Essex Raynet Training

If you wish to participate in any of the courses below please email training@essexraynet.co.uk , suggesting the best arrangements that could be made for you to attend. eg time, day of week, venue, month, avoiding...etc. Then if there is enough interest I will then firm up and circulate details and send any pre-event literature out to you. Each course has a number immediately after its title and the NEXT DATE for each course is shown in the table following all the synopses, lower down the screen. G7DBM

Each of the courses is also in the process of being made as a DVD which will be available for download. (Due Oct 2010)

Operating Procedures [1]  Training Session will take place at County Hall Emergency Centre in August. This will enable University Student Members and people for whom the Thursday Mid-Week session was not convenient to attend, should they so wish. Approx duration 45 min.

Operating Procedures [2]  Setting up a mobile mast and talk through unit, ( practical hands on session ), followed by special operating procedures needed when using one or more talk through units during an operation . This course will take place at a venue South of the County (Southend on Sea?) and again North of the County (Colchester).

Elementary Navigation [3] County Hall Emergency Centre.  Approx duration 90 min

The Elementary Navigation course will cover the following topics - ( Roughly covering NNAS Bronze level ).

Types of map

Conventional Signs

Measuring distances on the map

Measuring distances on the ground

Grid references

Contours

Finding North

Setting the map

Problems with Compasses / GPS

ARPS

Advanced Navigation [4] This course will run from 10am to 4pm on a Saturday , repeated 10am to 4pm on a Sunday near to Hathersage in the Peak District. (Precise parking in free car park at SK 25972 82962). ( Roughly covering NNAS Gold Level ).

It will cover, ( Listed in no particular order. ):

Timing,

Pacing,

Bearings,

Interpreting the map,

Walking a bearing,

Thumbing,

Aspect of slope,

Macro and Micro Navigation,

Search Methods,

Handrails,

Aiming off,

Attack points and check points,

Direction of slope,

Dead reckoning,

Back bearings,

Identifying a feature,

Collecting features,

Point to point,

Route choice,

Navigation using landforms,

Relocating,

Romers,

Spot heights,

Altimeters,

Contouring,

Resection,

Leap frogging,

Square search,

Sweep search,

Right angled deviation,

Navigating in the dark / cloud / fog.

There will be a handout to go through before the course so that the techniques can be practised rather than learnt about for the first time whilst in the Peak District. There is a lot to cover in 6h! The day will comprise 2 hours demonstrating / practising techniques. Followed by 4h in small groups putting the skills in to practice to solve some demanding navigational problems. Groups can compete against one another to navigate to the most objects. All of the exercise will happen within approx 30 min. walking radius from the car park.

Assistance will be available to all groups on both 2m or 70cm,

Fox Hunt- Message Passing and Navigation in Action (In County) [5]

Participants will need a 2m receiver fitted with a simple directional antenna as described on this web site (or whatever they wish to turn up with. It will be a considerable advantage from the safety point of view if motor vehicles are double crewed ie driver and radio operator/note taker. For those wishing to construct precision equipment the exact transmission frequency from the fox will be 145.425 MHz if frequency is clear), The signal will be vertically polarised at source. The transmission from the fox will be a voice transmission to another amateur lasting 90 seconds and repeated every 10 minutes starting on the hour. At the start a brief introduction to direction finding and use of compass and map to triangulate ever closer to the source will be given. The messages transmitted by the fox will be identified by number and contain two common errors in each. The message number and the 2 specific erros in operating procedure should be noted if there are more than two errors note the worst two.....we don't claim to be infallible! There will be a break for lunch when participants could be near the White Horse at Pleshey. OS map sheet will be loaned if need be. but 1:25000 sheet 183 is the one to have if you do not already own it..

This course usually runs from 11am to 4pm on a Sunday with a break for pub lunch Instructions to make a simple directional antenna appear here or one can be made for you to borrow if sufficient notice is given to me. There is also lots of designs on the web, just depends on how much you want to make life easy!

A.P.R.S. - (Automatic Position Reporting System) [6]

This course will cover the use of APRS during Essex Raynet events. The course will cover an over view of APRS followed by a live demonstration. The recommended hardware and software will be covered along with sourcing. The frequencies used. How you might use with your own particular equipment. Software settings and free ligitimate download sources for your platform.

Multi Repeater Use - Setting Up including Erecting and Dismantling Masts [7]

First a mast will be erected and a cross band repeater set up and connected to the antenna. This will then be changed to an inband repeater set up and finally the mast disassembled. The regulations governing the use of repeaters in Essex Raynet will be covered along with modifications needed to operating procedures in order to successfully pass messages without giving control high blood pressure!

Activating/using Raynet Equipment at County Hall [8]

Site visit with inroduction to equipment, connection of antennas, lead numbering, access , parking etc should you ever be tasked as first on site.

Activating/using Raynet Equipment at Burnham Clock Tower [9]

Site visit with inroduction to equipment ,in this case a key - should you ever be tasked as first on site.

Activating/using Raynet Equipment at Harwich Police Station [10]

Site visit with inroduction to equipment, connection of antennas, lead numbering, access , parking etc should you ever be tasked as first on site.

Activating/using Equipment at B7 nuclear bunker [12]

Site visit with inroduction to equipment, connection of antennas, lead numbering, access , parking etc should you ever be tasked as first on site.

Inter Personal skills when dealing with staff from external organisations [14]

Psychology of getting your own ideas accepted in such a way that the person to whom you are talking thinks they were their ideas.

73's

G7DBM

To secure the running of a course email interest to the training officer - usually a take up of 3 members or more will be appropriate

Connectors

A fixed antenna will have a female N type connector

A mobile antenna will have a BNC plug

A mobile DC PSU will have a car cigarette lighter socket

A fixed DC PSU will have a reversed pair of bullett connectors, positive supplied on the socket

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