• Quarterly Reports: Report forms are now quarterly and will be available prior to Dec. 26, 2009. Hopefully they will stay this way and we won't have to revert back to monthly. Along with the new report format, some changes have been made to the forms. Webteam hours and comments are now reported to the SEC (only the hours are sent with the SEC report email). The SUBMIT buttons on the EC, DEC and ASEC forms will not be available during the time period in which the reports should not be submitted (as described in Joe's instructions regarding quarterly reports), making it impossible to submit erroneous reports after the reporting period for each level is complete.
• Events Calendar: The Calendar of Events can be seen in the Main Menu and is a place for registered site members with a Virginia ARRL or ARES job function to record events or activities of interest to membership. See the User Menu for adding a new entry to the calendar. Registered members not holding a current ARRL or ARES job function, but needing the ability to add calendar entries for their local club or activities, simply make a forum entry under Web Site Help requesting authorization to add Calendar Events for a designated club.
• Gallery: Lots of us take pictures of our ham activities and now there is a place for registered site members to store their amateur related pictures for all to see. Click on Gallery in the Main Menu and give it a try. I am sure many have some excellent pictures that they want to show others. Be sure to include caption information, including names and call signs if you would like for your photos to be considered for use in articles that are published on the website. If additional help is needed to complete your gallery, simply add a Web Site Help forum entry requesting assistance.
• Forum: Last, but not least by any count, is an interactive forum to communicate your thoughts, ask questions, and look for help or technical discussion among your fellow peers, your ARRL Virginia Section  & ARES leaders and the webteam. While, technically, this forum functional capability has been around for a while, it’s importance is increasing as a source of assistance and question & answers for the site and these new functions.  Got a “How To Question” on the new Calendar and Gallery features, simply ask in the appropriate forum. Look for a response in a timely fashion and the response is visible to all.

73's

Congratulations to Joe Imburgia, KI4LXT, for his appointment as the Air Force MARS Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) for the Virginia Section effective December 5, 2009.  Joe, who also serves as the ARES Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator (ASEC) for Districts 5-7-8-9, was appointed to his new role by the Section MARS Director (SMD) to organize and coordinate all state emergency communication (ECOM) activities.  These include planning for exercises, identifying contingencies, and providing support for actual emergencies.

As the Air Force MARS SEC, Joe will work closely with the SMD, the Regional Emergency Coordinator (REC) to develop a state emergency communications plan, to keep Air Force MARS leadership informed on all aspects of emergency communications within the state, and to promote Joint Service operation during exercises and emergency operations.

According to the Air Force MARS website, “The Military Affiliate Radio System is a Department of Defense sponsored program, established as separate managed and operated programs by the Army, Navy, and Air Force.  The program consists of licensed amateur radio operators who are interested in military communications. They contribute to the MARS mission providing auxiliary or emergency communications on a local, national, and international basis as an adjunct to normal communications.”

Please join us in congratulating Joe on his new position and thanking him for his service to the United States Air Force service members and their families.

On August 8, 2009, amateur radio operators from the King George Amateur Radio Operators  (KGARO) and Rappahannock Valley Amateur Radio Club (RVARC) provided communications support to the Dahlgren Heritage Rail to Trail (DHRT) 50 km/31 mi Run.

The trail is a private recreational 15.7 mile route that was an old railroad designed to ferry supplies and passengers to the Dahlgren Navy Base located in King George County (see http://www.friendsdrht.org/). While the trail features a level grade for running, it has limited access points and motorized vehicles are not allowed.

Race organizers requested amateur radio support to provide communications at the aid stations and start/finish point, reporting race progress reports providing public safety.

Lieutenant Steven Lynd, KD4KNR, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for King George Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (KGFRES), served as the lead in developing the public safety plan for the event. ARES Emergency Coordinator (EC) David Collins, N4WDC, coordinated the amateur radio plan. The KGARO and RVARC have a good working relationship with King George County Emergency Management officials. County officials include amateur radio in both the emergency operations plan, exercises, and equipment purchases. The amateur radio station at the Emergency Operations Center consists of HF and VHF/UHF voice and data.  Dual band antennas have been installed at every firehouse in the county. This working relationship was enhanced with the recent promotion of Lt. Lynd, who had been serving as amateur radio liaison for KGFRES.

The Potomac Pedalers Bicycle Club holds their annual Century Ride every year on the third Sunday in September, and Clarke County ARES has provided communications support for the event for the past five years. Clarke County Emergency Coordinator (EC) Mark Gribble N3MG organized the amateur radio support and acted as Net Control Station (NCS) for the past four years, having taken over from Tom Martin KF4TNX. ARES mustered 12 local amateur radio operators, the majority of whom stayed for the full day. Please join Mark in giving a very big thank you and congratulations to all the volunteers for an excellent job of teamwork, skill and persistence: Ed Krom WD4KHP, Tom Martin KF4TNX, Mike Orndorff, Teresa Orndorff KJ4DOR, Jay Ives KI4TXP, Tom Chase N3LGF, Margie Krom KC4QYK, Larry Miller KB6VAA, Dave Johnson WA4DJ, Alan Moeck WA2RPX and Tom Brownlee AF2D.

The Century ride combines 100, 66, 50, and 25-mile rides, with the start/finish point at Clarke County High School in Berryville, VA.  First riders are out of the gate at 7:00 AM and the last riders trickle in eleven hours later. The ride traverses through Clarke, Jefferson and Warren counties, encompassing a grid of approximately 8 by 24 miles. The terrain is rolling, including much low-lying river-bottom land (read: RF hole). Cellular telephone reception has often proven to be non-existent or poor in several of the course’s locations, so good radio reception proves invaluable.

The team arrived early at the high school to set up a temporary shelter with 2-meter radio and power equipment, computers, and supplies.  Ed Krom WD4KHP provided two crates of pre-programmed UHF commercial HTs for use by the several non-amateur radio support vehicles and personnel.  A UHF commercial frequency base station was also used at NCS, with a mast and ground plane antenna.  These proved to be very useful and capable for communicating with the non-ham operators, and in certain instances with amateur radio operators when away from their vehicles.  The primary frequency was a two-meter simplex frequency, with backup frequency being the Shenandoah Valley Amateur Radio Club’s W4RKC repeater.

This year there were five amateur radio SAG (support and gear) vehicles, six non-ham SAG vehicles, and amateur radio operators at three rest stops.  SAG vehicles traversed the course at the direction of the Potomac Pedalers’ SAG coordinator, facilitated by NCS radio communications.  SAGs provide transportation to riders in need of transport due to injury, fatigue, or an inoperative bicycle.  An incident log is kept during the day to record time, location, nature of incident, and response offered.  The incident log provides good guidance for following year’s staffing and procedures.

The PPTC Century provides new lessons every year to ARES volunteers with regard to equipment, RF propagation, and the unexpected. As Mark observes, “Murphy’s law never fails to happen when we least expect it, so the more training we can do, the better prepared we will be.”