
Hams in NW Ontario and Manitoba at the ready for Operation Dark Skies
Status update for this ARES operation as we are live now with the Emergency Management Ontario Provincial Emergency Operations Centre. Net control is using callsign VA3FLC and can be contacted on 40m Channel Bravo – 7.135 mhz LSB. Failing that you can get on the TNK Hub via the Hamshack Hotline RF Bridge by dialing in on 94143 and you will be live on the network in monitor mode. TX is via the user prescribed code. Alternatively you can dial into the NW Ontario ARES bridge #364 and dial in the user prescribed password. Winlink address for Operation Dark Skies is peoceclipse@winlink.org We will update the LARC website as events unfold. We are now at 1356 hrs EST and all stations from NW Ontario have checked in and are standing by. VE3XET / VE3OPD at the keyboard.
Post Script update at 2215 hrs EST / 0215 UTC. Exercise went on without any serious issues and primarily, traffic reporting was relayed by participating operators in the GTA and Golden Horseshoe. NW Ontario Operations shut down at 1645 hrs Thunder Bay time and the EMO PEOC was shut down at 1700 hrs local time. There will be a debriefing held in the near future and I am sure that Eric Todd VE3XET will provide a submission for the website. Thanks goes out to the following operators who gave up their afternoon to put NW Ontario on the readiness map. Thanks goes out to our local EC Eric Todd VE3XET who took time off work for this event, myself James VE3OPD, Ryan VE3DXV, Chris Chadwick VE3ZU and Eric in Gravenhurst VE3XTD who facilitated the gracious use of his node and resources. Also a big shout out to Tim VE4CT in Winnipeg for all the help in making this an enjoyable success with some laughs had by all when the opportunity arrived. Any operator anywhere was invited to participate and it was a good training exercise to say the least. More to follow later on the debrief as it becomes available. Sincerely James VE3OPD / President LARC