(updated 2/24/2023)

Access

Park in the visitor parking lot across from the main entrance. When facing the building from the parking lot, the visitor entrance is at the far right of the building. You will sign in immediately inside the entrance. If the receptionist is not expecting you, ask to check in at the security desk. The security supervisor on duty should be aware that you are coming, and will arrange for a guard to escort you to the EOC in the administrative office suite on the second floor. The EOC doubles as a training room.

Radio Setup

There is currently a single IC-7100 radio at this hospital. Please do not operate it on HF. Use it only for 2m and 70 cm. We don’t want to be causing RF interference to environmental control systems, let alone medical equipment, close to the antennas on the roof.

During hospital drills, we generally conduct a voice net on 70 cm, leaving 2 m for packet operations. But with only one radio at this hospital, you will have to excuse yourself from the voice net when you need to use Winlink.

In this view, you can see that the radio cabinet is located high on the wall, where it is easily accessible using a step-stool for maintenance but otherwise out of the way.

Here is the setup inside the wall enclosure. It is a standard 19″ rack enclosure. The power supply and a Powerpole distribution block are located on the “ground floor.” Upstairs, you can see the IC-7100 “black box”, automatic antenna tuner, and  AEA PK-96 TNC (donated by W2LNX). Everything is “plug and play”  in case last-minute substitutions are required. In addition to the hinged front door, the entire cabinet is hinged so that it can be swung away from the wall to access the back of the rack.

We chose to use a hardware TNC so that responding operators don’t have to deal with software modems, computer audio levels, and related setup issues. Commonly used Winlink frequencies are stored in the IC-7100 memory bank, which automatically selects the FM-Data mode. This radio has a non-intuitive user interface. A quick-start guide is located here. Please review it ahead of time.

The only software needed is Winlink Express. (In the future, we expect to upgrade the radio and enable the use of Vara.) But some users have had difficulty finding a driver that works with the USB serial port adapter. Check out this web page for advice, and consider downloading the recommended device drivers on your laptop ahead of time.

The radio control head is mounted on an aluminum plate bent into a U shape to slide over the back of the operating table. An old mouse pad was glued to the underside of the mount to avoid marring the table surface. An headset adapter from K6VHF.com permits the use of an inexpensive computer headset such as the Yamaha CM-500. It is critical to use a headset in this environment, both to block out room noise and focus on the radio, and also to prevent the radio chatter from distracting others in the room.

The footswitch is a Linemaster Clipper Model 632-S. These rugged units are used in many commercial dispatch centers. You can operate it by placing a toe on it, but some operators turn it around and place their entire foot on the switch. You can then key the radio by rocking your foot as opposed to pressing down with your toe.

A view of the control head at the operating position. Sharp-eyed hams might notice that this headset is not the aforementioned Yamaha CM-500, but another inexpensive model used for initial testing.

Ron, KB3SYA, on the air. The computer in the background is “locked down” by the hospital IT staff for security reasons, so we generally bring our own laptop to run Winlink.

The accessories needed to operate the radio, including the radio control head, footswitch, etc., are stored in a plastic bin in a closet in the hallway, directly across from the radio room. Also in the bin is a wireless doorbell. Since the door to the admin suite is usually locked outside of office hours, if someone needs to leave the room temporarily, you can place the doorbell on the hall outside the admin suite, keeping the sounder next to the operating position. That will save you from having to pound on the door to get back in. However, since it has been three years, the batteries in the wireless doorbell might be dead. Consider bringing some replacement batteries. (I’m not sure whether it uses, AA, AAA, or 9V batteries.)

It is not necessary to open the radio cabinet on the wall to use the system. Just connect the control head and plug in the power cord leading to the cabinet. However, you will need to open the cabinet to test the antenna SWR. There should be a key to the cabinet in the plastic storage bin.

There is a unisex bathroom inside the admin suite, not far from the entrance.