NO...  I said ARCHES as in, "Amateur Radio Communications Hospital Emergency Service".  All six hospitals in Williamson County have two VHF/UHF dual band radios.  On the 3rd Friday of every month we try to visit each hospital and test the radios.  We make a few voice contacts on the "Voice" radio and send a few short email messages on the "Packet" radio.  Both radios are the same make/model, just one has a microphone and the other a TNC, Terminal Node Controller.

If you would like to join us just to see what all the fuss is about fell free to do so.  We use the WC-ARES Yahoo Group to coordinate who is going to visit which hospital.  We use the WCARC repeater to coordinate any last minute changes and to coordinate the flow of email messages sent by Packet Radio.

 We do have some loosely defined teams and are always looking for more members:

• Paul, NE5PR, leads the team at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center.
• Keith, KE5ITH, leads the team at St. David's Georgetown Hospital.
• Charles, N5EXY, leads the team at Johns Community Hospital Taylor.
• Brad, NA5BD, leads the team at Seton Medical Center Williamson.
• John, KE5RS, leads the team at Cedar Park Regional Medical Center.
• Al, KE5OIZ, leads the team at Scott & White Medical University Center.

We also have two EOCs, Emergency Operations Centers, that have their own setups and commonly refer to all of this as ARCHES.

• Tom, W2MN, leads the team at the Cedar Park EOC.
• Dan, KB5TWO, leads the team at the Round Rock EOC.

To find out more about ARCHES or how you can help send me an email, chat with me on the radio, or catch me at one of our meetings, or fell free to contact one of the above members on our Yahoogroup.

73 Dallas, KD4HNX

Jim, NQ5L, needs to know who all will be able to help with this years SET (Simulated Emergency Test).  Part of the SET will be to test our knowledge of the WC-ARES Emergency Communications Plan.  We will also exsersize the Telephone Tree a few days before the SET and use it to remind WCARC members of the Club Picnic. 

To help Jim better write the script for the SET he needs to have an idea who all will be available and what resources they can bring to the table. 

Just some examples of where we get our training...

• Weekly ARES Nets, VHF and HF
  • Sunday Training Net; 8:00 PM on 146.640, - 600 Shift, PL=162.2
  • Monday Night ARES Net;
• Montly Meetings, 2nd Thrusday - Round Rock Fire Station at 7:00 PM
• Articles in QST
• Comments shared on various ARES Yahoogroups:
  • Williamson Co ARES
    • Send an email to:  to join. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • Travis Co ARES
    • Send an email to:  to join. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • ARRLSTX
    • Send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  to join.
• ARRL Courses AREC, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
  • EC-001
  • EC-002
  • EC-003
• FEMA Courses ICS, Incident Command System
  • ICS-100
  • ICS-200
  • ICS-700
  • ICS-800
• Public Service Events
• Field Day
• SETs

Our Meetings are on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM at the new Round Rock Fire Station on Joe Dimaggio Blvd.  Joe Dimaggio Blvd. is just West of entrance to the Dell Diamond/Old Settlers Park on (Hwy 79) E. Palm Valley Blvd.  We use the 146.640 (- 600 / PL 162.2) Georgetown repeater as our talk-in frequency.  Visitors are always welcome.

There are various VHF Training Nets in the area:

• Travis Co ARES at 7:30 PM, 147.360 PL=131.8
  • Travis Co ARES Packet Net on 145.730, unconnected mode
• Williamson Co ARES at 8:00 PM, 146.640 PL=162.2

ITU phonetics with the correct pronunciation:

A -- Alfa    “AL-FAH” 
B -- Bravo   “BRAH-VOH” 
C -- Charlie  “CHAR-LEE” 
D -- Delta  “DELL-TAH” 
E -- Echo  “ECK-OH” 
F -- Foxtrot  “FOKS-TROT” 
G -- Golf  “GOLF” 
H -- Hotel  “HOH-TELL” 
I -- India   “IN-DEE-AH” 
J -- Juliet   “JEW-LEE-ETT” 
K -- Kilo  “KEE-LOH” 
L -- Lima  “LEE-MAH” 
M -- Mike  “MIKE” 
N -- November  “NO-VEM-BER” 
O -- Oscar  “OSS-CAH” 
P --  Papa “PAH-PAH” 
Q -- Quebec   “KEH-BECK” 
R -- Romeo   “ROW-ME-OH” 
S -- Sierra  “SEE-AIR-RAH” 
T -- Tango  “TANG-GO” 
U -- Uniform  “YOU-NEE-FORM” 
V -- Victor  “VIK-TAH” 
W -- Whiskey  “WISS-KEY” 
X -- X-ray  “ECKS-RAY” 
Y -- Yankee  “YANG-KEY” 
Z -- Zulu   “ZOO-LOO” 

Numbers pronunciation:

0 - “ZEE-RO”
1 - “WUN”
2 - “TOO”
3 - “TH-UH-REE” or “TREE”
4 - “FOW-ER”
5 - “FI-IV” or “FIFE”
6 - “SIX”
7 - “SEV-EN”
8 - “ATE” or “A-IT”
9 - “NIN-ER”

Sunday Night 8:00 P.M.  146.640 Repeater (PL 162.2)

WC-ARES Net Script

Net Control Stations (NCS), please check the table above for your scheduled nights. You should be the Backup NCS for the same week number for the month following the month you are scheduled for NCS duty. (i.e. If you are NCS on the third week for even numbered months, then you should be the Backup NCS on the third week for odd numbered months).

If you cannot be available on your scheduled night, please warn your Backup NCS, or get one of the other experienced NCS stations to fill in. If you are one of the NCS operators and the scheduled NCS and backup station don’t appear, please fill in if you can.

Our Sunday Night Net Manager is Jim, KB7UQD.

ARRL has I Emergency Course:

EC-001

FEMA has lots to chose from ARES members are asked to complete these:
ICS 100

ICS 200

ICS 700

ICS 800

We have weekly training Nets on the WCARC repeater on 146.640 (-) PL 162.2 every Sunday at 8:00 PM.

Those with Packet radio are encouraged to make weekly check-ins and connect to as many ARCHES stations as possible thorough out the week.

We have monthly meetings at the RoundRock Fire Station #6 just West of the Dell Diamond on Joe Diamaggio Dr.  The meetings are on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM.

We hold monthly ARCHES system test on the 3rd Friday of the month at each hospital in Williamson Co.  Each hospital has 2 radios, one for voice and one for packet (email via ham radio).  We download any needed updates for the PC and test operate both radios.

We also help with various Public Service Events to hone our communications skills.