[FADCA] Digital and Emergency Planning

[bud Thompson]

Deltona
Sunday March 3 1200EST

Hi, Russ - and List!

I could try to answer the questions you pose below, but will cut it short,
taking a different route, though one important question there  will be
addressed.

Rick, KN6KB and I will be getting together for a day sometime this month to
brain-storm a suggested plan for supporting emergency communications
preparedness in the state of Florida using digital ham radio.  We will be
taking into consideration those questions and concerns recently
posted/expressed in the FADCA forum over the past week.  The discussion has
been most helpful - thanks to all who are participating.

As a core member of the WL2K development team, Rick has total insight to the
Winlink 2000 system and Airmail e-mail client (terminal program). He also
has access for making recommendations for changes/improvements to the
systems which might enhance their application to emergency planning.

My part of this is that I know how the layered network we are upgrading is
suppose to work, the coverage it now has, and what coverage it could have
once fully implemented.  I have been working on the overall plan to use
WL2K/Airmail and the layered network for local emergency communications for
nearly two years.  I have had 15 years of HF and vhf digital network
operations experience to help tie all this tougher.  I can also call upon
the Seminole County ARES/RACES group to field test implementation at the
tactical level.

What Rick and I will come up with will be a draft methodology and plan for
implementation.  We will publish this for review to interested and relevant
parties/groups.  We will be receptive to input that will be beneficial to
The Cause, and incorporate those that are needed.  We will then go about
making suggestions for any modifications to programs/networks that would be
needed.  A plan will be developed for implementation at the local level.

Armed with this plan, anyone can go to local groups (ARES/RACES/Government)
to "sell" them on joining the implementation to create the spider web
throughout the state.

None of this should halt our continuing work on the hardware, switches, and
sites to upgrade and expand the layered network. to the contrary, nothing
Rick and I will recommend will change the need for the network as has been
in the (loose) plan for several years.  Hurry it along!

There is one major item that needs to be settled . . .(From Russ' last
note - below)

> 6.  Is there anyone that can work with the SEOC to facilitate the
application and/or utilization of the resources we can provide?

Bingo!

So far as I know, this is the situation - it is political and may require a
political solution.  I'm not good at political solutions.

First, the SEOC is in a zone-restricted area and cannot put up much in the
way of antennas! (Really, that is what I'm told!) - Hey, the four-year old
multi-million dollar Seminole County EOC which is the 1st alternate State
EOC is the same. You cannot see an antenna on the building. That EOC is out
in the country! Arrrghh!  Our HF wire antenna is not more than 29 inches off
the roof at the tallest point.

Next - The SEDAN network has the EOC tied up so far as digital is concerned.
There is a PK-232 MBX there on 145.77 so far as I know.  I don't believe
there is anything automatic after the PK-232 boots up.  It probably is
attached to a computer for drills.

The SEDAN rules indicated in one of my earlier notes regarding maximum
message text size and BBS-to-BBS transfers renders this packet station
useless for anything but messages that could be more efficiently processed
on voice (or preferably cw).

So- if anyone out there really has a political "in" at the State EOC
emergency communications planning office, please contact me so we can get an
audience there.  We need at least an HF PacTOR MBO there along with a vhf
link to the layered network - which isn't to Tallahassee yet!

Please Do NOT make any direct contacts without first checking with me.  We
need someone making that contact who understands what we are trying to do -
but who has the "in".  I know what we are trying to do and can make an
awesome presentation... but .... but... I have been stung twice so far at
the door  - thwarted and blocked by SEDAN - and I do not have any clout.

Get me past the SEDAN gatekeeper and I can deliver!

73,
bud N0IA


----- Original Message -----
From: <highlandfl@telocity.com>
To: <fadca@mailman.qth.net>
Cc: <willy3jax@telocity.com>; <jimmor@aug.com>; <budt@cfl.rr.com>;
<paul@vns.net>; <n4zfh@juno.com>; <wa8kne@arrl.net>
Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 12:42 AM
Subject: Re: [FADCA] Digital and Emergency Planning


> Bud, thank you for summarizing the original query and focus of the
discussion (disaster communications from the "effected area" to the nearest
entry point to the internet to handle traffic to and from the SEOC when the
phone lines and other service's radio systems are not working in the
"effected area" or are not capable of handing the volume and diverstity of
traffic) and the real subject of my intended discussion. Thank you also for
bringing in participants that are doing development work.
>
> I am encouraged by the discussions and the interest I see to increase the
capabilities we  have.  I suspect there are more resources (stations with
VHF and/or UHF ports as well as internet ports) that might be willing to
fullfil one  of Amateur Radio's stated reason for existance
(emergency/disaster  communication support).
>
> I encourage everyone with an interest in any portion of this  discussion
to participate. There appears to be a need for some additional message
threads or discussion groups regarding some of the different programs as
well as Operating Systems.
>
> I think we need to focus our discussion on:
>
> 1.  What are our current resources in place today? (What ports -
frequencies - do can  they provide?)
>
> 2.  Where are they located?
>
> 3.  What are their existing coverage areas?
>
> 4.  What capability do they have?
>
> 5.  Can we test them to determine the problems to overcome as well as
begin to  prepare operators to use them?
>
>
> 7.  What do we need to put into  place and where is it needed to provide
state-wide coverage?
>
> 8.  Are there any "interior area" existing resouurces - what I  have seen
listed are "coastal" resources.
>
> Russ, N4KOX
>
> On Sat, 02 March 2002, "bud Thompson" wrote:
>
> >
> > Deltona
> > Saturday Mar 2 0655EST
> >
> > Hi, All -
> >
> > I suggest this thread not be about LINUX vs. Windows/MS, etc. We can
start
> > one if needed, (please include me) but this particular thread (the best
one
> > we have had in years on FADCA!) is confusing enough as few have much
> > previous knowledge about the Winlink 2000 (WL2K) and Airmail system and
> > programs.
> >
> > That said, I'm glad to see we have some LINUX folks available when I
need
> > some help on some other projects here one of these days!
> >
> > This topic started when Russ had a problem with telnet he could not
solve
> > with Windows bud did solve with LINUX - but he was working on some ideas
for
> > supporting emergency communications with digital stations in the Last
Mile
> > (where there is no wire line connection).  I brought in that I was
working
> > on (promoting) the use of the Airmail terminal program for tactical
> > operations which, when tied in with the WL2K system for which it was
> > designed, would let us make the Internet/telnet connection.  My point
was,
> > and still is, that for emergency planning, we will have far too few
> > (trained) hams to participate than we might need, and a greater number
of
> > them will be more familiar with Windows-based programs than with LINUX.
> >
> > In most cases, plans for emergencies include the use of laptops -whether
> > user- or government-owned, and so far as I know there is not a complete
> > system in Florida where the laptops are ready to go for ham use with
LINUX.
> > We will have enough of a problem successfully promoting the use of ham
> > digital, much less an OS that folks don't now have. I know in Seminole
> > County where we now have ten county-supplied laptops and TNCs, my
suggesting
> > we move to a LINUX-based OS would not meet with positive results.
> >
> > If somewhere in the transfer chain outside the Last Mile other operating
> > systems are employed because they are "better" , that is totally
transparent
> > to the ham operating his/her laptop in a shelter.
> >
> > The thread we have going -Emergency Support Using Digital in the Last
Mile -
> > is a good one. I suggest we keep it to this without regard to computer
> > operating systems.  If there is another scheme available other than
> > WL2K/Airmail - bring it on.
> >
> > In this regard, I really appreciate that Rick, KN6KB and possibly Jim,
KE6RK
> > have joined in on the comments. They are part of the WL2K development
team
> > and will keep me honest in my discussion of how the system may be
employed
> > for our purposes
> >
> > - Bring it on.
> >
> > 73,
> > bud Thompson, N0IA
> >
> >
> >
> >
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