We use an email list server to send out activation notices for any real emergency call ups, for emergency drills, and for the Sunday evening net.  This is a user managed list and can send messages to any valid email address.  In most cases, if your cell phone can receive text messages addressed as an email, that includes your cell phone.  You can register as many email addresses as you like.

Every member of Williamson County ARES is encouraged to sign up for this service.  Any other interested parties are welcome to do so as well.

There are two ways to register an email address (or addresses, if you like).  The first one is via a web page you can reach here.  Enter the email address or pager/cell phone address and follow the directions on the web page.

You can repeat the process for as many alternate addresses as you like.  You can use the same location to remove email addresses if you need to do that.

The second method requires that you have a way to send an email from the address where you want to receive the pages.  That is easy for a standard email account and many cell phones.  It doesn't work for a pager, however.  Send an email from the email account you wish to use to PageAll-subscribe at wcarc.com (replace the "at" in the address with the usual @ symbol).

No subject or body is required, just the return address that can accept an email when pages go out.

All requests for membership are moderated, so you won't be active until one of the moderators can approve your request.  This keeps the spammers and auto bots from sending spam, but it may take a little bit to get the approval.  The system sends an email to the moderators, so it should be acted on quickly.

One last, important point.  The email system does not like blind addressing.  If you send an email to the system that includes a blind copy (bcc), it will not be sent out.  It does create a warning message for the moderators, but it won't be sent until one of them approves it.  A previously recommended technique was to send out pages using a bcc address but that does not work with this system.

February 4, 2011  NQ5L

One of the hardest parts of getting the SMS Alert System to work is getting folks to understand is that their cell phone, pager, iPad, PDA, etc. has an email address.

To help folks figure out their devices SMS address, I'll list a few of the providers and show what their addresses look like.  All you have to do is substitue your phone number for the dummy number listed in my examples.  Note there are no dashes in any of the phone numbers.  Send an email to your SMS address and if it works then use that address to subscribe to the Mailman email group.

ATT:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Boost:

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Sprint:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

T-Mobile:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

USA Mobility/Metro Call:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Verizon:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Due to our secondary repeater being relocated and reinstalled the following change is announced to our Emergency Communications Plan.

APPENDIX 1:  REPEATER RESOURCES:

All remaining parts of APPENDIX 1 remain unchanged.

WC-ARES hold monthly meetings at the Round Rock Fire Station No 6 just West of the Dell Diamond.  The meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday at 7:00 PM.  Talk-in is on the WCARC 146.640 (minus offset) PL = 162.2 repeater.  Visitors are welcome.