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Thursday, September 10, 2026

19 check-ins

This Week's Question

“If the FBI network and the WA8MAC repeaters both went down, how would you get information from your location to the EOC?”

Think it through: What equipment do you have, what paths can you actually reach from where you operate, and which of those have you personally tested? There is no single right answer - just your plan.

PACE Planning: When the Repeater Goes Away - What's Your Plan B?

Introduction

It is natural to lean on the one or two communications systems we use most. For a lot of ARPSC members, that means the FBI network, the WA8MAC repeaters, cellular service, internet connectivity, or Winlink over a familiar path. On a normal day, those tools do everything we need.

A real incident, though, does not always cooperate. It may take away one or more of those systems without warning - a repeater site loses power, a network link goes down, or cellular gets overloaded. This week is not about worrying over worst cases. It is about preparedness and flexibility: having more than one way to move a message, and being comfortable switching when conditions change.

PACE in Plain Language

PACE is just a simple way to organize your backups so you already know what to try next. It stands for:

Primary

Your normal, preferred method - what you reach for first.

Alternate

An established backup you can switch to fairly easily.

Contingency

Less convenient, but still workable when the first two are gone.

Emergency

Your last-resort path - whatever it takes to get the message through.

There is no single “correct” PACE plan. Yours depends on what equipment you have, what paths you actually know how to use, and what you can reach from your location. Take a minute to think through your own answer before reading any further - that is the real point of this week's question.

This Week's Scenario

You are operating from your normal location during a developing incident. The FBI network is unavailable. The WA8MAC repeaters are also unavailable. You have information that needs to reach the EOC. Commercial communications may or may not still be available.

This Week's Question

“If the FBI network and the WA8MAC repeaters both went down, how would you get information from your location to the EOC?”

Some Things to Think About

No need to answer all of these - they are just here to help you work through your own plan:

What equipment do you already have available?
What communications paths can you actually use from your current location?
Which methods have you personally tested?
What would you try first?

What would you try if that failed too?
Could another member relay for you?
Could you move to another location if needed?
Do you know which methods would still work with no internet access?

Once You Have Your Own Answer…

Now that you have thought it through, here are some examples of paths members sometimes include in a PACE plan. Not every option fits every situation or location - the right choice depends on your gear, your surroundings, and the incident:

Simplex
Another repeater or linked system
Winlink over RF
APRS messaging or position reporting, where appropriate
HF

Cellular voice / SMS / data, if still available
Satellite communications, if available
Another station acting as a relay
Physically moving the message by runner or vehicle if necessary

A Plan on Paper vs. a Plan You Have Tested

“A backup method you have never tested is really just a theory.”

A PACE plan only has value if you can actually use the backup methods when it counts. No pressure and no judgment here - this is just a good chance to take honest stock. Have you actually:

Tested your simplex range?
Sent Winlink via RF?
Used APRS messaging?

Reached an alternate repeater?
Operated HF?
Practiced relaying through another station?

Looking Ahead to the Fall SET

The upcoming Michigan AUXCOMM Fall SET puts real focus on exactly this kind of thinking. Without giving anything away, the exercise emphasizes:

PACE planning for both voice and data communications
Passing traffic between field teams and EOCs
Adapting as conditions change
Continuing to move messages when repeaters are unavailable - to another part of the county, a neighboring county, or the State EOC

Spending a little time on your own PACE plan now is great preparation. The more paths you are comfortable with going in, the more flexible you will be when the exercise throws a curveball.

The Real Goal

The goal is not to memorize one perfect backup method. The goal is to know multiple ways to move a message and to be comfortable changing methods when conditions change. Think through your Plan B - and your Plan C and D - before you ever need them.

Check-In List

#	Call Sign	Unit #	Name	City	Member
1	N8HLY	12	Tom	Sterling Heights	Member
2	KE8WUO	20	John	Warren	Member
3	W8VOX	30	Jon	Macomb	Member
4	N8CAF	26	Cliff	Clinton Township	Member
5	N8XZ	5	Ron	Warren	Member
6	N8HAP	15	Joe	New Baltimore	Member
7	N8WCB	6	Dave	Sterling Heights	Member
8	AD8MP	35	David	Saint Clair Shores	Member
9	N8KJV	38	Jason	Warren	Member
10	K8WA	19	Bill	Warren	Member
11	W8BPD	24	Brian	Warren	Member
12	KF8ETQ	23	Darren	Fraser	Member
13	KF8FQZ	41	Lisa	Warren	Member
14	KF8FGS	32	David	Utica	Member
15	KE8YNU	1	Dave	New Haven	Member
16	N8WRO	10	Tim	Richmond	Member
17	KC8KJO	14	Tom	Memphis	Member
18	KF8DRC	—	Jack	Rochester	—
19	AD8OD	21	John	Troy	Member

Check-Ins by City (13 cities)

6 Warren

2 Sterling Heights

1 Macomb

1 Clinton Township

1 New Baltimore

1 Saint Clair Shores

1 Fraser

1 Utica

1 New Haven

1 Richmond

1 Memphis

1 Rochester

1 Troy

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