Bay County ARES

Pass-On / Information Blog

January 16th, 2025, meeting topics;

• Mark Cantrell/KD4IMA was formally appointed as the Emergency Coordinator for the Bay County A.R.E.S.

• Doug Gibson/KN4PFZ selected to reassume duties as Assistant Emergency Coordinator.

• 2025 S.E.T. (anticipated) Saturday, April 12th, 2025  (More details to follow).

• FYI   Aux Comm is still the desired curriculum for the state of Florida.   More effort to provide necessary basic course education is being made.   Emphasis was made that Course COMPLETION will be sufficient for compliance measure.   Task Book sign off will occur as often as possible until more certifiers are acquired.

• Efforts to obtain a SHARES license are still in progress.

• WINTER FIELD DAY 2025 will be conducted in Room 102 of the GCSC/EOC facility.    Personnel will meet at 0800hrs on Saturday, January 25th, to install the necessary equipment.  Three stations are expected to be put in service.  Special emphasis given to data modes.  Overnight activity will be based on personnel available.  WFD hours have been extended this year.   30hours total, from 10:00am CST Saturday to 4:00pm CST Sunday.   We will be using the KA4BAY Call Sign for Contacts.

• SPECIAL ATTENTION:   Net Scripts are currently being redrafted.  Once approved and disseminated, OLD SCRIPTS WILL BE OBSOLETE.      The MAIN change to NET OPS is the addition of a 1-2 minute Training Block.   Training subjects should be oriented to ARES material, Net Operations, Radio Traffic Handling, and General Ham Radio procedures and etiquette.   Training Blocks will be performed by the BACKUP NET CONTROL on BOTH* Radio Nets.  (Main ARES Net and DSTAR Net*)

December 19th, 2024, meeting topics;

• As of January 2025, it is anticipated that Mark Cantrell/KD4IMA will be assuming the Emergency Coordinator position for the Bay County A.R.E.S.     Preliminary criteria has met with Section Lead approval.

01/28-29/2025 Winter Field Day* weekend

WFD Activities are expected to be conducted at the Bay Co. EOC, Room 102

*** Specific planning will be refined at the next monthly in-person meeting on January 16th, 2025, at 1900hrs.

September 19th, 2024, meeting topics;

• Meeting was devoted towards the transfer and certification of the new ARRL ARES Taskbooks.

Pertinent Activity Dates (which may be useful those who *participated* in those events) are listed below:

2023-01-28 Winter Field Day

2023-04-22 Service Denied Exercise (SET)

2023-06-23 Field Day

2024-01-27 Winter Field Day

2024-05-04 Gulf Coast Salute Air Show

2024-06-08 Florida State EOC Exercise (SET)

2024-06-22 Field Day 

August 15th, 2024, meeting topics;

• ARRL has created a new task book for ARES members.

ARES members now need to transfer their training information to the newest ARRL/ARES Task Performance PDF.    It was suggested that members print out the new Task Book packet (approx 19 pages) and bring it (and your previous editions) to the next in-person meeting [September 19th at the Main BayCo EOC] so that we can get everyone close to being on the same page, and get any "open" items signed off on.

https://www.arrl.org/files/file/ARES%20Taskbook%20July%202024.pdf

• It was noted that the previous ARRL "Intro to EmComm" (001)

course is no longer being offered.   EmComm-001 has apparently been replaced by the ARRL/ARES BASIC EmComm online course.

The following link should take you to the overview, but you may have to use your ARRL login in order to register and complete the course.   It is requested that BayCo ARES Team members complete the new BASIC EmComm course by the end of this year (2024).

https://learn.arrl.org/courses?pathPage=%2Farrl%2Fcourses%2F67044

• A renewed interest was presented for the CISA/SHARES HF Network.   Licensing coordination is being explored now that Bay County has a dedicated HF radio with which to participate.

ShAred RESources (SHARES) High Frequency (HF) Radio Program | CISA 

July 29th, 2024, pass-on;

• Bay County ARES In-person meeting location has been resumed to be at the primary Bay County Emer. Ops. Center;

Room #102 at the GCSC North Bay Campus.

• The next In-person meeting is 7pm, Thursday, August 15th, 2024

July 18th, 2024, meeting topics;

• Annual CJIS expiration reminders are presently being emailed out to various Team Members.  This is in reference to the 2024 expiration of the CJIS Security Awareness and compliance training, required by the Bay Co. Sheriff's Office.   Members are reminded that, although it's important to NOT let your certification expire, it is ALSO important NOT to renew too far in advance of the present expiration date.  (Your certification resets to the latest date of qualification, so if you renew your certification too far in advance, your expiration date will change to reflect the new schedule.) 

• Winlink Net Monthly Participation was highlighted.   Gary/AJ4KY is currently the top participant.

• ARRL and LOTW appear to be restored to functionality.

• Members were reminded that the ARRL catalog of ARES training courses cover many useful subjects.  Members were encouraged to take additional courses that they might find beneficial.  (No known changes have been made to the list of basic course items.) 

(Members were urged to inventory and update their ARES/NFL Task Books for potential sign-off for qualifying tasks.)

• Per David/KM4HOL;

A dedicated laptop is in the process of being procured for potential ARES/EmComm Winlink use.

June 26th, 2024, pass-on;

Per David/KM4HOL;

The .880 dual purpose repeater has been reinstalled with it's own power supply and has been tested and determined to be functional.

Settings remain at -0.6 offset & PL/CTCSS Tone 100 (for Analog FM).

D*Star .880 (DV) requires Offset Only (No Tone).

June 20th, 2024, meeting topics;

The Net Control Roster form has been revised to provide a "Reference Page".   The Reference Page is not meant to be part of the Roster Roll Call, but merely to provide Call Sign assistance for Controllers to look to, for clarification on the Call Signs for stations that have recently been checking in.

The bottom of the actual Roster Page now provides for Non-ARES stations to be recorded, and blanks have been created with which to log their station location, as well.

FIELD DAY coordination was also conducted.  
Three HF and One UHF/VHF station were ultimately plotted for Digital FT4, FT8 and Phone modes.  The .210 Repeater and TAC 3 frequencies were selected for Talk-In and local coordination.

As of April 18th, 2024;

A.R.E.S. analog/FM Radio Nets are now being conducted on the W4RYZ repeater:

fx:  145.210   -0.6 Offset    PL/CTCSS Tone: 100