PHOTOS: Amateur Radio Community Intensity Map (ARCIM) by K6OLI Oliver Dully. Follow the link in the story. Also shown is the City of Lakewood Emergency Manager Chuck Martucci using a well-timed “Survive for 7” preparedness class on 10/15/2024 to remind 30-plus resident attendees of the correct way to stay safe. DCS and ARC staffer Gabby McCormick supported the event.

Southern California airwaves saw a notable uptick in traffic from 0900 through to a surge after the 10:17 Shakeout simulated quake ticked past. Operators got out from under their desks to continue nets and make interop contacts across our county’s 4000-plus square miles.

This article is a very limited sampling of anecdotes regarding those who got on their air. It’s a humble attempt to recognize the Shakeout and give a sampling of the variety of ways amateur operators across multiple groups worked it.

Reports included DCS’s S-12 Keith Prebble checking in to nets during his workday. CVS operators gathered to work from their station parking lot. Malibu/Lost Hills took check-ins at the far northwest edge of the county while N-105 KK6HMP Samuel Sher checked into nets at the southeastern end near Seal Beach/Long Beach. In central AREA E, N-114 K6CLE Kiran Annavarapu fired up his HT at work to check in.
DCS interop contacts were made with ARES districts, ACS, and served cities. Three amateurs (2 DCS members) staffed the Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance who used the Shakeout as an opportunity to do an internal exercise. LMT helped facilitate operations related to their internal radio system.

After the 10:17 hour Shakeout, they contacted the Torrance Alternate EOC, sending and receiving NBEMS HICS 213 exercise messages with the city. A roleplay of process saw District 3/17 net control simulate an exchange with a San Pedro facility.

Digital channels buzzed as Winlink gateways processed “Did you feel it” (DYFI) USGS reports. See a terrific DYFI GPS summary by K6OLI at https://www.laxnortheast.org/dashboards/shakeout.

Active nets included KK6DA David Ahrendts, who, with other operators, gave ARES NE a credible voice on DARN. WD6FON Bill Bradley of ARES South was active on the southeast LA County-located K6CHE 440 repeater logging check-ins and encouraging operators to submit DYFIs.

DCS members and their DCOs are encouraged to update their earthquake kits and to mark Thursday, October 16 on their calendars for the 2025 Shakeout. Look for updates on www.shakeout.org in coming weeks.

Class images are included in a linked PDF.

DCS District 22 hosted a Winlink training session on Saturday, September 21, 2024. The class was built on a prior session covering getting started with Winlink using WIFI-based RMS Express messaging.

The class reviewed basic Winlink using “Telnet” (WIFI) before using more advanced check-in and GPS-based forms and a mapping demo. The room of students sent Winlink traffic over the air to a nearby local gateway.

Click for photos

Instructors Norm Goodkin K6YXH and David Goldenberg W0DHG facilitated members doing RF by using inexpensive 2-meter HTs using the “Kenwood 2-pin” mic standard common to Kenwood D-74, Quansheng and Baofeng handhelds.

The use of “AIOC” cables and the gateway provided a painless, low-power/low-fuss way to give attendees a hands-on experience. Signalink and DigiRig setups were present too. Training materials also included a short video on go-kit options and a discussion of more advanced GPS and data features in Winlink Express.

Amateur radio operators all need to keep our FCC licenses current. To do THAT you may need to go onto the FCC website and FIRST update or create your FCC CORES record in the FCC database prior to the renewal. The system has been updated, and you need to be sure they have a current email, too!

CLICK HERE FOR A HELPFUL PDF WITH TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS.

LACDCS has a new group on Groups.io. While still brand new, it hopes to support amateur radio operators with a passion for public service. The County of Los Angeles, LACDCS and its 88 cities wants to encourage new radio operators, support licensing and help share information with our peers who are set to provide critical disaster communications when “the big one” happens.

To join, just email: DCS+subscribe@LACDCS.groups.io