DART EMERGENCY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS EXERCISE
On December 15, 2012, a number of radio amateurs who are members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary took part in a DART Emergency Preparedness Drill, designed to support the active duty Coast Guard in the event of a local disaster, such as an earthquake, or a national emergency with portable, battery-powered radio communications. The primary goal was to set up portable HF and VHF stations which could pass both voice and digital messages between Coast Guard assets, such as coastal bases and cutters. All radio communication was done via NTIA government radio frequencies, rather than FCC amateur radio bands.
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| Gordo & I Checking Into The DART Exercise |
Gordon West WB6NOA and I were assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal, based in Newport Beach, California. We handled messages on VHF & HF (1.8-30 MHz) in both voice and digital modes via the MT63 protocol. Once the assigned DART Test Message was received, we checked it for errors and then delivered a printed hard copy to the Officer of The Day, PO2 R. Ulrich, aboard the Cutter Narwhal.
The DART Test also gave us a chance to check out a new portable HF antenna called the Great Lakes All-Bander, designed by Danny Althouse N0BRN.
The Great Lakes All-Bander is the first portable HF antenna of its kind to be designed SPECIFICALLY for MARS, USCG Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol, SHARES, Red Cross, Marine SSB, and other frequencies that operate on high frequency (1.8-30 MHz) OUTSIDE the amateur radio bands.
The Great Lakes All-Bander antenna was a roaring success on both voice and digital modes. It was extremely easy to load on the various "out-of-band" frequencies we used, by merely setting the two sets of jumpers for the "in between" bands (see photo below) and then "tweaking" with my LDG automatic antenna tuner. I easily got a 1:1 SWR reading on my specially NTIA-modified Yaesu FT-897D! Although the total height of the antenna stands at about 9 feet (114 inches with mag mount), it is relatively light weight and is easily handled by the 5" Tram magnetic mount shown here. On the amateur bands, the antenna performed equally well mounted on a heavy duty camera tripod, using four 16' counterpoise wires for a ground plane effect. Great Lakes Antennas sells a very nice machined aluminum TRIPOD MOUNT for $24.95 + Free Shipping ($19.95 when purchased with the All-Bander Antenna). The tripod mount includes a stainless steel 3/8 X 24 to SO-239 connector.
Delivering The Hard Copy DART Message To PO2 R. Ulrich
The DART Test also gave us a chance to check out a new portable HF antenna called the Great Lakes All-Bander, designed by Danny Althouse N0BRN.
My "Car Trunk" Portable HF/VHF Station w/ Battery Backup
The All-Bander HF Antenna Is On The Roof - VHF On Trunk
GREAT LAKES ALL-BANDER HF ANTENNA
The Great Lakes All-Bander is the first portable HF antenna of its kind to be designed SPECIFICALLY for MARS, USCG Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol, SHARES, Red Cross, Marine SSB, and other frequencies that operate on high frequency (1.8-30 MHz) OUTSIDE the amateur radio bands.
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| Radios: Yaesu FT-897D HF & Vertex VX-4204 Part 90 VHF Radio The Portable HT is a Vertex VX-929 VHF Part 90 Radio As Well The Dell Mini-9 Netbook Is Used For MT63 Digital Transmissions HP Battery-Powered Printer Is Used For Printing MT63 Messages |
The Great Lakes All-Bander antenna was a roaring success on both voice and digital modes. It was extremely easy to load on the various "out-of-band" frequencies we used, by merely setting the two sets of jumpers for the "in between" bands (see photo below) and then "tweaking" with my LDG automatic antenna tuner. I easily got a 1:1 SWR reading on my specially NTIA-modified Yaesu FT-897D! Although the total height of the antenna stands at about 9 feet (114 inches with mag mount), it is relatively light weight and is easily handled by the 5" Tram magnetic mount shown here. On the amateur bands, the antenna performed equally well mounted on a heavy duty camera tripod, using four 16' counterpoise wires for a ground plane effect. Great Lakes Antennas sells a very nice machined aluminum TRIPOD MOUNT for $24.95 + Free Shipping ($19.95 when purchased with the All-Bander Antenna). The tripod mount includes a stainless steel 3/8 X 24 to SO-239 connector.
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| Great Lakes All-Bander w/ Its Dual Jumper Setup Great Ground Plane w/ Mag Mount On Car Roof The Coil Is Completely Sealed For Marine Use |
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| Nine Foot All-Bander On A Heavy Tram-Browning 5" Magnetic Mount Roof Mounting Provided A Great Ground Plane |
WHERE CAN YOU BUY THE ALL-BANDER ANTENNA?
The newly-improved 2013 model of the Great Lakes All-Bander Antenna (80-10 Meters) sells for $199.00 with Free Shipping + a 10% discount for members of MARS and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Available only from www.greatlakesantennas.com. Improvements in the 2013 model of the “All-Bander” includes machined stainless steel end caps on the coil, enhanced waterproofing for marine applications, and more flexible band jumper wires.
The custom-designed machined aluminum tripod mount is $19.95 when purchased
with the antenna -- $24.95 + Free Shipping, when purchased separately. The
tripod mount includes a stainless steel 3/8 X 24 to SO-239 connector.
The Great Lakes “All-Bander Jr.” (40-10 Meters) will be
made available for sale at a lower price sometime in March-April 2013. Please feel free to email me at w6aux@arrl.net, should you have any questions or to be notified when this new version of the All-Bander becomes available.
73's!
Jason
Thank you for sharing this knowledge. Tornadoes and other nature disasters are something quite common all over the world. If you know your area is a dangerous zone and often suffers the whims of nature, then you surely have some survival kit and preparedness plan close at hand. If that is the case then you’ve done almost all of the necessary steps to prepare for a disaster. See more http://survival-mastery.com/skills/communication/best-emergency-radio.html
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