Antennas, propagation, and other practical tools
External references members have found useful — for building basic gear, checking line-of-sight between stations, and understanding signal conditions.
Build a J-Pole antenna
A twinlead J-Pole is one of the cheapest and most effective VHF antennas a member can build — excellent for a go-kit or a modest home station. A dual-band (2m/70cm) ARES-oriented construction guide:
→ Dual-band 2m/70cm roll-up J-Pole construction (PDF)
Check a radio path
Before assuming two stations can reach each other on simplex, check the terrain. SCADACore's free RF line-of-sight calculator lets you plug in two coordinates and instantly see the profile, Fresnel zone, and whether the link is feasible.
→ SCADACore RF line-of-sight tool
Georgia ARES Situational Awareness Map
An interactive map maintained by Georgia ARES showing the statewide amateur-radio infrastructure members rely on in an activation: analog, DMR, and DSTAR repeaters, APRS digipeaters, Winlink RMS gateways, and Emergency Operations Centers. Useful for planning deployments, checking coverage before a drill, or finding a working station when out of area.
→ Open the GA ARES Situational Awareness Map
Weather & Skywarn
Severe-weather operations are a core ARES mission and a significant part of the activity calendar in Georgia's springs and winters. These are the forecast, warning, and spotter resources we rely on.
The National Weather Service forecast office covering DeKalb County. Authoritative source for severe-weather warnings, watches, and forecasts.
The volunteer severe-weather spotter network for the NWS Peachtree City area. Training, activation criteria, and the reporting channel for storm observations. Directly relevant to DeKalb ARES Skywarn operations.
Activation frequencies: Georgia Skywarn repeater list →
Upcoming Skywarn training classes offered by the NWS Peachtree City office. Basic and advanced courses; members pursuing the vacant AEC Skywarn role should plan to attend.
The official NWS Peachtree City spotter reference — what to report, how to report it, and the reporting criteria for each severe-weather phenomenon. Print a copy for the go-kit.
The interactive NWS spotter guide — specific criteria and examples for reporting hail, wind, tornadoes, flooding, and winter weather. Complements the FFC spotter handout with photos and reference scales.
The full illustrated NWS spotter field guide — cloud identification, storm structure, reporting procedures, and safety. The definitive field reference; a good companion to the FFC local handout.
Emergency-management agencies
The agencies that set the framework ARES plugs into. Useful for personal-preparedness reference, background on incident-management systems, and — for members who want to go deeper — the training catalogs where most of our required coursework lives.
Our primary served agency. County-level EMA that DeKalb ARES supports when activated.
State-level EM. Coordinates Georgia's emergency-response framework; local ARES groups roll up via GAARES and GA AuxComm.
Federal EM and the source of the Incident Command System courses we require (IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800, IS-2200). Full training catalog at training.fema.gov. Members may also want the FEMA mobile app for push alerts, shelter locations, and preparedness references in the field.
The federal government's public preparedness site. Plain-language guidance on personal, family, and business preparedness — complementary to the operator-focused go-kit checklist.
Current space weather
HF propagation is directly driven by solar activity. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center publishes a live K-index and solar-flux dashboard — useful before any HF deployment or NTS net check-in.