Pottawattamie County ARES

1
(No Transcript)
2

• Net Control Station
• Training
• Course
• 2 0 0 7

3
H a n d o u t s

• The Net Control Station Handbook
• Sample NCS sheet
• County Protocols/ Preambles for Nets
• Call sign/name list

4
Official Net Names

• The Pottawattamie
• CountyARES NET
• (Douglas County
• Net name here)

5
Pott. Co. NET Back-up Frequencies

• Primary
• 145.29 Mhz (-) Repeater in Glenwood
• 442.025 Mhz () Repeater in Minden
• 147.00 Mhz (-) Repeater in Omaha
• These are linked together.
• Repeater output 146.82 Simplex

6
Back-up Repeater Coverage

• Circles represent 30 mile radius
• Pott. Co. outlined in green
• Repeater link line is dotted red

7
Douglas County Backup

• 147.00 (/-) Repeater in Omaha
• 145.450 (-) Repeater
• Repeater output 146.940 Simplex

8
Net Managers

• Doug Wagner, KCØRNS
• 402-214-2943
• Email kc0rns_at_cox.net
• Darwin Piatt, W9HZC
• Email w9hzc_at_cox.net

Page 10
9
NCS Schedule

• Net manager will arrange the schedule
• If you need to change the date you are scheduled,
  that is your responsibility
• Call someone on the list
• Advise the Net Manager of the change

10
K Ø P O TK Ø N C S

• The Pottawattamie County ARES organization vanity
  call sign
• Douglas County net call sign
• To be used for the formal ARES net
• Public service events, etc.
• EOC (for Pott. Co.)
• Field Day from the EOC

11
The Formal ARES Net

• Is a directed net
• Use KØPOT/KØNCS call sign
• All communications go through NCS
• NCS is the structure for the net
• Intended as a training tool
• Handles ARES Club announcements
• Formal written traffic handled here.

12
Break Tags

• Answer
• Question
• Info
• Priority
• Medical
• Emergency
• Your Call Sign
• 
  page 6

13
Break Tags

• Precede these with the word Break because often
  the repeater cuts off the first syllable of a
  transmission.
• These are on the Pottcoares Website under Forms
• All preambles are also downloadable and in the
  same place.

14
Formal Written Traffic

• A numbered message with a priority attached
• Priorities
• Routine- -most common, lowest priority
• Welfare- -about someones health or welfare (well
  being)
• Priority- -time sensitive. Handle immediately
• Emergency- -Life and property at stake. Handle
  immediately
• You give the net report in this format during
  net
• More complete NTS training available.

15
Official ARRL Message Form
16
The Informal/Comment Net

• Invites comments
• Gives people a chance to talk
• Can go in the direction people want it to go
• NCS merely facilitates comments
• Have some fun with it

Page 7
17
The Net Preambles

• State the purpose of the Net
• Include the scheduled Net times
• Gives the listener an invitation to check into
  the net.
• Type of net
• Answers most of the FAQs the newcomer may have

18
Net Business Items

• Check-ins
• Priority - - (P)
• Announcements - - (A)
• Informals - - (I)
• In and Out - - (I/O)
• Formal Traffic - - (T)
• Rechecks - - (R)
• Questions - - (Q)
• Training - - (Tr)

Page 2
19
Preparing to call the net

• ? Decide the check-in procedure?
• ? Locate preambles for both Nets
• ? Locate name list
• ? Gather any announcements you may have
• ? Check if your rig is operating properly
• ? Possibly do a radio check
• ? Set up to record the net (optional)

Page 3
20
Check-in Requests

• Vary the procedure
• Ask for something
• Remember to repeat your check-in request from
  time to time during net
• Other ideas ? ? ? ?

21
Good Practices for Nets

• Start on time
• Have a solid and readable signal
• Prepare for the net
• Equipment set-up
• Be flexible!

22
(No Transcript)
23
Sample NCS tracking sheet Eecel version on website
Page 4
24
Actual Net Session
Filled out NNCS Form
Excel Document
25
Tips - Informals

• Have the requested station call the person who
  wants the informal contact.
• Benefit It saves one transmission (time).
• Can move off frequency

26
Training Topics

• Short 2-5 minute presentations done by an ARES
  trainer during net time.
• Topics include
• Reporting an incident via cell phone
• Communications Emergency
• Hazardous materials - how to protect yourself
• The use of phonetics and black horse code
• Go-kits
• Use of Tactical call signs.
• NTS Traffic messages

www.pottcoares.org
27
NTS Practice

• Originate and send NTS numbered formal messages
  on nets.
• Send notes to friends and family.
• Do so until you are comfortable with the process.

28
Net Report Content

• Date of net session
• QNI (Total of check-ins)
• QTC (Total numbered messages passed on the net)
• QTC counts if passed on net time.

Page 10
29
Repeater Status

• ?Closed- -to normal Amateur use. Only to be used
  for a specific purpose.
• ?Semi-open (semi-closed)- -repeater is being used
  for an event, but stations can make calls and
  move off frequency.
• ?Open- -for any normal Amateur use. No
  restrictions on repeater use.

Page 11 of manual
30
The Call-up Net

• A net called to see who can help with what
  equipment and what times they can help
• It is called up at the request of the EC or
  designee
• Goal is to compile a list of the above items for
  the EC.
• Go to Stand-by or Call-up net preamble on page 8
  of the NCS Manual

Page 8 of manual
31
Special Nets

• Outside of regular Wed. Eve nets
• may be asked to call a stand-by net
• a Winter Storm/ Road condition Net
• Pride Week Parade/ MS Bike Rides
• coordinating relief efforts out in the field (may
  involve 47.42 Mhz work also).
• maintaining a call-log as part of duties (OMMRS)
• taking a shift at NCS, e.g. tornado, flood, etc.
• 2 hrs with a break
• 4 hours is considered max
• 6 hours self-destruct sequence begins

Page 9 of manual
32
Scenario 1
Scenario 1

• Station is very noisy and you cant get the call
  sign or any useful information from the
  transmissions you are hearing through the
  repeater.
• ?

33
Scenario 2
Scenario 2

• Repeater is down and is not available for the
  Net.
• ?

34
Scenario 3

• You asked for check-ins A thru M. Someone with
  a Z suffix checks in out of sequence.
• What would you do?

?
35
Scenario 4
Scenario 4

• An unidentified station with a good signal
  intermittently transmits music during the Net
  making communications difficult if not
  impossible.
• ?

36
Scenario 5
Scenario 5

• Using the following information, put together a
  net report in the form a of a formal message to
  be given to the Net Manager during net time.
• QNI 15
• QTC 1
• Net report for net on todays date

37
Scenario 6
Scenario 6

• You get a call from the EC asking you to call a
  stand-by net on the repeater from your home.
• Details are sketchy, but you know that there has
  been a confirmed tornado touchdown in Council
  Bluffs and a several block area has been
  affected.
• What preparations would you make before calling
  the net?
• Write your preamble for this net
  
• ?

38
Where can I go from here?

• Sunday Night ARES Net
• Iowa 75 Meter Net (3970 Khz)
• Nebraska Storm Net
• National Weather Nets

39
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
40

• Net Exercise

41
Program your radio for your group

• Group 1 146.580 MHz Simplex
• Group 2 146.430 MHz Simplex
• Group 3 147.540 MHz Simplex
• Power setting LOW

42
Refer to your role Card

• Moderators for
• Group 1 NCS Go to South meeting room
• Participants go to East training room
• Group 2 NCS Go to radio/storage room
• Participants West
  training room
• Group 3 NCS Go to front reception area
• Participants go to
  kitchen area

43
Moderator for NCS Station (5 min)

• Plan net using NCS sheet
• Method of check in
• Ask for anything?
• Preamble
• Do a read through aloud a couple times before net
  time
• The lines not bolded are prompt lines not to be
  read over the air
• Be ready to start the net on time

44
Moderator for Net Participants

• Net Participant Roles
• One has an announcement to make for the net
• One wants an informal with another station on net
• One will act as the Net Mgr. and take report at
  end of net
• One will check in In and Out.
• One will volunteer to be backup NCS
• One will recheck into the net with a call sign
  that NCS did not hear.

45
Exercise Net Preamble

• (5 minutes to prepare NCS sheet and talk about
  how it will go)
• This is (your call sign) calling this session of
  the Midwest ARES Net.
• My name is (spell phonetically) and I will be
  your Net Control for this net.
• I will begin by taking check-ins for the Net
• When you check in, please give your call
  phonetically and your first name.
• Mention if you have any traffic for the net.
• Is there anyone who would like to act as back-up
  Net Control Station for the net? (Stand-by)
• I will now taking check-ins for the Net ,
  stations A-Z go now
• Acknowledge stations you heard and
• Take another stand-by for any others
• Take care of the net business you have listed
• Ask Is there any unfinished business for the
  net?
• If none, give the Net Manager a call
• This is Net Control to Net Manager (give net
  report)
• Standby for the net report
• I would like to thank all who checked in
• I will now close the net and return the repeater
  to normal Amateur use.
• Sign your station clear

46
Debriefing of Exercise

• NCS
• NCS moderator
• Net Participants
• Participant moderator
• Wrap up Comments
• Participants meet briefly with their County reps
  to see what they want to do with this training
• Close of class.

47
(No Transcript)