AREN » activities

Digital voice usage and activities.

ADMIN User — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 09:22:07 +0000

Changes to the 160k and 50k routes have been announced for this years Sean Kelly Tour cycling event. The 50k is using part of the new Greenway between Dungarvan and Waterford and the 160K is heading East from Dungarvan back along the coast before heading North towards Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel. Members will shortly test coverage over the routes and devise a communications plan in support of the medical team on the event.

The Galway VHF Group assisted the Kinvara Rock and Road Marathon on the 4th of March using C4FM. This was the first-all digital operation on an AREN supported event. Future operations locally will be DMR or Yaesu Fusion as a result of this trial as it worked so well.

On 11th March AREN provided communications support and delivered a workshop in Tralee for Kerry Civil Defence who were hosting regional competitions. A portable repeater was used to boost voice communications in a old meat processing factory where stainless steel clad walls provided a challenge for RF. The workshop covered a variety of techniques on overcoming communications challenges including coverage and interoperability.

Civil Defence Exercise 2017-03-17

Volunteers – Thank you.

ADMIN User — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 10:03:57 +0000

The Amateur Radio Emergency Network is our national organisation for harnessing the capability of Ham Radio to help our emergency services and communities during major emergencies. In order to do that members prepare and test equipment, learn and practice appropriate skills and volunteer in a coordinated way to deliver on the promise. We build relationships with our local communities and emergency services through providing communications cover at sporting events and through participation in multi-agency exercises.

One of the most important events on the calendar is the national training and development weekend held in Dromineer County Tipperary on the shore of Lough Derg. It is where members from all regions can get together to share knowledge and experience, demonstrate kit, develop skills, get to know each other better and collectively steer the direction the organisation is going.

This years event took place on the 19th and 20th of November and was well attended. AREN would like to thank Declan and Fiona of Lough Derg House for accommodation, The Whiskey Still pub for meals and refreshments and Lough Derg Yacht Club for the training room. Finally a big ‘Thank you’ to all the members who attended and contributed over this weekend.

Training and Development weekend.

ADMIN User — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 09:24:04 +0000

The 5th National annual training and development weekend will be held at the usual venue of Lough Derg House, Dromineer County Tipperary on 19th and 20th of November. New members welcome. Inquiries to Conor EI4JN, John EI7IG.

On October 7th and 8th AREN will take part in an multi-agency exercise on Valentia Island, Co. Kerry run by Inter Agency Emergency Management Office. Contact Conor, EI4JN for further information.

Recently, five AREN members from four different counties assisted at this years Sean Kelly Tour. AREN assisted in setting up the control center, provided asset tracking and live weather reporting from the mountains.

A prototype Internet-of-things based tracking device developed by John, EI7IG was tested on the event. John subsequently presented a paper on project at the ARRL/TAPR conference in Florida last month.

Global Simulated Emergency Test 2015

ADMIN User — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 10:47:25 +0000

Since 2006 the International exercises organised by IARU Region 1 have concentrated on testing between countries using the emergency centre of activity frequencies defined in the band plans, and passing formal messages across language barriers.
Some countries are very involved in emergencies but have not been able to take full part because of timing or their distance from other countries.

Following the Nepal Earthquake earlier this year, a new test is required to demonstrate that Amateur Radio is able to respond quickly to an emergency. GlobalSET 2015 will take place, but with a focus on our organisation rather than on how easily groups can set up field stations.

We announce that between 12-22nd December, the IARU Regional Emergency Communications Co-Ordinators will trigger a call out exercise in their region. The exact time will depend on the Regional co-ordinators and may not be a weekend as disasters can occur at any time.

We will use whatever means considered appropriate to ask the IARU Member Societies and Groups known to be active in emergency communications to contact their members and ask them how quickly they could get on air if required.
There is a time limit of 24-48 hours to complete their local call out exercise and submit their results through a web form which will make the results far easier to produce than earlier years.

By using a web form it is hoped that any language barriers are removed as online translation tools can be used to convert this into their local language to make it easier to fill in. The web address will be given when the exercise starts and information will be gathered by each region separately.

No one is expected to get on air, so the exercise is independent of any HF propagation problems.

The aims of the exercise are;

To show that we can respond quickly and in a co-ordinated manner. To get groups and societies involved in an event without language, time or propagation barriers.
To update our information about how many radio amateurs around the world are available for emergency communications showing our strength in the hobby.

Some countries have large ( >1500 member ) emergency communications groups, in these cases being able to demonstrate that a significant number of members would be available is a success.

More information will be circulated to National Emergency Communications Co-Ordinators soon.

Acknowledged

ADMIN User — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 22:00:48 +0000

This evening, Tim EI2KA, representing AREN was presented with a scroll by Cork County Mayor Alan Coleman at a civic reception held in Cork County Hall. The reception, to acknowledge the skill, dedication and
bravery demonstrated in the service of the community during search and rescue and other emergencies in the region, was attended by more than 250 dignitaries and representatives from across the professional and
volunteer agencies.

Killarney multi-agency exercise.

ADMIN User — Mon, 11 May 2015 20:29:46 +0000

On the 9th of May AREN took part in a multi-agency mass casualty exercise hosted by Kerry Mountain rescue in Killarney. Other agencies involved included An Garda Síochána, the HSE, The Irish Coast Guard, The Civil Defence, The Search and Rescue Dog Association, Irish Search Dogs, Killarney Water Rescue and others. The AREN station was set up in the on-site co-ordination centre alongside the Inter-Agency Mobile Command Unit.

Spot the Aerial!

Net Control was in West Cork with two sub-stations operating in County Waterford. 40m voice and Winlink data was used to get traffic out of the mountains to the outlying substations who forwarded messages to recipients by normal means. Participating members were Eoghan EI5HBB, Martin EI2HIB, Tim EI2KA John EI7IG and Conor EI4JN.

AREN Meeting

ADMIN User — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 20:23:56 +0000

On the weekend of the 18^th and 19^th of April the Amateur Radio Emergency Network held a training and development event in Dromineer County Tipperary. Members enjoyed a mix of indoor and outdoor activities with Winlink, Fldigi (NBEMS), message handling, navigation skills and go-kit demonstrations to whet the appetite.

Steve, EI5DD, presenting on his use of 80 meter ground wave

EI4JN showing his mobile/portable HF ‘stack’

AREN would like thank Declan EI2GE of the Lough Derg House & Lake Cafe for accommodation, Denis Dillon of Shannon Sailing for the training facilities and especially the members for giving of their time and making the trip to Dromineer.

West Coast Wheelers Cycle Race

ADMIN User — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 15:59:45 +0000

The West Coast Wheelers Cycle Race was run on Sunday the 22nd of February and this was our first event of the year. The course was set in the hills around Loughrea which has many tough uphill climbs along with some long protracted downhill sections where considerable speeds may be achieved. The weather conditions were not fantastic with rain throughout the event. Road surfaces were slippery in places.. (continue reading)

Sean Kelly Tour

ADMIN User — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 20:48:31 +0000

On the 24th of August, radio amateurs from the South East assisted at the Sean Kelly Tour Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). Our primary role was to establish communications between some of the Voluntary Emergency Services and the EOC, tracking, using APRS, the head and tail of the three events (50k, 100k and 160k), and acting as roving weather observers for the Medical Coordinator. The total area covered during the day was approximately 1500 square km.

Many thanks to EI2HIB, EI3HLB, EI5GOB, EI5HHB, and EI7IG.

An Rás Mór, 2014

ADMIN User — Sat, 31 May 2014 18:43:53 +0000

EI4JN, EI7IG and EI8JA assisted on three safety boats at An Rás Mór in Cork Harbour earlier today. Good use was made of the EI7FXR repeater up at Farmers Cross for coordination. Once all three vessels were back in simplex range, operations were then conducted on 144.525, this allowed for coordination between ourselves while leaving the Marine channels free for Race Control, and more important safety traffic.

Conditions were ideal for the day, with no major incidents. A enjoyable day on the water.

Mick, Gary, Matthew, Conor (EI4JN), John (EI7IG), John (EI8JA), Harley