HF Radio Newsletter #ARRL #hamradio

 From RADIO HF

P.O. Box 67063-Lemoyne

St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada

J4R 2T8

TELEPHONE: (450) 462-1459

E-MAIL: info@radiohf.ca

WEB PAGE: http://www.radiohf.ca 

One will find a newsletter that’s available in Word and PDF. 

TOPICS include amateur and shortwave radio interests. 

A recent issue contents included 

THE CONTRIBUTORS ZONE

THE MONTHLY SPECIAL ZONE

RADIO HF PUBLICITY ZONE #1

WHERE IN THE WORLD ZONE

THE RADIO ZONE

THE GENERAL ZONE

RADIO HF PUBLICITY ZONE #2

THE FUN & SERVICES ZONE

THE 2020 HAMFEST/FLEAMARKET ZONE 

THE RESOURCES ZONE

WinterHeat 2021 running in January #ARRL #hamradio

WINTERHEAT 2021 - Month-long Simplex Event/Contest is running this month. 

While it’s centered around Illinois, it’s open to anyone operating simplex. There’s even a Voice over Internet component. 

Put Howard to work at @W1AW event canceled #ARRL #hamradio

The "Put Howard to Work" event, which was to be presented on Monday, May 13, by the ICQ Amateur Radio Podcast and feature ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, has been cancelled. Here is the official statement:


Earlier this week an announcement was made that ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, was going to be on air at Maxim Memorial Station W1AW on Monday afternoon, May 13, with the intent of giving ARRL members a chance to chat with the CEO and get to know him better as a ham. However, an issue was raised about this being a potential violation of FCC rules, in particular, Section 97.113 which states that "A station is also not allowed to transmit communication in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer."

Given that the ARRL is Michel's employer, and that there was an effort to publicize an event at which members of the organization could chat with the CEO, such an event could be perceived as a benefit to the organization.

So out of an abundance of caution and to avoid any potential violation of FCC rules, or even an appearance of a violation, Michel has decided to suspend plans for the "Put Howard to Work" event that was scheduled for Monday, May 13.

Who is up for #SelfPlaceSelfie?

Do you know where your "safe place" is while you are at work, at home, or traveling?   In early April we will be launching a 4-day #safeplaceselfie campaign over social media to encourage everyone across the country to take the #1 preparedness action when extreme weather threatens.  Below are images we encourage our WRN Ambassadors to promote over the next month as we draw closer to April.  Participate using your organization social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or even your personal accounts.  Below are some talking points that provide more details on how you and your organization can contribute. It is fun. It is free. And it will go a long way to building a Weather-Ready Nation!

#SafePlaceSelfie is a grass roots campaign as part of NOAA's Weather-Ready Nation to get individuals, businesses, and all organizations ready, responsive, and resilient to extreme weather events.  

Knowing your "safe place" when extreme weather threatens is the #1 preparedness action anyone can take.  To this end, a social media campaign will be launched the week of April 3, culminating in a TweetChat on Thursday, April 6.  

This action can be fun, is free, and doesn't require a lot of time commitment, but can open the door to greater preparedness actions (creating a family emergency plan, emergency kit, etc.)

Encourage other accounts on social media by tagging them and asking "Where is your safe place?"

Focus is broad across the spectrum of hazards, and not just tornadoes.  Hazards to consider: lightning, severe (tornadoes, high winds), extreme heat/cold, flooding, rip currents, wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis...

And your safe place may be very different for the various hazards.  For instance, a car may be a safe place from lightning, but is a dangerous place during flash flooding.  

Get creative!  Is there a beach nearby or are locals planning vacations to warmer climates?  Help spread rip current awareness by focusing on where your safe place would be (hint: between the lifeguard flags).

Thank you.

And if you aren't already...

Follow us on Twitter @WRNAmbassadors

  

Remote on the air. Free to MARS and EM volunteers. #ARRL #hamradio

Thanks to Michael, N5AFR , Alex, N0AMT and Dale, N5VX,  WX5EM is on RemoteHams.

The remote will be up and down during the testing season.  Please know that not all hands get Administration (A) or Transmit (X) approvals.  The remote is centered around members of the club, i.e. those who are involved in emergency management or the Military Auxiliary Radio System.

If you wish transmit privileges, EMAIL verification of your involvement with your local emergency management office or Military Auxiliary Radio System.

Known issues:

1. The node quits transmitting at random times.  Keep the mouse over the TX button, just in case.

2.  Low audio.
3.  When using the memory channels, the software does not put the mode into the radio.  For example, ten meter FM memory defaults to 29.6 Upper Sideband.  Please change the mode when changing frequencies.  This is particularly important when operation is on MARS nets.
4.  There is no tuner required.  The broadband doublet allows 160 through six meter operation.

If you cause interference or violate Part 97 regulations, your transmit privileges will be reduced or eliminated.

If you wish to join this effort, reach out on the local radio, email, text, Skype, Twitter, etc.  Our current list of membership ranges from very active to very inactive.

In the mean time, enjoy the fact that WX5EM is on RemoteHams.

73

Online feeds from Broadcastify for Oklahoma #HamRadio #ARRL

Some links to Oklahoma linked systems are on Broadcasify.

Is yours listed?

• Altus Skywarn Association
• Caprock Intertie Link System  
• Kan-Okla Repeater Network
• SWIRA Linked Repeaters

Hope you enjoy listening to other parts of the State.

WX5EM on RemoteHams

Thanks to Michael, N5AFR , Alex, N0AMT and Dale, N5VX,  WX5EM is on RemoteHams.

The remote will be up and down during the testing season.  Please know that not all hands get Administration (A) or Transmit (X) approvals.  The remote is centered around members of the club, i.e. those who are involved in emergency management or the Military Auxiliary Radio System.

If you wish transmit privileges, EMAIL verification of your involvement with your local emergency management office or Military Auxiliary Radio System.

Known issues:

1. The node quits transmitting at random times.  Keep the mouse over the TX button, just in case.

2.  Low audio.
3.  When using the memory channels, the software does not put the mode into the radio.  For example, ten meter FM memory defaults to 29.6 Upper Sideband.  Please change the mode when changing frequencies.  This is particularly important when operation is on MARS nets.
4.  There is no tuner required.  The broadband doublet allows 160 through six meter operation.

If you cause interference or violate Part 97 regulations, your transmit privileges will be reduced or eliminated.

If you wish to join this effort, reach out on the local radio, email, text, Skype, Twitter, etc.  Our current list of membership ranges from very active to very inactive.

In the mean time, enjoy the fact that WX5EM is on RemoteHams.

73

Free Email reflector #ARRL #hamradio

Do you support your local emergency management program as staff or volunteer?

Ask your leadership to email WX5EM with your name, email address, and callsign.

You will get a FREE membership in WX5EM and your callsign@wx5em.us will be yours.

Only Oklahoma amateur radio operators are eligible for this offer.

This is a small reward for your service to your community.

Thank you.

Social Media and responsive government

In what may be the Government's most agressive attempt to engage the Global Citizen, Social Media for Emergency Management initiative has really taken off.

This effort came into play through the leadership of Jeffrey Phillips @LosRanchosEM and a host of others who have and continue to develop tools of the trade, guidance, and education for the growing number of emergency managers using social media.

Tweeting #NSWW, the group helped with breakout sessions at the National Severe Weather Workshop in Norman.

The group is also presented at the National Emergency Management Association conference.

Weekly online training followed by real time drills and exercises, including the efforts of Oklahoma Ice Map shows the utility of the project.

Follow the group, if you want to learn about Social Media in Emergency Management, want to gain new tools, or want to share how you are engaging your residents.

Are you a part of a Virtual Operations Support Team?

How 9/11 changed online groups #SMEM #crisisdata

The following is an email I received from MeetUP, an online meeting
planning effort.

Since this is the anniversary of 9/11, it's important to know how
Social Media has changed disasters.

On 9/11, we weren't tweeting; we were glued to the satellite feed on TV.
On 9/11, we weren't on Facebook; we were trying to get news from news
servers that were crashing because they were overloaded.

The TweetUp Story speaks volumes of how online users continue to
gravitate to social media ...
Hopefully, Social Media will help people engage in their community ...
hopefully ...

Fellow Meetuppers,

I don't write to our whole community often, but this week is
special because it's the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and many
people don't know that Meetup is a 9/11 baby.

Let me tell you the Meetup story. I was living a couple miles
from the Twin Towers, and I was the kind of person who thought
local community doesn't matter much if we've got the internet
and tv. The only time I thought about my neighbors was when I
hoped they wouldn't bother me.

When the towers fell, I found myself talking to more neighbors
in the days after 9/11 than ever before. People said hello to
neighbors (next-door and across the city) who they'd normally
ignore. People were looking after each other, helping each
other, and meeting up with each other. You know, being
neighborly.

A lot of people were thinking that maybe 9/11 could bring
people together in a lasting way. So the idea for Meetup was
born: Could we use the internet to get off the internet -- and
grow local communities?

We didn't know if it would work. Most people thought it was a
crazy idea -- especially because terrorism is designed to make
people distrust one another.

A small team came together, and we launched Meetup 9 months
after 9/11.

Today, almost 10 years and 10 million Meetuppers later, it's
working. Every day, thousands of Meetups happen. Moms Meetups,
Small Business Meetups, Fitness Meetups... a wild variety of
100,000 Meetup Groups with not much in common -- except one
thing.

Every Meetup starts with people simply saying hello to
neighbors. And what often happens next is still amazing to me.
They grow businesses and bands together, they teach and
motivate each other, they babysit each other's kids and find
other ways to work together. They have fun and find solace
together. They make friends and form powerful community. It's
powerful stuff.

It's a wonderful revolution in local community, and it's thanks
to everyone who shows up.
Meetups aren't about 9/11, but they may not be happening if it
weren't for 9/11.

9/11 didn't make us too scared to go outside or talk to
strangers. 9/11 didn't rip us apart. No, we're building new
community together!!!!

The towers fell, but we rise up. And we're just getting started
with these Meetups.

Scott Heiferman (on behalf of 80 people at Meetup HQ)
Co-Founder & CEO, Meetup
New York City
September 2011

New Digital Communications Recommendations to Help Americans Prepare in Advance of an Emergency

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2011 - Recent weather events such as Hurricane Irene, the earthquake on the East Coast and other natural disasters highlight the need for Americans to prepare for emergencies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red Cross, the Ad Council and Google Crisis Response are collaborating to launch a new preparedness web resource, Get Tech Ready, on behalf of the Ready campaign.

Released just before the start of National Preparedness Month, this new resource educates individuals and families about how using modern-day technology can help them prepare, adapt and recover from disruptions brought on by emergencies or disasters.

A recent American Red Cross survey showed that the internet, including online news sites and social media platforms, is the third most popular way for Americans to gather emergency information and let their loved ones know they are safe.  

"As technology becomes more a part of our daily lives, people are turning to it during emergencies as well. We need to utilize these tools, to the best of our abilities, to engage and inform the public, because no matter how much federal, state and local officials do, we will only be successful if the public is brought in as part of the team," FEMA Administrator, W. Craig Fugate.

"During Hurricane Irene, we saw people using new technologies in many ways, whether it was thousands of people downloading our new shelter finder App or others using our Safe and Well site and social media to let their friends and family know they are OK, " said Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross. "People now have more varied resources available at their fingertips that they can use before, during and after emergencies."

Get Tech Ready provides Americans with tips on how to use technological resources before, during and after a crisis to communicate with loved ones and manage your financial affairs. Preparedness tips on the website include:

• Learn how to send updates via text and internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and social channels in case voice communications are not available;  
• Store your important documents such as personal and financial records in the cloud or on a secure and remote area or flash or jump drive that you can keep readily available so they can be accessed from anywhere; and
• Create an Emergency Information Document using the Ready.gov Family Emergency Plan template in Google Docs or by downloading the Ready Family Emergency Plan to record your emergency plans.  

"Get Tech Ready is a resource that will truly help people in the US and around the world understand how they can use widely available technology to prepare for potential crises," said Nigel Snoud, Product Manager, Google Crisis Response.  "We're thrilled to be working with FEMA, the American Red Cross, and the Ad Council on this public service project."

"We are delighted to collaborate with FEMA, Google and the American Red Cross to expand our Ready messages through this new web site to educate more Americans about the vital need to get prepared in advance of an potential emergency," said Peggy Conlon, president & CEO of the Ad Council. "The web site will provide access to critical resources to Americans addressing the importance of using technology as part of their individual and family preparedness plans."

Launched in 2003, National Preparedness Month is designed to encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies throughout the year. The Ready campaign was also launched in 2003 by FEMA in partnership with the Ad Council. Since its launch, media outlets have donated more than $900 million in advertising time and space for the PSAs. The new PSAs will air in advertising time that will be entirely donated by the media.

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit http://www.redcross.org/ or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

The Advertising Council

The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies. The Ad Council addresses issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

FEMA does not endorse any non-Federal government organizations or products.

Free Ham Radio Smart Phone SIte

From KY5U comes this nice Mobile Phone page for ham radio....

Free Ham Radio Smart Phone Site: "

Check out http://mobile.ky5u.net if you get a chance with your smart phone. It is a collection of links and apps for ham radio that will work on any smart phone with internet access.



The site is FREE and includes icon based access for national radar, lightning strikes, propagation data, a dx cluster mirror formatted for the small screen, a callsign lookup, a 10 ID minute timer, utc/zulu clock with selected city links for time and weather, links for ICOM, Yaesu, and Kenwood latest rig operating manuals, and a app that allows you to take free form notes and email them to yourself for storage.



I have been using it for a year and it's nice to have all that info available from one screen of icons. I thought others might like to use it. I am also open to any additions to the page, or if you have a neat HTML/Javascript based application, let me consider adding it.



I hope someone finds this useful.



Attachment 67933



P.S. The "webcam" is a live running monitor of my shack webcam. But try to ignore this downside, and try out the site anyway.... :)

Celebrating the End of the World #ARRL #hamradio

N0D - - Special Event Station celebrating The End of the world!

That’s right, the end is finally near. According to one of the three Mayan Calendars,
the End of the world will occur on Dec 21, 2012. To celebrate this literally once in a
lifetime event, Special Event Station N0D (Now Zero Days) will be activated on 10-80
meters and on several satellite passes for three days during and after(?) the end of the
world. December 20; is a celebration of the end of the world. December 21, the day of
destruction, we will be on the air as long as possible. December 22nd, that is a little iffy
right now.

Amateur radio stations around the crumbling globe are invited to contact N0D, who
will be operating from a secret, undisclosed location. Our operating schedule may
be a little erratic as destruction rains down upon us and as long as our antennas hold
out. Those of you who may be looking skyward for the end of the world, N0D will be
operating on several satellite passes.

This will provide cosmic, maybe even intergalactic coverage for the end of the world as
we know it. Thanks to Allen, our Doomsday press release has been picked up by the
Amsat News Service and will be carried in a future bulletin in about a week or so.

You can celebrate Doomsday by contacting N0D directly on the air. Amateurs can also
become an official Doomsday station by registering on our website. You will be given
a registration number and the authority to identify yourself as “Official Doomsday
Station” followed by your Doomsday number.

QSL with SASE to KK5W. If Doomsday actually does happen, we regret that a QSL will
not be possible so hold on to your SASE until the 22nd at least. Check out our website
for a preview of the N0D QSL card.

Amateurs can also become an official Doomsday station by registering on our website.
You will be given a registration number and the authority to identify yourself as “Official
Doomsday Station” followed by your Doomsday number. Official Doomsday stations
will receive the Doomsday Station Certificate.

It is not entirely clear exactly how it will happen. Will it be a cataclysmic shift in the
earth’s magnetic field, Global Warming on steroids, earthquakes, volcanoes floods,
global thermonuclear war, meteor collision, the 10 plagues of Egypt UFO invasion
who knows ? There are scientists, soothsayers and philosophers on both sides of the
question. Either way it will be an event worth remembering.. . .or maybe there will be
no one left to remember it?

More information is available on the Official N0D website, www.nowzerodays.com
You can also e-mail the N0D team at N0D.Doomsday@gmail.com. Check our website
for the latest updates. www.nowzerodays.com

*Editor's note:  In the mean time, Tweets, Facebook posts and Blog posts are scheduled well past the doomsday event.  Why?  Because the clock in the Back to the Future car was set past the date.

This is what your certificate will look like if you get one.

Skywarn Recognition Day

It is hard to believe but another SKYWARN Recognition Day is upon us. The following is the first in the series of updates on SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD) 2012 and Echolink/IRLP operations. My apologies for the lateness in getting this first update out. The SRD event was confirmed in mid October and between that and Hurricane Sandy's impact on Southern New England and the New York City/Long Island/New Jersey area, this delayed getting this information out to you.

EchoLink and IRLP are just a couple of modes people can utilize to contact NWS offices during SKYWARN Recognition Day. Many NWS offices will be on 2 Meters, 440 MHz, HF and other VHF/UHF bands. Additional details on SKYWARN Recognition Day can be found via the following link:

http://hamradio.noaa.gov

As in past years, the EchoLink *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system will be scheduling time for NWS offices in 1-2 hour time slots to act as a net control to make contacts with spotters that are on the system. If a NWS office runs out of contacts and there are other NWS offices on the system, the NWS office acting as net control can turn it over to a different NWS office to act as a net control on the system at their discretion.

We'd like to ask NWS offices to do their best to adhere to the schedule. Sometimes this is difficult due to the number of contacts received by NWS offices. We ask for everyone's patience and working cooperatively to respect the time slot schedule.

Below is the SRD schedule from last year. We would like to know if NWS offices would like to keep their time slot or change time slots. A couple of NWS offices have already asked to keep their time slot. See the list of NWS offices below:

Time in UTC NWS Office Call-Sign
0000-0100: WX0GLD (Time slot from last year)
0100-0200: WX1GYX (Time slot from last year)
0200-0300: WX4MLB (Time slot from last year)
0300-0400: W0ABR  (Time slot from last year)
0400-0500: WX1BOX (Time slot from last year)
0500-0600: WX9GRB (Time slot from last year)
0600-0700: WX4HUN (Time slot from last year)
0700-0800: N0NWS  (Time slot from last year)
0800-0900: KL7FWX (Time slot from last year)
0900-1000: KL7FWX (Time slot from last year)
1000-1100: KL7FWX (Time slot from last year)
1100-1200: WX4HUN (Time slot from last year)
1200-1300: W7NWS  (Time slot from last year)
1300-1400: KL7FWX (Time slot from last year)
1400-1500: WX7SLC (Time slot from last year)
1500-1600: WX1BOX (Time slot from last year)
1600-1800: WX4NC  (Time slot from last year)
1800-1900: WX6MTR (Time slot from last year)
1900-2000: K0MPX  (Confirmed to keep the time slot)
2000-2100: WX4MLB (Time slot from last year)
2100-2300: WX4NHC (Time slot from last year)
2300-2400: WX6NWS (Time slot from last year)

There will be other conference systems utilized for SKYWARN Recognition Day. They are as follows:

The New England Reflector Gateway System will be utilized by the NWS Taunton, Mass. and NWS Gray, Maine offices from 0000-0500 UTC and 1200-2400 UTC. The New England Gateway system is on EchoLink Conference server *NEW-ENG* Node: 9123, IRLP reflector 9123. If other NWS offices would like to join the system, they are welcome to do so and participants in SKYWARN Recognition Day can also use that system to make contact with various NWS offices. This is a great place to move off the *WX_TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system after your scheduled time if other Amateurs or NWS offices whish to make contact with you.

Also, the Western Reflector will be having NWS offices calling CQ as in past years on reflector 9250 and have its gateway system on IRLP 9258/EchoLink Conference *NV-GATE* Node: 125266 open for NWS offices. Please contact Kent-W7AOR for additional information on the Western Reflector.

A few technical reminders for folks interested in making contacts with the NWS Forecast Offices on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 and New England Reflector Gateway IRLP 9123/*NEW-ENG* Echolink Node: 9123 systems:

-The system allows both EchoLink and IRLP connections. For EchoLink users, you connect to the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203 conference system. For IRLP users, you would connect to IRLP reflector 9219.

-If you are using EchoLink, the RF node or PC that you’re using must have EchoLink conferencing disabled. If it is not disabled, the system will automatically kick the node or PC off of the system.

The reason this occurs is to prevent unintentional interference from a conferencing station that may not know the node is connected somewhere else. This will keep traffic moving on the net and reduce interference considerably.

For more information on VoIP Technical Configuration Tips, please go to our web site at http://www.voipwx.net where we have a link to that information on the main menu of the web site. This announcement will also be on the web site.

We are looking forward to another fun SKYWARN Recognition Day on the *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP reflector 9219 system, New England Reflector Gateway system and Western Reflector system. Thanks to all for their support!

73,Rob-KD1CY.
Director of Operations for the VoIP Hurricane Net
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator for NWS Taunton Massachusetts
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

What are you doing different?

How many tornado deaths are there so far this year?

Are you getting three ways to get weather information?

Are you preparing a plan, in the event you can't stay at home?

How and what will you eat for the first 72 hours?

Are you going to be a survivor or a victim?

The choice is yours.

STA from KWNS gives up the numbers so far.

Google Alerts

Google Alerts page for FEMA Region VI is available.

This will be a good tool for emergency managers, Skywarn folks, Amateur Radio Emergency Services, and the public to get a big picture of what's happening.

Emergency Beacons

It does not take long monitoring http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/emergency.cgi
to determine who has an emergency and who does not.

When you Google FCC.gov and Emergency, you get this.

Once upon a time, MayDay and Pan were taught.  If you sent a MayDay signal falsely, it was bad.

Today, ... or false or deceptive messages, signals or identification is as close as we can get in Part 97 though the US Coast Guard and others still teach MayDay and mention the penalties for sending a false call.

For example:  San Diego man accused of false 'mayday' calls http://bit.ly/xmblQb

Must there be emergency beacons on APRS?  Why YES, when there's an emergency.

Most of the beacons observed do not report distress, however.  Many messages to the beacon senders result in no reply.  Where they REALLY in distress?  Were they testing?

If it's the latter, there are other frequencies upon which to test.

If it's the former, answering inquiries as to the nature of the emergency and the level of help needed would be an important addition to Automatic Packet Reporting System operators.

In the mean time, save your emergency beacons for emergencies.

K4IP added these comments:

Who monitors APRS for "emergency beacons"?  I never even heard of those.

If someone wants to have piece of mind that a call for help will be heard, they need to invest in a PLB.  Boaters rely on EPIRBS and aviators rely on ELTs.  When used on 406.00 Mhz, there is a long network of SARSAT satellites tied into the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (formerly Air Force Rescue Coordination Center).  When notification criteria are met, JRCC makes the call to either USCG or an inland SAR agency to begin their electronic search.  I've seen this process work in as little as 60 minutes.  Even on the 'old' SARSAT frequency of 121.5 Mhz, airliners and military aircraft still monitor it and report any signals to ATC who reports to JRCC via the FCC in turn.  While there are testing procedures, many times these systems are used incorrectly or devices malfunction and notification is made to search for the offending device.  As far as I know, there is no provision for criminal action to be taken in the event of accidental or incorrect use of an emergency locator transmitter.  But there could be/should be.

Bottom line.  Unless I knew for sure someone was listening on the other side, an APRS distress signal, while an option, would be far from my first plan to be rescued.

73,

Greg

Resolve to be READY

WASHINGTON - As 2011 - one of the most active years for disasters in recent history - comes to a close and Americans get ready to ring in a new year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is encouraging all Americans to Resolve to be Ready in the by making a new year's resolution to be prepared for emergencies.

As a recent report by the National Climatic Data Center highlights, 2011 has seen more billion-dollar natural disasters than any year on record. This year alone, the U.S. experienced its first hurricane landfall since 2008, the most deadly series of tornadoes since the 1950s, significant earthquakes and severe flooding - hazards that impacted every region of the country. All of these events have served as important reminders that disasters can strike anytime, anywhere, and being prepared is one of the most effective things we can do to protect our homes, businesses and loved ones.

Today, FEMA kicked off its annual campaign, Resolve to be Ready in 2012, which urges Americans to make preparedness a priority during the holiday season by making a new year's resolution to be ready for disasters or by thinking about preparedness tools for last minute gift ideas.

"One of the most important lessons we can take away from this year is that disasters can impact all of us, no matter what part of the country we live in," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "While we can't control where or when they might hit, we can take steps in advance to prepare for them - efforts that can go a long way toward protecting our families, homes and business. Resolving to be Ready in 2012 could be the most important pledge you make this year."

By making a resolution to take a few simple steps in advance, Americans can minimize the impact of an emergency on their families, homes or businesses. To take the pledge, visit www.ready.gov/resolve or www.listo.gov, which includes free information, checklists, and guidelines about how to put together a kit, make a plan, and stay informed.

Resolve to be Ready in 2012 is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage individuals, families, businesses, and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies in the New Year. This effort is led by FEMA's Ready Campaign in partnership with Citizen Corps and The Advertising Council. For more information, visit Ready.gov and CitizenCorps.gov or follow the campaign on Twitter using the hashtags #ready2012 and #resolve.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

###

Altus Ham Extra Upgrade Class

The Altus Amateur Extra Class was at the Altus Area Amateur Radio Club
Christmas Party.  From left to right, the are Dale N5VX (instructor), Carole W5ORN, Ron AF5AS, Brian KF5BII, and James AB5FS (instructor)

If you have photos to share, please email them to any of the Public Information Officers in the Section.  See http://arrlok.blogspot.com for more information.

New Volcanic Ash Module & DL Course from COMET #Skywarn

This announcement contains information about a new module, and below it, information about a new Volcanic Ash Distance Learning Course.

New Module:
The COMET Program is pleased to announce the publication of the fourth and final module in the Volcanic Ash series - Observation Tools and Dispersion Models. This module presents tools and techniques used for identifying and forecasting the transport of volcanic ash and can be completed within an hour.

Information is presented with interactions and review questions, and the module offers a companion print version. The intended audience for the module include forecasters, aviation forecasters, emergency managers, and others interested in the topic of volcanic ash. Please follow this link to start the module: http://www.meted.ucar.edu/volcanic_ash/tools

Most COMET modules use JavaScript and Adobe® Flash® for navigation, animation, and/or presentation of multimedia elements. Ensure that you have a browser updated to it's latest version with JavaScript enabled and the latest version of the Adobe FlashPlayer installed (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/). For technical support for this module please visit our Registration and Support FAQs at https://www.meted.ucar.edu/resources_faq.php.

NOTE TO NWS and other NOAA EMPLOYEES: This module is available in the Commerce Learning Center @ National Weather Service (https://doc.learn.com/noaa/nws). Please access it in that system in order to get credit.

New Course:
This module and the three previously released volcanic ash modules (Volcanic Ash: Introduction, Volcanic Ash: Volcanism, Volcanic Ash: Impacts to Aviation, Climate, Maritime Operations, and Society) have been combined to form the Volcanic Ash Science, Impacts and Forecasting Course. This course is available through the MetEd site at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_course.php?id=25. This course is also represented in the Commerce Learning Center @ National Weather Service as a development plan.

We welcome any comments or questions you may have regarding the content, instructional approach, or use of these training materials. Please e-mail your comments or questions to Elizabeth Page (epage@ucar.edu), Tsvet Ross-Lazarov (tlazarov@ucar.edu), or Greg Byrd (byrd@ucar.edu).