MC-ARES/RACES

Lou Arbanas, NJ6H, District Emergency Coordinator for Monterey County, became a Silent Key on Sunday, November 14th, 2021. 

Lou's devotion and dedication to amateur radio will not be forgotten.

The 2018 Sept VHF/UHF SSB simplex contest happens this weekend Sep 8-10. The event begins Sat Sept 8 11:00 AM PST (1800 UTC) and ends Sun 8:00 PM (Mon 0259 UTC)

Bands: 6 M, 2 m USB, 70 cm USB

You will need a multimode radio and a valid ham license to tx

For 2 m, listen on 144.200 up or down

For 70 cm, listen on 432.100 up or down

You will need your Grid Square for exchange; Latitude, Longitude, CQ and ITU zones for logging.

Locate them here http://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php

and here http://www.mapability.com/ei8ic/maps/maps.php

 

Fremont Peak Reeater Association (FPRA), the owners of the K6JE repeaters on Fremont Peak, are in need of the services of a certified tower climber.  Our K6JE repeater on Fremont Peak has a static sounding noise problem that is the result of an old abandon dipole antenna at the top of our 50' (approx.) tower.  It is located right next to our 2 meter K6JE repeater antenna.  When the wind blows on the hill, the old dipole antenna rubbs on the tower structure, causing the noise when our system is transmitting.

We need someone to go up and cut the old dipole free so it's not up there any longer.  Any day and time, except Sunday AM, is good for us.  We are not limited on the tower, to KSBW personnel being present.  The tower we are on is outside of their compound.

Please contact me by email <[email protected]> or via phone at 831-840-8228, to discuss your services.

73,

Bob Wiser, K6RMW

President, Fremont Peak Repeater Associaton (FPRA)

The noise problem currently being experienced by the K6JE repeater, is a very common problem for repeaters.

There is a chain link fence at the base of the tower we currently have our active 2m antenna on. The fence surrounds the anchor point of several guy wires for another structure. Our 1/2” hard line and messenger line were both rolled up and lashed to the chain link fence when we weren’t using it.

We removed the coax / messenger line roll and strung it back across the lot between the tower and the KSBW structure. When we removed the roll from the fence, we may have inadvertently loosened the fence around the guy wires that allows it to wiggle in windy conditions up there.

When there’s loose metal near a repeater antenna, the TX signal paints the loose metal with RF causing arcing as the metal surfaces move by wind or other vibration. The arcing created by the RF hot metal causes the creation of broad band RF noise (emissions) that you hear in the receiver as scratching or static sounds.

So we need to go back up to the site and:

1 Re enforce the chain link fencing around the guy wire anchor by using some new chain link fence wires to tighten any fence that may be rubbing when the wind blows.

2 We need to take the messenger line wire that’s holding up the 1/2” hard line, and hard secure it to the KSBW cable run grid structure to eliminate any possible rubbing.

That should stop the wind related noise problem. Hopefully we can get up there next week with good weather, and get things clamped down.

73,

Bob Wiser, K6RMW

President, FPRA

EMAIL: [email protected]

CELL: 831-840-8228

Lyle Meek and I are hard at work trying to reestablish relationships with Seaside-Marina-CSUMB Regions.  I have made contacts with Seaside and they do not have any Ham equipment.  Lyle Meek and myself have visited with the Chief of Marina Fire and they have theirs set up ready for us to use.  They invited use their facitlities for training and to run our weekly net from if we desired.  It was a great day and we will be hopefully visiting CSUMB by the end of the month.  

Happy 2015

My personal hope is that everyone has had an opportunity to enjoy the past holiday season and is ready to go back to work. I would hope that together we may now look at all of the bright opportunities for MCAEC-ARES in this new year.

As 2014 ended and we cancelled the last two monthly Leadership meetings to allow for our personal holiday scenarios (really only 45 days) a flood of information and events have taken place during that recess that begs our mutual attention/action.

A. October 31st (approximate) ARC (American Red Cross) announced the immediate consolidation of it's paid staff Nationally which affected us locally as well. Over 96% of the planned actions and duties of ARC is now volunteer. Locally changes have taken place. Dave Burbidge W6IIQ confirmed by email the local "consolidation" of staff. I asked about the fate of the RC com trailer in Carmel. He told me that was now safely under the care of Brent Sepulvado KI6PAU.

B. November 10th a meeting was held at the ARC in Salinas with the Monterey County NGAs (non government agencies) to establish a formal VOAD (Voluntary organizations active in Disaster) group in Monterey County. This new group is envisioned as a chartered version of the National VOAD and a companion to an already established Santa Cruz County chapter under the direction of Mr. Jim Uhey. The stated goals and purpose of this organization is to identify resources in our communities that can be provided by church groups, retailers, farmers, hoteliers i.e. kitchens, food, clothing etc. Organizations that are involved are: SPCA, ARC, Salvation Army, MCAEC-ARES, County OES, and a multitude of smaller churches and organizations. The role of MCAEC-ARES being discussed might be our ability to contribute a communications resource for these organizations in their deployment of their volunteer resources. An opportunity to provide support for their command and control structure. Next meeting will be in January and anyone interested in attending this meeting is encouraged to email me for the time and location to be announced.

C. December 1st I attended a meeting in Santa Clara at the OES with the DECs who comprise the Santa Clara operating areas. The vacated position of SEC by Larry Carr was filled by Scott Morse KC6SKM chief radio officer for Santa Clara OES. Contact information is:

Name Position Call Email Cell

Scott Morse DEC SCC/SEC SV Section KC6SKM [email protected] 408.799.4597

Louis Arbanas DEC Monterey Co. NJ6H [email protected] 831.419.1503

Tim Takeuchi DEC San Benito Co. W6TST [email protected] 831.245.7895

Peter Liljequist DEC Bay Side San Mateo Co. AA6PL [email protected] 650.619.0933

David Richards DEC Coast Side San Mateo Co. AF6MN [email protected] 650.245.5558

Robert Ritchey DEC Santa Cruz Co. KJ6FFP [email protected] 831.685.9563

Robert Ritchey replaces Cap Penell a 10 year DEC for Santa Cruz now retired.

D. Richard Hilbun informed us that we lost our PO Box in Monterey. There was a really short notice to renew our box, and we had not retrieved our mail notice soon enough. We have a new address in what we believe to be an easier access box. Please take note of the change: MCAEC-ARES

PO Box 1411

Castroville, CA 95012-1411

MCAEC-ARES owes Jim Tripp a check for the annual PO BOX rental and I need your approval to reimburse him at our 1/17 Leadership meeting. Please note that all MCAEC-ARES vital information is available on our website mc-ares.org thanks to our web master Jim Tripp WA6DIJ. Also please make note of the pass word to the confidential Leadership page designed to share our sensitive resource information:

Name: Leadership (L is capitalized)

Password: xmy*ares

E. Alan Jump N5ILN our ADEC has been in contact with Deputy Sheriff Bill Hija of the MoCo Sheriffs department radio who is Radio System Administrator, radio communications support team. Bill is interested in training officers for their Tech and General ham license. We discussed Part 97 restrictions and as an amateur radio operator himself Bill is clearly aware of the restrictions describing our frequency use and theirs. He is also convinced that the radio skills taught amateurs are supportive of his efforts to train his officers. Times available for training have been difficult to calendar due to Alan's time restrictions and we are looking for others in leadership confident in their skills to be able to help us. Radio Fest March 7th is the next testing session planned and we are wishing to get this class up and going ASAP. Please email me or Alan if you feel you can help: Alan [email protected]; Lou [email protected]

Alan has also drafted a first copy of a MOU between MCAEC-ARES and the EOC detailing the comportment of radio operators when in the building and the radio room.

That will be available at our 1/17 leadership meeting for review and adoption.

F. On behalf of MCAEC-ARES Leadership and membership I want to sincerely thank Ron Short KK7GO for his leadership and guidance in helping us make contact with MoCo Interoperability Committee. Ron a certificated cruise boat Captain has had his schedule changed and is no longer able to be our Liaison with Interoperability. Jim Tripp and myself have been alternating attending their meetings. We will need to discuss a more permanent replacement of that vital liaison function. December meeting was cancelled due to holiday scheduling.

G. Thanks to Sal DeFranco our Liaison to Salvation Army for spearheading the establishment of the Tom May radio room at the Seaside Salvation Army. Thanks to those who helped Sal, whose names I do not have at hand for this report. Also thanks to Sal and Andrew Parker WV1B for an excellent K6LY Christmas Party at that location. Tangential to this newly forged relationship Sal has feels we may have the ability to use one of their rooms for meetings/training session. Other opportunities with the Salvation Army include the SATERN radio network. The purpose of the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) is to train and acquire personnel skilled in emergency communications and message handling, who will support Salvation Army operations in local, regional and international disaster situations. Additional information: http://www.satern.org/

H. Based on a discussion that was started over a year ago by Cap Pennell KE6AFE and with input from Bob Wiser K6RMW there seems to be a conflict with our published simplex frequencies and the 2M band plan by NARCC. Perhaps the new year can begin this discussion with Leadership and repeater owners in MoCo to explore the necessity to change? Our goal is to provide courtesy and respect for all radio operators in band usage. This is not something we should go into lightly as change is very difficult for everyone. Serious consideration needs to be given to the introduction of possible confusion, a failure point in an emergency. That is why it is important that all of MCAEC-ARES Leadership as well as our supportive repeater owners reach a decision on this issue. The details of this discussion will be included in a subsequent email.

Calendaring opportunities for 2015

General Meetings which are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm in locations to be announced are:

01/06 - EOC Salinas

02/03 - T/A

03/03 -T/A (Radio Fest 3/7)

04/07 - T/A

05/05 - T/A

06/02 - T/A

07/07 - T/A

08/04 - T/A

09/01 - T/A (labor day the following weekend)

10/06 - T/A

11/10 - T/A (election day on first Tuesday, changed to second Tuesday)

12/01 - Cancelled for the Holidays

Leadership Meetings held on the third Saturday of the month at 10am - 12pm at the EOC Salinas:

01/17

02/21

03/21

04/18

05/16

06/20

07/18

08/15

09/19

10/17

11/21

12/19 Cancelled for the Holidays

I. We continue to explore opportunities of uniting North and South Monterey County via RF solution. There are now many people talking about possible solutions and we are looking forward to one we can all adopt and use reliably ASAP. The one important consideration we should not overlook is our ability to share the same space with 911, and the service we provide our community and hams in those communities to be able to reach 911 by an alternate route in the event land lines and cell are not available.

J. Important to remember that Sean Lynn KJ6SWL our Net Control coordinator has designated our QSY with our weekly nets to K6JE to begin this coming first Wednesday of the Month 1/7 to be held in it's entirety on K6JE. You are encouraged by Sean to contact him for scheduling to be net control operator for the month of January. Sean and Larry Robison KJ6IXA encourages those who might like to learn to be net control operators to join us at the EOC radio room on Wednesday night at 7pm and he will be more than happy to teach you. Space is limited so please email Larry at [email protected] in advance. Remember no experience is necessary. Sean Lynn is also our CHOMP Liaison.

K. Our bank ballance has remained un-changed on: 12/31/2014 @ $2,878.60

Our opening ballance was: 11/25/2013 @ $2,800.00

I've been introduced to a source that would create a 501c3 for us if we were interested.

Discussion of the advantages and responsibilities will be on our 1/17 agenda.

Next General Meeting is this coming Tuesday at 6:30pm Salinas EOC. The training for the evening will be "shadowing" provided by Pat Moore. The next Leadership meeting will be held on 1/17 10am at the EOC. Please forward any topics you would like added to the agenda for that meeting. Based on your feedback, corrections and or up-dates I will issue a meeting reminder tonight or tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time, skills and purse in 2014 for the advancement of MCAEC-ARES goals and projects. It's clear that in MoCo we have many talented and interested volunteers, and it's equally clear that when we work together we demonstrate an awesome resource. Looking forward to our success in 2015.

73

Louis Arbanas - NJ6H

DEC Monterey County

[email protected]

81.419.1503