Invitation: Section Net Coordination

ATTENTION SECTION TRAFFIC NETS, OHIO SECTION

Last year, the Central Ohio Traffic Net (COTN) had a highly successful ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET), with fifteen sessions and over 100 pieces of traffic moved during the SET. This year we'd like to make it even better by coordinating with the other local traffic nets around the Ohio Section to see that we’ve got participating stations in other areas to receive the traffic that we’re originating and to originate traffic that we receive. We want your net’s help!

COTN normally meets once daily but during SETs we hold frequent special sessions to ensure that traffic can keep moving. We’ll be holding at least ten sessions on Saturday, October 3, 2015. We’re coordinating with other local traffic nets to ensure that they are also originating, relaying, and delivering traffic throughout the day, as would be needed to communicate in an emergency that makes phone and Internet service unreliable.

On September 6, 2015, I will publish a list of coordinating nets to give section nets advance notice of where traffic is likely to be flowing during this year’s SET. We hope that your net will be able to support these efforts by holding special sessions to keep the traffic moving. Because the Ohio Section SET takes place during one day, it’s essential that traffic moves without delay if we’re to see that formal traffic can initiate formal traffic replies that relay across the state all within the same SET.

We hope that you will advise your operators of the expected increase in traffic and make arrangements to hold special sessions to keep traffic moving throughout the section. We’ll need liaison stations: if you’ve got stations who can but traditionally do not act as liaison stations to local nets, please encourage them to check into local nets for relay. Remember, the primary goal of the SET is to find strengths and weaknesses in amateur radio emergency services like ARES, NTS, and RACES. The more nets and stations we have participating, the better we’re able to achieve that goal.

Our intention is to coordinate with other local nets first to see that we’ve got traffic coming in and outlets for delivery, and then to advise the section-level nets to ensure that they’re prepared to handle the traffic that local nets will need them to move.

We’re looking forward to a great SET, and hope that you’ll coordinate your SET with us!

C. Matthew Curtin, KD8TTE/ORS, Bexley, Ohio, kd8tte@arrl.net

Central Ohio Traffic Net (Board Member)

Ohio Section ASEC (ARESMAT)