DIGITAL NET EXERCISE HIGHLIGHTS

2025-04-17  NCS: John KM6TKJ

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• VARA FM: Identify gateway reachable via digipeater, report findings to NCS with a Winlink message.

• Winlink: 

  • Send Winlink USGS DYFI Exercise report 

  • Send HAVBED Report as spreadsheet attachment. 

• APRS: Use APRS to check in and out and set availability.

🗝️ KEY TAKEAWAYS by K6OLI

💡 Fun exercise that had operators identify workable RF paths for digital traffic, provide Winlink traffic in different formats and update their PinpointAPRS.

🙈 Not all stations that sent a Winlink Check-in provided a Winlink Check-out.  LAXNORTHEAST best practice is to always match Check-ins and Check-outs. We account for all participants.

Final Thoughts:

📶  This exercise had stations use different forms depending on agency partners. For example, the Winlink DYFI was used for USGS, the LA County HAVBED Spreadsheet for LA County EMS. Situational awareness was maintained through PinpointAPRS.

Great job working as a team and learning! 💪👍

VARA FM Chat 2025_04_10 Log Excerpt, K6OLI, Net Control Station

// denotes comments by K6OLI, not original to the log

...

          ******* KM6WJQ <-> K6OLI *******  02:16:38

<KM6WJQ

Receiving 50859 bytes file...

'Pasadena1950sPostEQ_MistralAI_005_KM6WJQ.jpg.jpg' received @ 50703 Bytes/min  

//fastest direct connection, Level 10 top. 50KB image took about 1 minute

          ******* KN6PDS <-> K6OLI *******  02:19:40

<KN6PDS

Receiving 50362 bytes file...

'Pasadena1950sPostEQ_MistralAI_KN6PDS.jpg' received @ 24624 Bytes/min  

//direct connection, Level 4 top. 50KB image took a little over a minute

          ******* KM6WJQ <-> K6OLI *******  02:32:43

<KM6WJQ

Receiving 11773 bytes file...

'PHOTOGRAPH DESCRIPTION.docx' received @ 19327 Bytes/min

          ******* K6WXD <-> K6OLI *******  02:33:49

          ******* K6WXD <-> K6OLI *******  02:34:34

>K6OLI

gO AHEAD

<K6WXD

Receiving 49900 bytes file...

'Pasadena1950sPostEQ_MistralAI_008_K6WXD.jpg' received @ 3737 Bytes/min  

//connection took about 10 minutes, Level 1 top.

          ******* KN6PDS <-> W2JCL-10 <-> K6OLI *******  02:48:54

<KN6PDS

Receiving 20395 bytes file...

'20250410_1923_ICS213GM_SANDIMAS_KN6PDS.docx' received @ 11817 Bytes/min 

//connected via W2JCL-10 digipeater. Level 6 top.

          ******* KD6PYD <-> K6OLI *******  02:51:15

<KD6PYD

Receiving 62608 bytes file...

'Pasadena1950sEQ_KD6PYD_04.10.2025.zip' received @ 31376 Bytes/min 

// Connection took about 1.5 minutes to receive both files in one go. Level 5 top. Combined both files into one zip.

2025-03-20  NCS: Jeff W2JCL

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• Send Winlink Check-in and Check-out to W2JCL;LAXNORTHEAST

• Send Winlink Severe Weather (WX) Reports  to W2JCL;LAXNORTHEAST

  •  Multiple Weather Reports requested: Initial, Update, Final

  • Send any other form you want to try to W2JCL;LAXNORTHEAST

• Use APRS to set check in and out and set availability.

Training Notes (by K6OLI):

Key Takeaways

✅ Operators sent 22 Severe Weather Reports with a CC: LAXNORTHEAST

✅ Digital frequencies were busy, but operators listened before they transmitted for the most part, thus avoiding collisions. 

❌ Date-Time: Some stations may have loaded previous forms entries without updating the Date-Time.

🗺️ Locations: Please check that your location is where you think it is before sending any forms. Measure twice, send once. 

Final Thoughts:

This was a fun exercise that added the Severe Weather form as a report option.  Those with access can check the live THOR-Board for details.

Great job working as a team and learning! 💪👍

2025-03-13  NCS: David KK6DA

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• Silent Net: Conduct all communications digitally via VARA FM Chat

• Use VARA Chat Chat to send the following To: KK6DA; Cc: KK6DA 

  •  Check-in, Check-out & Tactical Broadcast Messages

  • HAvBED & Resource Request Spreadsheets via Send File direct connection to KK6DA 

Training Notes (by K6OLI):

Key Takeaways

✅ Operators listened for clear frequencies.  Transmission speeds were pretty fast.

❌ Stations farther out and NCS should try and use digipeaters for broadcast and connections to ensure they are heard.

Final Thoughts:

This was a fun exercise that showed that with a little practice VARA FM Chat nets are an efficient way to run silent nets. Great job working as a team and learning! 💪👍

2025-03-06  NCS: David KK6DA

Incident: PERFECT STORM

Mission:

• Follow instructions for the EKC-ARES PERFECT STORM exercise as provided by NCS David KK6DA

• Use Winlink to send the following To: KK6DA; Cc: KK6DA 

  •  Check-in

  • HAvBED

  • Field Situation Report

  • Check-out

• PinpointAPRS (optional playtime):

  • Load digipeater GPX into map

  • Update your symbol to match your other traffic throughout the net

Training Notes (by K6OLI):

Key Takeaways

✅ Easy exercise for most participants.  Good responses all across!
😓 Some operators are loading saved data into their forms. They then forget to update the Date-Time. The result is that their information is logged on the wrong date. This is how many messages get lost in real events! 

PLEASE take the time to fill out each form step by step and from scratch every time. The forms are there to help you submit complete and correct information. 

Final Thoughts:

This was a fun exercise that supported regional collaboration. Great job working as a team and learning! 💪👍

2025-02-27  NCS: John KM6TKJ

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• Carefully review and follow the instructions provided by NCS John KM6TKJ.

• Send Winlink Check-in and Check-out to KM6TKJ and LAXNORTHEAST.

• Use VARA Chat to send:

  • One ICS-213

  • One HAvBED Report

  • One Resource Request

• PinpointAPRS:

  • Beacon APRS position and hospital service level

  • Send an APRS Bulletin

Training Notes (by K6OLI):

Key Takeaways

✅ Teamwork in Action: Despite challenging 2m propagation, several stations stepped up as liaisons—great teamwork!
✅ Strong Participation: We had 8 stations on the net, with all 8 checking in wth LAXNORTHEAST. However, only 3 stations checked out with LAXNORTHEAST—please remember to send your check-out after the net so we can account for everyone.

Areas for Improvement

🔹 Effective Relaying: Think of relaying as a simplex voice repeater:

• Station A speaks while Station B takes notes.

• Station A pauses, and Station B repeats the message.

• Allow time for relay stations to complete their traffic before jumping in.

• Relaying stations act as mini NCS and help maintain orderly communication.

🔹 Net Control Best Practices:

• Under difficult conditions, a formal net that systematically checks in stations works better than an open net, which is more prone to doubling.

• The voice relay station does not have to be the digipeater.

🔹 Asset Logging for Better Efficiency:

• Keep track of available digipeaters on a given frequency.

• On LAX303, we had multiple digipeaters available:

  • KK6DA-4, K6OLI-4, AC6LS-4, KM6WJQ-4, KN6SXB-4, KN6PDS-4, N3LO-4

  • KN6PDS-10, N3LO-10, K6OLI-12, W2JCL-10

• With so many options, there was no need to rely solely on KM6WJQ-4, especially since Jason had to switch frequencies.

Final Thoughts:

This was a challenging but valuable exercise that pushed everyone outside their comfort zones, requiring the use of multiple transmission modes—Winlink, VARA Chat, and PinpointAPRS. Great job adapting and learning! 💪👍

2025-02-20  NCS: Oliver K6OLI

Incident: 156

Mission:

• Send Winlink Check-in and Check-out to K6OLI; LAXNORTHEAST

• Download a PDF Exercise by OE1LHP and translate from German to English. 

  • Follow translated exercise instructions, fill out an ICS-213 General Message and send to WLNET-OE;K6OLI; LAXNORTHEAST

• Use PinpointAPRS to 

  • beacon APRS position

  • send an APRS Bulletin

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• Almost all stations created a correct ICS-213 from the translated instructions. Well done, team!

• We had 8 stations on the net and received 8 check-ins and 7 check-outs. Please remember to send your check-outs, even after the net! 

• APRS Bulletin: only two stations sent the optional APRS bulletins 😢

• Challenging exercise that pushed people past their comfort zones and asked for multiple modes of transmission, i.e.  Winlink and PinpointAPRS.👍🏻

2025-02-13  NCS: Oliver K6OLI

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• Download and fill out a Weather Report spreadsheet with data gleaned from an app, website or local source.

• Use VARA FM Chat to 

  • transmit Weather Report spreadsheet directly to K6OLI.

  • broadcast messages

• Send Winlink Check-in and Check-out to LAXNORTHEAST

• Use PinpointAPRS to 

  • beacon APRS position

  • send an APRS Bulletin

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• Overall downloading and filling out a custom form worked. 

  • In some cases people added units (F, in, etc.), which the exercise asked to avoid. 

  • We remind everyone that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Take your time, read the instructions and fill out the forms so you only have to transmit data once.

•  4 of 5 stations sent a Winlink Check-in and only 2 sent a Winlink Check-out to LAXNORTHEAST, and 3 and 5 to K6OLI, respectively. ☹️

  • The exercise asked to send Winlink Check-ins and Check-outs, not Check-ins  and Check-outs via Winlink 😉

  • We asked for Winlink Check-ins and Check-outs to LAXNORTHEAST specifically because our dashboard maps them.

  • Winlink Check-ins and Check-outs can be viewed on the LAXNORTHEAST Public Board: https://www.laxnortheast.org/dashboards/publicboard 

• The PDF below only shows the aggregated Weather Report data. If you want to see all messages please check the actual VARA FM CHAT Dashboard here: https://www.laxnortheast.org/dashboards .

• Challenging exercise that required the use of multiple modes of transmission, i.e. VARA Chat, Winlink and PinpointAPRS.👍🏻

2025-02-06  NCS: David KK6DA

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• Send Winlink Check-in. 

• Go to https://app.watchduty.org , identify 3 - 4 World Central Kitchen (WCK) locations in the Pasadena/Altadena area. Send a Winlink ICS-213 General Message with the identified locations to KK6DA, CC: LAXNORTHEAST.

• Send Winlink Check-out

• Optional: Use APRS to beacon status on LAX 303

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• ALL stations that checked in also checked out!  Well done team! 👏🏻

• The PDF below only shows the latest three ICS-213. If you want to see all messages please check the actual THOR-Board (regular digital net participants have the link).

• Fun and relevant exercise that required searching for and relaying mission critical information👍🏻

2025-01-30  NCS: Jeff W2JCL

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• Use VARA Chat to transmit a Check-in Spreadsheet. 

• Use digipeaters as appropriate. AC6LS-4 and KK6DA-4 were used in this exercise

• Use APRS to beacon status

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• In an unusual twist NCS Jeff W2JCL could not use his ham computer due to an ongoing Windows Update. All VARA Chat traffic was therefore directed to K6OLI, who shared a folder via the internet, allowing NCS to receive the traffic in near real-time.

• Propagation on the 2m band was a challenge during the net. Therefore stations had to make use of digipeaters. Lew AC6LS(-4) and David KK6DA(-4) acted as peer station digipeaters. Se the chart below for traffic flow.

• Fun and challenging exercise  that required teamwork👍🏻

2025-01-23  NCS: John KM6TKJ

Incident: THOR

Mission:

• Broadcast VARA FM Chat Check-in, VARA FM Chat Check-out; 

• Establish two-way connections with KM6TKJ on VARA FM. Receive ICS-213 exercise messages (e.g. this one), return 2 Resource Requests (example here) and a HAvBED report (example here) on the same connection.  One of the learning outcomes was to stay connected and receive and send messages on the same connection session.

• Update Hospital Service Levels with PinpointAPRS.

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• Stations connected on VARA Chat with NCS, NCS then pushed exercise messages.

• Stations had successful two-way file transmission of spreadsheet and Word documents during the same VARA Chat session with NCS John KM6TKJ.

• NCS used one simplex frequency to manage the net, another to send and receive digital traffic, which worked very well. Stations with single channel transceivers announced their switching and return. 👍🏻

• Digital transmission speeds were high.

• Some stations experienced setup issues and which limited their participation. 

• Fun and challenging exercise 👍🏻

2025-01-17  NCS: Oliver K6OLI

Incident: THOR

Resource: Winlink Position Reports, APRS.fi, THOR-Board

Mission: Send a Check-in, DYFI, Winlink Position Report, Check-out to K6OLI; LAXNORTHEAST

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• We had more Winlink Check-ins than Check-outs 🤔

• Position reports can be moved over time

• DYFI looked good!

• Reminder: Position reports can be deleted from the Winlink map, but not APRS. They stay on the APRS map for 2 years.

2025-01-09  NCS: Jeff W2JCL

Incident: THOR

Resource: Welfare Bulletin Board

Mission: Send P2P Check-in and Check-out to W2JCL; send Welfare Bulletin Board message

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• Welfare Bulletin Board messages had different Incident IDs due to the ongoing real incident. "THOR" was for exercises only, "EATONFIRE" for real event WBB messages.

• No Check-in and Check-out data on the THOR-Board because they were sent as peer-to-peer (P2P) messages

2025-01-02  NCS: David KK6DA

Incident: SPACE WEATHER

Resource: NOAA Space Weather Link: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/radio-communications

Mission: Use ICS-213 to send NOAA space weather information to KK6DA; LAXNORTHEAST

Training Notes (by K6OLI): 

• all except one station used the latest Winlink Check-in and Check-outs with the new Event/Incident field.  Well done!  Thank you!

APRS Maps by K6OLI

For stations using VARA FM on LAX303.

THOR Board PDF Report

Note there are two (2) pages in the report.