Editor’s Comments

If you are not aware, some in the ARRL think you’re not too smart!  Now I find that as surprising as you probably do, but some of the leadership representing Newington don’t believe you’re smart enough to be able to program your radios or look in a repeater guide for such information.  This comes with the comments that this individual has been involved in public service events where 150 hams participated and many failed to program their hand held radios with weeks of notice of the event.  I wonder if the event was held under ICS protocols and if any of those read the ICS 205.  The last Rehoboth Marathon had similar issues, on a much smaller scale.  The problem always comes back to lack of training or faulty equipment.  Faulty equipment comes to “can it be fixed rapidly” or is there a back up.  Training.

During a meeting I asked an individual to move his HT to a frequency he obviously didn’t have in his HT memory, looking through his cell phone to do this and he never did get it done.  Again, lack of training.  One main reason for the “Emcomm” meetings, and the AUXCOMM meeting, is to give the information needed for an event to run smoothly and for any ham, not just new ones, to ask questions and get answers about equipment, net procedures, ICS protocols, and where to find reference information.  By the way, where is the Delaware Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Plan that outlines some of these issues and that leadership should be handing out?

Our Section Manager has put out a handy two page reference sheet of frequencies that are frequently  used throughout the State, especially during times of activation, you can ask him for one if you didn’t see it.  Every radio should be programmed with ALL of those frequencies your radio can use because you never know when you will be out of your area.  Also, it is also a fantastic idea to follow “wilderness protocol” even while you are at home, and especially during times of emergency.

Field Day is this month and at the meeting we will be going over the last minute details and hopefully, getting some set up teams lined up.  Final times will be outlined at the meeting and, hopefully, all questions will be answered.  The location is still planned for the Dover Downs parking lot on the east side of Route 1, just don’t know exactly where in the many acres available.  Signs will be posted on the weekend in question, and of course, we will have a talk-in.  Hopefully we will be able to begin getting things set up on Thursday, June 26, times to be announced at the meeting.  There will be many roles for people to be able to participate and much help will be needed.  Attend the meeting and help plan for a successful Field Day.