The 2025 Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is fast approaching, and we find ourselves planning out how to most effectively and efficiently deploy our Emergency Communications Team to designated shelters like area high schools, a local hospital, and so forth. Their mission: To supply ground truth observations and relay requests for equipment and support to the local Emergency Management Agency, where the information must be packaged neatly and relayed to MEMA, the National Weather Services, and other upstream agencies.
This year, we’ll be asked to share information with the other agencies using the SHARES program, which provides additional means of communication over HF radio frequencies, providing additional interoperability between agencies when standard methods of communications are not available. Follow the link for a more detailed description.
Requests for Information Strips
In our exercise, we’ll be given formatted queries and must answer them in a similar format called “RI strips” or Request for Information strips of text. Our deployed operators will receive an RI strip like this, which essentially asks us for check-in and our capabilities:
ROSTER/HAM CALL SIGN/FIRST NAME/TOWN/COUNTY/STATE (2 LETTERS)/LAT (e.g. 44.123N)/LON (e.g.
069.123W)/MGRS (9 CHARACTERS)/WINLINK (Y,N)/HF NBEMS (Y,N)/VHF NBEMS (Y,N)/BRIEF
COMMENTS//
An example response from the field operator would look like this (example from this year’s document):
ROSTER/KB1TCE/STEVE/OWLS HEAD/KNOX/ME/44.048N/069.103W/19TDJ9172/Y/Y/Y)/NEED PRACTICE
WITH HF NBEMS//
While they look difficult to understand, they allow us to pass a lot of information with the least amount of data over the slower speed digital modes that are more capable of getting the message through when conditions for radio communications are not favorable. The request and subsequent answers can easily vary, as needs change. All of the reports can then easily be opened in a spreadsheet program, delimited by the forward-shlash, to filter and highlight key pieces of information from the field.
The HTML Strip Format Tool
Thankfully, some tools have been developed to make these Requests for Information more operator-friendly. An HTML form has ben supplied to us, where you can paste the string of text you’ve received into a box, and it creates a regular form with fields to match their request. Simply fill in the blanks, like in the image above, and it’ll generate the strip of text that can be transmitted back over the radio with Winlink, JS8Call, or amateur radio. But… if you’re deployed directly to the field, how do you get this HTML file in the first place?
That’s where your packet radio BBS comes into play! This HTML strip tool form, and other handy standard message forms from the Virginia Digital Emergency Network (VDEN) have been uploaded to the WS1EC node. Since HTML files aren’t very readable on a terminal, and can take some time to download over a 1200 baud link, they’ve been zipped and should transfer in a minute or less.
The remote operator can connect right to the BBS at WS1EC-2, enter the FILES command to list the available files, and then YAPP FILENAME.ZIP to request the file be downloaded, if their terminal client supports it; e.g.: EasyTerm (Windows), QtTermTCP (Mac, Windows, Linux), and Packet Commander (iOS). At this time, the terminal in WoAD or Winlink on AnDroid doesn’t yet support YAPP.
Unzip the file, and open the HTML file in your favorite browser!
Paste and parse the strip, fill the form, and then copy the resulting answer strip into your favorite digital mode.
Packet Application
Low bandwidth? Don’t have Winlink or JS8Call available? No problem!
Connect your computer, smart phone or tablet to the WS1EC node with your favorite terminal application and launch the FORMS application. It will walk you through the request for information, prompting for each item, ask you for the call sign of the intended recipient, and then add the message to the mail pipeline!
- Packet Radio users should dial into the NETROM address CCEMA, not the call sign and SSID of the station. This will present you with the full application menu.
- Internet users can connect via ssh packet@ws1ec.mainepacketradio.org -p 4722 (TCP port number 4722). This connects you to the telnet interface of the node over the more secure SSH protocol.
- Enter your call sign and your password (make one up if it’s your first time)
- Note that the backspace key doesn’t translate well over telnet. Hold control and press backspace to move the cursor back one position.
- Press I to bring up the node info and menu.
Telnet access
Accessing the application
Enter the command FORMS and select option 10: Information Strip Response Form.
Paste in the information request string when prompted, and it’ll prompt you to answer each item in the inquiry.
You can review the results before submitting, if you don’t mind waiting for it to transmit, or enter N to tell it you’re ready to send the message.
Once the message is in the pipeline, it’ll ask you if you wish to send another, or exit the application. All of our forms will behave similarly, allowing you to fill the form and send it right to the intended recipient!
Retrieving the strip message
You or the receiving operator can enter the BBS and List or LA List All messages to view the recent submissions.
and then enter R # to read a message.
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