If you’re aware of a SET taking place in your state, let us know!  Shoot me an email with details to JohnJacob@RadioFreeRedoubt.com

 

For Oregon the upcoming QuakeEx II SET is 10 October. Similar to Idaho, it is a preparatory exercise for the multi-state Cascadia Rising 2016

exercise.  If you live in one of the surrounding states, you can take advantage of the opportunity too!

 

The Oregon SET playbook can be found at:

http://www.oregonaresraces.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/QuakeEX-II-2015-SET.pdf
VHF/UHF data varies by county, and large rural counties may have their own HF frequency plan. These are good resources to have in your SIGINT binder. You can download county-specific frequency plans, or a consolidated plan for all counties in Oregon, plus OEM ARU, here:
http://www.bcares.org/statePlan/getSPpdf.html

 

Statewide HF frequencies for the OEM Amateur Radio Unit:

1.978 Mhz LSB

3.964 Mhz LSB

7.248 Mhz LSB

 

WHY and HOW?
Why:  Anytime there’s emergency communications training happening in your community or state, it provides a great opportunity for you to practice tuning in, familiarizing yourself with your equipment, and listening to see how traffic is passed.  This way in a real-world emergency you’ll know where to go to find information about a developing disaster situation.  And those in your local network can benefit as well – those who will be tuning in to listen for information that you will be relaying to your network and your community.
How:  Go to the website I’ve linked above.  Note the frequencies and the guidance outlined there.  You should also be identifying the local EOC (Emergency Operations Center) frequencies that your county ARES groups will be using, such as the repeater frequencies.  Those should also be in your comms binder by now.  Plan ahead with others in your community and your network, so that you can cover all the bands and modes (HF, VHF, Voice, Digital, CW) and conduct regular net check-ins in your local AmRRON network.  Relay any updates or information about what you’ve heard during your monitoring sessions to your AmRRON net.  Don’t forget about the folks tuning in on CH3!  Get creative, and hold your own ‘mini’ comms exercise, incorporating what you monitor from the ARES nets.  It can be a fun and educational experience.

Now, go get your comms up!

-JJS