MultCoARES Field Day

by Nathan NA7EE on 2018-05-14

For those unfamiliar with Field Day, the ARRL explains:

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.

This outing is the largest event for radio groups interested in field operations. This will be the first year that Multnomah ARES will be operating independently for this event. It’s a big deal for us, as it is pretty rare that we operate and perform outreach over an entire weekend. I will attempt to outline the broad plan here, especially for those who have not operated during Field Day before.

Multnomah ARES has extended an invitation to the Portland NET AROs to operate with us for this event. We will be operating from Saturday Morning on June 23 until Sunday Morning, June 24.  We will need to loft the antennas and set up the stations before the operating commences. I plan on performing these actions on Saturday; no pre-staging on Friday will occur.

We will be operating from the picnic shelter at Willamette Park (off Macadam Ave). Our operating location was chosen for the large amount of foot traffic – the main goal of Field Day is outreach! I have tested Willamette Park for RF noise and skywave propagation (sufficient topographic clearance for takeoff angles). I was able to get contacts in Texas, Arizona, the East Coast, and Japan from this site, so I’m sure that our radio operations will be successful.

We will be operating two stations for points, a GOTA station, and potentially a VHF station during the event. Setup will be interesting, and require some forethought. We are not allowed to sink stakes in this location, the area is somewhat cramped for large antennas, and the parking near the picnic shelter is metered and limited. That said, there is permanent plumbing, shore power, tons of passers-by and a beautiful view of the river. We’ll work through the difficulties and leverage the positives of the park.

We will have a lot of work to do to make this event a success, but we have a ton of awesome and motivated folks in our radio unit. The leadership team will be reaching out for assistance, but many hands will make light work. Stay tuned for updates, and I hope to see everyone on June 23!

Tagged as: Field Day

Net News

by Rachel KI7NMB on 2018-05-09

The monthly Simplex Net has moved to the second Wednesday of every month. The Traffic Handling Training Net (THTN) will be once a month on the fourth Tuesday at 8:00 PM (147.180MHz, 103.5Hz tone).

HF 101 Workshop

by Robert WX5TEX on 2018-05-04

Whether you are considering upgrading to a general class license or recently upgraded, the HF 101 workshop will help you make sense of the world below 30 MHz. This isn’t a test prep class but will give participants some hands on experience on the HF bands to help demystify many aspects of HF operation. To sign up, contact Robert Anglin (rganglin [at] gmail [dot] com).

Membership News

by Deb KK7DEB on 2018-04-26

Welcome to our newest members!

Alpha Team: Kenn KA7VQH
Bravo Team: Shawn AG7JZ and Roy KI7PKL
Charlie Team: Grant N0FFF

News from Around the County

by Deb KK7DEB on 2018-04-21

A big thanks to all who participated in Walk MS and the Spring SET! They say a picture is worth a thousand words so enjoy all the photos of MCARES in action.

We know for sure now that we will be operating for Field Day on June 23 and 24 at Willamette Park. I hope you all can come and do a little HF operating.

Skywarn Weather Spotter Training

by Robert WX5TEX on 2018-04-16

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.

Training News

by Eli W7ELI on 2018-04-07

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.

MCARES Campout

by Robert WX5TEX on 2018-03-25

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!

News from Around the County

by Deb KK7DEB on 2018-03-16

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.

Featured Member Profile: Carrie K7CAC

by Carrie K7CAC on 2018-03-10

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.