TO: ALL WOOD COUNTY ARES MEMBERS (OFFICIAL)
ALL ARES AND NON-ARES AMATEURS ANYWHERE (INFORMATION)
FROM: KEN HARRIS WA8LLM ARRL DISTRICT 3
EMERGENCY COORDINATOR WOOD COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INC.
WOOD COUNTY ARES BULLETIN NR 21.11 DATE: March 14, 2021
SUBJECT: USE ALL YOUR RESOURCES
With the coming of the Sun Spot Cycle, the Radio Frequency bands will be changing. Net Control Stations in some state nets might not able to hear stations within their own state, only a few miles away, but may be able to hear stations several hundred miles away, and several states away. A Net Control Station might call on a station several hundreds of miles away that it could hear very well, and have them act as an Alternate Net Control Station.
The Alternate Net Control Station could relay other stations and traffic to the Net Control Station that it couldn't hear. This is one way to use some of your resources. Don't be surprised if you're unable to hear, or be heard by some stations in a net. It doesn't mean that you don't have a good station setup, most of the time it is just band conditions.
Band conditions can happen due to the weather, or to Sun Spot activity. The best thing to do is use all your resources to get the job done. Working through problems of this kind during non- emergency times will make you better prepared for real disasters or emergencies when they occur.
Ken Harris WA8LLM
WCEC
Wood County WV