Java Based Circuit Sim
This is a SUPER-COOL JAVA applet for learning about electronic circuits. Just cruise your browser over to this link. You will need to have a JAVA interpreter installed to run the program. No installation of the application is required. There are many different pre-built circuits that can be selected from the menu “CIRCUITS”. Multiple scope probe points can be customized as well. This is a terrific tool for learning electronic circuits theory. The author has also written many other JAVA applets, including a neat demonstration of digital filtering, as applied to audio frequencies so you can hear the effect. FANTASTIC!
YL Demonstrates Yagi Antenna
Here is an excellent video demonstration of Yagi antenna design. More details and construction plans are on the MAKE blog.
New Tech Exams July 1, 2010
There are just five months left to get your new Technician Class license using current books and practice exams. The National Conference of Volunteer Examination Coordinators just released a revised question pool for Technicinl License exams administered AFTER JULY 1, 2010. If you have been putting off the task, get to it before your book is obsolete. There will be a Tech class in March at the American Museum of Radio and Electricity. Go to AMRE.US for information.
DG meeting 01/19/2010
Just a reminder that the Digital Group will be meeting on Tuesday Jan. 19 at 7:00 PM at the BSD maintenance shop at 4060 Bakerview Valley Road (map). I’ll be monitoring 146.74. Hope to see everyone there!
Whatcom County ACS
Recently Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo asked me to create an organization of volunteers to support the emergency and incidental communications needs of his office and the county. An ACS (Auxiliary Communications Service) is a very flexible organization that has proven a good model for similar purposes in many jurisdictions of the country, including right here in the municipality of Blaine.
Applications will be accepted from any Whatcom County citizens interested in participating in the organization. Due to the sensitive nature of the mission, applicants will be subject to an extensive background check and will be required to sign an oath of confidentiality. Although most of our communications tasks will be on non-amateur frequencies, at least a Technician level license must be obtained within six months of joining the ACS. Numerous other classes and certifications will be required over time, depending on your position in the ACS.
Following is a copy of the “Purpose” and “Mission” sections from the WCSO ACS charter which demonstrates the broad and challenging duties of the ACS:
PURPOSE
The Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) is a volunteer team of unpaid communication professionals dedicated to assisting Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office with public safety and emergency communications in times of disaster and/or community need.
ACS is organized and operates under the authority and direction of the Whatcom County Sheriff or his designee to provide communications and related support to the Whatcom County Emergency Management functions. This communications support includes operations on any authorized equipment or frequencies in support of any need that might be in any way connected with an eventual emergency. This may include: cellular, computer, email, facsimile, internet, microwave, radio systems (police, fire, amateur, other), satellite, telephone, television, video conference, in-office support of personnel, operators of equipment and systems. In addition, ACS members volunteer their time to assist Whatcom County Emergency Management with other miscellaneous functions or operations as directed by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO).
When activated by WCSO, ACS members may be assigned to carry out one or more of the following tasks and responsibilities:
Staff communications posts at the Whatcom County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) or one of several public safety or government agency command centers located throughout the county.
Staff communications posts at Community Center facilities located throughout the county that serve as the communications and coordination hubs for the county’s neighborhood disaster response program (to be developed and organized in outlying cities and communities and coordinated through Division of Emergency Management).
Report to and staff various posts such as schools, shelters, hospitals and clinics, or to field teams to support the County’s emergency response and disaster recovery efforts with communications and other services.
Mission
ACS will, in a professional manner, provide auxiliary communications and other support services to County government and the community as is necessary to support disaster response and recovery efforts. Typically, ACS’s mission objectives may include, but are not limited to:
Establishing and operating primary and secondary radio networks to carry public safety and emergency communications utilizing amateur as well as a variety of government systems.
Providing communications and administrative support by answering phones, making calls to locate staff and volunteers, as well as necessary mission support equipment and supplies, relaying messages within the EOC and other command centers and between various facilities throughout the County, utilizing computer networks, FAX, email and other methods as well as providing other assistance as may be necessary to support County disaster and emergency situations.
Reporting damage and weather conditions from the field, coordinate requests for assistance from all field teams and report progress on response and recovery actions by way of radio, telephone, television and other forms of communications.
Collecting, organizing, summarizing and reporting intelligence about the disaster or emergency event and the extent of damage as well as the nature of various response and recovery activities that are underway throughout the County.
Much preparation for mission readiness must be implemented through vigorous training and skill development to deal with emergency events.
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I will address two questions that I have heard a few times while we were designing the ACS.
What about RACES/ARES? RACES as an organization is being discontinued. ARES is a private radio club sponsored by the ARRL. Members of these or any other organization are welcome to apply to WCSO-ACS.
Do you need to buy a D-STAR radio? No. you do not need to own any radio, but it will be desirable and a boon to your training to own a dual band VHF/UHF radio. The WCSO owns and provides the equipment that we will be using to perform our duties. The ACS does operate the Sheriff’s D-STAR repeater, WC7SO, that is open for all. Any required D-STAR operations will be on county equipment.
Again from the WCSO ACS charter:
Anyone, regardless of club or other Amateur Radio affiliations, with a sincere interest and desire to help the county with its emergency communication needs, is invited to apply to become a part of the Whatcom County Auxiliary Communications Service and use their time and talents to aid their fellow county citizens.
If you are interested in joining the WCSO ACS, print, complete, and mail the ACSInterestCard along with supporting documents to the Sheriff’s Office at the Grand Ave. address on the top of the form. DO NOT SUBMIT THIS FORM BY EMAIL. If you have any questions, you can contact me by email or at my listed phone number.
-Brian Lawler KNØN
TV coverage: Haiti disaster
This video appeared on KDVR FOX 31 television in Denver. Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010
W7BPD/R Sumas L&C
Tuesday January 5, 2010
It has been a looong time coming, but Sumas is back! KP2X, WA7ZWG, K7RGK and N7OC made the trip up the mountain today to hook up the new antenna on the new tower at the new site on Sumas Mountain. Have you seen the calendar? That is dedication
The frequency remains 145.230 Mhz minus offset but the callsign is W7BPD/R reflecting the repeater owner and sponsor, The Blaine Police Department ACS. The repeater will be open for all amateurs to use routinely outside of emergent or training needs by the ACS. The BPD ACS is also making the new repeater available for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s ACS with the WCSO ACS offering a reciprocal agreement for BPD-ACS use of the WC7SO digital repeater on 146.700.
