Lets face it, our weather is pretty mild here compared to the rest of the country. The northern states get feet and feet of snow, the Midwest is famous for tornadoes and large hail, and the Gulf and East coasts get pummeled by hurricanes every year. That’s not to say we don’t get severe weather and shouldn’t be prepared, especially for those who live in the eastern half of the county. Because of this, I would like to encourage everyone to become a Skywarn spotter for the National Weather Service, as we may be called upon to provide additional real-time weather updates to both the Multnomah County Office of Emergency Management and the NWS Portland office.
The NWS Portland office just released their 2018 training schedule, and while there isn’t an in-person training opportunity yet in Multnomah County, there is an online Skywarn webinar on May 2 from 18:00-19:00. For more information or to sign up, go to the Weather Spotter Training page on the NWS website. There is also a class in Washington County scheduled for Monday, May 14, and I will advertise additional classes as they become available.
In the requirements for the Net Control Field Operator (NCFO) certificate, FEMA class IC 800 has been replaced with IS 802. This class covers Emergency Support Function (ECF) 2: Communications and is more relevant to our mission. It is also easier and is recommended for all MCARES AROs, and required for the NCFO certificate.
Although I feel most at home in the deserts of the American Southwest, I feel very blessed to be living in one of the most beautiful places in the US. The outdoor opportunities here are endless, and the sights incredible. Because my home is so flat and dusty, I try to spend as much time exploring the mountains and other various landscapes as much as possible.
Since we built our awesome communications trailer four years ago, the first idea that popped into my head was, “We HAVE to take this thing camping!” And so we created our annual HF Campout. The purpose was three-fold: to exercise the trailer for an extended period of time away from the comforts of civilization; to provide HF training and experience; and as a relaxing team building event. To have a top performing, cohesive team, sometimes you just need to have fun without the pressures of a structured drill.
This year, we have found a great group campsite on the shores of Timothy Lake called Pine Point. The campsite allows up to 36 people and should provide for a very relaxing and fun adventure for the team. Although Timothy Lake is nestled in a valley, I have worked HF from this location during Field Day and had no problem reaching stations all over the world.
We will be arriving Friday Sept 14 and staying through Sunday the 16th, so we should be avoiding most of the Summer crowd. And although we call it the “HF Campout,” you don’t have to have any interest in working HF; just come out and have fun. If you would like to join us, please RSVP ASAP by emailing me at RGAnglin [at] Gmail [dot] com. We like to get a headcount as early as possible so that we can plan meals and whatnot. Typically everyone is on their own for breakfast and lunch, but we do group dinners at night. The cost this year is $20/person to help cover the cost of the campground and food. We look forward to seeing you there!
Spring is in the air, which means the start of our busy season for public service events and various simulated emergency tests and field exercises. Walk MS is April 7 and you can visit the volunteer registration form to sign up to help. The Spring SET is April 14. Please contact your team leader to participate. This year we have a new event, Cars for a Cause, which is May 13 and more information will be coming soon about this. MCARES will also be operating its own Field Day event this year at Willamette Park on June 23 and 24. We hope our members will participate in as many events as possible to hone their operating skills, connect with other members, and just have some fun.
Please join us in welcoming Carrie K7CAC who is now the Charlie team leader. You can learn more about Carrie in her featured member profile.
The first team drill of the year was on March 10 and brought together the Charlie and Mike teams. I believed everyone learned a lot and got some operating time with the new digital go-kits. The base camp was at the old armory site on SW Multnomah Blvd. The teams went mobile to various locations, set up the go-kits and reported back simplex to net control at the ARES trailer. John KI7LYP was also on site to show and talk about various mobile antenna and radio suggestions. The weather cooperated with no rain in sight although the wind was a bit pesky for the canopy city field station that was erected.
A special thanks to Cory and Jim Schoch for their work on the MOU with Hoodview Amateur Radio Club and MCARES for the use of the MC2 147.280 repeater during an emergency activation. It was a pleasure to work with them and, as a result, we have a fine agreement. It is truly wonderful that we are all on the same page in providing the best emergency communications for our community.
I first learned about ham radio during Portland NET/CERT training, and have been hooked ever since. MCARES has offered an amazing opportunity to grow as an operator while serving the community alongside some dedicated and amazing human beings. Current ham interests include low power, lightweight, long distance operations for backpacking and international travel, and digital operations. I’ve been a mental health/crisis intervention professional in Oregon for 25+ years, and am a fan of snow, sod, sleeping, and saltwater in my free time.
It is nearly time once again for the annual Walk MS event in Portland. Multnomah County ARES is honored to have been asked by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to provide communications support for their event again this year. In years past this event has been well regarded as a training and public service event for the Amateur Radio community.
The event takes place on Saturday, April 7 from approximately 08:00 to 14:00, and is held in downtown Portland along the Esplanade and in the World Trade Center Plaza.
Please join us for our general membership meeting on Thursday, March 22 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 about antennas. You are free to choose either session, based on your level of experience.
John KI7LYP will lead the intro session in the main room. Material will include the basic types of antennas, directional properties, polarization, and gain/losses. Nate NA7EE will lead the advanced session in the Annex, covering antennas, transmission lines, baluns, matching systems (tuners), and impedance. Material will include function, characteristics, and losses.
Additional information about our monthly meetings can be found on the meeting page.
I have been licensed since October 2017. Although I have only been licensed for a few months I have been exposed to ham radio for the past 38 years. My husband, John, has been operating since he was 13 years old. I did not have much interest in talking with Russia, etc. so my interest in amateur radio was low. My experience before this was CB and I found no real use in that. Since John joined ARES I have found my place in ham radio. ARES goes beyond talking to Russia and I embrace the Emergency Services portion of amateur radio. Looking forward to many more years of training and learning about the equipment, antennas, and operations of ARES.
An eighth-generation Oregonian, I was born and raised here in Portland. Keeping it local, I spent eight years working my way through college to graduate debt free from Portland State University. While at PSU I was introduced to Argentine tango dancing; through tango I met Kenny KF7NLF. Both Kenny and I have a passion for emergency preparedness and we became involved with CERT, NET, and then ARES.
Years ago my dad gave me an old radio, my first radio, but never told me its story. The display didn’t work, but it looked cool and had quite a few accessories so I tucked it away in my closet. Several years later when Kenny suggested I get my license I remembered the forgotten radio. Kenny worked his magic and got the display working and coaxed a few connectors into the right places so that I could operate off battery power again. With the display working we saw a call sign pop up, KC6OAM, and discovered that the radio used to belong to my grandfather! After several months of listening to chatter on the K7RPT repeater on that Kenwood TH-79A I started to study for my technician exam. Today my daily carry is a Baofeng BF-F9, and I’m looking at purchasing an affordable antenna to go with it, either a flexible HT antenna or a mag mount for my car.
Most recently I’ve worked as a business systems analyst in an IT Finance department until December, 2016. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer that December and I’ve been fortunate enough to have quality time with her as she’s gone through treatment. Her chemo should be wrapping up sometime in June. Currently I’m in a two-year program to become a fertility awareness educator with my internship in teaching menstrual cycle charting starting soon. I’m greatly anticipating supporting people in their journey towards body literacy, natural birth control that is 99.6% effective, and helping to optimize their fertility journey if they are trying to conceive.
Right now I’m about to start some seeds for my family’s annual vegetable garden. Nothing beats homemade marinara sauce made with homegrown tomatoes, basil, and garlic. Being vegan, I get really enthusiastic about my homegrown veggies, but I also have a weakness for chocolate; I highly recommend the salted caramel truffles from Missionary Chocolates. Other ways I spend my time include reading, knitting (my next big project will be an afghan made from alpaca yarn sourced within the Pacific Northwest Fibershed), and making my own soda from water kefir grains.
As a relatively new radio operator I’ve really enjoyed the supportive learning environment that Multnomah County ARES has created. Having so many knowledgeable people and such a robust training program is a real asset, especially when one is just getting started in radio. I’m looking forward to continuing to learn about ham radio and emergency management as I serve as your Net Manager.
Welcome to our newest members! Cory KI7RMG will join the Alpha team, Edie W7ELC joins the Charlie team, Paul KI7ADC joins the Delta team, and Ryan KI7QBR and Chris KG7ADQ both join the Echo team. This brings our total of active members to 85. WOW! Perhaps we will reach the magic number of 100 this year.
