Join us for the DMR Tech Net, Monday, April 15th at 7:30pm ET on BrandMeister talk group 3126 to talk about Emergency Services & Amateur Radio

Posted on April 14, 2024

Click the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84447664395?pwd=djZMbFZaWVRkRDRudkRFeWc2WWV4UT09  to join the DMR Tech Net TV Zoom meeting on Tuesday from 8pm-9pm ET.  We’ve scheduled Garrett Dow of Repeaterbook.com on Tuesday, April 16, to explain everything about his website and the new changes coming to it.  Plus, he’ll answer your questions.

Or point your internet browser to www.zoom.us and select “Join a meeting” in the top right-hand side.  Then input the following to join:

  • Meeting ID: 844 4766 4395
  • Passcode: 370040

To join with only your phones’ audio, dial (312) 626-6799 and input the following:

  • Meeting ID: 844 4766 4395
  • Passcode: 370040

 

We’re on Brandmeister talk group 3126 statewide Michigan for the DMR Tech Net on Monday, April 15th from 7:30pm ET – 8:30pm ET.

Join us as we discuss emergency services and if you participate with them.

Join us as we demystify and have fun with DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) every Monday night!

The DMR Tech Net team is branching out with a monthly show called DMR Tech Net TV on Zoom the third Tuesday of each month from 8pm-9pm ET

  • We’ve scheduled Garrett Dow KD6KPC of Repeaterbook.com on Tuesday, April 16, to explain his website and the new changes coming to it.
  • If you missed previous DMR Tech Net TV broadcasts, you can watch them on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq4TAnA-_yE7kdcuaKzw8rQ
  • If you have a topic or issue you would like discussed, let us know.

We’re also in communication with Chip Cuccio WØCHP to come back on the DMR Tech Net to explain (and answer the questions you have about) the WPST Pi-star dashboard and the M17 Network.  Due to family issues, he’s been unable to join us, but when time permits, we’ll change our weekly topic so we can hear from him.

You can always chat with the DMR Tech Net team on TGIF talk group 31268, the DMR Tech Net channel or Brandmeister talk group 31266, the Michigan Nets channel.

The majority of the DMR Tech Net team celebrates birthdays in April.

Tom April 7, Dana April 13, Stan April 15, Steve April 18, Brad April 29, Brian Sept 27, and Rick Nov 12.

If you have a comment or a DMR topic idea for the DMR Tech Net, please share it with any of us.  Send an email to: steve@dmrtechnet.net,  stan@dmrtechnet.net, tom@dmrtechnet.net, dana@dmrtechnet.net, or brad@dmrtechnet.net.

If you want to subscribe to this newsletter, send an email to subscribe@dmrtechnet.net and we’ll get you added to the list.

Here are the Michigan DMR nets we know about.
Please join in & participate on them.

Saturday:

  • 7:00pm Arrow DMR Net on BrandMeister talk group 3126
  • 7:30pm DMR Trivia Net on TGIF talk group 31268

Sunday:

  • 6:30pm UP (Upper Peninsula) Net on BrandMeister talk group 31268

Monday:

  • 7:30pm DMR Tech Net on BrandMeister talk group 3126
  • 8:30pm Michigan One DMR Net on BrandMeister talk group 3126

The DMR Tech Net team is helping Dustin N8RMA with NCS duties on the Michigan One DMR net on Monday nights.  If you would like to help out with our schedule of Net Control Station operators, send an email to dana@dmrtechnet.net. Here’s the upcoming list of substitute NCS’:

  • Apr 15           Brad KE8WNV
  • Apr 22           Bob KB8DQQ
  • Apr 29           Ron AC2UL
  • May 6            Steve KC8WXM
  • May 13          Dustin N8RMA

https://www.michiganonedmr.net/

 

Amateur Radio Saves Family in Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is in a remote desert in southern California, where mobile phone networks are spotty at best. On Saturday, April 6, a radio amateur and his family were enjoying the park when their vehicle became stuck in mud in a dangerous area. Without access to a cell network, the ham called for help on the 10-meter band.

According to a news release from the Black Swamp Amateur Radio Club, Caleb Gustwiller, KD8TGB, jumped into action.

Much of Death Valley National Park sits below sea level, surrounded by terrain. [Sierra Harrop, W5DX, photos]

Gustwiller was monitoring from Ohio when he picked up the distress call. He was able to hear the call sign and the general location of the ham in distress. He lost the signal to the noise, so he wrote a post in the Parks on the Air® Facebook group asking for other hams to listen for the calls.

Several hams contacted emergency officials in southern California, which led to the ham and their family being rescued within a few hours by park rangers. The club stated in their Facebook post: “Without Caleb hearing this distress call, it could have quickly become a very deadly situation for the operator and his family.”

Amateur radio to the rescue in emergencies: the power of APRS and 2m

By Zolynn / November 17, 2023

In our daily lives, we often overlook the potential applications of certain technologies until crucial moments reveal their immeasurable value.

Recently, in an emergency situation in New Jersey, Dave, KD2GIY, played a crucial role utilizing the amateur radio station’s APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) and the 2m frequency band. He became a key factor in the rescue operation!

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/ham-radio-saves-the-day-in-nj-with-2m-repeater-and-aprs.885141/

KD2GIY’s video

What is APRS: APRS, or Automatic Packet Reporting System, is a system used in amateur radio to transmit location information, weather data, event messages, and more. Its basic principle involves using amateur radio equipment and GPS technology to transmit precise location information of vehicles, devices, or other objects in the form of data packets to fellow amateur radio enthusiasts. This real-time location-sharing system enables the amateur radio community to better understand and respond to the dynamic positions of participants.

The Importance of the 2m Frequency Band: The 2m frequency band refers to the 2-meter band in the amateur radio spectrum, typically ranging from 144 MHz to 148 MHz. In amateur radio communication, the 2m frequency band holds special significance due to its well-balanced characteristics between communication range and penetration capability. The signals in the 2m band exhibit excellent ground propagation and relatively good penetration through buildings in urban environments, making it an ideal choice for local and regional communication.

In emergency situations, the 2m frequency band’s broadcast range can cover larger areas, and its wavelength characteristics contribute to effective communication in complex terrains such as urban and mountainous areas. This makes the 2m frequency band a common choice in the amateur radio community for establishing temporary communication networks, conducting rescue operations, and providing real-time information.

The Amateur Radio community is so cool, responding in seconds to emergencies.

As Dave said, APRS and 2m bands are like a super weapon for rescue operations, save the day.

https://chelegance.com/archives/amateur-radio-to-the-rescue-in-emergencies-the-power-of-aprs-and-2m/

Ham Radio Hobbyist Thinks It’s A Prank Call Until He Recognizes Voice and Knows There’s Danger

By Hally Wells On September 13, 2023

Help in a crisis can come from all sorts of unexpected places and sources-even from a ham radio hobbyist 500 miles away! This is the story of Bill Scott of California and Skip Kritcher of Oregon.

Bill has been a ham radio enthusiast for 40 years! He spends hours each day communicating with people all over the world. That not only includes those on other continents but also the International Space Station.

Bill takes his ham radio with him on vacations and outings. And he has made friends far and wide with others who share his special interest.

Skip is a fellow ham radio fan. He and Bill became friends through their shared enjoyment of ham radio. Skip didn’t mean to dial Bill on his cell phone when he found himself in a medical emergency, but it was certainly a blessing that they’d already formed a friendship when he did.

Prank Call Turns Into Rescue Mission

Bill received a call that initially seemed to be a prank, somewhat confused and garbled. But the ham radio hobbyist soon realized he was speaking to his CB buddy, Skip, in Oregon.

Skip was on the floor in distress at his home. But he was able to ask Bill if he was an “amateur radio operator.” Bill confirmed that to be the case and then identified the familiar voice on the other end.

Because Bill’s wife had been a nurse for nearly 60 years before retiring, she recognized the signs of a stroke in the way Skip was communicating with her husband. His slurred speech and erratic comments indicated to her that Skip was definitely in danger. So, when the call dropped, Bill and his wife called 9-1-1.

Emergency personnel were able to locate Skip’s home with Bill’s help, because the two had met there in the past. And, without the ham radio hobbyist calling 9-1-1 and giving directions, he might have lost his friend.

“Just a miracle that he called the wrong number and he got us and we were able to do something to help him,” said Sharon Scott.

Skip is still recovering from his stroke, but the two men talk ham-radio style whenever they can. While Skip and Bill’s friendship may not be just like Cletus and Bandit’s, it’s clear that Bill helped Skip out of one serious jam!

WATCH: Ham Radio Hobbyist Saves A Life From 500 Miles Away:  https://youtu.be/JHq8UtjpfPs

https://www.godupdates.com/ham-radio-hobbyist-saves-life/#google_vignette

If the grid goes down, amateur (ham) radio works when all else fails

By  Joe Domaleski

January 29, 2024

I don’t necessarily consider myself a “prepper,” but I do like to be prepared in case of emergencies. When I was a Boy Scout, I was taught to “Be Prepared.” We often think of emergency preparedness as having supplies and plans in place for first aid, food, water, battery power, shelter, important documents, and money. Those are all good and necessary preparations, but how about communications? Instant communications with cellphones and the internet have spoiled us. What happens if those forms of communication fail? It’s admittedly old-school technology, but amateur (ham) radio works when other forms of communication fail.

Before there were cellphones, the internet, or even television, if you don’t count smoke signals and signal flags, the world’s first form of wireless communication was radio. The ability to hear voices, music, and news through thin air was (and still is to me) somewhat magical. I’ve always had a personal interest in radio. As a middle-schooler, I enjoyed building crystal radio kits that allowed me to hear distant radio stations from around the world without batteries! Shortwave radio stations allowed me to hear news and music from faraway places like London through the BBC World Service, the Soviet Union (now Russia) through Radio Moscow, and obscure Pacific islands whose primary connection to the world was radio.

Joe (KI4ASK) & Mary Catherine (KI4HHI) Domaleski at the 2023 Fayette County Amateur Radio Club field day event in Brooks, GA. Photo/Bryan Macera

Closer to home, I enjoyed listening to scanners – not the type of scanner you hook up to a computer to make copies of documents, but radio scanners that gave me the ability to listen to our police, fire, airport traffic, and more. Radio opened up a whole new world to me, and I remained fascinated with it all through high school. Yes, Radio Shack was one of my favorite stores at the mall.

My first exposure to two-way radio (meaning that I could listen and talk) was probably a set of GI Joe walkie-talkies that my brother and I got for Christmas one year. We had fun riding around the neighborhood on our bikes, talking on the radio about “secret missions.” Go watch “Stranger Things” – Dustin was me in high school (although I was a little skinnier). During the CB radio craze of the late 70s, my father put one in his truck, and I enjoyed talking to people as we traveled down the highway, saying things like, “Breaker One-Nine, this is the Little Polack.” Yes, my CB handle was “Little Polack,” and my dad was the “Georgia Polack.”

In the Army, we used radios a lot, but as an officer, I had a soldier assigned to me as my RTO (Radio Telephone Operator), so most of my radio communications went through him. While I was in the Army, I learned about something called MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio System), where a group of amateur (ham) radio operators helped relay information to/from home using radio and phone patches. Satellite phones were becoming a thing, but my dad said MARS actually helped him find out about my birth while he was in Vietnam.

The world changed dramatically on September 11, 2001. By then, cell phones were very prevalent, but it became clear to me that we had an overreliance on the internet and cell technology. I saw firsthand how many people in New York were literally cut off from the world, even as they were in the middle of the action. We knew more about what was going on by watching it on TV at home than the people directly involved in the situation. This was a wake-up call for me to become more individually prepared for communications. Remembering what I knew about the usefulness of ham radio, I decided to get my license the following year.

Jack Parks (KO4WBM) and Bryan Macera (K7CPT) operating a portable ham radio station during a club picnic. Photo/Joe Domaleski

Becoming a ham radio operator requires taking an FCC multiple-choice test administered by a group of certified Volunteer Examiners. It’s not a hard test. In fact, the questions and answers are made public. Most of the test questions pertain to some basic rules and radio knowledge. Once I got licensed, my wife Mary Catherine decided to get licensed, so she took the test. We found ham radio useful for keeping in touch around town. While she was driving the minivan around with our kids, I could talk to her on the radio and save precious cellphone minutes. Back then, you paid for cell phone calls by the minute. Ham radio was and still is free. My ham radio callsign is KI4ASK, and her callsign is KI4HHI, both of which were assigned to us by the FCC.

For the past twenty years, we’ve found ham radio to be both a fun and useful hobby. Here are some of the things we’ve done with our ham radio licenses:

  • Maintaining contact with each other and friends on hiking trips, where cellphone coverage is spotty.
  • Supporting local events like the Tri-PTC Triathlon, PTC Classic 15K, Run the Ridge 5K, and others with radio communications.
  • Providing weather spotting assistance to the National Weather Service through their Skywarn
  • Going on “fox hunts,” which are scavenger hunts for hidden radio transmitters.
  • Talking to people around the world, which was especially fun during the sequestered COVID-era.
  • Listening to what’s going on in Eastern Europe and the Middle East firsthand.
  • Talking to astronauts aboard the International Space Station!
  • Making friends right here in our community through the Fayette County Amateur Radio Club.
  • Sending email over the radio without the internet using Winlink.
  • Sending text messages over the radio without cellphones using APRS.
  • Supporting our first responders with backup communications through ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service).
  • Assisting Georgia Emergency Management (GEMA) / Homeland Security as volunteer auxiliary communicators through the AuxComm program.

If the grid goes down, we know what to do and how to stay in touch with each other and members of our community. In order to help people in our community learn about this fun and useful hobby, the Fayette County Amateur Radio Club and Fayette County Parks and Recreation have teamed up to offer a one-day “ham cram” class and testing session on Saturday, February 17th. I bet some of you reading this article have thought about getting a ham radio license. Now’s your chance.

Members of the Fayette County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) provided support to the 2023 Tri-PTC Triathlon. Pictured here with Tri-PTC President Allen Leonard (on left). Photo/Kim Bramblett

We have a very active ham radio community here in Fayette County. There’s a network of five radio repeaters that have the ability to provide communications across the county and even link with other communities for statewide coverage. If the towers go down, we have the ability to do simplex, point-to-point communication. Lots of people in our community have their license, including our 911 Director, Katye Vogt, and the Publisher of this paper, Cal Beverly. Among the ranks of our members, we have people of all walks of life including students, first responders, educators, business people, retirees, and young adults.

So many of us, myself included, spend a lot of time on the internet. You are reading this article through a web browser, and you’re probably active on one or more social media outlets. I am as well, but what if all of that goes down? How would you get the news, find out what’s going on, or talk to your family? Ham radio is a hobby that’s both fun and useful. It’ll work when all else fails.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment here or contact me directly.

[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year.  Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran.  He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. Sign up for the Country Fried Creative newsletter to get marketing and business articles directly in your inbox. ]

https://thecitizen.com/2024/01/29/if-the-grid-goes-down-amateur-ham-radio-works-when-all-else-fails/

When All Else Fails®

Amateur radio operators use their training, skills, and equipment to provide communications during emergencies When All Else Fails®.  Hams serve our communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers, and wired and wireless networks. Amateur radio can function completely independently of the internet and phone systems. An amateur radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®)

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment, with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

ARES Membership Requirements

Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization is eligible to apply for membership in ARES.  Training may be required or desired to participate fully in ARES.  Please inquire at the local level for specific information.  Because ARES is an Amateur Radio program, only licensed radio amateurs are eligible for membership. The possession of emergency-powered equipment is desirable, but is not a requirement for membership.

How to Get Involved in ARES

Fill out the ARES Registration form and submit it to your local Emergency Coordinator.

Volunteers Wanted!

 

  • You need to be equipped with sustaining skills. What if when you get to a location, there is no food and the sleeping conditions are undesirable? Before you leave on your assignment, you need to make sure you have coping skills that enable you to be able to do your job operating under the conditions you are assigned to—from hardship conditions to making sure you’re able to work the equipment.

 

  • You need to prepare your family for your absence. When you leave home and head for a disaster area, your family has to be both physically and mentally able to cope. After a disaster, when a volunteer comes home, he or she can be confronted by some mental health issues, for which there are several resources. Many volunteers experience everything from fatigue or exhaustion to depression.

 

https://www.arrl.org/ares

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a corps of trained amateur radio operator volunteers organized to assist in public service and emergency communications. It consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes. Every licensed amateur, regardless of membership in ARRL or any other local or national organization, is eligible for membership in ARES.

World Amateur Radio Day is April 18, 2024

World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) is celebrated each year on April 18.

The theme for 2024 is, “A Century of Connections: Celebrating 100 Years of Amateur Radio Innovation, Community, and Advocacy.” The global event covers all of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) regions and spans 2 days: Thursday, April 18, 2024, 0000 UTC to Friday, April 19, 2024, 0000 UTC.

On April 18, 1925, the IARU was formed in Paris and will celebrate its centenary in 2025. American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Co-Founder Hiram Percy Maxim was the organization’s first president.

All radio amateurs are invited to take to the airwaves to enjoy the global friendship with other amateurs and to show their skills and capabilities to the public. WARD is not a contest but rather an opportunity to talk about the value of amateur radio to the public and fellow amateur colleagues. It is also a great opportunity to talk about local radio clubs and amateur radio in local media as a lead-up to ARRL Field Day, which is held each year during the fourth full weekend in June. You can also promote your personal WARD activities on social media platforms like X and Facebook by using the hashtag #WorldAmateurRadioDay.

For more ideas and information, visit World Amateur Radio Day (arrl.org).

https://www.arrl.org/news/world-amateur-radio-day-is-april-18-2024

 

If you want to donate to BrandMeister to help them run their DMR network, Corey Dean N3FE shared the following links:

3102 and 3104 donations https://www.nfoservers.com/donate.pl?force_recipient=1&recipient=n3fe%40repeater.net

3103 donations https://www.nfoservers.com/donate.pl?force_recipient=1&recipient=w7xm%40w7xm.com

Robert Bretzman K4WZV of the TGIF network mentioned this if you want to donate to their network:

The servers that run the TGIF Network draw money from a coffer fund. We pay for much of it out of our own pockets, so we very much appreciate any donations. If you wish to donate, you may do so by clicking the donation link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/

https://tgif.network/faq.php

If you want to donate to RadioID.net, Glen Bizeau VE9GLN said you can subscribe to his website for additional features:  https://radioid.net/account/membership.

You can also purchase RadioID.net merchandise at https://store.radioid.net/.

Garrett Down KD6KPC of Repeaterbook.com shared this if you want to donate to his website:

To run a website like Repeaterbook.com, revenue is needed to keep it active on the web. There are bills to be paid, hosting companies to be paid, SSL certificates to be purchased, and other expenses that go along with the research and development of the data. The costs add up.

Repeaterbook has committed to keeping access to its data completely free. Since we don’t charge for the data or access to the site, we decided to incorporate ads into the site. The ads generate revenue that has been sufficient to pay the bills (most months). With the advent of ad-blocking technology, we began to see ad revenue slip. We get it. Many people don’t want to see ads and our stats indicate that up to 30% of our site visitors are using an ad blocker. Some say the performance on the site has even suffered waiting for ads to load. And come are concerned about Internet tracking through the ads (yes, Google does it).

We think we have found a solution to meet in the middle.

You can now subscribe to Repeaterbook and obtain a membership that will silence the ads on Repeaterbook. This form of obtaining revenue while quieting ads is used on qrz.com.

So now we have two option to fit your preference:

  1. Enjoy Repeaterbook completely free, while enduring the ads that appear.
  2. Sign up for a Repeaterbook subscription and silence the ads.

To take advantage of this offer, you must be a registered user in good standing.

Look at our Subscription Plans.

https://www.repeaterbook.com/index.php/en-us/ad-free

Finally, join and become a member of your local amateur radio club.  They can use your dues to help defray the costs of running the club and repeater.

Topics for future DMR Tech Nets:

  • Go over the Digimon feature to explain what it is, how and why to use it.
  • Private calling on your DMR radio.  How to set it up on your equipment.
  • What’s involved with being a NCS (Net Control Station)?
  • Do you contribute to the DMR networks/modes you utilize?  Why or why not?
  • Firmware and software radio updates.
  • Hot Keys.  What are they, why use them, and how to set them up.
  • DMR tips.  Like what Steve KC8WXM mentioned to better (and faster) utilize DMR features.
  • Adding or changing DMR channels via keypad programming.
  • How to update your DMR digital contacts via https://radioid.net/
  • Asking check-ins what they know now that they didn’t know when they started with DMR that would be helpful to other beginners (Elmering).
  • A timeline to get started of essential things to do with DMR and why.
  • Which DMR radio do you use the most & why?
  • Proper DMR practices & procedures to use on-air.
  • DMR text messaging
  • Advanced features of the Anytone 878 handheld and 578 mobile radio.
  • Going over the different DMR networks (Brandmeister, TGIF, M17, DMR+, YSF, etc).
  • Useful radio accessories to use with your DMR equipment.
  • Unique names used instead of the amateur radio alpha codes.
  • Antennas for handheld, mobile, and home radios.
  • Logging software.
  • QSL cards  Do you send them out?
  • Repeaters, hotspots, or both?  Which do you use and why?
  • WPSD hotspot dashboard.
  • APRS & GPS setup and usage.
  • Custom call signs.
  • What are your predictions for the DMR world in 2024?
  • What networks and talk groups do you use, and why?
  • What features do you wish your DMR radio had?

https://dmrtechnet.net/

DMR Tech Net