I'm a relatively new General class license holder and my local ARES group invited me to participate in the Simulated Emergency Test this Saturday. I've been practicing with my go-kit (FT-891 and battery setup) but I'm nervous about the real thing. What should I expect for my first SET exercise? Any advice for keeping calm under pressure when passing formal traffic messages?

I know the basics of ICS-213 forms but worried about making mistakes during the actual drill. Thanks in advance for any wisdom!

Welcome to your first SET! Don't be overly concerned with problem solving during the exercise. What's more important is that you experience problems and learn to be flexible and adapt. The goal is to learn, not be perfect. Your nervousness shows you're taking it seriously - that's a good thing!

I just did my first SET last month and had the same worries. Bring extra paper, spare pencils, and don't forget your callsign book for phonetics. The experienced operators are super patient and helpful during the exercise. Once you learn the basics, practice by teaching others what YOU have learned!

There's always something new to learn. This year, we'll be expanding our use of Winlink and PACKET radio, which continue to be powerful tools for transmitting structured messages over RF. Focus on accurate message handling first - speed comes with practice. You'll do great!