ERARC

September’s meeting will be on IRLP/Echolink. Kris Blach KE7JFA, a local
(146.96) IRLP/Echolink node owner, will be presenting.  The discussion will
cover topics like what is IRLP and Echolink.  How do we use them.  What is
the proper etiquette for using them, and other interesting facts.  We hope
to have some demonstrations on the Club radios.

What is IRLP and Echolink?
From www.irlp.net:

IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project) The aim of this project is to reliably
and inexpensively link amateur radio systems without the use of RF links,
leased lines, or satellites.

The IRLP uses Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) custom software and hardware.  Coupled
with the power of the Internet, IRLP will link your repeater site or simplex
station to the world in a simple and cost effective way.

IRLP operates a worldwide network of dedicated servers and nodes offering
very stable worldwide voice communications between hundreds of towns and
cities.  All this with unsurpassed uptimes and the full dynamic range of
telephone quality audio.

From www.echolink.org:

EchoLink(r) software allows licensed Amateur Radio stations to communicate
with one another over the Internet, using streaming-audio technology.  The
program allows worldwide connections to be made between stations, or from
computer to station, greatly enhancing Amateur Radio’s communications
capabilities.  There are more than 200,000 validated users worldwide – in
162 of the world’s 193 nations – with about 5,000 online at any given time.

Please join us as we learn about this media.

Most of our RACES members do not have a valid photos on file and need to get new pictures and picture ID’s. I will be setting up in room 140 next to the ERARC meeting room 134 and will starting taking photos at 6:30 PM Wednesday September 1, 2010.

Also I would like to encourage every one to get there ARES ID number. This can be done by going to http://www.idaho-arrl.org/ and filling out the requested information.

The following is from the ARRL Emergency Coordinator’s Manual

The ARRL Emergency Coordinator’s Manual

Chapter 13 Liaison with Served Agencies

13.8 • ARES and RACES

Although RACES and ARES are separate entities, the League advocates dual membership and cooperative efforts between both groups whenever possible. The RACES regulations make it simple and possible for an ARES group whose members are all enrolled in and certified by RACES to operate in an emergency with great flexibility. Using the same operators and the same frequencies, an ARES group also enrolled as RACES can “switch hats” from ARES to RACES and RACES to ARES to meet the requirements of the situation as it develops. For example, during a  nondeclared emergency,” ARES can operate under ARES, but when an emergency or disaster is officially declared by a state or federal authority, the operation can become RACES with no change in personnel or frequencies.

Both ARES and RACES still exist, separately, in many areas. League Officials will have to determine the situation in their own area. Where there is currently no RACES, it would be a simple matter for an ARES group to enroll in that capacity, after a sophisticated presentation to the civil preparedness authorities. In cases where both ARES and RACES exist, it is possible to join both or to be involved in either. As time progresses, the goal would be the merger into one strong organization, with coordination between ARES and RACES officials using the same groups of amateurs. In some sections of the US today, the ARES structure has also been accepted as the RACES structure. For more information on RACES, contact your state emergency management or civil preparedness office, FEMA or the FCC.

For more information regarding ARES/RACES contact:

Steven C. Taylor
KC7IHV
208-520-1727
Bonneville County RACES Radio Officer
Bonneville County ARES Communication Coordinator

The HeART of Idaho Century Ride is a community event started last year, promoting bicycling in southeast Idaho and showcasing some of the best cycling routes and scenery in our area. It also serves as a fundraiser for The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, allowing them to enrich the lives of the people of eastern Idaho through the arts. This is a fully-supported ride, with restrooms, food and water stations, and mechanical and injury support being provided along the entire route. The ride features options for 25-mile, 100-km (62-mile), and 100-mile routes, providing riding opportunities for casual and avid cyclists to travel at their own pace. This is a fun event for anyone who is enthusiastic about bicycling in our community.

As Amatuer Radio operators, we can assist the HeART of Idaho Century Ride by providing communication between the many support elements of this event. Because of our ham radio hobby, we are experienced in communicating information effectively, and the existing 2 meter infrastructure allows rapid group-wide communication which is not possible with cell phones. The use of APRS trackers in vehicles will allow the coordinators to more effectively distribute the support resources and volunteers to assist riders along the route. This event also creates an opportunity for community members to be exposed to the ERARC and ham radio in a friendly way, and foster the support and growth of our hobby. This event is a lot of fun for organizers, participants, and volunteers, with many rewards, including a free barbeque dinner at the end of the ride.  Further information concerning the HeART of Idaho Century Ride can be found at http://www.theartmuseum.org/Century.htm

Further notes:
Event will last from approx 6am to 5pm, August 21st.
There wil probably be a volunteer meeting on the evening of August 18th.

Proposed requirements:
* 4-5 fixed stations: at feed stations in Shelley, New Sweden, Menan, on Basset Rd, and posssibly on 105th W
* 4 mobile operators: on “Sag Vehicles”, which provide mechanical and injury support to riders. These vehicles will also have APRS trackers on board, if possible.

* 3-5 mobile operators: to travel with volunteers on logistical tasks:
shuttling supplies between feed stations, carrying relief volunteers to various locations, etc.

Equipment:
Minimum requirements:
* 1ea 2m HT per operator.

Maximum requirements: (may vary with number of volunteers)
* 4-5ea 2m base stations with field antennas and large battery power supplies
* 7-9ea 2m mobile radios with effective mag-mount antennas
* 4 portable APRS trackers with GPS, radios, and antennas

NOTE: Operators will not be required to provide vehicles or fuel to travel the route, nor to participate in non-communication-related tasks, unless they desire to do so.

Please contact Scott directly if you can help out:
Race communications coordinator: Scott Anderson KC7JXF
Email: spott_andy@yahoo.com
Phone: Alpine Cycle & Fitness, 523-1226, MTThFSat, 9am -6pm.

(Click Here for The Directions – SPOILER) The meeting in August is a special meeting, and one that many in our club look forward too, as it is outside, and accompanied with good friends, and great food.  Don’t look for us at the club room on our regular night of Wednesday, but the following Saturday Aug 7, 2010 at a park.  Where you ask, which park you say?  This is the fun part.  Saturday will be the time to start listening to 146.580, and using your homing / direction (Fox Hunting) skills to find the park where this event will be held.

See below for details:

You are invited to come to the Eagle Rock Amateur Radio Club Field Day 2010.
It will be held on Saturday June 26th.

We will start setting up antennas & radios at 10 AM, and start transmitting
at 12 noon.  Field Day will lasts 24 hours, but at our club meeting it was
decided we would just run until a little after dark.

Our location will be at the south end of Freeman Park in Idaho Falls between
the “Bandshell “and “Shelter # 1″. This is on the south side of the road
between the road and the walking path. There are two attached images to help
you find our location.

Our goal is to have a FUN FIELD DAY & demonstrate our capabilities to club
members and the public. This is a public demonstration of our club
capabilities. We will be in a public park and next to the walking path. We
hope to generate interest in Ham Radio. (This could be your friends &
family)

We will have several antennas setup, and this year we are providing a
separate radio dedicated to new Hams.  This will be called the
“Get-On-The-Air” Station.  Marvin Pierson provided the following
explanation: ” [We will] set up a station that new hams can run….  This
[will] be a station in addition to the other two but …[and will be] used
only [by] new hams….”

If you want to try your own antenna and /or radio, please feel free to bring
them. Bring a chair(s) & table if you plan to setup and operate your
equipment. We plan to use batteries, a generator and solar for power.

For Lunch, bring a sack lunch & drink. There will be a cooler with ice and
water.

For those staying the evening, we will have a Bar-B-Q grill, water cooler, &
ice chest. You are welcome to bring a pot-luck dish, finger food, snacks,
etc, and anything you would like to grill.

This will be a lot of fun.  Come by and see what’s happening and stay as
long as you like.

Click on the images below for greater detail.

A note from the office of Boy Scouts of America – Grand Teton Council to the ERARC Club.

JAMBORAL 2010

The ERARC is helping provide needed communications for the “To Bone and Back” race.   The race starts near the Hospital, and proceeds up and over Sunnyside Hill, and to Bone and Back.  The Race organizers will have four aid stations, and would like an Amateur radio operator at or near each aid station.   Our purpose is to help with communications as needed in the areas where there is no cell service.   We will have a command post on top of Sunny Side hill near the county landfill.  The other aid stations will be along the route and one at Bone.

The race will start early, with the Ultra Marathon runners leaving at 5:30 am.  These runners are expected to be at the aid station on Sunnyside Hill around 7:00 am.  The race is expected to last until around 4 pm.  We would like our first Amateurs available at the Sunnyside Hill aid station at 7 am.

Communications will be handled on 2 meter radios, and primarily on the 146.74 repeater.  We will use 146.52 simplex if we find spots where the 146.74 is blind, or just to chat on.   Monitoring and providing critical communications is our primary objective, but we can also have some fun with it.  You can bring your HT and/or your mobile radios.  Some locations may require more power than a HT can provide so having a mobile may be a good idea.

If you would like to help out, you are welcome for all day or whatever time you can commit.  Please contact us as soon as you know you can help.  We need to know who will be there to help.  We will also accept help on race day, just get on the 146.74 repeater and check-in for an assignment.  We will have a communications net control at the Sunnyside Hill aid station, which will be the point contact for all amateur radio traffic.  We will provide more detailed information to those who will be helping.

Contacts:

Neal Russell, K7KDI                                                         Terry Turner, KK7Q

Bone and Back Chairman                                              ERARC President

208-521-5398                                                                     208-520-1814

Neal.Russell@goaesinc.com                                       terry@erarc.org

www.toboneandback.com

We had a great time on Wednesday testing antennas.  The weather cooperated, except for a short sprinkle near the end.  We tested a little over 20 antennas with some great results.  Please refer the attachment for the data.

Just a reminder, June 26 is field day and the “To Bone and Back” race.  Both of these activities will be a lot of fun. Download data sheet: ERARC Antenna Field Tests

Club Members,

We had a fun meeting last Wednesday, with John Keyes from the National Weather Service presenting the Weather Spotter program. With Club members and other guests we had 46 people in attendance.

The Saturday Session was on the scouting activity On-Target, but our attendance was quite low. That in-part may have been from some communication difficulties. After a presentation of what On-Target is, we went outside and practiced aiming signal mirrors. The sun was in full cooperation as we learned how to aim the mirrors with the sun both in front and in back of us. Those participating had a lot of fun, and are excited for the event in July. A couple of the attendees stayed and built their own signal mirrors. We may schedule a redo of this session closer to the July activity for those who wanted to attend but were unable to do so.

Next month our technical topic is home and mobile radios. We’re going to approach it differently this month. We would like everyone to take a picture of their setup (home and/or mobile) and e-mail it to me. terry@erarc.org I will put the pictures in a Power Point presentation, and show them at the meeting. When your picture comes up you can explain what you’ve done and tell us a little about your setup. The amount of time each person will have depends on how many pictures I receive. Please focus your pictures and thoughts on the basics. Discuss how you power and ground your radio, how your antenna is hooked up, how you’ve run your cables, etc. The purpose of this show and tell is to provide ideas for people who are trying to setup their radios and antennas, and to brag a little. This should be a lot of fun.

May’s Saturday activity is Jamboral. Please plan on helping if you can, final details will be discussed at club meeting.

Remember, Tuesday night net at 9:00pm.

73s
Terry Turner KK7Q

Our March follow-up meeting was an outstanding success.  Twenty three
members attended the Saturday morning session to build VHF ground plane
antennas.  The group built over 30 VHF and UHF antennas.  Alan Fielding was

After each antenna was completed it was tuned, most with SWR ratios of 1.2:1
or better.  The antennas are based on a design using a chassis-mount SO-259.
Four radials are mounted to each corner on the ground side of the connector.
The radials were secured at an angle with small machine screws.  The primary
element is soldered to the connector opposite the treaded side.

Our next meeting is April 7th and is our annual Weather Spotter Training.
The National Weather Service out of Pocatello will be here to present the
program.  We will be meeting in the Alexander Creek Building (EITC) – Room
541, at 7:30 pm.  This is one of the largest class rooms at the school, we
expect a large crowd so be on time to get a good seat.

Our April Saturday Session will be on the 10th at 9:00 am in the regular
meeting room.  We will be discussing Boy Scouting’s Varsity On-Target.  We
will be building signal mirrors, teaching you how to use them, discussing
how the activity works, and how Amateur Radio fits into the activity.  We
invite anyone who would like to participate with On-Target to join us, bring
your friends, scout leaders, boys, etc.   If you would like to build a
signal mirror, bring two small mirrors that are approximately the same size,
a 4″ x 4″ is a good size to learn with.  Amateurs can participate in
On-Target with or without a scout group.  On-Target is July 17th, 11:00 am
to 1:00 pm.

The Ammon Group is  starting the second 2010 Ham Radio Training class for General Class operators starting April 10th, 2010.
Classes will be held on Saturdays at the EITC from 8:00 AM till noon (4 hours). There will be three weeks of class room instruction and a fourth week for the Exam.

Class will be held in Room 140 of the Sessions Building. This is on the main floor near the middle of the building.

If you are interested in this class please send in an e-mail (to kc7ihv@cableone.net) with the following information:

Name ______________________________

Phone number(s) : _____________________________

E-mail address ________________________________

Do you need a book (Yes – No)?

Manuals are $20 each unless the price goes up. Late orders will be $25 plus shipping & Handling payable on recipe.

(AARL Ham Radio License Manual Level 2 General, Question Pool Beginning July 1, 2007.)

Books will be ordered on April 1st.

April 10th.
April 17th.
April 24th. NO Class (Idaho Ham Radio Convention in Boise)
May 1st.
Exam Date: May 8, 2010.      The Exam will cost $14 cash.

Email Steve Taylor  if you have any questions:

Steve
KC7IHV
kc7ihv@cableone.net