VarAC EmComm Use in South Africa

Why VarAC is ideal for EmComm Use

VarAC is perfect for EmComm use specifically because:

• Quicker and More Accurate than HF Voice: Past exercises with voice took quite a while to establish the correct connections, messages often had to be repeated, and accuracy was only around 90% for voice. VarAC will get through when voice cannot, and messaging can be done very much quicker and with 100% accuracy. For EmComm purposes speed, accuracy, and reach are all paramount, and we must use the best mode that we have. Voice can be a last resort.
• Reliable link under poor conditions, even when signals are at -22dB.
• The protocol is fast i.e. HF: 1500 Bps (500Hz BW) / 7050 Bps (2300Hz BW), and V/UHF: FM 13,000 Bps (Narrow BW) / 25,000 Bps (Wide BW).
• Guaranteed delivery: QSB? Noise? No problem. With VarAC, you can have full confidence that your messages will be delivered using the VARA ARQ mode, ensuring 100% certainty.
• Broadcasts: Send messages to individuals or groups in one transmission, propagate broadcasts through digipeater chains for wider reach, and enable group chat among EmComm operators.
• Realtime Alerts triggered by tags.
• Path Finder: VarAC can assist you in locating the appropriate intermediaries who can effectively deliver your message.
• Alert Centre is a consolidated interface that presents a comprehensive display of incoming alerts originating from various sources such as beacons, data feeds, broadcasts, and CQs.
• High Concurrency: This is possible because multiple channels can exist on the same frequency, and VarAC automatically controls your VFO for seamless operation.
• Constant Beaconing: Utilise beacons as a keep alive mechanism to confirm presence and track propagation among EmComm operators.
• Vmails: Effortlessly send VarAC Mails (VMails) to individuals or groups. Benefit from smart relay notifications that promptly alert EmComm operators about pending messages awaiting retrieval.
• File Transfers: Enabling quick sharing of compressed images, documents, and forms even to unattended stations.
• Forms & Templates: Utilise any of the pre-existing ICS standard message templates available, or craft your own as per your requirements (in EmComm mode only).
• GPS Integration: Effortlessly maintaining real-time updates of your location during a crisis ensures your team remains informed of your precise whereabouts.
• VarAC VMail to Internet E-Mails: This function went live from v11, and it is easy to now send a VMail via any VarAC station that advertises itself as an E-Mail Relay station. A downside right now is that it cannot receive replies routed back to the sebnder station.
• VARA-FM and VARA-HF are the licensed protocols used with VarAC chat application. Once those are configured with VarAC, the same protocols can be used with Winlink e-mail just as they are.

VarAC EmComm Scenarios

Operator Check-Ins/Availability

• Beacons will announce who is available, and the “Last heard beacons” with latest timestamp indicates when they last beaconed.
• Operators to activate beaconing for every 20 minutes on 40m VarAC band.
• Digipeaters can be used for VARA-FM.

Sending an Alert to all EmComm operators

• Define an alert tag/s beforehand, and distribute among all operators (can be done in a text file)
• If VARA-FM digipeater is available, configure under VarAC settings.
• Send Broadcast to “ALL” with alert tag as part of the text.
• A visual and audible alert will be triggered on all EmComm stations.

Send Vmail to Internet E-Mail Address

• Connect to any station that has indicated in their beacon that they have an Internet E-Mail Gateway
• Compose a VMail as normal but tick the block for Use E-Mail, and fill in a normal Internet e-mail address to send to.
• Mention no reply possible, or provide a Winlink address to reply to.

Send Emergency VMail without Direct Link

• Sender (A) connects to central station like ZS1DCC (or other one that receiver can see), and leaves a VMail for receiver (B).
• When receiver (B) beacons, they will receive a “relay notification alert”.
• Receiver (B) then connects to ZS1DCC, and retrieves the message.

Send Image of a Missing Person

• A connects to B.
• A sends a “send file request”.
• B approves automatically/manually. Destinations can set size for automatic approval.
• A sends image.
• Image appears on B screen.

Group Chat/Round-Table/Check-Ins

• All operators on same frequency.
• Each station sends a broadcast to “ALL”.
• VARA-FM digipeaters can also be used.

Live Chat between Stations without Direct Link

• Set a digipeater under settings in VarAC client app.
• Type in destination callsign.
• Connect.

Find a VMail path to Unreachable Station

• Station A sends a “Path to find C” call.
• B responds that it heard C.
• A connects to B.
• A leaves a VMail to C at B.
• B notifies C about a parked VMail.
• C connects to B to collect the VMail.
• This is similar to sending a VMail without a direct link.

Send Location using GPS Integration

• Setup GPS integration in VarAC under settings.
• VarAC reads GPS position and transforms it into a grid locator.
• While connected to a station, Send Your Info using F1 key.
• Your location is sent and populated on the other station’s log.

Testing for Scenarios

• During any HAMNET VarAC exercise, each of the above will be tested as its own scenario.
• A Success or Fail is then indicated for each as part of the exercise checklist.

Specifics for South Africa

This section will be expanded as any decisions get made about the use of VarAC for EMCOMM use in South Africa, but this is some information to think about so long:

• VarAC EmComm Tactical Scenarios Guide — download it at https://www.varac-hamradio.com/emcomm. The scenarios above have been transposed above.
• EmComm mode — VarAC offers a quick switch to a unique operating mode called “EmComm mode.” When you activate EmComm mode, VarAC transforms into a powerful emergency communication tool, unlocking a range of EmComm-specific features to help you respond effectively to the crisis at hand. For example All Vmails are marked as Urgent, routine features are removed from the UI, ICS templates for composing VMails, Rapid Beaconing is possible, Beaconing is prominently highlighted on others’ dashboards, Caller ID and SNR are skipped, Last connections peeking to see recent contacts made by your EmComm members, and file transfer auto approval is enabled.
• Alert Tags — need to be decided upon before deployments to alert for emergency broadcasts. Suggestions could be [EMCOMM] or [HAMNET], with the former being for more general use, whilst the latter would be used to notify all HAMNET members in South Africa. Possibly also [EXERCISE] which is required for any emergency exercise communications, and another consideration maybe one’s local city/town name in case that needs to be reached e.g. [JOHANNESBURG], [WORCESTER] or [CAPE TOWN]. Every station needs to have the agreed tags configured, ready for use. To send an alert, send a broadcast to All, but mention the alert tag in the message (or in a VMail).
• HF vs FM — HF is certainly needed for regional communications, so some stations will need to be active on HF. FM may allow more radios to be used across a localised area, and also carry much higher speed transmissions. In Cape Town, for example, ZS1DCC can monitor all FM traffic, and relay over HF when required. Most stations, and especially if mobile, cannot operate both HF and FM on VaraAC. VarAC Cluster allows a station to run a single instance of VarAC, but to be to connect on multiple bands at once (cross-band). We’d have to still consider maybe using Packet on VHF, instead of VARA, for the reason that many more devices (MobilinkD, SDignaLink USB, etc with mobile phones and handies) do support Packet, and even Winlink Packet can fall back to using APRS digipeaters on FM VHF. But we cannot attempt to deploy too many modes and have confusion in the field. A decision needs to be made ahead of any disaster/deployment as to what should be used, as there will be no time for discussion once a deployment has taken place.
• The following should be active in Settings:
  • Auto QSY — your radio will automatically respond to QSY requests to move to a slot, and back to calling frequency after the QSO.
  • File Transfer size at 2000 bytes — image or files up to 2kB without explicit permission needed by you.
  • Allow Last Heard Peeking — allows a station to see who you can see online now.
  • VMail Relay Notification — your station will automatically notify another beaconing station if it has parking Vmails waiting for that station.
  • VMail Allow Parking — allow VMails to be stored at your station and forwarded for 3rd parties.
  • VMail Allow Path Finder — your station will respond to a Path Find request if it has detected the target station in the last 24 hours.
• Practice the use of a digipeater on FM. Digipeater needs to be set in Settings.
• Be aware of local stations that can be used for message relays or parking e.g. ZS1DCC in Cape Town, or using the PATH FINDER to find an available station (Path Finder will respond if it has seen that station within the last 24 hours — Path Finder is only visible in Advanced Mode view). Querying a station’s Last Heard (LH.P button) will also indicate who they are in contact with.
• VarAC v9.10 finally included calling frequencies for 2m and 70cm as follows (remember to switch to using VARA-FM instead of VARA-HF):
  • 2m FM 144.950.00 MHz
  • 2m SSB 144.170.000 MHz
  • 70cm FM 439.600.000 MHz
  • 70cm SSB 432.550.000 MHz
• Longer Chats: Need to move off the calling frequency slot because firstly it keeps that slot busy, and secondly VarAC will terminate the interchange after a 2 minute or so period. VarAC will auto-revert back to the calling frequency slot after a connection is terminated, but during the connection, nothing will be received that is being broadcast on the calling frequency slot.