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IN THIS EDITION:
This was sent out on the PR email reflector earlier but, if you missed it, here’s a simple “fill in the blank” press release for your group’s participation in the SET drill in October.
News Release
YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
CONTACT INFO
My Town, St Date 2008 -- America was again reminded of the role of Amateur Radio in the past month as ham operators provided communications for responding organizations after Hurricane Ike. These same skills are being tested in _____your town___on __date__ as ___town’s___ Amateur Radio operators conduct their annual Simulated Emergency Test.
Using emergency powered radios and working with local agencies, the hams will establish radio communications networks which can be used should there be a failure or overload of normal services such as is seen in the days following major weather incidents. In addition, the ham radio operators provide the ability to communicate across the many government and volunteer agencies which are needed in disasters.
This year the __town/area__ Amateur Radio operators will be replicating ____scenario for your SET______________________________________________. The hams have the slogan, “When all else fails – Amateur Radio!” According to __spokesperson__, “The hams of ___town/area___ take that quite seriously.”
Amateur Radio volunteer operators around the country responded to the calls for aid in the hurricane area last month, flooding last summer, tornadoes last spring and storms last winter. They provide their services and equipment freely to their communities saving both lives and thousands of dollars for neighbors. They are “Amateurs” only in that they are not paid, but their service in a disaster can be priceless.
There are 650,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the USA and 2.5 million worldwide.
What do Amateur Radio operators do during and after disasters?
Amateur Radio operators set up and operate organized communication networks locally for governmental and emergency officials, as well as non-commercial communication for private citizens affected by the disaster. Amateur Radio operators are most likely to be active after disasters that damage regular lines of communications due to power outages and destruction of telephone lines.
How do Amateur Radio operators help local officials?
Many radio amateurs are active as communications volunteers with local public safety organizations. In addition, in some disasters, radio frequencies are not coordinated among relief officials and Amateur Radio operators step in to coordinate communication when radio towers and other elements in the communications infrastructure are damaged.
What are the major Amateur Radio emergency organizations?
Amateur Radio operators have informal and formal groups to coordinate communication during emergencies. At the local level, hams may participate in local emergency organizations, or organize local "traffic nets" using VHF (very high frequencies) and UHF (ultra high frequencies). At the state level, hams are often involved with state emergency management operations. In addition, hams operate at the national level through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) which is coordinated through the American Radio Relay League and its field volunteers and through the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) which is coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition, in areas that are prone to severe weather, many hams are involved in Skywarn, operating under the National Weather Service.
Is Amateur Radio recognized as a resource by national relief organizations?
Many national organizations have formal agreements with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other Amateur Radio groups including:
What are some examples of emergencies involving Amateur Radio?
| Hurricane Ike – Sept 2008 | Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – Sept 2005 |
| Hurricane Isabel - September 2003 | Four Hurricanes in Florida and the Gulf - September 2004 |
| Shuttle Columbia recovery effort - February 2003 | Northeast blackout - August 2003 |
| Flooding in Kentucky - March 2002 | Wildfires in Colorado - June 2002 |
| Earthquake in El Salvador - January 2001 | World Trade Center and Pentagon - September 2001 |
| Hurricane Floyd - September 1999 | Oklahoma City Bombing - April 1995 |
To Learn More:
The best way to learn about Amateur Radio is talking to hams face-to-face. To find out how to get started and who to contact in your area, see:
www.arrl.org/findaclub or www.WeDoThat-Radio.org
Barry Cohen K2JV writes:
The New Providence Amateur Radio Club of New Jersey has been actively introducing kids to Amateur Radio for about 5 years. The activities and events which we have mentored have been a source of considerable pleasure for the senior club members involved, but also require a considerable effort, both physical and mental.
Our formal programs include:
These activities have given us an “insider’s look” at the behavior and interests of children, mostly of elementary and middle school age. Most of these programs include on the air operating on HF, and sometimes on VHF.
For programs of longer duration like the school radio club or at summer camp, it’s usually pretty easy to identify those kids who show a more than passing interest, and get them right on HF. It is frequently difficult to establish reliable, clear communication on 20 or 40 meters. The stations contacted are uniformly interested in speaking with the kids, but most operators don’t know how to speak with kids. The simple concept of speaking slowly, asking only one question at a time, and making that question something within the comprehension of a child, is something that most of us need a little time to grasp. The control op and mentor usually has to start the kids asking questions which will engage the person on the other end. Such questions include: “Do you have any pets?” or “Do you have any children?” or “What flavor ice cream is your favorite?” This clues the operator on the far end as to how to respond and how to ask a question which a kid can answer.
When we do “Ham Radio at Summer Camp” we are in competition with all the other activities which are going on. It soon becomes quite apparent however, that there are a few kids who will stay at the Ham Station for the whole day, and a few more who keep coming back – generally with the question “can I try it again?” These are the ones we are looking for to bring up the subject of Ham Radio at their schools and at home. We have prompted them when they return to school after the summer, and when their teacher asks “What did you do this summer?” to respond “Oh, I just spoke with a rancher in Arizona who raises Buffalo” or “I talked to a man who was in the jungle in Panama” or for our ARISS communicators “Oh, all I did was have a conversation with an astronaut on the International Space Station!”
One of the most important values of Ham Radio which we try to get through to parents and adults is that it teaches their kids how to speak with an adult who is not a family member, in sentences not monosyllables, and how to behave in the presence of a stranger. The science, technology, geography, etc. which they are learning even if they don’t know it – is purely collateral.
For Kids Day, in order to insure plenty of contacts we usually have a few “ringers” listening on a previously selected VHF repeater or simplex frequency. That way when a kid calls CQ he is likely to get an immediate and clear answer (kids have a short interest span). After that, it’s usually possible to get them on HF to make exchanges with other kids. Even the youngest, grasp the procedures for Kids Day almost immediately. We help them with a “crib sheet” which has the exchange written out, and they recognize the fact that the station contacted is sending them similar information. If conditions are poor, we have some “ringers” waiting on 20 meters too.
For an ARISS QSO, we have used “ringers” in preparing our Student Communicators. We usually do this on VHF simplex and one of our experienced Club Members becomes a “Simulated Astronaut.” This allows the kids not only to get familiar with the exchange protocol which will be used, but also lets them practice the questions which they have made up for the astronaut, and change the question when they hear the answer. This is done under the supervision of the Control Operator for the QSO who is one of our “graduate students” having communicated with the ISS, obtained a ham license, but is still in Middle School or High School.
We have a few “internal rules” for our ARISS QSOs:
My Summary
After 5 years a few generalities as related to Ham Radio can be observed:
Little girls like to talk to each other:
We set them up in small groups, each group with a handitalkie. Using proper protocols and callsigns the groups play games with each other like “battleship” or some games using LEGO blocks, etc.Little boys like to play with electronic toys and love Morse code:
They use computer based Morse training programs and soon learn to recognize their names and the names of their buddies. We have them build code oscillator kits and make them work.Neither sex has the capability to carry on a conversation with a stranger:
They have not yet learned to initiate a conversation with an adult. They don’t have this problem with their peers.Both sexes tend to answer questions with monosyllabic answers:
They can be prompted to answer in sentences, to speak slowly and clearly, but if not supervised they revert to their original style.Girls have a much longer social interest span than do the boys:
This is true for social gatherings like the games and communication exercises. The boys will work on the code for a long time, but this is a more solitary activity.Boys like the complexities of games and puzzles more than girls:
When on the air we can get them involved in the competitive and contest activities.All children function better in a structured, organized environment:
If the Ham Radio environment is made to feel like school, they can relate to it and will behave as though they are in school. Since most of their teachers are female, they all have far less problem conversing on the air with a YL (preferably a grandma) than with an OM of any age.
Transcontinental Drive
Lew Ladwig writes:
In the summer of 2009 we are going to reenact the first transcontinental convoy by the U.S. military across the United States. This was done in 1919. Our organization would like to see if the ARRL’s hams would have an interest in providing communications along the route. We will have a "primitive" flavor to this convoy with many of the military vehicles being over 90 years old and most at least 50 years old. We will be traveling US 30 which was the Lincoln highway for most of the route.
Here’s a map of their route. Is your group near their path? If so, this is a good opportunity to get in on the fun as well as provide a public service (especially in areas with no cell phone coverages). See http://www.MVPA.org and follow the links to the convoy pages or write him at lladwig@kumarusa.com
Dustin Cox is obviously proud to be a ham and an ARRL member. While many members have web pages, this one deserves a mention.
www.pion0drc.net
Katie Hillier of On the Record Online Podcast sent an email about pitching stories.
While you might not be making a national level news pitch, the skills she discusses are needed even in successfully pitching a story to local reporters (audio 17 minutes long)
If you're curious about what it takes to book guests on NPR's "All Things Considered," you may be interested in downloading an interview we just released with Carol Klinger, who's been booking for the show for 15 years. You can listen here:
http://ontherecordpodcast.com/cmp.aspx?c=94445O693O84O531O1555
Another great website we found is:
http://aboutpublicrelations.net/toolkit.htm
Scroll down the page a little and you start to see tips on all sorts of topics that are useful.
How to Communicate More Effectively
Six No-Hype Copywriting Techniques
Three Techniques for Generating Publicity
Launching a Multicultural PR Campaign
Free Publicity is Worth Its Weight in Gold
Partnerships with Non-Profits
…and many more!
Here’s tips from the pro’s at www.DrewsMarketingMinute.com
From http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/2008/09/taking-your-sho.html
Here are some rules to think about when you or your group is working on your display.
~ What’s the point? Identify the one fact/impression you want everyone to remember from your display. Not three main points or five. One. Once you have communicated that, stop.
~ Force them to stop. Do something so visually arresting that people cannot help but stop. This is not the time to be timid. Be bold. Grab them and (figuratively) drag them into your space. I’m not talking something silly. I am talking relevant but WOW!
~ Think of it like a billboard. Be brief. This is not the place to reproduce your sales letter or brochure.
~ Less is more. Some companies’ trade show space is like a three-ring circus. People do not want to walk into chaos. Having one good, bold idea is much more effective than throwing the kitchen sink at the attendees.
~ Do it right. Yes, you are going to have to spend more money. But, it is an investment that will last for years. This is not the place to go cheap. It will be glaringly obvious and speak volumes about your group.
If you’re going to invest the money and time resources to have a display booth, make sure you maximize that investment by having a display that they’ll remember long after the show doors close.
Pitch line:
Can you chat with the space station? - We can.
Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL, was the first Amateur Radio operator to use ham radio to talk to school children and other average Americans live from space, 25 years ago. On October 12, his son Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, will be flown to the International Space Station (ISS) by the Russian Federal Space Agency and he is taking ham radio into space just as his dad did in 1983.
This sequel flight provides a discussion springboard for the topics of changes in the space program, new wireless technologies developed by ham radio operators in the past 25 years and a human interest story with great audio possibilities. I invite you to plan now on following this story.
Like his dad, Richard will be contacting students around the country. But unlike his dad, Richard will be using the newer technologies of Amateur Radio. “It’s not your grandfather’s radio anymore!” VHF and UHF communications will be supplemented by live SSTV pictures using a Kenwood VC-H1 SSTV communicator on board the Soyuz for his flight and then leaving it on the ISS for future use by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.
According to ARISS, W5KWQ will be contacting seven Challenger Learning Centers in the U.S.,
Brownsburg IN
Columbia SC
Tampa FL
Lanham MD
Indianapolis IN
Paducah, KY
St Louis MO
and
Austin Liberal Arts and Sciences Academy in Austin, Texas,
Pinehurst School in Ashland, Oregon,
Richard also plans to have random chats with boy scouts world-wide as part of their annual amateur radio “Jamboree on the Air” (JOTA) which is planned for October 18-19.
The ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio in the USA, is obviously pleased to be part of this event and the ARISS program.
Audio and video records were made of the father’s 1983 contacts as they were the first time normal citizens could freely talk to an orbiting astronaut. Matching these against the 2008 school contacts could be fun!
If your group is near to or involved with one of these schools or with JOTA on Oct 18-19, this could be real surprise! Be sure to have the capabilities to make the most of any opportunity as it “flies by.” See his Web site http://www.richardinspace.com.
October
4 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test begins
18 Scouts Jamboree On the Air begins
20 School Club Roundup begins
November
December
8 Deadline for Leonard Award entries
31 ARRL Straight Key Night
Learning from the Ferengi
The national news rammed their transmission from 3rd gear with Ike directly into overdrive without a clutch following the financial news in the past month. While we watch the waltzing Ferengi (you remember Star Trek?) there are PR lessons to be learned and tips we can use.
Some interesting notes are:
Is that a Heil mike on the desk in the Dave Ramsey Show? - yes
Who is one of the biggest readers of the ARRL book
“Getting Started with Ham Radio?” - China
Bad idea – online “petitions.”
I get about two or three of these a day. Most go something like, “Save the _____ and tell Congress to stop _________.” Like Mad Libs, you can fill in the blanks yourself and will probably be accurately describing one or more of them. These emails ask you to add your name at the bottom and “send to everyone in your address book.” I’m sorry, but no. I know of no evidence that any of these email petitions has ever done anything constructive. All I would be doing is jamming up people’s in boxes and providing email addresses for spammers.
Forums
If you follow the “social” networking websites, you probably have seen your fill of unsociable ranting, flaming and finger-pointing. Like international QRM, the best course is not to respond to it. Engaging these writers is also unproductive and wastes time. This applies to many ham radio topics too, not just current news. But lack of response doesn’t mean ignore it. Sometimes there can be a good constructive idea or suggestion lost in those fires. So, if it is just heat and fire - delete. But, if the person actually wants to make things better, not just “vent,” then respond to that desire if you can.
“Snarky”
That’s a relatively new word, but is seeing a lot of use lately. I am not sure where it comes from but I remember it was used in the heat of the BPL issue three years ago. Maybe it is even older. An adjective, it refers to a nasty, usually anonymous, snide remark which may be camouflaged by cloaking it in a superior attitude. Nothing we ever do in PR should be “snarky” no matter how provoked we may feel. I know sometimes it is hard and we can get pushed, but just don’t do it.
So what works?
As the “bailout bill” plays out in Congress, there’s much to learn. While I will not comment on the issue, let's look at the PR involved. What stimuli are the MOST effective ways the public is making their feelings known? Phone calls! In multiple reports, Congressional observers report that the constant phone calls received by Congressional offices from constituents are being VERY effective while emails were often simply passed off. Remember this for antenna issues and other legislative actions.
Get your name out there!
The TV and radio programs are flooded with “talking heads.” You may question the expertise and wisdom of many of them, but there’s a lesson to be learned from this. When something happens, the media wants to talk to “experts” in the field and interview them. Do they know you are an expert and able to talk about Amateur Radio and technology?
Write up a one page “advertisement” about yourself as an informed expert in Amateur Radio and wireless technology. List the topics you can discuss intelligently. Make it attractive and be sure to give correct contact information. Then copy it and send it to every media outlet and reporter you know.
They may not call for months or even years, but when something happens, it is you who will be in their files as the expert to call upon for an interview. Wouldn’t you rather have them call you than some Elmer Fudd who presents very badly but by luck speaks for us all because he's related to some girl in their copy room?
73
Allen - W1AGP