HELP FILE
for Region 10 WEB SITE
  updated 26 MAR 2011

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Broadcast Messages
Downloadable files
E-mail groups

Fragmented files - or how to "clean up your act"
Getting Around on this web site
MAC users
Secure Area, "members only"

Winlink



Need more help?

MARS web sites are updated frequently with new stuff, hot topics, and fine tuning of old favorites. 

To be sure you are getting the most recent version of a page, you should do one or more of the following:
•   set your browser to check for a new page at least each time you start the browser,
•   regularly delete your temp internet files, (this also helps reduce clutter and free up space)
•   click the "reload" (or "refresh") button on your tool bar.

How these are done.

The location of the functions on your toolbar, and how they are labeled will vary depending on what browser program you use.  Check the "help" section of your browser, or look through the choices under  "edit" or "tools" then look for "Preferences" (sometimes labeled "Options")

Even if you set your browser to frequently look for a new version you should empty your temp internet files periodically.  These can build up and take a lot of disk space.  In Windows XP this can be done easily by running "disk clean up".  With this tool you can select a variety of things to clean out in addition to your temp internet files.

It's a good idea to also delete all the cookies on your computer periodically.  Most web sites no longer use cookies to store your login information.  Instead, your browser will use password manager to keep track of them if you choose.   If you find that deleting the cookies is taking out some stored info you want to keep for a web site you can elect not to delete that cookie.

If you are using rather old software you should upgrade to the newest version.  Same goes for your operating system.  Often there is no support, including anti-virus support, for versions more than three generations back.  Frequently the older operating system and browsers aren't even working correctly and you may not even be aware of it.  For example, if you have Windows 98 your anti virus software may no longer provide index updates for that version of your AV software AND the newer version of the AV software may run on 98.


An important side note
 or, how a little housekeeping really helps move things along

 While on the subject of disk space, you should regularly run scandisk, or other utility to look for, and mark, any bad sectors.  Then run your PC's utility to defragment your harddrive. 

Deleting unneeded temporary files is not the only aspect of freeing up space and making your computer run faster.  Fragmented files take up more space because every segment will have a certain number of bytes (alocated space if you will) regardless whether all of it used or not.  Each time a file fragments more unused space is taken up.  Think of it this way.  What if your file were your pickup and travel trailer.  Let's say you park at an RV lot where the spaces are about 40 feet long.  If you park your trailer in one space,disconnect the truck and park it in another, you've taken up two spaces, each with unused space.  Reconnect the trailer to the truck and park in one space.  You likely still have some left over space in the spot you are using, but you have freed up an entire other spot.  This is like a file that was fragmented then defragmented.

It's also faster for your computer when files are defragmented.  All of the file is in one place so the computer doesn't have to go looking for the next segment.

How do files get fragmented?  Suppose you start a letter, save it, then start another letter and save it.  Now you want to add something to the first letter.  Let's use our traffic analogy again.  So, you're driving your pickup.  You park at the curb where there are not other cars.  You go inside a dealership and buy a trailer, any sort of trailer, for your pickup.  You want to roll it out and hook it up to the truck, but now a car has parked behind you.  You will have to park the trailer elsewhere.  Defragmenting the HD would be annalogious to parking the trailer where there is room for it and your truck then hooking them together.  OK, not exactly the way it happens, but pretty close, and it's a picture most of us can relate to.
 End of side note


 
The Region 10 web site
has two major segments, one is open to the public; the other contains files for Members Only and requires a login.  This holds true for most State, Area, and the National NMC MARS web sites. 

Each segment is further broken into groups according to general topics.  Each topic may have multiple parts.

Hopefully information is arranged so it fits the group it is under, such as "ECOM" under Operational and "What's New this page" under the Admin & other.  Granted, some things may fit both, but they are only listed once.
Some items in a group have subgroups, such as "AS0 Four page" under "Training".  A list of subgroups can be found at the bottom of the TOC, following the list of main topics.  These subgroups are also listed on the respective main page, such as "Training".
Many pages have links to other pages on this or other web sites.  Some links will take you to non-MARS web sites.
Files in the Members Only secure section will require you to Log in.  See Secure Areas, below.

There are several ways to navigate around this web site.
If you get an error message saying the page can not be found, or similar, first click your "reload" ("refresh" in some browsers) button.  If you still get the message try another MARS site such as National or Pac Area.  If the error persists the server may be off line for some reason.  Try it again later.  If the problem is limited to one or more MARS sites, but not all try the steps above for "getting the most recent version".

The Table of Contents (TOC) can be accessed from most any page on this web site. The TOC contains two groups: Operational and Admin & other.  There is also a "quick links" menu in the middle section of the TOC.  It contains some of the more commonly  needed  subjects.  It also contains a list of primary and sub menu pages, such as Training or ECOM.

Most pages have  a mini TOC at the top.  Some of those links go to other pages and some to topics within the current page.  

In some cases a link will bring up a document in PDF, HTML, or ASCII Text format, in a separate window or viewer.  The Region Ten Nets Roster is one example. Previously container pages were used for some of this.  They have been eliminated in favor of a direct link to the file, document, or web site.  These could come from within NMC MARS web sites, or a 3rd party.  

Ocassionally a link will take you completely out of the MARS web site.  One example is "NOAA Weather" on the "ECOM Links" page.

Periodically you will also find links highlighted within the text of a page.


 
Downloadable Files Section
Region Ten broadcasts see this topic below.

Some pages allow you to download a data file or software.  This will be clearly explained at each location.  Warnings are generally posted where files are long and may take some time to download. 

Download speeds are dependent primarily on 3 things,
  1. the speed of your internet connection is #1;
  2. The amount of traffic on the route from the server where the file is to your computer is #2; and,
  3. your computer itself, or the storage device you are saving it to, may impact downloading.

Files are stored with a file extension that matches the type of file.  For example, TXT for ASCII text files and DOC for MS Word files.  ZIP means it is a compressed file created by WinZip compatable tool.  Zip files are used to store multiple related files, programs, or to compress a very large file.

Most download files are in one of these formats:
•   PDF using Adobe Reader-- almost all data or information files on this web site are now in this format
•   RTF or rich text format, limited use: where ease of editing by user may be important,
it is a transporter format that many different programs can open.
•   DOC rarely used, see RTF above, DOC will most likely require MS Word or a program that can open MS Word files
•   TXT ASCII text formatted files; used primarily for record traffic, such as BCST messages stored on this web site.

NOTE: We have moved away from uploading files in MS Word or Excel format.  Nearly all documents are in HTML, PDF, or ASCII text.
In the past downloadable files were kept in one directory on the server.  The number of download files has grown such that files are now stored in different directories.  If you previously bookmarked the "downloads" directory the bookmark may not work, or at best it will give you only a portion of what is available.  It is better to get the downloads you want by using the links on the respective web page.

Region 10 broadcasts
Broadcast messages from the Director Region Ten and the state directors within the region are in the public (unsecured) section of this web site.  They are collected and arranged by the month of the date-time-group.
Pacific Area messages are found on the Pac Area web site.

Chief MARS messages can be obtained from the National Home page.  
 
Secure Areas
Some of the information available on the Region Ten web site is protected and requires a username and password to access.  Any regular, Associate, or Honorary member in good standing will be allowed access to those areas.  Tango members are not authorized to access the secure area.  See also "Tangos" under e-mail groups below.
Previously the Secure Area had its own table of contents.  That has changed.  All links to secure files are now provided from the main Region Ten web page.  If a link points to secured data you will be asked for a login.  You are not creating an account to do this.  If you do not have the login AND you are a qualified member of Navy-Marine Corps MARS contact your state director.

Some of the information in the secure areas is restricted by Navy regulations (not MARS regs) to Navy use only.  Our deepest apologies to our brothers and sisters in Air Force and Army MARS that we can not provide you with that access.
 
E-mail Groups
Currently there are three Region Ten e-mail Groups Region 10 ALL Group, Tango members (only tangos, training staff, and select others are subscribed), and Region Ten ECOM.  The latter is maintained by Pac Area, NNN0ASE Five.

For more details about the e-mail groups see "E-mail, Events, Calendar, and Chat Room", or
contact NNN0AS0 Five for more information.

Tango members have there own e-mail group.  Members are added to this group as soon as AS0 Five is notified by their state director that they have been accepted.  Once the Trial Service member is advanced to regular membership he or she is deleted from the Tangos group and added to the ALL and ECOM groups.  For more information see "Tango Members, Just for you", which is also listed in the TOC

 
MAC users;
sorry, files are only available in formats that are DOS/Windows/Linux compatible



Help for Winlink
is available in several locations including the Region Ten
and National web sites.  Information and links to data and other web sites
can be found in the Nets, WL2K, and Traffic Routing page of the Region Ten site.
Need More Help?
See Contact Us page
e-mail comments & questions about this web site to NNN0AS0 Five

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