This morning, I'm going to meet the Savannah hams for breakfast at Sunny Side Up then go over to Southside Fire Station 1 on White Bluff to help set up the Coastal Amateur Radio Society's club station for a Georgia QSO Party effort. While the club is operating today, I'll also have a computer aided scanning demonstration set up using the laptop, BCD396T, and ARC396 Pro.
Look for tweets throughout the day to update the activity. I'll also be tweeting with the CARS twitter account, which you can see here or at the CARS website here.
If you want to make a contact with us on the ham bands, listen out for W4LHS.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
Showing posts with label Scanning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scanning. Show all posts
10 April 2010
21 February 2010
Jekyll Island
Location: Brunswick, GA
This morning I went over to Jekyll Island and picked up year's pass. The $45 year's pass sure beats the $5 a day toll to get on. I think Jekyll will be a great place to "play radio" from. I drove around and noticed several picnic areas that would make great places to sit and monitor from as well as set up a temporary amateur radio station. The south end picnic area and north end picnic areas look particularly good. It would also be easy to set up with the hamsticks on the car at one of the parking lots on North Beachview Rd.
One idea that immediately came to mind was setting up a station during one of the Islands on the Air events. I could operate with one of the verticals or throw up the G5RV Jr. Sounds fun...
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
This morning I went over to Jekyll Island and picked up year's pass. The $45 year's pass sure beats the $5 a day toll to get on. I think Jekyll will be a great place to "play radio" from. I drove around and noticed several picnic areas that would make great places to sit and monitor from as well as set up a temporary amateur radio station. The south end picnic area and north end picnic areas look particularly good. It would also be easy to set up with the hamsticks on the car at one of the parking lots on North Beachview Rd.
One idea that immediately came to mind was setting up a station during one of the Islands on the Air events. I could operate with one of the verticals or throw up the G5RV Jr. Sounds fun...
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
15 February 2010
Online Feeds - The Radio Hobbyist's Latest Favorite Complaint
The soapbox has been dragged out from underneath the bed...
With the rapid expansion of Scanner Feeds on the internet, it seems that complaining about them being down is now one of the radio hobby's favorite things to complain about; complaints about radio feeds being down are sprinkled all throughout scanning message boards and forums. I don't provide feeds and I don't listen to feeds, but I still don't understand how this many people can complain about something being down that they don't pay for! They constantly complain about a free service; they're not providing the computer, radio, or internet access for the feed provider so how can they complain when it is down?
Enjoy it when the feed is up and be thankful that the provider has volunteered their equipment for it. When the feed is down, listen to your own radio(s).
Well, that's it for my occasional rant. I'm putting the soapbox back under the bed for awhile.
With the rapid expansion of Scanner Feeds on the internet, it seems that complaining about them being down is now one of the radio hobby's favorite things to complain about; complaints about radio feeds being down are sprinkled all throughout scanning message boards and forums. I don't provide feeds and I don't listen to feeds, but I still don't understand how this many people can complain about something being down that they don't pay for! They constantly complain about a free service; they're not providing the computer, radio, or internet access for the feed provider so how can they complain when it is down?
Enjoy it when the feed is up and be thankful that the provider has volunteered their equipment for it. When the feed is down, listen to your own radio(s).
Well, that's it for my occasional rant. I'm putting the soapbox back under the bed for awhile.
09 January 2010
Radio Shack Pro-107 Handheld Scanner
Awhile back I had an extended conversation with my friend Dan Scott, KF4MND on the 146.970 repeater here in Savannah about a new scanner he had just purchased: the Radio Shack Pro-107. He had some concerns about it and we discussed its features and capabilities. I have to admit that I wasn't all that familiar with this "iScanner" and my conversation with Dan and subsequent research have led me to some conclusions on how useful this radio would be to the coastal Georgia scanning hobbyist. I've divided them into two categories: positive and negative; some of them, as you read, will be contradictory but this is indicative of my conflicted opinions on the radio. I see some good points and bad points to a radio of this nature and they go beyond the radio's capabilities.
Let's start off with the positive conclusions:
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
Let's start off with the positive conclusions:
- The Pro-107 is designed to be an easy to use radio that one doesn't have to program. It operates off of the Radioreference.com database through the use of an SD card. This is certainly a bonus for the casual scanner listener, many of whom have problems programming a lot of the newer scanners. This eliminates the programming process and gets them directly to what they want to do and that is listen - usually to the local PD or FD.
- Another bonus for the casual listener is that from what Dan describes to me and what I've seen it is fairly easy to operate; essentially if you can listen to your music on an iPod or MP3 player, then you can listen to and operate this scanner.
- I think this may be a good radio to get new folks into the hobby. This could very well be a radio to whet their appetite for the hobby and eventually lead them to purchase a more capable radio and get deeper into the hobby.
- This is not a good radio for the Savannah metropolitan area. Most police communications in Chatham and Effingham Counties are digital and all police communications in Bryan County are digital. This radio is Analog Only. That means if you like listening to the Police, this radio is not going to let you do it. At current, you would be able to monitor most all of the Fire/EMS radio communciations in Chatham and Effingham Counties and very little in Bryan County. In the not too distant future, the Chatham-Effingham TRS will be upgraded and it too will be all digital; at that point this radio will allow you to monitor very little public safety radio traffic in the Savannah metropolitan area. Most all new systems being introduced in urban areas and future upgrades for current systems in urban areas are All Digital. Being analog only is a serious weakness for this radio.
- Following that, if a new scanning hobbyist bought this radio and was looking forward to listening to the Savannah area PDs, their experience with this radio could turn them off to the hobby. If they area Bryan County resident and bought the radio, it could really turn them off to the hobby!
- A radio like this could lead to the "dumbing down" of the hobby. Already very few hobbyists are interested in putting their radios into search mode to look for new things and help build up the knowledge base on their area. By this radio's nature it will simply feed this trend. I know that in some respects, this conflicts with #3 in the positive conclusions but I see both sides of this issue and feel compelled to include both views here.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
04 November 2009
Situation Report
I've almost settled into living into two places. Most of time is being spent in Brunswick, GA with a couple of days a week in Savannah, GA. I'm settling into a routine in Brunswick and I've finally had the time to play a bit of radio. I'm not set up well for Amateur Radio yet, just some portables and the mobile for VHF/UHF; I'm still waiting a bit to set up something for HF operations. Scanning on the other hand, has been progressing well.
I'm unable to run outside antennas where I'm at in Brunswick, so I use a Radio Shack mag mount scanner antenna on top of a DVD rack. At first I attempted to use a Uniden BC796 as the radio, but it's reception left much to be desired. I now connect the antenna to my Uniden BC396 portable with much better results. In addition to the obvious public safety on the Glynn Co. 800 system I've been able to monitor Townsend Range with ease from inside as well as the FLETC TRS, Glynco Jetport, Malcom McKinnon Airport, and the Jacksonville Center Brunswick and Jekyll low sites. While taking my afternoon walks, I can easily hear the above as well as some of the SEALORD SUAs off of the Georgia coast with the BC396 using a Diamond RH77CA antenna.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
I'm unable to run outside antennas where I'm at in Brunswick, so I use a Radio Shack mag mount scanner antenna on top of a DVD rack. At first I attempted to use a Uniden BC796 as the radio, but it's reception left much to be desired. I now connect the antenna to my Uniden BC396 portable with much better results. In addition to the obvious public safety on the Glynn Co. 800 system I've been able to monitor Townsend Range with ease from inside as well as the FLETC TRS, Glynco Jetport, Malcom McKinnon Airport, and the Jacksonville Center Brunswick and Jekyll low sites. While taking my afternoon walks, I can easily hear the above as well as some of the SEALORD SUAs off of the Georgia coast with the BC396 using a Diamond RH77CA antenna.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
11 September 2009
Today's USCG/CNN Brouhaha Offers an Object Lesson for Radio Hobbyists
Earlier today CNN, followed by most other news outlets, aired a story regarding a USCG vessel intercept on the Potomac River near the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The intercept closely followed a speech that the President gave at the Pentagon in memory of 9/11. What was reported as a shots fired intercept based on radio communications monitored by CNN on a scanner turned out, in reality, to be a training exercise. This entire incident is the product of poor decision making by both the Coast Guard and CNN.
First, the Coast Guard chose the wrong time to conduct this type of training drill. Someone somewhere in the chain of command should have said "We can do this on the 10th, we can do this on the 12th, but the 11th is just not the right time for it." On such an emotional day, conducting that drill was just a bad decision. That drill was held on the wrong day in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even if it wasn't for CNN reporting what they heard on a scanner, it could just as easily have been reported by a motorist passing by on one of the bridges or a tourist on the shoreline that noticed Coast Guard boats chasing another boat.
Second, CNN was irresponsible in how they reported the incident. Based on what I have been able to ascertain, CNN monitored the "intercept" on Marine VHF Channel 81. Any experienced monitoring/scanning hobbyist would have immediately picked up that it was training drill because during a real intercept, the Coast Guard would have used Marine VHF Channel 16 to attempt communications with the boat they were confronting. CNN then failed to properly confirm what they hearing; they contacted the Coast Guard (at what level?) and were told that the Coast Guard knew nothing about it. At this point, they apparently decided to run with what they had rather than making further attempts to clarify things. The combination of what they thought they were hearing and an "I don't know what you're talking about" from the Coast Guard should have indicated that something wasn't right." More effort should have been made to clarify their information before they ran with the story but the competition of 24 Hours News Coverage took over and they ran with the story.
There is no doubt in my mind that this will be used to justify more communications encryption at all levels of government. Irresponsibility will lead to less sunshine on government activity by further encryption of government communications. We are losing one of our methods of oversight.
This serves as an object lesson to we radio hobbyists. We need to be responsible with what we hear and think closely about what we do with what we hear. I would hate to think it was one of us that provided this information to the media and triggered the confusion above. We must be responsible with what hear and think about the consequences of what we do with it then report or post accordingly. It is not my position to tell people what they should or should not do with they hear but I do filter what I post about on this blog and what I post on the scanning related email reflectors.
Personally, I think carefully about what I post here and by email on what I hear on my radios. It is my personal choice not to post movements of troops to combat areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan. I have chosen not to post movements of REACH flights because I don't know if they are en route to a combat area or not. I also do not report on CAPs, or Combat Air Patrols; if I do mention them it is AFTER the CAP is complete not while it is active. In the public safety area, I don't post or report on surveillance, undercover or tactical operations. When I post on a fire or similar incident, I don't post based on the initial dispatch; instead I post after units have arrived on scene and I've heard the size up. If I make a mistake in what I post, I take pains to 1) make a correction and 2) apologize for it.
Mac McCormick III
KF4LMT
First, the Coast Guard chose the wrong time to conduct this type of training drill. Someone somewhere in the chain of command should have said "We can do this on the 10th, we can do this on the 12th, but the 11th is just not the right time for it." On such an emotional day, conducting that drill was just a bad decision. That drill was held on the wrong day in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even if it wasn't for CNN reporting what they heard on a scanner, it could just as easily have been reported by a motorist passing by on one of the bridges or a tourist on the shoreline that noticed Coast Guard boats chasing another boat.
Second, CNN was irresponsible in how they reported the incident. Based on what I have been able to ascertain, CNN monitored the "intercept" on Marine VHF Channel 81. Any experienced monitoring/scanning hobbyist would have immediately picked up that it was training drill because during a real intercept, the Coast Guard would have used Marine VHF Channel 16 to attempt communications with the boat they were confronting. CNN then failed to properly confirm what they hearing; they contacted the Coast Guard (at what level?) and were told that the Coast Guard knew nothing about it. At this point, they apparently decided to run with what they had rather than making further attempts to clarify things. The combination of what they thought they were hearing and an "I don't know what you're talking about" from the Coast Guard should have indicated that something wasn't right." More effort should have been made to clarify their information before they ran with the story but the competition of 24 Hours News Coverage took over and they ran with the story.
There is no doubt in my mind that this will be used to justify more communications encryption at all levels of government. Irresponsibility will lead to less sunshine on government activity by further encryption of government communications. We are losing one of our methods of oversight.
This serves as an object lesson to we radio hobbyists. We need to be responsible with what we hear and think closely about what we do with what we hear. I would hate to think it was one of us that provided this information to the media and triggered the confusion above. We must be responsible with what hear and think about the consequences of what we do with it then report or post accordingly. It is not my position to tell people what they should or should not do with they hear but I do filter what I post about on this blog and what I post on the scanning related email reflectors.
Personally, I think carefully about what I post here and by email on what I hear on my radios. It is my personal choice not to post movements of troops to combat areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan. I have chosen not to post movements of REACH flights because I don't know if they are en route to a combat area or not. I also do not report on CAPs, or Combat Air Patrols; if I do mention them it is AFTER the CAP is complete not while it is active. In the public safety area, I don't post or report on surveillance, undercover or tactical operations. When I post on a fire or similar incident, I don't post based on the initial dispatch; instead I post after units have arrived on scene and I've heard the size up. If I make a mistake in what I post, I take pains to 1) make a correction and 2) apologize for it.
Mac McCormick III
KF4LMT
20 August 2009
New Desk and Station Layout
My old desk was getting to wobbly to use, so it was time yesterday to go out and buy a new desk. I found a nice desk at WalMart and spent the afternoon and evening dismantling the radios and computer, removing the old desk, putting the new desk together and then reassembling the monitoring post/amateur radio station. The computer and the radios' power supply ended up in cabinets in the desk, opening up a good bit of space and helping to eliminate a bit of clutter.
The scanners moved to the left side of the station, all stacked on top of each other. On the bottom is a Uniden BC-895 programmed with ATC and airfield frequencies. Stacked on top of it is a Radio Shack PRO-2005 programmed with various conventional public safety, Federal, and search and rescue frequencies and a Radio Shack PRO-2006 programmed with military low band frequencies. Next is a Uniden BC-796 programmed with trunked systems and digital and analog frequencies. Topping off the stack are two Uniden BC-780s programmed with military aviation frequencies.
The amateur radio gear is located to the right side of the station. A Yaesu FT-897D doubles as both HF/6-Meter transceiver and as general coverage receiver for utility monitoring. A Yaesu FT-2800 provides 2-Meter capability and is also used for some VHF conventional monitoring.
The amateur radio gear is located to the right side of the station. A Yaesu FT-897D doubles as both HF/6-Meter transceiver and as general coverage receiver for utility monitoring. A Yaesu FT-2800 provides 2-Meter capability and is also used for some VHF conventional monitoring.
23 July 2009
Netbooks and Radio
There is a good column in the August 2009 issue of Monitoring Times on using "netbook" computers with radios and various radio related applications such as Ham Radio Deluxe.
I have been using an Acer Aspire One netbook for several months as my primary "radio computer." If you came to the Coastal Amateur Radio Society Field Day this year, you saw my netbook/FT-897D/Ham Radio Deluxe combination. I've found this to be a very good combination; Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD) operates on the netbook with absolutely no problems so far. HRD has had a habit of locking up on my desktop computer, but I have yet to encounter that on the Acer netbook. It also runs programming software for most of my other radios such as the FT-8800, BC-396, BC-996, and BC-780.
The Acer purchase was not my original idea. I had listened to Russ, K4YGD talk about his Acer; that planted the seed in my head. Guy, K4GTM purchased one and my father, AF4KL did as well. After seeing how well my father's worked and with good reports from Russ, my mind was made up. To this point, I've not regretted the decision.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
06 July 2009
Savannah-Area Hurricane Frequences for 2009
This is an article that appears yearly in the Savannah-area Amateur Radio club newsletters. Once again, it has been updated for a new year and was submitted to Groundwaves, the newsletter of the Coastal Amateur Radio Society and to Key Klix, the newsletter of the Amateur Radio Club of Savannah.
With Hurricane Season upon us, it is a good time to gather information on communications related to the response to a storm.
Amateur Radio
In the event of a hurricane, Amateur Radio would of course play a large part in the response to the storm. Georgia Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) would activate to support state and local emergency management. Other organizations would activate to respond to the hurricane in other capacities.
ARES, when activated will use several 2-meter repeaters for local area, point-to-point traffic. Should the repeaters fail, the initial 2-meter fallback simplex frequency would be the National Calling Frequency. HF frequencies would be used for more long distant communications including communications with statewide ARES and emergency management stations.
146.970 - Chatham County ARES Ops Primary
147.330 - Chatham County ARES Ops Secondary (203.5 PL)
146.880 - Chatham ARES Ops Secondary
147.105 - Georgia ARES Southeast District Ops
146.745 - Effingham County Repeater (97.4 PL)
146.520 - National Calling Frequency
146.850 - American Red Cross Primary
3.975 LSB - Georgia ARES Primary HF
7.275 LSB - Georgia ARES Secondary HF
5.330.5 USB - Georgia ARES Section Emergency Net
Other organizations that might activate to assist in response and relief efforts are the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network and Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief teams.
7.265 LSB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
14.265 USB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
151.625 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief (VHF Itinerant)
147.550 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
147.555 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
3.865 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.238 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.251 LSB - South CARS Net
7.262 LSB - Southern Baptist Convention Net
A good way to keep track of and to gather information on a hurricane is the venerable Hurricane Watch Net, which has been around since 1965. This net will activate whenever there is a hurricane within 300 miles of a populated land mass or when activation is requested by the National Hurricane Center. The purpose of the net is to gather information from the storm for the National Hurricane Center and to pass on National Weather Service advisories on the storm. Information on hurricanes can also be heard on the Maritime Mobile Network. They also collect information for the National Weather Service and pass weather service advisories.
14.325 USB - Hurricane Watch Net
14.300 USB - Maritime Mobile Network
Government
Local public safety agencies would be in the front lines of hurricane response. A listing of agency frequencies and Chatham-Effingham Trunked Repeater System (TRS) talkgroups would be too long to list here, but can be found at the Radio Reference website (http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=407). There are emergency management, mutual aid, and common frequencies and talkgroups that would be good to include in scanner programming. These would be used by a wide variety of agencies during any multi-agency response.
Conventional Frequencies
122.900 – Airborne Operations
123.025 - Airborne Operations
123.100 - Airborne Operations
154.280 - Fire Mutual Aid
155.340 - HEAR (Hospitals, EMS)
155.475 - Law Enforcement National Emergency
853.6375 - Chatham County 800 Conventional
866.0125 - I-Call
866.5125 - I-Tac 1
867.0125 - I-Tac 2
867.5125 - I-Tac 3
868.0125 - I-Tac 4
Chatham-Effingham TRS Talkgroups
6224 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 1
6256 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 2
6288 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 3
6320 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 4
6352 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 5
33456 - Police Common
54032 – Police Common Digital
37072 - Fire Common
3632 – Fire Tac 1
3664 – Fire Tac 2
3696 – Fire Tac 3
3728 – Fire Tac 4
3760 – Fire Tac 5
3792 – Fire Tac 6
2416 - Medical Common
50320 - Savannah City Common
50352 - Chatham County Countywide Common
1648 - Chatham County Common
4240 - Chatham County Westside Common
4272 - Chatham County Eastside Common
Both Hunter Army Airfield and Savannah International Airport and the military units based there would be involved in relief operations in the event of a hurricane striking the coastal Georgia area. B-169 Aviation of the Georgia Army National Guard at Hunter AAF would likely support local operations while the 165th Airlift Wing at Savannah IAP would be able to help provide an air bridge for the Savannah area. The United States Coast Guard would also assist in the response to a hurricane with both aircraft from Air Station Savannah and surface assets from Sector Charleston and its subordinate unit Station Tybee (and beyond).
124.975 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
279.575 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
126.200 AM – Hunter AAF Base Ops
38.150 FM – B-169 AVN “Hurricane Ops”
139.400 AM – B-169 AVN “Guard Operations”
242.400 AM – B-169 AVN Air-to-Air
119.100 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
257.800 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
225.750 AM - 165 Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard Command Post
237.000 AM - Air National Guard CRTC Command Post
156.800 – Marine VHF Ch. 16, Calling/Distress
156.650 – Marine VHF Ch. 13
157.050 – Marine VHF Ch. 21, Sector Charleston Primary Operating
167.0875 – LE ALPHA (Federal Interoperability Frequency)
345.000 AM - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
Charleston Air Force Base is involved in relief operations not only nationwide but worldwide. Aircraft inbound to Charleston AFB from the south can easily be heard from the Savannah area.
134.100 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
349.400 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
Another agency that would support hurricane response efforts would the United States Air Force auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol is in the midst of frequency changes, so it would be prudent to keep both their old and new frequencies in mind. The CAP also uses repeater output frequencies as simplex frequencies.
148.150 - Civil Air Patrol Primary Repeater Output
148.125 - Civil Air Patrol Repeater, Coastal Georgia Area
148.175 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
148.775 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
There are many lists on the Internet that list HF frequencies for the “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft. For the most part, these lists are obsolete; the “Hurricane Hunters” now use satellite communications, including military SATCOM, instead of HF for their primary means of communications with ground stations.
Thanks to the ARES Officers past and present and Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief operators who were kind enough to pass along frequencies for this article. This is the third version of this article and it is a constant work in progress. It was updated this year with changes in ARES frequencies and with frequencies noted in use during a recent Hurricane Exercise. If you have any corrections or additions, please contact me at kf4lmt@comcast.net.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
With Hurricane Season upon us, it is a good time to gather information on communications related to the response to a storm.
Amateur Radio
In the event of a hurricane, Amateur Radio would of course play a large part in the response to the storm. Georgia Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) would activate to support state and local emergency management. Other organizations would activate to respond to the hurricane in other capacities.
ARES, when activated will use several 2-meter repeaters for local area, point-to-point traffic. Should the repeaters fail, the initial 2-meter fallback simplex frequency would be the National Calling Frequency. HF frequencies would be used for more long distant communications including communications with statewide ARES and emergency management stations.
146.970 - Chatham County ARES Ops Primary
147.330 - Chatham County ARES Ops Secondary (203.5 PL)
146.880 - Chatham ARES Ops Secondary
147.105 - Georgia ARES Southeast District Ops
146.745 - Effingham County Repeater (97.4 PL)
146.520 - National Calling Frequency
146.850 - American Red Cross Primary
3.975 LSB - Georgia ARES Primary HF
7.275 LSB - Georgia ARES Secondary HF
5.330.5 USB - Georgia ARES Section Emergency Net
Other organizations that might activate to assist in response and relief efforts are the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network and Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief teams.
7.265 LSB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
14.265 USB - SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network)
151.625 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief (VHF Itinerant)
147.550 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
147.555 - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
3.865 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.238 LSB - Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
7.251 LSB - South CARS Net
7.262 LSB - Southern Baptist Convention Net
A good way to keep track of and to gather information on a hurricane is the venerable Hurricane Watch Net, which has been around since 1965. This net will activate whenever there is a hurricane within 300 miles of a populated land mass or when activation is requested by the National Hurricane Center. The purpose of the net is to gather information from the storm for the National Hurricane Center and to pass on National Weather Service advisories on the storm. Information on hurricanes can also be heard on the Maritime Mobile Network. They also collect information for the National Weather Service and pass weather service advisories.
14.325 USB - Hurricane Watch Net
14.300 USB - Maritime Mobile Network
Government
Local public safety agencies would be in the front lines of hurricane response. A listing of agency frequencies and Chatham-Effingham Trunked Repeater System (TRS) talkgroups would be too long to list here, but can be found at the Radio Reference website (http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=407). There are emergency management, mutual aid, and common frequencies and talkgroups that would be good to include in scanner programming. These would be used by a wide variety of agencies during any multi-agency response.
Conventional Frequencies
122.900 – Airborne Operations
123.025 - Airborne Operations
123.100 - Airborne Operations
154.280 - Fire Mutual Aid
155.340 - HEAR (Hospitals, EMS)
155.475 - Law Enforcement National Emergency
853.6375 - Chatham County 800 Conventional
866.0125 - I-Call
866.5125 - I-Tac 1
867.0125 - I-Tac 2
867.5125 - I-Tac 3
868.0125 - I-Tac 4
Chatham-Effingham TRS Talkgroups
6224 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 1
6256 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 2
6288 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 3
6320 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 4
6352 - Chatham County Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) 5
33456 - Police Common
54032 – Police Common Digital
37072 - Fire Common
3632 – Fire Tac 1
3664 – Fire Tac 2
3696 – Fire Tac 3
3728 – Fire Tac 4
3760 – Fire Tac 5
3792 – Fire Tac 6
2416 - Medical Common
50320 - Savannah City Common
50352 - Chatham County Countywide Common
1648 - Chatham County Common
4240 - Chatham County Westside Common
4272 - Chatham County Eastside Common
Both Hunter Army Airfield and Savannah International Airport and the military units based there would be involved in relief operations in the event of a hurricane striking the coastal Georgia area. B-169 Aviation of the Georgia Army National Guard at Hunter AAF would likely support local operations while the 165th Airlift Wing at Savannah IAP would be able to help provide an air bridge for the Savannah area. The United States Coast Guard would also assist in the response to a hurricane with both aircraft from Air Station Savannah and surface assets from Sector Charleston and its subordinate unit Station Tybee (and beyond).
124.975 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
279.575 AM – Hunter AAF Control Tower
126.200 AM – Hunter AAF Base Ops
38.150 FM – B-169 AVN “Hurricane Ops”
139.400 AM – B-169 AVN “Guard Operations”
242.400 AM – B-169 AVN Air-to-Air
119.100 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
257.800 AM - Savannah IAP Control Tower
225.750 AM - 165 Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard Command Post
237.000 AM - Air National Guard CRTC Command Post
156.800 – Marine VHF Ch. 16, Calling/Distress
156.650 – Marine VHF Ch. 13
157.050 – Marine VHF Ch. 21, Sector Charleston Primary Operating
167.0875 – LE ALPHA (Federal Interoperability Frequency)
345.000 AM - USCG Air Station Savannah Ops
Charleston Air Force Base is involved in relief operations not only nationwide but worldwide. Aircraft inbound to Charleston AFB from the south can easily be heard from the Savannah area.
134.100 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
349.400 AM - Charleston AFB Command Post
Another agency that would support hurricane response efforts would the United States Air Force auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol is in the midst of frequency changes, so it would be prudent to keep both their old and new frequencies in mind. The CAP also uses repeater output frequencies as simplex frequencies.
148.150 - Civil Air Patrol Primary Repeater Output
148.125 - Civil Air Patrol Repeater, Coastal Georgia Area
148.175 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
148.775 - New Civil Air Patrol Repeaters
There are many lists on the Internet that list HF frequencies for the “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft. For the most part, these lists are obsolete; the “Hurricane Hunters” now use satellite communications, including military SATCOM, instead of HF for their primary means of communications with ground stations.
Thanks to the ARES Officers past and present and Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief operators who were kind enough to pass along frequencies for this article. This is the third version of this article and it is a constant work in progress. It was updated this year with changes in ARES frequencies and with frequencies noted in use during a recent Hurricane Exercise. If you have any corrections or additions, please contact me at kf4lmt@comcast.net.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
23 June 2009
ScanSavannah and W4LHS Yahoo Groups
The ScanSavannah and W4LHS Yahoo Groups have disappeared. For some as yet unknown reason, Yahoo deactivated my Yahoo Identity. When they did, both of the groups disappeared because I was the group owner. I have an email in to Yahoo Customer Service; last night I received an automated reply that told me that I would receive an answer within 48 hours.
I apologize to the members of ScanSavannah and to the members of the Coastal Amateur Radio Society for any problems or inconvenience this may have caused. Hopefully when the situation is resolved, both groups can be recovered.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
I apologize to the members of ScanSavannah and to the members of the Coastal Amateur Radio Society for any problems or inconvenience this may have caused. Hopefully when the situation is resolved, both groups can be recovered.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
27 January 2009
Scanning and Monitoring Presentation at the February Coastal Amateur Radio Society Meeting
I've been asked to give a presentation on scanning and monitoring at the February Coastal Amateur Radio Society (CARS) Meeting. It will be at 7:00 PM on February 2, 2009 at the White Bluff Presbyterian Church. The presentation will follow the regular business meeting. Visitors are always welcome!
I have decided to do a presentation on basic scanning and monitoring in the Savannah area, concentrating on Public Safety and Military Aviation. Topics I'll cover are:
I have decided to do a presentation on basic scanning and monitoring in the Savannah area, concentrating on Public Safety and Military Aviation. Topics I'll cover are:
- What there is to monitor
- What type of radio systems are in use
- What equipment is needed to monitor it
I'll be attempting to aim the presentation towards the novice scanning and monitoring enthusiast. Presenting it to the amateur radio club, I'll also be giving it a ham radio twist, pointing out how some activity can be monitored with amateur radio gear.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
08 December 2008
Chatham County Online Scanner
A Savannah-area scanning enthusiast has put an online scanner feed up for Savannah and Chatham County:
Currently, it includes Bloomingdale, Thunderbolt, Tybee, Port Wentworth, Pooler, and Garden City Police and Fire Departments and Southside and Isle of Hope Fire Departments. Based on his post to the Scan Savannah Yahoo Group, Savannah Chatham Municipal PD will be added to the feed in the future.
Note: I am not the provider of this feed, so I do not control what is or isn't provided in the feed.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
Currently, it includes Bloomingdale, Thunderbolt, Tybee, Port Wentworth, Pooler, and Garden City Police and Fire Departments and Southside and Isle of Hope Fire Departments. Based on his post to the Scan Savannah Yahoo Group, Savannah Chatham Municipal PD will be added to the feed in the future.
Note: I am not the provider of this feed, so I do not control what is or isn't provided in the feed.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
24 November 2008
The Day in Radio - 24 November 2008
Today was slow for my military aviation, my favorite monitoring target. I guess they're starting the Thanksgiving Holiday early. There was some F-16 activity in W-161/177 and Bulldog MOA along with some F-15 and F/A-18 activity in W-157, but not nearly as much as usual. The highpoint was activity from DRAGNET, an E-3 AWACS; they controlled a fight in W-157 and another in the Bulldog MOA in the afternoon. At night, the UH-60s and AH-64s at Hunter AAF are usually up in good numbers, but there were only a few in the afternoon and evening today.
On amateur radio, I didn't hear any DX this morning. I usually hear some European stations on 20-meters and 17-meters around 0800-1000 local, but not today. 40-meters didn't want to cooperate either, as I had poor to almost no copy on all of today's South CARS net control stations. We did have a good 6-Meter net tonight, including two new check-ins: Bob, W4WTO and Mark, KA4CID. After the net, some of us hung around and ragchewed on 50.130 USB until just after 2200 local. After we cleared from 50.130, I tuned around on 40 meters, working AG5Z in Mississippi and NF20 in Vermont. Ron, NF2O was my first contact to Vermont on a band other than 6-Meters!
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
On amateur radio, I didn't hear any DX this morning. I usually hear some European stations on 20-meters and 17-meters around 0800-1000 local, but not today. 40-meters didn't want to cooperate either, as I had poor to almost no copy on all of today's South CARS net control stations. We did have a good 6-Meter net tonight, including two new check-ins: Bob, W4WTO and Mark, KA4CID. After the net, some of us hung around and ragchewed on 50.130 USB until just after 2200 local. After we cleared from 50.130, I tuned around on 40 meters, working AG5Z in Mississippi and NF20 in Vermont. Ron, NF2O was my first contact to Vermont on a band other than 6-Meters!
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
21 November 2008
Why Let Encryption Ruin Your Enjoyment of the Hobby?
Yesterday I read a post on a scanning related email group that disturbed me. The poster stated that he was selling his BC-396 scanner because the law enforcement agency that he monitored had gone encrypted. Why allow the loss of one monitoring target to ruin your enjoyment of the scanning and monitoring hobby?
There is so much RF floating around out there to tune in to. If one target goes away there is plenty left to listen to, especially with a radio like the BC-396. Aviation signals are always fairly easy to pick up, especially from higher altitude civil flights. If you live near the coast, there is plenty of marine VHF traffic to hear. If you live near military bases or training areas, there is MilCom to monitor. Almost anywhere there are business systems to monitor. If you like public safety monitoring and the PD goes encrypted, pay more attention to EMS or Fire communications (an active fireground is always more interesting to monitor than a PD anyway!) instead.
Too often, I think, we pigeon-hole ourselves into just one type of scanning or monitoring. We forget that there is plenty more to listen to than just our favorite target. As a result we are quick to get discouraged and cry out that the hobby is dying. Tune around other bands and other forms of monitoring every now and then. Enjoy what is out there to listen to. Don't let the loss of one form of monitoring ruin your enjoyment of the radio hobby!
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
There is so much RF floating around out there to tune in to. If one target goes away there is plenty left to listen to, especially with a radio like the BC-396. Aviation signals are always fairly easy to pick up, especially from higher altitude civil flights. If you live near the coast, there is plenty of marine VHF traffic to hear. If you live near military bases or training areas, there is MilCom to monitor. Almost anywhere there are business systems to monitor. If you like public safety monitoring and the PD goes encrypted, pay more attention to EMS or Fire communications (an active fireground is always more interesting to monitor than a PD anyway!) instead.
Too often, I think, we pigeon-hole ourselves into just one type of scanning or monitoring. We forget that there is plenty more to listen to than just our favorite target. As a result we are quick to get discouraged and cry out that the hobby is dying. Tune around other bands and other forms of monitoring every now and then. Enjoy what is out there to listen to. Don't let the loss of one form of monitoring ruin your enjoyment of the radio hobby!
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
15 November 2008
Space Shuttle Endeavour
Last night, a group of Amateur Radio Operators from the Savannah area met at the pavilion on the south end of Tybee Island to watch and monitor the launch of the Shuttle Endeavour. Despite weather that wasn't favorable for viewing, we met at the Pavilion around 1900 hours to prepare for the 1955 hours launch. Amongst those gathered were Kevin Bell - WD0GFG, Robert Owen - KJ4HAL, Guy McDonald - K4GTM and his son Jackson, Lowell Beckner - N4ZLJ and his wife, and Dan Scott, KF4MND and his daughter. Bob Harman - W4WTO, Mark Bolton, KA4CID, Ed Bigbie - W4MMQ, and Jerry Pearlman -W4SGA were also taking part via radio.
Surprisingly, of the three of us to try to listen in to the launch on 259.700, I was the only one to hear anything. Guy tried with his Yaesu VX-7R and Robert tried with his Radio Shack Pro-164. My BC-396 with the Diamond RH-77 antenna picked up 4 transmissions including "Negative Return" and "Press to MECO." I was asked why I thought I was the only one to hear it and my best guess would have to be antenna. The VX-7R could have sensitivity problems in the mil-UHF range, but many of the recent Yaesu radios seem to do pretty well for most of the mil-UHF range. Guy was using the stock VX-7R antenna, which as an amateur radio antenna may just not be tuned well for that range. The RH-77 is an amateur antenna, but is only dual band (as opposed to tri band 2m, 6m, 70cm for the VX-7R) and just happens to make an excellent scanner antenna. Although I don't know how well the Pro-164 works on mil-UHF, I have to assume it does well because I think it is made by GRE. GRE products usually perform quite well in that frequency range. Robert was using a stock antenna, which could very well explain why he didn't hear anything; those stock antennas rarely perform well for mil-UHF.
I really had fun with this activity; I think the whole group did. After the launch, most of us adjourned to Spanky's Beachside for dinner. I enjoyed not only getting to see a brief part of the launch first hand, but also just getting out with some fellow hams for a bit. I had talked to Lowell on the radio a few times, so it was good to meet him in person. We also exposed a few folks who passed by and were gathering on the pavilion to look for the shuttle launch to radio monitoring and amateur radio. Most had no idea you could listen to the shuttle via radio!
If we get the chance to do this again, I do belive I will bring a different setup for monitoring. One of the BC-780s along with an amplified speaker to boost the audio over the wind and surf noise would work better. I also plan to take something capable of receiving HF, perhaps the the DJ-X10T so we can monitor the Booster Recovery Net. The BRD net would be a good backup the the retransmitted NASA audio (countdown is provided to the booster recover vessels over HF).
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Guy - K4GTM and Dan - KF4MND get their radios ready to go while Jackson passes time playing a video game prior to launch time.
The initial plan involved Dan transmitting NASA audio through the 146.700 repeater from his home station. Unfortunately, propagation didn't support him getting into the 146.700 well from his home in Long County throughout the evening. As a result, the feed suffered from poor audio most of the night (although predictably it did work perfectly after the launch!). We substituted with audio from Kevin's laptop through a wireless connection until his laptop battery died and then via updates from Bob, Mark, and Jerry via the 147.330 repeater.
Lowell - N4ZLJ and his wife, Robert - KJ4HAL, and Kevin, WDoGFG get updates over the 146.700 and 147.330 repeaters.
Surprisingly, of the three of us to try to listen in to the launch on 259.700, I was the only one to hear anything. Guy tried with his Yaesu VX-7R and Robert tried with his Radio Shack Pro-164. My BC-396 with the Diamond RH-77 antenna picked up 4 transmissions including "Negative Return" and "Press to MECO." I was asked why I thought I was the only one to hear it and my best guess would have to be antenna. The VX-7R could have sensitivity problems in the mil-UHF range, but many of the recent Yaesu radios seem to do pretty well for most of the mil-UHF range. Guy was using the stock VX-7R antenna, which as an amateur radio antenna may just not be tuned well for that range. The RH-77 is an amateur antenna, but is only dual band (as opposed to tri band 2m, 6m, 70cm for the VX-7R) and just happens to make an excellent scanner antenna. Although I don't know how well the Pro-164 works on mil-UHF, I have to assume it does well because I think it is made by GRE. GRE products usually perform quite well in that frequency range. Robert was using a stock antenna, which could very well explain why he didn't hear anything; those stock antennas rarely perform well for mil-UHF.
I really had fun with this activity; I think the whole group did. After the launch, most of us adjourned to Spanky's Beachside for dinner. I enjoyed not only getting to see a brief part of the launch first hand, but also just getting out with some fellow hams for a bit. I had talked to Lowell on the radio a few times, so it was good to meet him in person. We also exposed a few folks who passed by and were gathering on the pavilion to look for the shuttle launch to radio monitoring and amateur radio. Most had no idea you could listen to the shuttle via radio!
If we get the chance to do this again, I do belive I will bring a different setup for monitoring. One of the BC-780s along with an amplified speaker to boost the audio over the wind and surf noise would work better. I also plan to take something capable of receiving HF, perhaps the the DJ-X10T so we can monitor the Booster Recovery Net. The BRD net would be a good backup the the retransmitted NASA audio (countdown is provided to the booster recover vessels over HF).
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
13 October 2008
Recently Modified Shack Layout
I recently made some changes to my monitoring/amateur radio shack. I had several goals in mind: 1) reduce RFI and heat from the old CRT monitor, 2) facilitate dual monitoring/use of the 2 Meters and HF amateur bands, and 3) make use of the radio controls more convenient. All three of the goals were accomplished with minimal effort.
The photo above shows the full station layout. To the left is a new 15" Acer LCD monitor for the computer. The LCD takes up less space, generates far less heat, and is much lighter than the old CRT. It has taken stress off of the desk, reduced the temperature around the radios, and has allowed me to move the radios closer to my seating position. I've angled the radios toward me to allow for easier viewing. The first bank of scanners next to the LCD are (top to bottom) 2 Uniden BC780XLTs and a Uniden BC796D. The second bank of scanners are a Radio Shack Pro-2050, a Radio Shack Pro-2052, and a Radio Shack Pro-2005. On the far right end of the desk is a Yaesu FT-897D with an LDG AT-897 tuner and a Yaesu FT-2800 (the speaker goes to the 897, I'm using the internal speaker for the 2800).
The two BC780XLTs scan military aviation. One is programmed with unit frequencies, the other is programmed with operating area, range, and aerial refueling frequencies. The BC796D is programmed with the Chatham-Effingham TRS, the Fort Stewart-Hunter AAF TRS, and various conventional VHF/UHF frequencies. The Pro-2050 is more or less a reserve radio that gets pressed into occaisonal use for finding new analog TGs or scanning VHF/UHF public safety conventional frequencies. The Pro-2052 is used to scan military low band frequencies and some UHF military airband frequencies.
The Yaesu FT-897D is fed from a G5RV inverted vee for HF. It shares a Jetstream JTB4 triband vertical with the FT-2800 for the 6 Meter, 2 Meter, and 70cm bands. Under normal operating conditions, the triband vertical stays connected to the FT-2800. I use the FT-897D for both amateur radio operations and utility monitoring. The FT-2800 also has marine VHF frequencies programmed in for monitoring the Coast Guard. Despite being at the far end of the desk, my long arms are able to work all of the controls on both radios. Many of the FT-897s functions can also be controlled by the computer with Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD). I usually have HRD running, but I generally use it only for logging purposes; there is still something fun about touching the radio and spinning the dial.
Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
The photo above shows the full station layout. To the left is a new 15" Acer LCD monitor for the computer. The LCD takes up less space, generates far less heat, and is much lighter than the old CRT. It has taken stress off of the desk, reduced the temperature around the radios, and has allowed me to move the radios closer to my seating position. I've angled the radios toward me to allow for easier viewing. The first bank of scanners next to the LCD are (top to bottom) 2 Uniden BC780XLTs and a Uniden BC796D. The second bank of scanners are a Radio Shack Pro-2050, a Radio Shack Pro-2052, and a Radio Shack Pro-2005. On the far right end of the desk is a Yaesu FT-897D with an LDG AT-897 tuner and a Yaesu FT-2800 (the speaker goes to the 897, I'm using the internal speaker for the 2800).
The two BC780XLTs scan military aviation. One is programmed with unit frequencies, the other is programmed with operating area, range, and aerial refueling frequencies. The BC796D is programmed with the Chatham-Effingham TRS, the Fort Stewart-Hunter AAF TRS, and various conventional VHF/UHF frequencies. The Pro-2050 is more or less a reserve radio that gets pressed into occaisonal use for finding new analog TGs or scanning VHF/UHF public safety conventional frequencies. The Pro-2052 is used to scan military low band frequencies and some UHF military airband frequencies. The Yaesu FT-897D is fed from a G5RV inverted vee for HF. It shares a Jetstream JTB4 triband vertical with the FT-2800 for the 6 Meter, 2 Meter, and 70cm bands. Under normal operating conditions, the triband vertical stays connected to the FT-2800. I use the FT-897D for both amateur radio operations and utility monitoring. The FT-2800 also has marine VHF frequencies programmed in for monitoring the Coast Guard. Despite being at the far end of the desk, my long arms are able to work all of the controls on both radios. Many of the FT-897s functions can also be controlled by the computer with Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD). I usually have HRD running, but I generally use it only for logging purposes; there is still something fun about touching the radio and spinning the dial.Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
19 May 2008
Bicylce Portable
I was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Exercise is the order of the day now, but I just can't get into walking so I bought a bicycle. After a week or so of riding the bicycle, I decided that I wanted to be able to bring along a radio, be it an amatuer radio HT or a portable scanner.
I tried clipping a radio to my belt, but that just didn't work out well; I couldn't hear it very well. Earphones of some sort are out of the question because their use on the road would be unsafe. I recently removed a RAM portable radio mount from the car after replacing the mobile BC780 with a BC996 (more on that in a future post). Searching the RAM website I came across a ball mount used for 3/4' - 1' diameter boat railings (just the size of the tubing used in the bicycle handlebars). The ball mount, part number RAM-231 (top photo below), easily fit onto the handlebars and the portable radio mount attached to the ball mount.
I tried clipping a radio to my belt, but that just didn't work out well; I couldn't hear it very well. Earphones of some sort are out of the question because their use on the road would be unsafe. I recently removed a RAM portable radio mount from the car after replacing the mobile BC780 with a BC996 (more on that in a future post). Searching the RAM website I came across a ball mount used for 3/4' - 1' diameter boat railings (just the size of the tubing used in the bicycle handlebars). The ball mount, part number RAM-231 (top photo below), easily fit onto the handlebars and the portable radio mount attached to the ball mount.
The radio now mounts in front of me in a good position. Most importantly, I don't have to take my eyes completely off of the road to see the display, press a button, or turn a knob. The speaker fires directly toward me, making the radio easy to hear. So far both the Uniden BC396 and the Yaesu VX-150 work well with this mount, allowing me to get the exercise I need to lose weight and stay healthy and enjoy my favorite hobby.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
21 May 2007
My Start in the Radio Hobby
When I first saw Brian Cave, AB4BC's blog I really enjoyed his post on how he got started in the radio hobby. It planted the seed in my head to write something similar and now I've finally gotten around to it. It seemed there was always a radio of some sort around in my childhood.
Ever since I had my first AM/FM broadcast radio, I've always gone to sleep listening to music on the radio. I don't know how it started, or why I started doing it but it is a habit that I have continued to this day. I actually wake up if the electricity goes out and the radio goes off! Besides listening to the radio while falling asleep, I also like to turn the knob and see what all is out there to listen to.
Growing up, I remember my father having a scanner around the house to listen to Fire Department and Ambulance communications. The first scanner I can remember was one of the cool old Regency crystal units with the big red LEDs to indicate which channel was active. At that point, we lived in New Orleans, a city where there was always something going on. It was great fun to listen to such a busy fire department and to watch the red lights flash in trail as the radio scanned through the few channels it had (16 at the most, maybe less, I just don't remember now). I recall my father going through some crystal controlled scanners with progressively more channels (and smaller LEDs...), an early non-crystal scanner (still with the LEDs...), and finally a Radio Shack Pro-2006.
I grew up in a military family. Both my father's and mother's families lived here in Georgia and my father was stationed in California, Maryland, and Louisiana before he retired. Several "cross country" trips were made during that time, and I always remember my father having a CB radio in the car or truck. For some reason, I was always attracted to the CB radio. As a child, I had my own toy radio, made out a shoe box, some spare knobs, and an old microphone. It was nothing fancy, but I loved it and always had fun with it. Having forgotten many toys, it really is one of the toys that I have always remembered.
Having grown up around both the military and radios, it was probably inevitable that the two interests would at some point converge. Around the time I first got on the internet, I also discovered just what the Pro-2006 was capable of. It didn't take long to find email groups such as MilCom and Flacom and to meet those who mentored me into moving beyond public safety monitoring and into the hobby of military monitoring. I am very thankful to Larry Van Horn, Al Stern, Paul Cobb, Bob Langley, and Bill Collins, among others who will remain nameless because of their lines of work. I apologize profusely if I have left anyone out.
Around the time I graduated from college, I became interested in amateur radio through a friend and his father: Ralph Quinn, KF4HII and Ralph Quinn, KE4TQG, now W4REQ. Once I became an amateur radio operator, I became interested in emergency communications and event communications. Through event communications I learned net procedures and radio techniques that were a necessity when I did volunteer communications during the 1997 Indy Lights Savannah Grand Prix and during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. During the Savannah Grand Prix, I worked in the communications center from the day the site opened to the last day of competition, helping coordinate everything from administration to security to track workers to "port-a-suck" trucks for the port-a-johns. During Hurricane Floyd I was a communications volunteer in the Chatham County Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Operations Center with Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES). Other amateur radio operators besides the Quinns that I have learned much from have been David Carter, KC4WSD, Ed Woodson, NC5S, Stacy Aaron WA4IDS, and Kurt Hoffman, N4CVF. I learned and still learn something a little bit different from each, from operational techniques to electronics and technology.
All of this became of great importance in 2001 when I quit my job in retail pharmacy and entered the field of communications. I have no doubt that my scanning and monitoring experiences as well as my amateur radio and event communications experience have made me better at my job. As opposed to a technically minded radio hobbyist, I have always considered myself more of an operationally minded radio hobbyist. All of the operating techniques that I learned and absorbed through the radio hobby come into play every day that I go to work.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
Ever since I had my first AM/FM broadcast radio, I've always gone to sleep listening to music on the radio. I don't know how it started, or why I started doing it but it is a habit that I have continued to this day. I actually wake up if the electricity goes out and the radio goes off! Besides listening to the radio while falling asleep, I also like to turn the knob and see what all is out there to listen to.
Growing up, I remember my father having a scanner around the house to listen to Fire Department and Ambulance communications. The first scanner I can remember was one of the cool old Regency crystal units with the big red LEDs to indicate which channel was active. At that point, we lived in New Orleans, a city where there was always something going on. It was great fun to listen to such a busy fire department and to watch the red lights flash in trail as the radio scanned through the few channels it had (16 at the most, maybe less, I just don't remember now). I recall my father going through some crystal controlled scanners with progressively more channels (and smaller LEDs...), an early non-crystal scanner (still with the LEDs...), and finally a Radio Shack Pro-2006.
I grew up in a military family. Both my father's and mother's families lived here in Georgia and my father was stationed in California, Maryland, and Louisiana before he retired. Several "cross country" trips were made during that time, and I always remember my father having a CB radio in the car or truck. For some reason, I was always attracted to the CB radio. As a child, I had my own toy radio, made out a shoe box, some spare knobs, and an old microphone. It was nothing fancy, but I loved it and always had fun with it. Having forgotten many toys, it really is one of the toys that I have always remembered.
Having grown up around both the military and radios, it was probably inevitable that the two interests would at some point converge. Around the time I first got on the internet, I also discovered just what the Pro-2006 was capable of. It didn't take long to find email groups such as MilCom and Flacom and to meet those who mentored me into moving beyond public safety monitoring and into the hobby of military monitoring. I am very thankful to Larry Van Horn, Al Stern, Paul Cobb, Bob Langley, and Bill Collins, among others who will remain nameless because of their lines of work. I apologize profusely if I have left anyone out.
Around the time I graduated from college, I became interested in amateur radio through a friend and his father: Ralph Quinn, KF4HII and Ralph Quinn, KE4TQG, now W4REQ. Once I became an amateur radio operator, I became interested in emergency communications and event communications. Through event communications I learned net procedures and radio techniques that were a necessity when I did volunteer communications during the 1997 Indy Lights Savannah Grand Prix and during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. During the Savannah Grand Prix, I worked in the communications center from the day the site opened to the last day of competition, helping coordinate everything from administration to security to track workers to "port-a-suck" trucks for the port-a-johns. During Hurricane Floyd I was a communications volunteer in the Chatham County Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Operations Center with Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES). Other amateur radio operators besides the Quinns that I have learned much from have been David Carter, KC4WSD, Ed Woodson, NC5S, Stacy Aaron WA4IDS, and Kurt Hoffman, N4CVF. I learned and still learn something a little bit different from each, from operational techniques to electronics and technology.
All of this became of great importance in 2001 when I quit my job in retail pharmacy and entered the field of communications. I have no doubt that my scanning and monitoring experiences as well as my amateur radio and event communications experience have made me better at my job. As opposed to a technically minded radio hobbyist, I have always considered myself more of an operationally minded radio hobbyist. All of the operating techniques that I learned and absorbed through the radio hobby come into play every day that I go to work.
Mac McCormick, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net
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