Announcements
| Weekly Net | Monday,February 6th 7 PM | The Hillsborough County ARES net will meet on the N1IMO system. KD1TD will be the net control station. |
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| General Meeting | Wednesday, Februaru 8th, 7 PM | The HCARES general meeting will be at Dartmouth-Hitchcock's new location at 2300 Southwood Drive, Nashua. It will include a tour of the building and radio room. From Exit 8, at the first light, take a left. From Amherst Street, take the right onto Somerset Parkway (just past Applebees). At the second light, take a right. |
| SKYWARN Class | Friday, February 10th, 7-9:30 PM | The National Weather Service (NWS) in Taunton Massachusetts and the Granite State Amateur Radio Association (GSARA) will be sponsoring a severe weather spotter training session, part of its SKYWARN program, at the Saint Elizabeth Seton Church, 190 Meetinghouse Road, in Bedford NH. Pre-registration is required for this training session. Please contact, Ron Michaud, K1RHM, via email at k1rhm@comcast.net to preregister. |
| Weekly Net | Monday,February 13th 7 PM | The Hillsborough County ARES net will meet on the N1IMO system. K9AEN will be the net control station. |
| Weekly Net | Monday, February 20th, 7 PM | The Hillsborough County ARES net will meet on the WW1Y Nashua repeater. N4COY will be the net control station. |
| Weekly Net | Monday,February 27th 7 PM | The Hillsborough County ARES net will meet on 147.405 MHz FM Simplex. KA1MQ will be the net control station. |
| Weekly Net | Monday,March 5th 7 PM | The Hillsborough County ARES net will meet on the N1IMO system. KB1PYD will be the net control station. |
Recent Updates To Site
- Updated VHF Net Log form (again) and instructions in Forms.
- Updated ARRL ICS-213 form (again) in Forms. Removed alternative forms.
- Updated VHF Net Script in Training
Monday Training Nets To Include Digital Messages
HCARES will no longer perform training in handling digital traffic in separate monthly nets. Digital messages should be brought to the Monday night training nets and, along with voice messages, be handled as we would during a real event.
Along those lines, HC-ARES digital stations must have installed and use the HC-ARES macro set. HC-ARES simplex digital frequencies are 144.950, 145.080 and 432.500. These frequencies are for digital use only during our nets. Voice will be used on the repeaters as well as simplex 147.405.
Technical assistance, experience and "fun" on the use of Fldigi is available every Monday night following the 7 PM VHF training net run by K1SMD. If you are not digital, climb on board and meet up with Steve. If you are digital, come on by and keep your system tuned up.
Bill / N4COY
HC-ARES Net Manager
Net Participation
Our nets give us an opportunity for training, honing not only our traffic handling and protocol skills but also learning how the unique geography of our county plays into the passage of information across the region. Participating in at least one out of every four weekly nets works out to less than thirty minutes per month and prepares you for being effective in a real emergency.
Net participation and traffic handling, unlike riding a bicycle, where once you learn you don't forget - require regular participation to maintain proficiency. To those of you that participate regularly - thank you, thank you, thank you. That level of commitment makes it much easier to field a group of well trained people during times of need. To the others, can you find thirty minutes per month? Remember, this is part of what you volunteered to do. Regular training is what keeps you a valuable resource for ARES!
Net Control Operators Wanted!
We are currently seeking new individuals in HCARES as Net Control Stations. No experience is necessary, although a reasonable RF signal into the repeater is recommended and you do need to be a member of ARES.This weekly net can be a good way to learn and practice this important skill. If interested please contact Bill, N4COY, for a listing in the next NCS rotation. (hint: 1 rotation as NCS is required per year for all members)
Thank you all for volunteering!
Important FCC Rules Change
From FCC-10-123A1 (released July 14th, 2010): "We therefore amend our rules to permit amateur radio operators to participate in government-sponsored emergency and disaster preparedness drills and tests, regardless of whether the operators are employees of the entities participating in the drill or test. We find that extending authority to operate amateur stations during such drills will enhance emergency preparedness and response and thus serve the public interest."
Read more at the FCC site.
updated February 5, 2012