portable battery as a means to get started. I've found this brand to be as capable and reliable as any other handheld I've owned, and they certainly are reasonably priced.

As you look at the options for a portable solar battery it's important to take into account the capacity of the battery - as compared to the capacity of your handheld battery - so you know how many charge cycles you can expect, as well as how long it will take to replenish the portable battery with solar power.

I've found a variety of 10,000 mAH or greater capacity solar batteries online at  reasonable prices - even cheaper than the inexpensive handheld radio with USB charger adapter I've mentioned above. A 10,000 mAH capacity battery could recharge any of my handheld radios at least 3 times, allowing me to stay on the air for quite a while if I was shadowing an emergency crew.

Hope you find this helpful.

Recap - ARES Exercise

My radio, AC power supply and backup antenna are portable, but that is only good if a commercial power source is available where I need to relocate. To counter a possible widespread loss of power, over the last month I have gathered up the parts to put together a backup power system and the ARES exercise was a good opportunity for a test - from the wilds of my backyard.

One plus is the radio I bought shortly after getting my ticket all those years ago has a built in TNC. This means I did not need additional hardware to get connected to a computer to send Winlink messages, it was just a matter of using the correct settings. A little more time with the communications section of the manual and I was able to get things working.

This configuration is not compatible with the VARA version of Winlink, which does require additional hardware, but using a laptop connected to my Kenwood TM-D700 pictured below I was able to send the damage assessment report while using emergency power making the exercise a success.

ARES Exercise - October 21, 2021

For any members of the net who are also Cache County ARES members:

Thursday, October 21, 2021 Cache County ARES will activate for an emergency communications exercise. The exercise will test the ability of ARES members to submit a damage assessment to net control via Winlink, preferably using emergency power over a portable setup, as if operating without commercial power. 

If you are an ARES member and did not receive the announcement email from ARES leadership contact Ted, AC7II, or Tyler, N7UWX, to get the information for the exercise.

Emergency Power

There are times when the commercial power grid experiences an interruption and the lights go out - along with all other electrical appliances. Case in point: the recent winter storm causing a loss of power in some Cache Valley communities. 

While the inconvenience was minimal for many households, there were a few situations where the outage continued much longer. To my knowledge our part of the valley was spared the worst, but listening to reports of extended outages from other areas in the valley caused me to consider what I might do to be prepared for the next time the power goes out.

If the cause of the power outage does not require you to leave your home, the estimated length of the outage will likely determine the action to take. A short duration outage can be weathered with minimal concern - using battery powered flashlights as a light source after dark, and minimizing the time the refrigerator door is open will get you through. If electricity is needed for food preparation, a menu change can overcome the problem, or you could always fire up the grill. Of course the time of year could dramatically increase the difficulty of a relatively minor outage - especially with the loss of electric powered heating systems.

If extended power outages are a concern you want to prepare for, emergency power options are many. Battery backup systems with solar recharge capability are the up and coming technology, with a variety of watt hour ratings and discharge configurations available. Fuel powered generators are also tried and true sources for emergency power. Determining what appliances you want to have access to when the power is out, the energy consumption of those devices vs. the capacity of the battery backup system, and the types of discharge ports you want on your generator will help you find the system that fits your needs.

Seeing as we are a group of amateur radio operators, taking a moment to consider emergency power options for your amateur station is appropriate. The easiest mode of communication is always the best, but sometimes landline and cellular systems will be overloaded or fail, so a communication backup for the worst case is a good idea.

If you do not need to leave your home, this could be as easy as grabbing a handheld to monitor the bands. For those who have a base station radio in your home, connect your radio to the emergency power system you chose for your home and you're back on the air with your existing equipment. A higher watt transmitter as a base station would be especially helpful if repeaters are affected by the outage, as a lower watt handheld may not reach distant stations over simplex frequencies. This is why a monthly check-in on a simplex frequency is helpful to understand the capabilities of our equipment.

If circumstances require you to relocate, as long as the amateur repeaters are functioning a charged battery on a handheld radio will allow you to monitor the local emergency nets as they will use the repeaters for much of their communication. If you can recharge batteries, or use alkaline batteries in a clam shell compatible for your radio, you are good to go.

If you anticipate the loss of repeaters, or the need to use simplex frequencies over greater distances, the next step would be to assemble a portable amateur station with a higher watt radio that you could set up anywhere you are. This has been a goal of mine and as I was considering how to proceed Google searches using “Amateur Radio Go Box” and “Amateur Radio Emergency Communications” helped me come up with a plan.

As you work towards your emergency preparedness goals, I would encourage each of you to research the available emergency power systems to see which option might be a good fit for your needs, allowing you to minimize the inconvenience of the next power outage. If you decide that a fuel powered generator meets your needs, remember to keep the exhaust system far enough away that carbon monoxide will not get into your home.

Winlink Basics for EmComm

Sending data via radio transmission is something I have heard about since I became involved in the emergency communication aspect of amateur radio with the Storehouse Radio Net, but have not yet experienced first hand. 

Through Cache County ARES I had the opportunity to watch an introductory Zoom meeting about Winlink - a global radio email client used to send data over radio frequencies - a program I would guess many of you already know of and possibly use.

Since my introduction to Winlink I have used the program to send email messages through telnet - a non-radio path across the internet. While I have a radio that can interface with a computer through a built-in TNC, my attempts to send such a message via radio transmission have been unsuccessful. I lack the understanding necessary to configure the computer soundcard to interface with my radio, and maybe I need additional hardware. I have not been able to figure it out on my own.

Good news, though. In the introductory Zoom meeting I heard about a training course covering all the information needed to get the right hardware and configure the equipment and send messages. The course is free, but does require you to enroll by creating a login and password, and consent to the terms of use for the presentation medium named Teachable. 

I am excited to watch the training in the coming weeks in order to accomplish my goal of sending data via radio frequency transmission. If you are not using this aspect of amateur radio but are interested, I encourage you to watch the training sessions to see if it is something you would like to pursue. Follow this link to enroll for the training Winlink Basics for EmComm.

You can also view the training videos via Youtube, instead of registering for Teachable. Follow this link: Watch via YouTube.

National Emergency Preparedness Month

Before a short training topic, we’ll start with a couple of announcements:

First, regarding the frequencies chosen for the net:

146.550 and 147.420 simplex frequencies were initially chosen for the net, mainly because the radio at the Newton EOC can only transmit in the 2 meter band. While that situation has not changed, K7ETM and I feel it would be good to add a simplex frequency in the 70 centimeter band to the list. The frequency selected for the 70 centimeter simplex is 466.300.

One possible use for this additional frequency would be a cross band repeater application, where a dual band radio with cross-band capability receives and transmits on two frequencies at the same time. 

An example: Operators using simplex frequencies on handheld radios may not be able to talk to Benson from Clarkston, or Clarkston to Amalga, etc., but with a cross-band repeating radio somewhere in between, operators in the southern area of the net could select the 146.550 simplex frequency, while operators in the northern area could select 446.300 simplex. Through the cross-band repeat function of the dual band radio the reception across the geography of the net may improve.

This afternoon KE5HHW and I tested this scenario with good results. Granted, our stations are very close in proximity, therefore we intend to further test the function during the Storehouse net a little later this evening where net control is some distance away. 

One factor is the elevation of the antenna connected to the repeating radio - even for our geographically close net operations. The cross-band repeat radio we used for our test has the capability of being moved to a higher elevation, say, the south end of Little Mountain, or even higher on the Long Divide road. With emergency power, and a portable antenna from a higher elevation, the cross band repeat function would improve communication across the communities represented by this net. In the future we may test this setup on a broader scale during one of our monthly net meetings.

Next, as mentioned in the invitation for tonight’s meeting, the Northwest Cache Valley Net has an online presence. On the blog you will be able to review the monthly training topics of previous net meetings, as well as other informational posts relative to the function of the net. The URL of the site is nwcvnet.blogspot.com.

On to a brief training topic:

September is National Preparedness Month. Ready.gov and BeReadyUtah.gov are great resources to use to gather preparedness information as you work towards your goals.

Key principles of preparedness include determining what hazards you may face, as well as what resources are available in your community - such as shelters, notification systems and disaster response agencies serving your community.

Next comes making a plan. Deciding how you will communicate with family

members who are away from home, as well as where you will gather if you need

to leave your home are components of this step.

Assembling and maintaining a disaster supply kit is another critical step. Start with a 3 day supply of food and water for each family member, taking into consideration the needs related to the seasons.

This only scratches the surface of preparedness. I encourage all of us to review and enhance our disaster preparedness capabilities.

Last but not least: Going back to the training topic for August, Tactical Call Signs: This coming weekend the 24th and 25th of September is another chance to hear tactical call signs in use during the Bear 100 Ultra Marathon. Due to the distances between checkpoints, communications may not be as frequent at times, but If you are interested in monitoring you will hear radio operations over the 146.720 and 146.800 amateur repeaters beginning early Friday morning continuing into the afternoon on Saturday.

Tactical Call Signs

One thing hams, as well as police, fire, military, government, and EMS personnel find useful while communicating during an incident is the use of tactical call signs. It's not the same as your FCC-issued call sign, and does not replace it, but can be used as a shortcut or abbreviation during an exercise or emergency.

During an actual call-out it can get really tedious, if not confusing and frustrating, for all parties involved, if you had to remember or read back a series of call signs, possibly fumbling with unfamiliar call signs as you try to transmit important information through the net. 

When used properly, tactical calls can prevent confusion and will increase the efficiency and speed in identifying a specific function or person. 

Tactical Call Signs are generally assigned by the Net Control Station, and should represent a group name, function, or geographical location. For example: A station identifying as "Newton EOC” or “Logan Regional” is immediately known as to where and what they are by everyone on the net. 

For an operator who is not at a fixed location, the tactical call sign assigned should denote the function, or role they are assigned to, such as “Search Team 1”, or “Medic Team 1”, etc.

To expedite traffic, stations on the net can simply use the tactical call sign assigned to the location or role they want to contact without worrying about remembering the FCC call sign of the operator at the location or assigned to the role. This is especially efficient during lengthy incidents where amateur operators fulfilling an assignment have changed after their shift.

Here in the Newton EOC I found the operator shift log from the EOC activation related to Y2K, where several operators manned the EOC in case the fears of telephone communication system failures were realized. With operators rotating out at intervals, an operator switch at the end of a shift could cause a delay in passing traffic if net control had missed the change and continued to call for Newton using just the previous operator's call sign.

Note: It is not necessary to include your amateur call sign after each time you reply with your assigned tactical call sign, but it is necessary to comply with station identification requirements as read in Part 97 of the FCC regulations. Here is an example of tactical call signs in use while adhering to station identification requirements:

Net Control: "Search Team 1, this is Net Control";

Search Team 1: "Go ahead, Net Control";

Net Control transmits the message and Search Team 1 acknowledges. If there are questions or clarification needed, the conversation continues. At the end of the conversation, and every 10 minutes during a longer conversation, each station identifies with their FCC call sign after the tactical call sign:

Net Control, at the end of the conversation: "Net Control, KC7JOO".

On Saturday August 28, 2021 there are two events in the valley where the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club will help provide communications over the Mount Logan Repeater System. This would be a good opportunity to monitor the 146.720 and 449.625 repeater outputs to hear how tactical calls signs are put to use.

Make a List and Check it Twice

I just returned from a trip to another part of the country where I had brought along radios to listen to the local repeaters. I had looked online to find the data needed. I had entered the information into the programming software for upload to each radio.

While traveling, I found that many of the repeaters I wanted to monitor were silent - I had expected to hear the repeater ID announcements at the required intervals, but nothing was audible. While I was certain I had the repeater output frequencies correct, I had no way to test their operation in advance - being so geographically distant at the time of programming. A quick study of the online repeater book via my phone helped me realize my error.

One thing I did not fully review was the tone squelch setting for each repeater I wanted to monitor on the trip. Turns out many of the repeaters I had programmed require a tone to access the input side of the repeater, but they do not transmit the tone on the output frequency - therefore, my tone squelch setting was wrong. This was unexpected to me as the repeaters I monitor in our area do transmit the tone on the output side. 

I was without a computer programming option to quickly correct the situation. This gave me the opportunity to relearn how to manually program frequencies and tone data into my radio. I will admit it was cumbersome work, but in order to listen to the local amateur scene, I had to correct my errors the long way. 

The need to communicate in an emergency can come without warning. In addition to the simplex frequencies we have selected for our group, I would encourage each of you to review the Cache County ARES net frequency list called "ICS205" which can be found at barconline.org/ares. There is a link to the frequency list near the top of that page, under that name. 

It’s likely you will have many of these repeaters and simplex frequencies already in your radio, having programmed and used them previously, so adding a few more frequencies to the radio is all it would take. If you want to have the entire list programmed in the order seen on the page, plugging the ordered list into an unused portion of your memory will accomplish this. Then give them a test to make sure each repeater with tone squelch responds when you transmit.

Or, if you prefer to add them at the time they are needed, you can make a hardcopy of the list and hopefully be practiced at entering frequencies into your radio manually - when the time comes.

When Could We Activate?

Now that we are organizing as radio operators to prepare and test our ability to communicate, can we imagine opportunities where activating a net would be of benefit to one or more of the communities represented in the group?

Some examples:

In the old days of the Clarkston Pony Express Race, when the course traversed the back country between Weston Canyon and Clarkston, amateur operators were positioned at hand-off locations to communicate the need for any assistance. It was a fun opportunity to practice radio communication while observing the logistics of the race away from the finish line. 

Years ago, and even more recently, Newton has experienced flooding during the winter months as one of our most wide-spread emergencies. One particular event saw run off from rain on frozen ground backing up at almost every drain and culvert in its path, with flooding affecting the roads in town - as well as private property.

Amateur operators in any of our communities could activate a radio net in response to such an emergency. Most emergency response actions are rightly left to Fire, EMS and other agencies, but we can be a valuable asset. Helping to contact citizens and functioning as observers in the field, requests for assistance passed to net control at a unified command would then be forwarded to the resource in the community best able to help. Remember, coordination and communication can be handled over whatever means are available - not just a radio on a simplex frequency.

If the scope of the situation extends beyond the communities represented by our net, one or more of the emergency communication nets covering the greater Cache County area will likely be activated - the LDS Storehouse Net, with operators representing the wards and stakes throughout the region, or the Cache County ARES Net, helping city or town EOC’s coordinate a response at the County government level. 

If you are not familiar with these local amateur radio emergency communication organizations, information about County ARES can be found at barconline.org/ares. On this page click on the Cache County EComm Plan link for a description of the communication plan, and for a list of frequencies access the ICS205 link on that site.

Visiting storehousenet.blogspot.com you will find information about the LDS emergency communication organization in our part of the state. If you are able to hold over and want to listen to the Storehouse bi-monthly net it begins at 8:30 p.m. tonight on 146.420 simplex.

If you are willing to help with communication and coordination in time of need, contacting your local government officials to let them know how you can help is a good way to start the process.

NWCV Net Roster

To view the current net roster as a Google Spreadsheet, follow this link:

NWCV Net Roster

Regional Repeater Map

The link below will take you to a Google Map display where many of the amateur radio repeaters in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho are represented.

It also contains a separate layer where information for the repeaters of the Intermountain Intertie can be found.

Increasing the zoom will allow you to see the name of each repeater site. Click on the icon associated with each site to see the output frequency, offset and tone information.

Regional Repeater Map

Frequency Lists

The Northwest Cache Valley Net frequency list is as follows:

Primary Frequency: 147.420 MHz simplex.

Alternate Frequency: 446.500 Mhz simplex.

Alternate Frequency: 145.610 Mhz simplex.

FRS/GMRS Frequency 1: 462.6875 MHz simplex.

FRS/GMRS Frequency 2: 467.6125 MHz simplex

FRS/GMRS Frequency 3: 467.6625 MHz simplex

GMRS Repeater: Mount Logan - 462.625 rx and 467.625 tx with 103.5 pl.

Split Channel Operation: Listen on 147.420 and transmit on 446.500.

Additional frequencies of interest to amateurs in Cache County, Utah:

The Cache County ARES Incident Radio Communication Plan has been posted on the BARC website and can be accessed from this link: ICS 205.

About the NWCV Net

Welcome to the Northwest Cache Valley Net online presence!

First, a little bit about the origins of the net:

In conjunction with the Great Utah Shake Out observed each April in Utah, the Cache County ARES organization holds an amateur radio net to test emergency communication in the valley. After listening to the April 2021 net, another local amateur operator and I visited about what we heard, noting the lack of representation at the City/Town Emergency Operation Center level from our northwest section of the valley.

As a result of continued discussion, it was decided we would start an amateur radio net based on the geography of northwest Cache Valley - specifically the communities of Amalga, Benson, Clarkston, Cornish, Newton and Trenton - to help interested persons in this region practice radio communication and coordination with the goal that we will be prepared to communicate our needs to the Cache County EOC or Bishops Storehouse in the event of an emergency.

Our inaugural net was held Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. over the simplex frequency 146.550, with consecutive net meetings held once a month on the 3rd Sunday of at 8:00 p.m. 

We invite all amateur operators residing in the Northwest Cache Valley area to join in fellowship and training.

On this site you will be able to review the monthly training topics, organized as individual posts  in the directory located to the right of the page, as well as other informational announcements relative to the function of the net.

If you have questions about the Northwest Cache Valley Net please contact me at greg.fabricius@gmail.com. 

 

Greg Fabricius
N7GRF