International Amateur Radio Union
Region 1
Working for the future of amateur radio
First EmCom party on the Air
Nov. 18th, 2006 11.00 – 15.00 UTC
IARU Region 1 invites HQ-stations of its member societies and stations of special emergency communication groups to participate ‘First EmCom party on the Air’ November 18th, 2006 at 11.00 – 15.00 utc. The operation will happen on our emergency center-of-activity frequencies on 40, 20 and 15 meters (+/-QRM). During the first party we will not use our frequencies on 80 and 17 meters.
The objective of the party is to 1) increase the common interest among member societies in emergency communication, 2) test how usable these frequencies are cross the Region 1 and 3) create practices for international emergency communication between Region 1 member societies and special emergency communication groups. There are also some special stations invited to participate like 4U1ITU, TP2CE and ITU conference station from Turkey.
During the first party we will concentrate into two first objectives. The tentative plan is to organize this kind of party twice a year. Please remember: This is not a contest – this is an emergency communication exercise!
The protocol is following:
IARU Region 1 HQ station during this first party is OF3F in Finland. It will be QRV simultaneously on all three bands: 7060, 14 300 and 21 360 kHz.
Stations are calling: This is HQ station of (RSGB, REF etc.) calling Region 1 EmCom stations (Please announce time to time ‘this is an exercise’).
During first three hours each participating station will try to contact OF3F and also as many other national HQ and special group -stations as possible. During the last hour (14.00 – 15.00 UTC) national HQ and special group -stations will contact again OF3F for reporting. This reporting will take place only on one band. All traffic in the party will happen on SSB.
The message during the first three hours consists of eight numbers and the abbreviation of the national society/special group - in other words: real RS -report, number of bands simultaneously in use and number of operators, the transmitter power and the name of the society/group (like RSGB, REF etc.). We will use ‘slash’ to separate details while changing messages: e.g. 4U1ITU could give to OF3F following information: 59/3/03/500/ITU
RS = 59 (readability 5, strength 9)
3 = number of bands simultaneously in use at 4U1ITU
03 = there are 3 operators at 4U1ITU
500 = 4U1ITU runs 500 W
ITU = ITU
The message to IARU Region 1 HQ station OF3F during the last hour will be following: RS + total number of Region 1 societies/groups contacted during the party + same number on 7, 14 and 21 MHz. E.g. 4U1ITU gives to OF3F: 59/28/00/23/15
RS = 59
28 = total of 28 different HQ/special group -stations contacted
00 = no contacts made on 7 MHz
23 = 23 different HQ/special group -stations contacted on 14 MHz
15 = 15 different HQ/special group -stations contacted on 21 MHz
We ask all participants to keep up logs for analyses. Please follow up Region 1 Emergency Communication pages for possible extra information. The summary of the party will be published in December 2006.
You are welcome to participate and please do not hesitate to contact us for more information. We would like to collect as much information as possible for the planning of the possible second EmCom -party in March/April 2007.
Seppo Sisättö OH1VR
Emergency Communication Coordinator,
IARU Region 1
E-mail: seppo sisatto at uta.fi