September General Membership Meeting

by Brian KE7QPV on 2016-09-01

Have you been wanting to build your own radio go-kit, but aren’t sure where to start? Join us at our September meeting and get some ideas! Robert WX5TEX will host a presentation on radio go-kit construction and design, and will also introduce the new Multnomah County ARES digital go-kit.

mcares-digital-go-kit

The general meeting and training will be held on Thursday, September 22, 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. Come with your questions!

Annual HF Campout – September 23-25

by Robert WX5TEX on 2016-08-26

We are now one month away from our annual HF Campout, to be held at Fort Stevens on the Oregon Coast this year!

The HF Campout was originally designed to help newer operators get their feet wet in HF radio operation, and to become a certified HF Operator if they desire. This year, our camping trip coincides with the National Parks On The Air event, which we will also be participating in, so all Multnomah County ARES members are welcome, whether you have never operated HF or are a seasoned veteran.

You do not need to have your General class license to join us. If you currently hold a Technician license, there will be plenty of control operators available to help get you on the air! HF operation is very different than the VHF/UHF operating we do locally, and it’s very addicting!

Our group is taking over the majority of Loop G At Fort Stevens State Park for this event, and there are quite a few spaces still available on this loop if you would like to join us. The spots are $29 per night, and you’re welcome to join us for both nights or just one.These spots will all accommodate an RV and have electrical hookups. So far, spots G-264 through G-269 have been reserved by our members if you would like to camp near us. There are about a dozen spaces remaining on this loop, so we would encourage you to reserve quickly if you are planning to join us.

This link should take you to the correct reservation page; just enter the date range (we will be camping September 23 and 24) and select “Loop G”. If you have any questions or would like to join us, please email Robert at RGAnglin [at] gmail [dot] com.

News from Around the County

by Deb KK7DEB on 2016-08-19

The July ARES meeting/picnic was a great success! I think we all enjoyed being outdoors at Sellwood Park. Go-kits were displayed and the ARES trailer had its christening. Thanks to Chris Voss and Alice Busch for attending and leading the toast to the completion of the trailer project. We are nearly finished with the exterior graphics design and have chosen a company to do the work. It should be completed in the next few weeks.

Our first public outreach was August 4 at the National Night Out sponsored by the Rosewood Initiative at 161st and SE Stark. We had the opportunity to speak with many people about Amateur Radio and really promote the hobby and emergency communications. The trailer tours were very popular and most people were really amazed at the technology and capabilities.

As people learn about what we do there is a lot of appreciation that I want to pass along to you. Thank you for being ready to provide emergency communications to help provide services to all the citizens of Multnomah County. It is very much appreciated by many, many folks.

If you are interested in joining the outreach team contact Steve W7SRH at hallstr [at] hotmail [dot] com.

We have news from the State ARES leadership that Bruce Bjerke K7BHB has stepped down and Lisa Clarke KE7NIY has stepped up to the SEC (Section Emergency Coordinator) position. As the SEC-AEC for training, Lisa brings a lot of experience with her. Congratulations to Lisa!

The ARRL has announced it is looking into a new entry level license class which has the potential of bringing many more into the ham radio world. This is an exciting prospect as we continue to grow and expand our capabilities within Multnomah County.

The Fall season is starting to look busy. Save the date for the county wide MCARES exercise on September 10 and the Disaster Relief Trials on October 22. Other events include the HF Campout on September 23 and 24, The Portland Marathon on October 9, and the Swaptoberfest (in Rickreall) Emergency Vehicle show on October 15. These events help to keep our skills sharp and provide great training.

Annual HF Campout

by Robert WX5TEX on 2016-08-14

Join the fun. All members and families are welcome at Fort Stevens for our 2nd Annual HF camp out. This year we will be operating as a National Parks on The Air (NPOTA) station to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of our National Parks service. This will be a great event to learn more about HF operations and have some fun and fellowship with other members. Robert WX5TEX is taking reservations for those who would like to get their HF certification; give him a shout at robert6594j [at] gmail [dot] com.

We have reserved several campsites so if you plan to attend let Robert know so we can make sure there is room for all.

Featured Member Profile: Matthew AF7PV

by Matthew AF7PV on 2016-08-10

I was born in 1967 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and grew up amid the cornfields south of that bustling metropolis. I gradually came to feel that the farming life was not the best fit for me, so after high school I headed to Purdue University and obtained a degree in computer science. Upon graduating I moved to Beaverton for a software development job at Sequent Computer Systems (I remember it fondly) and have been living in the northwest ever since.

I’m currently on hiatus from software development, and I’m happy to have lots of flexibility in my daily schedule. It was maybe in late 2014 that I went to a Science Pub talk by Dr. Chris Goldfinger of OSU, who spoke about his research on the geological dating of past earthquakes by examining core samples taken from the ocean floor off the northwest coast – during earthquakes there are distinctive sediment layers that form after material from inland landslides washes out to sea. The talk wasn’t about earthquake preparedness, but it reminded me of the idea that I should invest some of my copious spare time in preparedness. Since I’m a rather geeky guy, it didn’t seem to be too much of a stretch to get a ham radio license and join ARES.

When I took the Technician exam in early 2015, the VEs told me that the General license would also be helpful for emergency communications, so I soon upgraded to General and joined MCARES. I felt like I still had a lot to learn about radio, and studying for the Extra exam seemed like a way to learn some more things, so that’s how I ended up with the Amateur Extra license class despite not being much of a radio person. I’m currently assigned to the PBEM team, which I think is quite a deluxe assignment in terms of the amenities that PBEM will offer after a disaster — electricity, running water, sewage holding tank, etc. I’ve also recently volunteered to host the monthly digital modes training net, during which we’ve been sending each other photos via SSTV. That’s a lot of fun because people send interesting photos, and we may add additional digital modes in the future depending on their predicted usefulness for emergency communications.

When I’m not sending pictures over the air via SSTV I like to run, do some woodworking, and I play the piano badly. I expect to do software development again at some point.

August General Membership Meeting

by Web Manager on 2016-08-01

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.

ARES450ohmj-polebuilddiagramWe’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!

Membership News

by Deb KK7DEB on 2016-07-23

Please join me in welcoming our newest members, Sean K2CRW, Phyllis W6STZ, Mark KI7FJA, Emily N7EMH, and Ernie KI7EFT.

Our recruiting efforts are paying off. We have gained 28 new members since January. Thanks to everyone spreading the word.

News from Around the County

by Deb KK7DEB on 2016-07-18

July ARES Meeting Location Change: the Thursday, July 28 meeting will be at Sellwood Park picnic area I (India). Our annual Go-Kit Show and Tell will include a BBQ. Nate will be grilling burgers and Deb will serve chili dogs. YUM! Water and soda will also be provided. Bring a side dish or dessert to share.

The ARES trailer will be on display for those who have not yet seen our awesome new Mobile Communications Unit. Adam will be telling you about all of its amazing features.

Bring your family and/or friends who are interested in ham radio to feast and see all the innovative go-kits that our members have put together. If you don’t have a go-kit yet you will be inspired to build one!

The annual HF Campout date is set. Mark your calendar for September 23 and 24 and join us at Fort Stevens for our Second Annual HF campout. This year we will be operating as a National Parks on The Air (NPOTA) station to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of our National Parks service. This will be a great event to learn more about HF operations and have some fun and fellowship with other members. Robert WX5TEX is taking reservations for those who would like to get their HF certification; give him a shout at robert6594j [at] gmail [dot] com.

We have reserved several campsites. If you plan to attend, let Robert know so we can make sure there is room for all. Last year’s spaghetti and meatball dinner was a real hit so there could be an encore performance if Marino KG7EMV will bring his favorite Italian pasta.

Congratulations to John Core KX7YK, who is the new ARRL Oregon Section Manager. He replaces retiring Everett Curry W6ABM.

Sadly, we received word that Race for the Cure will no longer be using amateur radio for their communications. I personally will miss this yearly event. I have worked this event every year since I first got my Technician license in 2005.

Field Day 2016 Recap

by Adam KF7LJH on 2016-07-12

Again this year MCARES joined the Portland Amateur Radio Club (PARC) on Kelly Butte for ARRL Field Day. Field Day is an annual amateur radio event, encouraging emergency communications operations and contesting among amateur radio operators. It is typically the largest single emergency preparedness exercise in the country, with over 30,000 operators participating each year.

It’s also about outreach and education, letting new hams experience HF contesting, and demonstrating ham radio to the public. But mostly, it’s a fun chance to camp out and play with radios for 24 hours.

Since the new McARES trailer was going to participate again, Deb KK7DEB and John KF7ZWX did some tree pruning near its traditional parking spot early in the week. Then Pete W7PR spearheaded cleaning the operating area and hanging the dipole antenna support ropes in the trees on Friday. As always, Pete’s use of the pneumatic tennis ball launcher system was a big attraction.

Antenna hanging started early Saturday morning. Pete is so experienced with hanging these antennas over the years, his team made short work of it. The station in the trailer used the venerable, 25+ year old extended Zepp 192-foot twinlead-fed dipole again this year, which is cut a little longer than a half wave dipole on 75m to increase its directionality. Lee’s CW station used his 20m ZL Special, which is a pair of phased folded dipoles made of 450ohm twinlead set up with directional gain pointing east. In the evenings it’s reconfigured with radials as a top loaded vertical to operate on 80m and 40m. Pete also hoisted an Alpha Delta DC-CC, which is a commercial 10-80m 82-foot dipole, up about 75 feet.

Deb arrived early with the trailer and had it set up in no time. Its propane fueled generator powered everything in the camp, except the radios, for 24 hours without a hitch – including battery recharging duty.

The trailer also furnished area WiFi for all the logging stations used by the radio operators. PARC has been using the Field Day edition of a contesting software package called Amateur Contest Log for years, and it has excellent multi-operator network capabilities. Unfortunately, the trailer’s WiFi couldn’t reach even one station, so Brian KE7QPV configured one of his mesh nodes as a repeater. You could get a signal in Salem with his outdoor, high-gain antenna.

Brian also brought his amazing HSMM Mesh display and did a bunch of experimenting over the evening with all his different hardware configurations. Deb brought the new MCARES solar generator display which was very popular and a big draw with the visitors. Nathan N9VCU grilled up a storm during the day and the evening potluck was delicious!

With three stations operating over 24 hours, over 300 contacts were made covering 45 states by 21 operators. See the adjacent screenshot of the cool worked-states map.

Over 70 visitors came by and signed the log, a jump from last year. Amazingly, Adam KF7LJH wasn’t told mysterious secrets by a coyote in his tent this year (the story gets exaggerated with each telling).

If you couldn’t make it this year, definitely put it on your calendar for next year – it’s the most fun you’ll have with ham radio short of a DX expedition!

Tagged as: Field Day

July General Membership Meeting

by Brian KE7QPV on 2016-07-01

320px-Sellwood_parkThe July meeting will be our annual Go-Kit Show and Tell, and we encourage everyone to bring their field operating gear and ideas to demonstrate and discuss. We’re stepping things up a bit this year, showing off the Multnomah County ARES communications trailer and hosting a pot-luck picnic and barbeque.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, July 28 from 7 PM to 9 PM at Sellwood Park in Portland. We have reserved Picnic Area I, which is at the north end of the park, near the parking lot, and we’ll be starting to set things up around 6 PM. There will be room around the picnic area to show off your go-kits (bring a camp-style table if you’d like; just don’t plan to stake anything into the ground).

Thanks to individual donations we collected at the last meeting, Multnomah County ARES will be providing burgers, hot dogs, sodas, plates, and utensils for the picnic. Members are encouraged to bring their go-kit, a side dish to share, their family, and anyone they may know who is interested in Amateur Radio.