Alcona County
Initiated our local SET Net on the Alcona County 147.04 MHz Repeater at 0800. A total of 12 check-ins who were asked to respond providing their capabilities to support any of the following: •HF Phone •HF CW •HF Digital •VHF Packet •EchoLink •VHF direct to District #3 145.31 MHz Repeater •Digital VHF/UHF •MI-CIMS
Assigned each Check-In to one of the above modes in addition to monitoring our local repeater Net to handle potential traffic. Net Control for our local Net was handle by 4 different stations with all maintaining a time log for every transmission. As is our practice, the complete Net was recorded for purposes of reviewing the proceedings.
At 0830 the EOC was activated and our Communications/Command Trailer was placed on standby. The EOC and Radio Room had emergency power (both Automatic Generator and Battery Backup) which tested fine during a one hour backup test session. The scenario used was the early winter storm and flood conditions resulting in the loss of 911 Communications, Road, Bridge and Power Outages.
Initiated and handled a number of messages using most of the above listed modes. With the Tawas High Profile Packet node being unreliable, N8HA setup a Packet Digi Station, SW corner of Alcona County, at 75 feet which allowed Packet access to most of the District #3 southern Counties. We were able to initiate Packet traffic using Outpost formatted NTS radiograms to the Ogemaw & Iosco EOC’s as directed by the District #3 EM. Provided various reports to the MI-CIMS system under the Alcona County RACES ID.
Closed our local net and checked out of the District #3 145.31 MHz Repeater net at 1115.
A review of Pluses/Minuses at our monthly Alcona County Amateur Radio Group meeting (10/16/2014) provided the following (in addition to a detailed review of equipment and operator performance):
PLUSES:
•SET plans as developed by the State and District EC worked well compared to past SET’s
•Mike Horn, WB8TQZ handled a great amount of traffic on the MITN as Net Control and effectively used the checked-in stations efficiently on both 75 and 40 meters.
•Packet Digi Station temporarily setup by N8HA (noted above) provided the necessary path to handle Packet traffic.
•Using multiple Net Control stations proved very useful especially for training purposes of new amateur radio operators.
MINUSES:
•A number of our new amateurs with only HT capabilities could not consistently reach our repeater requiring a number of relays. Assistance to improve their equipment/communications methods is planned.
•VHF propagation from other areas of the state on our repeater’s input frequency was extremely and unusually high during the first 1 ½ hours of the net. Even with unique PL’s of the two other repeaters, if some out of area station was running high power, it would cause some interference when our local station was running low powered HT’s. Problem was mostly solved by having our local station run higher power or relayed. Also a good reminder to all to use only the power needed to reliably communicate and not use 100+watts with beam antennas from out of area stations when using their local repeater.
•Might have been useful to positively end the SET statewide at a predetermined common time - - a number of our county amateurs stayed on various NETS well into the afternoon hours but were never used after approximately 11 am.
Overall the 2014 October 14th SET was an excellent tool which will allow us to reinforce our communications methods and improve in areas requiring enhancement.
Submitted by: Stanley L. Darmofal, W8SZ EC/RO Alcona County, District #3