August 2020 Newsletter
The purpose of Georgia AUXCOMM is to promote, support, and lead emergency communications activities that support community needs. This is our monthly newsletter.
Please share this newsletter with your fellow emergency communicators. They can sign-up by visiting our new website:
https://gaauxcomm.org
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August Training Meeting - 8/27/2020, 8pm
D-RATS
You are invited to attend our August 2020 online training meeting about D-RATS on Thursday, August 27, 2020 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (EDT). Deputy AUXC Manager and D-RATS expert John Davis, WB4QDX, will be our presenter. John has prepared some materials for review ahead of time and encourages everyone to install D-RATS on their computer before the meeting.
D-RATS information
The Getting Started…. Document (PDF) and the zipped files for a 32-bit and a 64-bit install can be found at dstarinfo.com under the D-RATS tab (http://dstarinfo.com/drats.aspx).
Connection Information
This online meeting is open and free for interested amateur radio operators, ARES members, and anyone else with an interest in Emergency Communications. You do not have to be a member of Georgia AUXCOMM to attend. We hope you'll join us. Here's the connection information:
AUXCOMM August Training
Thu, Aug 27, 2020 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (EDT)
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/321127533
You can also dial in using your phone.
(For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.)
United States: +1 (646) 749-3122
- One-touch: tel:+16467493122,,321127533#
Access Code: 321-127-533
We will be recording the session and will make it available for later playback on our new Georgia AUXCOMM YouTube Channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwtgAs5ps7IZI-zSRPMZqiA
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Georgia AUXCOMM Operations Section Update
The Georgia AUXCOMM Operations Section is in the process of developing operation plans, procedures and guidelines. Over the course of time the operations team, with appropriate AUXCOMM leadership review, will release approved plans and guidelines to the general AUXCOMM membership. This material will be posted to Wiki section of our Groups.IO account:
GeorgiaAUXCOMM@groups.io
Topics to be covered in the Ops plans, procedures and guidelines include:
- Operator Requirements
- GA AUXCOMM Activation (Activation levels, Communicating the activation, What do we do if net/phone is down? …)
- Documentation Requirements (ICS forms, time reporting …)
- Voice operations (nets, traffic handling, scheduling, Shares voice nets …)
- Digital operations (Winlink, D-Rats, D-Star, Shares traffic nets, WebEOC …)
- Deployments (working at the SOC, portable go-kits …)
As you can see we have a lot of work ahead of us in building out the operation's plans and guidelines. The work is now underway. We are also reaching out to other AUXCOMM groups either directly for their best practices or otherwise reviewing their Internet available material. Our ultimate goal is putting in place plans, procedures and guidelines that will assist you in being an effective Georgia AUXCOMM resource.
The Operations Team,
James Rakestraw (KI4NIV), Section Chief
Mark Bell (N7GRB) and Bob Herrin (KE4JLL), Deputy Section Chiefs
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Monitoring Multiple Talkgroups and Jurisdictions - AUXC Ingenuity
With competing protests scheduled for Stone Mountain last Saturday, Gwinnett Police officers were asked to be on standby in case additional Law Enforcement support would be required or activities expanded into Gwinnett County. Gwinnett Police officers already had Dekalb County mutual aid talkgroups programmed on their P25 radios for interoperability if needed. However, Gwinnett Police leadership needed to monitor the mutual aid communications from Police Headquarters in Lawrenceville, but were out of range for the Dekalb radio system.
A simple way to provide one way monitoring of a talkgroup on another system had already been developed by AUXC Tom Olley, KG4VUB, and used in another situation. The setup involved finding a location that is within range of the Dekalb system and take a speaker feed from a P25 radio feeding into a SignaLink USB interface. The SignaLink is connected via USB to a laptop with Internet connectivity. A GoToMeeting session was activated using the radio audio. At Police Headquarters, the GoToMeeting session was activated allowing monitoring of the Law Enforcement activity in downtown Stone Mountain. It was a great matching of commonly used Amateur Radio equipment and AUXCOMM knowledge of various communications systems to support a need.
John Davis (WB4QDX)
Deputy ACM AUXC
Mobile Systems Supervisor - Gwinnett County
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Georgia AUXCOMM Supports FEMA Region IV Southeast Regional Exercise
GA AUXC / GEMA has been supporting the FEMA Region IV Southeast Regional Exercise this past week. We responded using several RF modes and this included SHARES. The AUXC team included Jim Hadder (KE4ZX), Mike Crowe (AJ4GU), Greg Smith (KK4YLX), and Edwin Whitworth (KJ4KKB). The team used the GEMA SHARES callsign for SSB voice and Winlink. They sent a WL2K message to FEMA, southeast regions ESF2, and EMA contacts. ALE and FNARS were also used in exercise.
For more information about SHARES, please review the video from our May 2020 Training Meeting.
James Hadder (KE4ZX)
ACM GEORGIA
COML, COMT, AUXC
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Using the International Space Station Digipeater for APRS
Recently, AUXCOMM members Joe Domaleski (KI4ASK) and David Benoist (AG4ZR) used the Digipeater aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to exchange APRS messages. Operating under the callsign RS0ISS, the ISS has a Kenwood D-710 radio on board configured to serve as a digipeater. Having trouble connecting to a terrestrial digipeater? You won't find better RF coverage than the orbiting ISS.
 
 
Here's how to use it:
1. You need to know when the ISS will be overhead. Most passes last only 8-10 minutes. The free https://heavens-above.com website can be used to calculate the next pass. There are also iOS apps (GoSatWatch) and Droid apps (Heavens Above) available to track the ISS from your smartphone.
 
2. You need to set the APRS frequency on your radio to 145.825 (FM, Simplex). NOTE: this is NOT the same as terrestrial APRS on 144.390 for North America. A common mistake is to forget the correct frequency.
3. You need to set the Digi Path to ARISS. Most radios default to "WIDE1-1, WIDE2-1". That won't work. The Digi Path (or Packet Path) needs to be ARISS.
4. A directional antenna (like a 2m Yagi) will help, but it is possible to RX and TX APRS packets via ISS using an HT and whip antenna.
There are some Earth monitoring stations that listen for ISS APRS traffic and gate that to the Internet. You can monitor ISS traffic using the following website:
http://ariss.net
So if the grid goes down here on Earth, you can always point your antenna to the sky and use the ISS for messages. Try it out and let us know how you do.
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GaAUXCOMM needs your support!
We have established a non-profit membership organization to support our mission. Consider becoming an early bird member with a $30 donation. We need your support so we can continue serving the community. Here's a link you can use to apply for membership and make a donation.
https://gaauxcomm.org/membership
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FAQ and Social Media
Keep in touch with Georgia AUXCOMM! We've prepared a handy FAQ about the organization and will regularly communicate updates from this monthly newsletter and via social media outlets. Check out our new Website, YouTube Channel and Groups.IO email reflector to stay informed!
Website (new!)
https://gaauxcomm.org
FAQ
https://www.gaauxcomm.org/media/GaAUXCOMM-FAQ-Version12-2020-April.pdf
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/georgiaauxcomm
YouTube (new!)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwtgAs5ps7IZI-zSRPMZqiA
Groups.IO email reflector (new!)
https://groups.io/g/GeorgiaAUXCOMM
Twitter
https://twitter.com/gaauxcomm
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/georgiaauxcomm
Please direct all general questions and press inquiries to Georgia AUXCOMM PIO Joe Domaleski, KI4ASK, at ki4ask@gaauxcomm.org.
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