Flotilla Picnic @ Columbia Park

On August 22nd, around 40 Flotilla 76 members and friends gathered at Columbia Park in North Portland.  It was a great opportunity for fun and fellowship. Gary Bell and his wife Candy did an excellent job catering the food. Even though it poured rain for a short time, that did not dampen our spirits. 

There was a dessert contest and Barbara Korsmo's layered fruit bowl was judged the winner.  The pineapple upsidedown cake was my favorite.

Laura Walters spearheaded a game of Aux Jeopardy, with most everyone contributing questions. Gary Nepple won the game, answering the most questions correctly. The knot tying team competition was entertaining.  Three teams of three competed to see who could tie the called-for knot the fastest.  First person would tie the knot, pass it on to the second, who would untie the knot and passed it on to the third person, who would re-tie the knot and throw it down. The team of Tighe Vroman, Andy Rusten and John Poulson winning that event.

Those of you who did not attend, missed a great time of Food, Fun & Fellowship.
For more photos go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54167400@N04/?donelayout=1   [photos courtesy of Laura Walters & Andy Rusten]

Multnomah County ARES Exercise

Members, we have an opportunity to participate in the Multnomah County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) exercise on 09 Oct. 2010. This event will exercise the use of HAMS and the amateur radio bands in the event of an emergency. The participants will include, city and county emergency services and first responders.

We will be participating with the use of our ECP (Emergency Command Post) on top of Mt. Tabor. We will be on the air from 0800 to 1300 (last known time). Operations will include the Marine VHF-FM, Amateur-2 meter, Amateur HF, and possibly trying to call COMSPAC (USCG Communications Area Master Station Pacific) on HF.

If you are planning to participate in the communications exercise 16 Oct., with your ACU but would like to get some hands on use of the ECP, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

If you would like to participate, please contact our FSO-CM Paul Ploeger. He will be in contact with the event officer, Jim Price and will forward any updates to you.

Depending on interest for this event, we may need to set up a schedule to allow members to participate without overcrowding the ECP.

Posted for FSO-CM Paul Ploeger, picture by Daren Lewis

Changes to Ops & Position.

Shipmates, we have a new change with our ops and position reports to Station Portland. Up until now Statute miles was our means of identifying our location when giving our ops and position report. We have now been asked by station to identify our location by using landmarks or geographical location when making our reports. By doing this it allows us to streamline our operations with the goldside who have been using this method throughout the nation. It also allows the station's watchstander to better task us when SAR cases arise. Station trains using landmarks and therefore has a better understanding of our position when using landmarks for references.

I know this is going to be hard for some to change to this new method of reporting being this is how we have done it for years, but we have to make the best of it. I know we will help each other out as a team. I would like to remind members that correcting this new change should be done via land line. The radio is not the place to inform or remind members of the change.

Another allowable method of location can be LAT. & LONG. Use this when you are unsure of any landmarks or your geographical location. You will notice this is the method that the aircraft use.

Let us take a look at the old method of ops and position and then the new.

STATION: AUX123, this is Station Portland on 83A, request ops and position, over.
AUX: Station, AUX123, ops normal, down bound, Columbia River mile 109, over.

The new method of reporting would be.

STATION: AUX123, this is Station Portland on 83A request ops and position, over.
AUX: Station, AUX123, ops normal, down bound, position, 42nd Street Boat Ramp, over.

I will have a new radio script out in the next week or two with the changes. In the meantime, please see that you make the changes to your current script.

If you have any questions about this change, please contact FSO-CM Paul Ploeger or SO-CM Jonathan James. We are both happy to help you through this transition and to answer any of your question.