On April 30th Centre County ARES provided Communications for the 2017 Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk in State College. About 250 walkers participated to raise awareness and funds for the MS Society. This is the first time the Society asked amateur radio to assist with communications over the three mile course. ARES was fortunate to recruit operators from Centre, Blair, Clearfield, and Clinton Counties. Incident Command System forms were used to prepare for the walk and distribute the information to the participating operators several days prior to the walk. Continue reading
Centre County Amateur Radio Operators Provide Communications for Nittany Cycling Classic
Centre County amateur radio operators from both the Nittany Amateur Radio Club and Philipsburg Amateur Radio Association participated in providing communications for the Nittany Cycling Classic bicycle race held on the 25th of March, 2017 in the Black Moshannon State Park/Forest. There were two events; time trials starting at 07:00 and the actual race starting at 10:00. This event is sponsored by the Penn State Cycling Club and is sanctioned by the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC). The race covers 20 miles on Beaver Road and Rattlesnake Pike in multiple loops. Continue reading
PEMA Asks for Digital Nets During Major Winter Storm.
PEMA and the State EOC is requesting a digital net for the upcoming Winter Weather event from tomorrow (Monday March 13) through Tuesday.
PEMA is requesting that the net(s) run from 2200 Monday, 3/13 through 2200 Tuesday, 3/14, local time.
Please go with 3.583 USB, from 2200 Monday through 0900 Tuesday.
7.0725 USB from 0900 through 1800 Tuesday. 3.583 USB from 1800 through 2200 Tuesday evening. All spots at 1500 Center Waterfall with Olivia 8/500.
Nittany Cycling Classic to be held Mar. 25, 2017
The Nittany Cycling Classic, sponsored by the Penn State Cycling Club will be held March 25, 2017 at Black Moshannon State Park. Once details are firmed up we will be seeking amateur radio volunteers for the day. Mark your calendars.
Amateur Radio Operator Volunteers needed for May 13 and 14 Air Show in Allegheny County
The following information was received from Harry Bloomburg, W3YJ, SEC for WPA ARES:
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To: All Western PA ARES Emergency Coordinators
The US Air Force Reserve will be holding a major airshow the weekend of May 13-14 at their base in Moon Twp. near Pittsburgh. Continue reading
Thank you from an MS-150 Ride Participant
After I posted the report on the 2016 MS-150 I received an e-mail from Sharon O’Keiff, Director of the Keystone Chapter of the MS Society. The e-mail included comments from one of the ride participants. Here are the comments related to amateur radio. It’s very gratifying to see our work acknowledged by the riders. Continue reading
2016 Multiple Sclerosis Society Keystone Country Ride Report
The 2016 MS Keystone Country Bike Ride was held Saturday and Sunday July 23 and 24. As usual, amateur radio provided essential communications for ride administration and safety. The ride starts in Hollidaysburg, PA on Saturday morning and ends in State College that afternoon. On Sunday, the riders repeat the process back to Hollidaysburg for a total of 150 miles. 2016 is the 21st anniversary of the ride and amateur radio has been part of the event from it’s inception. Forty two people volunteered to help with amateur radio. Thirty seven of those were amateur radio operators.Amateur radio volunteers came from the following Pennsylvania counties; Bedford, 8: Blair, 14; Butler, 1; Centre, 13; Huntingdon, 3; Snyder, 2; Venango, 1. Continue reading
PEMA Activation of Auxiliary Communications Systems
Due to the impending weather PEMA ACS will be activating this weekend.
The PEMA SEOC will be activated to an “enhanced” level on Friday evening. PEMA ACS personnel will be monitoring HF Voice Operations on 3.9935N LSB HF and the Eastern Area Office will monitor 3.9875N LSB HF. We will also be monitoring PaNBEMS on 3.5830N Olivia 1500 Hz 8/500. They will be taking reports of snowfall amounts from counties and others… Our hope is to keep the SEOC and our command staff informed with the most up to date information on snowfalls by location. This should provide a much more accurate picture of how bad it is in different parts of the state than the news would. It should also help us to keep PennDOT informed as to snow amounts and may directly affect their decision making about plowing roads. We don’t expect the snow to hit until later in the evening but it may come in earlier. We hope that you will be able to reach us to share information on snowfall amounts. If you do not have HF capability, please let me know what UHF or VHF frequencies you will be operating on and I will add your frequencies to my operational ICS-205 so that our guys can listen communicate with you. If this does not work, our landline in the radio room is 717-346-3101.
On Saturday morning both the PEMA SEOC and EAO will be operating in a Level 2 activation mode. Both radio rooms will continue to monitor. Using the daytime frequencies on the attached ICS-205. Western Area will have staff monitoring our Western Area channels as well. We expect to remain in an activated state until sometime on Sunday.
PEMA ACS would not be able to provide information like what is needed this weekend without the support that you, the ACS units, RACES, ARES and Skywatch teams that serve your county and local governments provide. It is truly a team effort. Those of you who know me know that I am sincerely grateful for your support. Much appreciated. I can be reached at the number below if you have any questions.
Susan
Susan D. Singer | ComL, Emergency Management Specialist,
Commonwealth EMAC & ACS Coordinator
Amateur Radio Operators provide communications for Penn State 4-H Competitive Trail Ride
On Saturday, September 19th, 2015 members of the Nittany Amateur Radio Club (NARC) provided communications support to the Annual Penn State 4-H Competitive Trail Ride in the Rothrock State Forest. Centre Communications of Bellefonte PA again loaned their Display Vehicle to the Emergency Coordinator who set the unit up at the race midpoint.
The Display Vehicle not only provided a VHF radio but also a comfortable location with a table and a white board. Here the operator, K3CWP, used the white board to note when riders entered and left the midpoint. This allowed race organizers to see the status of the riders at a glance. After the midpoint closed the SUV transported two operators to the last checkpoint before the riders entered a very rough ‘horse only’ trail.
Special thanks to Centre Communications sales representative Kevin Ermol and owners Karl Hosterman, K3ARL and Eric Brooks, N3EB for the use of this valuable asset.
Amateur Radio Operators Provide Communications for the Penn State Cycling Club Stage Race on August 1, 2015
By Carmine Prestia, K3CWP
The Penn State Cycling Club put on its first ever Nittany Stage Race on Saturday, August 1st and Sunday the 2nd. The Road Race on August 1st was held in the Black Moshannon State Park and Forest. Race organizers asked local amateur radio operators to provide communications during the Saturday event. Eight (8) Amateurs volunteered and staffed the Incident Command Post and several positions along the 21 mile route. Two operators provided roving coverage or ‘tail end’ coverage as needed. This year saw the addition of an amateur radio equipped vehicle at the Command Post that was loaned to the event by Centre Communications, Inc.
K3CWP operates the Incident Command Post/Net Control Station out of the Centre Communications display vehicle.