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Gwen Set

Aug 9/09
 
     
 
 
 
 
Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN)
August  9,2009 Gwen SET
       Follow up by David VE3BBN

     Greetings all, I was made aware of the interest in the recently past exercise of Niagara GWEN in which the participants were Geddie ve3cjx, Peter va3wet, John ve3ezp, Alex ve3als and David ve3bbn (NCS for Niagara GWEN).
   The conditions for the SET were the most grueling I have ever come across in 58 years of playing with radios. The atmospherics were out of this world causing the group to use any and all skills they could muster to achieve their goal. With this aside I feel that under these conditions we achieved a great success in communications even though we did not verify a true ground wave link. The constant S9+ level of atmospherics would not allow us to be cognizant as to whether or not we had achieved our goal, but still communications were established between Niagara, Port Dover and London and traffic was passed. This success was guaranteed in most part by our portable station comprised of Peter va3wet and Geddie ve3cjx. This test proved one thing, and that is that under the worst possible conditions imaginable ARES GWEN Niagara can pull it off.
   Kudos to Peter and Geddie and a slap on the back to the rest of the participants who were able to sit in their cushy radio shacks and still be part of the action.
 I would also like to thank the other stations who witnessed the event and gave us signal reports based on their perspective and position, they were John boz, Joe abg, Rick wu, Bob hnh, and please forgive me if I have failed to mention any others that may have been in the noise.

In the future this test will be done again under better conditions to achieve the ground wave link. I know it is possible as the distances have been proven previously that it can be accomplished. By then our numbers and sections hopefully will have increased and our dream of an EmComm transprovincial link will have been realised. We hope that by doing these tests and getting them written up in the TCA that others may see the good that can be done in a time of crisis and be willing to set up a group in their own areas.

cheers David ve3bbn (NCS GWEN Niagara)
Greetings from GWEN!

   The Niagara branch of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is starting its sister group Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN).
   This group will be made up radio amateurs who have HF privileges and are willing to work in tandom with the existing VHF/UHF segment of our already established hospital system.

   GWEN works best with vertical antennas but dipole antennas can be converted to a vertical antenna in just a few seconds with the vertical/dipole converter I have laid out in the up and coming special antenna edition of TCA the RAC technical bulletin.

   Once this group is up and running the range of the Niagara ARES system will be greatly increased, with no actual limits in distance, and if the VHF repeater system should fail for any reason whatsoever the handshaking between HF and VHF will continue uninterupted.
 
   The  patches shown below will be our identifying trademark. Notice that another group, the Frontenac group will be using our logo with the area changed.
We are hoping this will catch on, and as we get more recognition, especially when we use HF in a SET more sheep will be added to the fold.

   If you are interested in becoming a GWEN member to give additional service to the already existing ARES group, send an e-mail to me ve3bbn@yahoo.ca.

  There will be followups to this notice in the near future to lay out the requirements of a GWEN member. The requirements are not stringent but to be effective we must be prepared.

cheers David ve3bbn

Ground Wave Emergency Network

Mandate-  To give additional support of long range radio

communications in the advent of a repeater failure of our

Niagara ARES vhf / uhf emergency service.

Mode of Operation-  The GWEN network will be self supporting and able to exist utilizing its own emergency power supply, and not relying on the grid.

Propagation will be via both ground wave and near vertical

incident sky wave (NVIS) on a frequency to be determined in the 80 meter ham band.

Requirements-  An HF transceiver and antenna capable of 80 meter operation. The vertical antenna is preferred but a dipole using the Dipole/Vertical converter (ask ve3bbn) will cover both of the above modes of propagation. A generator or other means of self- sufficiency of power is paramount to emergency readiness, and most important, an unfailing desire to help your fellow man in the event of a disaster.

Executive-  An executive will be formed within the first two meetings of the GWEN nets which will be on the 80 meter band on a frequency to be determined. This executive will set up a meeting with other GWEN / NVIS stations in the Hamilton and Toronto areas to give the needed extension of range layed out in the mandate.

Identification- The shirt/jacket patches of the Niagara and Frontenac chapters of GWEN have been made and are available for serious members. They can be viewed on the Niagara ARES site and on www.va3xm.com

Do you have that "unfailing desire" ? Join ARES/GWEN

Contact David ve3bbn@yahoo.ca for Niagara GWEN

Dave va3orp@koss.net for Frontenac GWEN
 
     
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