[FLARES] ARRL BOD Report on ARES

[Jim Goldsberry]

Hello Bob,

I am well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of digital
communications for traffic handling.   At the present time we have at least
three experienced traffic handlers here in FL passing NTS traffic on a
regular basis, WX4H, KA4FZI and NR2F.

Using all the modes available is not the issue.  The issue is the ARRL
removing its support of the NTS and letting it just float along by itself.
Please read the report.  If you, or anyone, would like to have a copy I will
be happy to send it to you.

Thanks for your reply and 73,
Jim KD4GR
SEC SFL


----- Original Message -----
From: "Harvey, Robert" <rharvey@harris.com>
To: "'Jim Goldsberry'" <kd4gr@comcast.net>
Cc: <flares@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2003 10:26 PM
Subject: RE: [FLARES] ARRL BOD Report on ARES


> Jim
>
> Sherri Brower attend our Harris amateur radio club meeting last week.  She
> mentioned there have been suggestions that the NTS move to a digital net
in
> order to speed up the movement of message traffic.  I am a member of Navy
MARS.
> We use AMTOR both at the state and regional level.  It is more reliable
than
> voice.  Navy MARS HQ has sent a message requesting those members who run
Pactor
> III to participate in a nation wide test of Pactor III.  Lets keep an open
mind
> and try a faster means of communications.  The amateur community has
always been
> on the leading edge of technology.  Lets consider taking a national asset,
NTS,
> and upgrading it to meet the requirements of emergency management
personnel.
>
> Bob Harvey
> K4FSS
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Goldsberry [mailto:kd4gr@comcast.net]
> Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 11:53 PM
> To: flares@mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [FLARES] ARRL BOD Report on ARES
>
>
> The ARRL Board of Directors has received its report from the Volunteer
Resources
> Committee on our Field Services Organization.  Their is a very brief
summary of
> the report on the ARRL website.  The following is a excerpt from the
minutes of
> the BOD meeting:
>
> 25. Mr. Walstrom, as Chairman, continued with the report of the Volunteer
> Resources Committee. On motion of Mr. Walstrom, seconded by Mr. Fallon,
the
> following resolution was proposed:
>
> WHEREAS, there are situations when the Amateur Radio Emergency Service
(ARES)
> must have the capability to pass traffic across the nation quickly and
> accurately, and
>
> WHEREAS, future expectations of ARES for such a nationwide emergency
message
> handling capability will likely increase, especially with the ARRL's
recent new
> Citizens Corps partnership with the Department for Homeland Security, and
>
> WHEREAS, such a capability is not currently available to ARES,
>
> THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of the American Radio
Relay
> League immediately establish an ad hoc committee of members to develop a
> comprehensive program to enhance the current ARES emergency communications
> capability to include rapid and accurate handling of long range
(inter-state,
> national, and international) emergency communications. The efforts of this
> committee will be coordinated with the ARRL Headquarters Field and
Educational
> Services Department and overseen by the Volunteer Resources Committee.
This
> committee will provide a preliminary plan to be presented to the Board at
its
> Annual Meeting in January, 2004, and a final plan to implement these new
> capabilities of the ARES to be presented to the Board at the July 2004
meeting.
>
> On motion of Mr. Stinson, seconded by Mr. Milnes, it was voted to AMEND
the
> original motion by striking "WHEREAS, such a capability is not currently
> available to ARES." The question then being on the motion as amended, the
> resolution was unanimously ADOPTED.
>
>
>
> This may sound positive for ARES but the report itself is very negetive
> concerning the National Traffic System (NTS).  This may not seem to have
much of
> an impact on ARES at first glance, however, the NTS is really our lifeline
out a
> disaster area for any type of long distance messages.
>
> I feel we should communicate with our SE Division Director, Frank Butler,
W4RH,
> who is a member of the VRC, and let him know that ARES and NTS are both an
> integral part of our emergency communications plan here is Florida.  The
NTS is
> included in our state Emergency Operating Schedule which provides Net
Controls
> from the various Florida NTS phone traffic net
>
> I hope this will be a prime point of discussion at the Melbourne Hamfest.
If
> you would like to have a copy of the complete VRC report send an email to
me and
> I will forward it to you.
>
>
>
> 73,
>
> Jim KD4GR
>
> SEC SFL
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
> multipart/alternative
>   text/plain (text body -- kept)
>   text/html
> The reason this message is shown is because the post was in HTML
> or had an attachment.  Attachments are not allowed.  To learn how
> to post in Plain-Text go to: http://www.expita.com/nomime.html  ---
> _______________________________________________
> FLARES mailing list
> FLARES@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/flares