Saratoga Amateur Radio Association Two-Way Radio Basics 102 Presented by the Saratoga Amateur Radio Association June 5, 2010 Follow-on to the ‘Two-Way Radio Basics’ class conducted on April 10, 2010 Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

Agenda Questions and Answers Cheat Sheets The Sunday Night Net Answers to questions from the April 24 Saratoga/WVC Disaster Excercise Cheat Sheets The Sunday Night Net CERT Communications Plan The Rest of the Story (Rob Vance) PL/CTCSS Tones Response to EOC Outage Frequencies for Contingency Operations Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

Questions & Answers How do I know if I’m getting into the K6SA repeater? There are three possibilities. Press and release the PTT switch: If the repeater hasn’t been used for a while, it will respond with a verbal message or a CW ID. Listen for the squelch tail and/or the courtesy tone. Ask for a communications check: “This is AE6PM for a communication check … anyone out there?” Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

Questions & Answers How do I change the HT transmitter power level? The power level can usually be selected by using the keypad. The choices are usually Low/Mid/High. Lower power equates to longer battery life. See the ‘Cheat Sheet’ or manual for your radio. Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

Questions & Answers How do I tell if I am operating simplex or duplex? If you are operating simplex, you transmit and receive on the same frequency. If you are operating duplex, you transmit on one frequency and receive on another. Watch the frequency display on the HT. If it changes when you press PTT, you are operating duplex. If it doesn’t change, you are operating simplex. Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

(We are using FM. It’s different than AM or SSB.) Questions & Answers What happens when more than one person transmits? If the signals are of equal strength, you’ll hear a ‘growling’ sound and not be able to understand either one. If one signal is stronger than the other, you will only hear the stronger signal. You will not hear the weaker signal at all. This is called the ‘capture effect’. (We are using FM. It’s different than AM or SSB.) Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

Questions & Answers What can be done to improve the antenna? Portable: Longer/resonant whip antenna on the HT. Add radials to the HT. Fixed or mobile: Magnetic mount antenna for the car or countertop. Hanging antenna made from twinlead. Ed Fong’s DBJ-1. SVECS J-Pole. Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

Cheat Sheets A simplified and condensed set of instructions for configuring the HT. Borrow or make one for your HT. Many are available for downloading: http://www.cupertinoares.org/projects/radio-cheatsheets/index.html http://www/specsnet.org/Csindex.htm Practice with it. Laminate it. Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

Cheat Sheets Use what we covered on April 10 for guidance: Parameter Duplex Simplex Frequency Always Offset Never PL Tone Sometimes Power Level Optional Yaesu WIRES Disable it* * See http://www.scc-ares-races.org/YaesuWIRES.pdf Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

146.655 MHz, negative offset, 114.8 Hz PL The Sunday Night Net 146.655 MHz, negative offset, 114.8 Hz PL Sunday, 9:00 P.M. Check into the net whenever possible. Verifies communication readiness: HT still functions. Battery is OK. Settings for using the repeater are still valid. You can reach the repeater from your location. Provides some practice using the radio. Keep up with local ham radio events. Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

CERT Communications Plan The written ‘Saratoga CERT Communications Plan’ includes the following topics: CERT Radio Communications Overview Saratoga CERT Amateur Radio Deployment Implementation Radio Communications Equipment Initialization Orientation and Training Communications Procedures Notification and Activation Practice Drills Communication Equipment Interference Mitigation Expendables and Maintenance Spontaneous Volunteers Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010

The rest of the story …. Rob Vance will address: The why and how of the PL/CTCSS tone. How to respond to an EOC outage. Frequencies for contingency operations. Two-way basics 102 AE6PM 06/03/2010