FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink Net this Sunday
Hello All, This Sunday (October 23rd) is the fourth Sunday in October and time for you-know-what. This will be Exercise 2022-20 of the FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink Net. The purpose of this net is to give participating stations a chance to practice their skills with Winlink and the various Winlink forms. The net is open to all amateur radio operators and SHARES stations anywhere. I may not be available much next week as we're taking a few days off. This reminds me, I think I need a station or two to back me up should I not be available. If you'd like to help me out, please send me a Winlink message or an email at skip.sharpe@.... Ok, back to business: Two of the more useful Winlink forms are the "Check In" and "Check Out" form. These are short messages for, as the names suggest, checking in and out of a net. For this week's exercise, please send me a completed Check In form. If you need a refresher, here's how: If you have a Winlink Account: 1. Open Winlink Express. 2. Open a new message form: 2a. Click the new message icon or click 'Message' then 'New Message'. 3. Open a Check In form. 3a. On the top line ribbon menu, click 'Select Template'. 3b. Click the + sign next to 'Standard Templates'. 3c. Click the + sign next to 'Mapping-GIS Forms'. 3d. Double click 'Winlink Check In'. 3d1. This opens your default web browser and displays a blank Check In form. 4. Complete the form: 4a. Enter the 'Date/Time' (Winlink will offer you the current date and time). 4b. Select the 'Select Status' (should be Net). 4c. Select the 'Band' you'll use to send your form. 4d. Select the 'Mode' you'll use to send your form. 4e. Enter W9REL in the 'Send To' field. 4f. Enter the 'Call Signs of Initial On Site Operators', 'Station Contact Name' (your first name), and 'Station Call Sign'. 4g. Enter the location of a public place close to your physical location in the 'Location' field. 4h. Enter the latitude of the place you entered in the 'LAT' field and the longitude in the 'LON MGRS' field (this must be a negative number). 4i. In the 'Comments' box, enter 'Exercise 2022-20'. 5. If you wish, click the 'Save Check In Data' button. This creates a record copy of your message in the Downloads folder of your computer. 6. Click the 'Submit' button to send the information on your form to Winlink Express. 6a. This eraces the Check In form in your web browser and transfers the contents to the message you created step 2. 6b. Close your web browser 7. In the 'To' field of the message form, enter W9REL. 8. On the ribbon menu near the top of the New Message form, click 'Post To Outbox'. 9. This Sunday, 23 October: 9a. Open Winlink Express. 9b. On the top line ribbon menu next to 'Open Session'. 9c. Select the mode you want to use to send your message(s). 9d. Click 'Open Session'. 9e. Click 'Start'. If you don't currently have a Winlink account, please open one. Winlink Express is open to all amateur radio operators and SHARES stations and it's free (operative word is FREE). In the meantime, use the following procedure to send an email via the Winlink system. 1. Open your email client. 2. Open a new message form. 3. In the 'To' field enter 'W9REL@...' 4. On the 'Subject line' enter '//WL2K Exercise 2022-20 FEMA Region 5 AUXCOM Winlink Net'. 4a. The '//WL2K is required otherwise Winlink will reject your message. 5. In the text field enter 'Exercise 2022-20', the date and time, your first name, callsign, city, and state followed by anything else you think is pertinent. 6. On Sunday (October 23rd) send your email. For now,73 all and enjoy your weekend! Keep warm, safe, and healthy Always keep good situational awareness Skip W9REL/Net Manager ---------------------------
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Voice net reminder
Today is the fourth Sunday in October, so please join us at 2000Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Joe, WD8USA, from Michigan will be the NCS. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink Net-Sunday November 13
Hello Everyone, Sunday, November 13th, is the second Sunday of the month and time for the next FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink Net. This net is held on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. It is open to all amateur radio operators and SHARES stations everywhere. The net helps familiarize participants with the Winlink system and use of the available message templates. Please check into the net anytime on the 13th before midnight. --------------- SPECIAL NOTE: In addition to Sunday’s F5WLNet, the EmComm Training Organization (ETO) has announced a nationwide communications drill for this coming Saturday, 12 November. This exercise includes a message to be sent via Winlink RMS and a Winlink P2P message to be sent to a ‘target station’. I encourage you to take part in this exercise as well as our net on the 13th. Instructions for the ETO exercise are at this link: ETO-11-12-22 Semi-Annual Drill Final v1.2.pdf - Google Drive. If you’d like to try your hand at sending me a P2P message, go for it. My station will monitor 3953.5KHz center frequency 3592.0KHz dial frequency. I’ll answer all message I receive via Winlink RMS. -------------- Okay, let’s move on to the F5WLNet on the 13th: I’d like you to send me a Winlink Field Situation Report. You can use real-world information or simulated information. In any case, PLEASE put the word EXERCISE ahead of the exercise number (2022-21) in the Task # field of the header. If you need a refresher on preparing a Field Situation Report, here's how: If you have a Winlink Account: 1. Open Winlink Express. 2. Open a new message form: 2a. Click the new message icon or click 'Message' then 'New Message'. 3. Open a new Field Situation Report form. 3a. In the top line ribbon menu, click 'Select Template'. 3b. Click the + sign next to 'Standard Templates'. 3c. Click the + sign next to 'Mapping-GIS Forms'. 3d. Double click 'Field Situation Report'. Your web browser will open with a fillable Field Situation Report form presented. 4. The first six fields of the form make up the message header most of which is self-explanatory. 4a. In the 'Task' field, enter EXERCISE 2022-21. 5. The bulk of the remaining fields, Blocks 1 through 11, make up the body of the report. 5a. Block 1 'Is There An 'EMERGENCY/LIFE SAFETY Need'? (Yes/No): Please select No. 5b. Block 2 'Territory': If you are reporting from a tribal reservation, enter it here. 5c. Block 3 'Lat' and 'Lon': This information is used to populate the map of participating stations. For security reasons I recommend entering the latitude and longitude of a nearby public place and NOT your home location. 5d. Block 3: Don’t sweat these. The MGRS (Military Grid Reference System) and Grid fields are automatically filled in for you. 5e. Blocks 4 through 11b capture your observations. 6. Block 12 ‘Additional Comments’: Please type in EXERCISE 2022-21. 7. Block 13'POC': Enter your first name and callsign. 8. If you wish, click the 'Save Field Situation Data' button to save your information to your computer. 9. Click the 'Submit' button then click OK on the pop-up window that appears. The information on your message form is sent to Winlink Express. Don’t panic when your form disappears! 10. In Winlink Express, you should see the information from your form in the new message form you opened earlier. 11. On the ribbon menu near the top of the screen, click 'Post To Outbox'. 12. On Sunday (November 13th): 12a. Open Winlink Express. 12b. On the top line ribbon menu next to 'Open Session', select the mode you want to use to send your message(s). Then click 'Open Session'. Then click 'Start'. Your work here is done! If you don't currently have a Winlink account, please open one. Winlink Express is free and so is use of the system. In the meantime, use the following procedure to send an email via the Winlink system. 1. Open your email client. 2. Open a new message form 3. In the 'To' field enter 'W9REL@...' 4. In the 'Subject line' enter '//WL2K Exercise 2022-21 FEMA Region 5 AUXCOM Winlink Net'. The '//WL2K is required otherwise Winlink will reject your message.
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Link to tomorrow's ETO exercise instructions
From: Skip Sharpe <skip.sharpe@...> Date: Fri, Nov 11, 2022 at 1:20 PM Subject: Link to tomorrow's ETO exercise instructions Hello, Several people have reported trouble with the link to the ETO exercise. Here it is again: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1csPlMg-SDtB9qQld8Vg2xcXBCtb8mkNR/view Skip W9REL Always keep good situational awareness --------------------------- Skip Sharpe W9REL
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Auxcomm Voice Net reminder
Today is the second Sunday in November, so please join us at 2100Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Dave, W9PFD from Illinois will be the NCS. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice Net reminder
Today is the fourth Sunday in November, so please join us at 2100Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Smokey, N5MKY from Michigan will be the NCS. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink Net Sunday, December 11th
Hello Everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have your Christmas shopping done! Just two weeks to tht big day! This Sunday, December 11th, is the second Sunday of the month and time for the next FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink Net. This net is held on the second and fourth Sunday of each month to provide training and practice using Winlink and its features. The net is open to all amateur radio operators and SHARES stations everywhere. Please check into the net anytime Sunday before the bewitching hour of midnight your local time. For this week's net, I'd like you to send a Winlink Local Weather Report. This report provides a snapshot of current weather conditions at a particular location. You can use either real-world information or simulated information. If you're using simulated information, please make a note to that effect in the 'Notes' section of the form. If you need a refresher on preparing a Local Weather Report, read on: 1. Open Winlink Express. 1a. If Winlink is already open, please close then reopen it. Update to the latest version of Winlink if prompted to do so. 2. Open a new message form: 2a. On the Winlink main screen, click the new message icon or click 'Message' then 'New Message'. 3. Open a new Local Weather Report form. 3a. Update your Standard Templates library if prompted to do so. 3b. On the top line of your new message form, click 'Select Template'. 3c. Make sure you have the latest Standard Templates library version. The current version is 1.0.219.0. 3d. Click the + sign next to 'Standard Templates'. 3e. Click the + sign next to 'Mapping-GIS Forms'. 3f. Double click 'Local Weather Report'. Your web browser will open and present you with a fillable Field Situation Report form. 4. The first block of fields on the form make up the message header most of which is self-explanatory. 4a. In the 'Report Date/Time' field, Winlink will prompt you with the current local date and time. You can accept these or change them. 5. In the 'Lat' (latitude) and 'Lon' (longitude) fields, enter the latitude and longitude for a public place near your home QTH. 5a. Winlink will automatically complete the 'MGRS' and 'Grid' for you. 6. For the 'Measurements used' field, select Imperial. 7. For 'Current conditions', check all that apply. 8. The next several lines, 'Temperature', 'Barometer', 'Cloud Cover', 'Wind Speed', 'Wind Gusts', 'Rain 1 hr', 'Snow 1 hr' are all pretty self explanatory. 9. If the National Weather Service has issued a watch or warning: 9a. Select the alert level from the dropdown list. 9b. Enter the type of alert in the following field. 10. In the 'Notes' field: 10a. Enter the exercise number 2022-23. 10b. Enter the Winlink version number. You can find it at the very top of the Winlink main screen next to the words 'Winlink Express'. 10c. If you used simulated data in the report, enter Simulated Data used. 11. If you wish, click the 'Save Local WX Data' button to save your information to your computer. 12. Click the 'Submit' button, then click OK on the pop-up window that appears. The information on your message form is sent to Winlink Express. Don't panic when the form on your web browser disappears! 13. In Winlink Express, look at the new message form you opened earlier. You should now see the information from your web based form. 14. On the ribbon menu near the top of the screen, click 'Post To Outbox'. 12. On Sunday, December 11th: 12a. Open Winlink Express. 12b. On the top line ribbon menu next to 'Open Session', select the mode you want to use to send your message(s). Then click 'Open Session'. Then click 'Start'. Your work here is done! Always keep good situational awareness --------------------------- Skip Sharpe W9REL
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Auxcomm voice net reminder
Today is the second Sunday in December, so please join us at 2100Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Also, the Auxcomm voice net on the fourth Sunday of this month, which is December 25, has been canceled. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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2022 Voice Net Activity Summary
Auxcomm Voice Net stations across FEMA Region V, First, just let me say thank you for participating and testing our interstate emergency communications capabilities! When we began this effort over five years ago, we had between 10 and 20 stations checking in and from only a few of our six Region V states. This year we peaked at 98 stations checked-in on one net and all six states were represented on ten nets. Our average per net check-ins increased from 49 in 2021 to 69 in 2022. Your commitment to this initiative really shows! Great job to everyone, but especially to our NCS operators at the helm… W9PFD, WD8USA, N5MKY, and KE8DON. Also, there will be no Auxcomm Voice Net conducted on Sunday, December 25. Attached is our activity summary for 2022. Please let me know if you have any questions and I wish you the best holiday season possible. 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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No FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink Net Christmas Day
Hello Everyone, I have a couple of important messages for you all. First off, thank all of you who checked in on the FEMA Region 5 AUXCOMM Winlink net on December 11th. Good job all of you. Now, the second thing is we will NOT have a net on Christmas Day. That would just be too grinchy of me. I was tossing around not having a net on January 8th either. But my compassionate nature only stretches so far. So, we WILL have a net on January 8th. Ok, here’s a third item. Yesterday, January 21st, was the shortest day of the year. We get more and more daylight from here on out. Okay, that’s it for now. May you all enjoy a wonderful Christmas, Chanukah, or whatever other holiday you and your loved ones celebrate. I mean that sincerely, there’s no punch line coming even though you may be expecting one if you’ve been participating on this net for some time. I look forward to your continued participation in 2023. Best wishes Skip W9REL/Net Manager
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Voice net reminder
Today is the second Sunday in January, so please join us at 2100Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. KE8DON will be NCS from the Michigan Emergency Operations Center (WS8EOC). Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice net reminder
Today is the fourth Sunday in January, so please join us at 2100Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Joe, WD8USA from Michigan, will be NCS. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice net reminder
Today is the second Sunday in February, so please join us at 2100Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Dave, W9PFD from Illinois, will be the NCS. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice net reminder
Today is the fourth Sunday in February, so please join us at 2100Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Smokey, N5MKY from Michigan, will be the NCS. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice net reminder
Today is the second Sunday in March, so please join us at 2000Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice net reminder
Today is the fourth Sunday in March, so please join us at 2000Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Our NCS today will be Dave, W9PFD, from Illinois. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice net reminder
Today is the second Sunday in April, so please join us at 2000Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Our NCS today will be Joe, WD8USA, from Michigan. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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Voice net reminder today at 2000Z
Today is the fourth Sunday in April, so please join us at 2000Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Our NCS today will be Max, KE8DON, from Michigan. For those utilizing HF, the geomagnetic field is unsettled ahead of an earthbound CME and there is an increased probability of solar flares today. Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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ARRL Advocates for Radio Amateurs as FCC Proposes Changes to 60-Meter Band
This is alarming. If the FCC adopts this rule, it will likely end the usefulness of the 60-meter band for FEMA Region 5’s Auxcomm Net. Please read the League’s web page about this development here: http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-advocates-for-radio-amateurs-as-fcc-proposes-changes-to-60-meter-band Thanks and 73. -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W Net Manager
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Voice Net reminder
Today is the second Sunday in May, so please join us at 2000Z for the FEMA Region V Auxcomm voice net. Our NCS today will be Smokey, N5MKY, from Michigan. For Auxcomm net stations with all four modes, I’m trying to recruit NCS’s from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio. Please contact me if you’d like to give it a try! Eastern Central 1600 1500 USB 60 meters channel 4 (If busy channels 5, 1, 2, 3) 1615 1515 LSB 7.280 +/- 1630 1530 D-STAR REF024A 1645 1545 DMR R5AUXCOMM (31673) 73! -- Marc Breckenridge, ND8W FEMA Region V Net Manager
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