Advanced Certification
(Draft)
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This training and certification will involve approximately sixteen (16) hours of classroom and/or online training followed by eight (8) hours of practical evaluation where the operator must demonstrate the specific learning competencies outlined for the course. This course will cover advanced emergency communications skills including HF and digital modes, as well as personal survival and preparedness.
Students attending this course are expected to bring proof of completion of the Basic certification course as well as the IS-800 FEMA courses.
The following outline is representative of the material to be presented in the classroom.
Unit 1: High Frequency 1
a. Band overview
1. Long / Short bands
2. Day / Night propagation
b. HF Antennas
1. Theory
1. Calculating dipole length
2. Field chokes
3. Baluns
2. Practical Antennas
1. Dipole
2. Vertical
3. Beam
4. Random long wire
5. Packable emergency antennas
c. HF Radios
1. Grounding
2. Safety
3. Antenna tuners
4. Filtering, DSP and other radio features
5. Sideband operation and other modes
Unit 2: High Frequency 2
a. HF Voice
b. HF Digital modes
Pactor
Levels and speed
Available hardware and recommendations
PSK-31, RTTY, and other soundcard modes
Limitations and advantages
Overview of available software and recommendations
CW
Other modes
SSTV
AMTOR, GTOR
Packet
WSPR
Unit 3: Cable and Connectors
a. Data
Serial: DB9, DB25
Ethernet
USB
b. Power
Anderson connectors
Ring terminals
Banana plugs
Coaxial
Molex
c. RF
PL-259
N-connectors
BNC
SMA
Types of Coax
d. Audio
TRS
DIN
Mini-DIN
e. Gender
f. Soldering basics
Unit 4: Power Systems
a. Battery boosters
b. Importance of voltage stability
c. Alternative power sources
Solar power / charging
Wind power
Fuel cells
d. Generator power
Inverter vs. Alternator
Fuel sources (gasoline, diesel, propane)
Battery charger
Safety
Venting
Extension cords
e. Standalone AC Power Inverters
f. Using a multimeter
g. Power and equipment requirements of common Items
100W HF Radio
50W Mobile Radio
Desktop Computer
CRT Monitor
LCD Monitor
Laptop Computer
Inkjet Printer
Laser Printer
Electric Space Header
Electric Blanket
h. Consumer UPS units
Unit 5: Workshop (HF, Soldering, Connectors)
TBD
Unit 6: Talk like a dispatcher
TBD
Unit 7: Advanced RF Concepts
a. Simplex repeater operation
b. Duplex repeater operation
c. Cross-band repeaters
1. Extending range of handhelds
2. Access point for isolated stations
3. Creating a link between two duplex repeaters
d. Cavity duplexers
1. How they work
2. Why they are needed
3. Temperature and shock sensitivity
e. Cavity filters
1. When you might use them
2. How to apply them to a system
f. Band pass filters
Unit 8: Amateur Radio and Internet-Based Services
a. Echolink
b. IRLP
c. Propagation testing networks
Unit 9: Computers
a. Common hardware
1. Laptops
2. Desktops
3. Netbooks
4. Handhelds
b. Operating Systems
c. Serial communication
1. Cables
2. Null modems
d. Terminal Programs
1. Basic settings
2. Common uses
e. Sound interfacing
f. USB adapters for newer systems
1. Serial
2. Audio
g. Emergency power
h. Networking
1. Wired Ethernet
2. Wireless Ethernet
3. IP addresses
Unit 10: Legacy Packet
a. 300, 1200, 9600 baud
b. AX.25 and IP
c. Digipeaters
d. Systems
1. A simple TNC mailbox in a pinch
2. Advanced BBSes and routing networks
e. Clients
1. Terminal
2. Outpost
3. Airmail
Unit 11: Winlink 2000
a. System overview
1. CMS
2. RMS
3. Relay
b. Clients
1. Airmail
2. Paclink
3. RMS Express
c. HF Pactor/Winmor
1. Available Pactor I hardware
2. Available Pactor II/III hardware
3. Winmor software and hardware requirements
d. RMS/Packet access
e. Internet access
Unit 12: D-STAR
a. Voice
b. Slow and High-Speed data
c. Repeaters
d. Gateways
1. Callsign Routing
2. Reflectors
3. DVDongle
4. DVAP and Hotspot
Unit 13: APRS
a. GPS receivers
b. Simple trackers
c. Available hardware
d. Offline mapping stations and software
e. Internet gateways
f. Other types of data
1. Messaging
2. Weather
3. Telemetry
Unit 14: Station Setup and Operation
a. Arrival and setup
1. Determine power situation
Is AC power available, cords needed
Generator or some other source of aux power
Battery power only, determine plans for recharging
2. Determine antenna needs
Portable masts
Antennas
Feed lines
3. Determine equipment needs
Bands of operation
Modes required
4. Advise if you need additional resources to set up
b. Determine initial contacts
1. Locate people you will be working with
2. Determine how to best get information to and from them
3. Obtain any necessary paperwork for shift
Unit 15: Workshop (Computers and Winlink 2000)
TBD
Unit 16: Working in a Team Environment
a. Shift planning
b. Task assignments
c. Dealing with personalities
d. Handling emergent volunteers
e. Tabletop deployment