Oakland County Amateur Radio Public Service Corp (ARPSC)
W8OAK Repeater – 146.900 MHz/100pl 
Weekly Net 8 pm Thursday
Hospital Radio Net – 7:30 pm last Thursday of month
W8OAK Repeater – 444.325 MHz/107.2pl
Packet 144.950 MHz/1200 baud – W8OAK-3 BBS, and W8AOAK-7 KA-Node
APRS – 144.390 MHz 
Web Site: http://www.arpsc.com

Meeting Minutes for 1 October 2008

            On 1 October 2008 at 7:00 pm, Joel Goldberg – W8HIU, Emergency Coordinator (EC) for the Oakland County ARPSC, called the meeting to order in the County Emergency Operations Center (EOC).  The order of business included:

(I). Report from the Emergency Coordinator (EC), Joel Goldberg - W8HIU:

            "Winter Spotter Training" class will be held Saturday, 25 October 2008 at the Oakland County Executive Office Building from 10 am to noon.  Please call Oakland County Emergency Response & Preparedness (ER&P) office at 248-858-5300 to register.

            Members must have the new Oakland County ARPSC identification card with the blue stripe. See Steve Iannucci for your photo at these meetings. 

            Mike Smith - N8GUZ will now head our training program.

            On 30 September 2008, Joel Goldberg - W8HIU, turned in his resignation as Emergency Coordinator, effective March 2009.  He has purchased a house in Montana and expects to live there three or more months a year.  Joel's appointed replacement is not his call, but by the State ARRL with recommendations from the county and state police. 

(II). Report from Steve Iannucci, Oakland County Emergency Response and Preparedness (ER&P):

             Steve expressed his great appreciation for the EC services of Joel Goldberg - W8HIU.  Joel spent endless hours with the ARPSC and was always on the phone concerning their business.  Barry Kaufman - WD8JWM wished him the best of luck and that he had learned so much from Joel while working with him.  Thank you, Joel. 

             The 18 September 2008 Stimulated Test Exercise (SET) revealed some good and some bad problems with communications.   Details will be forthcoming in the future.  Joel Goldberg - W8HIU mentioned that if anyone has any comments about the SET, please email them to him. 

             Thanks go out to all the volunteers who assisted in the Berkley Classic Car Parade and Woodward Dream Cruise on 15-16 August 2008.  

 (III). Report from Rory Locke – KC8SZR, Net Managers and Reports:

             Rory asked persons with monthly ARRL reports to get them to him quickly before he leaves on a trip.  Also, he wants to be informed about anyone coming into the EOC for siren testing. 

Seven "Break Tags" to Use on a Radio

             Larry Hornsby, KB8POD discussed one word "break tags" to use over the radio.   They are: info, answer, question, priority, medical, emergency, and your call sign.  Instead of saying "break" in between transmission during a directed net, you should use one of these seven words.  They are to be used only when your traffic will be appreciated by net control and results in a more efficient communication.  Use them wisely.  These break tags will stop the current exchange and turn over the net to the breaker.  They are also handy when there is not a net in progress if a third person has something useful or important to transmit on the frequency in use.  One must not use "break" unless it is a true emergency.  These other break tags are more appropriate for items of lesser importance, but need interruption.

             "Info" is used to indicate you have information of interest to add, usually to the current discussion.  It may also be used to pass information such as a net about to start or a traffic jam or road closure.

             "Answer" is used when you have the answer to a question currently being discussed.

             "Question" is used when the answer to a question can't wait.

             "Priority" is used to report an important but non-life threatening situation such as a fender-bender that just happened.

             "Medical" is used to report a minor medical incident that affects the operator in some way; i.e. having to leave one's post for a few minutes to walk someone with a minor cut to a med tent. 

             "Emergency" is only used to report an ongoing life or property threatening or damaging incident.  

             "Your Call Sign" is an indication that you have traffic which can wait and does not require the stoppage of the ongoing exchange.  This tag has an expectation that you will be put on hold until an appropriate time.   

(IV). Report from Randy Love – WF5X, AEC & Repeaters:

             Thanks go to the county for having the new printer installed.  The APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System or Automatic Position Reporting System) has been updated.  The radio repaired by Murray Scott - KE8UM is now up and working in the ARPSC console in the EOC.   Both repeaters appear to be working well. 

 (V). Report from Larry Hornsby – KB8POD and Mike Smith – N8GUZ, Training:

             Michael Smith – N8GUZ is now taking over training operations.  Copies of the "Pocket Checklist for Oakland County Emergency Communications Personnel" were passed out to members.   If you don't have one, please get a copy.  It is useful and small enough to put into a brief case or grab-and-go kit.  Mike needs input from members indicating their training needs. 

 (VI). Reports on Contest Awards:

              Mike Van Buren – WD8S presented a first place award plaque from Mad River Radio Club to members for their EOC station during the 19 April 2008 Michigan QSO Party. 

             The U.S. Department of Commerce - NOAA sent members a certificate for their participation in Skywarn Recognition Day held 30 November 2007 to 1 December 2007.

 (VII). Special Reports:

             Maury Davidson – K8SJD and Lloyd Suter – N2NGQ presented a slide presentation on the West Bloomfield Library Ham Radio Display during 17-31 August 2008.  He also helped to make a stamp which would cancel stamps in honor the West Bloomfield's 175th birthday. 

             Query: Was there anyplace in the display for someone interested in ham radio to contact us?  Answer: Yes.  Handouts gave information and phone numbers.

(VIII). Report from Jim Poehlman – K8ABZ, Membership and Calling Tree:

             The call-up list has now separated active from inactive members.  He expects to the list ready by the end of this month. 

             The membership list has been passed around for corrections.  Determining the member's township has been a problem since their city address may give no easy indication.  Several members noted they were not on the list.  If one finds they are not on the list, they may not have turned in their membership update via the http://www.arpsc.com website.   If you are not on the membership list, please see Jim. 

(IX). Report by Joe Miller – KJ8O on the Brooksie Marathon:

             Joe handed out a map of the walk and marathon to be held 5 October 2008.  Volunteers should arrive by 7 am at Oakland University and meet at the southwest corner of Adams and Walton Blvd.  There will be transportation for volunteers to their sites and at the end of the race.  A 6:30 am meeting is scheduled, but the meeting is not for most volunteers.  One or two volunteers will be needed to run the APRS which tracks runner locations.  Frequency used will be 147.510 with 123 pl.  A "pl" may not be needed at every location, but the "pl" could be useful if others are using the frequency.    Do plan to be there for more than several hours.  Winners can be expected to take an hour but stragglers will take much longer.  Hopes are for race to be finished by 11 am and food will be available to volunteers afterward.   Joe will be found in or near the volunteer tent. 

             A discussion followed with members.  Joe reported that propagation studies revealed handheld radios are possible when linked to the hospital radio at Crittenton Hospital.  Plans now include this hospital radio on cross-band and appropriately secured.  Another member reported that the Sheriff's Department had consented to ham volunteer cars with their 50 watt transceivers at course sites.  Cars could be parked on certain streets without problem and would be dismissed by the Sheriff's Department when the last of the race participants left their area.  Check with Joe to see if this still holds.  Streets will be closed by 7:30 am.  Joe also stated members may be working water stops but would check on this again.   A discussion followed on other volunteer duties.   A final set of instructions will be passed out by Joe Miller – KJ8O before the race. 

(X). Report from Alan Craddock – KA8PEH, Club Liasion:

             The City of Southfield has actively encouraged ham radio instruction and as a result has several new volunteers.  Their SET was cancelled when the Red Cross was needed for Hurricane Ike.  

(XI). Report from Mark Schurig – KC8WPS, Hospital Radios:

             Last month's hospital net took place during the 18 September 2008 County SET.  Mark requests members to first see if they can repair or solve any problem before reporting it.  Larry Hornsby, KB8POD apologized for not using hospital designation numbers during the net, and wants us to use these numbers in the future.   

             Bill Bond - W8WRB called Larry Hornsby - KB8POD requesting everyone to return hospital radios to their original frequencies when used for other purposes when they leave.

(XII). Report from Mike Nebel – N3BEL, Sirens:

             There are only two more siren tests this year.  Of 230 Oakland County sirens, 161 have been checked and 69 not checked.  Before the next siren test, please go to the website to cover one of the unchecked sirens.  

            Mike gave a slide presentation on siren sub-nets coverage: (1) South East Oakland/Hazel Park - 147.640/100pl, (2) North East Oakland County - 147.180/100hz, (3) North West & Central County – 146.840/100hz, (4) South West Oakland County/Novi – 444.800/100.9hz.  A map showing these locations and their sirens is posted on our website.

(XIII). Report from Gary Bouwkamp – N8HMP, Webmaster

             The http://www.arpsc.com website has now been updated for (1) siren checklist, (2) siren subnet map, (3) hospital net guidelines and protocols, (4) map of useful repeaters for severe weather in Michigan.

(XIV). Slide Presentation by Joel Goldberg – W8HIU:

             Joel showed slides of devastation from Hurricane Ike which were sent to his son, an insurance adjustor.  

Respectfully submitted,

James R. Murphy, N8SML

Secretary, Oakland County, ARPSC

2 October 2008