Why every Ham Radio Operator should Support Search and Rescue Teams!

Why every Ham Radio Operator should Support Search and Rescue Teams!

Terms to know while reading this article:

1. ARO=Amateur Radio operator(s)
2. S.A.R. =Search and Rescue
3. RF Footprint= the geographic area that a repeater covers with it's transmitter
4. Repeater= a transmitter/receiver that repeats a signal. Repeaters are usually located on mountain tops and cover a large area
5. RF Power= Radio frequency signals that radiate at a certain transmitted power level
6. Hand held= often known as a HT are radio's that are held in the hand to communicate through repeater systems or simplex (radio to radio)
7. Net(s)= a group of hams joining together on a frequency to pass emergency message, or to practice their skills of passing emergency messages

Can Hams really give help and support to S.A.R. ?

The answer is absolutely! And here are the reasons why....

Individual Hams

Amateur Radio Operator's are really professional communicators, well most of them, and as such have excellent skills in communicating information clearly and concisely. Every day on all bands and modes ARO's pass information and practice their communication skills in emergency nets. ARO's keep their gear in top notch condition - 99 % of ham radio stations on running top notch equipment and most of their equipment is relatively new, usually less than 5 years old. Gear and antenna's are checked often to maintain maximum RF power and transmitting distance. Ham's pride themselves on long distance contacts even on the UHF and VHF bands. This expertise can be utilized in the S.A.R. Environment. Many Members of S.A.R. are also hams but just as many are not. For the “not” members their focus is mainly S.A.R. Skills and not communication skills so much. Licensed hams can educate and fill in the blanks spaces making searching and rescuing more successful and of shorter duration. Every minute in the field in emergency situations puts the rescuers and the victims at greater risk for their life, especially in cold weather situations. When proficient Ham Radio communication and professional S.A.R. Knowledge and skills are mixed together lives are saved on both ends of the rescue!

Repeater Owners

Repeater's are a excellent tool for S.A.R. Most repeaters have a fairly large RF footprint giving extended communication that hand held to hand held radio's cannot provide. You might ask, “are repeater owners ready to give up their repeaters for S.A.R. Use? I think the answer is a very strong YES! I offered this to our local S.A.R. Team locally and knowing the caliber and purposes of Ham Radio and it's licensed users I am 99 % sure that there is not a repeater owner who would think different then me. In a time of emergency many many ham radio's are turned on and operator's are listening but no one will interrupt except when specifically called upon. I know of no individual ham radio operator who would block, interrupt, or disrupt any communication regarding an emergency. If someone would do this there would be immediate calls by other ham's to the FCC to report the person involved and that person risks losing their ham radio license and faces large and major financial fines. Remember these men and women hams are professional communicators that know the consequences to themselves and others by doing such unthinkable things.

Above is just a short list that ARO's can contribute to S.A.R. Teams. Now let's explore what S.A.R. Can do for ham radio and it's licensed operators....

SAR Members and Ham Radio

S.A.R. Team members and ARO's belong to the same family. Most often we both have the same interests, have similar equipment and have the same philosophies – to help others and save lives when called upon.

As I stated previously many S.A.R. Members are hams but not all. However in many areas of our country S.A.R. teams are waking up to the value of ham radio in what they do. Thus many teams are now requiring S.A.R. Members to take their ham test and become licensed members. My experience thus far has been that a great percentage of Ham licensed S.A.R. Members take up the ham radio hobby full time and get very serious about working the bands at a personal level far removed from S.A.R. Not only have they joined and increased our ranks but have aided in increasing the number of ham';s that are available to talk with plus many new additional friends to meet and fellowship with on the air. Let me ask you this if you were part of a search and rescue event far out in the field where hand radio to hand radio communication is extremely limited and you encounter a life threatening situation which would you rather have at your disposal......

1. Just a few of your fellow S.A.R. team members, or
2. 5 to 20 hams listening to your activities which can make phone calls for you and coordinate life saving assistance immediately,when requested by the S.A.R. Team leader?

I think most of us know the answer to that. While the average person standing on the sidelines has little training in emergencies and will attempt to jump in and often make matters worse you will almost never have that happen with a ARO who is trained and practicing daily his/her communication skills,techniques and understanding. A good radio communicator will listen first until they understand what is happening and then not interrupt or interject transmissions until specifically called upon for their assistance and not before. A S.A.R. Member highly trained in rescue skills and ham radio skills is dynamite when it come to saving lives and I endorse and encourage all S.A.R. teams to make being a ARO licensed individual a requirement.

Equipment and distances

Here's a tidbit to remember. Ham Radio's cannot legally be used on commercial bands, including those frequencies used by S.A.R. However, most S.A.R. Radios which are commercial radio's can be used on ham radio frequencies. Here's the clincher many ARO's own a commercial rig that they have programmed for use on the ham bands which is legal to do. You can see the benefit can't you? Here are potential new S.A.R. Members that already have the communication equipment to use in Search and Rescue. That represents quite a financial savings for the S.A.R. Team. It is usually a simple matter to reprogram a radio to have both ham band repeater's and S.A.R. Frequencies in the same radio and most hams can program the radio themselves, or know another ham that can do it for them free. As to distances most ARO's know at any given moment exactly how far their equipment can transmit and receive. They also know where the repeaters are located, how far out they reach and what circumference/radius they cover. In many cases they even know the names and calls signs of the hams who monitor a specific repeater most of the time and even when they are monitoring. When saving lives that type of information is vital, valuable, time saving and life saving.

How to support SAR?

If your a repeater owner the answer is pretty obvious but if your and individual it's a little bit sketchy. As an individual the first step is to have a dialogue with your self and you significant other (husband/wife/kids) about the level of involvement you can commit to. Being a S.A.R. Team member affects everyone in your family. You may be called out in the middle of the night and the husband/wife may have to get up and help get you going, though hopefully you have everything prepared and ready to go at a moments call and you can just slip out silently and not disrupt the families sleeping, and hopefully when your mate gets up he/she knows you didn't just slip out in the middle of the night to the local bar. He/she also has the confidence that you are with other team members that are committed to preserve and protect your life and not worry. If your employed you also have to take your employer into consideration as in major Search and Rescues you may be out in the field for a few days at a time so talk to your boss before taking another step to becoming a S.A.R. Team member. Training is expensive and teams do not like to invest in your training only to have you leave the team in a month or two!

If you decide you cannot join a S.A.R. Team on an active basis all is not lost. Your radio and communication skills/expertise can be utilized by the S.A.R. Team as a consultant. You can do presentations regarding both communications and equipment at S.A.R. Meetings. There are many topics that crossover between S.A.R. and Ham Radio find them and put together a presentation to present to your local S.A.R. Team – they will appreciate your personal investment and the value your providing to assist in S.A.R. Positive outcomes. If nothing else, perhaps you just don't like speaking at groups or in front of people, a 5-10-15-20 dollar donation every month will help immensely! Even though many S.A.R. Groups get some form of community/city/government financial assistance many don't and nearly all S.A.R. Groups still struggle to make ends meet. if a mere 10 hams in a local community donate $20.00 a month to their local S.A.R. Group it makes a MAJOR impact on what they can do and what rescue equipment they have at their disposal to save lives. You never know one day it might be you their rescuing and wouldn't you like to know you have equipped them to save you own life quickly and easily?

In closing this blog I challenge you to contact your local S.A.R. Team Leader and see how as a ARO you can assist. Don't wait. Do it while it's fresh in your mind just find out where your local S.A.R. Group meets and attend a meeting it's that simple. People who care about other people and their safety are great people to hang out with! Anything I personally can do to save a life or assist life saving agencies in their pursuit of service to the community with their life saving measures and expertise is my extreme honor to do and I hope yours also.

73,

Rev. Fr. Johnny Shepherd ARO KD5LWU General Class Licensed
Owner of the KD5LWU Repeater System Cortez.Mancus, Colorado
President of the Mesa Verde Area ARC (known as the Cortez Radio Club)
Chaplin of the Delores K9 Search and Rescue Team

Bicycling and Ham Radio

Bicycling and Ham Radio

You say WHAT?

Absolutely! Bicycles and Ham Radio fit perfectly with each other and the benefits for both are most excellent and interactive. I ride two Recumbent bikes 1) a Rans Rocket and 2) Sunrider EZ-1 I also ride a 1983 Trek 850 diamond frame mountain bike especially in the Winter months here in Colorado. I have been bicycle mobile on all 3 bikes at one time or another over the last 6 years. Being both a Ham and a Bicyclist does not make me an authority in either hobby but it does make me an experienced user that can provide “by-the-seat-of-my-pants” insights and advice. Here are just a few of my thoughts on a very big topic.....

I find for long trips which are more than 15 miles the recumbent is much more relaxing and enjoyable in conjunction with ham radio, also when the road is flat and long ham radio takes away the boredom that comes from flat land with little scenery. My field of vision is better too because I am not looking down at the handlebars because of this anatomical difference - between a standard bicycle and a recumbent - operation of rigs on a recumbent are better and safer than on a standard bike because the level of the eyes are straight out rather than downward. The World view of a recumbent bike is much different than on a standard bicycle. When I ride a standard diamond frame bike my vision is largely at my handlebar level (where the speedometer is located) which is below me and on the road about 12 feet in front of me with occasional lifting of the head to look outward 30 to 100 feet ahead of me for vehicles and obstructions. On a diamond frame holding my head upright all the time is tiresome and hard on the neck causing soreness and on a very long trip even headaches. When I ride my recumbent my World view is much further out in front of me and my rigs occupy a small portion of my World view as I look out giving me positive control over both environments. Plus my neck is not strained and my vision is constantly in front of me. In my Opinion and experience a recumbent is much easier on the back since riding one is like sitting in your comfortable front room recliner. There is no pressure on the wrist and your arms are at a comfortable shoulder lever which by the way are almost exactly where the controls and microphone for your rigs are – like I said at the beginning of this article, “ Ham radio and recumbent bicycles are a perfect match for each other”.

The grand bonus of mixing the two hobbies is that public relations for ham radio is EASY because the uniqueness of a recumbent draws EVERYONE'S attention and many many want to stop you and talk to you. As the person moves closer to you they see the rig(s) and almost immediately start asking questions. I guarantee that within moments the conversation will automatically turn to Ham Radio and “what is it” - “How far can you talk” conversation. 99.8 percent of my conversations while out riding ends with an invite to visit our local ham club, or if they are visitors encourage them to contact their local ham radio club where they live. . Now isn't that good advertizing for Ham Radio? And you get to have fun and get healthier while your at it who can ask for more!

Where has technology taken us?

Back in the 1980's being a bicycle mobile would have been nearly impossible because of the weight and size of rigs, antennas and other gear, but in 2011 it is amazing the electronic technological advancements in the last 30 years. Today there are rigs like the Yeasu ft-817 that are all band – all mode and fit nearly in the palm of your hand style rigs. In addition mobile antenna technology have become better. For instance the ATAS100 or ATAS-200 which covers 80-10 Meter plus 2 meter, 70cm and 6 meter is small enough to mount on the rear of the bike; attach a orange flag and the antenna looks like and functions double duty as a safety flag. Plus you do not need a big heavy battery as the rigs have their own battery source which is internal to the rig.

Are you a social being? You are if your a Ham!

Bicycling is a social experience and ham radio is a social experience too. This is one of the reasons that bicycling and ham radio go so well together! You cannot ride a recumbent without being noticed and talked to by almost every bystander if they are given the slightest chance. People will often flag me down to talk to me when I am on an in-town bike ride on my recumbent. The flip side of the coin is I cannot talk on the ham bands without being social. They call that talking to yourself - do too much of that and they will be coming to lock you up!

Where to go now?

I hope if your a ham radio operator I have encouraged you to take a good look at going bicycle mobile regardless of your age. If you can walk you can bicycle it's that simple. I also hope that if your a bicyclist that you will take a long hard look at becoming a licensed ham radio operator. I haven’t even delved into the topic of emergency communication and bicycling but believe me ham radio provides a major force in Safety through communications. Even just carrying a very small (about the size of a deck of cards) VHF/UHF handy talkie for working repeater systems will make bicycling safer, make you feel more confident and allow you to enjoy the ride to it's fullest capacity. You'll also be surprised how many opportunities you have to help others and provide emergency communication for people you encounter during your bike rides. Ham radio and bicycling is a positive force and benefit for everyone ham radio operators, bicyclist and people of the community alike!

Below are two links to a ham who is also a bicyclist and reports on his 11 year bicycle trip. I think you'll find it very interesting:

http://microship.com/resources/technomadic-tools.html

http://microship.com/bike/behemoth/

Author:

Fr. Johnny Shepherd KD5LWU kd5lwu@beyondbb.com

Gulp - Field Day is Almost here.

Amateur radio buffs will ham it up at field day

Public can learn from Mesa Verde Area Amateur Radio Club

Tuesday, June 24th 2008

By Emily Ketterer | Journal High School Intern

Ham radios can provide worldwide communication during emergencies - or just for the fun of it......

  The  above quote is a cut and paste from a local newspaper regarding our Cortez Radio Club Field Day......Field Day is almost her again......well almost.....6 month's is just time enough to start getting ready if you start now! 

   Lot's of things to think about, build, download and install, do a dry run, etc. Research is an important part of preparing for Field Day and it starts now, not 3 days before FD. What type of antenna's do you want to use? Which radio will serve you best or are you roughing it and want to pick low power and minimum antenna system? How about power/ Battery? What size/AMP Hour? Brand? Weight vs distance to carry and hours of operation/lenth of weekend? and the list goes on simply use your imagination but start NOW! I hope that your not one of those that use the same antenna and equipment from year to year...honestly that's not the spirit of Field Day. FD is about - emergencies, band condition, terrain, weather, season's, Mental status, etc. and change all the time so changing ourselves and equipment  according to the new experience will benefit you and I the most as excellent communicator's and a HRO.

Practice, Practice, Practice....I understand that if an emergency occurs, (and that is what Field Day is all about - learning to deal with the unknown) and certainly emergencies are never planned to happen, that we just might have to abandon all previous plans and simply fly by the seat of our pants as communicator's. Unfortunately you still have to know how to fly before the seat of your pants are even considered as a safe viable option to consider, experience or do. In our case as communicator's learning to fly comes through self education  , trainings and practicing. But when was the last time you picked up and read a ham book (not just a popular magazine) to learn something new, or even just to review and refresh knowledge?) . 

The challenges that practicing provide gives a catalyst to understanding, growth, accurate knowledge and clear knowledgeable application. You've heard the old saying, "Practices makes perfect!"? Well in the case of Amateur Radio operator's (I still can't resonate with that title - it should be "Ham Radio Communicator" but things are as they are for now...so another Blog, another day.) practice does make perfect, or at least as close to what technology, experience and personal understanding and growth provides at this present date. Never be ashamed to let others know you are "practicing" because the wise person will see that you are willing to struggle, learn and ultimately apply the learning just so you can be a better communicator with them. Practicing also announces and informs others that you are working on being the very best communicator and Ham Radio operator that you can possibly be. Folks that is good! It helps that one of the core principles of ham radio is "provide emergency communications to the community when called upon by authorized agencies." It assists in giving us Ham's a reason and justification for what we do as Ham Radio Operator's and Field Day Practitioners.

You cannot practice something unless your actually doing it...that simply means you must not let anything, including negative self talk,  keep you from get busy, making your mistakes and improving. What I am saying  translates into actually going out in the field BEFORE Field Day and setting every thing set up, working at least an hour or so of communicating and keeping notes on things you could do different or could improve. "But baby it's cold outside!" ya ya I know but did you know that emergencies happen in cold weather too? Sure you did! It is very difficult to experience what to do in a Winter emergency in the middle of Summer with blue skies and 100 degree weather. You do want to be the best communicator all season's 24/7 don't you? Well then put your parka's and snow boots on and get busy. Keeping logs and notes are vital to being a excellent Ham Radio Operator. When making an important life decision many people will make a two column page of pro's and con's. We can do that by just using a different column title... 

                                                   "Works : Didn't work" 

                                                                 :

                                                                 :

What works can be carried forth to the future and implemented and what did not work remains for improvement and future testing on our next pre-Field Day practice! When you mix and compare your logged contact's with the works - don't work list you begin to see a clearer picture of what to do to make technology and personal progression bring you to the ultimate communicator that everyone wants to talk to.

Things change - equipment goes down, is sold, bought, etc. Technology also changes from year to year. Call signs and QTH's change also. Friends move away further than they are now, some friends move closer but non-the-less things do change from year to year and sometimes from day-to-day...this adds a factors to fine tuning our "stuff" while taking these changes into consideration and experiences. We must be ready for changes at all levels. Each season is unique and different from each other and the year(s) before, every season of our lives are different and as excellent human beings and solid communicators we must adapt to the season and moments of our lives, times  and surroundings. Just paying attention to our equipment is not enough....are you tired, exhausted, wide awake and in good mood? Your personal health, wealth and mental/emotional being plays a big role on how successful as an excellent communicator and emergency communication provider.

 Friendship, cooperation and team work are an important part of Field Day and must be developed before that most important date in June. It takes two or more to develop cooperation and team work so take a friend or two, even 3 or more with you as you practice Field Day. It will also multiply the fun exponentially and give input to things you never thought of, or noticed before. In the midst of it all the bonus is your friendships will deepen.  Struggles and the unknown always brings human's closer, especially when there is cooperation,team work  and experiencing entwined with friendship.

So what have you learned?

Research - get prepared!
Practice, Practice, Practice - makes a better communicator and Ham!
You cannot practice something unless your actually doing it - Getting started is doing!But baby it's cold outside! - Don't let anything stop you, not even weather or your self talk!
Keeping logs and notes - Are vital to learning and success!
Things change - Don't get locked in to there's only one way, be flexible!
Friendship, cooperation and team work - are a vital part of living, learning and ham radio!


73 Johnny KD5LWU
kd5lwu@beyondbb.com

Welcome and Check back often!

Hello KD5LWU here! Very soon I will be posting the first "Ham Radio Blog. If you desire to be notified when I post a new blog send and email with the subject line of "BLOG" and I will send you an email when I post a new Blog page I will send you an email. I will be posting from 1-4 posts a Month. 73 Johnny Shepherd KD5LWU Cortez, Colorado DM57ri  President Cortez Radio Club, Cortez, Colorado