EOC-to-EOC CommEx #13

This exercise is the thirteenth in an ongoing series started in January 2004, and is intended to provide a continuing opportunity to explore Amateur Radio voice and data connectivity between participating EOCs.

1. The order for the staggered start times has again been rotated.
2. The W7SIX repeater has occasionally shut down briefly mid-transmission. The owner indicated that it may be due to antenna icing and a resulting abnormal VSWR, but assures us it will cause no damage.
3. The off-site HF Pactor gateway will not be operational for this exercise.
4. Since the turnout for this exercise is likely to be smaller than usual, we may invite early checkins toward the end of the first two 30 minute sessions. The final session will start at 1100 as scheduled and end when all stations have had ample time to conduct their desired trials.

We encourage participating EOCs to provide information necessary to the conduct of the exercise in advance. (Pre registration forms are available in the FILES section of the Yahoo Group: EOC_Communications_Wa ). Pre registration will help to reduce on-air time spent on coordination, and maximize what we can accomplish. Most of the pre registration information will be a list of what bands your EOC would like to try, and what repeaters you might use to contact Camp Murray in a real emergency. Clearly, those repeaters in or near a disaster area are most likely to saturate with local traffic. They probably are not the best choice to use to communicate with Camp Murray were that to be necessary. There is a second pre registration form that concentrates on preplanned repeater systems. EOC teams are encouraged to submit either or both forms as appropriate.

In mid 2006, we moved the NCS function on 75 meters from Camp Murray to off-site Net Control stations. It continues to be a resounding success and we expect to continue that practice. In a major crisis, we could expect to be up to our neck in alligators handling record traffic and would benefit by having the NCS duties managed by one or more out stations. We anticipate having several stations cooperating in the NCS function from locations in Washington State and British Columbia. The Primary NCS will conduct the role call of stations wishing to participate in that 30 minute segment. Primary NCS will utilize Alt-NCS stations to relay station checkins or to echo net calls as appropriate. After taking a role call of participating stations, the NCS and his Alt-NCS stations will coordinate all 75 meter contacts. We anticipate that there will be at least four types of contacts requested.

• Requests for a simple radio check on 75m between an outlying EOC and Camp Murray.
• Requests to contact Camp Murray on 75m as one of the three available coordination channels to launch contacts on other channels. Hopefully those requests will be detailed in advance on the pre registration documents.
• Attempts to reestablish contact in the event a contact was unsuccessful on an alternate channel.
• And as net time permits, any requests for contacts between outlying EOCs.

The exercise will begin at 1000 hrs. local time. If for any reason 3.985 LSB is unusable, we will shift up or down three or more KHz to a clear frequency. As is customary, we will stagger the start times, using 30 minute increments.

1000 hrs

REGION 7 - Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan, Kittitas,

REGION 8 - Franklin, Benton, Walla Walla, Klickitat, Yakima.

REGION 9 - Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams,

Whitman, Columbia, Garfield, Asotin.

1030 hrs

REGION 1 - Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom

REGION 2 - Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap

REGION 6 - King

1100 hrs

REGION 3 - Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific, Thurston. Mason

REGION 4 - Clark, Skamania, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum

REGION 5 - Pierce

ARES District M (Medical Services Team)

Agencies outside of Washington are invited to start at any time convenient to their operation.

There will be three ways to coordinate exercise activities. Any of the three means may be used interchangeably.

• The first is via HF on 3.985 LSB (± 3 KHz based on band usage / QRM).
• The second is via the W7SIX 6 meter repeater 53.87 MHz output (-1.7 offset / PL 100.0 Hz). This repeater is located on Grass Mt. and reportedly covers outward to Chehalis / Aberdeen / Everett. Six meter equipped EOCs are encouraged to try six meters first since that promises to be less congested than HF. (Note: Six meters is the only coordination channel that will not be monitored 100% of the time. If we receive requests for checks on other six meter repeaters, we will shift off temporarily to accomplish those, and then return to the 6m coordination channel.)
• The third coordination means will be by commercial phone at (253) 512-7099 / (253) 912-4995. (Please let it ring. We have missed a few calls in previous exercises because we were slow to pick up.)

The way we anticipate handling trials is as follows: on initial contact, we will pull your pre registration form, or in none exists, take the minimum required information and apply that to a blank registration form. Based on which bands your EOC wants to try and what assets at our end are soonest available, you will be asked to go to the frequency agreed upon. Your form will be handed off to the operator at our end who has that capability. If contact is successful, the operator at our end will log the results and coordinate with your station where to go next based on whatever else you indicated on your registration form and asset availability at our end. Our operator will hand your form off to the next appropriate operator, and give you an estimated wait time where appropriate. If contact is not established on the new path within a reasonable interval, both ends should try to re-establish contact any way practical. Our recommendation is that outlying EOCs reestablish contact on one of the three coordination channels (telephone / 6m / HF).

PLEASE NOTE: we have not requested exclusive use of any of the repeater systems, nor should it be necessary. We welcome the chance to use the systems, and hope not to dominate any one system enough to warrant having the normal users alter their typical usage. If that proves to be unrealistic, we will consider requesting exclusive use in the future. Some of the systems involved do not see regular use by emergency service communications. Please expect some curiosity or surprise at our presence.

The Training Mission Number for our 2006 quarterly exercises is 06-T-1043.

Frequencies.

75 meters: 3.985 LSB (± 3 KHz based on band usage / QRM).

60 meters: 5371.5 Upper side band. (± 0 KHz, 50 watts max ERP)

40 meters: 7.245 LSB (± 3 KHz based on band usage / QRM).

FM Simplex frequencies

6m Primary 52.310 Alternate 52.330

2m Primary 146.460 Alternate 146.480

125cm Primary 223.420 Alternate 223.440

70cm Primary 445.825 Alternate 445.800.

Wide coverage / linked systems that we expect to use during this exercise include:

AB7F 4 site / 6 repeater linked system

Note: We have been informed that the AB7F repeater is frequently being used for a weekly net from 1000 to 1100 hours. When it is active, we defer to that net.

The BeachNet 9 site / 12 repeater linked system

K7CH 4 site linked repeater system

53.03 (PL 100.0) South Mt (Near Shelton, WA)

52.93 (PL 100.0) Baw Faw (Near Chehalis/Centralia, WA)

52.81 (PL 100.0) Nikolai Pk. (Oregon/SW Washington area)

52.89 (PL 100.0) Raven’s Roost (N.E. of Crystal Mt.)

K7PP Simulcast 147.200 system

AK2O Simulcast 147.200 system

147.200 (PL 141.3) Spokane

147.200 (PL 94.8) Wenatchee

147.200 (PL 156.7) Yakima

147.200 (PL 127.3) Omak

RAVEN 145.370 (PL 136.5) Grass Mt.

WR7JM 53.290 (PL 100.0) Buck Mt

145.250 (PL 114.8) E. Tiger

224.920 (PL 103.5) South Mt (Shelton)

443.300 (PL 114.8) E. Tiger

WA7SAR

145.270 (PL 123.0) Quartz Mountain "Longmire Rpt"

146.860 (PL 123.0) Darland Mt.

147.080 (PL 123.0) King Mt.

Please encourage use of tactical call signs. In order of preference, we will answer to "Camp Murray", "Washington State EOC", and if necessary to "W7EMD".

The HF Pactor Gateway will not operational for this exercise.

The Packet mailbox at Camp Murray is assigned a call sign of W7EMD-4, and currently is on 145.010 MHz, (1200 baud AX.25). It can be reached via the SEA node (N7FSP-10).

If you connect to the mailbox that should be considered validation of the link. As mentioned above, traffic arriving in the packet mailbox does not always provide us information regarding the return path to the originating station. Traffic can arrive via direct connection, packet forwarding, or through a digipeater. Considerable time can be lost trying to divine the path so that a response can be sent. In the case of sending through a digipeater, simply trying all the possible SSIDs can be somewhat time consuming. At present, the best suggestion is to specify the return path, including any SSIDs in the text of the initial contact message. Even if you do not expect a response, path information that you include in test messages will provide useful information for future purposes.

Camp Murray is equipped with APRS. A limited messaging capability exists within APRS. We shall respond to APRS messages, although depending on staffing, we may not be able to do so immediately. The APRS call for Camp Murray is W7EMD-3.

Participating EOCs are encouraged to submit After Actions Reports. Tell us how to make future exercises of this sort most useful to your operation. Tell us what you would like to see done differently in the future. The format for AARs is your choice.

Alternate point of contact: n7nvp@arrl.org.org or tel. 360-698-0917.

Should there be a real world civil emergency that necessitates the exercise either be scaled back or cancelled, notification of any change will be provided through the EOC_Communications_Wa group at Yahoo.com, and if practical will be announced at intervals during the morning of the exercise on 75 meters: 3.985 LSB (± 3 KHz based on band usage / QRM).