Pennsylvania
Situation Report - Ham Radio






I am KB3FXI
Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator

For a very long time I have had an interest in radio communications. When I was about 10 years old (around 1975), my father gave me a 2 watt, 3 channel, crystal controlled Radio Shack handheld CB transceiver and I got the radio bug. Up until December 2000, CB was my only experience with 2 way radio. After many years of considering Amateur Radio (Ham radio) and becoming more and more disgusted with the inefficiency and ongoing decline of CB, I decided to finally get off my behind and go for my Amateur Radio License.

Ham radio is a wonderful hobby. I quickly found out that the personal commitment required to pass the test is minimal and I would highly recommend that anyone even slightly interested in emergency communications take the test and obtain their Technician Class license. Morse code is no longer required for the entry level Technician Class license. But I'd highly recommend learning Morse Code and passing that portion of the test along with the Technician Class test. Morse Code is a very valuable skill and the 5 word per minute requirement is pretty easily attained.

I have also assigned as the Communications Officer for the Emergency Mangement Adminstration of O'Hara Township here where I live. I head up a local Amateur Radio Emergency Communications team who have all volunteered their communications services to O'Hara Township. We conduct a monthly net (radio drill) for the purpose of testing emergency radio communications in area as well as an annual drill and various training sessions.

Here's the radio equipment I'm currently working with:

FIXED STATION

  • ICOM IC706MKIIG Mobile 160-6 Meter HF, 2 meter and 70 cm
  • 5 element yagi antenna with rotor atop a 40' telescoping mast (see picture)
  • Comet 2m/70cm dual band antenna
  • Alpha Delta Delta-2 Antenna Switch
  • LDG Z-11 PRO auto antenna tuner
  • Cherokee 35 Amp switching power supply
  • Motorola 15 Amp power supply (backup power supply)
  • 240' loop
  • G5RV antenna for 10 through 80 meter
  • IBM ThinkPad T60 laptop computer and Signalink USB soundcard interface for fixed station digital communications (PSK-31, MT63, AMTOR and RTTY)

    • UHF/VHF MOBILE

  • Yaesu FT-8800 Dual band with cross-band repeater capabilities (utilized quite often)
  • Larson mag mount dual band mobile antenna
  • IBM ThinkPad T60 laptop computer and Signalink USB soundcard interface for mobile/portable digital communications

    • HF/UHF/VHF PORTABLE

  • Yaesu FT-817nd all band, all mode
  • 17m and 20m dipole antennae
  • Dentron JR manual tuner
  • IBM ThinkPad T20 laptop computer and Rascal soundcard interface for mobile/portable digital communications
  • Yeasu VX-7R 2m/220/440/6m handheld transceiver

    • So, do you need to get all this stuff to get involved in Ham Radio? Heck no! In order to be a valuable emergency communications operator, all you need is a good 2 meter handheld transceiver which run from about $100 - $200.

    Here is a page that I created that explains how easy and inexpensive it is to get started in Amateur Radio

    Would you like to talk to me on HF or 2 meter?

    If you're a properly licensed Amateur Radio Operator and you'd like to have a chat on HF or 2 meter, here's what you do:

    Look for me on AOL Instant Messenger, home computer screen name davekle38sp or my cell phone SMS screen name kb3fxi (please keep your messages short to my kb3fxi SMS screen name as this sends a text message to my cell phone with a limit of about 120 characters).

    Or, e-mail me a message on my digital cell phone at:

    Message delivery to my phone is usally within a few seconds and the message must be under 100 characters.

    In your message, tell me your call sign and on what frequency and time you would like to talk. If I'm available, I'll jump on and give you a call.

    Evenings between 10:00 - 12:30 EST are usually the best times for me.

    I can work anywhere on 10, 20, 40, 60 and 75 meters from my home station. If you are in Western PA, I can hit any local 2 meter repeater of your choice and I also have Echolink capabilities from my home computer and mobile via the W3YJ-R (node # 177325)repeater.

    Here's a list of some of the BIGGER coverage 2 meter repeaters that I can hit from my home or mobile.

    Major 2 Meter Repeaters
    accessible by KB3FXI / PA-SitRep
    Location 5 watt HT 50 watt Mobile 100 mw Home Station 2 watts Home Station 5 watts Home Station 10 watts Home Station 50 watts Home Station
    Armstrong (Kittanning) / 145.410         Yes Yes Yes
    Bedford (Blue Knob) / 147.150 (123.0 PL)             Yes
    Butler / 147.360   Yes   Yes Yes Yes Yes
    Beaver / 146.850         Yes Yes Yes
    Fayette (Uniontown) / 147.045       Yes Yes Yes Yes
    Indiana / 146.910         Yes Yes Yes
    Pittsburgh (SW PA) / 147.090 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
    Somerset (Mt. Pleasant) / 147.015   Yes   Yes Yes Yes Yes

    A great tool for calling up an Amateur Radio Emergency Net

    IMPORTANT:

    This means of call up is not meant to be a primary call up vehicle for emergency nets but is instead meant to be a secondary way to reach net members who carry cell phones or who may use e-mail regularly throughout the day (at work for example). Message delivery via internet e-mail to cell phone and PC is not always reliable (just as the telephone isn't 100%) but I believe that it only makes sense to try to take advantage of ALL feasible communications options, especially when it comes to emergency communciations.

    I own and operate www.PA-SitRep.com and the PA-SitRep (Pennsylvania [Emergency] Situation Report) e-mail list. I am opening the list for an additional function for hams: Amateur Radio Emergency Net Activation notification.

    Subscriptions to the list are free, subscribers may unsubscribe at any time and the list contains no spam, chat or advertisements. List traffic is limited to ONLY major emergency situation reports within the State of Pennsylvania and the list traffic is extremely low volume. I am opening the list to all HAMS within the State of PA and offering Net Controls the ability to notify all list members of Pennsylvania EMERGENCY Net Activations via the mail list to the list subscribers' digital cell phones or their home computers.

    The PA-SitRep list message posting protocol caters to the limited character capacity of digital cell phones and text pagers by limiting the first portion of the posted message to 100 characters or less. Information on how to use your digital cell phone for alphanumeric messaging is available on my site at the following address:

    Using your cell phone for text messaging - http://www.pa-sitrep.com/cell.htm

    If the need arises to call up an Emergency Net within the State of PA, the net control could simply post a message to the list. Here's an example:

    07/21/01 14:30 WPA: TORNADO WARNING - SKYWARN NET ACTIVATED ON 147.090

    Barring any Internet or cellular delivery problems or interruptions, within about 1 - 60 seconds after sending the e-mail message to the list, all list subscribers with digital cell phones (and home PC e-mail users) will receive the message. It's an easy and free way to reach multiple users instantly via e-mail to cell phone. Additionally, all subscribers will receive the emergency situation reports that are posted to the list.

    Information regarding the list is available at:
    PA-SitRep E-Mail list information page - http://www.pa-sitrep.com/pasitrep.htm

    To subscribe, visit:
    PA-SitRep Subscribe page - http://www.pa-sitrep.com/mailman/listinfo/pa_pa-sitrep.com

    Please consider the use of the list and any questions or comments may be e-mailed to:


    Here is the PA-SitRep Western PA 2 Meter Ham Radio Page


    Thanks very much for visiting the Ham Radio section of PA-SitRep.com. Please drop me a line with any suggestions or recommendations. Your help will be greatly appreciated! I am specifically interested in any help in the area of compiling a statewide list , by county, of the most prominent Amateur Radio repeaters that would be used for emergency communications.

    If you can help, contact me at:

    -Dave Kleber KB3FXI


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