DuPage County ARES

New Items

NEW DuPage WEATHER Net

Check out the new DuPage Weather net, in cooperation with DuPage OHSEM and the Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs.

7 PM on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month on the WCRA UHF Repeater 444.474 PL 114.8. Bring your expertise and interest in Weather. As they say, it isn't a question of "if" severe weather is going to hit us, but rather "when" and "how much!"

Raspberry PI and Ham Radio

On Saturday April for Mark and Scott will headlin a workshop on ham radio uses of Raspberry Pi, that nifty little computer designed initially to help British school kids learn about programming and computers. This will be held at Addison (IL) Fire Station #72, 666 S. Vista Ave, Addison, Il at 9 AM. Bring your own Pi. Some interesting videos you might want to review first are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uDY_LjDDKo and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcMMlGvPCsw

Activation Procedures

In the event of an area disaster or a need for an unscheduled callout, DuPage ARES leadership will start a net on W9AUX 2 meter repeater (146.655, minus 600 KHz offset, 107.2 PL), with the W9AUX 440 box (442.050, + 5MHz offset, 114.8) as first backup. If these repeaters are down, our backup repeaters (in order) are the WCRA UHF Repeater on 444.475 MHZ, +5MHZ, PL 114.8,, and then KA9KDC in Wheaton on 444.275 +5MHz, with a PL 114.8. If this fails, we will try to mobilize using simplex - Our DP-S1 Channel on 146.400 (simplex). It has been our experience that IL2A on the 2 meter national calling frequency is used by ragchewers and is not the best choice for serious interop work.

Once you have found a DuPage ARES net, check in and advise as to condition and availability. Even if you will be responding to a callout from another agency, such as a local EMA, advise us so we know who is available, and in turn, you can make your capabilities known to that organization. In general, DO NOT SELF-DEPLOY!

For a wide-scale emergency involving more than the metropolitan area, Illinois ARES net will be functioning on 3.905 MHz LSB Voice.

Swedish Days Feedback

I received this in an email from Wally Moran, who was the SAG coordinator for the Swedish Days Bike Ride on Sunday:

"Just wanted to officially thank the ARES Team for being part of the Swedish Days Ride event once again! Having their staff in the cars, and at Kaneland H.S. & Harter M.S. and Klatt Field is a big plus for the event. Their communication and weather support are additional reasons why the event is regarded so highly by the attendees. We got some extra exercise this year when sweeping the routes thanks to Jerry’s expanded sign offerings!

Dave & Debbie, please forward the club’s thanks to your team members if they are not on this distribution list. It's a long day and we appreciate all the work the day of and your prep work beforehand."

______________________

From my EC point of view, it really helps that we're working with a group that understands how to use ARES hams as communicators.

For my part, I want to add my personal thanks to you who volunteered to work this even on Field Day Sunday: Bob, who handled the critical and sometimes confusing incoming messages from distressed riders; Debby, as net control and weather watcher (thanks for coaxing Mother Nature into giving us a break from the thunderstorms); Kent and "first timer" Damini as back up net controls, loggers and liaisons; Chris and Mike for being our "lonesome tight ends" staffing the "watering hole" at Klatt Field, down in a valley in Plano; George and Gus for patiently staffing an uneventful rest stop at Harter Middle School (we LIKE uneventful!!!); Bargo (who also set up the SAG radios), Don and Laura for providing clear, accurate, and timely communications from the SAG vehicles.

Again this year, I marvel how effective the area coverage of a good amateur repeater system can be in providing comms for an event such as this one which requires coordination over a wide area. And again, I was impressed with the conciseness and clarity of our comms - something that comes with practice, and is good preparation for any true emergency. Emergency preparation and public service go hand-in-hand!

But most of all, I relish being able to work with and learn from a team of great hams who really know what they're doing! Thanks.

Dave Harr

Emergency Coordinator

DuPage Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)

Who Are We?

From the Federal Communications Commission

"The FCC [Federal Communications Commission] established amateur radio as a voluntary, non-commercial, radio communications service. It allows licensed operators to improve their communications and technical skills, while providing the nation with a pool of trained radio operators and technicians who can provide essential communications during emergencies."

Our Meetings, Repeaters and Nets

Meetings

Team Meetings: 2nd Monday of Every Month, 7 pm

at DuPage Co. OHSEM, 418 County Farm Road

Wheaton, Il

Our Repeaters and Nets

W9AUX 442.050, +5MHz Offset, PL 114.8 Fusion (Mixed mode)

W9AUX 146.655, -600 KHz Offset, PL 107.2 Fusion (Mixed mode)

Nets are held:

7 PM - 1st Tuesday of the Month - Voice FM on W9AUX UHF Rptr (442.050 +5MHz Offset, PL 114.8)

and:

7 PM - 3rd Tuesday of each month on W9AUX VHF (146.655, -600KHz, PL 107.2) Digital nets alternate between MT63-2000L and EasyPal modes.

7 PM - NEW!!! 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month -DuPage Weather Net, in cooperation with DuPage OHSEM and Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs on the WCRA UHF Repeater 444.475 PL 114.8

Illinois State HF SSB Voice net on 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month at 4:30 PM local Illinois time, on 3,905 KHz LSB (alternate 7,230 KHz).

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