Monthly Meetings
MCACS holds a meeting via Zoom at 8 PM on the first Tuesday of each month. Members should receive a Zoom invitation via email prior to each meeting. Please keep the meeting link handy, as it is different each month.
Net Schedule
ARES® Training nets are held on all other Tuesdays at 8 PM, usually on the MARC 146.955 (156.7) repeater. If the MARC repeater is not available, look for us on the 443.900 repeater or 146.445 simplex.
| wdt_ID | Date | Program Type | Topic | Net Control Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 08/01/2023 | ZOOM MEETING - NO NET TONIGHT | Maryland-DC ARES Monthly Winlink Challenge | n/a |
| 82 | 07/25/2023 | TBD | Please suggest a topic of interest to you and others. | Please volunteer! |
| 84 | 08/08/2023 | TBD | TBD | Please volunteer! |
| 86 | 08/15/2023 | TBD | Please suggest a topic of interest to you and others. | PLease volunteer! |
| 77 | 07/18/2023 | Winlink training | We will review local RMS Gateways and talk about the use of RMS Relay. | Please volunteer! |
| 85 | 09/05/2023 | ZOOM MEETING - NO NET TONIGHT | TBD | n/a |
Other Upcoming Events
| Date | Time | Event | Notes | wdt_ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/23/2023 | 1900 - 1930 | Maryland/DC Section monthly HF Hospital Radio Net | 3820 kHz. See details below. | 26 |
| 09/11/2023 | 2000 - 2130 | MCACS Board Meeting* | -- | 24 |
| 08/14/2023 | 2000 - 2130 | MCACS Board Meeting* | -- | 44 |
| 09/12/2023 | 0000-2359 (any convenient time) | Maryland-DC ARES Monthly Winlink Challenge | See details below | 45 |
| 10/10/2023 | 1930 - 2030 | Maryland State RACES Monthly Commex | Contact K3CSX if you would like to participate. This will be the last Commex until September. | 38 |
| 09/12/2023 | 1930-2030 | Maryland State RACES Monthly Commex | Contact K3CSX if you would like to participate. | 52 |
| 07/19/2023 | 1900 - 1930 | Maryland/DC Section monthly HF Hospital Radio Net | 3820 kHz. See details below. | 36 |
| 08/08/2023 | 0000-2359 (any convenient time) | Maryland-DC ARES Monthly Winlink Challenge | See details below | 49 |
| 10/05/2023 | 1900-2100 | MDC Quarterly Hospital Drill | This quarterly drill focuses on testing simplex communications paths between participating hospitals across the Maryland-DC section. | 57 |
* Board meetings are held by teleconference (usually on the second Monday of the month) and are open to members. We welcome your involvement. If you are interested in taking a more active role in the organization, or have ideas for the board to consider, please join us. Contact any board member for access information.
Monthly HF Hospital Nets
Maryland-DC ARES sponsors the monthly Maryland/DC HF Hospital Net on 3820 kHz LSB. Despite the name, all local amateurs are invited to check into the net from your home station. Most hospital EOCs in the DC/Maryland area are not equipped for HF operation. The concept of operations is as follows. In the event that a hospital needs to communicate with an entity outside of VHF/UHF range, the traffic will be passed to a nearby HF-equipped ham via VHF/UHF, then forwarded to the distant entity via HF radio. In other words, the home-based HF station serves as a relay point for the hospital traffic.We encourage such home-based hospital relay stations to equip themselves with Winlink capability so that record traffic can easily be relayed, but voice-only stations are welcomed to participate.These exercises are normally scheduled on the Wednesday following the third Monday of the month at 7:00 PM local time. If the frequency is busy, tune ± 5 kHz.
Maryland-DC Section Monthly Winlink Challenge
The Maryland-DC Winlink Challenge is a monthly training activity sponsored by Maryland-DC ARES to familiarize operators with advanced features of Winlink and other digital modes that are useful for emergency and disaster communications. All ARES members in the MDC section are encouraged to participate. (We have a few participants from neighboring sections as well.) One purpose of the Challenge is to encourage the regular use of Winlink among amateur radio operators. It’s easy to participate — all you have to do is send a Winlink message to tactical call sign MDCWINLINK-1, asking to be added to the mailing list for the challenge. You’ll receive a Winlink message each month with instructions for that month’s exercise.
The monthly Challenge usually concludes on the second Tuesday of the month, when participants are asked to send a Winlink Check-In message to the exercise coordinator. There are often optional activities that can be performed in the days leading up to the second Tuesday.
Most exercises do not require you to be on a certain frequency at a specific time. Rather, a range of time is specified, and you complete the activity at a time of your choosing within the specified time span.
Do you have a suggestion for a program?
While we look to guidance for a number of sources to develop topics for weekly nets, monthly Zoom meetings, and other training programs, we are always open to suggestions from members regarding topics you would like to learn more about. Click here if you have an idea you would like to share.