Photos by Leslie Grimm, Rick VanMell, Forrest Thiessen, and Phil Henderson
After the Pandemic, this was the first event where we were able to gather to test setting up equipment for our mobile Net Control Command Center.
Over the past couple of years, with major effort of EC, Leslie Grimm, Mountain View ARES has acquired equipment to enable us to build a mobile ARES Net Control command center in the event our radio shack at 1000 Villa was not available. This equipment included the pop-up tent shown on the Home page, radios, tables, chairs, antenna stands, a laptop computer and printer, a solar powered battery system, cables, etc. On Saturday, July 17, 2021, those in the picture gathered in Forrest's back patio to set up the equipment and test it out, including the Fire Station 5 mobile packet station. We asked our ARES members for help in testing out how well our antenna system could reach throughout Mountain View and nine of our hams volunteered. We tested using the 440.8 repeater and our primary simplex. We did discover that simplex was not good for some areas, but with the help of AEC Paul Goldstein, from his home, we were able to communicate satisfactorily. The one AEC missing was Jim Weatherford who was on assignment.
The pictures that follow on several pages show roughly the sequence of our setup and shutdown. Forrest had a security camera showing his patio and supplied us with the timelapse video link below this message.
We gathered to plan where to set up the popup.
The popup tent and weights.
The tables, antenna stand, foldup cart, other stuff.
Table, chairs, FS-5 mobile kit and other stuff.
We unpacked the popup to begin the setup.
You need 4 people to expand it, each pulling on a leg.
The popup is expanded to the first level.
And now to the max height.
The crew is preparing to install the side walls of the canopy.
The wall sides hook to the legs with Velcro wraps.
The side walls connect to the top rail with Velcro.
Mike works on the back wall to the canopy.
The back wall is almost up.
The front wall with the "door" is almost up.
The "door" panel actually rolls up to keep it open.
Inside the canpy looking at the open "door".
The canopy gets furnished with the tables and chairs.
The antenna installation is completed along with the solar panel for the battery.
Radio and computer hardware gets set up.
Mike and Rick check out the packet radio display.
Fish checks out the setup.
Poul joins the group checking out the setup.
Dave sets up and checks out the FS-5 packet kit.
Mike, Rick and Phil get ready to conduct the 11am communication tests.
Forrest sets up the fold-up-cart.
Some of the crew admiring their work.
The "whiteboard" display from the packet input.
The Crew: L-R, Fish, Phil, Dave, Leslie, Forrest, Mike, Poul, and Rick kneeling.
