The New Mobile Setup

My mobile setup initially started when I got into CB early last summer. Everything was pretty sloppy, the wiring especially. I wanted to fix it up and add a good VHF rig. I volunteer for a cycling event every year, so a robust VHF install was a must. My original intention was to go to a local 2-way radio and mobile electronics shop and have them do the work for me. I wanted a 3 or 4-radio rack on top of a floor-mounted post. They said it would be expensive and may be uncomfortable to have a passenger in the front seat. I agreed after hearing their argument. The tech suggested on a modified glove box design. I loved it! It would cost me about $600. The week before I driving back to school after the summer break, I called the shop and tried to book a spot. The tech I had spoken to was on vacation and nobody else was available. I even called another shop and they were booked too! I was so frustrated. Now I had to build it all on my own. I started by cutting the back out of the glove box and placing the radios inside for final measurements. After some trimming, I sprayed the inside with truck bed liner to cover the spray-on velvet that was original. Next was securing everything with Velcro. It looked great! Next was wiring. Power junctions were placed in the dash and wired to the battery and coax was run from the rear of the vehicle. I used a short piece of wood to mount all the mic holders to and Velcro'd it to the center of the dash. It took about a month to find the proper Velcro that would last. I found Scotch DualLock to be best with the heat and strength. This is the same stuff that is used for toll transponders.

Field Day 2014

Wow it's been awhile since I have written a good story on here, but for good reason I guess. As a lot of you know I am a college student, so my schedule provides little time to fully explore the hobby as most do. My Field Day was pretty uneventful. I had just come home from a business trip with my summer internship, so I didn't have much time to plan. In fact, I was preparing to leave on another trip! I decided to just use my home station on commercial power. I wasn't going to stay up all night making contacts so I hopped on the radio when I could and made a few contacts. Probably my most boring post, but there's more to come, I promise!

My Ham Radio Story Part V - 4/25/14

I always liked the idea of running HF mobile, being able to drive to great locations and fire up the radio right there in the car. I could never afford some of the bigger setups as a student, so I jumped at the chance to buy and HTX-10 25 watt 10 meter radio for my car. I found it listed for sale by Matthew KD8OMT, Section Emergency Coordinator for West Virginia, on QRZ. Matthew was great and I got the radio in just a couple of days. I wanted to make sure I installed it in my car correctly, though, so I did some planning. I ran a large cable from the battery to a distribution box under my dash. This would serve as an easy way to hook up other radios in the future. I also installed a new ground bolt nearby. This power setup should easily handle a variety of equipment and up to 50 amps of current. When choosing an antenna, I wanted to keep it simple. It was only 25 watts, so I just needed something that worked. I chose to go with the 10 meter version of the MFJ "Ham-tenna". This antenna comes in 2 pieces - a 4 foot fiberglass section and a 4 foot whip for the top. I never realized it was going to be so big! I mounted it using a clamp-style trunk mount and I was able to tune it perfectly within just a couple of minutes. It presents some problems with low height clearance, but I think it will survive for awhile.

As noted in older posts, I have participated in 2 public service events in the past. I would say they were good practice for how a service net is conducted, but they did not prepare me much to handle medical communications for The Boston Marathon. Some will say "it's just relaying information." Wrong! It's so much more. Try staying calm when you get a mayday from down the street for cardiac arrest and you're in the middle of processing another ambulance request. When communications are not medical-related or potentially life-saving, yes it is pretty standard, but one cannot help but stress when someone's life may be on the line and relying on you to make clear and concise calls to dispatchers.

This year was my first year working at the marathon and it was an amazing learning opportunity. Hams demonstrated their ability last year after the events that unfolded and they were brought back in greater numbers to support this year's event. We worked alongside police, fire, military, and ems crews as well as being under the coordination and advisement of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). I think it may have been one of the first demonstrations of such a wide coordination across agencies and volunteers in state history.

The ARRL did a great article on this year's event and I think it sums up the big picture pretty well. http://www.arrl.org/news/more-than-300-amateur-radio-volunteers-support-2014-boston-marathon

I was stationed with Tom NV1U and George K1GHC at First Aid Station 13, which is located right at mile 19. George had to leave for a prior commitment right in the heat of the race, so it left Tom and I quite overwhelmed at times, but I think we handled it well under the advisement of our station's FEMA rep.

Overall, or station treated about 80 people, out of that only 4 were transported to the hospital. I am happy to report that 80% returned to the race. Our station was actually staffed by students and staff of Tufts University medical program. Tufts is a leading private research university and is known for their great medical programs. We were also an advanced-capability tent with advanced sodium testing and IVs and were also able to accept patients from EMS teams if they were overloaded. I would compare our abilities to that of a standard emergency room.

My Ham Radio Story Part IV - 3/25/14

It's been about 3 months since I got my General license. It's been an amazing journey in such a short time and I'm looking forward to so much more! On my spring break, I was able to return to my radio life. As a communications volunteer for the Boston Marathon, I was asked to attend the BAA Boston Marathon Medical Symposium. It was at 8 AM on a Sunday, not the best time for a college student on break. I made the most of it though, surviving all 4 hours of speakers. It was quite interesting to hear how officials and different coordinators were creating policies to deal with any scenario that may come about. I will not disclose those details here. I am proud to be able to be a part of the event this year. I grew up seeing the Marathon every year and was absolutely heartbroken by last year's events. It was not only a careless attack on humanity, it was an attack on Bostonian culture. The Marathon is the longest running marathon in the country, this year being its 118th year.

I will be working medical and logistics communications, although my final assignment will not be decided for another week or two. This is a huge responsibility. I am the line of communication between the command centers and the medical team I represent. If a runner needs life support, an ambulance, or a medflight, I am the guy calling it in. This is the largest responsibility I have ever had when peoples' lives have depended on me. Although, it does not far surpass leading 12 people 53 miles through the Rocky Mountains on foot in adverse conditions.  Being an Eagle Scout and experiencing these activities, you learn how to cope and make quick and accurate decisions.

The Marathon attracted 340 ham radio volunteers this year. Unfortunately, a few will be turned away, as there are only about 280 positions. This is one the meccas of ham radio public service. It attracts operators from not only Massachusetts, or New England, but across the country. There is even a guy that travels from Alaska every year to volunteer his time. Keep in mind it is actually against FCC law for us to be paid for our services.

I am also now one of 5 administrators for an international ham radio Facebook group. Our group has well over 11,000 members now from all over the world. We have some strict policies so moderation is nonstop. We pride ourselves in having a friendly and approachable atmosphere. New and old hams alike are invited to share ideas, promote activities, and ask questions. One of the biggest parts of the ham culture is the open sharing of knowledge. You can find us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamops/.

Getting back to actual radio stuff, I used my break to perform a complete overhaul of my shack. I wanted to be able to operate the station remotely from school. While the technology to do it has been around for about 10 years, it has not given great results until recently with the advent of VOIP and highspeed internet. I am now happy to announce that 100% of my stations functionality can be controlled from any highspeed internet connection. This includes being able to switch everything on and off with a simple text message, operating voice modes through Skype, operating digital modes, and being able to monitor all the meters via a camera.

I also created the only internet stream of my hometown's fire and police dispatch frequencies. I have a dedicated radio scanner hooked up to a computer at home that feeds the stream 24/7/365. The feed can be found at http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/16648. The feed is also available through Broadcastify in many mobile apps.

I also got the chance to claim my new ham radio license plates that I had ordered. These simply spell out my call letters, separated with a lightning bolt. It was a nice perk to have on my car and make it truly unique.

Another big project I undertook was the grounding of my station. The station was never grounded when I originally set it up. Given that the system would be accessible to me 24/7, I wanted to be sure it was safe and complied with all standard and laws. If a nearby lightning strike branched down my antenna, I wanted to be sure my home and family were safe. The grounding system is the best safety barrier for this.

I also started getting into virtual radar using software-defined radio. Virtual radar is displayed by decoding radio emissions from nearby aircraft, which relay registration codes, GPS coordinates, and other data. This is a fun, inexpensive (about $25) way to explore radio technology and aviation.

Of course no true Bostonian of Irish decent would skip celebrating Saint Patrick's Day! Not only did I celebrate with family, but I also contacted a number of operators in Ireland on the holiday. It's always great to hear about customs in other countries.