Unplanned Callout

The following report was received this morning from Bill Milliagn VA3WOW, DEC for Loyalist District. I had happened upon the event as it unfolded, by way of an e-mail from Barry VE3BSB, advising that the Tweed repeater VE3RNU (145.370) was being used as a backup for the main repeater handling traffic during the event. Since Tweed is RF linked to others in Lanark County it was prudent to stay off as much as possible.

When I heard a call for a volunteer to travel to Tweed to ascertain whether or not the nursing home there had telephone contact, I quickly jumped into the breach. Tweed is only about a 20 minute drive for me. It turned out that both the new long-term care facility in the village’s south end and the older one a few km west of the village had cellphone service so they were fine. You will read below that the Disaster Management group were unaware of the status of either nursing home until we reported in.

I had a blast covering Tweed for the couple of hours that it took. I ate late, but that is an insignificant price to pay, knowing that you were there if you were needed. Thankfully, that was not the case.

73,

Glenn VE3GNA

Hi Glenn;

Thank you for your activity during the 2012/02/17 event.  I was talking yesterday with the Community Emergency Management Coordinator for Centre Hastings who indicated that the information passed to me by you and that I passed to the emergency coordination team was useful.
She said that they were unaware of the status of the Tweed residences until you reported.  She also indicated that they were not aware that there were two nursing/seniors’ residences in Tweed. I was able to pass on the addresses of both locations, so they could update their emergency plan.  Thanks for your assistance.

Attached is a copy of my report in real text format.

regards,
Bill

Approaching noon on Thursday February 17, 2012 I received a phone call from the Emergency Planning Coordinator for Hastings County informing me that there was a situation in which phone and related communication services were inoperable north of Belleville in the County of Hastings. I was advised that there was no fire service coverage for two isolated communities, one in the centre and one in the extreme north of Hastings County. We (A.R.E.S.) were able to send an amateur radio operator to each of the two communities, as well as set up a 2-meter radio station at a fire hall in the centre (Eldorado) of the county. We were able to establish radio communication with the two isolated communities, as well as my location in the City of Belleville through the radio station at the fire hall in Eldorado. I was able to pass information to and from the Hastings County emergency management team. In mid-afternoon our network was joined by amateur radio operators at the Belleville Red Cross building.

Later in the afternoon, amateur radio operators from Belleville and Marmora, as well as the Tweed area, where dispatched to establish that there was communication from the local nursing homes and retirement residences to emergency services.

At 10:00 p.m. I received word from the Emergency Planning Coordinator for Hastings County that communication had been reestablished with the north and central areas of Hastings County. At that time I informed the active amateur radio operators, as well as those who were standing by in the areas around the municipalities of Kingston and Perth, that they could stand down. Matthew Dwight, VE3OCC, who had driven from Picton to Boulter, a distance of 350 km. (return), was released from his operating position at that time. He arrived back home in Picton after one o’clock a.m.

Google map link: http://g.co/maps/3c52v

There was no “life and death” traffic that we were required to pass on, but we were able to play a role in keeping the county’s emergency management team up-to-date with situations at isolated areas of the county as the event progressed.

Bill Milligan, District Emergency Coordinator, A.R.E.S. Loyalist District .

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hasting County Emergency Management Press Release mentions ARES:

(download in PDF format) … link:

http://www.hastingscounty.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=727&Itemid=184

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To All Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board Employees, (2012/02/17)

Telephone and Internet service is out north of 401 to Bancroft. It is believed to be due to severed fibre optic cables while a contractor was digging. We understand it affects thousands of residences and businesses. Cell phones are unaffected and are working as usual. Student and staff safety is our top priority. School administrators have been asked to keep their Blackberry phones with them at all times.

Presently 17 schools have no land line telephone, fax, email or Internet service. Contact with schools should be done through the Education Centre switchboard where calls will be routed to school administrators on a priority basis. School administrators can also receive emails through their Blackberry phones.

It is unclear how long the outage could last. We will be asking the media for assistance in sharing information with the community.

Updates will be shared as more details become available.

Sent on behalf of

Senior Administration

Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

On Feb 16, I was initially directed to head north to support the municipalities in Center Hastings. As I drove by the Quinte Red Cross office at approximately 3:00 PM I decided to stop in and determine their status as they were in the affected zone of the telephone/911 outage. They had no internet access, and one working landline telephone line and were relying on their cellphones.

After a (cell)phone conversation with Melissa Fougere, the Disaster Management Coordinator, and a two meter radio conversation with Peter Blakely VA3PGB at the Eldorado Firehall, it was decided to activate the Quinte Red Cross Office in case the Red Cross phone situation was to get worse. The Red Cross office was up and running at approximately 3:30 PM and standing by on the VE3BNI repeater (146.61 MHz).

The plan to activate the Red Cross response team should they be needed was that the local fire department would first try the on-call pager number, and if that was unsuccessful, to then have the Eldorado Fire Hall Radio operator contact Quinte Red Cross via two meters where we had the telephone numbers of the Disaster Management Team Lead, and the Office Manager, and they would then contact the on-call response team directly.

I had been in the office since 3:30 PM, and Bob Moore VE3QWB arrived at approximately 8:00 PM so we could discuss a rotation between the two us to keep the Red Cross office staffed until the expected time of restoration of telephone and 911 service which was initially expected to be early the next morning, around 5:00 or 6:00 AM. While the two of us were there, it was learned that service was expected to be restored much earlier than originally thought, so we both remained at the office until Bill Milligan advised the entire ARES net to stand down at 10:00 PM.

During the time we were at the Red Cross Office there were no calls for assistance, and we noted no emergency calls of any type on two meters.

Tim Pekkonen, VE3UO

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I wanted to thank you, and your colleagues for your commitment in providing emergency communication services for the Canadian Red Cross in times where there are none. With the phone outages in Hastings, Lennox & Addington and North Frontenac yesterday, due to two fibre optic cuts in the Bell service, I was pleased to know that we would still be able to receive information for those who may have been displaced by a disaster through you and your team set up in the Belleville Branch.

As always it was a pleasure working with you,

Melissa

Melissa Fougere

Disaster Management Coordinator

Kingston & Quinte

Canadian Red Cross

Ontario Zone

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Changes at RAC and in the Ontario Section

The following was received this evening from Allan Boyd VE3AJB, the current Section Manager, regarding the changes coming within the Ontario Section.

 

ATTN: All Ontario Amateurs

RE: Ontario Restructure of Field Services

Greetings All;

As mentioned in previous Bulletins from RAC the Ontario Section of Field Services is in for a big change. I ask all of you to take the time and please read the attachment on the transition phase and the job descriptions for the new positions. I am looking for some interested, dedicated and knowledgeable operators out there and I know you’re there because I have spoken with many of you over the years and others out there that I do not have the pleasure of knowing yet.

As mentioned to many of you last summer when major changes were made to the Ontario Section I asked you to be patient as the work on the transition was being done. I am now happy to report it is done and now the next phase is your voice and input.

As your Ontario Section Manager for the last six years changes were needed and many of you that attended the meeting on Orillia in 2005 knew this needed to be done. I am sorry to say it has taken this amount of time to get things in place but I am proud to announce that these changes are the best for Ontario. This transition is going to make RAC and the field services accessible to all the operators out there with now your voice and input. This is your opportunity to nominate good people within you section and get the ball rolling.

I have tried to do the best job possible from one location in Ontario to serve all of you. I will be honest the job requires that each amateur be accessible to your elected official I as one person could not be in all places in the province to service your needs as is required by a National Organization being that of RAC. This proposal will allow for this. Please read the attachment carefully and if there are any questions please feel free to contact me.

I want to thank you all for your continued support and trust as we now go through one of the most important phases for RAC with Field Services in the history of Ontario.

Thank You & 73

Al

VE3AJB

******************************************************************************

Allan Boyd

VE3AJB

Section Manager

Ontario

Radio Amateurs of Canada

Radio Amateurs of Canada

From the Desk of Ontario Section Manager 08 Feb 2012

MESSAGE TO ALL AMATEURS ON THE ONTARIO SECTION RESTRUCTURE PROCESS

As you are aware significant change is coming to Ontario in terms of the way RAC affairs will be managed. In the past the Ontario Section has been served by one elected official – the Section Manager – who was responsible for the operation of a Field Service. For the last six years I have had the honour and pleasure of serving as your Section Manager overseeing the ARES, NTS, Official Bulletin Service and the Official Observer Service on your behalf. I have had the opportunity to work with many wonderful and knowledgeable assistants and Amateurs in these services, and the wealth of experience in the province is second to none. However, it has been recognized for some time now that a communications gap exists between RAC as an organization and the clubs and individual Amateurs that it aims to serve.

An extensive analysis resulted in VPFS recommending, to the President, the implementation of a full Field Organization containing both administrative support functions to the clubs as well as the established Field Service. With 60% of Canadian Amateurs resident within the province, VPFS also recommended to the President that Ontario be restructured to improve representation. The Ontario Restructure Commission consulted with the clubs and individuals and brought forth a recommendation to divide Ontario into four Sections RAC Bulletin 2012-006E. The RAC Board of Directors approved both the Field Organization and reorganization recommendations, and VPFS has initiated the restructure process effective immediately; see RAC Bulletin 2012-007E for the overall transition plan.

The purpose of this Bulletin is to add more detail on the inaugural Section Manager Appointment process within that plan. The transition process is now in progress. The first step is to select and appoint the four new Section Managers with a target date of 1 May, 2012. The four Section Managers will then form a Transition Council which, with VPFS advice and support, will guide the remainder of the transition process. The Transition Council will become the Ontario Provincial Council on 1 September, 2012 when the new section structure becomes official. During the transition period the new Section Managers will participate in a VPFS-led training period, establish provisional Section operating procedures, and recruit section staff. In the meantime, the Ontario Section will continue official operations it is stood down on 31 August, 2012.

As your present Ontario Section Manager, VPFS has asked me to fulfil my current mandate as the inaugural Ontario North Section Manager, the new Section that I am resident in. VPFS has asked me to administer the process of accepting candidates for appointment to the remaining three Sections. Following the precedent set by the Restructure Commission, I am looking to the clubs and ARES groups to nominate appropriately skilled and capable candidates. It is important to take into consideration that the role of the Section Manager has changed. As most of you know I am a firm believer in face to face contact something I could not do as one person for Ontario. This is why I am excited about the new focus on developing a two-way relationship between the section staff and the clubs. Developing this new partnership calls for leadership and innovation on the part of the Section Managers, their volunteer staff, and the club executives.

A new job description for the Section Managers under the new Field Organization has not yet been developed. This task will take place within the VPFS Council once the Ontario Transition Council is operational and the Ontario Section Managers have joined the VPFS Council. A provisional job description has been provided by VPFS as an interim guide (attached). The scope of responsibility has increased, but under the new Field Organization structure there are new administrative support mechanisms at section and level to conduct the work. In particular, the role of four of the new Section component heads combine to facilitate a communication loop between the Section Manager and the club executive. The job description highlights the importance of selecting a candidate with the personal and leadership attributes required to guide the introduction of the Field Organization at Section level.

Following the principles of the election process described in the RAC Administration Manual, nominations should be in the form of a nomination letter signed by 10 Full RAC members, covering a biography of the nominee, as well as a letter from the nominee accepting the nomination. Given that this is a unique circumstance, where a club nomination is arrived at by consensus or vote, a nomination letter signed by the club president is acceptable (this is not restricted to Affiliated Clubs). The nomination documents should be mailed to me at my home address, to arrive no later than 31 March, 2012:

Allan Boyd VE3AJB

Ontario Section Manager

P.O. Box 208,

Little Current, ON P0P 1K0

A selection committee, composed of the two Ontario Directors and myself as chair, will be convened in early April as soon as copies of the documents can be distributed. The recommended candidates will be proposed to VPFS for approval and the President for confirmation. It is important to know that as a Section Manager for the North I do not have a vote on who is selected as the other Section Managers. This is to be completed by the directors for Ontario and VPFS.

The nominees will be informed first of the final result, followed by an Ontario Bulletin with the official announcement. I invite all Ontario Amateurs, clubs and ARES groups in the new Ontario East, South and GTA Sections to discuss the issues and nominate a candidate who you feel has the initiative and leadership skills needed to create a Section team, implement the new Field Organization structure, and initiate the consultation mechanisms between the clubs and the Section Manager.

As your present Section Manager for the past 6 years I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you that have supported me and my field services members over the years. Your commitment to the program has been proven many times over. I look forward to serving the members of Northern Ontario as your Section Manager until such time to re-elect the position. As always I am open to any questions or concerns that you may have. Please feel free to contact me at anytime. I look forward to this new process and the exciting times ahead for field services and RAC.

Yours Truly

Allan Boyd

VE3AJB

Section Manager

Ontario

Radio Amateurs of Canada

Attachment: Provisional Appointment Description – Section Manager

PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT DESCRIPTION – SECTION MANAGER (SM)

The Section Manager is elected by the RAC member’s resident in the Section to provide leadership in the delivery of RAC programs and services within the Section. The Section Manager has two reporting accountabilities:

1. to advise the Regional Director on general matters of RAC policy as it affects the Amateur community within the Section, and to keep the Regional Director informed of Section activities; and,

2. to the Vice President Field Services for the efficient and effective delivery of RAC programs, membership services, and the operation of the Field Service, within the Section.

The Section Manager serves as a member of the Director’s cabinet facilitating an open line of communication between the two elected officials responsible for RAC policy and field operations within the Section. The Regional Director should be included as an information addressee on all relevant correspondence or information distributed to the members of the Section. The Regional Director should be an ex officio member of the Section Manager’s advisory group, and receive an information copy of all official correspondence. To coordinate the delivery of RAC programs and services nationally, and to provide collective advice to the Vice-President Field Operations on matters of operations policy and procedures, the Section Manager serves as a member of the national Field Organization Council chaired by the Vice President of Field Services.

To carry out his/her responsibilities to the Amateur community within the Section, the Section Manager is assisted by eight (8) principal officers, each of whom has the status of Assistant Section Manager. Each officer serves as head of a component within the Section field operation. The Section Manager is free to appoint additional Assistants or Special Advisors, as required, to manage projects or to provide specialist advice. The eight component heads are:

Provincial / Territorial Government Liaison (PGL). The role of the PGL is to remain abreast of provincial/territorial government affairs as they affect Section-level field organization responsibilities, and to serve as the Section Manager’s representative to government authorities when authorized. This appointment would normally be made by a provincial council where the jurisdiction contains two or more sections.

Public Information Coordinator (PIC). Working with the Vice-President Public Relations and other Executive-level officers, the role of the PIC is to facilitate the exchange of newsworthy information to and from club Public Information Officers (PIO), to facilitate the delivery of appropriate material to the Bulletin Manager, and to serve as the principal spokesperson to the media on behalf of the Section Manager.

Affiliated Club Coordinator (ACC). The role of the ACC is to assist clubs with internal administration advice where appropriate and consistent with the Affiliated Club President’s Workbook, assist club’s with keeping club contact information current on RAC websites, promoting joint club activities and programs across the Section, and encouraging clubs to join RAC as an Affiliated Club.

Technical Coordinator (TC). The role of the TC is to facilitate club and local Technical Specialist (TS) involvement in RAC technical committee activities, to facilitate responses to Industry Canada papers and enquiries, and to assist with questions of spectrum management or interference.

Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC). The role of the Section Emergency Coordinator is to advise the SM on provincial (territorial) government legislation, regulations and policy as it affects the provision of auxiliary communication services by the Amateur Radio community. The SEC is the senior official in the Section’s Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and provides the leadership and guidance required to ensure that ARES Groups are trained and qualified to provide auxiliary communication services commensurate with the expectations of municipal level governments and Field Service standards.

Section Traffic Manager (STM). The role of the STM is to supervise the Section’s traffic handling organization all traffic efforts within the section, regardless of mode or National Traffic System affiliation, so that routings within the section and connections with other networks and digital traffic nodes will result in orderly and efficient traffic flow.

Section Bulletin Manager (SBM). The role of the SBM is to collate and produce weekly information bulletins containing international, national and intra-section topics of interest to the Amateur Radio community. The SBM is assisted by, and supervises, a network of Official Bulletin Stations (OBS) who read the bulletins during local repeater nets or publish them via such means as club websites.

Official Observer Coordinator (OOC). The role of the OOC is to recruit and oversee volunteer Official Observers (OO) whose function is to monitor on-air activities, alert operators when there is the possibility that a station may not be in technical conformance with government regulations, and to coach operators on good operating practices.

These eight officers collectively are the principal members of the Section Manager’s Cabinet as described in the Section Manager’s Survival Guide available at the RAC website. The first four officers are primarily concerned with the management and oversight of Section Manager’s administrative responsibilities; the last four collectively form the Section’s Field Service. Of the eight components, an effective emergency communications capability is considered vital as this public service is perhaps the main reason that the federal government supports the existence of the Amateur Radio Service in Canada. The Section Manger is encouraged to appoint personal assistants to serve as the secretary to the cabinet, and for such other administrative support functions as required.

In discharging his/her responsibilities, the Section Manager:

1. Makes a monthly written report to the Vice President Field Service on the status of Section activities;

2. Conducts personal visits to clubs, hamfests and conventions to the greatest extent possible;

3. Writes, or supervises, preparation of a monthly “Section News” column for the inclusion in TCA; to encourage member participation in the RAC programs in the Section.

The term of office for all RAC elected officials and executive officers is two years, for a maximum of three terms, and this guidance should be considered when making Section appointments. A key Section Manager function therefore is succession planning. Every opportunity should be seized to recruit capable volunteers, mentor them, and encourage them to progress onward to the more challenging (and personally rewarding) Section responsibilities. No opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of these volunteers should be missed. The most important of all the responsibilities that a Section Manager has is to groom a successor. Ideally this person will have served as a component head and is active within the Section ARES program, and served on a club executive. In particular, participation in a properly functioning cabinet is key to mentoring the Section Manager’s successor.

Recruitment of new hams and RAC members is an integral part of the job of every appointee. Appointees should take advantage of every opportunity to recruit a new ham or member to foster the growth of Field Organization programs, and our abilities to serve the public.

Requirement: The Section Manager is required to be a Full RAC member, and possess the Incident Command/Management System certifications expected of an ARES Amateur Radio operator.

End of Bulletin

__._,_.___

 73,

Glenn

Changes – continued

My wife Barb and I had a long heart to heart last night and again this morning. In no way does she wish me to give up on my hobby, but at the same time she wishes and deserves equal time. I realize now that I have been using amateur radio as an escape from day to day life. That will stop – NOW.
I will continue as HBSN manager at least until the end of 2012, after which I need to have a long look at things.
My original resignation stands regarding my Section Traffic Manager position so as of April 1, 2012 I will cease my tenure.
I will continue my Alpha TCC sked in the months to come.
I will continue as 2RN NCS / EAN Cycle 2 on Monday afternoons, but will have to relinquish my liaison duties from that evening. I am eliminating my duties as EAN rep in Cycle 4 on Mondays as well. I will not participate on 2RN Cycle 2 on Tuesdays. I expect to continue as Thursday NCS on 2RN Cycle 2 but will not be available to liaise on Friday or weekends.
I will continue as NCS on EAN Cycle 2 Tuesdays and Lima/Victor/Oscar on Fridays. I would however prefer to have someone else cover Victor on Mondays. I would also appreciate it if someone else could handle the days when Betsey is unavailable. I need to free up more Monday time.
I expect my only appearance on CAN will be Fridays as discussed above.

If anyone has any questions feel free to e-mail me or use the landline if you wish. I do not always answer the phone but have an answering machine and return all pertinent calls.
Thank you for understanding.
73,
Glenn

Changes

The following comes to us from James Wade WB8SIW. It is a proposed code of ethics to which traffic handlers should adhere.

Proposed Code of Ethics for Traffic Handlers

 The responsible traffic operator is committed to accuracy.  He strives for 100-percent accuracy when copying message traffic. If in doubt, he asks for all necessary fills or requests clarification from the sending station.

 The responsible traffic operator is committed to timely delivery.  He never holds traffic for excessive periods of time.  His goal is the delivery of all routine radiogram traffic within 48-hours of the date of origin.

 The responsible traffic operator never “bulls” or “dead-ends” a message.  He always sees a message through to relay and delivery or services an undeliverable message back to the originating station.

 The responsible traffic operator does his best to develop sources of unique, personal radiogram messages.  He does not promise more than the system can deliver nor does he pass judgment on the content or value of any legal radiogram traffic he receives.

 The responsible traffic operator supports emergency preparedness measures.  He offers his skills and equipment to his community in time of emergency.  His goal is to develop real communications skills and capabilities, which will be useful in the event of a major communications emergency.

 The responsible traffic operator is an advocate for the National Traffic System and other high-quality traffic networks.  His attitude is constructive.  He supports the development and application of a variety of traffic network modes and methods, even if he has a favorite net or mode.

 The responsible traffic operator is consistent.  He tries to report into his net on a regular basis so that he can be relied upon as a traffic outlet for his community.He does his best to support his net’s liaison functions on a regular basis

 Finally, the responsible traffic operator is balanced.  He doesn’t allow NTS or Amateur Radio to interfere with the duties he owes his family, his job, his community, or the nation.

It is due to that final item that I must make some changes to my way of doing things. For too long I have allowed amateur radio and NTS in particular to take too much of my time, to the detriment of my family life. After another mudslinging match with my XYL last evening, I finally decided that it was past time to do just that.

Therefore, effective immediately, my participation in NTS and traffic handling and generation will be curtailed rather drastically. I will continue to cover liaison duties from Region to Area once per week; TCC twice per week, once in each of Cycles 2 and 4. I will continue to manage the Hit and Bounce Slow Net until at least the end of 2012, at which time I will reevaluate the situation. My participation at the Section level will remain as it is, which is spotty. I have resigned as Section Traffic Manager effective April 1, 2012 after six years at the position.

I do not expect to curtail my generation of traffic but will have to find other means of insertion into NTS. I may have to look seriously at setting up a Pactor I station. Beyond that I will undertake other means of spending more quality time with wife and family.

More to follow.

73,

Glenn

An Interesting story

I would like to share with you a little story posted by KC Richey KD8LZB on the Radiograms Yahoo site list server. It is a very interesting read.

73,

Glenn

The following is an allegory mixed with a bit a fact; all of which is intended to make the reader think. This one is a bit longer, so go get a cup of coffee before you begin. Then set back, relax for a minute and ENJOY!

Years ago I graduated High School with a guy named Devon. Devon’s Dad, back in the 1960′s, founded a local gun, the Lake Cicott Gun Club. As a young boy, Devon grew up midst the culture of local firearms enthusiasts, while watching his Dad manage the Club activites. He grew up watching as men would come out to the Club to pursue a variety of gun related activities, which included competitive Trap Shooting. He watched as ten’s of thousands of clay pigeons were blown to smithereens above the green fields surrounded by trees. Little did anyone know the lessons being learned or the kind of dreams that were being formed in the heart of a little boy.

As a natural result of young Devon’s surroundings, one day he was no doubt introduced to the safe and proper use of a firearm. Shortly after those beginning lessons, he would have had the opportunity to shoot his first clay targets. Those moments would have a lasting impact. Devon’s life would never be the same.

Detour with me now to a time long before young Devon was even born:

A young farmer sees a wild turkey strutting through the brush; he pulls back the string on his bow and lets the arrow fly. Hard work and much practice had made the young farmer very proficient, yet his skills could not supersede the inherent limitations of wood and leather, and feathers, and flint. Yet, as a result of his efforts this day, his family would eat well for the next few days.

And then… one day, while preparing to once again release his arrow on a large tom, the young farmer hears a sharp crack… a loud noise never heard before. The startled tom turkey flew away… and the young farmer, curious as to the source of this unusual sound, hesitantly walked in direction of the far away noise.

After walking about half a mile, he discovers a fellow farmer, standing at the edge of a small steam holding a strange object in his hand. Upon investigation the young farmer sees his first gun. Instantly his world, indeed the very security and future survival of his family would change. He didn’t have to be highly educated to be able to recognize the seriousness of this new tool.

In the months that followed, another young farmer living some distance away wasn’t finding any turkeys to shoot. Bored with his lack of luck, the farmer saw an apple hanging from a branch not more than perhaps 40 yards away. Recognizing the life saving importance of maintaining his marksmanship skills, he shouldered his gun, took careful aim and pulled the trigger. When the smoke cleared he discovered that the apple was gone. Smiling to himself, he reloaded, walked over to the apple tree and looked down see about a dozen ripe red apples on the ground, and an idea popped into his head. He picked up an apple, and turning to face the open sky, the farmer threw the apple upward with a strong underhand toss with his left hand, quickly shouldered his gun, he sighted down the top of a hexagonal shaped barrel, and once again pulled the trigger… As he walked home that afternoon an idea occurred to him; he would challenge his neighbor to contest. The winner would take home “bragging rights”.

But a problem developed… Other farmers heard about this silly contest and declared it a farse, a waste of time. Why would any sensible farmer use such an important survival tool for such a ridiculous purpose? So, to avoid the public ridicule of the other farmers, the two men took their contest to a secluded field where no one would see. The day arrived for their contest, and when the time arrived for them to test their skills, they noticed another farmer approaching. “Mind if I join?” The group of farmers meeting together for these “illegitimate” contests began to increase in the months that followed. They would even meet every so often in the barn to share a cup of coffee and discuss how they might improve their skills.

When other farmers heard about what was now happening on a regular schedule, they gossiped with each other and bad-mouthed the “recreational” shooters as often as possible. They never missed a chance to berate and belittle the senseless competitions. But that didn’t stop the few apple shooters; for, they had found a great deal of happiness in their new pastime and in the friendships made. And… more importantly they intuitively knew that the skills honed in their contests would easily translate to fields filled with real game that would keep their families safe and well fed.

Fast forward back to my friend, Devon:

Devon would grow up and one day work for Federal Premium Ammunition. His job assignments would include travelling all over the United States promoting Federal Premium Ammunition to competitive sport shooters. However, this ammunition salesman never forgot the dreams of a little boy. He continued pursuing his passion of shooting clays. Thousands, and tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands of plain, ordinary, boring, identical clay targets passed before the business end of his Benelli shotgun. You can read his story here… http://pharostribune.com/sports/x2137443283/Harris-hits-100-000-trapshooting-target

Little could that farmer who was shooting apples realize that one day a man would put his own children through college with winnings from a contest not unlike the one he created when he tossed that first apple into the sky. Without a doubt, just like the farmer, Devon heard the naysayers. He heard from those who made fun of such a waste of valuable ammunition. But thankfully, he didn’t let those curmudgeons deter him from his goal. Attending to a sport as old as time… as old as the first two hunters who picked up rocks and hurled them into the air to see who could throw the farthest… my friend Devon, became a Champion.

Some guys buy guns, in which they will never chamber the first round, to put upon display in a gun shrine in their home. Some gun owners learn enough to be able to talk the talk at the Gun Club meetings, but when it comes to being able to walk the walk and hit what they’re aiming at… well, that’s another story. And then there are those who use their guns solely for the purpose of sport game hunting. Although they are getting closer to the “real” intended purpose for possessing a firearm, that of providing food and protection for their families, their survival really doesn’t fully depend upon their skills. Finally, there are those who, like my friend, find great pleasure in using guns in competitive trap shooting… busting routine clay and collecting points.

However… and here is my point. How many gun owners have ever been faced with having to shoot to keep their family from starvation? Out of the four types of gun owners mentioned above, which one’s family do you suppose would eat the best if their lives depended upon the skills of their provider?

There is, however, one last group of gun owners that I reluctantly would like to mention. They are the ones who spend all of their time “bitching” about everyone else because no one is using their guns for the purposes for which they were created… and yet, they themselves buy all their meat from Krogers.

When the day comes that lives depend upon the skills of Amateur Radio operators, which group do you think will have the best chance of success?

KC
KD8LZB
MODERATOR

The (possible) Future of Amateur Radio

The following was posted on the personal blog of K.C. Richey KD8LZB, who is the moderator and founder of the Radiograms Yahoo Group. It should be required reading for any amateur radio operator whether they handle traffic or not. Remember, Amateur Radio exists as a service and is allotted spectrum based upon this service in the future, not what we have provided in the past.

73,

Glenn

FISHING LICENSES AND RADIOGRAMS

Many years ago I read, I’ve long since forgotten where, an article about the subject of animal conservation. Without a doubt, this is a subject that certainly generates a lot of passion. There would seem at first glance to be two disparate sides to this issue. On one side are the hunters and fishermen, and on the other animal rights activists. However, I would suggest that these two sides are not nearly as polarized as the avid proponents of each might believe.

The proposition was laid forth in the article that if someone really wanted save the animals… if someone wanted to do the most possible good toward true and effective animal conservation… the one activity that would be the most beneficial would be to purchase a hunting / fishing license. The facts seem to indicate that revenue from fish and game licensing accomplishes more toward animal conservation than anything else. Buy a license and then throw it away if you really want to save the animals.

Sounds ridiculous, yes? Indeed, this sounds contradictory. And yet, sometimes the very thing that we think absurd at least, and abhorrent at worst, is in fact the very thing that does the most to protect that which we love the most. As incomprehensible and repugnant as it may seem, if you are one of those individuals that think the ideal vacation would be volunteering for a week of service on the Whale Wars ship Gojira, your money might be better spent buying fishing licenses for you and all your friends. As you will see in just a moment, so it is with traffic handling in the field of Amateur Radio.

Much to my surprise I have learned that there is no accurate record being kept by the League of the thousands of operator hours devoted to the origination, relay and delivery of Radiogram traffic. I believe that if that number were ever to be calculated, it would result in a fundamental shift in the perceptions that many have toward the work of the NTS.

As of September 27, 2011 there were 742,879 licensed Amateurs in the United States. Out of that number, only a few hundred reported qualifying points for inclusion on the Public Service Honor Roll. If we are going to “Save the Whales” (read: Save the Spectrum), we must do better than that. If you want to do the most possible good in protecting Amateur Radio from extinction, SEND A RADIOGRAM.

If we do not fight to keep our fishing grounds open, we may one day discover that the ocean we have so taken for granted has been reduced to a pond. We are not the keeper of the Sea and the Sea is for sale. If and when the FCC determines that we are no longer earning the frequency we use, know that they will give it to someone else that they determine would like to use it and is willing to pay for it.

The single easiest way for you as a licensed Amateur to prove that we deserve the frequency we all enjoy is to send a Radiogram. That single act, the moment that it is listed on a Traffic Net, is counted. Though it appears that presently the League does not keep a record of those “points”, if it ever wanted to prove to the FCC that Amateur Radio Operators invest thousands of volunteer hours each and every day, it has a ready means to do so. A Public Service value could and should be assigned to the time it takes to list, and relay that Radiogram to its destination. An invisible price tag can and should be attached.

The unpleasant economic truth is that the value of Amateur Radio’s Public Service usage of the radio frequency spectrum is being compared to the fees that others are willing to pay for the use of the same. The even more unpleasant truth is that the comparison is being made by some Washington bureaucrat that has absolutely no interest whatsoever in Amateur Radio. This is why it is imperative that the ARRL not exclude NTS hours from its arsenal used in defense of the frequency allocations.

What does that me to you and me? It means that the friendly QSO you enjoy tomorrow may very well depend upon the Radiogram you send today. The QSL card you receive next month from that distant South Pacific island may only be made possible because you took the time to send an ARL FORTY SIX Radiogram to a friend.

To be fair, there are other activities in which you can participate that are recognized by the FCC as valuable Public Service activities. However, I would suggest that nothing could be easier or more regularly done at your convenience than the simple act of sending a Radiogram. You don’t have to wait for a disaster to befall your community. That is the beauty of a daily Traffic Net; you don’t have to wait for a tornado or earthquake to participate. There is probably a Traffic Net happening while you are reading this article. Turn on your radio and send a Radiogram.

As much as I hesitate to do so, it is important that we take moment to be honest about what seems to be a dark-side of traffic handling. As a Traffic Handler I have been on the receiving end of the “on air” snide and condescending remarks made toward my participation in the NTS. I’ve even heard stations refuse to take Radiograms if they are from “certain” stations, or if they judge the content of a Radiogram to be “unworthy”. That, my friend, is the same thing as an Animal Rights Activist refusing to purchase a Hunting / Fishing license. You may not want to do it, but you are only hurting your own cause by refusing to do so. These Hams clearly demonstrate their lack of understanding of how the Amateur Radio game is played.

If ever there were a rule established stipulating an activity in order to gain membership in the Sierra Club, nothing would make more sense that to require the purchase of a hunting / fishing / trapping license. Throw it away and never take advantage of the privileges granted to the license holder if you wish, but you must make the purchase.

If ever there were a rule established stipulating an activity in order to maintain Amateur Radio licensee privileges, there is not one activity, from a Public Service perspective, that would make more sense than handling Radiogram traffic. Never fully enjoy the fun and camaraderie of a Traffic Net, if you must. Ignore the friendships that are possible among Traffic Handlers, if you wish. But… you must originate, list, relay, or deliver a Radiogram in order to enjoy all of the rest of the privileges granted to a licensed Amateur Radio Operator.

Posted by KC at

NTS Relay Stations Take Note

The following was received today from KC Richey KD8LZB the moderator of the Radiograms Yahoo Group. It very eloquently relates the do’s and don’t's of message handling.

73,

Glenn

I have recently come under some fire on another forum about the legitimacy of how some Amateur Radio ops choose to use the NTS. This AM I posted the following on that forum. As I read it back to myself, I thought perhaps it would be well suited for the amazing Ops we have here at the Radiogram Brain Trust. ENJOY

A Radiogram is a “private” message that has been entrusted to licensed, disciplined, regulated, tested, volunteer public servants, to be transmitted over sanctioned, regulated “public” radio frequencies. We, as Amateur Radio Operators, violate the public trust when we judge, criticize, gossip about, and blab our opinions about the contents of the “private” messages we have received, relayed, or even heard on our radios.

We are not only given the privilege to talk on our radios, but we have likewise been given the privilege to listen. Oh, I know, anyone within the ranks of the general public with a multi-band radio may very well listen to what is being said on frequencies assigned to Amateur Radio, and they may certainly say whatever they like about what they hear. But… once we receive our Amateur Radio license we have given up the privilege to gossip about and judge what we hear as it pertains to Radiogram traffic. No matter how much we would at times like to, we have forfeited the privilege to reveal our personal judgments. We are licensed, disciplined Amateur Radio operators, and we should act like it… not like a bunch of gossipy ol’ women (or men) whispering and prattling on about their neighbors.

If we listen to rag-chewing, we can say whatever we like (especially about the two guys I heard one night bragging about their recent trip to the local “gentleman’s club”). If we listen to a DX Contest, we can blab away about the participants (especially that guy with a 5kw linear!). But… Radiogram traffic is different. Radiogram traffic is a “private public trust” and we dishonor the privileges of our license when we make ourselves Radiogram content judges. We demonstrate a lack of personal integrity when we blather on and on and on about our disapproval of a Radiogram message or its sender. I make it my goal, after I have determined that it is legal, to be “blind and deaf” to the content of any Radiogram that I handle, or even one that I hear. It is as if someone has allowed me to “read their private mail”, and what kind of man do I become when I violate that person’s trust.

What kind of person do I become if I decide that the “recipient” is unknown to the sender and probably doesn’t want to get a particular Radiogram, so I don’t bother sending it; allowing it to die within the system? I know of no other “message service” that allows that kind of egregious, unprofessional behavior. But, we have allowed it to happen within Amateur Radio service. Shame on us.

The days should be over, in which honorable Amateur Radio men and women, violate the public trust which they have been granted. When someone brings up the “spam” debate, we should say, “Spam??? What are you talking about? I don’t know what you mean? I don’t talk about the content of Radiograms… do you?”

KC
KD8LZB

Traffic Handlers are a Strange Breed – Right?

Directly from the keyboard of KC Richey, KD8LZB, who is among other things, the moderator of the Radiograms Yahoo Group, comes this enlightening piece on why traffic handlers do what they do. It makes for a good read.

73,

Glenn VE3GNA

I ride a motorcycle. And I know; you wonder what that has to do with Amateur Radio. Right? I’ll get to that in a moment. However, before I do, you should know that not only do a ride a motorcycle, I am an Iron Butt rider. A few years ago, I rode my first official Saddle Sore ride; 1000 miles in 24 hours. It was a skinny J shaped course that started near Detroit and ended south of St. Louis at a Shell station in Imperial, MO. Given just a few hours to research and prepare, and I would be more than ready do it again. Only this time, I would end up on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico with my boots off and my toes in the surf. Not only would I not hesitate to do another 1000 in 24, I hope to ride a “Coast to Coast in 50″ before I’m done riding. That’s right. You read it correctly. 2365.6 miles – Jacksonville to San Diego – in 50 hours! Crazy; right?

On a recent Saturday morning, as I sat drinking a cup of Kona Coffee, reading my copy of Iron Butt magazine, a thought occurred to me. If a stranger came into my home and began to nose around, they would quickly begin to wonder what kind of bizarre person lives in this house. I know my wife wonders the same thing. One look at the basket filled with magazines at the end of the couch and they would be left scratching their heads trying to figure out what kind of weirdo subscribes to both Iron Butt and QST magazines. However, I would suggest that this odd combination of reading material might not be as unlikely or unnatural as one might think.

If they were to nose around the property just a bit further, they would find boxes filled with 100′s of Radiograms beneath my radio desk above which they would see my Amateur Radio license. They would see a kerosene heater in my garage shack and try to visualize what kind of a nut-case sits in that wicker chair. They would see, less than 10 feet away from my radios, is parked my motorcycle… and they would wonder.

You see, not only am I a licensed Ham… I am an Iron Butt Ham; otherwise known as a Traffic Handler. Not just a Traffic Net Checker-in-er, but I bona fide, real life, Traffic Handler. I ride my radio where but only a few Hams ride… down the long lonely highway of Traffic Handling. It is a ride which requires careful attention. It is a ride which requires adherence to a list of very specific guidelines. It is a ride which is at times lonely. It is a ride that can become difficult, tiring and burdensome. It is a ride which will test your abilities. It is a ride which you will ride when other Hams have already parked their radios. It is a ride which will cause family and friends, and even other Hams to ask, “Why?” “Why do you do it?”

I wish more people understood the joy of long distance motorcycle riding. I wish more people understood the satisfaction of sending, relaying, and delivering Radiograms. But alas, I should not expect that to happen anytime soon. While sipping my coffee, I realized that one of the reasons that I am drawn to do much of what I do in life is because not many do it. As much as I try to promote Radiogram traffic handling to others… as much as I am frustrated by the lack of response to my efforts to promote the NTS… I fear success. It may sound strange, but in a twisted logic sort of way, I fear that if all my promotion were to be successful, I might sadly set down my microphone and go find something else to do. If I were to succeed, it would, I’m afraid, be a bittersweet success.

As Iron Butt riders will attest, it is very, very difficult to complete a sanctioned Iron Butt ride in a group. As members of the Brass Pounders League, and those like myself who are not, will attest, it ain’t easy to get 500 points a month. Though there are many riders all over the world that complete qualifying rides every year, most do so alone. It is, I believe, this fact that they are doing something that is difficult, disciplined and solitary that drives them to do it. It is the long lonely stretch of abandoned highway that seduces them to ride on. No one paid me to ride a Saddle Sore ride. And, no one pays me to pass Radiograms. I am beginning to understand that I am a NTS guy for many of the same reasons I am an Iron Butt guy.

Here is your invitation to check in to a Traffic Net and join us Hams that live on Crazy Lane in Amateur Radio Heights. But please, though everything I’ve experienced to date tells me I don’t have to worry… Please… not too many of you. Just a few. I don’t want to one night sit down in front of my radio, check in to my favorite Traffic Net and think, where did all these people come from? I don’t want to have to lay down my pen, push my stack of blank Radiograms aside, turn around, get on my bike and ride out of the Shack, and go find something else to satisfy that itch down inside of myself that can only be quelled on lonely, forgotten highways.

Traffic Handlers are an odd group… of which I am happy to be a part. Iron Butt Traffic Handlers may be even stranger still. If you decide to ride with me, whether on your bike or your radio, just remember that I warned you. A lot of people will look at you as though you are crazy. But you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are doing something that others do not understand and therefore do not enjoy… and, that knowledge… obtained in the solitude of your ham radio shack while traveling the sometimes lonely NTS highway may in and of itself be your greatest and only reward.

`Till we one day meet, tired and worn out at the counter of some lonely deserted road side diner or on a traffic net… 73, my Iron Butt Traffic Handler friend. 73.

KC
KD8LZB

On October 3 members of the Distracted Driving Task Force met with MTO  Officials. Here is what happened.
We made a presentation and answered many of their questions they had on how we operated.
They have committed to meet with us again in early 2012 for some follow up.
If you have any thoughts or ideas please send me an email.
Thanks,
Bill VE3XT
ve3xt@rac.ca
Their report————————————

RAC Distracted Driving Committee meets with MTO Officials on October 20th the same day that the Honourable Bob Chiarelli was sworn in as the new Minister of Transportation, Steve Pengelly, VE3STV former RAC HLC, Jeff Stewart, VA3WXM Southern Ontario Director and Bill Unger, VE3XT North East Ontario Director met with the Assistant Deputy
Minister — Road User Safety Division and the Director — Safety Policy and Education Branch.

One of the questions we were asked is why Amateurs believe we deserve an exemption to operate while mobile. We explained that in order to be proficient in the use of our radio systems including mobiles and repeaters, in order to ensure they are always in working order and in order to ensure we know where they work best and where they don’t work
well at all, we must continually test them. This is done by daily usage and by providing community service to many diverse groups across the Province.

They were told that many communities rely on the Amateur Radio Operators in their areas as part of their emergency preparedness plans. They were also advised that Amateurs have installed, at no expense to the taxpayer, a  communications infrastructure that provides a backup to existing telecommunications systems in which authorities can have confidence.

We demonstrated a 2 Metre radio to them and illustrated the difference between Simplex using PTT and Duplex with cell phones. We emphasized that to use our radios and communicate we did not have to remove our eyes from the road.

It was also brought to their attention that we are a relatively small group of private individuals and for us to continue our public service while having to comply with the new legislation, could be a financial hardship on some Amateurs.

The Ministry Officials raised several other questions as to why we cannot comply with the legislation. They were answered with solid technical and operational explanations as to the difficulties we would encounter in order to do this.

A reasoned set of arguments was presented to allay their concerns regarding safety and to explain why Amateurs should be treated differently than others and exempted on a permanent basis.

Ontario has committed to consult with RAC early in the New Year on this matter so a permanent solution can be found prior to January 2013.

Bill Unger VE3XT
Chair

Lest We Forget

This was the frozen image seen all over the northeast on WPIX’s satellite feed.
This feed stayed on satellite until WPIX was able to get a backup path
to the satellite transmitter. This is one of the only known copies (if the only copy) of this image on the internet.

Thanks to NECRAT.US for this picture