Digital Net activity recorded during the Simulated Emergency Test

During the Simulated Emergency Test recently, the Oklahoma Section establsihed a digital net.  The following is the summary of that activity.  How did you do on SET?

Net logs: 


PSK-250 on VHF 
KD5NJR 
KT5DIG (net control) 


APRS on VHF 
KD5NJR 
WA9AFM 
WB5VST 
KC5FM 
KC5RBH 
W5LHG 
KT5DIG (net control) 


MFSK-16 on HF 
KC5WMZ 
KT5DIG (net control) 


PSK-31 on HF 
WA9AFM 
KC5WMZ 
N5PT 
WB5VST 
KT5DIG (net control) 


KC5MWZ ran Winmor, but no stations responded. 


We successfully sent one ICS-213 form from KT5DIG (Broken Arrow/Tulsa) to KC5WMZ (Oklahoma City) on 40m. Both ends of the link were 20 watts or less. We utilized the FLMSG portion of the FLDIGI suite of programs to compose and send the message. 


A text bulletin was also sent from KT5DIG to KC5MWZ utilizing the FLAMP "multicast" software that is part of the FLDIGI suite of programs. The FLAMP software allows multiple stations to receive the same information, but individually request for portions of the file to be transmitted by the net control. 


Keyboard to keyboard and the forms and bulletins were 95%+ copy from each side. 


Lessons for the next exercise: We could have easily run BPSK-250 for faster data transfer on the HF portion of the net, perhaps PSKR-250 (robust) if error-correction was necessary. In the future, we will also transfer the other ICS forms generated by the Tulsa group into FLMSG format and send those, as well. 


While we monitored the VHF net in Tulsa, there was no traffic received to be routed through the digital portion of the net. We can place a representative running FLDIGI suite in physical proximity to the voice net control at future events so that message handling could be more direct.


All in all, a good start and looking forward to more opportunities to use digital in the future......Which has led to some new developments since the exercise. We have successfully placed a Winmor port on our existing packet BBS in Broken Arrow. More information to follow. 


Thanks to Jeff AE5ME for this information.