Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Pennsylvania Hams Help Equip Mobile Command Post

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 03 Mar 2004 13:58:45 -0500

Pennsylvania Hams Help Equip Mobile Command Post

NEWINGTON, CT, Mar 3,
2004--Amateur Radio input has helped to
ensure complete interoperability for a new
mobile command post in Northeastern
Pennsylvania. The fully decked-out
communications vehicle based in
Wilkes-Barre is the result of a federal grant
and volunteer assistance from two radio
amateurs and several other volunteer radio
experts, who got keys to the city in return.
Armed with a $300,000 federal grant,
Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom McGroarty
wanted to put some of the money toward a
mobile command post--or MCP--project.
He approached Bill Harding, KA3QPQ,
of the city's engineering office. Harding, in
turn, sought advice and assistance from
Rich Arland, K7SZ. Other team members
included Greg Berholtz, N3SFO, David
Anthony and Leigh Thompson.

"The plan involved purchasing off-the-shelf
communications gear and configuring a
mothballed GMC Suburban as a mobile
communications asset to support
interagency interoperability during
emergencies," said Arland. Ham radio
operators volunteer emergency communication services to 18 communities
in Northeastern Pennsylvania, he noted. After a briefing from Harding,
the MCP project manager, regarding Amateur Radio Emergency Service/Radio
Amateur Civil Emergency Service (ARES/RACES) operations, Arland said,
the mayor wholeheartedly agreed that ham radio definitely should be part
of the MCP equation.

"All in all, the van has the capability to communicate on all ham bands
from 160 meters through 70 cm on CW, SSB, data and FM," Arland reports.
Of course, it also contains a full complement of low and high-band
public safety (police, fire and emergency medical services)
communications gear.

The van's radio suite consists primarily of Kenwood commercial
equipment, although Arland says the team picked a Yaesu FT-857 for its
HF radio because of "its rugged construction and small footprint."
Needless to say, the van literally bristles with antennas--15 in
all--most for VHF and UHF. A Tarheel Model 200 screwdriver serves the HF
transceiver. There are two Kenwood TM-261A 2-meter transceivers plus a
Kenwood TM-V7A VHF-UHF dualbander.

A RadioShack CB transceiver, complete with a compass and weather alert
features, a bevy of handhelds and a Motorola 800-MHz transceiver and
repeater system round out the complement of radio equipment in the MCP.

"All this radio redundancy is mandatory in view of the overall mission
of this vehicle," Arland explains. "Should one or two radios
malfunction, there is sufficient back-up equipment to maintain
communications continuity."

All of the electronics require a husky power source. A "huge" deep-cycle
RV battery can power the gear, Arland says. It's wired into the existing
charging circuit via an "RV module" that allows simultaneous charging of
both the vehicle battery and the deep-cycle battery. "There are two
750-W dc-to-ac power inverters to supply 1500 W for accessories that
must run from alternating current," he said. Also onboard are two
six-station handheld transceiver chargers, plus a 1500-W gasoline-fueled
generator that provides both 120 V ac and 13.8 V dc.

"All the public safety radios are programmed with local frequencies as
well as police, fire, EMS and EMA frequencies from adjacent counties,"
he said. "This greatly enhances the functionality of the mobile command
post by ensuring communications interoperability with agencies outside
Luzerne County." Arland said Mayor McGroarty had insisted that the
vehicle be available to support disaster relief operations at the
discretion of the Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency. The MCP is
off-road capable.

Arland says an onboard computer with cloning software permits
reprogramming all the Kenwood radios on the fly to cover occasions when
the van is working outside the immediate area.

The MCP project is far from complete, however. Arland notes that future
plans call for the addition of a high-end GPS unit and a 2-meter
transceiver dedicated to APRS.

So far, the MCP has been sent out twice--to support emergency operations
following flooding in Wayne County and to assist after a prisoner
escaped from a county lockup.

"This highly sophisticated, extremely well-equipped mobile command
post/communications station will ensure communications connectivity and
interagency operability during times of emergency," Arland says.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/03/03/101/?nc=1
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