NBEMS for Emergency Communications

Dan N0PI, Scott ARES Asst. ECBob W0NFE, Scott ARES Asst EC

Accurate, RapidCommunications

Agenda

• Why Digital ECOMS• What is NBEMS• What NBEMS can and cannot do for you• Components of a NBEMS system• How to set up a NBEMS system• How to use NBEMS• Practice time

Why Digital ECOMS

• Think back to your last public service event, drill, or deployment.

• You probably passed a lot of traffic best suited for voice communications but...– What if you had been asked to pass• Roster of evacuees• Required prescription medications• Directions to a disaster scene

Why Digital ECOMS

• The needs of our Served Agencies have changed.

• They still need voice communications but...– There's an increasing need for data

communications.– We need to be able to provide more than just

voice communications from a ham with an HT.

Agenda

• Why Digital ECOMS• What is NBEMS• What NBEMS can and cannot do for you• Components of a NBEMS system• How to set up a NBEMS system• How to use NBEMS• Practice time

What is NBEMS• Narrow Band Emergency Messaging System• Consists of four programs:– Fldigi – Fast Light Digital modem application– Flmsg – easily send ICS forms and Radiogram– Flwrap – Wrap a file with a checksum– Flarq – Fast Light Automatic Repeat Request

• Can download from www.w1hkj.com– Runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac.– Released under GNU Public License, so it

is completely FREE.

NBEMS Homepage

NBEMS Download Page

NBEMS philosophy

• Keep it cheap.• Keep it simple.• Use Open Source software.• Don't depend upon infrastructure.• Make it fun to use between drills and

disasters.• Any computer, any radio.

Using NBEMS in your net.

• Auxiliary method to handle formal traffic.– Voice used for basic check-in’s etc– Traffic passed by digital – Same or different channel

• Much faster than Voice.• Number / letter sequences are 100% accurate.• All message are save to hard drive.

– Bulletins broadcast to all station• All Digital net– Mix of keyboard to keyboard and formal

traffic sent via forms.

Agenda

• Why Digital ECOMS• What is NBEMS• What NBEMS can and cannot do for you• Components of a NBEMS system• How to set up you NBEMS system• How to Use NBEMS• Practice time

What NBEMS can do for you

• Fast accurate method to provide– Keyboard to Keyboard communications– Send, save, and print standard ARRL, ICS, Red Cross,

and generic forms (new forms added regularly)• Typical ARRL radiogram takes ~40 seconds to send• Data is verified via checksum• Can broadcast messages, one to many• Supports unattended reception of messages

– Not encrypted, but general scanning public will hear noise.

– Will work when voice is marginal.

What NBEMS will not do for you

• It is not a store and forward system like e-mail– Each station in the system must have an operator

• Receive message will be stored on local hard drive.

– No built in connection to the internet• It will not move large amounts of data– 2 K bytes, or 1 type written page is a practical limit.

• Over this size and likelihood of an error increases, causing a checksum failure. Have to resend message.

• Flarq could handle larger files, up to 8K or more, butrequires practice and more training to use.

Agenda

• Why Digital ECOMS• What is NBEMS• What NBEMS can and cannot do for you• Components of a NBEMS system• How to set up you NBEMS system• How to Use NBEMS• Practice time

Components of NBEMS system

Fldigi

FlmsgFlwrap Flarq

Sound Card Interface

Radio and Antenna

Software on Computer

Hardware connection Computer to Radio

Components of NBEMS systemBottom Up - Radio

Any voice capable radio will work

FM, SSB, even AM if you want.

Components of NBEMS systemBottom Up – Radio Interface

• Signal Link USB – Just needs USB Port• Rig Blaster – USB and audio ports• March 2011 QST, Page 34 - Audio Ports Only• Anything hardwired is better, but– Audio coupling (Caveman) does work, and can be

used.

Components of NBEMS systemBottom Up - Fldigi

Components of NBEMS systemBottom Up - Fldigi

• Provides the basic digital communications for the NBEMS system

• Supports keyboard to keyboard communication like many sound card programs.

• Has special hooks to connect to the other components.

• Supports many modes of communications• We will focus on two, MT63-2K and Olivia 16/500

Components of NBEMS systemBottom Up - Flmsg

• Rapidly and Accurately formats and transmits information.

• 8 Formats– ICS Forms– HICS– MARS– IARU– Radiogram– Red Cross– Generic

– Blank

Agenda

• Why Digital ECOMS• What is NBEMS• What NBEMS can and cannot do for you• Components of a NBEMS system• How to set up a NBEMS system• How to use NBEMS• Practice time

Basic Fldigi Set-up

• Operating Mode– MT63 – 2000– Olivia 16/500

• If you have a decent FM voice channel start with MT63-2000

• When MT63-2000 fails, switch to Olivia 16/500

• When Olivia fails, no communications.

Configuration Options

• Basic Set-up– Operator– Waterfall– Modems– Rig Control – Sound Card– IDs

Operator

• Callsign• Tactical Callsign• Location

As determined by the situation.

Always SAVE!

Waterfall

• Check the three ‘cursor’ options

• Check “Always show audio frequencies”

Always SAVE!

Modems - MT63

• Check interleave and tone

• All stations in the net need to have the top two button the same for this mode to work.

Always SAVE!

Sound Card

• Select the correct audio port for your computer.

• Volume control on computer, recording controls– Select Mic option – Adjust for a ‘speckled’

waterfall– Speaker – adjust for

transmit signalAlways SAVE!

Rig Control

• If using hardwire PTT– Check Use Serial Port– Select COM port – Configure RTS or DTS– Initialize to test

operation

Initialize and Save after changing

IDs

• Reed-Solomon ID– DO NOT select

“Reception disables detector”

– Pre-Signal Tone may vary depending on specific delay time in your equipment

Always SAVE!

Text Capture• Under configuration ,

Misc, NBEMS.• Make sure “Enable,”

“Open Message Folder” and “Open with flmsg” is selected.

• Verify flmsg file location

Always SAVE!

Flmsg• Rapidly and Accurately

formats and transmits information.

• 8 Formats– ICS Forms– HICS– MARS– Radiogram– Red Cross– Generic – DnD– Blank

Flmsg set-up

• Personal Data• Date/Time format• Files format• Radiogram

Words per line (5) Serial Number

Agenda

• Why Digital ECOMS• What is NBEMS• What NBEMS can and cannot do for you• Components of a NBEMS system• How to set up a NBEMS system• How to use NBEMS• Practice time

Fldigi

Verify communications withkeyboard to keyboard

Ctrl-T to TransmitCtrl-R to Receive

OrUse the T/R

button

Flmsg• Rapidly and Accurately

formats and transmits information.

• 8 Formats– ICS Forms– HICS– MARS– Radiogram– Red Cross– Generic (e-mail)– DnD– Blank

ICS 213 Form

Date

Time

ARRL Radiogram

Calculate Check

Today

Pick ARRL Message

WRAP your message• Sending your message

is easy as selecting:– File– Wrap– AutoSend

• The message immediately moves to FLDIGI and is transmitted

Received Traffic • Received messages are

stored within the NBEMS.files folder

• WRAP files are associated with flmsg for viewing

• Messages sorted by date/time stamp

IC 213 HTML Delivery

ARRL Radiogram Delivery

Agenda

• Why Digital ECOMS• What is NBEMS• What NBEMS can and cannot do for you• Components of a NBEMS system• How to use a NBEMS• How to set up a NBEMS system• Practice time

Things to Watch

• Tx & Rx IDs• Op Mode• Squelch - off

Sound Card Calibration

Additional Information

• This presentation is available at www.ScottARES.org from the Member Resources page.

• Questions?