May 17, 2022

All,

Below are the Winlink instructions for the FEMA RECCWG Region 4 & Region 6 May 31-June 1 Communications Outage Exercise. In addition to Winlink (SHARES and amateur radio) providing a Field Situation Report with “ground Truth” information over VHF/UHF/HF radio or Telnet, FYI, the following will also be exercised by the various States in these two Regions with FEMA: FNARS (FEMA National Emergency Radio System), NAWAS (National Warning System), MSAT G2 (Multi-State Satellite talk groups), Multi-State linking of P25 Trunking Networks.

The Task for Winlink is directed and simple:

Below is the starting scenario for this May 31- June 1 exercise. The cities circled on the attached map will have a “communications outage.” However, they will need “ground truth” information from everywhere within these two FEMA Regions from the users of the Winlink Radio Email Network System, regardless of location within the Regions, or the reasons for the outages. There are two separate set of instructions for input data. If you are NOT in these affected metropolitan areas, you may configure and report specific configuration for the Field Situation Report per the instructions below. If you ARE located within these affected metropolitan areas, you are to report your outages on the Field Situation Report per the instructions below.

Cyber Attacked Cities: (see attached map) Charlotte, NC

Dallas, TX Miami, FL Little Rock, AR

For the Winlink portion of this FEMA R4-R6 Communications Outage Exercise, there are two groups participating:

• CISA SHARES Winlink from member agencies & other users within these two FEMA Regions over the DHS Winlink SHARES HF/VHF Network.

• Amateur Radio Winlink from any source with a proper license within these two FEMA Regions sending the data over the HF/VHF/UHF Amateur Spectrum.

If you have no radio and are not within one of these affected metro areas, you may use Telnet if you wish.

For the Amateur Radio Community, I am to leave the further distribution of this information to those copied as leaders over others within their span of control. The further distribution of this instruction is a part of the exercise.                                              Please use whatever resources you have available.

Resulting data from the Winlink Field Situation Report will be accumulated and shown to the appropriate recipients as a spreadsheet item (via KML & CSV) for further use by anyone wishing to provide a dashboard, and visually to the named recipients as a mapped item in Winlink Express. The resulting list of exercise participants will be provided via a FORM 309.

Below are the instructions for participants.

• DATE and TIME of Exercise: Tuesday evening, May 31st, from 6:00 PM EDT until 4:00 PM EDT Wednesday afternoon, June 1st.

• Please, no telnet from areas where communications outage problems are shown to exist (Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Little Rock – see attached map).

• Message to send: Winlink standard Template, Field Situation Report

– Please avoid requesting acknowledgement requests, either manually or automatically.

How to fill out the Field Situation Report:

1. Open Winlink Express (insure you have a most recent version, ie. 1.6.4 or higher, Template Version 1.0.193.0 or higher.) *

• Open “New Message” form. (First ICON in menu).

• On New Message Form, look for “Select Template” menu. Choose “Select Template.”

• Double click on “Standard Templates”

• Choose “Mapping GIS Forms.”

• Choose “Field Situation Report.txt”

• Your browser should open with the HTML Form.

• If you are NOT in one of the UNAFFECTED areas, fill out the form per info below:

1. PRECEDENCE (R) Routine

• Date Time, Task as 1.0.

• To: NCS415; NCS396; NNE6EM  (separate addresses with semi-colon).

• On Form:

#1: NO.

#2. your City, County, State, and Territory put either FEMA R4 (TN, KY, MS, FL, GA, AL, NC, SC) or FEMA R6 (TX, AR, LA, NM, OK).

#3Put in Coordinates using degree decimal

format, DD.DDDD . Example: LAT: 36.0703   LON: –86.8241, which is the correct format.

(If you cannot provide coordinates per above, then put in your Grid Square, and they will be approximated from your Winlink Express settings.)

Remember that Western hemisphere longitude is a negative number! Very IMPORTANT!

Incorrect format would be LAT: 36º 4’13”N LON:

86º 49’ 27”W

Put in your Grid Square.

#4. YES

#5. YES

#6. YES

#7. YES

#8. YES

#9. YES

#10.YES #11.YES

#12. Please state, “EXERCISE, EXERCISE EXERCISE”

#13 Name, call sign.

If any of the above conditions are actually out of service, please follow this instruction, regardless.

• If you ARE in one of the AFFECTED areas (i.e. Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Little Rock), then please fill out the Field Situation Report per below:

1. PRECEDENCE (P) Priority

• Date Time, Task as 1.0.

• To: NCS415; NCS396; NNE6EM  (separate addresses with semi-colon).

• On Form:

#1: NO.

#2. your City, County, State, and for “Territory” put either FEMA R4 (TN, KY, MS, FL, GA, AL, NC, SC) or FEMA R6 (TX, AR, LA, NM, OK).

#3. Put in Coordinates using decimal

format . Example: LAT: 36.0703    LON: -86.8241, which is the correct format. Very IMPORTANT!’

(If you cannot provide coordinates per above, then put in your Grid Square, and they will be approximated from your Winlink Express settings.)

Remember that Western hemisphere longitude is a negative number! Very IMPORTANT!

Incorrect format would be LAT: 36º 4’13”N LON:

86º 49’ 27”W

Put in your Grid Square.

#4. NO POTS or VOIP

#5. NO

#6. YES

#7. YES

#8. YES

#9. YES

#10. NO

#11. YES

#12. Please state, “EXERCISE, EXERCISE EXERCISE”

#13 Name, call sign, cell number (optional)

1. Check your information and then “submit” the form.

1. If not done automatically, then close your browser.

1. Post the message to the Winlink Express Outbox.

1. Send Message with whatever mode you choose!

If you are not in one of the affected areas, you may decide to use Telnet Winlink. In a “real life situation,” you would always want to use Telnet if it is available in order to leave the precious RF spectrum for those in affected areas who have no other choice, However, for this exercise, do what you wish since this is for practicing your ability to use Winlink in an emergency condition.

Thanks much,

Steve, K4CJX, NCS396

*Winlink Express may be downloaded from the Winlink Website

at https://downloads.winlink.org/User%20Programs/. However, if you have a current copy, simply go into Winlink Express

menu “Settings” to “Winlink Express Setup,” and check the last box on the bottom right of the Setup form. Update, and it will automatically request that you update the next time you bring up the program.

Did you miss the Live Town Hall? Its cool…you can watch it below. You get all the comments as they happen. Its just like being there!

SOUTH CAROLINA SECTION EMERGENCY COORDINATORS                            

County         Name                                   Call Sign               E-mail Address
Anderson     Anson Hawkins               KN4UPY         kn4upy@gmail.com
Beaufort      Jim Campbell             KB9LX            KB9LX@arrl.net
Berkeley        Linda Selleck                  KJ4EVV           kj4evv@gmail.com
Calhoun        Robert Bogan                  AE3RB            rbogan.sc@gmail.com
Charleston   Rick Valentine            N8BKN           n8bkn@arrl.net
Cherokee     Randell Phillips              N4JRP             jrphillips69@gmail.com
Chesterfield  Andy Jasiewicz              KD2LQA          jaswcz559@gmail.com
Clarendon     Preston Tobias                W4GSR           cueball910@gmail.com
Darlington   Lloyd Mitchell              KO4L              imitchell@gmail.com
Dorchester    Beverly Boyd                   W3BRB    Beverly.boyd30@gmail.com
Edgefield      Donald  Zupon                W3MIF           W3MIF@YAHOO.COM
Florence       David Milligan              N4URR            1proinv@gmail.com
Georgetown John Costa                    W1OJ              km4kym@gmail.com
Greenville      Robert  Webster             WR8RW    robert.webster@ares-sc.org
Horry              Henry Harrison              AC2LB            ac2lb@outlook.com
Kershaw        Jim Lathan                   W4JLP            jim.lathan@gmail.com
Lee                 David McGlothlin           W4EPD           fcems25@yahoo.com
Marion          Jim Dedonis                KD4VH          jdedonis@gmail.com
Marlboro     Scott Thompson            KG4HIE   scothompson@bellsouth.net
Oconee         Doug     Patterson            N4AHO                 drpatt@gmail.com
Pickens         Mandell Rigdon                 WR4XM                864-878-7980
Richland       Steve    Nixon                    KC4UAL      Radio.KC4UAL@gmail.com
Saluda          Dewey  Willis                    W4DEW                w4dew@arrl.net
Spartanburg Pokey   Burnett                KK4UCE                kk4uce@hotmail.com
Sumter           John Hartwick                KC5RDA johnhartwick911@yahoo.com
York                Daniel Boyer                   WD2DW   Danielboyer1940@gmail.com

SOUTH CAROLINA SECTION  District Emergency Coordinators Serving Counties Lacking an EC  

County                 DEC Name                           Call Sign               E-mail Address

Abbeville    Mike Oakley             N9GSX               omjoakley@aol.com
Aiken                     Eddie King               N4HEK             n4hek@arrl.net
Allendale             Eddie King                 N4HEK             n4hek@arrl.net
Bamberg              Eddie King                 N4HEK            n4hek@arrl.net
Barnwell              Eddie King                 N4HEK             n4hek@arrl.net
Chester                Bob Grudzein             KE7LJ               ke7lj@yahoo.com
Colleton               Eddie King                  N4HEK            n4hek@arrl.net
Dillon                    Donald Bryant          KB4RRC          kb4rrc@yahoo.com
Fairfield                Earl Dean                 W4ESD           earlsc@sc.rr.com
Greenwood        Mike Oakley              N9GSX              omjoakley@aol.com
Hampton             Eddie King                N4HEK             n4hek@arrl.net
Jasper                   Eddie King                N4HEK             n4hek@arrl.net
Lancaster             Bob Grudzein          KE7LJ               ke7lj@yahoo.com
Laurens                Bob Grudzein          KE7LJ               ke7lj@yahoo.com
Lexington            Earl Dean                  W4ESD            earlsc@sc.rr.com
McCormick         Mike Oakley             N9GSX             omjoakley@aol.com
Newberry            Earl Dean                  W4ESD            earlsc@sc.rr.com
Orangeburg        Steve Sweetman       K6TAZ             k6taz@yahoo.com
Union                    Bob Grudzein           KE7LJ              ke7lj@yahoo.com
Williamsburg      Steve Sweetman      K6TAZ             k6taz@yahoo.com

TWO-BAND DESIGNS

                                     TWO-BAND DESIGNS
Bands Radiator    Ladder Line      Lower Resonance     Upper Resonance
            Length (ft)  Length (ft)        Freq (MHz)  SWR    Freq (MHz)  SWR       
                                  VF = 0.9
75/40    144.83          89.50               3.87                1.8       7.25                1.6
30/17       54.75         36.17              10.12               1.8     18.12                1.3
20/17       77.67         76.17              14.13               1.7     18.11                1.6
20/15       51.00         50.67              14.17               1.1     21.27                1.2
20/12       68.00         46.67              14.15               1.7     24.92                1.5
17/12       28.58         46.67              18.11               1.6     24.95                1.5
17/10       33.33         62.50              18.08               1.8     28.42                1.8
15/10     102.00         70.50              21.25               1.0     28.32                1.3
10/6         16.50          33.42             28.40               1.4    50.10                 1.3


THREE-BAND DESIGNS
Bands     Radiator Ladder Line      First Res       Second Res.    Third Res.
                 Length           Length           Freq  SWR Freq   SWR      Freq SWR
                   (ft)             (ft, VF=0.9)      (MHz)             (MHz)            (MHz)
40/20/10   93.17              40.67              7.08   1.1         14.08   1.3      28.57   1.5
40/17/10   78.00              51.50              7.09   1.7         18.11   1.7      28.60   1.1
40/15/10   61.00              68.50              7.07   1.0         21.11   1.1      29.41   1.3
20/15/10   44.75              51.67            14.30   1.3         21.26   1.0      28.21   1.3
20/10/6     45.83              19.63            14.25   1.1         28.40   1.0      50.20   1.3