WCF SECTION PRESS RELEASE #22-07
CHARLOTTE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY TO CONDUCT COMMUNICATIONS EXERCISE
“The Charlotte Amateur Radio Society plans an emergency communications exercise to prepare for the 2022 hurricane season. This exercise is part of the Charlotte Amateur Radio Society’s long-term multipart educational program to ensure that radio amateurs in our area have a way to grow and practice the skills that may be used in a variety
of emergency communications situations.
The objective of this exercise is to evaluate our ability to gather information from local amateur radio operators using FM Simplex and pass the information to a local command station using JS8 Call.
Our primary goal is to test YOUR VHF and UHF voice communications on FM Simplex operating frequencies.
Can your equipment communicate with any of the portable stations? Can you contact all three portable stations? Will your HT work or do you need to be on your base rig? Do you have mobile capabilities?
You can operate your equipment in any or all three classes of operation:
1. BASE
2. MOBILE
3. HT (Handie-Talkie)
You will send your call sign, 6 digit grid square, Class, and power (100 watts, 50 watts, 5 watts, etc.) by FM voice on the designated frequencies listed below. EXAMPLE: KM4LKC, EL96bx, Base, 50 watts.
Our portable operating stations below will confirm the receipt of your information. You can contact another portable station or change classes and try again. It may be possible to make 18 contacts (9 on VHF and 9 on UHF) depending on your equipment and location.
The secondary goal is to test each portable station’s capability to gather information and pass digital traffic to a central command station. Each of the portable stations will send their logged contact information to a central command station using JS8 Call on 6 meters.
CARS plans to deploy three (3) portable operating stations spread across the county. We expect to have stations in El Jobean, Murdock, and Punta Gorda.
Licensed Amateur radio operators from Charlotte County and the directly surrounding counties that are not members of CARS are encouraged to visit the CARS website for information about how they can help on the day of the event from their own radios. See www.carsfl.org.
If news organizations wish to observe the stations during setup and operations, please contact Douglas Young, KM4LKC email to: km4lkc@arrl.net”