2024 PNW ANNUAL OFF-GRID TEST
INAUGURAL THREE DAY TEST OF HOMESTEAD CAPABILITIES
The T-REX 2024 kicked off at 12:00PDT 07.19.24 and extends through 07.21.24. This post is my experience and lessons learned from using that time to test my homestead setups, discover shortcomings of such and re-think SOPs currently in place as well as contemplate those that need implementing.
This is the first official test I’ve done and while I’ve done a few weekends without power and camped out of the GHB year round to test kit in all seasons, I feel having an annual will help keep me from getting complacent.
I picked the T-REX annual event to coincide with to check my comms gear at the same time and recommend everyone do the same.
You don’t need to be a HAM Operator to participate, and a $30.00 SDR Dongle will allow you to listen to JS8Call traffic. There are a ton of videos on YouTube to show you how, there really is no excuse anymore to NOT be up on your comms game.
THE T-REX SCENARIO
This year’s simulation exercise will be based on a double-pronged attack on the critical infrastructure of the United States and its allies, primarily and initially using a complex cyber attack. Additionally, just like last year, the scenario will include saboteurs from the fictional country, Maoistan, who have infiltrated into the United States through Mexico and Canada over the previous several months. Their mission is to disrupt critical communications and power grid infrastructures by attacking physical sites, as well as other disruptive peripheral operations.
REAL WORLD INCIDENT TODAY
By happenstance, a real world cyber attack (maybe the largest in history) happened just hours before the scenario was to kick off with the “CloudStrike Update Debacle” that shut down banks, ports, airports and more nation wide. The reset is nearer than ever I suppose now that every company that uses Windows Enterprise has just applied a patch that likely has a backdoor to crash the system in it.
TESTS TO BE DONE AT THE HOMESTEAD
To see how much fuel my house gen-set will burn if I run it for 3 days as I would in a short term emergency. Basically from morning to evening and shutting off after dinner time. This is worst case use, to stretch fuel and keep food in freezers as long as possible I would run it 4hours a day only.
See if I can keep the OFF-GRID CCTV running on solar indefinitely.
See if my community HT Handout station can be self sufficient.
Monitor T-REX on JS8Call and VHF/UHF 24/7 on solar.
Spend a night out with just my GHB to see if there is anything missing.
EVENTS RECORD
07.19.24 Friday
Setup EcoFlow RIVER Pro Portable Power Station and EcoFlow 160W Portable Solar Panel to power the OFF-GRD CCTV in the chicken coop.
Learned that I needed 550 cord tie-downs to keep the panel on the roof.
First time I have used it since initial test that it worked. Best feature of the EcoFlow is the ability to see usage remotely on phone as seen in the gallery above.
Put Neighborhood Watch Handouts out to charge. Three chargers and batteries in box and two in house on GMRS3, MUR3, 2M Simplex, 70CM Simplex channels for monitoring, testing how long the batteries last in the house and if the ones in the portable solar charging station can be recharged at a rate to sustain 24/7 monitoring?
Started Harbor Freight 9500W gen-set and loaded house onto it via transfer switch. Full tank at 6.6 gallons, started at 15:49 off at 21:00 (~5hrs 10min on economy mode). The onboard battery was dead, I discovered this last week while preparing but didn’t get the new trickle charger attached in time, but it hand cranked on 1st pull. The battery powered pump is awesome, it has auto shut-off on back pressure also. My wife is not able to lift and hold 40lbs worth of fuel so this is a great help.
Changed Yaesu FT-891 HF radio from my normal freq of 7.078 on JS8Call to AmRRON freq on 40M (7.110) and setup JS8Spotter to capture @AMRRON and my callsign (K7JLJ) to record any traffic directed at me or the AmRRON call on the freq.
07.20.24 Saturday
Woke at 07:00 to the dogs hunting down a wild turkey in the lower field, got there just in time to put it out of its misery with the shotgun, sparing it from being eaten alive by the Great Pyrenees. I don’t like killing on Sabbath, but won’t watch an animal suffer if I can help it, except for rats, I’m not wasting a second shot on those things.
Turned on gen-set at 07:45, fuel gauge slightly off full mark, BATTERY HAD CHARGED ENOUGH YESTERDAY TO START IT.
Checked camera power use through night, it was latter in the day so I don’t know how much it had charged by 11:35. It looks to have used 10% over night.
Replaced one battery on monitoring HTs, one was 100% still the other was drained. The 100% battery is a newer one that I moved into an old chassis, I started marking the batteries 1-5 to keep track of issue just like I would a rifle magazine that had a failure to feed. It might be the radio or the battery, will know its the radio tomorrow if its dead again.
18:52 Noticed HT that showed 100% charged this morning died. Replaced with new radio and battery in Station and set in cradle to charge tomorrow.
Checked battery charge on the one I set in the cradle this morning and it was 50%+ after a day of charging. The charge controller setup is leaving a lot to be desired.
07.21.24 Sunday
Had a down pour last night out of no where, the HT station had about 4oz of water in it, the solar panel cover protected the charging cradles though and the radios are water proof so no damage.
The (2) HTs in the house show 100% battery after 24 hours, definitely some quality control issues going on with the RT6 model and batteries. I’m going to stick with the 1200mAh Baofeng AR-152 if I buy anymore radios and look into a solar panel power pack to charge them with.
This whole units radios will be reprogrammed to only include (1) Tactical channel along with the non-license channels (GRMS/FRS/MURS/LOCAL EMS) and given to a neighbor to maintain.
They currently have all my freqs in them, and I’m rethinking this as anyone on my “future team” or MAG will have a fully programmed AR-152 setup with recharge capabilities.
Off-Grid CCTV power seems to be just enough, caught the draw down to 60% overnight before the sun started charging back up. Seems like a lot left, but this is mid-summer and partially cloudy today, in winter this would barely get by if a few cloudy days happened.
Started the gen-set at 08:16 on battery, seems fully charged after 2 days running now.
Setup camp from GHBs, wife’s on right, checked for missing or needed items.
SIGINT
Exported captured traffic in JS8Spotter and cleared logs.
JS8CALL TRAFFIC CAPTURE
2024-07-19
2024-07-19 20:38:55 RX.DIRECTED WB6VAC: @AMRRON ON GEN POWER CASH ONLY FOOD AND GAS
Good report, unfortunately they do not have their GRID in the software or JS8Call did not report it. JS8Spotter has an offline map that does record very well but I cleared this XMIT out of the system before confirming his location.
QRZ.com puts him in DN08 but that is impossible to know without the internet if I delete the JS8Spotter info. LESSON LEARNED: Map out contacts on grid map before deleting info.
2024-07-19 21:01:44 RX.DIRECTED W4WAC: @AMRRON STATREP RECEIVED * N7SHM * KF7VII * WB7DSA * KI7ECE
This tells me that W4WAC got STATREPS from those (4) stations and since it was top of the hour, I’m assuming that it was a net? I heard no other traffic to indicate a net was held and send the question to @AMRRON as a MSG the next morning to which I got (3) stations to ACK receipt but as of 07.20.24 09:34PDT I have no response.
I’m assuming that they are not polling STATUS or I had my ACK off at the time, as I was not sure if I should leave it on or not while unattended.
AMRRON SOI v5 pg 43
5. Tips and guidance for AmRRON operators using JS8Call
a) Be sure to turn HB+ACK and AUTO features OFF prior to scheduled nets.
Possible that they did pull STATUS and my station could not respond because of this. Today (20th) it will be on at all times.
2024-07-20
The reason for not spotting @AMRRON is because you can save locations of FCC calls now, and then recognize transmits in SHTF from the same GRID when they have switched to “tactical calls”.
Really make no sense as you should not be putting your GRID into JS8Call in SHTF and there is no way of confirming a call outside of a OTP which is not given to members, only a weak challenge/pass using the heterogram in the public SOI v5 on pg.122.
Just an example of how the system will breakdown in real world SHTF. Being able to inject misinformation, without a way to confirm the source, it’s all suspect and a larger group will be targeted by the OPFOR in such a way.
This is one reason that I started the @PNW Net in hopes of having a few vetted operators throughout the USA to pass traffic, hopefully it will evolve but I don’t have much hope in finding dedicated people to be honest, time will tell.
TRAFFIC UP TO 07.20.24 09:00PDT
2024-07-20 01:07:29 RX.DIRECTED KG7AV: @AMRRON …… 736 332232311121 **EX** NO PWR QRP BATT DE D3H AUTH GPR
2024-07-20 02:16:30 RX.DIRECTED KE7CIU: K7JLJ STATUS NSTR
Curious that NSTR means?
2024-07-20 02:16:43 RX.DIRECTED AI7TB: K7JLJ STATUS WA CN87 7R 12R
2024-07-20 02:19:13 RX.DIRECTED KE7CIU: K7JLJ INFO NSTR
2024-07-20 02:19:13 RX.DIRECTED AI7TB: K7JLJ INFO CN87NN
2024-07-20 02:19:13 RX.DIRECTED KE7CIU: K7JLJ INFO NSTR
Seems the change from STATREPS being originally in INFO then moved to STATUS has a few people confused as they put it in both to be safe.
2024-07-20 03:41:43 RX.DIRECTED NM5XD: K7JLJ STATUS A NM H
Again, JS8Spotter map should have given me his location, we know it’s in New Mexico.
2024-07-20 04:47:48 RX.DIRECTED AG7EE: @AMRRON STILL LOOKING FOR THE IES
IES?
2024-07-20 09:03:43 RX.DIRECTED KM4PHT: @AMRRON STATREP RECEIVED * KD9LWR
Is KM4PHT an AmRRON control? Should have a designator (/n) SOI v5 pg 43 in the call if so.
2024-07-20 10:49:13 RX.DIRECTED KM4PHT: @AMRRON STATREP RECEIVED * N4WXI
2024-07-20 11:42:45 RX.DIRECTED N4VAD: @AMRRON ……1122211SECURE INMATES ACCOUNTED FOR {&……
Prison break? Where?
2024-07-20 13:47:00 RX.DIRECTED W4WAC: @AMRRON STATREP RECEIVED * KF7VII ……KF7VII * KD9DSS * KG7CNE
2024-07-20 14:04:29 RX.DIRECTED KG7CNE: @AMRRON LOOKING TO PASS TFC TO SIGCEN
TRAFFIC SUMMARY UP TO 07.20.24 09:00PDT
KG7AV: on battery power and operating QRP (no location known)
NM5XD: A NM H (all is good in New Mexico)
N4VAD: prison break somewhere?
KG7CNE: has traffic for command.
WB6VAC: ON GEN POWER CASH ONLY FOOD AND GAS (no location known)
TRAFFIC UP TO 07.21.24 08:30PDT
2024-07-21 00:48:44 WB7DSA: @AMRRON CN88UW 332122322121 EXERCISE EXERCISE N BORDER SECURITY QUESTIONABLE
2024-07-21 06:01:29 WA0AW: @AMRRON EM48SM 333222322221 MO EXERCISE VIOLENT CRIME INCREASING PER LOCAL PD
2024-07-21 11:13:00 N4WXI: @AMRRON EM63MH 332121321221 AL - PEOPLE GETTING SERIOUS ABT THEIR SITUATION
2024-07-21 12:11:13 KD9DSS: @AMRRON EM68 232232122222 IN-PASTORS AND LEADERS PRAYER AND FASTING
2024-07-21 12:58:59 N0IMH: @AMRRON ……959 333333322333 CO-EVAC DUE TO WIDESPREAD RIOTS AND ARSON
Again, no way of knowing GRID.
2024-07-21 12:59:13 W6ZYC: @AMRRON CM87 111111111111 NTR EXERCISE EXERCISE
The numbers are for the CommStatOne program and represent GREEN(1) YELLOW(2) RED(3), this guy has all green and Nothing To Report.
2024-07-21 13:25:59 WA0ZIG: @AMRRON DN70 231111311111 THANKFUL FOR SOLAR POWER
2024-07-21 13:27:59 AI7HH: @AMRRON DM33 333333333222 FEW RIOTS SOME LOOTING ROADS JAMMED EXERCISE
No state given but bad time in DM33 (Arizona) according to this report.
2024-07-21 14:11:00 KF7UWR: @AMRRON CN82 232222321222 POWER OUT - GENERATOR WORKING
2024-07-21 14:16:29 KJ7NXK: @AMRRON DN18GA 111111111111 NTR
2024-07-21 15:03:02 WB7DSA: @AMRRON CN88UW 332222322222 EXERCISE EXERCISE N BORDER SECURITY QUESTIONABLE
Same report sent again, because of no ACK?
2024-07-21 15:03:45 KG7AV: @AMRRON CN94IB 332332321231 EXERCISE OUTGS ……
Partial message but not looking good in CN94( Middle State of Oregon)
2024-07-21 15:07:29 KG7AV: @AMRRON CN94IB 332332331221 *EXERCISE* OUTGS HINDER WILDFIRE FIGHTNG EFFORT
Wildfires in Middle Oregon, important info for me in Southern Oregon.
2024-07-21 15:26:30 W6PE: @AMRRON DM07 333232323222 GROCERY GAS STATIONS BACKUP GENS ……
2024-07-21 15:26:59 KJ7TWD: @AMRRON CN82 333221331321 EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE T-REX
A lot of 3’s with not specifics coming from Medford, OR area. The decoder ring for these numbers are in the SOI v5 so you can tell what is what without comstatone program, but would be nice if that program was better developed and worked. I installed it but it has issues that make it non-functional and no added value to JS8Spotter.
2024-07-21 15:33:13 KF7VII: @AMRRON DN18HE 332112331222 EXERCISE EXERCISE - GEN OUT OF BATTERY ONLY
2024-07-21 18:10:45 KG7AV: @AMRRON NOT EXERCISE - BIDEN DROPS FROM 2024 RACE
2024-07-21 19:03:31 KF7VII: @AMRRON ENDEX END OF T-REX 2024 AT 1900Z
TRAFFIC SUMMARY UP TO 07.22.24 08:30PDT
Northern boarder is not secured.
Eastern states (usual suspects) are having riots and road blocks.
Middle Oregon is burning.
Timestamps indicate a net was at 1500z-1600z? (0800PDT-0900PDT)
AFTER ACTION REPORT
PREPAREDNESS CONSIDERATIONS
Gen-set was good to go and used less fuel that I expected.
07.19.24 1549-2100 (5hrs, 11min)
07.20.24 0745-2035 (12hrs, 50min)
07.21.24 0816-1540 (7hr, 34min)
Six gallons lasted 24hr, 35min
Gen-set will be getting a trickle charger put on it as well as oil change after this
weekend.
Topped all fuel stores off (40 gallons of non-ethanol gas at $6.78 p/gal, and 20lb propane tank).
AmRRON net was unfruitful to say the least.
Handout HTs were hit and miss on battery life, surprise shower could have been bad on cradle chargers if the lid was not positioned as it was. Protocol will be to close the box at night from now on and will be handed to someone in the community to maintain after being de-programmed down to one Tactical channel.
CCTV solar power was a success and will be tested again this winter for worst case scenario, eventually putting a dedicated 100W HF setup on the coup so I can use the EcoFlow as a portable power source to run rainwater pumps.
GHB: Setup hammocks w/tarps and check bags for missing gear.
My Bag
No charging cable for phone, ordered off Amazon
Switched to stubby on scanner because of interference from superstick, left as backup in bag
Need to add a belt pouch to carry scanner instead of clip which is not secure enough on belt.
Tent stakes for tarp, added 4 and made a pouch out of Denier.
Traded up on extra socks for Darn Tough wools.
Water SS nalgene was only 80% not full in coffee kit, forgot to refill after last weekend ruck coffee.
Velcro fell off of press light used on boonie. Secured with Shoe-Go instead of hot glue.
Wife’s Bag
Added ground mat (5mil plastic 3x7)
Added Multi-tool
Change fleece jacket for COSTCO down filled puffy
Added matches to kit, was down to last few for JetBoil
Put loops of Tan 550 cord on crest ends of tarp for ezID
TODO: Make a small First aide kit. There is a full kit inthe car with the bag, but in case she forgets to grab stuff out of it, have a minimal bleeder / sprain kit in bag.
EMCOMMS CONSIDERATIONS
I think putting the grid in the front of any message would be very helpful for any emergency net. Especially when taking traffic from unknowns. We rely too much on the internet to tell us where the signals are coming from. A transmission that starts with the grid allows “pin plotting” on a paper grid-map.
Interestingly enough that’s what AmRRON is doing with their comstatone forms as seen in day two’s traffic.
No indication on-air of when nets are to be conducted.
This is easily remedied by sending that info to @AMRRON each time they have one, setting the time for the next check-in or keeping it member “INFO” field for query.
Having a GRID MAP is indispensable. I will be printing out a D-size map for the wall in the shack for pinning notes and traffic to in the future.
I will also be looking at JS8Mapper again as the off-grid map in JS8Spotter did not do well. Not sure if it bogus info being sent or the program itself, but looks like it can not located anything that is out of the normal callsign format. /p /n etc.
NON RESPONSES FROM HEARD STATIONS
I sent a MSG to @AMRRON asking if there was a net on the 20th, I got (3) ACKs telling me they had received the message but none replied during the exercise. Seems that these stations are fully unattended or passing information to individuals is too overwhelming. Like talking to one of those bots on help pages on the internet.
Awesome job on testing your set up. Great writeup. I will definitely be looking into this more.