Rod Fritz, WB9KMO

EmComm Committee - Brian and I co-chair this committee

As a practical matter, I find it in SBARC's and in my best interest to resign as co-chair of the EmComm Committee, leaving it solely in Brian's capable hands until he appoints another co-chair. I hereby resign with these parting recommendations...

Purpose: Successfully complete these three EmComm projects to substantially help provide services to the community in times of need...

. INFRASTRUCTURE - Implement and maintain repeaters, radios and a mesh network and train hams and others in the commmunity to use them effectively

. GROUP COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - Work with existing groups like HOAs, retirement homes and mobile home parks to integrate communications into their emergency plans

. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - Work with all citizens, households, neighborhoods and service providers to fill communication gaps to provide services when 911 can't

INFRASTRUCTURE - Maintain and evolve the infrastructure we have and continue to build and use a mesh network for EmComm and other constructive uses. 

GROUP COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - Continue working with group communications to define what needs to be done and establish and test standards that will benefit everyone.

CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SUPPORT - The prime objective is to answer the question, "Who ya gonna call if 911 doesn't work?"  Identify and fill a set of communication gaps to effectively serve the community at large with emergency communications. This need extends beyond Group Communication Support to provide a plan, a structure and a method for all people in the community to gain access to services (not just communicate) when 911 falls short. This solution needs to serve at the individual/household/family level (not just associations). Households can contact neighborhood reps and other communicators to ultimately reach radio amateurs who can fill the communication gaps. This communication needs to be end-to-end and back (two-way closed loop) to ensure that the service providers are reached and so the people in need know that help is on the way.

An EmComm meeting we held last year helps us understand what this is about, how it might work and the types of things we need to do. These are the key conclusions from a paper exercise to save someone trapped in a building when 911 couldn't be reached...

. During the first 72 hours of a major emergency, 911 will likely not be able to meet everyone's needs

. Resources will focus on what they can do to benefit the most important locations and largest groups of people

. If 911 doesn't work, the EOC is NOT the place to contact to get services

. Resources may be available, but may be difficult to contact

. If 911 and other direct communication to services don't work, citizens likely don't know who else to call or how to call them

. It makes sense for radio amateurs and others in the community to model who can do what and to document alternate ways to contact them

. In our exercise, it was easy to identify communication gaps that radio amateurs can help fill, but we only scratched the surface

. Lessons learned and potential objectives discussed were...

  .. All service groups need to identify the scope of what they can and cannot do and alternate ways to reach them

  .. Generally, service groups provide great services but are weak on communication

  .. Radio amateurs can provide excellent communication, but they cannot provide other services

  .. Prepare citizens to contact radio amateurs using all available communication resources, including person to person

  .. Prepare radio amateurs to communicate with other communication groups and service resources that citizens need

  .. Establish redundant ways to communicate so if the primary fails, at least one alternate is in place

  .. Try to ensure that communication is acknowledged from the citizen to service resources and back to the citizen to minimize confusion and be most effective 

  .. Establish and document processes to make end to end communication most effective

  .. Make citizens aware of what they, we and other resources can do

  .. Train everyone involved and carry out regular exercises to ensure the processes work and to optimize them

  .. EmComm participants can keep in touch by email until another in-person meeting is justified (Email isn't working well. It is time for an in-person meeting.)

This is admittedly a huge undertaking, but the need is critical.  Without us to fill the communication gaps (nobody else is), the consequences will be devastating to thousands of people in the community during a major disaster. This is the magnitude of a challenge that will make the community stand up and notice that we can provide life-improving coordination and communication service to the community. I guarantee that we would no longer be considered a club of ineffective introverts. We are uniquely capable of mobilizing the community and integrating it's support organizations to do what needs to be done. There are too many communication gaps for community support to be effective without us stepping in.

Consider this... If we don't do something like this that is so valuable that the whole community stands up and notices, we are doomed to a fate of uselessness. This kind of community support is a key part of our mission.

I will do what I can to help, but unfortunately, no longer as the commitee co-chair. Please promote this cause and make it happen.

Rod Fritz, WB9KMO

EmComm Committee Co-Chair, Resigned

ATV Special Interest Group (ATVSIG) – Chaired by Rod Fritz

Purpose: Develop a plan and implement it to promote amateur television and other amateur radio specialized modes.

I and many others are making good progress implementing mesh networks in Santa Barbara, Mesa AZ and other parts of the country. I'm trying to develop a practical way to run a video net on the mesh. I'm also testing a method to integrate analog and digital video over the Internet and/or mesh networks using Grandstream GXV3500 devices. If any of you are interested in participating in these projects, let me know.   

I'm continuing to make progress testing 2 MHz-wide DVB-T digital ATV on 434 MHz. It provides excellent quality standard-definition digital video at very low signal levels, allowing it to be used over long distances and when a line of sight communication path is not available. Some of you who can't get into the ATV repeater now may be able to get in with DVB-T. I expect to install a DVB-T receiver on the ATV repeater in Mesa AZ in the next month and then in Santa Barbara shortly after that. Reception of these signals from the repeaters will not change now, but plans are in place to transmit high-definition DVB-T as well as analog ATV on the repeater outputs in the near future. Keep in mind that I will also soon enable mesh video on the ATV repeaters and will be capable of putting ATV video on the mesh. Again, let me know if you're interested in participating.

ATV is at the SBARC Club Station and is being maintained and upgraded on an ongoing basis. Let me know if something needs attention. We've operated out of the Rover on numerous occasions and it's relatively easy to set up. I'm looking for one or more local champions to learn how to use the ATV and mesh video gear, teach others and use it for fun and for events. 

Steve Noll WA6EJO, who lives in Ventura, helps me care for the SB ATV repeater and ATV equipment at the Club Station. He can be there in person when I'm not in SB.

There are several other ATV Stations in SB. Let's get them back on the air. It just takes a little interesting activity. Soon, the Amateur Television Network link will be improved. It's ready for installation in Oxnard. That will allow access to dozens of other ATVers (and meshers) in CA, NV and AZ. 

There is an ATV Net on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm, controlled in L.A. that can be accessed in SB. You can all watch it on the Internet at www.batc.tv, ATV Repeaters, W6ATN.  Check it out sometime.  When you master that, there are several other U.S. and international ATV signals available on that site, plus some videos that were recorded in the Santa Barbara area.  Browse and enjoy... 

I look forward to seeing you on amateur radio real soon!

Rod Fritz, WB9KMO

ATVSIG Committee Chair