Simulated Emergency Test - 1st week of Oct. Anyone can participate.

[WA4STO]

The following depicts the status of my planned output routing during the first week of October

The column with the digits represents the number (maximum) of SET QTC that the recipient will accept.

Some of the recipients have not successfully responded to me, which may mean that WL2K doesn't recognize them.

Notice the European entries!  It was downright exciting to see the RAYNET members digging in to this.

I'm a little nervous to see that multiple listings for K6RXX users might become problematic.  On the one hand, I want
to 'stress' the system, but I don't wish to cause any difficulties.  W5KAV might be able to assist me on this from his
perspective.  Other thoughts definitely welcomed.

As of today, I have 142 messages completed.

Others certainly welcomed!  Remember, ham radio license not required to participate.  73 -- LH

K7FLI    k7fli@winlink.org    80    
w7ekb    w7ekb@k7bdu             100   
   
VE3GNA    CW    
   
W4DNA    W4DNA@W4DNA    100    
W0RJA    W0RJA via K6RXX    250    
KI0BK    KI0BK@KI0BK    20    
N5DPG    N5DPG@winlink.org    25    
n1umj    n1umj@winlink.org    
   
K6HTN    K6HTN@K6RXX    
   
KU6J    KU6J@WINLINK.ORG    
   
wo0w    wo0w@kb0ofd    UNLIM    
df0nts    Chester GBR G0DUB
   
   
ka5don    ka5don@winlink.org    100    
KF5RHI    KF5RHI@WINLINK.ORG    
   
gil    redacted @winlink.org    5    FULL
AK4PE    AK4PE@WINLINK.ORG    50    
df0nts    M0LSA CHESTER GBR ( Lisa )    
   
kd8rbp    kd8rbp@winlink.org    
   
df0nts    G4KUJ WATFORD GBR ( Trevor )    
   
df0nts    G0VPJ VERWOOD GBR ( John )    
   
df0nts    G8OJQ NESS GBR ( Alan )    
   
G4HPE    Steve G4HPE, ROYSTON GBR WINLINK.ORG    
   
EI7IG    John, EI7IG, TRAMORE IRL

[RichardSinFWTX]

So when these messages come in to us will we just be replying back to you or to one of our fellow volunteers?

Forgive my endless questions...I'm just starting to learn all this.   8)

[WA4STO]

So when these messages come in to us will we just be replying back to you or to one of our fellow volunteers?

Forgive my endless questions...I'm just starting to learn all this.   8)

It is SO not a problem.  I've been helping people learn about traffic handling for almost 40 years now and it remains one of the funner things I can do in my retirement.


With regard to the SET messages (at least the ones from me; other efforts may well be different) I am only trying to make the point that our local (Nebraska) ARES and NEMA groups have a well-honed long-haul capability, if they would only use it. 

Thus, I'm only after quantities.  My goal is to send  500; I presently have 184 put together.

I'm only asking that people receive them.  If they want to generate messages back, saying that they received such-and-such or that "so-and-so's name was located in the disaster shelter and he is well" -- anything like that would be super, just not required.

Now, the last part of your question is interesting, in that one fellow in Minnesota has begun asking for a much larger quantity.  Seems that he has a lot of hams in the State who are wanting the traffic but who don't have WL2K or Pactor capability.  So I'll ship him more than originally planned and he'll spread the wealth.  Cool.  More fun for everybody.

Have you considered how you'll be keeping track of the ones you receive and -- potentially -- send?  I have a little (well, not so little these days) spreadsheet that I use, but the real reason for such a thing would be that you'll want to send your traffic totals to your Section Traffic Manager at the end of the month.

And remember, anything that you receive by Winlink (by the radio, I mean, not by internet email) counts for  your message count.  Doesn't have to be in NTS format.

Keep the questions coming.

73

Luck, WA4STO

[WA4STO]

So when these messages come in to us will we just be replying back to you or to one of our fellow volunteers?

I see now that I didn't actually answer your question.

My outgoing SET messages are designed to be fairly vague:

NR 7165 TEST W WA4STO 18 WILBER NE OCT 1
W7EKB@VE7GN
BT
TEST MESSAGE
REQUEST CHECK OF SHELTER DATABASES FOR  WARREN C GOBIN KD0WMV
FRANTIC FAMILY MEMBERS REQUESTING HEALTH AND WELFARE  REPORT
BT
LEIGH HURDER WILBER NEBRASKA

so that even though the message might be addressed to you, you are certainly free to send it to a dozen other people (who are perhaps in other shelter locations).  Just replace the "W7EKB@VE7GN with  KC5ABC via W7EKB@VE7GN with kc5abc being the person in another location.

So if you get 30 SET messages from me, you'll be able to expand that to 300 addressees if that's what you wish to do. 

Hope that answers the question better.

73

WA4STO

[RichardSinFWTX]

Luck,

Yeah, I think I've got it now; but now you bring up another question!  (You brought this one on yourself!! ;) )  What do I need to do to report these to my section traffic manager?  Just email him this mythical spreadsheet?  Nothing I need to do prior as far as registering with him/her?  If I just send him/her this log is he (I believe it's He) going to look at it and say, who's this guy??

OK, one more thing...since I'm actually going to do this by radio and not cheat and use internet mail is there any sort of time limit on this?  Oct 5/6 is the weekend and I'll be home so I'll be able to knock a bunch of them out; but on days when I'm at work, I won't be able to "play with my radio toys" (as my wife calls it) until later in the evening CST. 

[WA4STO]

Richard -

Short answer:  heck no!

Long answer: Don't send your STM a spreadsheet.  What he's looking for is a radiogram like this:

NR 6719 R WA4STO 14 WILBER NE SEP 1
NF0N
BT
AUG ORS/SAR ORIG 420 RECD
361 SENT 542 DELIVERED 2
TOTAL 1325 X 73
BT
LUCK

Which, of course! -- brings up more questions.  Hey, I got answers:

1.  NF0N is my Section Traffic Manager.  It is his responsibility to collate the reports and send them in to Steve Ewald at ARRL HQ such that they will arrive prior to the 5th of the month (for the preceding month).  See p.102 of the August QST.  When you're chatting with your Section Manager, ask him if your STM is the one who gets the monthly traffic reports. In some ARRL Sections, the SM gets them directly.

2.  In the text above, note "SAR" and "ORS".  The "SAR" stands for "station activity report" and "ORS" stands for "Official Relay Station".  You may wish to apply for an ORS appointment; your SM can help you there as well.

3.  Now, about the categories of traffic.  Hey, you didn't ask (yet) but I'm getting to know you; you WILL.  :)

See:  http://www.arrl.org/chapter-ten-counting-net-traffic and look at section 10.2

Then, just so you'll have fuel for even MORE questions, look at my monthly traffic report above.  Can you think of reasons why the "originated" category is usually less than the "sent" category?  And why "delivered" can never be more than "received" ?

73

Luck, WA4STO

[RichardSinFWTX]

1.  NF0N is my Section Traffic Manager.  It is his responsibility to collate the reports and send them in to Steve Ewald at ARRL HQ such that they will arrive prior to the 5th of the month (for the preceding month).  See p.102 of the August QST.  When you're chatting with your Section Manager, ask him if your STM is the one who gets the monthly traffic reports. In some ARRL Sections, the SM gets them directly.
I found a link on the North Texas section website with the STM's email addy so I sent him a message.  If I don't hear back from him by my club's meeting next Thursday I'll talk to the SM and find out what to do.

2.  In the text above, note "SAR" and "ORS".  The "SAR" stands for "station activity report" and "ORS" stands for "Official Relay Station".  You may wish to apply for an ORS appointment; your SM can help you there as well.
Finally!!  Acronyms U recognize!!  :)

3.  Now, about the categories of traffic.  Hey, you didn't ask (yet) but I'm getting to know you; you WILL.  :)

See:  http://www.arrl.org/chapter-ten-counting-net-traffic and look at section 10.2

Then, just so you'll have fuel for even MORE questions, look at my monthly traffic report above.  Can you think of reasons why the "originated" category is usually less than the "sent" category?  And why "delivered" can never be more than "received" ?
You're just a fount of knowledge!!  :)

73

Luck, WA4STO

Right back atcha!!  ;)


Because "Sent" includes both originated and relayed messages and because you can't deliver something until you receive it?  Some messages may be undeliverable because the person couldn't be reached?

[WA4STO]

Exactly right.  Sigh, I get the BEST pupils.

OK, you brought this up so it's YOUR fault:

What happens when you can't deliver a message? 

When you accept responsibility for a message, you have only three choices left to you at that point:

1.  You deliver it
2.  You relay it on to another amateur
3.  You service it back to the originator.

So your homework assignment for the day is as follows.  You have Received the following message but the telephone number listed is bogus or otherwise not working.  You could always mail it but you choose not to.  What now?

Here's the message you received and accepted responsibility for:

NR 2335 R DL4FN ARL 2 ERBACH ODW SEP 11
JODI SOMEBODY KD5ZZZ
512-555-1212
DFW
BT
ARL FIFTY
BT
PETER DL4FN

Now put together a message that tells dl4fn why you couldn't deliver it. 

Hint: you will need to refer to an email I sent you this afternoon regarding the proper 'addressing' for dl4fn.  Remember, NTS doesn't exist in Germany, and he doesn't have WL2K.

73

Luck

[RichardSinFWTX]

How's this?  I'm hoping I'm at least in the ballpark...

NR 003 R KF5RHI ARL 11 FORT WORTH TX SEP 12
DL4FN@NTSEU
BT
ARL SIXTY SEVEN FIGURES TWO
THREE THREE FIVE BAD PHONE
NUMBER
BT
KF5RHI
FORT WORTH TX

Take your red pen to it!

Richard

[WA4STO]

Where's my red pen when I seriously need it?

Oh... wait... don't need it, never mind.

Ya dun gud, kid; ya dun gud.

I would remove the zeros from the message number.  Remember that your messages could very easily land on CW nets and you can be assured that those guys will zap those ten "dahs" faster than a Lake Jackson 'gator will die from Dow chemical poison sludge.

Wow!  You figured out the new "NTSEU" domain.  Eggs-ellent!

And you got the ARL thingie down pat, AND you got the check correct.  Amazing.

I couldn't quite figure out the use of the word "figures" in the text.  Then it dawned on me that you might have been listening in on a voice net where extraneous words like that are frequently used. 

Converting the four digits to words like that is much more likely to survive the many relays (some on voice, some on cw, some on digital) that your message may encounter.  Good job.

Ballpark?  More like "home run". 

73

Luck, WA4STO

[RichardSinFWTX]

Whew!  Thanks!

I'm much more coherent after I've had my morning Starbucks!   :o

I'd still like to do maybe one or two practice runs through my WinLink account; but only if you've got time.  To me there's no such thing as "kinda right".

Do...or do not...there is no "try".  :)

[WA4STO]

I'd still like to do maybe one or two practice runs through my WinLink account; but only if you've got time.  To me there's no such thing as "kinda right".

Richard - I'll spit out two to you right now on 40 meter Winmor/Winlink.  You'll no doubt get the very same ones during the drill but that's OK.

Just so that you know, I have 280 pieces of formal message traffic prepared, with 3 or 4 hundred more to come in the days leading up to October 1.

Of the 280, about 20 are destined for you via WL2K.  About 40% of the grand total will leave here via NTS(D) Pactor I, 40% will go by WL2K and 10% by CW.

73

Luck, WA4STO

[RichardSinFWTX]

Jedi Master Luck, a question...

Do you save copies of the messages you've sent and received.  I've been looking at some of the Army MARS stuff and it looks like they keep copies of all messages.

[WA4STO]

Richard -

For all the "manual" modes (CW, since I can't do voice nets any more) I keep a separate monthly file.  e.g. augQTC and SEPqtc, etc etc.

For everything else (WL2k, NTS(D) Pactor), the software keeps track of it of course in it's 'received' and 'sent' folders.

Now in the case of SET traffic, I keep the whole mess in one big file.  I'm presently finishing up the 328th message for the exercise, so, well, it's a good sized file now.  And it's backed up in the save 'sent' and received folders as above. 

It's extremely rare that any of the digital traffic would need to be repeated, say, a month or so later, because it's error-corrected.  CW traffic, on the other hand, is occasionally requested again when handling instructions are not returned properly.  or at all.
'
Hey, have we covered 'handling instructions' yet?

73

LH

[RichardSinFWTX]

Don't believe so...