TO: ALL ARES OPERATORS IN DISTRICT 3 (OFFICIAL)
ALL AMATEURS IN WEST VIRGINIA (INFORMATION)
FROM: WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INCORPORATED AND WOOD
COUNTY AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES (ARES)
ARES DISTRICT 3 BULLETIN NR 07.27 DATE: July 8, 2007
SUBJECT: SIMPLEX NET COMING SOON
Have you ever thought what would happen if the voice repeater that you normally use would go off the air? Simple, you just switch to another repeater and keep on talking. That may be true most of the time, but what happens if there is a wide spread power outage, and the repeater backup batteries are going dead, now what do you do? It's simple; just use simplex, that's the way it was done before repeaters came along. You say you haven't been in Amateur Radio that long, no problem. Now's your chance to stay on the air and still help provide emergency communications. If the repeater you normally listen is down, you still may be able to hear if someone is n a good location, and switches their radio to the output frequency of the repeater and sets their radio to operate simplex. The range won't be as good, and you may have to relay any messages that can't be passed direct. Starting with the first Sunday in August, the Wood County Emergency Communications/ARES weekly net will be operated as a Simplex Net on 147.255 MHz Don't be afraid to check in, just check in. There will be some stations that will double with each other because they won't hear the other station, but that’s where good operating procedures come in handy. When you check into a net, whether it's a simplex net, or a regular net, you should always key your microphone, and say "This Is" and release your PTT button for a couple of seconds. There may be another station also trying to call in. If you hear them, be a gentleman or lady, and wait until they finish making their call, and then you make your call. It will reduce the chances of stations doubling, and the Net Control Station not being able to get either Callsign. The Net Control Station should assign an Alternate Net Control Station to help him operate the net efficiently. After the Net Control Station acknowledges those ns that he heard check into the net, you should call again, if you aren't on the list. If the Net Control Station still doesn't acknowledge a station that's trying to check in, someone else should relay them in, if they hear that station, and the Net Control Station doesn't. That's just a few things we will be trying when we operate our Simplex Nets. We hope to be able to shut down the 147.255 repeater during the net. So join in, maybe we can all learn something and be prepared when we have to operate simplex.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
Wood County WV
WV ARES Assistant Section Coordinator
WV ARES District 3 Emergency Coordinator