METERS Newsletter – June 2006

A monthly publication of the Middle East Tennessee Emergency Radio Service, Inc.

METERS is a registered non-profit service organization based in Knoxville, serving all the surrounding area.

Club call sign: KG4NLF Website: www.metersinc.org

Meetings are held at 7 PM, the 4^th Tuesday every month. Our June meeting will be at the Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad building in East Knoxville off Rutledge Pike. Address is 512 N. Chilhowee Dr., Knoxville 37924. (See the website for directions, or watch the Net Reminder.)
Licensed Amateur Radio Operators are invited to join METERS and assist in meeting the needs of our served agencies.

Members’ submissions are invited for this newsletter, in .rtf, .doc, and plain text formats, subject to space available and editing.

Editor: Larry Osterman, W8JYQ, e-mail to w8jyq (at) arrl.net; Phone (865) 690-5096, or mail to: L. Osterman, P.O. Box 32587, Knoxville, TN 37930.

President's Statement for June 2006

By Alan Sims KG4MMG

June is a busy month for METERS, and it's great to see our members at local special events. By the time you read this we will have had our table at the Knoxville Hamfest, and we'll be on the verge of another Field Day event. It's sure rewarding to see our members at community amateur radio activities. Folks, remember our new 'ham' class coming up July 1^st, at Grace Lutheran, thanks to our Training Officer, Dick Wolf WI8X. There may still be time to get your neighbors and family members into our 'ham' radio class if you will give Dick WI8X (or Larry W8JYQ) a call. See you at meetings and on your METERS Nets. These training sessions are For You.

- Alan KG4MMG

Vice President's Notes

From Tyra Buczkowski AI4KG

Upon returning from the Dayton Hamvention we were busy planning for the Knoxville Hamfest, the NIMS Course at the Blount County EOC, and now our METERS participation in Field Day. I hope to report on all of these events at our upcoming membership meeting at Knox Volunteer Rescue on June 27^th but for now, I look forward to seeing everyone Saturday and Sunday, June 24 & 25, at our new hilltop Field Day location, at Lake Shore Park. Remember to enter at the Lyons View Pike entrance, which is just east of Northshore Rd., and please check in on our website.

Secretary's Notes –

· Minutes of our Meetings are available via e-mail, since we have dispensed with reading them due to the time limits in our meeting locations. If you would like a copy of the last month's minutes, just e-mail or call me, or call your Board Member at Large, Dick Wolf WI8X.

· Last Call! Back in March Hamthreads (B&B) had sent us a sample selection of shirts, vest, jackets, and a cap, which we displayed at the last two meetings. We passed out order forms in hopes of placing a combined order that would give us a 20% discount and Free Shipping, if we ordered at least 30 items. This is our last opportunity to place an order at these discounted prices. If you considered getting a RACES cap, a high quality jacket or shirt embroidered with your name and call sign, or one of those bright yellow vests with Emergency Communications on the back, please come to the June meeting. Each person ordering is asked to add $1.00 to the total amount due, with check payable to Meters Inc., so Treasurer Dave KE4YBZ, can send our combined payment to B&B. (You can view all items on the B&B website which is Hamthreads.com) If we have enough items to make the discount, we'll send the order in after the meeting. If not, you'll get your check back, and may order individually if you still want the item. This is top quality stuff.

· A METERS "Ham Class" is starting Saturday July 1st for anyone who would like to become an amateur radio licensee. METERS' Training Officer, Dick Wolf WI8X, will devote several Saturday mornings to teach the basics for new Technician prospects. Classes are being taught at GraceLutheran Church, at 9076 Middlebrook Pike in West Knoxville. Cost will only be for the New ARRL Technician Class Manual, which will be $20. a special discount for this class only. Candidates should call Dick WI8X (584-9168) or Larry W8JYQ (690-5096) to register. Volunteer examiners will be available at conclusion of the program to administer the test.

· Field Day is June 24 & 25 and Connie K9GWB has a great sign up chart for manning the tables, etc. Please keep up with her latest FD info in the weekly Net Reminder and on our website.

- - Larry W8JYQ

Treasurer Talk!

By Dave Ogle KE4YBZ

For several meetings to come, we will have our New METERS logo patches available (for paid members only). These are Iron-On Patches, suitable for your favorite jacket, vest or even a shirt... to show your affiliation to METERS, and your commitment to emergency communications. These patches are $3 each, or TWO for $5. Some folks have already bought their supply, and once they're gone, it may be a while before we can get more. With these you can either make your own METERS Garment, or add it to something you already have, to show your METERS pride! Supplies are Limited, so get yours Today!

Thanks - Dave KE4YBZ

Generator Notes from a CAP Advisor

From Connie Harrison K9GWB

We all know that we need emergency antennas, but how many know that you should be grounding out that generator that you put on the back porch to power up the refrigerator, television and maybe even the HF and VHF radio that was issued to you.

Please understand, I just came back from a short trip to NY where I was put into the position of being ready for something that I was not aware of, that would happen in less than 20 minutes, and usually takes everybody including me at least an hour or two to prepare for. Speaking before a large audience of over 200 men, women and children from babies to 90 year olds, on a subject that I have not indulged in for over five years. I did it and everybody including the Rabbi was happy with my dissertation. So, I decided to throw the book at all of you.

Generator grounding - IT IS REQUIRED. Many generator manufacturers even put a grounding screw right on the frame. And here is one of the reasons why - 

You turn on the fuel flow, put the choke in the start position, turn the switch on and pull that darn cord to get the motor running. After a few seconds, you are plugging in the cords, not even thinking if the generator is really up to speed or not. One of those cords is missing the grounding pin and you forgot that you cut the safety sides of the prong on the neutral side to get it to fit an old outlet in the trailer. So in the socket the plug goes, but it is the neutral side to the hot side of the generator.

Now you go inside and plug an appliance for this application let's use the refrigerator - in the proper way as it does have a 3-prong plug on the end of the cord. What have you just accomplished?

You are energizing the frame of the appliance, which can cause a shock to someone who may be grounded because of leaning against the metal frame of the sink and touching the frame at the same time.

So you think about it and wonder what is wrong with the appliance. After an hour or so it hits you and you run out barefoot in the rain and rotate the male end of the plug into the receptacle correctly, but you also accidentally have the finger against the metal-prong of the plug as it goes in and being nice and wet you again get shocked.

But think - would this have happened if you used the proper three prong plugs and the generator was grounded?  Remember, if the flow of energy is looking for a route to take back to ground, it will follow the shortest route. A ground rod of 8 to 10 feet, with a good heavy cable run between it and the grounding lug of the generator may avoid dangerous shocks and prevent appliances from being damaged.

One thing I did learn from a gentleman at the airport in New York was interesting. He was also returning to South Florida and said that he is having a company install clear - see through hurricane panels on his house tomorrow. According to him and the web site I visited, these panels are approved by the County for hurricane shutter application, Some are totally clear, others are patterned to allow light in but diffuses it so you cannot see what is going on in or outside. They mount just like regular metal shutters with an upper and lower track - Looks nice and allows visual inspection with full protection - I like that.

Let's get back to Generators - What are you doing with all those gas cans? Are they empty? Do they contain gasoline vapors? Are they full? Are they vented properly? Is there an ignition source within 10 feet of the cans? Wait, why 10 feet?  Simple - Gasoline vapors in a closed garage that is not ventilated properly begin to fill the room. When the percentage of vapor to oxygen reaches the proper level and there is any source of ignition, you have an explosion. This could be your garage door opener, ceiling light or the air conditioning fan motor.

Wait a minute, when did you say you purchased that generator? Two years ago! Well, have you changed the oil as suggested in the owner's manual? Oh, you did not read the manual! Well, all oil-cooled motors should have their oil changed at least once a year. Mine is done right at the end of the hurricane season so it is nice and clean. I then run the unit about 20 minutes every month to make sure it stays in good working condition. How about you? Oh, you just pour that bluish liquid in the tank and let it do its job. But it must be run at least 20 minutes after you add the conditioner, and in some cases, depending on weather, it could still gum up the carburetor and lines.

Gave you all a large amount of information to think about didn't I - well, that is what it is all about - think and make sure you are safe and you have a generator that will assist you in helping you accomplish your job as a communicator.

Best regards to all

Oh yes - please go ahead and forward this to all of the communicators in your group - Might have been able to write this with fewer words, but watching a Storm in the eastern Pacific moving east, the Fire moving along the highway just north of me, and Thunderstorms heading my way are keeping me busy.

Lt Col Joel Katz, CAP, Southeast Region Staff

Another Terrorist Attack Coming Soon!

U.S. Officials Believe Recent Incidents Point To An Imminent Threat

CBS News: June 5, 2006 (CBS/AP) (via Gary Buczkowski AG4XO)

QUOTE: "These individuals are often hiding in plain sight in cities like Torrance and now Toledo." - John Pistole, FBI deputy director

U.S. officials believe Canadian arrests over the weekend and three recent domestic incidents in the United Statesare evidence the U.S.will soon be hit again by a terrorist attack. Privately, they say, they'd be surprised if it didn't come by the end of the year, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Stewart in a CBS News exclusive. The first of the domestic incidents, all of which drew little attention at the time, began with the holdup of a string of Torrance, CA gas stations last summer. Muslim converts who bonded together in prison planned to use the robberies to finance attacks on 20 Army recruiting stations. Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton admits they stumbled on the plot during a search. "Make no mistake about it," Bratton said. "We dodged a bullet here perhaps many bullets."

Police in Toledo, Ohio, busted another cell in February. This one consisted of three men training to attack U.S.forces overseas. Once again, luck played a role. When they tried to enlist someone in their mosque to help, he turned them in. "These individuals are often hiding in plain sight in cities like Torranceand now Toledo," says John Pistole, a FBI deputy director.

Two months ago, a pair of Atlanta men, one a Georgia Tech engineering student, were arrested not long after communicating by e-mail with two of the suspects arrested in Canadaover the weekend. The Atlantamen are charged with videotaping domestic targets, including the U.S. Capitol and the World Bank.

Analysts now conclude similarities between all the cases were dramatic: All were self-financed, self-motivated, and in each case the men were seeking out others to join their cell. In short, Osama bin Laden didn't pay for these plots, recruit for them or even know of them. They were all totally homegrown even amateurish. But if four, including the one in Canada, have been uncovered in just 11 months, officials fear there are inevitably other plots that have not been and are maturing even now.

The next attack here, officials predict, will bear no resemblance to Sept. 11. The casualty toll will not be that high, the target probably not that big. We may not even recognize it for what it is at first, they say. But it's coming, of that they seem certain.

Disaster Preparedness Remains Poor – Cities Not Prepared

From a June 16^th Report by Lara Jakes Jordan in Knox News and from AP News via AG4XO

Only Floridamet the Homeland Security Department's basic requirements for planning for catastrophes. Eleven states, including Tennessee, were rated as having sufficient plans to respond to disasters, using the HSD scorecard. Shortcomings in emergency planning, included antiquated and uncoordinated response guidelines which are cause "for significant national concern" per the HSD analysis.

In a post Katrina speech last September 15 in New Orleans, President Bush had ordered the review of state and city emergency plans. The report covered all 50 states and 75 of the largest cities in the U.S., as well as six U.S.territories. Most of the emergency response plans reviewed by HSD still fail to designate a clear chain of command during disasters. An area of profound concern is weakness in planning for evacuations. Overall plans don't link into any national system, and fail to address emergency needs for sick, elderly, and poor people unable to help themselves. Response plans for Louisiana were still deemed insufficient to manage another huge emergency.

The ARES E-Letter from ARRL

May 17, 2006 (Edited by Rick Palm K1CE)

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(Reduced to fit our METERS Newsletter –Ed.)

+ APRIL ARES REPORTS

April 7, Western Tennessee -- ARES was activated for tornadoes. SEC Jimmy Floyd, NQ4U, said more than 70 counties were affected. The NWS issued more than 130 weather watches and warnings, and reported at least 26 tornadoes. Twelve people died. The Middle Tennessee Emergency Amateur Radio Society (MTEARS) repeater system carried numerous reports of severe weather and damage to many areas of the state. The MTEARS UHF system spans most of Tennessee, with Nashvilleas its hub. Both the NWS and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) monitor the system.

Wilson County EC Pete Navarra, K4IWX, said that because of information relayed via Amateur Radio, his county was able to dispatch three ambulances, two rescue trucks, one fire engine and a host of CERT search-and-rescue responders and their mobile command post to hard-hit Sumner County. "It was interesting to hear several calls from the Metro Nashville Office of Emergency Management, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and other local agencies trying to communicate," he said. "Conventional methods of communication did not work--even cell phone service in Wilson County had gone out. Amateur Radio is needed and it works." -- Rick Lindquist, N1RL, ARRL Letter

+ LETTERS: USE "HAM" INSTEAD

Re last month's item on "Amateur" as a stigma: We "amateurs" have to some degree brought it upon ourselves by using the formal term - Amateur - in our dealings with the public and public officials. We have a tendency to use the terminology of the FCC and ARRL in referring to ourselves in a public setting. When you mention to someone that you are an "amateur radio operator," they often don't know what you are talking about. But when you tell them you are a "ham," they immediately know what you do and have a good impression from the many favorable news stories about our work, services and rescues. Dropping the regulatory terminology and referring to ourselves instead as "hams" will go a long way to avoiding the stigma of the word "amateur." -- Rabe Marsh, W3TNU

+ EMCOMM HINTS AND KINKS

Typically, there is a small blizzard of lists, procedures and documents that every ARES team member is supposed to have - and the latest version, too. To make syncing-up a little easier to manage, the Vashon (Washington) ARES team's "Document Master" maintains a ZIP file of all the required stuff on the club server. That way, it can all be downloaded at once and kept on a home PC, rather than on a server that may not be available in an emergency. Of course, it's also available on the server and can be accessed from anywhere when needed, too. -- Ward Silver, N0AX

Make reduced-size photocopies of your certificates that the Emergency Management Institute sends in the mail. By doing this, and putting the reduced-size copy in laminate, it can be carried in one of those neat neck lanyards available from the ARRL. Add a simple plastic ID carrier, available at any office or department store, and you have what is needed to prove compliance of any number of courses or classes. I carry my ARRL orange call sign badge, along with my ARES ID card, Red Cross First Aid and CPR cards, and the reduced size FEMA certificates IS-100, IS-200, IS-700. With three plastic ID pockets and the call sign badge, it makes a neat and professional looking arrangement. -- Jerry Palmer, N3KRX, Houston, Delaware

LOCAL HAM RADIO GROUP SHOWS EMERGENCY SKILLS

(Following is a copy of our Media release regarding Field Day, FYI)

METERS, The Middle East Tennessee Emergency Radio Service, Inc., will join thousands of amateur radio operators in their annual nationwide Field Day Exercise over the weekend of June 24^th and 25^th. Set up will be at Lake Shore Parkoff Lyons View Pike, with METERS members manning their stations for a straight 24 hours. Multiple modes of operation will be employed, under battery, solar, and generator power, to demonstrate operation during emergency conditions. Visitors are welcome to stop by to observe 'ham' radio in action, from 2 PM Saturday through 2 PM Sunday, but are cautioned to stay well clear of antennas.

"Field Day" is organized by the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio. Locally, the METERS group has provided operators for significant events such as the Knoxville Marathon, Community Emergency Response Teams, SkyWarn weather related services, and Katrina relief. METERS also supplies back-up operators for Health Department initiatives, and other served agencies as requested. Members meet weekly and monthly to maintain and upgrade their skills in keeping with EmComm, the Homeland Security Department's criteria for emergency communicators.

The ARRL slogan this year, "Ham radio works when other systems don't." is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet, or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a disaster. More than 30,000 radio amateurs across the country participated in last year's Field Day event.