Amateur Radio digital communications has been around for a pretty long time now.  The modern forms of digital began with packet and the “TOR” modes (Teleprinter Over Radio) back in the 1980’s, and older forms like RTTY are well over 50 years old.  The potential efficiency of passing messages, both formal and tactical, through text-based, error-correcting digital circuits is undeniable.  Multiple networks exist across North Carolina, some more than a decade old (packet BBS, DX PacketCluster, SEDAN, APRS).  Many individuals around the Section have lots of digital experience.  And yet Wake County ARES and much of the rest of the NC Section remain firmly entrenched in voice (and a little cw) as the only means of providing emergency communications to our clients in emergency management, Red Cross, etc., and passing health and welfare traffic.  A few local areas of North Carolina have implemented some digital operation, but we here in Wake County ARES don’t know much about what they’re doing and how well it works.
    It was with this background that 22 hams attended a Wake County ARES meeting on Thursday, August 23rd, 2001 in Raleigh, to begin figuring out how to catch up.  Since the dawn of packet, many new modes have been developed.  And with fast, powerful computers commonplace, new technologies have been built that allow hams to bypass expensive multimode controllers ($300+) and drive radios directly from computer sound cards, using homemade or inexpensive commercial interface boxes ($120 for the most expensive commercial units). 
    This rich environment of modes, software and hardware has created opportunities, but also problems - a digital Tower of Babel where there is no common means of connection between all the participants (at least not on Amateur Radio… everyone has Internet based e-mail).  Of the 22 hams at the meeting, not all had VHF packet, not all had PSK-31, AMTOR even RTTY. 
    OK… where to start?  Paul Bohne KG4HJC bravely stepped into the spotlight with an outline for progress.  Paul had the unfortunate experience of sitting in an ARES meeting earlier this year and stating that his primary interest was digital communications.  Wake ARES EC Tom Brown N4TAB asked him to spearhead this investigation.  Paul was brave because, while there is little coordination for using digital modes for ARES, there is plenty of emotion.  Everyone has favorite modes, programs and devices, promoted because: 

1. they work “best” 
2. I already own it and don’t have to spend any more money on it
3. I already understand it. 

GOALS
    He began by outlining a few goals.  We would not attempt to duplicate or replace voice networks.  Rather, we would take advantage of digital’s unique capabilities to send data quickly and accurately in a ready-to-print or ready-to-database format.  This includes things like providing fallback support for the “EM-2000” messaging system used by emergency management at both the state and county level, creating a channel for passing messages between local HF liaison stations and the State EOC, and handling high volume health and welfare traffic in the event that large numbers of evacuees arrive in Wake and surrounding counties from the coast.  Wake County ARES is looking for solutions to use within the county, but our quest has already attracted attention from around the Section, and we are excited to include the rest of the section in the discussion.  We are not positioning ourselves as the experts (though there is much expertise here).  We are happy to be opening a discussion channel that we hope will lead to Sectionwide solutions that can be implemented before the next hurricane season.
    Moving on in Paul’s outline, he listed concepts for using digital communication.  A key concept is understanding that there are many more hams equipped for and capable of voice communication than there are equipped for digital.  Digital should supplement voice, but all ARES operators will be encouraged to add digital capability, both hardware and skills.  But which capability?  Which mode, what hardware, what software, and how will they learn?  Stepping on Land Mine #1, Paul suggested that ARES recommend a limited set of modes, hardware and software.  We’re not saying WHAT modes, hardware and software right now, but we recognize that we will need interoperability, and at least some hams will want clear guidelines on what to buy and set up.  With that in place, it will be possible to provide training.
    Some of the hams in the meeting were concerned that we were going to impose required standards.  And that is true in the sense that if we choose Modes A, B and C, you won’t be part of the network if you use Mode D.  On the other hand, if we recommend software program S and hardware H, but you want to use software W and hardware X, that will be fine, as long as you can communicate with the rest of the network.  We just won’t be able to help you solve problems as well.  You’ll be more on your own to make your system work.  And you won’t be as prepared to sit down at an EOC and operate the program in place on the computer there.  We will recommend some specific hardware and software for both individual stations and the EOC stations, and support it with training on the air and on the web site.
    Finally, Paul noted that we need a good way to translate between digital formats and NTS message format.  This is to allow a flexible flow of information between the various modes of Amateur Radio transmission (voice, cw, data), our client’s systems (EM2000), and databases for archiving and retrieval.  Later in the meeting, Mark Gibson N4MQU demonstrated a program he developed that helped format NTS messages for text-based digital delivery.
    Next, Paul listed what he saw as required capabilities for any digital mode.  He included things like statewide coverage, NTS traffic compatibility, error-free delivery, reasonable throughput, compatibility with existing EOC radios, low cost, easy setup, and compatibility with EOC computer systems.  Extra credit given for binary file transfer, image transfer, and open standards with multiple sources for equipment.

DECISIONS - Making the First Cut
    Time to draw some lines in the sand.  Paul listed nineteen more or less distinct digital modes, from RTTY, AMTOR and PACTOR to PSK-31, Hellscrieber and ATV.  Can we scratch any off the list right away? 
    Yes.  Land Mine #2 looming dead ahead.  Goodbye CW, RTTY, AMTOR, PACTOR, PACTOR-II, CLOVER/II/2000, G-TOR, Fax, Hellscrieber, SSTV and ATV.  They’re not robust enough, too expensive, proprietary or limited.  Everyone held their breath for the died-in-the-wool CW op to object, but none did (yet).  AMTOR was the only mode lifted from certain doom for further consideration, based on the amount of use (mostly by MARS).  This doesn’t mean these modes have no utility - just that they’re not under consideration for routine, widespread implementation.  Some of them certainly have specialty uses.
    What does that leave in the first cut to test?  The new, inexpensive HF modes with good weak-signal performance: PSK-31, MFSK and MT63.  Several forms of VHF Packet (APRS, SEDAN and the BBS network).  And perhaps WinLink, which is actually a PACTOR based gateway between Amateur Radio and Internet e-mail (several people mentioned that there are other solutions for that capability).  APRS, a fair-haired child said to have rescued Packet from Internet-caused obscurity, was discounted for its weak message handling.  SEDAN and the BBS Network got some positive comments, along with questions about how extensive the network is in North Carolina.  No one mentioned the DX PacketCluster - no one was familiar with it - though it does have “emergency mode” capability and an extensive in-place network.

TESTING, One-Two-Three
    Again, these are not the chosen few, the anointed modes.  Not yet, anyway.  Next, we test.  Give ‘em a try.  Wring ‘em out.  See if they do what we think we need them to do in as real-world simulations as we can devise.  We’ll need individuals who already have the hardware/software or are willing to get it, know how to use it, and can test and document it.  A Test Coordinator will receive these results and publish them on the web site.
Finally, we will end up with a set of recommendations, and we’ll need to implement them.  Get hardware and software installed at the EOCs.  Help hams get their own equipment going.  And everybody get up to speed using it.  By next June.  Sounds simple enough….

MAILING LIST CREATED
    A new mailing list will help with all of this.  The list - ncares-digital@rtpnet.org - is designed to let everyone in the Section join in the discussion, from ripping to shreds everything we’ve said in this article so far, to coordinating tests and disseminating results.  And once we have agreement on some modes and hardware, the list will be a tool for training and keeping up with progress (what, you thought nothing new will be invented?).  Subscription instructions are on the Wake County ARES web page. 

    Wake County EC Tom Brown N4TAB concluded the meeting by emphasizing that this is a beginning.  If you weren’t at the meeting, you’re not too late.  We expect some furious discussion, but also some hard work testing, poking and prodding these modes to see what they can do.  We expect some question and analysis of just what jobs we really should be trying to do, and where digital really belongs in the overall scheme of ARES communication. 

    How did we get to 2001 without answering these questions, without putting this in place already?  A better question is: how do we get to 2002 without having to ask the questions again?