West Coast Reflector

We are looking for some great wholesome clubs and repeater systems to join us at the WestCoastReflector Allstar hub 51061. Even if you only have a simplex Allstar node, come join us at the WCR. 

WCR has a complete scheduling platform to suite your clubs' individual needs. Join in on other clubs nets, let us connect to you during your Nets, events and everyday content. Meet new friends from multiple western states and beyond. All connections are monitored and managed by folks who know what clean wholesome content is all about.  You can contact me directly at n6knevarnell@gmail.com or connect to all-star hub 51061. 

PLEASE also check out ALROTANETS.com for additional activity including EComms options for any RACES, ARES, SKYWARN events.

As I see it, the Iphone was where it all began with Voice over Internet, then came Echolink, followed by IRLP. IRLP is all good, but today we have ALLSTAR. To me, ALLSTAR is the Mercedes-Benz of VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) Then you add SUPERMON to the mix... Holy crap man, you now have amazing linking abilities with the ultimate control and support of SUPERMON. BUT WAIT...now you add in all those folks from HAMVOIP!  I'm telling you, IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER! Today's Amateur Radio Clubs and Repeater owners are turning to ALLSTAR to connect their repeaters together. OH, but don't worry, most of them still have backup RF links, for those who know what SHTF means. ALLSTAR linking, controlling and managing is just...well, STUPID SIMPLE! To those Clubs and Groups that now support and use ALLSTAR for their linking needs, CUDOS TO YOU! 

Volunteers and Admins

• Help find ALLSTAR equipped systems/repeaters inside of weather effected areas.
• Each ALROTA Hub needs Admins to Help Coordinate and Monitor Nets, participate in weekly ADMIN nets on a designated ALROTA Admin Hub (simplex nodes preferred).
• Create Nets specific to your Time Zone/ALORTA Hub. You design your very own Nets and Topics. Topics will need Pre-Approval.
• Approved Super Admins will have access to their very own ALROTA Hub. Hurry, First Come First Serve!

Contact Ken at n6knevarnell@gmail.com

 As always, good operating practice is to listen to a HUB  prior to beginning your own transmission, especially if you've just recently turned on your radio or tuned into the HUB/Network. When the HUB is being used for emergency communications, you can expect to hear related traffic, as well as periodic automatic and human operator announcements as to the state of the HUB.

Obviously, even if the HUB is being used in this fashion, if you find yourself in a situation where you need to pass traffic related to imminent harm to or the safety of persons or property, and a ALROTA HUB is your only means to do so, we would expect you to make use of the system. Even in this situation, we would expect that in accordance with good operating practices, you would comply with requests of any net control that may be present on the system you're on or the HUB in general, and that you be mindful of others on the system who may be in the same situation as yourself.

 If you do not have emergency traffic to pass, during times of emergency, we would ask that you not transmit on the ALROTA HUB  until the emergency has passed and the network has been released from emergency communications. 

When helping on the radio, it’s essential to gather the following information:

1ST, HOLD THE FREQUENCY. ASK OTHERS TO MONITOR AND COPY INFO. IF NEED BE HAND OFF THE CALL TO SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE A BETTER SIGNAL.

• Caller’s location: Ask the caller to provide their location, including their city, state, and zip code, GPS long and lat. This helps you better understand their situation and provide more accurate assistance. if your able pull up their location on Google Maps. What do they see around them? what was the last major landmark they'd seen?
• POOR SIGNAL?: If the caller has a poor signal try to ask simple YES and NO questions i.e. Are you South of...., Anyone injured?  Are you off the road? Do you have water/food/heating/cooling? 
• Type of issue: Determine the type of issue the caller is experiencing, such as Flat tires, broken bones, entrapped?
• Description of the issue: If Comms are good enough, Ask the caller to provide a detailed description of the issue they’re experiencing.
• The route they took, is there anybody else looking for them: try to get names and numbers of others who may be on route to help. what route will they be taking and try to get their vehicle description.
• Frequency and/or channels they have access to: Does the caller have access to FRS, GMRS, CB? Try to set up a comms with them every half hour to save batteries. Pick a simplex Freq/Channel to use for local search parties.

Day and time of the incident: Ask the caller to provide the day and time when the incident occurred, how long have they been in distress as this can help you identify other possible problems. exposure to the elements can be deadly.

• STAY WITH THEM: Ensure the caller that someone will stay on radio with them until local help arrives.

I take a collaborative and solution-focused approach to connecting HAM Clubs and Groups together. By working together, we can inspire the small quiet clubs to connect to the bigger or more advanced Repeater Systems for support, Meaningful and educational Nets and just broadening our repeater footprints in the Amateur radio community, Most importantly, GROWING OUR CLUBS AND SYSTEMS. 

I have no specialties. What I do have is a passion for the hobby. I have the vision of what is needed and the motivation/drive to excite those involved in the hobby to think outside of the box.