Monthly Archives: December 2013

Be Prepared for an Emergency. Be Red Cross Ready!

Read by: RICK N9GRW

Being prepared means being equipped with the proper supplies you may need in the event of an emergency or disaster. Keep your supplies in an easy-to-carry emergency preparedness kit that you can use at home or take with you in case you must evacuate.

At a minimum, you should have the basic supplies listed below:

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Food—non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items (3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit – Anatomy of a First Aid Kit
• Medications (7-day supply) and medical items
• Multi-purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

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ARRL Helps Manufacturer to Resolve Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter RFI Problems

11/19/2013

Read by: MARTHA KJ4RIQ

The ARRL Lab has worked with a manufacturer of arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers to resolve complaints that Amateur Radio RF was causing certain breaker models to trip unnecessarily. Like the more common ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), the AFCI is a safety device. Primarily designed to detect problems that could result in a fire, AFCIs detect potentially hazardous arc faults that result from often unseen damage or poor connections in wiring and in extension cords and cord sets.“Several months ago we started receiving reports from amateurs that when they transmitted, their AFCI breakers were tripping,” said Mike Gruber, W1MG, the ARRL Lab’s EMC specialist. He notes that the issue has been a topic of online ham radio discussions as well as on homeowner sites; it seems that stray RF is not the only thing that can cause a “nuisance trip” of an AFCI. Gruber pointed out that the National Electrical Code (NEC) already requires AFCIs in some household circuits, but not all US jurisdictions have adopted the requirement.Gruber said that as AFCIs became more common in new construction in the US, reports started coming in that AFCIs in the vicinity — not just in the radio amateur’s home — would trip in the presence of RF from an Amateur Radio transmitter.
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