
Yes! We would appreciate contributions to this page. Write to [email protected].
This page contains information regarding resources available to emergency communications operators.
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Antennas:
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Base or Field:
- Arrow Antennas - A variety of antennas and accessories
- Comet Antennas - A variety of antennas and accessories
- Cushcraft Antennas - A variety of antennas and accessories
- Diamond Antennas - A variety of antennas and accessories
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Field:
- EE-3 - tri-band portable energency antenna
- Barker and Williamson - Field HF antennas
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Build your own:
- Building a 2 meter quad antenna by WX9DX (Adobe Acrobat format)1
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Base or Field:
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Antenna feedline and accessories:
- Cable X-Perts, Inc - Feedline, connectors, baluns, and accessories
- Field Components, Inc - Cable, connectors, and accessories
- The Original Wireman - Feedline, connectors, baluns, and accessories. The "Wirebook" manual has many tips, including how to install connectors onto coaxial cables.
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Antenna masts and accessories:
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Base:
- Easy-Up - Tripods and stands.
- IIX Equipment Ltd - Antenna mast accessories.
- Penninger Radio - "Tipping" antenna masts and accessories.
- Radio Shack - Antenna mast and mounting accessories.
- Ronard Equipment - Tripods and stands.
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Field:
- Blue Sky Mast - Field masts and mounts.
- In The Swim - Swimming pool telepoles.. may be used as field antenna masts.
- Musician's Friend - Speaker stands may be used as field antenna mast stands.
- Penninger Radio - "Tipping" antenna masts and accessories.
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Base:
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Apparel:
- American Radio Relay League - ARES® caps and vests.
- Barker Specialty Company - Caps, shirts, jackets, vests.
- HamThreads Caps, shirts, jackets, vests.
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Bags and carrying cases:
- Bass Pro Shop - All manner of bags and carryalls. (Use the site's search search feature and enter "BAG".)
- Coleman - All manner of bags and carryalls. (Use the site's search search feature and enter "BAG".)
- Duluth Trading Company - All manner of bags and carryalls. (Select "Organizers & Bags" from top row of buttons.)
- Storm Case - Sturdy cases for sensitive equipment
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Batteries, discount:
- Battery Mart - Sealed Lead Acid, Gel Cell, Rechargeable, and accessories. They also sell AAA, AA, C, D, and 9 volt batteries in bulk.
- Quill - Packaged small batteries
- Wholesale For Everyone - Packaged small batteries
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Batteries, information:
- Wind & Sun alternative energy site - Good information on batteries and how they work.
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Cables, connectors, adaptors, etcetera:
- Antenna/Feedline: (see Antenna feedline and accesories)
- Data/Digital: (see Digital equipment and information: Data cables, adaptors, etcetera)
- Electrical: (see Power: Cables, connectors, etcetera)
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Digital equipment and information:
- St. Louis Metro ARES digital operations
- Pactor - Description of PACTOR
- Tigertronics - Modems, soundcard interfaces, and other digital items
- Digipan - Soundcard interface freeware
- Bux Comm - Soundcard interfaces and information about digital radio
- AGW - "AGW Packet Engine" software for soundcard interfaces, "AGW Packet Pro", "AGW Term", and more.
- UISS Packet - Windows Packet Program
- Winlink 2000 - Winlink instructions and software
- Timewave - Various digital products
- West Mountain Radio - Easy sound card interfaces for over 100 software programs
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Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)
- aprs.fi - View APRS stations
- info.aprs.net - Useful information and wiki pages
- www.aprs.org - Useful information by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, creator of APRS
- Byonics - APRS-related hardware, including trackers
- findu.com - View APRS stations
- openaprs.net - View APRS stations
- www.wa8lmf.net - Useful information by Stephen Smith, WA8LMF
- APRS symbol chart - Chart showing the authorized APRS symbols
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Data cables, adaptors, etcetera
- BuxComm - cables to connect soundcards and TNCs to transceivers
- Associated Radio - cables to connect soundcards and TNCs to transceivers
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Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System (NBEMS)
- W0CEH's presentation - Overview of NBEMS (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- NBEMS freeware downloads Fldigi, Flmsg and other NBEMS software components
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TNCs (Terminal Node Controllers)
- Kantronics - TNCs (Terminal Node Controllers)
- Electrical: (see Power)
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Emergency communications:
- ARRL ARES Manual (Adobe Acrobat format)1
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FEMA / Department of Homeland Security Documents:
- Auxiliary Communications Field Operations Guide (AUXFOG)
- National Interoperability Field Operations Guide
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Field Equipment: (Also see Personal
Preparedness)
- Canopies, Shelters, Tents: (Coming soon)
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Field Stations:
- Formal Traffic: (see Message handling and Forms)
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Forms:
- Log sheets
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ICS-309 form for logging messages
(Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Contact log sheet (Word format)1
- ARES net log sheet (Word format)1
- Message handling log sheet by W0CMR (Word format)1
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ICS-309 form for logging messages
(Adobe Acrobat format)1
- ARRL Radiogram
- ARRL Radiogram form (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- ARRL FSD-244 form (Radiogram modified for welfare-only messages) (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- List of ARRL Radiogram emergency, welfare, and standard messages (FSD-3) (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- RRI Radiogram
- RRL Radiogram form (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- FEMA ICS-213
- FEMA ICS-213 message form (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Information at www.ics213.com
- Some guidelines for using the ICS-213 form by W3EOC, the Chester County, Pennsylvania ARES/RACES group
- FEMA incident forms
- FEMA ICS-201 incident briefing (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- FEMA ICS-202 incident objectives (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- FEMA ICS-205 incident radio communications plan (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- FEMA ICS-213 general message (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- FEMA ICS-214 activity log (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- More complete collection of FEMA ICS found at Missouri Section ARES website (All are in Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Log sheets
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Frequencies:
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St. Louis Metro ARES®
Primary repeater = 146.850 MHz (-)(141.3 Hz) W0SRC
Secondary repeater = 146.910 MHz (-)(141.3 Hz) N0TYZ
Digital (Winlink) net = 145.070 MHz
Digital (packet) net = 145.070 MHz (Missouri Emergency Packet Network)
For tactical simplex frequencies see "Local area emergency nets" below. - Local area emergency nets
- Missouri Section ARES® frequencies and plans
- List of frequencies programmed into St. Louis Metro ARES/RACES and Hospital Amateur Radio Net transceivers
- HF and NTS nets (Adobe Acrobat format)1
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St. Louis Metro ARES®
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Go-bags:
- KC0NRK's Go-Bag Web page
- KC0NRK's Go-Bag presentation (Powerpoint format)1
- KC0NRK's Go-Bag presentation handout (Word format)1
- AB2NM's Go-Bag suggestions
- KB0HAE's Go-Bag suggestions
- Interoperability:
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Manuals, TNC:
- Kantronics KPC3+ TNC operating manual (Adobe Acrobat format)1
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Manuals, Transceiver:
- Icom IC-2720H 2m/70cm transceiver operating manual (installed at VAMC sites) (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Kenwood TM-V71A 2m/70cm transceiver operating manual (installed in numerous local hospitals) (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Kenwood TS-480 HF transceiver operating manual (installed in some local hospitals) (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Yaesu FT-897D HF/2m/70cm transceiver operating manual (installed in CCE911 control center) (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Maps:
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Message handling: (also see Forms)
- St. Louis Metro ARES weekly practice message net
- ARRL message handling guide (Adobe Acrobat format)1
- Overview of traffic handling, by K9HDX
- QNI Newsletters by James Wades WB8SIW NTS and emergency preparedness newsletter (scroll down the K6JT page until you find this)
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Mobile installations:
- ARRL: Mobile installation information from auto manufacturers
- General Motors Radio Telephone - Mobile Radio Installation Guidelines
- HF Mobile - by KA6WKE
- Alan Applegate, K0BG Many articles on mobile installations
- Pro.Fit International Mounting hardware for transceivers, control heads, GPS devices and so forth
- Ram Mounts Mounting hardware for transceivers, control heads, GPS devices and so forth
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Personal Preparedness:
- Photon Light - Key chain LED flashlights
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Power:
- Batteries: (see separate Batteries listing above)
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Cables, connectors, etcetera:
- Powerwerx - Electrical cables, Anderson Powerpoles and other connectors, fuses, batteries, etcetera
- Powerpole description by Orange County RACES
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Conversion:
- PowerStream automobile to laptop power converters
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Solar:
- Alt E Store Solar power products
- Q-signals:
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Radio Repairs:
Sorry, there is nothing in the immediate St. Louis Metro area. Radio manufacturers usually have a repair facility somewhere in the continental United States. Check the manufacturer's Web site.
In addition, the following independent repair shops have reasonably good reputations. - Repeaters:
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Software:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader reads PDF files.
- Depiction map reader displays maps created by the Depiction program.
- LibreOffice is a free suite of office programs which can read Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents.
- Microsoft Powerpoint Viewer lets you view Powerpoint presentations
Much of the mobile installation information was contributed by Robbie Goodwin, WD5GEE © 2021 St. Louis Metro ARES®
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