The new 2025 frequency templates have been posted to the website (Resources > Frequency Lists).
Please reprogram your radios soon!
Author: Web Manager
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Website Hosting Migration
The Multnomah County ARES website was migrated to a new hosting provider this evening. No problems were encountered during the migration, and all testing of the site has been successful. If you do notice any problems, however, please send an email to webmanager [at] multnomahares [dot] org and I will investigate.
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March 7 Team Drill
We will have a field drill involving all MCARES teams on Saturday, March 7 from 09:00 to 13:00. All MCARES members are asked to participate if possible. Your team leader should be in touch with you prior to the drill, to discuss location and any other details specific to your team’s role. Please be sure to thoroughly read the drill guide and ICS-205 before the drill, and direct any questions to your team leader.
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Field Day 2019
Join Multnomah County ARES on the waterfront at Willamette Park in Portland for Field Day this year! The event will run for 24 hours, from 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 22 until 11:00 AM on Sunday, June 23.
What is Field Day?
Field Day is ham radio’s open house. Every June, more than 40,000 hams throughout North America set up temporary transmitting stations in public places to demonstrate ham radio’s science, skill and service to our communities and our nation. It combines public service, emergency preparedness, community outreach, and technical skills all in a single event. Field Day has been an annual event since 1933, and remains the most popular event in ham radio.
From the ARRL’s Field Day web page (www.arrl.org/field-day)For licensed radio operators, we will have two HF stations set up for the duration of the event. We will also be running a Get On The Air (GOTA) station on Saturday until 9:00 PM so folks who don’t have an amateur radio license can give the radio a try with help from a mentor.
Location & Directions
Our Field Day site is at Willamette Park, 6500 SW Macadam Ave, in Portland. We will be operating from the covered “Picnic A” area near the south end of the park. The red location pin on the Google map below is directly over the picnic shelter (zooming in and turning on the aerial view will help orient you). There is also a park map available here.
If you’re driving, find your best route to SW Macadam Ave, then head east onto SW Nebraska St, and then turn right (south) onto SW Beaver Ave / SW Idaho St. Continue past the large parking lot. Picnic A is located just northwest of the small parking lot near the end of the road. Parking fee information can be found on the Portland Parks & Recreation website.
If you’re taking Trimet, the #35 Macadam/Greeley bus is probably the best option. Get off at SW Macadam & Nevada (stop ID 3620 if southbound or 3622 if northbound), then head east on SW Nevada St. Where the street turns right, you’ll find a footpath that will lead you into the park. At the end of the path, turn right onto the road and continue toward the parking lot. The picnic shelter should be visible on your left.
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January General Membership Meeting
Please join us for our general membership meeting on Thursday, January 25 at the Portland Fire and Rescue training center at 4800 NE 122nd Ave in Portland. There will be a Q&A session and informal gathering for new members from 18:15 to 19:00. The main meeting will run from 19:00 to 21:00. You do not need to be a member to attend – everyone is welcome!
We will meet in the main room at 19:00 for leadership updates and general business, and then break into two groups for introductory and advanced discussions of Winlink operations. You are free to choose either session, based on your level of experience.
John KI7LYP and Eli W7ELI will provide an introduction to Winlink software for newer users. Bring your laptops and join in while they demonstrate how to configure the software, find forms, and create and send messages. We will be using the WiFi in the training facility to send and receive real messages.
Adam KF7LJH will lead the advanced session for more experienced users who would like to learn how to operate/interface with a TNC and SignaLink, find gateway stations, and operate using a packet session.
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Net News
We will no longer be passing around a sign-up sheet for net control at the monthly meetings. Instead, each team will be assigned a month. This will give more folks a chance and we hope that every member will do it at least once. If you want help or moral support for your first time, just ask your team leader. An orange Go-Kit will be available for those needing a higher powered radio.
The Digital net has been very successful and several members are gaining expertise in sending images both with sound card (SignaLink) and acoustic coupling, which only requires a radio and a smart phone. The Open Camera app for Android devices and Solocator for Android and iOS devices are camera apps that can embed GPS coordinates as well as time/date stamp onto the image. GPS coordinates must be included for images to be of any use to Emergency Management. Both apps are free. The DroidSSTV app for Android devices costs $6.99 and is what most of the smartphone users are using to send pictures from our phones; there is also an iOS app for this. You just hold the phone to the radio, hold down the PTT and send. You can check into the net for help in setting these up.
The Traffic Handling Training Net (THTN) is gaining ground. We had 18 checkins on our last net. We sent two ICS 213s and a radiogram, and got lots of questions answered. You can use sample 213s to practice sending on the net, or compose your own NTS Radiogram.
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Trailer Project Update
With the build complete, the next phase is developing policy about the trailer’s use; developing a user manual on how to move it, set it up, and run it; and training.
Now that we have it, we need to maintain it. There are ongoing expenses, including keeping the propane tanks full, insurance, and over time there are sure to be maintenance issues. To that end, we will have a Trailer donation box by the door at every meeting. Drop a dollar or two in there when you can. If you need a tax deductible receipt, PARC is still handling those contributions. Send a check to PARC, P.O. Box 33454, Portland, OR 97292-3454. Write “ARES Trailer Fund” on the memo line of your check. Thank you!
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HF Campout Recap
We had a great time at Fort Stevens State Park, part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. We operated under the event callsign W7A for National Parks On The Air, a year-long event celebrating the 100th birthday of our National Parks service. We were able to make many contacts as far away as South Carolina. The weather, the food, and the camaraderie made for a very fun weekend. Congratulations to Brian KE7QPV, Eli W7ELI, and Bill KG7UPR for earning their HF operator certificates. Nathan’s son, Dimitri, age 7, made his first HF contact with the USS Hornet Amateur Radio Club, NB6GC.
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August General Membership Meeting
It’s going to be hard to top the BBQ last month. It was very well attended and everyone seemed to have a great time. There were some great go-kits on display and the christening ceremony was a spectacle.
We’re going to try to keep the momentum going this month with a discussion and live build demonstration of a Slim Jim portable antenna. Click this link to download a description and building instructions for this roll up antenna. It’s a simple and inexpensive option to dramatically increase the efficiency of your handheld radio.
We all know that without repeaters, handheld radios are not very effective. Sometimes even with the help of a repeater, a 5-watt HT with a stock antenna can have problems being heard. Using an external antenna strung from a tree or on a makeshift mast will vastly improve both your receiving and transmitting effectiveness.
Come watch and see how easy it is to make!
The general meeting and training will be held on Thursday, August 25 from 19:00 to 20:30 at the Portland Fire & Rescue Training Center at 4800 NE 122nd Avenue in Portland.
From 18:30 to 19:00, we will host a discussion for new members and those who want to brush up on some of the basics. This Thursday we’ll discuss radios – what brand to buy, types of radios, decision criteria, simple to complex, etc. Bring your radio if you have a specific question. Robert Anglin WX5TEX, Assistant Emergency Coordinator (AEC) will be our guest. Come with your questions!