ARES - Amateur Radio Emergency Services
Link to the "Official" ARES of Collier County (ARESCC) website
ARES is commited to provide emergency amateur radio
services local to Collier County.
ARES Ameteur Radio Stations
Typical ARES Equipment
Listed here are some of the "Typical" radios and equipment used
by amateur operators with links to equipment manuals.
Equipment information, installation guides and photos are provided for some equipment.
Simulated Emergency Test (SET)
Simulated Emergency Test (SETs) are performed routinely by ARES
memebers to evaluate strengths and weaknesses in emergency
preparedness and communications, and to demonstrate amateur radio to
the public.
FEMA NIMS Training - National Incident Management System (Link)
FEMA provides training materials to help volunteers operate
within the NIMS / ICS during emergencies. All ARES members
should complete both the ICS100 and ICS200 courses. These
courses certify that ARES members have knowledge with the ICS
structure to better integrate with public safety agency personnel
who respond when emergent incidents occur.
-
ICS100 - Introduction to the Incident Command System
-
ICS200 - Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response
ICS Forms
- Link to FEMA ICS Resource Center - Forms.
Download from FEMA site for latest versions.
- OFFLINE Forms - Use only when FEMA site is down.
These forms may
NOT be latest versions.
To-Go-Kits
"Go-Box" aka "To-Go-Kits" should be available to all emergency
responders and need to be included in your "Grab-and-Go" items.
Below are examples of kits built specifically for emergency
communications:
Typical "Go-Box" provided by Rob - KB0JL
Ham Tips
The following information may be useful when using amateur radios
to communicate with others who share the hobby.
-
Simplex Operation
Choice
-
The ARRL has, at their
website, a set of tables of the band plans for
virtually all amateur radio operation. Here is their table
for 2m:
2 Meters (144-148 MHz)
|
144.00-144.05 |
EME (CW) |
|
144.05-144.10 |
General CW and weak signals |
|
144.10-144.20 |
EME and weak-signal SSB |
|
144.200 |
National calling frequency |
|
144.200-144.275 |
General SSB operation |
|
144.275-144.300 |
Propagation beacons |
|
144.30-144.50 |
New OSCAR subband |
|
144.50-144.60 |
Linear translator inputs |
|
144.60-144.90 |
FM repeater inputs |
|
144.90-145.10 |
Weak signal and FM simplex (145.01,03,05,07,09 are
widely used for packet) |
|
145.10-145.20 |
Linear translator outputs |
|
145.20-145.50 |
FM repeater outputs |
|
145.50-145.80 |
Miscellaneous and experimental modes |
|
145.80-146.00 |
OSCAR subband |
|
146.01-146.37 |
Repeater inputs |
|
146.40-146.58 |
Simplex |
|
146.52 |
National Simplex Calling Frequency |
|
146.61-146.97 |
Repeater outputs |
|
147.00-147.39 |
Repeater outputs |
|
147.42-147.57 |
Simplex |
|
147.60-147.99 |
Repeater inputs |
Notes: The frequency 146.40 MHz is used in some
areas as a repeater input. This band plan has been proposed by
the ARRL VHF-UHF Advisory Committee.
The above table shows simplex operation using frequencies
146.400 - 146.580 with the "National Simplex Calling Frequency -
146.520. There is a secondary set of simplex frequencies
147.420 - 147.570. The ARRL band plan is useful as
a guidline but be aware; many hams will use 146.520 or
146.525 as their "go to" simplex 2m frequencies. The other
frequencies are often a part of emergency radio "ops" simplex
frequencies.
For example, 146.400, 146.500 and 146.600 are common ARES
frequency choices. So if you are a mobile traveler on
vacation driving around the United States, you may run into
"local" ARES folks using these common frequencies. If you
hear traffic and causing interference with local operations,
please QSY to another frequency at least 25kHz either side of
the frequency and listen to see if anyone is using the simplex
frequncy.
The ARRL 70cm (440Mhz) UHF band plan chart is shown below:
70 Centimeters (420-450 MHz)
|
420.00-426.00 |
ATV repeater or simplex with 421.25 MHz video
carrier control links and experimental |
|
426.00-432.00 |
ATV simplex with 427.250-MHz video carrier frequency |
|
432.00-432.07 |
EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) |
|
432.07-432.10 |
Weak-signal CW |
|
432.10 |
70-cm calling frequency |
|
432.10-432.30 |
Mixed-mode and weak-signal work |
|
432.30-432.40 |
Propagation beacons |
|
432.40-433.00 |
Mixed-mode and weak-signal work |
|
433.00-435.00 |
Auxiliary/repeater links |
|
435.00-438.00 |
Satellite only (internationally) |
|
438.00-444.00 |
ATV repeater input with 439.250-MHz video carrier
frequency and repeater links |
|
442.00-445.00 |
Repeater inputs and outputs (local option) |
|
445.00-447.00 |
Shared by auxiliary and control links, repeaters and
simplex (local option) |
|
446.00 |
National simplex frequency |
|
447.00-450.00 |
Repeater inputs and outputs (local option) |
The 70cm band plan is similar to the 2m and other ARRL
band plans whereas there are specific frequencies for "calling"
frequencies, repeaters, beacons, weak-signal work, satellite and
EME, etc. The SIMPLEX frequencies in the 440/70cm band
plan are 432.100 - a "calling" frequency, 446.000 National
Simplex frequency, and 445.000 - 447.000 which is shared with
auxilliary and control links, repeaters and SIMPLEX by local
option.
For example, if you were to choose 446.100 for simplex in most
cities with "drive-thru" burger and coffee stores, you may find
that your radio squelch will open numerous times with garble
voice or even data sounds when driving around metro areas. This is due to these
establishments using poorly regulated radio systems that
generate harmonics that "bleed-over" in the 440 Ham bands.
If you move just a few kHz + or - from the even 446.100, for
example, you may find it to be clear all over metro areas or
pick another simplex frequency.
There are other UHF "public" operations that may cause your
"chosen UHF" frequency to open your squelch which may be contributed
to automated remote water meter readers operating near the 440 UHF
band. Data
signals from pumping stations operated by city public works to control
puming stations for water, sewage, canal water, etc may also
open you squelch. These
signals generally affect your radio if you are "close" in
proximity to these transmitters; so only a few hundred feet or a
couple blocks may make all the difference if you have
interference.
Amateur operators use the 440 UHF band for cross-band (X-band) operation on
dual band radios that accomodate the X-band operation. If you
plan to setup a X-band operation using one of the many dual-band
mobile radios, try to set the "simplex" side to a 440 frequency
that doe not end in .n00, (e.g., 446.100 should be avoided and perhaps
446.115 or 445.990 will work).