2019 Operation NANOOK-TATIGIIT
YARA was invited to participate in Operation Nanook. The scenario was a wildfire on the Carcross Road, Internet and cell service was down, evacuations were required. YARA members provided comminications support with VHF, HF, APRS, and Winlink at various locations and with a roaming operator on the highway system. Reception centres were set up at the Canada Games Centre, EMO, Cadet Camp, and Teslin.
Health Canada normally sends air quality data via cell phones. With the "Internet and cell service down", HC staff worked with YARA to send the info via APRS from Teslin to Whitehorse, then from there to Ottawa without errors. Charlie VY1CC developed a way to take the data from the air sampling unit, put it into APRS data packets, and send it to Whitehorse. HC officials were quite impressed, and believe this is a viable alternative the expensive portable satellite dish they were thinking about for locations without cell service. See pictures in the photo album.
YARA members included in the exercise were: VY1CC, VYCSZ, VY1DM, VY1GP, VY1MAP, VY1JC, VY1JY, VY1KX, VY1PB, VY1PJB, VY1RF, VY1RT, VY1SM, VY1YU, Gerry Gagnon
Photo album created with Web Album Generator