C.E.R.T

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 4:59 am

Hey all,
Today I take the first part of the course to be officially a member of my local C.E.R.T team. FC CERT. I had participated in an event in the spring for the local Maple Fest( Foot patrol and traffic control for parade) and a co-worker and a couple of buddies have been involved for a couple of years and wanted me to join even before I moved up this way. Now that my place is relatively put together I figured it was time. I took the Red Cross CPR/AED Cert two weeks ago and am starting the needed training to be a full member. Anyone else out there participate?

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:05 am

I have family in St. Albans. Thanks for taking care of them

There are not nearly enough people who do stuff like this anymore. Thank you for stepping up and getting involved.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:17 am

I don't think I knew that you had family up this way.
I actually based my moving up this way partly to be able to join this group. They have been quite active in the last couple of years. with local events,search and rescue and disaster relief. My normal accessories for my truck go a long way toward their goal of each member having there PV's set up as response vehicles. I have a few more basics to cover and I will need to pick up at minimum a VHF radio that transmits on the frequencies we use. Looking at some UHF/VHF units to be able to monitor the local PD,Fire,and rescue FQ's as well. The team has some loaner equipment but the less they need to give out the better. We got a sizable grant after 9/11 and have a very well outfitted unit including 2 enclosed trailers generators ,emergency shelters/blankest/cots and a host of safety equipment the newest acquisition to be a AED for the Command Post Trailer.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:04 am

Most of our search and rescue groups use FRS / GMRS with just a few VHF/UHF radios.
If you have an interest I would suggest getting your Amateur Radio Technicians License (Ham License)
That will really open your eyes to the possibilities.
I use my Yaesu FT-8800R for everything you have described.
There are a couple good threads here on Ham Radio. I'll do what I can to help if you want to get your ticket.

Oh, The family is on my wife's side. If you bump into a lost Livingston tell them Laurie says hi

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:21 am

Ham Cert is in the planning stage. Our designated FQ's are in the 151-154 range. I am looking at a lot of radios but most seem not to use these VHF FQ's they all seem to stop at 148. We need gear that can pick up marine band as well since we are close to the lake. I think the 151 region is civil service area and that's why there are less radios out there. Not sure though just starting to figure that stuff all out. FRS/GMRS are used for backup but the range is just not good, same with CB The CP is set up with mobile receivers for most of the bands and we do have a group already certified HAM basic and advanced.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:30 am

Check out the Relm 3600. Scannerworld has a pretty good price.
I bought a pair of those for the district and they are really good. I now have eight of the Relm RMV 50 mobiles in the fleet. They are good too. All can handle the 130-180 mhz range.
Cables are reasonable and I know someone who can point you to the programming software

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:36 am

Just checked Discontinued NLA Bummer .I will check with my instructor today to get his recommendation. Will let you know which he comes up with and see if you have any pearls of wisdom to add.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:44 am

I the last ones from http://www.pwservice.com

Relm portables

I got a heck of a deal buying them for $299 each on sale at scannerworld.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:52 am

I might start with just a real basic unit and work up. Have a lot of extra expense right now replacing all the stuff I lost last weekend. I am up to $300.00 so far and still have to replace the mounting arm and the solar panel /charger I had. Will end up running close to $450 or so even if I do not get an alarm.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:58 am

Well I picked up a Vertex Yaseu VX-150 off e-bay for a decent price. It will handle all the VHF bands I need and it happened to come from someone near my parents house so it is programmed with all the local emergency services and MARS/CAP as well as Rome air force base frequencies. Now I just need to study the book for the basic amateur radio test so I can use it on more than the 3 free-band frequencies our C.E.R.T team uses.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 2:14 am

Had my first call out last Tuesday AM. We needed to help out with the Red Cross with an emergency shelter set up . A 22 yr old man had barricaded himself in his GF apartment with another woman and an infant and was holding them hostage with a shotgun. The police evacuated 25 neighbors out to city hall where we set up the shelter for the night. The first responders arrived around 2:30 am but I was called in around 4am when my buddy got there with my phone #. I would have gone out to the first call out but since I am still a probie my # was not yet on the call out roster. We just had to hang out and make sure no one wandered off and handed out teddy bears to some of the little kids. We were about to start helping set up for breakfast when the all clear came in at about 5:30 so I helped break down cots before heading off to work.
Yesterday I monitored the NOAA weather band all morning since there were flood watches in effect for the local area and the team has been called out before to help evacuate flood victims, luckily there were no problems yesterday.

Noma02 · Post by **Noma02** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:54 am

Hey new here. I'm a C.E.R.T. member in Georgia. Great group! Just got my CPR and AED certifaction 2 weeks ago. Good to here others are doing the program.

John

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:23 pm

Welcome aboard.
The C.E.R.T team I am on is very active in the local community even when there is no disaster ,we have helped out at local events like our Maple Fest and 4th of July events as well as running street patrols this past week for Halloween.The local police and rescue teams ask us for help quite regularly.

Noma02 · Post by **Noma02** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 5:27 am

I wish they would use us more. CERT has only been here in my county for four years. We have 146 members, and they don't use us.(yet) We do have drills but I wouldn't mind getting called out. I did alott of upgrades on my equipment. New pack , vest, first aid things. I'm ready when they ever need me.

John

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:24 am

Big Nor-Easter supposed to be coming in this weekend. Our C.E.R.T team as well as all the others in the state have been put on high alert in case we need to set up emergency shelters or provide other aid. Today will be spent getting all my cold weather gear checked out and ready for the call we hope doesn't come.

unvth1s · Post by **unvth1s** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:31 pm

No good deed should ever go unnoticed. good to know we got guys out there helping out where help is needed. Congrats and a job well done for making the Community Emergency Response Team in Franklin County, VT for the Red Cross CPR/AED

Good Luck helping with your community

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 5:47 pm

Had a training day today for radio communications. I wil be part of a group of about 5 people who will be in the next set of classes for our HAM licenses. As part of the day we got to tour the local PD backup comm system set on a hill outside of town. It is possible to put 5 full grown men in a crew cab if needed but it's not exactly comfortable. I figure I had 1200lbs of human cargo plus my regular gear and 100 lbs of rock salt in the truck and took it up the dirt road into the base on slushy dirt roads with no problems but a slight scrape of the tires in the wheel wells when hitting a couple of potholes. It did look like a clown car when we all piled out though.

Noma02 · Post by **Noma02** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 6:44 am

We were called out to help a search and rescue for a missing Vet in Cobb county two weeks ago. He served 2 tours and has post Traumatic stress since he got back. He up and left his house and dissappered into the woods. I was hoping to find him but no go. Not even a trace. I must have gone four miles through the woods and nothing. But we can only do what we can.

John

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 3:11 pm

I hope he was eventually found.
We are on alert right now due to flooding we had record 63 degrees here today and ice dams on the rivers are causing some flooding. There are a couple of towns we are active with that the entire downtown is built in the flood plain and has had to be evacuated in the past.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:23 am

Nearly one year later, still have to complete the basic C.E.R.T course but one has not been scheduled since I started. We have some fun training coming up, we will be training with the New England Central Railroad for possible assistance in case of rail emergencies, good thing to have since I live about 8 blocks from the switch yard and only 4 to the station. Adding Red Cross CPR/AED for Professionals to my certifications in 2 weeks. Just completed our first bicycle patrol course last weekend I am one of 5 for our first bike unit.
Still no Amateur license have to do some more studying and take the test. Just ordered a Yaesu ft-8800r dual band radio for the truck( i will need to order a programming cable and software to program the thing easily). We found on deployment for 4th of July triathlon we could really use the cross banding capabilities and higher transmit power and since our local PD and State police as well as Sheriffs Office run on UHF we needed more radios that could monitor their frequencies as well.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:54 am

04crewvt wrote:( i will need to order a programming cable and software to program the thing easily).

ttlusb for the cable and G4HFQ for the software. Spend the $18.50 on that software you will not regret it.

You will be pleased with the FT8800R. I am.

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:03 am

That's the software package I was looking at and just trying to find a cable that people aren't trying to abuse shipping charges on, not sure what I need for the ttlusb you mention quick search finds cables but how does the other end connect to the radio?

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 7:14 am

http://www.ttl2usb.com/

They have made some changes since I bought mine. Their USB adapter box now uses their cable adapters. You will need the CT-2 USB Programming adapter $39 and CT-29C ttlusb.com to 6 pin mini din cable $10

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:20 am

I picked up a serial cable for $21 I can use that on my computer to program radio I only use the serial port for my AutoXray scanner right now so that's the easy way to go, no need to spend $20 more for USB.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:45 am

I went USB go stay current. Serial stuff is dying out and most computers no longer have a port. The USB/serial converters are supposed to work, but for some reason they do not work for programming radios all the time.
I "bricked" a HT using a a USB/serial adapter. Pretty sure it was the problem.

An old laptop with a serial port for programming can be handy. The one in my truck has a serial port. I use the new laptop for programming now.

It will take you a few days to import and type in the frequencies. Once saved it is easy to add and make adjustments.

What are you going to run for antenna?

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:23 am

I don't worry about obsolete ports I still have 3 computer with serial ports so I am good right now. I currently have a C.E.R.T supplied 1/4 wave (I think) magnetic mount on the truck but would like to upgrade. Any suggestions on a good dual band adjustable one?
It will be quite a pain to program all the possible frequencies in, then I have to figure out how to either power the radio up indoors or I will have to sit in the truck with the laptop to program. I am looking at this Power supply with the goal of slowly acquiring a full portable base kit for emergency deployments. We currently have one R.A.C.E.S kit but we are not supposed to use it unless authorized we will have a second setup for our second trailer but we would like 2 or 3 more to cover our deployment area since we have so many obstacles hindering cross county communications.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:16 am

Laptop is the easiest way. Once you have the radio mounted in our trucks it is a PITA to remove for programming. You will likely want to do as I did and mount the radio in a nice cool location and remote mount the head using a phone cord.

I am not an antenna expert. I went with two 1/4 wave whips and a splitter for durability. I looked into a couple nice dual band antennas. They are tall and the gain did not make that big a difference for me here. Range is pretty good in the high desert.

For bench programming I have one of those portable jump start packs with a power port. I wired up a plug and connector for the radios. It works well. I use the HT for my stuff in the house. I have a mag mount scanner antenna that I can hook up , as well as a suction cup remote "ducky". They don't seem to do much.

One of the power packs and a good HT would be all that you would need for a good long term remote set up. Use the truck as a repeater and you should be good until the war is over

04crewvt · Post by **04crewvt** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:18 pm

The radio I am getting has the remote mount kit and I am looking at picking up one of the quick release mounts that were available for the radio or at least replacing the mounting screws with thumbscrews. I have a C.E.R.T issue 1.2 million CP light from Galls that functions as a 12v power supply so I could get an adapter for that. I would then just need a 12v adapter for my HT. I was also looking at a small deep cell battery for the box setup. Our trailers are run on deep cell batteries and it works great for a long weekend running 5 radios on only one of the 3 batteries without charging