To: Stow area ARES and Marlborough ARES Teams
From: Eric Williams, KV1J, Marlborough EMA and Bob Glorioso, W1IS, Stow ARES
We are planning a joint Stow-Marlborough radio exercise the morning of Saturday, May 6, 2023. After lunch, we are planning to hold a training session on the WinLink radio messaging tool at the Marlborough Fire Station Emergency Operations Center. Similar to previous drills, our purpose is test and practice communications capabilities within our region using multiple frequency bands and methods. We will also have a remote station setup at the Crow Island air strip.
One of the areas we want to improve our skills is the ability to communicate text style messages without the dependency of the internet or cellular systems. Over the past couple decades, the WinLink system has been an effective tool for digital message transmission. In the past Marlborough EMA has been using WinLink but the equipment at our EOC used older hardware. We have recently upgraded our equipment as have the Stow ARES group. In the afternoon, Carl Howe, WG1V, will give a presentation to the Stow and Marlborough ARES teams on the use of WinLink.
Schedule for Saturday May 6
1000 – 1030 hrs – Western Middlesex area ARES net on the W1STO Stow Remote Base frequency – 147.435 MHz PL 110.9 Hz
1030 – 1045 hrs – Marlborough EMA net with Stow check-ins – N1EM repeater – 446.675 MHz PL 88.5 Hz
1045 – 1100 hrs – Marlborough EMA secondary freq net – KV1J repeater – 147.240 MHz PL 71.9 Hz
1100 – 1200 hrs – HF tests – 75 meters 3930 or 3940 KHz+- , 60 meters 5330.5 KHz, 6 meters WC1MA MEMA repeater 53.310 MHz pl 71.9 hz
also other bands with Crow Is and also WinLink tests
1200 noon – start to congregate at the Marlborough Fire Station EOC (215 Maple St, Marlborough). Get take-out lunch from Kennedy’s Deli or McDonalds. Both only 400 ft from the station. Eat lunch at the Fire Station.
1300 – 1400 hrs – WinLink presentation by Carl, WG1V, at the Fire Station.
For the Marlborough Team, please let me know if you want to be at the EOC for the morning to operate the radios. Bob will coordinate the Stow operations.
Hope to see you, or at least hear you on the air, on Saturday May 6th. Thank you for your support of our regional emergency radio communications capabilities.
Regards,
Eric Williams, Marlborough Emergency Management, Bob Glorioso, Stow ARES