Nothing fancy this month, just check-ins on GMRS/FRS and ham.

We encourage all GMRS operators to score how well they receive other operators on a Q5 (strong and clear) to Q1 (nothing heard or unintelligible) scale for reference who you might reach after a major disaster.  And, kindly send your reception reports (spreadsheets, scanned or photographed scribbles) to KO6JJE@gmail.com.  We will eventually compile the results in a table and publish it, so all can benefit from shared reception reports. THANK YOU to all who have submitted reception reports since the first of the year.

GMRS operators in 94803, north of San Pablo Ridge, generally can't talk to central Richmond by GMRS due to terrain obstructions (hills, houses, trees), the low TX power of HTs, and the low gain of HT antennas. So, we encourage everyone in 94803 to check-in on Rob Johnson's 1st Saturday GMRS at 1000 hrs on Channel 15. 9

HamCram in San Pablo, Sat Aug 15

A HamCram Session has been scheduled on Saturday, Aug 15 in San Pablo.  Cramming and testing for Technician/General/Extra licenses.  They send out some pre-test study material so don't sign up at the last minute.  

Test-only for General and Extra in the afternoon is also available.   There are also free study apps for all levels at: https://hamstudy.org/

Info and sign-up at the following link: https://w6sf.org/hamcram-sign-up/

For questions, text Jeff Miller at: (510) 499-5606

If you no longer wish to receive emails about the 1st Weds 1100 nets, please email KO6JJE@gmail.com. And, if you know someone who would be interested in  1st Weds 1100 net practice, please email us too.

Best Regards,

The 1st Weds 1100 Net Committee

In Part A, at 1100, after the Richmond CWS sirens sound, all GMRS and FRS operators will check in with net control on GMRS Ch.15 simplex, 462.550 MHz. [The NCS may substitute alternate Ch.19 simplex, 462.650 MHz, if Ch.15 encounters severe outside interference. If you do not hear the net on either channel, search nearby GMRS simplex channels.]

Click here for a script template for a GMRS/FRS net.

A brief presentation/discussion on recent ham contests and how they support emcomm.

NCS will first check in all hams with the 70 cm repeater, 444.275 +5 MHz, PL 82.5*, followed by a roll call with the 2 m repeater, 145.110 –0.6 MHz, PL 82.5*.

[Thanks to the Contra Costa Communications Club (4Cs) for permission to use its 70 cm and 2 m WA6KQB repeaters. With solar backup, the WA6KQB repeaters can function independently of PG&E power and serve as valuable stations for emergency communications.]

We practice for efficient and clear transmission. All GMRS radio operators should monitor Part C to learn from the ham operators. (Check this link for information about the various EmComm nets conducted by the Contra Costa Communications Club (4Cs); these nets will provide additional models for your radio procedure.)

The WA6KQB three repeaters are tested every Saturday morning, starting with 2m [145.110 MHz) @ 0900, followed by 70cm  [444.275MHz] @ 0915 and 1.25m [224.300 MHz] @ 0930; all three repeaters use PL 82.5.

*This tone is set using a menu entry in your radio. Consult your manual, because the names of these menu entries varies considerably—for example, in the Yaesu FT-60R it is TN FRQ; for the Baofeng BF-F8HP and BTECH GMRS-V1  it is T-CTCS.

(BTW, non-hams can use VFO (frequency) mode to tune their GMRS radios to 444.275 MHz and 145.110 MHz to monitor the repeater traffic.)

Click here for a script template for a ham net using both the 2m and 70 cm repeaters from 4Cs [WA6KQB].

Click here for a script template for a ham net using the 4Cs [WA6KQB] repeaters.