Phil Kane wrote in
:

And our Team does run Field Day as a Readiness Exercise, complete with
call-outs and dispersal assignments.


Phil, I would bet if an enterprising fellow were to write up
something about their operations, it might be pretty well received.. (wink
wink) 8^)

I am very interested in how your group does it. I'm always looking
for ways to generate some interest, and this could be a great way to work
with our EC.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

Phil Kane wrote on Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:13:38 EDT:

On Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:27:32 EDT, AF6AY wrote:

If "Field Day" were an ACTUAL Readiness Exercise I would
consider joining in once I had some portable equipment.

And what training and qualification of proficiency do you have to slip
into the seat at a disaster EOC/ICP or field position and be an
effective communicator, such as familiarity with the operation and the
communication needs of the site and served agency or even the message
protocols and formats in use and where and how they are to be passed?

I did not target ANY specific "EOC/ICP" organization. My diatribe
was directed towards the ARRL and the old-timers who've
mouthed all those legendary rationales about FIELD DAY being a
"readiness exercise."

I used the word CONSIDER in my sentence you quoted. I've
never claimed to know every procedure and protocol used by
each and every "EOC/ICP" in existance. I've considered lots of
things in my life.

Well, I'll have to rescind my consideration. I am so unworthy.
Besides, I don't reside in Oregon, not even close to it. If I were to
CONSIDER any REAL emergency preparedness group it would
be the Los Angeles Auxilliary Communications service. One of
their base stations is loaned to the ARRL VEC as a site for US
amateur radio license examinations. So far, nobody at "Old
Firehouse Number 77" has snarled at me for any reason.

I don't consider myself knowledgeable or trained enough to
"slip into the seat of an "EOC/ICP" position and "push traffic
through." I HAVE been good enough - without training - to
assist in communications of utility companies during a real
emergency on 17 January 1994. But, I don't claim that is
good enough to "slip into any [emergency comms] seat"
and do what is Right and Proper. I have been trained in the
military to do very portable communications under simulated
explosions and automatic gunfire common to combat
conditions. But that doesn't count towards being able to
push traffic according to protocol and procedure of any
particular civilian volunteer group.

In an emergency or disaster situation, we need TRAINED "message
passers", far more than untrained drop-in volunteers. We are always
ready to train folks before anything happens, but we really don't have
the time or resources to train folks when the stuff is flowing.

Now what have I been saying elesewhere about training? OF
COURSE there needs to be training, drills, observation of
effectiveness and revision of plans if that seems necessary.
That does go on down here and did before 17 January 1994.
it works. I've seen it work. In a real emergency.

And our Team does run Field Day as a Readiness Exercise, complete with
call-outs and dispersal assignments.

Well, good on "your Team." However, the ARRL-sponsored Field
Day is a Contest in its basic form. Will "your Team" get a good
score in that contest with everyone trained and motivated for
emergencies? Isn't a good score the epitome of any Field
Day outing?

Does "your Team" do its drilling and training and whatever on
NON-Field Day weekends? I hope they do. Readiness isn't a
holiday-sort of thing and exercises shouldn't planned months in
advance, advertised in national magazines. Real emergencies
can strike without any advance warning. QST won't know
about it until well after the fact.

Do real emergencies allow perfect protocol and procedure
to work? I'm not sure about that. Can everyone keep their
cool when a sudden aftershock trembles everything around
them? Some real emergencies can actually destroy some
comm nodes or the personnel to man them.

Hey, I apologize for ruffling feathers of other organizations
by directing my comments to the ARRL. So much so that
I don't think it is worthwhile to comment much on anything
any more in this newsgroup. Too many get all upset at
contrary-to-established-ideas. :-(

AF6AY

"AF6AY" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Jun 18, 6:50?pm, wrote:
Folks,

What are people doing for Field Day this year?

The CONTEST called a "Readiness Exercise" is just another contest.
Always has been. If it's a Contest going on, there's little point in
listening to "the bands" (the HF ones) since there is very little
evidence of actual "Readiness" activity that is supposed to be a
hallmark of an outing in the park with buddies.

If "Field Day" were an ACTUAL Readiness Exercise I would consider
joining in once I had some portable equipment. Since I don't and
since it isn't, I'll just stay in my air conditioned home and "work on
my code."

PIC programming code, that is... :-)

Y'all have fun, heah?

73, AF6AY


No need to have portable equipment. Many take down their base stations,
pack them up, take them out to the field day site, set them up and operate.
One guy brings out his full size Ten-Tec.

Dee, N8UZE

In article .com,
wrote:

Folks,

What are people doing for Field Day this year?

73 de Jim, N2EY

I'm participating with my local club , probably do a graveyard shift and
have my wife (not licensed) join me to log and operate if she wants to.

I really don't get a club that says the YL is welcome and then doesn't
let her operate. Time for a conversation or a new club possibly.

Jerry

Jim N2EY wrote:
Folks,

What are people doing for Field Day this year?

73 de Jim, N2EY

I'm joining with the Machias Radio Group near Snohomish, WA:
http://www.geocities.com/bswadener/fd2007/. We'll be running in 2A + VHF/UHF
(7 ops). I understand several other hams (and non-hams) may cruise by for
short visits

One HF station will be using Zepps and a 2 element wire quad for 40m. Power
will be from gas engine-driven generator. The other station will be using my
40' homebrew tiltup/rotatable mast w/ a "Crushcraft" A3S for 20/15/10m yagi
on top. The top guyset will be 80 & 40m inverted vees. The 80m antenna
will be a 4 wire cage -- 400KHz BW -- no tuner needed! Power will be from
4 x Group27 batteries in parallel w/ a homebrew DC-DC boost regulator to get
13.8V to the radio. The logging PC will have it's own homebrew DC-DC boost
converter.

Vy 73,
Bryan WA7PRC

Hi everyone:
"Bryan" wrote in message
...
The logging PC will have it's own homebrew DC-DC boost converter.

Out of curiosity (Yes I know what it does to cats *LOL!*), why not just
simply use A LAPTOP? You can always replace the batteries in a laptop.

Again....Just out of curiosity (At the risk of feline death I might add
*LOL!*)

Cheers & 73

Pat Cook, KB0OXD
Denver, Colorado
WEBSITE - http://www.qsl.net/kb0oxd/
**NEW VIDEO SECTION - http://www.qsl.net/kb0oxd/cybershacktv/

On Jun 24, 3:45?pm, "Pat Cook" wrote:

The logging PC will have it's own homebrew DC-DC
boost converter.

Out of curiosity
why not just
simply use A LAPTOP? You can always replace the
batteries in a laptop.

I think they are using a laptop, because I don't know any desktops
that run on 12 volts DC (though there are probably some). It sounds to
me like what they did was to use a laptop with a charging cord meant
to go into an auto accessory power socket. That way, the primary power
comes from the 12 volt power system they need for the rig, and the
laptop's internal battery is used for backup in case there is some
sort of power interruption.

FD lasts more than 24 hours, and I don't know any laptops whose
batteries will run that long. Using external power means no
interruptions.

73 de Jim, N2EY

just got back from FD

wrote in news:1182718200.618480.68940
@c77g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

I think they are using a laptop, because I don't know any desktops
that run on 12 volts DC (though there are probably some). It sounds to
me like what they did was to use a laptop with a charging cord meant
to go into an auto accessory power socket. That way, the primary power
comes from the 12 volt power system they need for the rig, and the
laptop's internal battery is used for backup in case there is some
sort of power interruption.

FD lasts more than 24 hours, and I don't know any laptops whose
batteries will run that long. Using external power means no
interruptions.

An awful lot of laptops run on 18 Volts DC. My IBM's Dells, snd most
recently, a Toshiba. (actually it is 19 Volts) If you aren't going to run
them off 120 volts and their own power supply, you'll need to run a DC to
DC p.s.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

Mike Coslo wrote:
N2EY wrote:

I think they are using a laptop, because I don't know any desktops
that run on 12 volts DC (though there are probably some). It sounds to
me like what they did was to use a laptop with a charging cord meant
to go into an auto accessory power socket. That way, the primary power
comes from the 12 volt power system they need for the rig, and the
laptop's internal battery is used for backup in case there is some
sort of power interruption.

FD lasts more than 24 hours, and I don't know any laptops whose
batteries will run that long. Using external power means no
interruptions.

An awful lot of laptops run on 18 Volts DC. My IBM's Dells, snd most
recently, a Toshiba. (actually it is 19 Volts) If you aren't going to run
them off 120 volts and their own power supply, you'll need to run a DC to
DC p.s.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

I so do dislike quoting myself but, "The logging PC will have it's own
homebrew DC-DC boost converter."
The laptop PC's AC power supply produces 16VDC @ 4A. The DC-DC boost
converter produces regulated 16VDC @ 4.5A. The boost converter for the rig
similarly produces 14VDC @ 25A. Both units are dead quiet in terms of EMI,
and aren't upset in the presence of RF.
Bryan WA7PRC

Hi all,
Hope you all had a great FD, I certainly did. I started out by helping
with setup, and then also worked as a VE in a test session we began at
10AM, had one person go from no license to Extra in that one session!
The test session really worked out well and we're eager to do that again
next year. Got some new club members out of it too *smile*.

I came back at 8pm (an hour earlier than scheduled) with the unlicensed
YL who once more worked as my logger (though I had to bribe her with
some ice cream on the way *smile) and we had a great time, including
contacting W1AW! We also enjoyed contacting many VE3 sations as my wife
is Canadian/American.

We headed home for the night and on the spur of the moment I decided to
head back and help out, so I ended up logging for 3 more hours then made
the last 2 contacts of the event.

All in all , it was a great event for all (with much better weather than
last year when I was working the righ with rain water running down my
back from a hole in the tent...what a deluge).

Wonder if I worked any of you ? We were using our club call of W3QBD, in
Delaware.

Jerry