|
|
|
|
|
|
morale messages are exchanged. Any of you who have served in the military have undoubtedly had the opportunity to send a MARS GRAM home from a remote station. These MARS GRAMS have been our bread and butter for many years as a service to our armed forces and as a mode of practice to keep our message handling skills sharp.
These days of satellite phone links, satellite communications and the ever present E-Mail has really cut into the number of MARS GRAMS being sent. Many of the Ships afloat have satellite linked Sailor Phones on board where you can pre-purchase a phone card from the ships store and stand in line (when it's working) for a $3 to $5 per minute call home. For the young, newly married crew members that is an extravagant expense. E-Mail has opened new ways for these folks to communicate but again, as prevalent as it seems to us, many of these families don't have E-Mail capability readily at hand.
Phone patch networks are still quite busy for NMCM but requires a dedicated radio operator to handle them on their off duty time. Again those who have used this service in past years know the heart warming effect that voice from home can have in those "Over / Over" conversations.
The advantage to MARS is that between the three services and the inter-operability they have it is possible to get a message home any where in the US or delivered to any military station via one of our modes of communication.
Again, our primary mission is
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
as auxiliary communication support in times of emergency. To this end much attention is paid to keeping our message handling skills sharp, net management finely tuned and our stations up to date so we can respond. MARS has HF & VHF Packet & Pactor stations across the world that are linked together with the emphasis put on "Long Haul" comms.
We are working in many of the newer modes of communications so the capability will be there to send accurate, large or detailed messages that have a high degree of correctness and security. Besides the standard Amtor, Pactor, Packet, RTTY modes, we also are using Pactor II, MT63, PSK, MFSK & Hellscriber.
For the Coast Guard ships on the Eastern seaboard we are handling thousands of E-Mail msgs that have been compressed & encrypted then transmitted via high speed Pactor II on a regular basis from and to the ships for eventual delivery on the regular WWW E-Mail circuits.
Also NMCM maintains a 24/7 HF radio watch on frequencies common to all MARS services and SHARES (SHAred RESources net work of government & civil agencies). We have Auxiliary Radio Teams (ART) made up of members who can respond to a disaster site (UPON REQUEST) to assist with communications or to relieve the operators on site. These teams can also provide those "long haul" communication needs remotely via VHF links as a supportive effort with our brother ARES / RACES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
operators. Many NMCM members are joint members with NMCM & the ARES / RACES groups so this exchange is quite natural.
NMCM has already established relationships with many of the Northwest NOAA stations, Area Emergency Management offices, Law Enforcement, Civil Air Patrol, Red Cross and other regional organizations.
Let me again stress that NMCM exists to SERVE not supplant the communities traditional agencies communications. NMCM can only provide any service upon request. Unsolicited activation is not an option. To this end we urge you to become familiar with NMCM's capabilities, include us in your communities emergency operations plan, and remember that we are still in the business of sending those moral messages to & from our countries military services. Local Portland area NMCM members are available to serve you in any way we can.
Please feel free to contact:
NNN0GBP Oregon Area Coord.
John 503-684-7218
NNN0GBP One Asst. Coord.
Pete 503-646-8543
NNN0GBP Two Ecom Asst.
Mike 503-266-9630
|
|
|
|
|
|
