If the primary is jammed, go to the secondary.

Gyprat is duty NCO.

Looks like 20 April at 2000 Eastern daylight time...or whatever the fuck it is. If you are on the east coast that's when the little hand is on the 20 and the big is on the O'clock thingy that goes straight up.

OK, We are screwed.
Boris and Natasha just managed to capture Moose and Squirrel and they have him locked up. We have to bust them out. They are in the same prison Jupiter 7200 just escaped from after he got popped for tearing a tag off of a pillow so we have both the inside layout and the escape tunnel is still intact so we can get them out IF we can get in.

Our mission is to break INTO jail to free Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose as Fearless Leader plans on taking them to Russia and getting a medal from President Putin.
Putin is likely to give TWO medals to Fearless Leader. One for being an idiot and the other because he will probably lose the first one.

The way into the jail is fraught with peril but the Gods were in our favor. Jupiter 7200 managed to bring out the entry plan with him but it was in three parts and during his touch and go escape, he handed the three parts off to three Arfcom agents. I was one of them and I was surprised to find out that this old fat person can MOVE! I jumped a fifteen-foot high barbed wire fence on an old BMW with Jupe in the sidecar! Each of the three agents has a part of the complicated plan and the Arfcom Army needs all three parts. We also want to disseminate it to as many Arfhams as possible.
The three-part message will come as ‘Part one’, ‘part two’ and ‘part three’.

As an Arfham it is YOUR job to get all three parts, assemble the message and IM the message in its entirety and await further orders.

Get on it.

The rules.
STRICTLY phone and ONLY phone. Many of us do not know CW. We are the no code Extras that have ruined the hobby. Some of us do not have the ability to attach a computer to our rigs so digital is out. Keeping it simple is a watchword for this kind of thing. Virtually all rigs come with a microphone. No rigs I know of come with a laptop.
The first time we did this we were met with howls from the digital guys. Most of their gripes began with words like I, me and my. Get used to it. It’s not about you. It is about the team. Like it or not, in the real world the default emergency mode is phone. The watchword for emergency situations and training of any kind is to keep things simple. Phone requires the least amount of training and equipment.

Your laptops and CW keys are useless if nobody but you and a select few can understand them. If you have been here a while you might remember the Ecomm drill we did where the mode was not specified and everybody did their own thing and nobody could contact each other? That’s why one mode is the default mode for emergency communications.
Any of you that are familiar with the YLISSB system, the Young Ladies net daily on 14.332? You may not realize where it came from. Nowadays it’s pretty much of a social net but it was started by a doctor’s wife as a way to get medical information into remote areas. They chose phone because it was the simplest mode to operate. Get used to it.
On this drill the internet is down and may not be used until you get all three parts of the plan. At which time you are to IM Piccolo AND the duty NCO  with all three parts of the message. Take your time and copy the message carefully. It MUST be word perfect. I suppose a spelling error or two will be OK but it must be word perfect.
If anyone IMs you for help do not reply. We are all on our own. Again, no computers. No on-line spotting, DX clusters, nothing.

This is about ham radio and ONLY ham radio. However, the following is permitted in addition to ham radio. You may use smoke signals and a string with a tin can on either end. Got it? For sake of this drill, the internet has cratered and cell towers are down.
The only tools you need are your rig and the Genuine Official as seen on TV Arfham frequency list. You are advised to print the list if possible. If you cannot do this then you may download it and refer to it. I do recommend printing it and getting it laminated for future reference. It is a good thing to have. It runs about a buck for lamination at Office Max.

When you get one part, pass it on. If you get two or three parts then pass on everything you have to the next guy. You may get lucky and BINGO! You get the whole shitaree at once! It happened to some guys the last time. If so, pass the entire thing on to the next guy.

The words ‘part one’ (two and three) are a part of the message. MAKE A NOTE OF THIS.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Any of you old hands know the drill. It’s like the ‘Orange Banana/Tropical Fruit’ drill we had a while back. You pretty much know what to do. The difference is that there is no countersign waiting to be released. You just pick up all three parts of the message and pass them on to as many Arfhams as you can.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
New guys:
First, it is OK to CQ anyone. If you want to CQ your Uncle Bob it is legal to do so. “CQ Uncle Bob.” It is also 100% legal to CQ Arfcom. Don’t worry about it. Still worried about it? How often do you hear ‘CQ DX’ or ‘CQ Asia’ or CQ West coast? Often. They don’t throw you in jail for that but they will for tearing a tag off of a mattress. Ask Jupiter 7200. He was in the joint looking at probably pulling 3 years on a 2-5 sentence for that but we helped him escape.

Get on the air on the Arfcom frequencies and start looking for other Arfcommers. Tune in on one and start shouting the Official Hue and Cry to find Arfcommers. Sing it out! “CQ Arfcom!” Either you will hear someone or someone will hear you. If you have no luck on one frequency try the secondary frequency. If no luck there try the next band. You WILL eventually connect with someone. Keep trying. Did we give up after the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Do not quit.

This IS-say again-IS going to be a ratfuck of epic proportions. You ARE going to be confused at first but after you get started. If you are confused, then reach up and remove your mask because you ain’t the Lone Ranger. Once you make contact with your first Arfham you will relax a bit. Once you have one of the three parts you will forget about being confused and instinct will take over. You will go ape trying to get the rest of the message.

Team building is of the essence. The first time you contact an Arfham make arrangements to contact him a few minutes later. One of you may opt to stay put and the other guy can scout around for others. Then again, both of you may scout and agree to meet back in a reasonable time. I would say no longer than 15 minutes but use your own judgement.
The interesting part is when several little macro nets pop up. You may be a part of, say, Jupiter 7200, Piccolo and Gyprat for a while and then peel off and look for others and start yet another macro net and pass word on what you have/have not heard and who you found and on what frequency.

Remember, band conditions will keep all of us from all meeting on the same frequency so it’s your job to dig out as many Arfhams as possible and spread the word if you have it or make arrangements to pass it on for when you get it.
Some guys are limited as to which bands they can use so dig through as many bands and frequencies as your rig permits you to.
You are copying an uber cool secret tactical message and the lives of two Great American Icons are at stake here. You don’t want Fearless Leader to cart Rocky and Bullwinkle off to the Russians for interrogation do you?

Take your time and copy the message word for word ON PAPER and it MUST be mistake free because you will be passing it on. If you are not 100% positive then repeat it until you are. Some of us older guys have patience.  Don’t be afraid to look stupid. You are not being stupid, you are being careful. It is stupid to be too embarrassed to ask to have it repeated. We are all aware that you may not have a crystal clear contact because of band conditions.
Do not get frustrated and quit. It CAN be frustrating but it’s worth it. Besides, it’s just plain fun. Be advised that us old hands are likely just as screwed up as you think you are. It WILL be chaotic at first but in a surprisingly short time it will become organized in a somewhat disorganized way. It’s really fascinating how things seem to come around.

All hands
Pitch in and think on your feet and remember that if you have the stupidest idea in the world and it works then it ain’t stupid. There is a very, very thin line between outright stupidity and true genius.

The game ain’t over ‘til it’s over, to coin an old phrase. Just because YOU got all three parts and have checked in does not mean everyone else has. As soon as you check in with an IM to Piccolo and the duty NCO get back on the air and continue getting the word out.

Once you have done this, reenter the fray. You have ALL THREE parts and you are now very valuable. CQ Arfcom away on all of the Arfcom primaries and pass the word on to everyone you find. Remember, there may very well be non-ham Arfcom SWLs out there! They are Arfocmmers, too.

Work as many bands as you can. There are Arfcommers that are band restricted for whatever reason. For example one of us has stated he can only work 80 meters.

Another thing: Using the Ecomm Frequency chart.
If the primary frequency is jammed up then try the secondary. This should be SOP.
However, if BOTH frequencies are jammed up then return to the primary and go UP 5. If that is jammed, go UP another 5. If that is jammed, go back to primary and go DOWN 5 and another DOWN 5.
If that does not work, go to the secondary and repeat the procedure.
If that fails, I do not know what to tell you.
8888888888888888888
Two meter rigs and HTs.
We know this is an HF thing but we want to try to get as many of us as we can. If you have a 2-meter rig as a part of your shack, try to call the Arfcom 2 meter frequency AND CQ Arfcom on your local repeater. We just may pick up another one or two people to add to the festivities. Here is a thought. Try the Arfcom 2 meter frequency at the top of the hour and at the bottom of the hour give a CQ Arfcom on your local repeater.

SWLs (short wave listeners)
I WILL be posting a link on GD and if anyone with a short wave is interested, they can tune in and listen to the chaos.
Those SWLs interested should listen on the Official Arfcom frequencies on the list that will be posted. Hams work Lower side band (LSB) on 40 and 80 meters and Upper side band on 20, 15, and 10 meters. Many shortwave rigs have the ability to tune to USB and LSB.

Oh yeah. One of you guys said he’s mic shy. Get in there and I guarn- damn-tee you that once you get one of the parts of the message your instincts will take over and you’ll get over it instantly.

Good Hunting.

Please post only questions here as we want to keep the chatter down.

FIRST UPDATE: Duty NCO is Gyprat.

In!

Out

Disliking the digi hate

Some suggestions for the less experienced:

With a 2000EDT start, only 40 and 80M will likely matter in CONUS unless propagation is exceptional.

Saturday at 2000 both bands will be very busy, especially 80M. This may cause the "standard" ARF freq's to be totally useless.

My recommendation is that once people settle somewhere, stay there and ragchew, and periodically announce that it is the ARFCOM exercise net. That way you can "hold the frequency" and people can find you.

This is going to be rough for west coast/east coast due to the time and bands.

Suggestions for the exercise coordinator:

Since start time is 2000EDT, you may wish to move this exercise to a weekday night, since many people will have things they want to do on a Saturday night. This will also alleviate band crowding to a slight extent.

Recommend you also set a stop time, say 2300EDT. This way people know that they missed their shot unambiguously. Not everyone is a contester, glued to their chair and pissing into a nearby trash can

It's the night before Easter and I think most people will be busy either in the kitchen or hiding Easter eggs for the kids.

We SHOULD be OK.

Actually "night before Easter" sounds worse. Too much Easter prep. going on, as you say.

I'll have to find the microphone.  It's in a box in the closet, somewhere.

I'm not good with this, there is no reason to self-dox everyone participating to arfcom GD.

I think you should post the BLUF details at the top or the bottom of the OP.

ETA: UPDATED: https://hamradio360.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/EMCOMM-FREQ-REF-CARD-5.pdf

20 April at 2000 EST
Phone only


Band / Primary / Alternate / Mode
80m 3.861 3.961 LSB
40m 7.213 7.285 LSB
20m 14.261 14.283 USB
2m 144.223 USB
2m 145.560 147.445 FM

If I'm adding confusion, let me know and I'll wipe this post.

https://hamradio360.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/EMCOMM-FREQ-REF-CARD-5.pdf

Damned thing won't let me post it. Extension error or some damned thing.

Howzabout one of you literates post the actual chart if you can.

Thanks, Unpleasant!

That'e the chart!

mess up

I think this should read  EDT

Otherwise,I like the idea

I'm still recovering.

I've never been so shit scared as I was while sitting in the sidecar of a 75 year old motorcycle that was jumping over a 20' high barbed wire fence while breaking out of jail.

And I lost 50 lb while in the clink, been pumping iron, too, so yes, I can move a lot faster than I used to. I had to throw those pants away and wash up in a lake, but they had civilian clothes for me.  They gave me a Hawaiian shirt, baggy cargo shorts, black socks and sandals for me as a disguise.  And one of those old fart hats.  My own mother wouldn't have recognized me.  They told me if questioned by police for anything I was to pretend to have Alzheimer's and ask what time Bingo would start.

I understand the rule says "to IM Piccolo AND the duty NCO with all three parts of the message ".

Where do I learn who the duty NCO is?

73,
John, KF5ZMD

Updated in OP. Duty NCO is Gyprat.

So, I was snoozin'... sleeping good, which is more difficult when you get old.  The end of the pillow was sticking
out of the pillowcase, and the tag waving around, brushing against my nose.  I hate when that happens.  So I
ripped it off the pillow.

Unbeknowest to me, there is a tiny thread-like wire in a pillow or mattress tag.  It causes a little transmitter deep
in the pillow the size of a dime to sent out an alarm signal.

20 minutes later the f---in' SWAT team busted in my door, crowded into my bedroom, cuffed me stuffed me
before I knew what happened.

I tried remaining silent but they charged me with obstruction of justice and interfering with a police investigation.

So I used my time in the slammer to get back in shape.  Went to the weight room, bunch of big guys must have
been telling jokes because when I walked in they were laughing.

I walked up to the biggest guy there.  "You must be the expert at this... show me what to do."  I think they felt
sorry for me, seeing how I was old enough to be their grandfather... and might be.  I think they were just humoring
me, but I got some time on the weights, and other stuff.

In the end, I got back in pretty good shape.

All I can say is... "Piccolo... black socks and sandals???  You couldn't do better than that?  What an @$$hole!"

In case you're wondering...

The reason the guys in the slammer with me were so nice, the sons of beotches couldn't read.  None of 'em.

I'd read porno to them at night before lights out.

I will be aeromobile on 121.5 AM

somebody please pass me the info

Guuuuuaaaaarrrrddddd

hang fire.

I was going to respond the same way

I'll be in your neck of the woods when this goes off, so I'll need you to let me know if I don't do so first.

KF7WNX-7 APRS.

Bump.

Rumor is that Piccolo is getting his BMW bike ready with a new set of tactical tires pumped with tactical air.

He's going to use tactical helium to get a little more rise in the fence jumps.  Every little bit helps.

I'm IN. Should be in the shack about 2030...

Roget that. Noted. If he has a high pitched voice we'd all know that he is flying high.........above the fence.

k2eds-5 APRS
"Golden Sword" by the east gate.

In in TN

7.295 mhz is open for me... stand by for Part 2.

Edit, back to 7.213

and Pt 2 is in the wild

Broadcast is killing me.
Keeping elcope in the loop

tuned in at 8 after and within 2 min had all 3 on 40m tnx

Had all three within 5 minutes, but was so busy spreading the word I did not have time to post until now.

Part 2 has been the most difficult part, but it still didn't take long.

What a drill!

All three parts were out and in the wild in about 10 minutes on 7.213 mHz.

I'm only getting bits and pieces here. Primarily because I've got a Saturday night ragchew going on at 7.215 and several of the folks on there are in Corpus Christi, one guy running 600W. There's little chance I can get 7.213 clear enough with that kind of local high power "noise" just 2khz up.

Try the secondary 40m?

sorry

No internet help, gents

Now I'm hearing some station in Canada doing some contest on 40m.

Shit got caught in a qso (edit, delete freq)

Received all 3 parts 40m alternate from @Gyprat

0/3 so far

On 2M in the PHX / Sun city

Lol "southern accent", i should have picked up that it was Gyprat

Thanks bud!

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/After-action-reports-/22-694301/

Gyprat is booming here in Southern Ohio on 40 meters. 80 meters is of no use here due to noise. I couldn’t make contact with anyone on 20 meters.

Got all 3 parts from a station in Conroe near Houston. I think he said he doesn't have a screen name here.

Better late than never, I suppose.

Got it all . Thanks
14.283
Enjoyed it!

John  KF5ZMD

Try to sign up to RemoteHams dot com. I've used that service a lot when I traveled. You basically establish remote connection to a radio of another ham is is willing to let you use their station. There is no fee but you must be licensed and be approved by a station owner to transmit. Everyone has access to RX (receive) but rules must be followed. Couple of guys have very nice rigs and antennas.

Much like Hiroo Onoda I am still awaiting messages until Piccolo tells me it's over.

0/3

Got them all pretty quick, thanks to All for passing traffic and handling the frequencies.