            Using the Wisconsin Network - Part 32
                 by Andy Nemec, KB9ALN

     Last time, we started a discussion about the types of
things an Emergency Coordinator or Radio Officer has to think
about before planning to use packet in their operations. In
this part of the series, we will talk about the actual
planning, once you find a niche for it in your ARES and/or
RACES system.

     Last time, we talked about the types of emergencies, and
the types of operations you are likely to encounter. An EC
probably already has a very good idea of what is expected of
his or her organization. We will assume, for the moment, that
we are dealing with a fairly common scenario in Wisconsin.
This county is mostly rural, with one smaller city and a number
of smaller towns and villages. While Milwaukee county may be
the exception to this usual scenario, some of the same basic
rules apply, the system is bigger and more complex there.

     From what we know of our county, we can prepare for
flooding, hazardous chemical spills from either rail or
trucking, possible severe weather, and potential of a large
fire, perhaps. In the right circumstances, any one of these
can mean mass evacuation, mass casualties, or both.

     Anytime we are dealing with this type of scenario, the Red
Cross is likely to become involved. Here is a very good place
for packet radio. In addition to communications between the
on-site Red Cross staff and other agencies, there could be
utility in having an operator at the Red Cross Chapter office. 

     A Red Cross shelter would be a great place for a portable
station. If there is a possibility of a large-scale disaster
and multiple shelters, then more portable stations would be
handy.

     You also know you will need communications between the
on-site Incident Command Post and the Emergency operating
center.

     If your county has a mobile communications center, a
permanent installation is ideal. An older laptop (8088 even)
will do fine in such an installation. In fact, none of the
computers need be exotic if you are doing basic packet radio.
When starting an emergency packet setup from scratch, it is 
best to "Keep it Simple,..".

     The RF portion will require some testing and perhaps even
a little experimentation. How far away will you be from a
network node (or something suitably similar) is a big
determining factor when you start to look at radios and power
levels.

     The installation itself will also dictate what you use for
equipment. For example, you would not want to use a
high-powered radio in a mobile communications van. This radio
will also be subject to interference from other radios. You may
wish to investigate using a surplus commercial radio (Motorola
or G.E.). They are generally far better performers in a bad
radio environment and are not too expensive. In any case, do
make certain the radio is easy to operate.

     The TNC is something you can be a little flexible on.
There are two considerations here. One is to look for ease of
future upgrading. Just how exotic are you likely to get with
the system? If you need expandability (for adding APRS, for
example), stick to a TNC that is TNC-2 compatible. You might
also think about what might be the most popular TNC in your
area. It makes sense to select one in wide use. It would be
more likely to be familiar to the packet operators. Less time
trying to figure out a given TNC is more time spent operating.

     The same can be said of software. Field units should use
the simplest possible software. Again, familiarity works in your
favor. If everybody in town uses Hostmaster, then you should
consider it. In general, it is not a good practice to use a
complex program like PaKet on a remote or portable station, 
there is too much to go wrong for the novice user.

     Exotic services provided by a station at the EOC or
elsewhere need to be carefully thought out. How likely is a
whiz-bang service to be used? If it is absolutely necessary to
make your job easier, do try to use and implement it in the 
simplest way possible.

     In addition to all of the planning mentioned before, these
things need to be mentioned:

1) Keep it as simple as you can.
2) Stay in regular contact with your local Node Operator. Find
   out what his plans are for the future. Does he have
   emergency power? Are there any plans he or she is making
   that would affect your equipment purchases?
3) Try and utilize what you already have, rather than building
   an entire network around your needs. If you have trouble
   accessing the network in any of your county, consider
   looking for a packet operator in that area who can activate
   his KA-Node (or digi as a last resort). See if he is capable
   of operating on emergency power. If not, see what you can do
   to help him with this.
4) While a lot of us are quick to offer help, not many of us
   are good at asking for it. If this packet game is kind of
   over your head right now, delegate! Find a practical minded
   person to head up this project, and get acquainted with the
   project and packet.  
5) Once you have a system in place, use it. Incorporate it into
   your routine operations as well as your drills, if you can. 
6) Make it a point to find a path to the Wisconsin Division of
   Emergency Management ham station through the network. It is
   a BBS with the call-sign of WC9AAG, alias of WIDEM. Once
   you get registered, leave a message with Mack, N9NTB telling
   him you are packet-ready. Introduce yourself, and leave 
   instructions on the path used to get to your local LAN, as
   well as a BBS (or mailbox) where mail can get your mail.
   This will help the packet operators in Madison should they
   need to get a hold of you, and they can put that BBS in
   their forwarding files.
7) Support packet radio networking whenever possible. Remember,
   the more developed a network becomes, the more useful it
   will be to you.

     Hope this helps as a guide to planning the packet-based
part of your emergency communications system. Next time, we
will look at incorporating APRS into the system. We'll discuss
what it is and if it can be useful to you.

     Until then, 73 from Andy.