North Carolina
ARRL
Section Information

On Saturday, October 27th, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the Western Branch NC AUXCOMM – NC ARES Fall Meeting will be held at the Caldwell County Public Library, 120 Hospital Avenue NW, Lenoir, NC 28645. The Library is located behind the KFC on 321N. This meeting is open to all licensed hams, NC AUXCOMM - NC ARES members or not. Agenda TBD.

On Saturday, October 28th, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the Western Branch NC ARES – NC AUXCOMM Fall Meeting will be held at the Caldwell County Public Library, 120 Hospital Avenue NW, Lenoir, NC 28645. The Library is located behind the KFC on 321N. This meeting is open to all licensed hams, NC ARES – NC AUXCOMM members or not.

QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 17 ARLB017 From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT September 8, 2017 To all radio amateurs

Please be aware that due to the breadth of this series of weather events, numerous emergency and public service nets are in session, especially on the 80, 40, and 20 meter bands. US licensees are reminded that Part 97.101 (c) always gives priority to stations providing emergency communications. All stations should be aware that in a large-scale natural disaster, immediate threats to life and property can happen quickly. In order for Amateur Radio to play an effective role in supporting humanitarian efforts, it is key that all licensees cooperate to minimize potential on-air problems.

Amateurs should also be aware that the primary users on the 60-meter channels are using those channels extensively. Amateur stations, as secondary users, must ensure that their communications are conducted in such a manner to ensure that Federal government stations, as primary users, can have immediate use of any 60-meter channel. Amateurs, please make sure you are leaving adequate breaks between transmissions to allow the primary stations to use the frequency. If a primary user does break into an amateur contact on the frequency, the amateurs involved should immediately cease their transmissions.

At this time, it is ARRL's understanding that only Amateur Radio Emergency or Amateur Radio Priority traffic is moving in and out of the affected areas. Amateur Radio Health and Welfare communications are being queued up for later delivery into the affected area, as the emergency and priority traffic eases.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, it is human nature for persons outside of the affected area to seek information on their loved ones. Those wishing to send Health and Welfare queries are encouraged to use the American Red Cross's ''Safe and Well'' website to facilitate those contacts: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php

At the present time, the impact of Hurricane Irma on the State of NC and parts of NC is not known. Please observe your local weather conditions and make plans to be safe. As information becomes available about the need for your assistance, it will be disseminated. You may also find information on the NC ARRL and US AUXCOMM websites, see www.ncarrl.org and http://auxcomm.us. Please do not self-deploy. If your Amateur Radio/COMU skills are needed, rely on your local EC and/or Emergency Management Agency to request your activation. Again, please be safe.

As information, you should download the ReadyNC app for your cellphone. See info below. It offers lots of information to help keep you informed and safe.

At the present time, the impact of Hurricane Matthew on the State of NC and parts of NC is not known. Please observe your local weather conditions and make plans to be safe. As information becomes available about the need for your assistance, it will be disseminated. You may also find information on the NC ARRL and US AUXCOMM websites, see www.ncarrl.org and http://auxcomm.us Please do not self-deploy. If your Amateur Radio skills are needed, rely on your local EC and/or Emergency Management Agency to request your activation. Again, please be safe.

Kenthony "Dave" Price, K4KDP of Goldsboro has been appointed Section Youth Coordinator - Scouting for the NC Section. Dave K4KDP is an active member and past president of the Wayne County Amateur Radio Association. He has 28 years of service in telecommunications with 14 years as a cell phone tower site technician. Dave K4KDP has been active in Boy Scouts for 21 years, currently serving on the Wayne County District Committee, Troop 258 Chaplain and a merit badge counselor. Dave K4KDP was awarded the District Award of Merit, the ARRL Amateur Radio Service to Scouting ("Square Knot") Award and most recently, the Silver Beaver Award from the Tuscarora Scout council. He has set up and organized numerous Boy Scout Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) events and taught Radio Merit Badge to approximately 200 Scouts. His website, www.ascoutisreverent.com, has links and information on Ham Radio. Dave K4KDP also has the Facebook pages, "A Scout is Reverent" and "Boy Scout Amateur Radio." He is Trustee of KT4BSA (Kamp Tuscarora 4 Boy Scouts America), an amateur radio club that activates during Scout events. Dave K4KDP enjoys seeing Scouts, and those new to amateur radio, sitting in front of his Icom 706 radios turning the dial and making contacts they located on the bands. He is interested in helping other Scout leaders earn the ARRL Amateur Radio Service to Scouting ("Square Knot") Award. Dave K4KDP asks that if you or another Scout leader feel they have completed the requirements, please let him know. On behalf of the NC Section, thanks to Dave Price, K4KDP for accepting this position - we look forward to working with you!

Irv McWherter, K3IRV of Lillington has been appointed Public Information Coordinator for the NC Section. He is an ARRL-trained Public Information Officer and serves in that capacity for his home club, the Cape Fear Amateur Radio Society. Irv K3IRV and his XYL, Sandy N3LDY, moved to North Carolina after Irv K3IRV completed a career as a Navy contractor in the Washington DC area. His interests in amateur radio are diverse. He enjoys chasing DX, QRPing in parks, learning CW, and casual contesting. Irv K3IRV has been a Ham since 1991 and a QSL Manager for over 15 years. In supporting the over 30 calls he manages, Irv K3IRV figures he has responded to over 20,000 requests. Irv K3IRV and Sandy N3LDY are sorters for the ARRL 3rd area incoming bureau. Irv K3IRV is also a member of the Carolina DX Association. Irv K3IRV succeeds Paul Jones, K4VCF, who resigned from the position due to other obligations. On behalf of the NC Section, thanks to Paul Jones, K4VCF, for his service as Public Information Coordinator; and, thanks to Irv K3IRV for accepting this position – we look forward to working with you!

It is with deep regret that we are informing you of the passing of Charles W. ("Weldon") Fields, Sr, W4AJT of Greensboro. Weldon was the oldest known Ham in North Carolina and the longest licensed amateur radio operator in our State having received his license in 1930. He made many contributions to our Country, our State, and to amateur radio during his lifetime. He was a founding father of the Tar Heel Emergency Net in 1947, which continues operations to this day. In September of 2011, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine was bestowed upon Weldon. In 2014, Weldon was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal -- the highest civilian honor -- for his service to the Civil Air Patrol during World War II.

Al Guin, W4ZQB, former NC Section Communications Manager passed away on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. Al had a bad fall in his home and did not recover from complications.

SKYWARN Recognition Day 2014 officially takes place Saturday, December 6 from 0000-2400 UTC. Over 100 National Weather Services offices across the nation, including the Raleigh National Weather Service, are expected to participate in this annual event.

A QSL card will be available for this event.

Details (Word Document)

I want to remind all participants to make every effort to avoid injury and other, more serious accidents.

Please be careful driving to and from your Field Day site. Please use caution when putting up antennas: avoid power lines, be careful with antenna launchers, and consider the need for gloves and hard hats. Bring plenty of insect repellent and sun block lotion. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water! And finally, be careful when servicing or re-fueling your generators!

During your Field Day site meetings, please consider the need for any other safety precautions, which are unique to your operation.

I am looking forward to visiting Field Day sites in western NC! I will be starting in Murphy on Saturday morning. I am going to visit as many sites as possible considering the distances involved and the operating plans for the individual club efforts.

Effective Thursday, February 20th, Karl Bowman, W4CHX, takes over as ARRL NC Section Manager. We thank Bill, N2COP for his years of service and congratulate Karl on the new position.

Reminder! The 2014 North Carolina QSO Party, sponsored by the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society, will be held on Sunday, February 23, 2014, from 1500z to 0100z (10:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST). For further information, please see the NC QSO Party website, http://rars.org/ncqsoparty/ This is a friendly, low-key contest, and a great opportunity to improve your operating skills. Besides, it's fun to be on the other side of the pile-up as operators around the world want to contact YOU!

This is the initial information about the NC SET. This event will build-upon that of last year, in which we emphasized learning to use the Winlink email-via-HF Radio. Hopefully, you still dust that off and maintain your skills. This year we're going to use that again and we're going to add some additional Digital capability.

More information is posted at NCARES SET 2013.

Are you an officer or webmaster for a club or group sponsoring a Field Day open to the public? If so, help everyone out by:

• Use the ARRL Field Day Locator (http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator).
• Put the location of your field day on the FRONT PAGE of your web site
• Include times that you expect to start setting up
• Also include good directions and the closest street address that you can provide for those with GPS's. The street address is the easiest way for many GPS to find your location.
• If you will be monitoring a repeater, include talk-in frequencies. If you do post a talk-in, be sure someone is monitoring.
• Include special details like is there a GOTA Station, a potluck? A "swimming hole"? Needs for items someone could bring? Someone to help with Girl Scout or Boy Scout badges?
• Put the same information on your club's Facebook page.

Spotter training is available on April 23 and 30, 2013

Announcement (pdf)

The 2012 SKYWARN Recognition Day is December 1, 2012.

Announcement and Details (pdf)

The Tar Heel Emergency Nert is currnently in Standby Mode with the approach of tropical storm Sandy.

The primary net frequency is 3923 kHz; alternate is 7232 kHz.
See the THEN Page for more

At this time, Hurricane Sandy is not expected to affect the North Carolina communications infrastructure. The ARES officials are proactively in contact with our served agencies. There is currently no ARES activation expected.

SKYWARN Recognition Day 2011 officially takes place Saturday, December 3, 0000-2400 UTC. Over 100 National Weather Services offices across the nation, including the Raleigh National Weather Service, are expected to participate in this 13th annual event.

Announcement including activities (pdf)

For all ARES officials in the Western Branch, the Fall meeting is planned for October 29, 2011. Please read http://www.qsl.net/k/kd4ozi/DEC/STATE%20MEETING%2010292011.htm for more information.

I will provide more information about this meeting in the coming days.

The Tar Heel Emergency Net is back on its regular frequency of 3.923 MHz.

Saturday, Aug. 27 2:30 PM. According to SEC Tom Brown, N4TAB, who’s been at the State EOC for the past 24 hours with ASEC-Central Branch Steve Misel, K4WEB, ARES has been used minimally because many affected areas have retained commercial communications access. The Tar Heel Emergency Net will remain in monitor mode for the remainder of Saturday until 11 PM. No overnight activation is expected. SEC Brown will consult with NCEM officials to see if THEN is needed on Sunday, Aug. 28. All NC operators are asked to continue monitoring.

An update will be available tonight during the regular session of THEN at 7:30 PM on 3923 KHz. Late this morning both SEC Brown and ASEC Misel were personally thanked for the work of all Hams and ARES by Gov. Beverly Perdue and Reuben Young, Secretary for North Carolina Crime Control & Public Safety, as they toured the state EOC.

QST - Friday night 7:30PM
The Tar Heel Emergency Net (THEN) is up and running to coordinate efforts with Hurricane Irene. Please monitor 3.923 MHz throughout Friday night and Saturday until the major impact of the storm has passed. Should propagation become difficult during the day, the net might move to 7.232 MHz. Keep in mind that requests for additional resources may continue through the weekend so don't stop monitoring THEN after the eye of the storm passes.

The Wilmington and Newport SKYWARN nets will be active beginning 9 PM Friday night. Wilmington's primary frequency is 146.82 and Newport is 145.31.

Keep in mind that should Hams in eastern North Carolina lose HF capability, the Carolinas 440 linking systems and other linked repeater systems may become the primary source for information. We will be grateful if Hams in the Piedmont and Mountains can please monitor THEN and linked repeater systems.

Should you encounter questions from media about Amateur Radio help with Hurricane Irene, please refer all inquiries to our section Public Information Coordinator (PIC) Woody Woodward, K3VSA, at k3vsa@arrl.net

For those in affected areas, be sure to place your personal safety and that of your family above all. Thanks in advance to all who are helping during this critical time.

ARES Update #3

Re Hurricane Irene - Not a good scenario, at all.

The track of Hurricane Irene has turned more toward the West and places significant portions of Eastern NC in a perilous situation.The trajectory, plus the forecast wind field profiles, plus the forecast storm surges portends some tough days ahead.

NC ARES/Auxcomm folks may be tasked to support our state in unprecedented ways. Attendant to the potential for communications infrastructure failures is the very real likelihood of mandatory evacuations from affected areas and that may include EM personnel as well as volunteers in our Auxcomm ranks. Once evacuated, you may not re-enter the area until Recovery is complete. That means that the folks most familiar with the affected areas may not be available to serve during the Incident and recovery. Worse is the absence of institutional knowledge, such as frequency plans in IC-205 and IC-217 formats that have been previously/recently requested. Teams sent into affected areas without that information will have to play Monte Carlo, seeking assets. It's not too late to get that accomplished - an informal email to your EB ASEC John Sprouse N4VJJ or CB ASEC Steve Misel K4WEB will be a big step in filling that need.

Timing Owing to the projected timeline for Hurricane impact upon NC, it is not likely that dangerous wind fields will have exited NC prior to sundown on Saturday. That will affect initial damage assessment and the subsequent Recovery phase of the Incident. If that process identifies significant infrastructure damage, it is likely that Strike Teams will be formed for insertion into the affected areas. Comms will be a critical part oft the Team mission and, if the State's COMMs are impaired, ARES/Auxcomm will fill that role.

Capabilities We have identified, contacted and effected initial coordination with entities that can provide record traffic communications via Winlink Transportable assets, as well as tactical communications. These will come from NC ARES, NC MARS, SC ARES, SC MARS and other groups. This is Auxcomm at it's very best.

COMMS in NC The Tar Heel Emergency Net (THEN) will be active during the Hurricane impingement period. We have real experience that, although listening to HF during a hurricane is tedious and tiring, it is essential.

This is it Folks, this is a BIG Incident. Recall/refresh your ICS concepts and be ready to plug-in. This is the reason that we, all of us, signed-up and agreed to help. Now is the time.

Please. If you don't understand or need help in putting a plan in place, contact your EC. DEC, ASEC, SD and/or me.......one single ICS trained and motivated individual can make a difference.

Final tonight. Immediately prior to the onset of Hurricane Irene's insult upon NC, the NC ARES/ NC MARS/ Auxcomm Team will communicate to all members, jointly and severally, cogent information and instructions.

Please maintain situational awareness and be cognizant of changing circumstances.

Of most importance, be safe and take care of your loved ones, first.

2:30 PM Thursday, August 25th

FYI below from ARRL HQ. As of Thursday, Tropical Storm Watch for SC border to Surf City, NC (Onslow Co.), and Hurricane Watch from Surf City to VA border. Current track of storm shows considerable storm surge potential in Areas 1, 2 and 3. As of midday, Gov. Purdue has a declared a State of Emergency east of I-95, and 39 eastern counties are in various states of emergencies. Beginning Thursday morning, residents of all of Hyde County and visitors to Dare County began evacuations. At 1:45 PM, the Weather Channel said the impact on the Outer Banks could be the worst storm since Hazel, a Category 4, hit in 1954. We’re still too early to know if this is hyperbole, but it gives you a flavor of what we will be experiencing over the next 72 hours.

Not much to report. I attended the 0900 HRS briefing at the NC State EOC in Raleigh this morning and remained until about 1300 HRS. The hurricane track remains similar to that of yesterday. Irene is now a CAT 3 hurricane and is expected to increase to a CAT 4 storm. Current expectations are that the eye will remain east of NC and the NC coast will feel the effect of storm surges and wind fields from the western quadrants of the hurricane. Damage is not expected to be significant.

HOWEVER, the storm is still almost 3 days south of NC and while the models may encourage us to relax, do not succumb to Irene's siren song. This is a big, nasty, dangerous storm and steering currents that influence the model vectors are far from certain. A few degrees more to the west and we'd be in dire straits.

The following is correct at this time, subject to change:

State EOC activates their staff 0700 HRS Thursday, until about 2230 Thursday night. Resume activation at 0700 Friday for the duration of the incident and recovery. ARES will activate at the State EOC about 2200 Friday night and will operate until stand-down.

Eastern Branch RCC activates 0700 Thursday and operates until Thursday night. Resume activation at 0700 Friday and runs through the duration of the incident and recovery. ARES will activate there at 0700 Saturday and operate until stand-down.

That is all that is known at this time. I will attend briefings at the State EOC Thursday and bring any new information to our group, via this medium and via the THEN.

Thanks, all, for remaining vigilant and forward-leaning.

Here's the best information currently available to me at 1600 HRS 23 AUG 11.

1. Track of Hurricane Irene is uncertain. May be trending toward a more easterly track.
2. A WebEOC Incident has been created and will be updated as preparations and announcements progress.
3. Unless there is a major change of course or intensity, NC will receive significant wind fields and storm surges.
4. Probable full-scale activation of the NC State EOC (SEOC) in Raleigh at 0700 Saturday, August 27, 2011. We will staff that facility until the stand-down order is received - 24-48 hrs, likely.
5. SERT meeting at 0900 Wednesday morning - I will attend and relay any updated info to this group.

Please continue to make and check your preparations and provisioning. There is a potential for significant danger to persons, animals and property. Most important, plan to make you and your family safe.

QST - Now is the time to get your Amateur Radio equipment and go-kits ready for the possible landfall of Hurricane Irene somewhere in the Carolinas this coming Saturday afternoon through Sunday, August 27-28. As of Tuesday, August 23rd at 12 Noon, there have been no announcements for activations from North Carolina Emergency Management, and there probably won't be any until late Wednesday or Thursday at the earliest. Hurricane Irene has the potential to be a dangerous storm with tropical force winds and up to 10 inches of rain covering up to 2/3 of North Carolina across the Coastal Plains and Piedmont regions.

Use the time over the next 48 hours leading up to possible announced activations and evacuations to recharge batteries, and to test equipment, antennas and feedlines. Monitor local repeaters, especially those designated as ARES repeaters, and over the next few nights be sure to monitor or check into the Tar Heel Emergency Net (THEN), North Carolina's HF ARES Net, at 7:30 PM local time on or near 3923 KHz. Updates will be announced on THEN, and on the North Carolina section website at www.ncarrl.org Registered ARES members will be alerted through the NC ARES reflector. Thanks to all for your vigilance and preparedness. Above all, keep yourself and your families safe.

So far, we have received only one advance input from NCEM, indicating concern for likely issues from this storm. We are in the loop and will know more as Hurricane Irene develops.

In the meantime, begin forward thinking about how a Hurricane threat affects NC in general and your area, specifically. No area of NC is immune. This is the time to prepare - check your home facilities, your EOC facilities, your go-kits and your IC-205 and IC-217 listed resources.

If there is a major activation or activations, we will employ the HF Tar Heel Emergency Net as a Command and Control backbone. Additional information will be disseminated via email, the website at http://www.ncarrl.org/ares and the Tar Heel Net. Those operators with access to WebEOC should periodically check that as part of your situational awareness.

Please remain vigilant and and informed and take care of your loved ones first.

New Photos of Field Day are being posted daily. Go to the Photos link in the menu and choose field day. If you have photos to post, choose 5 or 6 and E-mail them to ncarrlfdpix@yahoo.com . If your collection has any pictures of minors in it, please include in your E-mail a note letting me know that their parents have given the OK to have the pictures posted on the Internet. Facebook members please go and "tag" any of your Friends who appear in the album.

Governor Perdue has declared June 20-26, 2011 as "AMATEUR RADIO RECOGNITION AND APPRECIATION WEEK" in North Carolina. Print a copy of the proclamation (pdf) for your Field Day information table.

To Field Day Coordinators and Club Presidents:

T-minus less than one week to Field Day, perhaps the greatest day every year in Amateur Radio. Let me begin by thanking each and every one of you for not only participating in Field Day for your own personal gain and fun, but also for showing what a great hobby and service we have to elected officials, government staff, served agency representatives, and above all, the general public. Field Day is personally my favorite Amateur Radio event.

I'm planning my route for this year’s visits. As my section manager predecessors know, this is an exercise in cramming 30 lbs. of sugar into a 5 lb. bag. With 64 ARRL affiliated clubs in the North Carolina section, it’s impossible to visit all clubs across the state the same year. The state has been traditionally divided into the three major regions of North Carolina -- Western, Piedmont, Coastal -- with the section manager rotating FD visits with clubs in three year cycles. This year’s list focuses on FD sites in western North Carolina, but I have some personal constraints this year. I have a family commitment which will require me to be back in Wilmington by early Sunday morning, and that’s going to force me to cut back my visits to east of Asheville. So let me begin with my apologies to all clubs west of Asheville. I hope I can make it up to you with visits at another time.

There are three clubs I plan to visit Saturday afternoon: Cleveland County ARS, Shelby ARC and Mecklenburg ARS (MARS). Otherwise, I'm pretty open as long as I work my way north up the I-85 corridor to I-40 east so I can be in Raleigh by 9 PM or so before heading back to Wilmington. Typically a section manager can reach 5-7 FD locations per day starting with breakfast Saturday morning and visiting 1-2 FD locations before the 2 PM sign on.

NOTE: Anyone having a Friday night dinner or Saturday morning breakfast or site set up that I can join you before 2 PM sign-on? If so, I'd like to see if I can at least see you before 2 PM if possible. I will release my planned itinerary next Wednesday or so, so please shoot me a reply back ASAP as to your club’s plans. I look forward to seeing many of you.

Please remember that other ARRL officials will be visiting North Carolina Field Day locations, so if I can't make it, folks like Roanoke Division Vice Director Dr. Jim Boehner, N2ZZ; Assistant Section Manager Tim Slay, N4IB; and Asst. Section Emergency Coordinator -- Western Branch Paul Robinette, KD4OZI, will be making the rounds on behalf of ARRL too.

GL to all for a very productive, fruitful, safe and fun filled Field Day!

If would like a template to invite elected officials to your Field Day, here is a sample invitation.

• Microsoft Word Format
• HTML Format

For those that escaped last week's severe WX events, Mother Nature is giving us another opportunity. As most are aware, there is a very significant Severe Weather system just now impinging the Western border of NC. This is a serious matter and that storm system has already claimed lives as it advances Eastward. Make no mistake, this is a deadly threat.

We have canceled the ARES meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 30th in Raleigh. It will be rescheduled. The venue was to be the Situation Room at the State EOC in Raleigh, but likely NCEM activations will obviate that.

ARES jurisdictions that are activated by local served Agencies are asked to notify their DEC, who will notify surrounding jurisdictions and their ASEC and SEC. If there is a need to activate the Tar Heel Emergency Net to support message transport,we will do so.

DO NOT BE BASHFUL! If you anticipate needs or have concerns, raise your flag immediately.

We simultaneously ask our MARS partners to notify their NC members of this potential threat.

Take care of your families first, and let us know, via any available mechanism, if you need assistance, support or material goods. Remember your ICS training and use it. Also recognize that you have a resource in the nc-ares.org database, by which you can retrieve contact information for your colleagues across the state.

Please take great care and be safe. We can't do without you.

The North Carolina Emergency Plan is now available. This updated plan is a topic of discussion at the April 30th and subsequent discussion forums.

POSTPONED DUE TO POSSIBLE OPERATIONS

The State ARES meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, 2011. It is the State EOC in Raleigh. The EOC is at 116 W Jones Street. Park in the lot on the rear (North side) of the building. The meeting will begin at 0900 and is expected to conclude about 1200.

If you are a great distance away, no worry. To ease the travel cost burden for those driving long distances, a similar meeting will be held in the June/July time frame in the Eastern Branch and a Western Branch meeting will take place in the Fall.

Numerous areas in the Central Branch and some in the Eastern Branch have received major damage to structures and power distribution facilities from this afternoon's tornadoes and high winds. So far, I am,/we are not aware of any significant communications infrastructure damage and have not received any notifications of ARES activations. HOWEVER, that does not mean that.that we may not be needed as the full assessment of damage continues.

Please be vigilant and remain in contact with your EM and other served agencies. If you need support in any form, raise the semaphore immediately.

A few noteworthy items:

• All NC counties NC are under Winter Storm warnings
• Every county is expected to receive snow
• Very hazardous driving conditions are expected through Monday
• There is no anticipated infrastructure damage and a wide ARES activation is not expected
• Counties that employ ARES in shelters may receive requests for support
• At least one Central Branch county is on standby to support a county EOC on Sunday
• NCEM Branch RCCs are operating on standby, with personnel monitoring from their home offices.
• A formal declaration of a State of Emergency will probably be issued tonight
• NC ARES personnel are participating in NCEM statewide conference calls and monitoring WebEOC

While there is no expectation of activation, please remain vigilant and informed and in-touch with your served agencies. If an activation occurs in your jurisdiction, please inform your DEC and/or ASEC of the nature and scope of the activation and your plans and anticipated needs.

If you don't have a current list of your NC ARES leadership colleagues and contact info, log-in to the nc-ares.org database and make a spreadsheet. Similarly, go to www.ncarrl.org/ares and record information about your surrounding jurisdictions and contact information.

This is a good time to review your ICS-204, ICS-205 and ICS-216 forms for accuracy. Be sure that everyone in your jurisdiction has a current copy.

Merry Christmas and stay safe.

NOTE: In keeping with tradition, the Tar Heel Emergency Net (THEN) will not be held December 24th or 25th, and will resume Dec. 26th. Should an emergency, such as the forecasted snowstorm this weekend, justify an ARES activation, the THEN will be on-the-air. All five North Carolina HF National Traffic System (NTS) nets will operate as normal. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League, SKYWARN Recognition Day is designed to celebrate the contributions that SKYWARN radio operators make to the National Weather Service. During a 24 hour period, SKYWARN operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the world.

SKYWARN Recognition Day 2010 officially takes place Saturday, December 4, 0000- 2400 UTC. See http://www.ncarrl.org/ares/skywarn/ARESRecDay2010.pdf for more information on contacting the special event stations.

The fall state ARES meeting will be held on Saturday, October 30 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Health Sciences Building at Western Piedmont Community College, 1001 Burkemont Ave., Morganton. The college is off exit 103 on I-40. Parking is available in Parking Lot 1, near the Sam Ervin Library. Talk-in will be on the 147.150MHz repeater.

October 22 Update (from N4TAB):
This will be an interesting meeting and will cover some new subjects, such as WebEOC and updates about ongoing projects such as Winlink and ICS training opportunities. Information about that meeting may be found at http://www.qsl.net/kd4ozi/DEC/STATE MEETING 2010 WB.htm Thanks to Paul Robinette KD4OZI, ASEC Western Branch for arranging this meeting.

The North Carolina Section is holding a statewide Simulated Emergency Test on Saturday, November 13.

Detailed information is being added frequently to the 2010 SET Page. Check the page daily for new updates.

The North Carolina Section is holding a statewide Simulated Emergency Test on Saturday, November 13. More information will be available later.

In order to participate in this important exercise, the ARES Area 1&2 meeting that would normally fall on that date is canceled this time around.

On the evening of Monday, October 4th, 2010, during the ARES meeting of Guilford County ARES, Weldon Fields W4AJT was appointed an Official Emergency Station (OES) in the NC Section. Weldon was also presented with a plaque, recognizing him as "Someone who has made a difference". Tom Brown N4TAB NC ARES Section Emergency Coordinator announced Weldon's appointment and presented the plaque. Steve Misel K4WEB ASEC Central Branch and Dwayne Ayers N4MIO DEC Area 10 also participated.

Jim Waynick N4JLW, Guilford County ARES EC and his outstanding ARES group made everyone welcome.

Don Campbell N4CAM, Guilford County EM director hosted the event at the Guilford County EOC and participated in an exchange of information and ideas.

I spent some quality time with David Price at a friend's house recently. We had a long talk about the usefulness of ham radio in emergencies, including the work I did in the Mississippi gulf after Katrina.

David agreed to sponsor HR 2160, and it will be announced when Congress reconvenes later this month.

See photo on our Section Facebook Page.

SITREP 02SEP10 1330 hrs

NC ARES leadership is in regular contact with EM agencies and is maintaining a close watch via WebEOC, phone, email and Winlink.

The Eastern RCC ARES group activated at 0800 hrs Thursday, September 2. The State EOC ARES group will activate at 1700 hrs September 2. Both will operate continuously until ordered to stand-down. ARES assets across NC are maintaining readiness.

Coastal County EOCs are activated and their ARES groups are in-place..

Volunteers with transportable WinLink capability are on standby in NC, SC and TN.

THIS IS NOTICE OF AN IMPENDING GENERAL ARES ACTIVATION

As of 2100 EDT tonight, activations of the State EOC and the EBRCC will occur on Thursday, September 02, 2010. Specific details about the schedule will follow tomorrow, Wednesday September 01, 2010. This is a dynamic schedule, driven by NCEM and the WX.

The current WX projection suggests that the Hurricane wind cone will engage the Outer Banks of NC +/- a few hours of midnight Thursday. This is a very dangerous situation.

Jurisdictions in the affected areas have been engaged in this operation for many days and will likely, be engaged for many more days, following. Some jurisdictions are concerned that operational needs may exceed their local capacity to support their local served agencies and are forward-facing, in asking if mutual aid from non-affected jurisdictions might be a available to support them in time of need.

If you or others in your jurisdiction are in a position to assist our colleagues in Eastern NC, please let me know. Anyone that is NIMS compliant (ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800) and is available to serve for a couple of days, is eligible.

Sorry for the brevity of this message. There is no more detailed information at this time. We will add content as it is a available and as appropriate. PLEASE treat this situation as VERY real and serious.

The Tar Heel Emergency Net (3923) and the Web site www.ncarrl.org will serve as a "bulletin board" for info dissemination.

A heads up to all:

Although the projected track for Hurricane Earl is still in flux, North Carolina Emergency Management is planning for full activation as early as Wednesday, September 1^st. An email was received from NCEM and is quoted below:

We will provide updates as information becomes available. We plan to attend tomorrow's briefing and will forward any cogent information immediately thereafter.

The latest NWS (Raleigh) Threat briefing is here:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rah/briefing/swbt/swbt.htm. This updates at least 2 times daily - 1100 and 1700.

The National ARRL Organization has also posted information here.

Check out our Facebook Page for field day photos contributed by Section Manager Bill Morine, N2COP. While you are not required to have an account to view this page, joining will allow you to get automatic notifications of any updates.

North Carolina ARES completed the switch-over to our new membership database. Members with appointments of EC or higher were required to submit their NIMS compliance certificates by July 1. Those individuals who have not completed the registration are no longer listed as having an ARES appointment. Individuals who have not completed the required training and registered with the new membership database will risk losing their appointments once the grace period expires on August 1^st, 2010.

For more information on the ARES Training Policy, training requirements and database membership requests, please see the ARES Training Policy.

The North Carolina Governor's Office has proclaimed June 21-June 28 as "Amateur Radio Recognition and Appreciation Week."

Copy of Proclamation

Bernie Nobles, WA4MOK, has resigned as Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) and Tom Brown, N4TAB, has agreed to serve as his replacement.

Bernie served as SEC since 2003 and indicated he wanted to spend more time with family. During his term ARES made great strides in improving the ICS credentialing of county ECs, streamlining relations with state agencies and upgrading digital EmCOMM applications through Winlink. He provided steady leadership during a time of tremendous technological and organizational change, and we wish him and his wife, Phyllis, well.

Tom has served as Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator (ASEC) for the Central Branch, and has been instrumental in improving Amateur Radio response capability at the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC). A strong proponent of interoperability, Tom will expand integration of Amateur Radio in the state’s emergency communications plans.

We appreciate Bernie’s accomplishments and we welcome Tom as North Carolina ARES moves towards 21^st century EmCOMM solutions.

ARRL Section Manager, Bill Morine, N2COP and ARRL Roanoke Division Vice Director Dr. Jim and both plan separately to visit many North Carolina ARRL club Field Day locations this year. Because North Carolina is such a large section, visits to club Field Day locations by the Section Manager are divided into North Carolina's three major sections - Mountains, Piedmont and Coastal Plains - with one area visited each year. This year it's the Coastal Plains turn for Bill who plans to visit clubs east of I-95, and Dr. Jim will be visiting Piedmont clubs. Mountain clubs - be patient! Your turn is in 2011.

I would appreciate if a representative from all clubs east of I-95 would please send email to n2cop@arrl.org giving your Field Day location and operating hours.

Dr. Jim's planned route is Aiken to Columbia via I-20 East, proceed East on I-26 to Charleston. After that, North along the coast on US-17 to Wilmington, NC, then head West on I-40 through Raleigh to Greensboro. From Greensboro, I-85 to Charlotte. Then South on I-77 to Columbia. After Columbia, West on I-20 to Aiken. Any group that would like a visit from us along this route to send an e-mail to n2zz@arrl.org and ae4ux@arrl.net with your intended hours of operation (including setup), detailed driving directions, and a contact phone number.

Take advantage of the many Field Day resources available at www.arrl.org/field-day.

A new Photo Section has been added to NCARRL. The photos are accessible through the main page menus. The home page menu includes the date of the latest additions to the section.

With the help of several ARRL members, we have started creating a new section, NCARRL History. It is accessible from the site menus. It is currently very sparse, but we hope to expand it through your submissions.

On May 4 and 5, the State of North Carolina and FEMA are conducting a Hurricane Drill. North Carolina ARES is included as part of this drill, and the Tar Heel Emergency Net will be activated. For more information, visit the THEN page or contact your local EC.

As discussed at the state ARES meeting in Raleigh on Saturday, April 24th, everyone is encouraged to send a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representative's Energy & Commerce Committee to hear HR2160 and S1755, the "Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Act of 2009". This legislation is crucial to the future of Amateur Radio emergency communications because it will examine and hopefully protect frequencies used for EmCOMM. The Senate version of the bill, S1755, passed the Senate unanimously in 2009 but its House equivalent, HR2160, needs both more co-sponsors and hearings so it can be voted upon. Please take time to send a letter (sample attached) to John Chwat & Associates, which will deliver the letter on your behalf to key legislators. Details at: http://www.arrl.org/hr2160. Two of North Carolina's Congressmen, Rep. Butterfield of the Outer Banks and Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte.

The statewide ARES meeting starts at 10:30, location State EOC, 116 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC. The meeting is open to anyone interested in ARES, but most who attend are DECs and ECs.
Meeting agenda:

ARRL made the transition April 13 to its new website, which has been in development for three years and is the largest change in communications outreach for the League since its first website was introduced twenty years ago. The new web site is far more interactive than the model it just replaced and will contain much more information and resources. Like any large transition, however, there are glitches which need to be addressed. Many Section Manager functions are not presently available. ARRL staff is very aware of this and is working to restore these functions as soon as possible. I hope to have a section newsletter shortly once that capability is restored. Everyone's patience is appreciated while these issues are addressed and resolved.