EMRG General Meeting, September 29, 2007

HF Operations in EMRG

Although we don't mention it much, since VHF is expected to be about 80% of our operating, that other 20% that will occur on HF deserves some consideration. Some emergency organizations have their HF operations in their downtown headquarters. EMRG has decided to side step the antenna limitations and high noise problems of such an operation by having the HF station outside the core and relaying traffic into the local scene via VHF.

Uses

Typical scenarios that may require us to use HF are:

• Mid haul (50-250km) communications when phones are out or overloaded.
• Mutual aid communications with areas that have no VHF coverage, or where VHF coverage is already saturated with other traffic.
• As a replacement for a wide area repeater that has gone out while we are under emergency conditions.

Typical traffic could be a mix of tactical and formal:

• Tactical: Neighbourhood patrol ( "Section ... complete, residents all OK" )
• Health and Welfare, relaying the results of the above to the Red Cross registration and inquiry system.
• Requests for assistance/info from other hams ( "Is there anybody in Remoteville on the air?" )

Typical formal traffic:

• Requests for mutual aid
• Sending status reports to Toronto, or receiving them in to Ottawa
• Health and Welfare information may have to be handled as formal traffic to keep it traceable.

Station Requirements

MUST have:

• Coverage of 80/40 metres preferably both vertical polarization and NVIS
• Space for a second operator/logger
• VHF coverage into the communications centre (direct or via repeater)
• Antennas which can survive our worst storm, or which can be put up immediately after.
• The ability to operate independent of outside resources (power water sewer) for at least 72 hours.

Should have:

• Space for additions if needed, whether it is a computer or another operator to handle excess traffic.
• Flexibility. Situations change. Needs change, sometimes on short notice. The station should be flexible enough to accommodate that.
• What ever modes the station on the other end is likely to use i.e. if someone wants to send us data by Pactor, they should be able to do so.

Other

A starting point for such a station would be a multi operator multi transmitter contest station, but even this class of station would need modification to be suitable as our HF relay station. If you are thinking of rebuilding your station and want to help us by making it more useable in an emergency, let us know and we can toss some ideas around. Should we consider 6 metre operation? Would it add anything to our capabilities? Should we look at approaching the custodians of the VE3JW station at the museum? Given the above requirements, will it meet our needs?

Operators should have standard operating practices. They should understand how to handle formal traffic. They should be used to listening to HF. They should be able to operate the equipment in front of them to its best advantage. All of this has more to do with the operator than the station, however. Operators should be able to select the band, specific frequency and antenna combination to maintain communications throughout the 24 hour day. We have to assume that the station on the other end is not going to be an expert on propagation or band use and will look to us for guidance. The owner of the station needs to realize and be comfortable with the fact that there will be other hams running their station while they are asleep. They need to realize that there will be people coming and going at odd hours during the emergency.