Operation On Target 2010 ham radio band plan
On Target 2010 Band Plan and Operating Protocol V2.1 7/13/2010
Please note that some frequency allocations have been revised since the previous Band Plan releases.
Schedule (All times in 24 Hr. format, MDT)
Sunday 11 July 2010 Pre-event Net for all Ham Operators
2000 Hrs LAKE 147.28+ MHz 141.3 Hz PL
2100 Hrs SNOWBIRD 147.18+ Mhz 100 Hz PL and its intertied repeaters
Saturday 17 July 2010 Operation On Target
1000-1059 Hrs Check in to LAKE or SNOWBIRD as you arrive at your peak. Receive your “Official First Contact” assignment but do not contact it yet.
1100-1105 Welcome and recap of operating protocol
1105-1110 Training Item by David L. Beck (Transmitted on LAKE, SNOWBIRD, and Phone Bridge.)
1110 Grand Opening Flash On cue from Net Control Station (NCS), all participants flash Mr. Beck at Mt. Timpanogos Temple for 30 seconds and then flash all over the valley for 30 seconds.
1111 Make your “Official First Contact. “ Switch frequencies (QSY) to the simplex frequency you were assigned at check in and flash your “Official First Contact” as determined when you checked in.
1111 LAKE and SNOWBIRD NCS will now accept late check-ins. As you make contacts, QSY back to your NCS to report them and to request simplex frequencies to contact additional peaks.
1400 Hrs On Target ends. NCS closes the net.
You may remain on your peak and make unofficial contacts, but NCS will not coordinate frequencies and will not take reports of contacts after 1400.
1400-1500 Hrs NCS will monitor repeaters for emergency traffic.
1900-2000 Ice Cream Social at Provo Utah Grandview Stake Center
Protocol
- Use of LAKE and SNOWBIRD repeaters These will be used for check ins, the training item, and to assign simplex frequencies. We anticipate a large volume of traffic, consequently we will need to limit the type of traffic on these repeaters.
- Directed Net This will be a “directed net” which means you only communicate with NCS and do not contact another station on the net frequency. NCS will assign you a simplex frequency on which you will communicate with another station.
- How to Contact Another Peak To contact a peak call NCS and request a simplex frequency on which you will communicate with another peak to coordinate aiming, to identify each other’s flashes, and to verify the mirror contact. You should tell NCS what other peak you wish to contact but if you ask, NCS might be able to suggest one. Recognize that the desired peak might be on a simplex frequency at the time so you will be placed on “hold” until it returns to NCS to report its contact. The two of you will then be paired up. Or, NCS might be able to direct you to the simplex frequency on which your desired peak is working so you can tail end them.
- Reporting After you have made a contact or a group of contacts, call NCS and report them as official contacts.
- “Official First Contact” When you check in to the net you should request a peak as your “Official First Contact.” Or you may ask NCS to choose one for you. Do not contact this peak until directed by NCS at 1111 hours. After checking in and before 1111 hours you may contact other peaks on your own by coordinating on National Simplex 146.52 MHz. You should report these contacts to NCS later on in the day.
- Why have the “Official First Contact?” To prevent an initial logjam on the NCS repeaters if all stations were to try to receive their simplex assignments at the beginning of official flashing at 1111 hours.
- Tactical Call Signs Use tactical call signs instead of your Ham call sign—“Mt. Wilson,” “Timp 3,” or “Snowbird net control” instead of “KG7COOL.” Only use your Ham call sign at the end of a conversation or if the conversation is an extended one, every 10 minutes.
- Sharing and Tail-ending More than one pair of peaks may be assigned the same simplex frequency. Play nice and share. Use this as an opportunity to “tail-end” another contact. That is, when you hear two stations conclude their conversation (QSO) jump in with your ID and make a mirror contact with one of them.
- National Simplex Calling Frequency If heavy traffic prevents you from reaching NCS at a given time you should QSY to the National Calling Frequency, 146.52 Hz, to try contacting a peak on your own. (You will not hurt NCS’s feelings by-passing them.) Upon reaching another station QSY to another simplex frequency to avoid tying up 146.52.
- Non On Target Traffic If you encounter other Hams using a simplex frequency NCS assigns you, don’t interfere with their QSO. Return to NCS and request another frequency.
- Long Distance Relays LAKE and SNOWBIRD will not be able to relay communications between two distant peaks. If you have line of sight and your mirrors can talk to each other you should be able to communicate simplex with a two watt handheld and decent antenna. If you believe you need a repeater to communicate long distance then suggest another Ham repeater and NCS will coordinate that between you and the other peak.
- Relays with other Services LAKE and SNOWBIRD will not relay messages between Ham stations and cell phones or FRS radios. Cell phone communications will be described later.
- Help Desk To reduce congestion on the NCS repeaters a Help Desk will operate on the 145.23+ Repeater on West Mountain. Call this station if you have questions regarding net protocol, if you need help operating your radio, or other questions that might take some time to answer. Please reserve the Lake Mountain and Snowbird repeaters for short transmissions to coordinate simplex frequency assignments and to report the mirror contacts you make with another peak. If your traffic on LAKE or SNOWBIRD appears to be lengthy you will be asked to QSY to the Help Desk.
- Emergency Traffic The Help Desk should be called for any emergency traffic, including communications with the Utah County Sherriff, Fire, or other public safety agency. Of course you may also call 911 if you have cell phone coverage.
Band Plan Please note that some frequency allocations have been revised since the previous Band Plan releases. This is the latest and most uptodatest. Please program your radios before Saturday with these frequencies for ease of operation on the mountain top.
Net Control for Utah County stations (Robert Earl N7EGG)
LAKE 147.28MHz + offset with 141.3 Hz PL tone (Lake Mountain, Utah County)
Net Control for stations outside Utah County (Merril Dunn KG7SW)
SNOWBIRD 147.18 + offset with 100.0 Hz PL tone ( Hidden Peak, Salt Lake County) Stations outside Utah County who cannot hit Snowbird directly should use a local Snowbird intertied repeater. See http://www.utahvhfs.org/snowlink.html for a list of Snowbird intertied repeaters and instructions for accessing them.
Help desk and Backup Net Control (David Martin WA7FFM)
145.23 negative offset with 131.8 Hz PL tone (West Mountain, Utah County)
Simplex frequencies All frequencies in MHz.
When programming your radio remember to not set any offset or PL tones for the simplex frequencies.
Coordinated by LAKE (147.28):
145.53 145.55 145.57 145.59 145.61 145.65 145.67
145.69 145.71 145.73 145.75 145.77 145.79 146.42
146.43 146.44 146.46 146.48 146.50 146.54 147.40
Simplex frequencies to be coordinated by SNOWBIRD (147.18):
147.48 147.50 147.52 147.54 147.56 147.58
147.46 (Simplex for all Salt Lake Valley stations)
High Uintas stations (To encourage stations to contact these four distant peaks they will have these pre-assigned simplex frequencies.)
Marsh Peak and Hades Peak (Shared): 147.44 MHz
Leidy Peak and Currant Creek Peak (Shared): 146.56 MHz
Special Stations
Mystery Station #1: 146.58 MHz
Mystery Station #2: 146.60 MHz
You may call a Mystery Station without NCS coordination. Identify yourself and ask the Mystery Station to flash you. Once you know where it is, flash it back as they instruct and receive confirmation. Then report the contact to NCS. Never mention anything about its location over the air.
Valley Stations
Two stations will be set up for your parents to visit and flash you. Your parents will give your location to the Ham operator and he will then ask NCS to tell you to QSY to the simplex frequency to coordinate the flashing. If you are not monitoring NCS at the time your parents will wait for the next time you check in with NCS and give you the message. If you and your parents have a cell phone they can contact you directly. Please report the valley station contact to NCS.
#1 Mt Timpanogos Temple 145.51 MHz
# 2 147.42 MHz Rotary Park adjoining the Provo Utah Grandview Stake center and Westridge School.
Cell Phones and the Phone Bridge Some units will not have Ham radio operators to assist them and will rely on cell phones for communications. If you wish to contact them call this number: (213) 417-2120, Access code: 817209. Net Control will monitor the phone bridge as available resources permit. If a ‘cell phone-only’ peak wants to initiate a contact with a station in our network they will call net control on the phone bridge who will then announce their phone number on the net control frequency and ask whatever peak wishing to communicate them to call their cell phone directly.
As a point of interest, you may find your cell phone cannot make a call from a mountain peak even though it shows several bars of signal strength. Being on a mountain peak with a clear line of sight your signal strength will be greater than from an urban location the same linear distance from the tower because of no RF obstructions and less RF absorption. Some cell towers are programmed to only accept calls within a defined geographical area. If the tower detects by signal propagation delay time that you are beyond its intended area it may reject your phone even though it has a strong signal. (Talk to WA7FFM for a better and probably more accurate explanation.)
Tips and Reminders
- A good way to make contacts is to scan the simplex frequencies and “Tail-End” another pair of peaks communicating. That is, when you hear them terminate their contact, jump in with your tactical call sign and see if one of them would like to set up a contact with you.
- You should program your radio at least a day or so before you head up the mountain. Standing on top of a windy ridge is not the time to be punching in 30+ frequencies.
- When programming your radio remember simplex frequencies should not use PL tones and by definition have no offset.
- If you can borrow a second handheld it will be useful as a standby and to monitor NCS while your primary radio is being used on simplex.
- Consider using a second handheld to scan NCS and the simplex frequencies so you will know where the action is. When you are finished with your current QSO you can then easily QSY and tail end another contact.
- The unit adult and youth leaders are running the show. You as the Ham operator are a resource for communications. Be careful to not take over.
- Technical Items
- Take at least one complete change of batteries.
- Use a gain antenna. Avoid the rubber duck antenna (also known as a radiating dummy load) that came with your radio.
- Use sufficient power for reliable communications. This is not a QRP exercise. The goal is reliable communications, not to discover the minimum power you can get away with.
- Take an external loudspeaker so the youth can hear the training item and your communications. You may interest some in becoming Hams.
- To minimize transmitting wind noise hold the radio (or external microphone) touching the corner of your mouth and speak across the mic. Avoid distortion and over-modulation by not yelling.
- The new sub-miniature handhelds are handy and easy to carry but their low power may limit your communications with distant peaks. See if you can borrow an old fashion brick radio from a friend. Two watts should be considered the minimum.
- For units on Mt. Timpanogos teams only: Check in with TERT (Timpanogos Emergency Response Team) at trailhead and inform them of your schedule and mountain top location. In case of emergency contact the Team on 145.63 simplex.
On Target Summary for convenience in printing and carrying with you on the peak.
Schedule Saturday 17 July 2010 Operation On Target
1000-1059 Hrs Check in to LAKE or SNOWBIRD as you arrive at your peak.
1100-1105 Welcome QSY to LAKE or SNOWBIRD (or phone bridge)
1105-1110 Training Item by David L. Beck
1110 Grand Opening Flash
1111 Make your “Official First Contact. “
1111 LAKE and SNOWBIRD NCS late check-ins.
1400 On Target ends. NCS closes the net.
1400-1500 Hrs NCS will monitor repeaters for emergency traffic.
1900-2000 Ice Cream Social at Provo Utah Grandview Stake Center
Band Plan
Net Control for Utah County stations (Robert Earl N7EGG)
LAKE 147.28MHz + offset with 141.3 Hz PL tone (Lake Mountain, Utah County)
Net Control for stations outside Utah County (Merril Dunn KG7SW)
SNOWBIRD 147.18 + offset with 100.0 Hz PL tone ( Hidden Peak, Salt Lake County) See http://www.utahvhfs.org/snowlink.html
Help desk and Backup Net Control (David Martin WA7FFM)
145.23 negative offset with 131.8 Hz PL tone (West Mountain, Utah County)
Simplex frequencies All frequencies in MHz.
Coordinated by LAKE (147.28):
145.53 145.55 145.57 145.59 145.61 145.65 145.67
145.69 145.71 145.73 145.75 145.77 145.79 146.42
146.43 146.44 146.46 146.48 146.50 146.54 147.40
Simplex frequencies to be coordinated by SNOWBIRD (147.18):
147.48 147.50 147.52 147.54 147.56 147.58
147.46 (Simplex for all Salt Lake Valley stations)
High Uintas stations
(Marsh Peak and Hades Peak (Shared): 147.44 MHz
Leidy Peak and Currant Creek Peak (Shared): 146.56 MH
Mystery Station #1: 146.58 MHz
Mystery Station #2: 146.60 MHz
Valley Stations
#1 Mt Timpanogos Temple 145.51 MHz
# 2 147.42 MHz Rotary Park adjoining the Provo Utah Grandview Stake center and Westridge School.
National Simplex Calling Frequency 146.52
Phone Bridge (213) 417-2120, Access code: 817209.
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