Howdy,

It’s the time of year we expect to start seeing Mother Nature begin to throw us a few weather makers that involve SKYWARN activations. We will be reviewing procedures for those on the 24th at our ARES training session. It’s been quite a while since we have had an activation so I hope you will come to this session. It will be at a different location: on the 2nd floor of the Grayson County Courthouse in the District Disaster Committee Situation Room right beside the elevator doors. It’s an appropriate location as this room will be involved if we have a “Situation” in our area. Come on out that evening at 7pm, get a refresher on our SKYWARN operations and see what this facility is all about.

As we look ahead the AECs have in the works several good training sessions that should help you with your training book goals and our operations to support the community should all else fail. We will be learning more about dipole antennas, packet radio setup and how to protect us and equipment from lightning. Our Nets this spring and summer will include some message traffic to enhance our ability to receive and then forward messages. This was a subject our recent SET revealed was of interest to many, and is a main function of our operation in serving our communities.

Other areas of training opportunities are thru several avenues. The classes, test sessions, and labs conducted by Moe NT7C out at Grayson College will continue; see the TECO website calendar for details as to the particulars of dates and times. If you’re a digital op, there is cause to pay attention to Broadband-Hamnet; I understand there are more changes coming in that area as it continues to grow in capability and more interest in its use develops. Wade KF5AUD recently led a training session on Winlink, RMS Express, and associated applications that went very well and gave ops a chance to exercise their equipment, seek out successful contacts, and find flaws.

As we prepare for the coming weeks of WX activations check you rig for correct frequencies, have good batteries, update your necessities in your go kit and get it ready. If you have changed cell phone carriers in the past year let Wade or I know so the ARES text alert system can be updated. Mobile ops keep the sled gassed up, and everybody find that SKYWARN Spotters Checklist you received at the NWS training.

See you soon!

73
Rick
K5ECX