2022 Net Recap

A good evening to all of you!

Tonight was the last radio net of 2022 and I wanted to share a few statistics with you from the year, and wish you all a Merry Christmas.

First, amateur radio offers a lot of opportunities and it was interesting to learn a little bit about amateur radio in space recently. As a diversion from emergency communications I decided to talk about about the cross band repeater on the International Space Station tonight. Here is a link to the training topic: https://nwcvnet.blogspot.com/2022/12/ariss.html.

On to the statistics:

Along with the Newton EOC station used to call the net, 15 individual stations participated in the radio net by checking in at least once during 2022. 

Over the course of the year there were 84 individual check ins to the monthly net, and since October when we began encouraging participation via Winlink there were 9 Winlink check ins coming from the city station at Newton and other individual stations.

We have one soon to be licensed member who listens when he can, increasing total participation to 16 individuals with 87 check ins - 3 of which were by text notifying me he was listening.

It is good to test our equipment regularly, and discuss topics that will help us be prepared to communicate in an emergency. It is also valuable to identify the challenges faced when trying to communicate over simplex. I feel like the cross band repeater channel has helped those with handheld radios here in Newton hear distant stations better, but we still have the topography challenge of Little Mountain hindering simplex communication to parts of Trenton and Cornish.

Maybe we can adjust our roll call procedure so that stations with aerial antennas who are not within the hole Newton sits in can help me call for, and relay check ins from those more distant stations. I will think on this a bit more in the coming weeks.

I look forward to our net meetings in coming year and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season! 

Greg Fabricius
N7GRF

ARISS

For the last net of the year I decided to change it up and discuss something outside the realm of emergency communication. Tonight we’ll talk about the ARISS program (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station).

Under ARISS, a variety of amateur radio communication activities have been conducted at specified times as per declared schedules. Amateur radio operators around the world have made numerous FM radio voice contacts with astronauts onboard the ISS as well as received SSTV picture transmissions from the ISS.

However, the above activities in the past required adherence to ISS activity schedules. Radio amateurs could make radio contacts with the astronauts but only when they were free to operate amateur band radios… 

A new version of the ISS Cross Band Repeater was activated on September 2, 2020 at 01:02 UTC. The ISS Cross Band Repeater allows two geographically separated operators on the ground to establish contact with one another. The ISS is only the facilitator just like any other communication satellite. One doesn’t need to wait for the astronaut to be available for contact. Moreover, with this repeater, it is no longer an earth station to space station contact but between two earth stations.

Let us see what this repeater system onboard the ISS has to offer…

The first important factor is that the ISS is large and therefore has a huge amount of resources in terms of physical space, electric power, etc. in comparison to smaller dedicated LEO satellites for amateur radio service. As a consequence, better equipment with higher transmitter power becomes feasible. 

The repeater equipment used on ISS is a customized Kenwood TM-D710GA VHF/UHF FM radio transceiver. Unlike regular amateur radio satellites that typically have downlink TX power of around 1W or even less in many cases, the ISS repeater downlink RF power output is typically set at 5W, although the equipment has the capability to churn out 25W if needed.

The antennas used for communication on the amateur radio bands consist of VHF/UHF monopole antennas. There are three such antennas on the ISS and are used for various purposes. However, all said and done, they are all linearly polarized antennas with nearly omnidirectional radiation patterns. The effective antenna gains are nominal and close to 0 dB or perhaps a little more.

The uplink receiver front-end of the ISS Cross Band Repeater system is very sensitive and has low noise characteristics. Therefore, the ISS repeater can respond to relatively weak signals that might be produced from low power amateur radio rigs like the Hand-held (HT) radios outputting merely a couple of watts into a regular whip antenna. 

Though it works with an HT whip antenna on most of the medium and high elevation passes, it would certainly be nice to have a set of 2m/70cm outdoor omnidirectional antennas like either the Turnstile, the QHA, Lindenblad, or the Eggbeater installed in the clear on a rooftop. This way a horizon-to-horizon strong and robust contact on every pass is guaranteed.

Another important factor that makes contacts via the ISS Cross Band Repeater possible with very moderate equipment is the fact that the orbital altitude of the ISS is quite low. It is approximately 420 Km above the earth’s surface. As a result of this, the link distance between the earth station and the satellite during its pass becomes less. Compared to a higher altitude satellite, the Line-of-sight (LOS) distance to the ISS is relatively smaller. On high elevation angle passes, the ISS is often visible with the naked eyes as it fleets across the sky.

However, there is a downside to the lower orbital altitude of the ISS too… The foot-print radius circle of communication coverage distance on the earth is less because of the lower orbital altitude. In other words, the distance between two earth stations that might simultaneously fall within the coverage area of the passing satellite gets reduced in comparison to what one might expect from another satellite at a higher altitude.

Important tips on working through the ISS cross band repeater:

First, the ISS features a V/U repeater. This means that the uplink frequency is VHF, at 145.990 MHz with a PL tone of 67.0. The downlink frequency is UHF and is 437.800 MHz, with no PL tone.

Orbiting satellites including the ISS produces Doppler downlink frequency shifts of ±9 KHz due to the continuously varying relative distance between the satellite and the observer on earth. The maximum 2m uplink Doppler shift for the ISS is within ±3 KHz, usually allowing the uplink frequency to remain constant at 145.990 MHz, with a PL tone of 67.0.

During the ISS pass, to account for the Doppler shift, it will be necessary to adjust the RX frequency incrementally while maintaining the VHF TX frequency of the split. It can be done manually, but it could be a rather distracting process.

One suggestion to overcome this on-the-fly adjustment is to program several versions of the split frequency into your memory locations using 5 kHz spacing for the downlink side of the split, and assign them friendly names.

Start with a receive frequency of 437.810 and transmit frequency of 145.990 with a PL of 67.0, then reduce the receive frequency of each additional saved split channel by 5 kHz before storing as a new memory. With 5 memory channels saved to the memory of your radio you can effectively cover the entire ±9 KHz receive range of the Doppler shift.

It is also a good idea to listen to your radio unsquelched. Even though unsquelched can be annoying, it does give you the best chance for success in working the ISS crossband repeater.

Along with the modest set of equipment and the information gathered in this article, we are almost set to go. However, we do not yet know as to when and where in the sky will the ISS appear. Hence, we need a reliable method of predicting and following the ISS orbital passes.

There are several internet options as well as mobile applications that will do the trick. ISS Detector is the application promoted on the website of the article. I also looked at a couple of internet sites with tracking displays such as isstracker.com and n2yo.com.

One of our net members, KE5HHW also suggested GO ISS WATCH as another mobile application option for tracking the ISS location.

I am interested to try this over the coming weeks to see how well I can hear this repeater on passes when it is in range. If you have experience communicating through the ISS or amateur satellites please feel free to share with the net.

Why We Have Nets

During an emergency communication situation, a high volume of disorganized messages can quickly turn an overloaded communication system into a disaster of its own. To prevent this from happening, Amateur Radio operators use regular protocols called a “network” or “net” to organize the flow of messages. The mission of the net is to effectively move as much traffic as accurately and quickly as possible. Nets can be either formal or informal, as needs dictate. Nets can be conducted via voice, Morse code, or digital modes, depending on the situation.

Anatomy of Net Operations

The Net Manager is the person in charge of a net and is most often not the person who conducts the net on the air. Net Managers ensure that there is a Net Control Station (NCS) with enough operators for each shift, and monitor net and band conditions to see if changes in frequency are needed. If more than one net is operating, a Net Manager may be responsible for a group of nets. 

The Net Manager coordinates the various nets and their Net Control Stations to ensure a smooth flow of traffic within and between nets. Net Managers may assign various human and equipment resources to meet the needs of each net.

Net Managers may be responsible for a regularly scheduled net, or they may be temporarily appointed to manage one or more ad hoc nets created for a particular emergency incident. 

A Net Control Station directs the minute-by-minute operation of the net on the air. The NCS controls the flow of messages according to priority and keeps track of where messages come from and where they go, as well as any that have yet to be sent. They also keep a current list of which stations are where, their assignments, and their capabilities. In a busy situation, the NCS may have one or more assistants to help with record-keeping. 

Liaison stations handle messages that need to be passed from one net to another. The NCS or Net Manager may assign one or more stations to act as liaisons between two specific nets. These stations can monitor one or both nets, depending on resources. It is easier to monitor only one net at a time. This can be accomplished by having one station in each net assigned as the liaison to the other, or by having a single liaison station check into both nets on a regular schedule. In the event that an “emergency” precedence message needs to be passed to another net when the liaison is not monitoring that net, any net member can be assigned to jump to the other net and pass the message.

Learning proper NCS technique and handling such duties is one of the most important functions in emergency communications. During an emergency or disaster, the first operator to arrive on frequency is the NCS operator — at least until a Net Manager or a leadership official arrives on frequency to take control and perhaps to assign someone else to be the NCS. 

Net Types

Open (Informal) Nets

During an open emergency net, there is minimal central control by a Net Control Station, if indeed there is an NCS at all. Stations call one another directly to pass messages. Unnecessary chatter is usually kept to a minimum. Open nets are often used during the period leading up to a potential emergency and as an operation winds down, or in smaller nets with only a few stations participating. 

Directed (Formal) Nets

A directed emergency net is created whenever large numbers of stations are participating, or where the volume of traffic cannot be dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis. In a communication emergency of any size, it is usually best to operate a directed net. In such situations, the NCS can prioritize traffic by nature and content. 

In a directed net, the NCS controls all net operations. Check-ins may not interrupt the net or transmit unless specifically instructed to do so by the NCS, or unless they have an emergency message. The NCS will determine who uses the frequency and which traffic will be passed first. Casual conversation is strongly discouraged, and tactical call signs or tactical designators will probably be used. 

Recap

Any list of the major strengths of Amateur Radio in an emergency setting includes our abilities to share information in a “group setting” in real time across multiple locations and even multiple served agencies. Unlike many other types of communications, our radio messages can be heard by everyone in the group at once — and they can respond. This gives flexibility to emergency response managers, which is very useful.

Frequency Change

Back in April and May of 2021 when the Northwest Cache Valley Net came to be, K7ETM and I discussed the frequencies we would use for the net. At that time the Newton EOC radio could only operate on the 2 meter band, limiting our selection of frequencies to the simplex portions of that band.

Another consideration was the frequencies already selected by the County EOC and the other towns and cities with operating EOC's. The 146.400 to 146.580 simplex portion of the band is popular with those other agencies, but I found an open spot I thought we could use and chose 146.550 as the primary net frequency, with 147.420 as an alternate.

A few months later the Newton EOC radio was upgraded and a 70 Centimeter band frequency was added, in large part to give us a cross-band repeat frequency - which we have begun to use.

Last evening during their regular Tuesday net, the BARC training topic revisited the Utah 2 Meter band plan, and from that training I realized we will need to make a change to our primary net frequency. 

While I had consulted the national band plan and the frequencies in use by other agencies, I did not realize that Utah has a frequency allocation layer on top of the national band plan, limiting the simplex frequency selection to even numbered frequencies at least 20 KHz apart.

So, because 146.550 is less than 20 KHz away from other frequencies in use, and it is not an even numbered frequency in the simplex portion of the band, I propose we abandon it altogether and use 147.420 as our primary net requency, with 446.300 as the alternate. I have reviewed the existing Cache County frequency assignments again and this change will put our net operations well away from any other Cache County agency using the upper simplex portion of the band.

As many of our members use handheld radios, I would like to continue using the split channel for our net meetings. I believe it allows the handheld signals to be heard better by all when we use that split channel. The split channel "listening" frequency wll be 147.420, while transmitting on 446.300.

I realize many of you have recently gone through a reprogramming process to accomodate the split channel we have been using for the net, and I do feel bad to ask again. I feel your pain, as this change will require I reprogram the two radios in the EOC, as well as all of my personal radios, but I believe avoiding potential interference during an actual emergency where many agencies are operating will be worth the effort.

If it is helpful I have prepared a CHIRP image file containing the updated Northwest Cache Valley Net frequencies, the Cache County ICS205 frequencies as well as the VARA and packet gateway frequencies in the valley. You can find that file here.

Also, I want to thank each of you for participating! Whether it is through reading the training posts on the blog, or by joining us during the net on a radio, our goal is to help amateur operators in this corner of the county to be better prepared if we need to use our radios in an emergency.

If I can help with programming I would be happy to do so. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out via 435-757-3330 or by email to greg.fabricius@gmail.com.

2 Basic Communication Skills

Announcement:

A one-day technician class will be held at the Sheriff’s Office this coming Saturday, October 22. Class instruction begins at 8:00 AM with a test session at 3:00. If you know someone who is interested in obtaining a license, refer them to barconline.org/licensing/technician to sign up for the class.

Training:

For our training I referenced the ARRL Introduction to Emergency Communications course and will focus on two of the skills discussed in Section 2, Topic 5:

First, Plain Language:

As ham radio operators, we use a great deal of jargon (technical slang) and specialized terminology in our daily conversations. Most of us understand each other when we do, and if we do not on occasion it usually makes little difference. In an emergency, however, the results can be much different. A misunderstood message could be costly.

Not everyone involved in an emergency communication situation will understand our slang and technical jargon. Even terms used by ham radio operators vary from one region to another, and non-hams or new hams will have no knowledge of most of our terminology. Ham radio operators assisting from another region might understand certain jargon very differently from local ones.

For these reasons, all messages and communications during an emergency should be in plain language. “Q” signals (except in CW communication), 10 codes, and similar jargon should be avoided. The one exception to this is the list of standard “prowords” (often called “prosigns”) used in amateur traffic nets, such as “clear,” “say again all after,” and so on.

Avoid words or phrases that carry strong emotions. Most emergency situations are emotionally charged already, and you do not need to add to the problem. For instance, instead of saying, “horrific damage and people torn to bits,” you might say “significant physical damage and serious personal injuries.” And please watch the speed at which you speak. It should be at a normal rate. Many times, emergency operators get too excited and talk very fast, making it hard for receiving stations to understand them. 

The second topic is Phonetics:

In the course of sending and receiving messages, certain words in a message may not be immediately understood. This might be the case with an unusual place name, or an unusual last name. The best way to be sure it is understood correctly is to spell it. The trouble is, if you just spell the word using letters, it might still be misunderstood, because many letters sound alike at the other end of a radio circuit. “Z” and “C” are two good examples. For that reason, radio communicators often use phonetics. These are specific words that begin with the letter being sent. 

To reduce requests to repeat words, use phonetics any time a word has an unusual or difficult

spelling, or may be easily misunderstood. Do not spell common words unless the receiving

station asks you to. In some cases, they may ask for the phonetic spelling of a common word to

clear up confusion over what has been received. Standard practice is to first say the word, say “I

spell,” and then spell the word phonetically. This lets the receiving station know you are about to

spell the word they just heard.

Several different phonetic alphabets are in common use, but most ham radio operators and public safety agencies use the ITU Phonetic Alphabet, and others use military alphabets. Many ham radio operators like to make up their own phonetics, especially as a memory aid for call signs, and often with humorous results. This may not be good practice in emergency communications, as in poor conditions, unusual phonetic words might also be misunderstood. We need to be sure that what we say is always interpreted exactly as intended.

The ITU Phonetic Alphabet:

Winlink Checkin

Beginning October 2022 we will add a Winlink message checkin to the 3rd Sunday net. 

If you would like to participate in the data check in but have not installed Winlink on your computer, here is a link to the Winlink Setup post.

The checkin can be via telnet, or via packet over VHF or HF.

• Please send your message before 19:00 hours on the day of the monthly net. 
• Please send your Winlink message to N7GRF.
• Please use the Winlink Checkin.txt form to submit your check in.

Instructions to find the form are in the text below. Contact me via greg.fabricius@gmail.com if you have questions about the Winlink message check in.

Once you have Winlink installed and have an account setup using your call sign, open the Winlink program on your computer.

Note: Every time you open Winlink it will prompt you to update the software and forms, as well as ask you to license your copy. I encourage you to accept the software and form updates, but you are not required to buy a license to continue.

When open, Winlink looks similar to many email programs. In the menu bar just below the window header, click on "Message" and in the drop down window that appears select "New Message"

When the "Enter a New Message" window appears, in the top menu bar choose "Select Template".  The Template Manager window opens, and you will see a directory of forms. To the left of each category is a plus sign.

Locate "General Forms" in the list and click on the plus sign next to that category. A new level of the directory opens and down towards the bottom of the list you will find the form "Winlink Check In.txt". Click on that form and it will open in a new browser window.

When you register your account Winlink will ask you to enter coordinates for your location. Along with your call sign and other information used to set up your account, the grid coordinates entered at setup will populate in the forms that use location data.

There are a few other fields in the Winlink Check In form that will need manual entry, such as the Date/Time field, Send to field, etc. For our monthly net checkin please enter N7GRF in the "Send To" field. As you review each field in the form make an appropriate entry. In the "Comments" field, a simple comment such as Net Check in is all  you need.

At the bottom of the form you will see a row of buttons. If you want to save the form to your computer to make future checkins go faster, click the "Save Check in Data" button. 

To submit the current form back to the Winlink email client, click the "Submit" button.

After you have submitted the form back to the Winlink email client, the contents of the form appear in the "Enter a New Message" window. After a quick review of the recipient and other fields, if everything is correct use the "Post to Outbox" command in the top menu row.

After posting to the outbox, the enter a new message window closes and you are back at the home screen of Winlink. You should see 1 item in your outbox.

In the top menu row of Winlink, locate the "Open Session" command. In the box next to it you can choose the mode, such as Telnet Winlink, etc. For this example we will select Telnet Winlink to use your internet connection.

With Telnet Winlink selected, click the "Open Session" command. The Telnet Winlink Session window opens. For now the window will be blank. On the menu bar of that new window select the "Start" command. 

In the Telnet Winlink Session window you will see connection and progress messages appear. The process takes longer when using a packet over radio frequency mode, but once the Completed Send of Message comment appears you will know your message has been sent. Click the "Stop" command and the Telnet Winlink Session window will close.

Back at the home window you will see the message indicator by the Outbox is back to (0). You can review the Sent Items folder to verify the message was transmitted.

At this point you can close the program, or if you are actively monitoring Winlink during an exercise or activation for an emergency, you can keep the program open and periodically use the "Open Session" command to send or receive messages.

I would encourage everyone to become familiar with Winlink and practice each month with a Winlink Checkin message as well as your voice checkin to the 3rd Sunday net.

Please let me know if you have questions.

October Net Schedules

The Northwest Cache Valley Net will be held Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.  

We invite all amateur operators residing in the Northwest Cache Valley communities of Amalga, Benson, Clarkston, Cornish, Newton and Trenton to join us on the net for a monthly test of your equipment and a training topic we hope will be of value.

If you are able to program a split channel in your radio, please configure a memory location to transmit over 446.300 and receive on 146.550. A PL tone is not needed.

If you cannot use the split channel for check in, continue to join us over 146.550 rx/tx simplex.

Beginning October 2022 I would like to add a Winlink check-in to our monthly net.

The message can be sent by any mode - telnet, packet or VARA.

• Please send your message before 19:00 hours on the day of the monthly net. 
• Please send your Winlink message to N7GRF.
• Please use the Winlink Check In.txt form to submit your check in.

Please review the Winlink Check In post for instructions to find the form.

Other emergency communication themed nets in October 2022:

• October 2, 2022: Logan Storehouse Net at 8:30 p.m over 146.420 simplex.

• October 4, 2022: Cache County ARES Winlink Net from 06:00 - 19:00. Can be ANY mode including Packet, Telnet or HF. Address your check-in message to W7CSO using the "Winlink Check In" template.

• October 4, 2022: Cache County ARES Net at 8:00 p.m. over the BARC Repeater System.

• October 16, 2022: Logan Storehouse Net at 8:30 p.m over 146.420 simplex.

Winlink Setup

If you are not using Winlink I hope you will take some time to review the videos and give it a try. The link below will open the Winlink resource page of wavetalkers.com. 

https://wavetalkers.com/resources/digital/winlink.php

When you arrive on the page, scroll down until you see the menu bar labeled Section 1, which looks like this:

The video content for the Getting Started section is accessible by clicking on Install, Account or Update on the right hand side of the menu bar.

"Install" walks you through the download and installation.

Clicking on "Account" will show you how to register an account with Winlink.

Watch the "Update" video to learn how the software update process works.

Continuing to Section 2, you can learn the process of creating messages and using templates by clicking on the corresponding word in the right side of the menu bar.

The video labeled "Messages" also shows you how to send a message via telnet, which is a great way to learn the system before adding a computer to radio interface.

As mentioned in the September training topic, I will share a bit of information about the Signalink USB we use at the Newton EOC.

There are other products available, but we chose to buy from Signalink because the radio-to-interface cable was included in the package. Another factor was Signalink's compatibility with just about every radio, including many of the inexpensive handhelds that are popular these days. Additionally, the company made it easy to find the product numbers of the exact components needed.

Again, you can begin using Winlink over the internet, without the cost of additional hardware. If you do want to price the configuation for your specific radio, here is a link to the Product Guide. If you find your radio in the list you will see the Signalink Product Number on the accompanying row, as well as the number of the interface cable. If there is a pre-made jumper model for that radio it will also be referenced on the same line.

With the product numbers written down, go to the ordering page where you can select the USB module by the product number found in the product guide. After selecting the specific interface, the next page will also display the price of any available jumper module, and any other options your radio requires. 

It appears jumper modules are not required, even if they exist for your radio. The radio in use at the Newton EOC did not have a pre-made jumper module available, instead there were short jumper wires included in the kit. I found it was quite easy to configure the jumper wires, as well to complete the entire setup process for the device. 

If you have questions about setting up Winlink on your computer, or the Signalink interface, please text or email via 435-757-3330 or greg.fabricius@gmail.com.

Global Radio Email

Imagine a county-wide emergency where every community response agency is activated. At dispatch and the County EOC, all types of traffic - from urgent to routine - comes in over public safety and amateur radio frequencies. On the amateur radio side, there are at least 13 City or Town EOC’s in this county, as well as a significant faith-based amateur radio organization. When things get rolling, the amount of voice traffic generated could quickly tie up the radio waves.

I once heard the comment that digital messages via amateur radio are the future of emergency communications. How would that help in our scenario? Urgent life safety messages between the EOC’s would continue over voice channels, while messages such as shelter status updates or damage assessments could be compiled via computer using standardized forms, which are then attached to an email and transmitted by amateur radio operators over separate frequencies.

When I joined ARES in 2021 I became familiar with Winlink, and I expect others in our group have experience with Winlink as well. Winlink is a global messaging system using a combination of software and radio equipment to send email. This can be accomplished on VHF (typically 2m) as well as HF.  Many hams locally and across the country have established Winlink as a backup communication method.

Let’s review a couple of instances where Winlink has been a valuable tool when implemented in the field, starting with a Cache County example - the Bear 100 Race.

Amateur Radio support during the race is primarily for runner safety, although other communications are provided, too, including tracking times for each runner, runner support team coordination, supply requests, runner status inquiries, and traffic related to lost runners. In the past, all messages were communicated to net control via voice and as a consequence, the FM repeater in use for the event was tied up about 80 to 90 percent of the time. Net control took the data and recorded it into a database, manually one by one.

Around 2015 the group started using Winlink to communicate data, especially runner times. A BARC member wrote a program for compiling the data automatically into a CSV file that enters the times with the runner. Periodically, this file is compiled at each checkpoint and sent by Winlink to net control via e-mail using packet and Winmor. Sending a file takes 2 to 3 minutes whereas by voice it took hours for net control to receive and copy the information coming in from each checkpoint along the route. An immediate benefit was realized by freeing up the repeater for other event communications.

A side note: This event is a great opportunity for radio operators to work in emergency-like conditions. As the aid station locations are remote in the mountains, in order to stay on the air during their entire operational period it is necessary to develop reliable power solutions.

Winlink also has a history of success during emergency response. One example comes from the Texas Winter Freeze of 2021. Kevin McCoy, KF5FUZ, said the Red Cross formally requested an ARES activation in Texas to address the effects of the natural disaster, which included a lack of drinking water, power outages, fuel shortages, and frozen plumbing, among others.

When asked about the response, McCoy said, “We made a special effort to use Winlink email over radio to get reports of infrastructure problems and unmet needs [and to] communicate information about warming centers.” He continued, “I would say that Winlink operators attending local nets and passing on information was the most valuable contribution in this unusual and unprecedented disaster. We had literally hundreds of Winlink operators across Texas who were trained and ready.” 

If you are not a Winlink user I encourage you to give it a try. “But, I don’t have the necessary equipment to connect to my radio”, you might say… 

Luckily, Winlink includes a telnet connection feature allowing users to send forms and messages via the internet. As long as you have an amateur call sign and a windows based computer with an internet connection you can register an account and use the service. This will give you a chance to learn the system as you decide if you want to purchase a computer to radio interface.

For those net members who are interested, starting in October I would like to add a Winlink message check-in to the net. This will help us maintain proficiency in using this service before an emergency arises. Additional information about the Winlink net will be coming to you in the next few weeks. 

In addition to posting the text of tonight's training topic to the blog, I will add a second post containing a link to instructional videos explaining how to set up and begin using Winlink. If a computer to radio interface interests you, I will also include some details in that post about the interface used at the Newton EOC - just one of the options available. The URL is nwcvnet.blogspot.com.

If you have additional questions as you review the two posts please let me know by text or email.

September Net - Test

After our August net I’ve had some feedback from a few of the radio operators in Newton, reporting varying degrees of success hearing the check-in of other net members from Newton, and farther away.

I would assume it is the same for net members in Clarkston, Cornish and Trenton where you likely can only hear my signal from the EOC, but not the check-in of others - due to the distance between our communities and equipment used.

During our regular net on September 18th I plan to use my home station as a cross-band repeater, to hopefully improve what each of you can hear during the roll-call portion of the net. The antenna height is similar to that of the EOC where I call the net, and I hope this test does help us feel more connected. 

For this test, my home station will receive simplex 446.300 and re-transmit over simplex 146.550. If you have a dual band radio that supports a split channel memory, please program 146.550 as the receive frequency and 446.300 as the transmit frequency into a memory location. A PL tone will not be necessary for this test. 

If you are able to program this split channel configuration in your radio, plan on using that channel when you join the net September 18^th.

If you do not have a dual band radio capable of this channel configuration, continue to join the net over the simplex frequency 146.550 as you have been doing.

While you are looking at programming, as a reference here is the Frequency List page from the net blog: NWCV Net Frequency List.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

September Net Schedules

The Northwest Cache Valley Net will be held Sunday, September 18, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. over 146.550 simplex.

We invite all amateur operators residing in the Northwest Cache Valley communities of Amalga, Benson, Clarkston, Cornish, Newton and Trenton to join us on the net for a monthly test of your equipment and a training topic we hope will be of value.

Other emergency communication themed nets in September 2022:

• September 4, 2022: Logan Storehouse Net at 8:30 p.m over 146.420 simplex.

• September 6, 2022: Cache County ARES Winlink Net from 06:00 - 19:00. Can be ANY mode including Packet, Telnet or HF. Address your check-in message to W7CSO using the "Winlink Check In" template.

• September 6, 2022: Cache County ARES Net at 8:00 p.m. over the BARC Repeater System.

• September 18, 2022: Logan Storehouse Net at 8:30 p.m over 146.420 simplex.

Signal Reports

Until I began operating on the HF bands I was not well versed in how to respond to a signal report request during point to point communication, also known as simplex. For the training tonight I’d like to share some information I found related to signal reports, specifically the R-S-T system.

The R-S-T system is used by amateur radio operators, shortwave listeners, and other radio hobbyists to exchange information about the quality of a radio signal being received in point to point communication - without the aid of a repeater. The code is a three digit number, with one digit each for conveying an assessment of the signal's readability, strength, and tone.

Note: The assessment of the tone only pertains to Morse code and other digital transmission modes and is therefore omitted during voice operations.

Readability is a qualitative assessment of how easy or difficult it is to correctly copy the information being sent during the transmission. In a Morse code telegraphy transmission, readability refers to how easy or difficult it is to distinguish each of the characters in the text of the message being sent; in a voice transmission, readability refers to how easy or difficult it is for each spoken word to be understood correctly. Readability is measured on a scale of 1 to 5. 

1. Unreadable

2. Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable

3. Readable with considerable difficulty

4. Readable with practically no difficulty

5. Perfectly readable

Strength is an assessment of how powerful the received signal is at the receiving location. Although an accurate signal strength meter can determine a quantitative value for signal strength, in practice this portion of the RST code is a qualitative assessment, often made based on the S meter of the radio receiver at the location of signal reception. "Strength" is measured on a scale of 1 to 9.

1. Faint—signals barely perceptible

2. Very weak signals

3. Weak signals

4. Fair signals

5. Fairly good signals

6. Good signals

7. Moderately strong signals

8. Strong signals

9. Extremely strong signals

An example RST report for a voice transmission could be "59", usually pronounced "five nine" or "five by nine", a report that indicates a perfectly readable and very strong signal. 

Signals received through a repeater are assessed differently. Because the repeater’s output signal is modulated and a repeated version of the input, it is generally not helpful to rate the strength of the signal received. However, rating the quality of the input to the repeater is helpful - the “R” portion of the R-S-T system - but the rating is usually not expressed numerically. Instead, a report is returned as a verbal description of the signal.

For example, if the signal you hear from the repeater is free of static and perfectly readable, instead of assigning a 5 rating for the “R” portion of the R-S-T system, your report could be, “you are coming in loud and clear”, or “you are full-quieting”.  If the signal does have static, or does not hold the repeater, the report returned is a verbal description based on the readability of the signal going into the repeater.

This concludes our training topic. As we proceed to our check-in tonight, I propose we practice returning a signal report. When each station is called, as part of your response, please give a report of how my signal was received at your location. I will also return with a signal report for each station that checks in to the net.