Tick, Tock, Turn Back the Clock

Tick, tock! Sunday, November 1 marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. Use this opportunity to not only prepare your clocks to “fall back”, but also prepare your home for fire emergencies by changing the batteries in your smoke alarms. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), smoke alarms are essential to home fire safety and should be properly maintained. To promote fire safety in your home, remember to: Put smoke alarms on every floor of your home, including every bedroom and the hallway outside of each sleeping area; Test smoke alarms monthly; Change the smoke alarm battery at least once per year; Replace smoke alarms that are more than ten years old; and Develop a home fire escape plan so that everyone knows two ways out and knows a safe place to meet. Practice your plan twice per year.  To learn more about fire escape planning, check out this USFA public service announcement.

Replace your weather radio batteries too!

** Free RMS Express Stations for upcoming COMEX ** #ARRL #hamradio

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/aresoklahoma/conversations/messages/3465

As an additional incentive, the Tulsa Digital Radio Club (TDRC) foundation will provide, free of charge, a completely functional RMS Express Station, including the tablet computer, soundcard TNC interface, and Baofeng HT dual band radio to any emergency management station that agrees to participate in the upcoming November 7th COMEX with the MARS group.  This offer applies to any emergency management group in the greater Tulsa metro area, within 20 miles of Broken Arrow, OK.

For stations outside of the 20 mile area, the TDRC will provide, free of charge, a tablet computer with RMS Express and soundcard TNC interface to work with the station's existing VHF base station.

For outlying stations wishing to work the HF Winmor portion, the TDRC will provide, free of charge, a tablet computer with RMS Express and soundcard TNC interface to work with the station's existing HF base station.

For all three options (HT, VHF base, or HF base), TDRC personnel will meet with the operators and provide training in RMS Express and, in the case of operator provided VHF or HF stations, will install the soundcard TNC interface and tablet computer.

The only "condition" is that the emergency management station operate RMS Express during the upcoming COMEX and send and receive messages with the AE5ME-15 system.  Equipment is free to use as you wish after the exercise is complete.  Of course, we hope you continue to see the value of RMS Express and use it as a tool for future events and exercises.

Keep in mind that many of you may already have the resources to run an RMS Express station if you have a TNC built into your radio.  For example, the Kenwood TS-2000 has a built-in TNC that can operate on packet by connecting to the com port on the radio.

Deadline for applying for the above hardware is Saturday, October 17th in order to allow us to distribute stations and conduct training with operators prior to the exercise.  Please send email to ae5me at yahoo dot com.

Thanks to Jeff, AE5ME for this information.

Don't forget about the Enid Hamfest #ARRL #hamradio

2015 ENID HAMFEST Saturday, November 7th 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Hoover Building Garfield Co Fairgrounds TALK-IN: 145.290 (-) No PL (W5HTK)  •ARRL FORUMS & PROGRAMS •LICENSING EXAMS • RAG-CHEW SESSIONS • FREE FOOD TICKETS $3.00 TABLES $3.00 Contact W5EIY (Bill) at 580-716-4788 ornokes3139@gmail.com to reserve your tables. LOCATION: Hoover Building, County Fairgrounds, 305 E Oxford Ave. One block west of U.S. 64 (N 4th St). Coordinates: (36.42796, -97.87545) GRAND PRIZE: Kenwood TM-V71A  Amateur vhf/uhf(Drawing at 2:00 p.m. from names of all attendees. No need to be present to win this grand prize.) • PLUS ! dual band VHF/UHF handheld transceivers. (Each given in at hourly drawings. Must be present to win. One prize per attendee.) • AND MORE: Numerous vendor certificates, over $400, merchandise and ARRL books and certificates. PROGRAMS • ARRL forum, Emergency Management, OK Repeater Society fall meeting. •  GOTA • Get On The Air station• LICENSING EXAMS • W5YI VE testing at 1:00 p.m. All license grades. $14 fee for each exam. Bring two forms of identification and, if testing for upgrade, bring a copy of your current license. RAG-CHEW SESSIONS • On- and off-site FREE FOOD • Donuts and hot beverages, 8 to 10:00 a.m. (Diabetic alternatives available) • Hot dogs and beans, condiments, beverages, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. TICKETS • Admission $3.00 per person. (Age 12 and under free if accompanied by adult.) Admission includes one drawing ticket. Extra tickets bundles available. Don't forget reserving your TABLES, only a few left • $3.00 each. Request tables via W5EIY (Bill) at 580-716-4788 or nokes3139@gmail.com . Pre- reserved tables not claimed by 9 a.m. will go to others in order of request. FOR VENDORS: Building will be open for set-up 6:30 - 8 p.m. Fri., and 6:30 - 8 a.m. Sat. An ARRL-approved event, hosted by The Enid Amateur Radio Club. For more information: www.enidarc.org/ENIDHAMFEST  or Call/Text 580-747-5029

Are you ready for #OKfire #AltusOK?

Fire Prevention Week 2015

October 4-10, 2015 is Fire Prevention Week! This year’s theme is: “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every bedroom needs a working smoke alarm!”

This message encourages you to install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home, including the basement. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep.

Smoke alarms save lives! If there is a fire in your home, a working smoke alarm will give you a chance to quickly escape. Learn how to properly install and maintain smoke alarms in your home  by visiting the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) “Smoke Alarm Central.”

Fire safety is something everyone can practice. The NFPA has interactive games and activities to make Fire Prevention Week fun for the entire family. Test your fire safety knowledge with the NPFA Fire Quiz. Kids can also learn how to stay safe with puzzles and videos featuring “Sparky the Fire Dog.”

Download the Fire Prevention Week infographic to share important fire safety tips with family and friends.

This year, USFA is dedicating the month of October to providing fire safety tips using hashtag #firesafein31. USFA will share daily tips to help make homes and families safer. Follow #firesafein31 on Twitter at @usfire and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usfire.