WHEN: Thursday MAY 14 10:30-11:30 AM

Click on this link for more information.

2026 County OES Emergency Siren Test MAY 14 11:00 AM

The post 2026 Tuolumne County OES Emergency Siren Test appeared first on TCARES.

Here are some photos of the some of the crew enjoying their time at Winter Field Day.

The post TCARES Winter Field Day 2026 (WFD)! Columbia California appeared first on TCARES.

Scroll through this presentation or download the whole file to view it any way you prefer. Enjoy.

The post Groveland Grind Mountain Bike Adventure Results appeared first on TCARES.

ORIGINAL POST HERE

The post First Photos of the new Ham Radio Comms Trailer Project! appeared first on TCARES.

TCARES seeks to increase its mobile communications capability with a small cargo trailer customization project, built in phases, that would be used in community events and in emergencies. The trailer will have two main purposes 1) Marketing and Recruitment (with Training) and 2) Emergency Preparedness and Awareness.  The cargo trailer will be purchased new and be small enough to tow with any SUV or truck. The sidewalls will be utilized to emblazon with bill-board style branding and Radio related Logos. It should be tall enough inside to stand in and have two radio workstations with chairs inside.  Funding will come from Grants, Fundraising and Member donations. The budget will be in phases, (P1) $10,000  (P2) $15,000, TCARES is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. EIN: 77-0266803

Membership and Recruiting

With a highly visible and branded Comm Trailer and participation in public events like parades, runs, festivals, etc, TCARES can inspire and recruit members of the public to investigate what radio is and how it benefits them. Recently, TCARES has been visible with a canopy and small vinyl banner with a small public info table. Each year we get numerous new people on our newsletter and licensed.  We know we can get more attention with a larger, attractive, highly visible Comms Trailer.

Get On the Air Program

The comms trailer can be taken to local schools on Science Fair days for demonstrations and Get On the Air events.  The comms trailer can also serve as a base for hosting a school contact with the ISS.  During field day and contest events, we will go to a public park and invite Scouting groups to come for a tour and get on the air, and help them earn their radio merit badge.

STEM Learning and Youth Outreach

During school visits or Scouting events, youth will start by understanding how the radio spectrum is used every day around them. TV channels, garage door openers, weather stations, RC cars, all use a frequency. Once they learn what the frequency spectrum is, and how it is used, they can understand where Amateur Radio fits into the spectrum. The Trailer will serve as a base station for observing and discovering what is in the ‘radio-waves’ all around them and how wireless communication is used across industries and hobbies.

EMComm Training and Public Service

TCARES is a club in Tuolumne County and is in a high wildfire risk area.  When a fire starts, the power goes out, the cell phone towers are overloaded.  TCARES has been helping with GMRS repeater installations in addition to our Ham repeaters. The more visibility we can get, the more families can be prepared to have a radio in each home and vehicle to aid them in coordinating their evacuation when all other communication means are overloaded or failed.

Fundraising for Phase 1

Are able to donate to this project? The link below will accept any dollar amount you enter. We accept PayPal and Credit Card. Any amount is very appreciated!

2025 TIMELINE (ESTIMATE)

• JAN 3 ORDER CUSTOM TRAILER
• FEB 20 INSTALL MARKETING WRAP
• MAR 8 GET READY FOR FIRST RUN EVENT (EVEN IF EMPTY)

The post 2025 TCARES COMM TRAILER BUILD appeared first on TCARES.

The post 2024 Winter Field Day Event Photos appeared first on TCARES.

• System-wide and county-level outage data;
• A clearer layout for the status of current and future planned outages;
• Information on storms, Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and rotating outages directed by the California Independent System Operator; 
• Enhancements to find information for a specific address; and 
• An outage status tracker that shows step-by-step updates during the restoration process of an outage. 

The post PGE Circuit map for Tuolumne County appeared first on TCARES.

Results/Feedback/Lessons Learned:

• 40+ Local hams checked in!
• Good coverage across the county
• Some stations had difficulty checking in from Pinecrest and Moccasin
• We want to test the SWR on all UHF/VHF antennas at the EOC.
• Need more stations Winlink Capable.
• Should have announced some frequencies and tones for linking.
• Need to rethink the checkin method and have smaller groups.
• Prioritize checkins from High Country, specific repeaters, etc.
• Repeat back full message to confirm accuracy.
• Have HF running as an option with another net control.
• Identify which antenna is highest at EOC.
• Conduct monthly drill on Thursdays at noon in this manner.

The post Results of the Earthquake Drill with County OES appeared first on TCARES.

The post Tuolumne County Emergency Radio Drill appeared first on TCARES.

ARRL and the American Red Cross (ARC) have renewed their long-standing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for another 5 years. The MOU spells out how ARRL and the American Red Cross will work cooperatively during a disaster response.

“We are pleased to extend our partnership with the American Red Cross,” ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said. “This agreement details how ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) volunteers will interface with Red Cross personnel within the scope of their respective roles and duties whenever the Red Cross asks ARES volunteers to assist in a disaster or emergency response.”

The MOU calls on both parties to maintain open lines of communication and to share information, situation, and operation reports, as allowed to maintain confidentiality. They also will share “changes in policy or personnel relating to this MOU and any additional information pertinent to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.” ARRL and the American Red Cross also will encourage their respective units to discuss local disaster response and relief plans. They may further cooperate in joint training exercises and instruction. The Red Cross will encourage regions or chapters to participate in ARRL Field Day, the Simulated Emergency Test (SET), and other emergency exercises.

“This agreement keeps in place the strong and mutually beneficial bond between ARRL and the ARC,” said ARRL Director of Emergency Management Paul Gilbert, KE5ZW. “The Red Cross is a primary served agency for ARES teams, and it’s important that we be able to work together toward common goals when responding to an emergency.”

The agreement points out that any ARRL volunteers who are interested in also becoming Red Cross volunteers should understand that a background check is a requirement. Although ARES has no background check requirement, radio amateurs who register as Red Cross volunteers must abide by the Red Cross’s background check requirement. 

ARRL and the Red Cross also may cooperate in the sharing of equipment.

A Statement of Cooperation between the two organizations at the local level may be developed separately from the MOU to spell out the role of each in providing services to communities during or after a disaster event.

The new MOU was signed by Trevor Riggen, Senior Vice President, Disaster Cycle Services, American Red Cross, and by ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. 

The post ARRL & Red Cross Renew MOU for 5 years appeared first on TCARES.