Oakland County Amateur Radio Public Service Corp (ARPSC) Weekly Net Thursday at 8 pm on 145.250 MHz/100pl Hospital Radio Net on the last Thursday of each month Web Site: http://www.qsl.net/w8oak Meeting Minutes for 5 April 2006: On 5 April 2006 at 7 pm, Joel Goldberg, W8HIU, Emergency Coordinator (EC) for the Oakland County ARPSC called the meeting to order in the County Emergency Operation Center (EOC). The order of business included: (1). Comments from the Emergency Coordinator (EC) – Joel Goldberg, W8HIU The members were asked to update their phone, home, and e-mail addresses. On 25 March 2006, Larry Hornsby, KB8POD and Joel went to the Michigan Section Emergency Coordinator's Meeting in Lansing. Discussions were held about county ARPSC training requirements such as NIMS (National Incident Management System). At this point in time, Oakland County ARPSC leads others with training. Their requirements for the year 2006 are basically the following: A. Basic Level: (1) FEMA IS-22 (or IS-2, Emergency Preparedness), (2) IS-100 (Introduction to the Incident Command System), (3) IS-700 (National Incident Management System) or their equivalent in ARRL classes, if existing. B. First Level Supervisor: IS-200 (ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents). This is new to previous Oakland County recommendations. C. EOC workers: IS-800 (National Response Plan, an Introduction) Here at the Oakland County ARPSC, we offer these classes periodically. These classes also can be downloaded from http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS. After completing a final test, results are given quickly by e-mail, but certificates take 4-5 weeks. There is no expiration date on any classes. To the Oakland County ARPSC members, we need to know what classes you have taken and passed for our files. Larry Hornsby, KB8POD added that with the Mississippi hurricane, needed personnel were measured by their prior training certification. This gave the supervisors confidence that these volunteers would be ready. Query: Does ARRL Emergency Level I qualify as training? Joel answered that "equivalent" studies are acceptable, but IS-700 NIMS material goes beyond the ARRL courses. Through joint efforts with Gary Sklar (K8IKW) and Steve Iannucci (Emergency Response and Preparedness – ER&P), members will be sent periodic updated information via e-mail. Dale R. Williams, WA8EFK, ARRL Michigan Section Manager asked us to not use abbreviations on the air. Please use plain English. In Joel's private conversation with Dale, the question came up of the term "amateurs" as degrading in public image terminology. There is a national movement in the ARRL to better our image with the public. Comments from Oakland County ARPSC members added that "amateur" was at best only a title. The use of amateur or some other term is needed to separate us from commercial level communication. At the Emergency Coordinator's Meeting, Larry Hornsby, KB8POD and others were asked to determine and report back the total number of hours amateurs have volunteered per month per county. The actual number of hours is rather stunning and saves government money. Volunteer hour data is used to gain support and funding. Regarding Skywarn, National Weather Service (NWS) procedure is to send us a text page warning about forth-coming severe weather. This does not mean we will immediately respond and go to the EOC. When the storm is about one hour away, we will then begin the net. In case of a crash warning, we can start the net from home. This avoids what happened in the past. Once we had a 13 hour wait at the EOC. This burns people out and loses Skywarn observers. Randy Love, WF5X, mentioned weather announcements given on W8OAK do NOT mean that the county Skywarn net is up and in operation. Should this be important to you, please listen to the W8OAK repeater for a while, and then if necessary, call out to W8OAK. The W8OAK frequency is currently 145.250MHz/100 pl and eventually will change to 146.900. Using the tone squelch is recommended. The State organization is planning a simulated exercise test (SET) for this October, which involves a power outage. During the first hour, there will be power to start, then must transfer to auxiliary power. We need to see how well we can use simplex frequencies without repeater coverage. This SET is strictly with amateur radio and not with any other agency participation. We may simulate police and fire if needed. (2). Comments from Steve Iannucci, ER&P: Identification cards (ID) for county ARPSC members are still incomplete. The current problem is to integrate digital pictures with older non-digital data. Steve is attempting to obtain a newer computer to assist this problem. Joel Goldberg asked if we need to consider a new design for the ID cards. Steve replied that a color code is needed, but the actual logo is changeable. (3). Comments from Larry Hornsby, KB8POD, Deputy Emergency Coordinator (DEC): Twenty-five hams reported to our last siren test which was during weekday work hours. The next test is Saturday, 8 April 2006. Check-in will be at 12.30 noon and sirens go off at 1 pm. Steve Iannucci is requesting more emphasis be placed on one-way sirens. These old one-way sirens can usually be identified by their yellow color and the two-ways by their gray. During the last Skywarn net, there were 63 check-ins and they really helped us to understand the weather conditions. There was a problem with the radio communications with the NWS at White Lake. It turned out that the National Weather Service radios couldn't hear us and had to change to another frequency. Please let Larry know if you should want to volunteer to work at the EOC. The MICON weather net involves the NWS at White Lake and various county EOC's in SE Michigan. Their old frequency is out at this time. Their current frequency now is 441.385, but this continues to be closed for general amateur input. The Thursday night W8OAK nets are averaging 20 call-ins. We are also getting lots of good information. Last year, the net operations amounted to 800 hours. In the future, Larry hopes to add the W8OAK 440 repeater (444.325 MHz/107 pl) and packet. Larry mentioned the W8OAK website run by Gary Bouwkamp, N8HMP. Should errors be found (i.e. minutes), please let us know. (4). Comments from Bill Bond, W8WRB, Hospital Radios: Last week's Hospital Net had 100% participation with our current 14 hospitals. Team leaders are still needed for (1) North Oakland Medical Center, (2) Pontiac St. Joseph, (3) Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital, and (4) St. John – Madison Heights. If you want to be a team leader, you can pick your own people, but if not, we can help. Bill is attempting to keep people in the same zip code as the hospital. The team leader is responsible for having someone available for the monthly Hospital Net and to work emergencies. This is not a one person job because the shifts could become too long. One of the best set-ups is Jim Poehlman's at Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital. We know St. John – Madison Heights is receiving and transmitting poorly. Next week, Murray Scott, KE8UM and Bill will go there to find and hopefully solve the problem. Al Cradock, K8PEH volunteered to assist at North Oakland Medical Center. At the Pontiac Osteopathic, the security station there has been a problem. Before a Hospital Net, we send each hospital a letter informing them about our next activities and net. This doesn't always get handed down to the right people. Query: Is it possible to check into another weekly W8OAK net should the regular monthly net not be possible? Bill responded saying that we really want the last Friday night net, but it is okay if not possible. Query from Jim Poehlman, K8ABZ: Jim has one member who works the afternoon shift. If he makes an arrangement, can he operate at another time? Larry Hornsby replied – yes, he would attempt to make such an arrangement possible. Joel Goldberg mentioned that some hospitals have hams employed there, but we need non-hospital hams. The reason is hospital employees are expected to serve at their regular job, leaving them little or no time for amateur operations. Jim Poehlman added that since he works at Royal Oak Beaumont, he could begin the emergency net until a backup arrives. Query from Bill Bond: How do we update information on ARPSC members? Joel Goldberg replied that this is through general meetings, or when emails bounce, or through QRZ database which sometimes is outdated. Several weeks ago, Bill went to Genesys Hospital in Genesee County which is a receiving site for many northern Oakland County patients. The hospital was not ready for an Oakland County amateur radio installation. He finally found the radio would go into a counseling room where a coaxial cable exists. A 0.5 watt hand-held was connected to this coaxial cable and Bill found he could transmit to the W8OAK repeater. Genesee County ARPSC will operate at this hospital, but we want to have a radio on standby for our own use. (5). Comment from Bob Kusk, N8LPS, Digital Radio: The State level ARPSC is moving to a get a state wide packet system up and working. (6). Comments for Randy Love, WF5X, Repeater Operations: We have repeater enclosure problems with mice. During a QSO, the repeater suddenly stopped and a mouse was found to have chewed through a controller line. At the Southfield site, audio data stopped, courtesy of another mouse. Steve Murphy, N8NM, County Radios, is cleaning up these areas. Our 146.900 repeater will soon be on simultaneously with the 145.250 repeater and both will operate as linked repeaters. The 440 machine now has new working duplexers, but still needs tweaking. There are no plans to link the 440 with the 2 meter repeater, yet. Query: One member noted an Ontario repeater is using our 440 frequency. What about this? Randy stated this problem is being worked on, but not near resolution. Using of our 2 meter repeater does not require much more than 5 watts. The six active receivers send and transmit to the central site on the water tower. An electronic voter picks the clearest and strongest signal. As you drive along, the voter may find your signal better from another site. Too much power can arrive at two receive sites with equal strength and cause shuddering back and forth at the repeater output. The digital voice recorder (DVR) on the two meter repeater does not work at this time. When one uses this DVR, Randy asks members to first key up, give his call sign, and then use the touch-tones. (7). Comments from Gary Sklar, K8IKW, Public Service: After Gary's last e-mailings, he found 11 bad addresses bounced back. Please keep him current with e-mail changes. New email addresses are very hard to track down. Marsha Fleming, who edits the Hazel Park Amateur Radio Club's newsletter finds the same problem. Spam folders with some members sometimes puts the newsletter into a never-to-be viewed area, but call be differentiated from discontinued addresses. Del Brown, KC8IJF noted problems could occur with members using arrl.net addresses. If their subscription lapses, the ARRL removes the address and it doesn't put it back unless you do it yourself. Upcoming Events Saturday, 8 April 2006 – Milford Swap and Shop by the Milford Amateur Radio Club. See http://www.qsl.net.w8ydk/ for details. Saturday-Sunday 15-16 April 2006 – Michigan QSO Party. See information below. Saturday, 6 May 2006 – Cadillac Amateur Radio and Computer Swap by the Wexaukee Amateur Radio Club. Details at http://members.fortunecity.com/wexaukee Saturday, 13 May 2006 - Montana National Weather Station Special Event with the call sign W7G is looking for people to contact them from 1800 to 0000 Zulu. Saturday-Sunday 24-25 June 2006 – Field Day is coming. 13-16 July 2006. ARPSC Michigan Family Campout at Lupton, Michigan. 18-20 August 2006. Point Aux Barques Lighthouse Event. Plans exist for two stations. We have access to the 110 camping spots and 7 cabins at the county park and access to the Lighthouse. There are other hotels nearby. Contact Gary for more information. (8). Comments from ARPSC Members: State of Michigan legislation bill #4544 has been signed by Governor Granholm. The bill refers to the law preventing use of mobile radio equipment receiving police, fire and other such communications. A subsection of this law now states that it does not apply to a person licensed as an amateur radio operator by the FCC, unless in the act of a crime. Permits for these radios will no longer be issued. Should the police stop you and object to your ham radio, do not protest. It may be best to keep a copy of this ordinance in the car. Joel Stanley, KC8DQH reported the Michigan QSO Party is being held 15-16 April 2006 from 1600Z to 0400Z. The Oakland County ARPSC will operate a station on Saturday at the EOC with the object of contacting all 83 Michigan counties. Twelve volunteers are needed to operate two radios in four hour shifts. To volunteer, please contact Randy Love, WF5X or Joel Stanley, KC8DQH. An ARPSC officer is needed for building access and one ham to serve as control operator. George Schulte, K8GEO reported his committee findings about ARPSC vests. (1). What message do we want on the vest's back? The committee recommended (a) "radio' or (b) "emergency radio" or (c) "emergency communications." The members were polled and "emergency communications" was most popular. Members mentioned that "emergency communications" might suggest press coverage and/or a public telephone service. (2). What message do we want on the vest's front? This depended on whether the vest was privately owned or one issued by the county ARPSC. After discussion with the members, it was felt that privately owned vests with county logos could misrepresent who was responsible at a non-sponsored event. This could become a legal issue should problems develop. Therefore, it was suggested that the vests should be issued only by the county ARPSC with some sort of pin-on strip for further identification. Joel Goldberg, EC, concluded that nothing was agreed upon for the front of the vest. Respectfully submitted, James R. Murphy, N8SML Secretary Oakland County ARPSC 6 April 2006