NEW DATE: November 9-10

- STAY TUNED!

TO: Region 2 ARES TEAM

11/1/2013

Hi Everybody!
I will be sending out periodic updates concerning SET 2013, as they become available, over the next few days.

The "SET 2013 Player Handbook" is now posted on the CT ARES website (ctares.org).
- There is a link on the homepage.

Or, if you prefer, the direct link is:
www.ctares.org/SET_2013_Player_Handbook_v1pt0.pdf
REVISED 11/8/13
www.ctares.org/SET_2013_Player_Handbook_v1pt1.pdf

Please download a copy
- It should provide you with important information and guidance about the upcoming SET.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

SEE YOU ON THE AIR!

73,
Douglas Sharafanowich – WA1SFH
District Emergency Coordinator, Region 2
Connecticut Amateur Radio Emergency Service (CT ARES)
(Home) 203-876-1189 [Cell] 203-494-3885
WA1SFH "AT" arrl.net
www.ctaresregion2.org

Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013

Hi Everybody,
This coming weekend (Nov. 9 & 10) is the annual CT ARES Simulated Emergency Test.
Details will be forthcoming over the next few days from Wayne (N1CLV), our CT ARES Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC), detailing what sort of “fun” scenario is in store for us.

In the meantime, it might be a good idea to start getting your gear “squared away”. Here are some items to consider from an operations perspective:

Radios & Antennas
Simplex VHF/UHF operations
That HT you have, with the rubber duck antenna, won’t get your signal much out of town.
- This is where Height Above Ground Level (AGL) and Power are your friends for LOS (Line Of Sight) communications.
- Consider a putting together a “gain” antenna on a mast, mounted at 20’ AGL, fed with LMR-400 (Flex/Bury) coax, and using a 25 watt amplifier with that HT; or use a mobile radio (better).
Also, consider the use of a VHF/UHF “Beam” antenna for “point to point” Repeater and Simplex communications. (e.g. Shelter to EOC, EOC to Tactical Net, Liaison station to another Region, Etc.).
See: ctaresregion2.org/forum/antenna-central/...ipod-antenna/edit/78

Data Communications
We will be using two forms of Data Communications on VHF during this exercise:
Classic Packet Radio and WinLink 2000 (WL2K)’s “RMS Express”.
There is still time to order cables and TNCs.
See: ctaresregion2.org/forum/digital-communic...ent-for-packet-radio

HF Communications (75m & 40m)
SET 2013 provides another opportunity to build and operate your own NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) antenna.
See: ctaresregion2.org/forum/antenna-central/...nvis-antenna-project

Battery Power
Do you have enough Battery power to sustain operations for a 12 hour shift?
See: www.ctaresregion2.org/forum/the-go-box/1...ght-size-battery#116

Generator Power
Is your fuel supply fresh?
Does the engine oil need a change?
How is that air filter looking?

Solar Power
Got solar panels and related equipment?
Ready for field deployment?

CT ARES 2013 SET - Bulletin #1
Tue 11/5/2013 11:30 AM

This is an exercise!
This is an exercise!
THIS IS AN EXERCISE!

The NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is closely watching an early-season winter storm developing over the Rocky Mountains.

This massive storm is expected to track to the east and is forecast to have considerable impact on the Northeast United States on Thursday and Friday of this week (7-8 November 2013).

This storm comes on the heels of several major precipitation events that already have rivers and streams across the state at or near bankfull.

Expected 24 hour precipitation totals are likely to exceed two inches of rain and/or 12-15 inches of wet snow in many parts of Connecticut. Depending on local temperatures, daily ice accretions in excess of one inch are possible in many locations. Anticipated high winds combined with this additional freezing precipitation are likely to cause extensive power outages due to downed trees and power lines.

Also of concern is a recent USGS report of increased seismological activity in the region. While earthquakes are not common in this area, they do occur. In light of the heavy river flow from recent storms, there is particular concern for potential catastrophic damage to dams statewide.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recently reported an increasing threat to the country's power grid as a consequence of an uptick in foreign cyber attacks.

I anticipate CT ARES being activated on Saturday, 9 November 2013, to assist with recovery in the aftermath of these disparate events all with the potential to disrupt power and communications infrastructure.

Please be prepared to assist our Served Agencies by staffing the following locations to the maximum degree possible: CT DEMHS Regional Offices (simulated), shelters (simulated) opened by the American Red Cross, and Emergency Operations Centers (simulated) in municipalities needing radio operators. Coordination by District Emergency Coordinators (DECs) with local authorities is encouraged.

The National Weather Service is expected to activate SKYWARN to provide snowfall and icing data as well as collecting river and stream data.

The National Traffic System (NTS) component of amateur radio will be used to handle message traffic.

Extensive use of the eight recently-established W1SP WL2K nodes is strongly encouraged.

This is an exercise!
This is an exercise!
THIS IS AN EXERCISE!

73, Wayne N1CLV
CT ARES - SEC
Cell: 860-917-6472
Email: [email protected]

N1CLV has passed along the 1st bulletin on the upcoming SET this weekend.

The scenario features a severe winter storm bringing substantial snowfall, Ice, rain with the type of storm damage we would see from this type of storm. This could include but is not limited to blocked roads due to significant snowfall, damaged infrastructure from heavy snowfall and significant ice accretions, downed trees. limbs, power lines, flooding conditions in areas where heavy rain occurs or where storm drains have been blocked by the snow and ice buildup, etc.

Litchfield and Hartford Tolland County SKYWARN on Thursday evening will run normal weekly weather nets and make announcement of the upcoming SET with bulletins and announcing frequencies and times for SKYWARN nets during the SET.

All County SKYWARN nets will standup on Friday evening and run one net in each county taking snowfall, ice accretions, flooding, storm damage reports etc and will forward a net report to me on Friday evening via email.

On Saturday morning all county SKYWARN nets will standup one or two nets to take snowfall, ice accretion, storm damage reports as we normally do at the end of a storm. Net controls will pass this info on to me by any of the following methods, email or via the KB1AEV linked repeater system, or via the CT SKYWARN ARES HF frequencies, 3.965 LSB or 7.280 LSB. What frequency is better will depend upon band conditions on Saturday.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO START AND END ALL TRANSMISSIONS WITH THE PHRASE :
" THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS A DRILL, THIS IS A DRILL".

All SKYWARN Nets please announce the SET and SKYWARN net plans over the air during your weekly nets, and over the SKYWARN and ARES email reflectors.

73 DE Steve K1SJW

Steve Williams K1SJW
ARRL CT Section ARES DEC SKYWARN
Home 860-379-8392
Cell 860-601-3323
Email address k1sjw "AT" arrl.net

SET 2013 - Bulletin #2 (Wed 11/6 @ 6:25 PM)

Exercise Director's Note:
The CT 2013 SET period of play (48 hours) has been modified to start at 1200 noon on Friday (8 Nov) and run until 1200 noon on Sunday (10 Nov) to better accommodate participation by the ARES-SKYWARN and NTS components along with the ARES response.

A revised version of the SET Player Handbook (v1.1) reflecting this change will be posted to the CT ARES webpage (www.ctares.org). Please coordinate locally the use of repeater resources as needed by all components during the SET.

This is an exercise!
This is an exercise!
This is an exercise!

Expected 24 hour precipitation totals are likely to exceed two inches of rain and/or 12-15 inches of wet snow in many parts of Connecticut.

Depending on local temperatures, daily ice accretions in excess of one inch are possible in many locations. Anticipated high winds combined with this additional freezing precipitation are likely to cause extensive power outages due to downed trees and power lines.

USGS reports seismological activity in the region has increased notably. In light of the heavy river flow from the storm, there is particular concern for potential catastrophic damage to dams statewide.

I expect to activate CT ARES early on Saturday, 9 November 2013, to assist with recovery in the aftermath of this storm and/or earthquake event.

Please be prepared to assist our Served Agencies by staffing the following locations to the degree possible: CT DEMHS Regional Offices (simulated), shelters (simulated) opened by the American Red Cross, and Emergency Operations Centers (simulated) in municipalities needing radio operators. Coordination by District Emergency Coordinators (DECs) with local authorities is encouraged.

The National Weather Service expects to activate SKYWARN on Friday to provide wind/rain/snow/ice data as well as assisting with river and stream monitoring. The National Traffic System (NTS) will be used to handle related message traffic.

73, Wayne N1CLV
CT ARES - SEC
Cell: 860-917-6472
Email: [email protected]
Communications is the link between problems and solutions.

This is an exercise!
This is an exercise!
This is an exercise!