Amateur Radio Disaster Response

Repost from, Subject: [wl2kemcomm] FYI, a “real life” example

All,

What you are seeing in the attached is the “PMBO sessions monitor” of R1ANC,
Antarctica (October QST, page 20) on 30 meters at 184 degrees some 9,467
statute miles away. It is 23:03 Central time in TN.

Note the speed of R1ANC. His signal is not heard by ear, currently, yet he
is still pushing through. His speed has varied between 200 bps and 2800 bps,
but he is latched on for the duration. This would not be happening without
the processing of two talking SCS modems. BTW, my 30 meter inverted vee is
up at 50 feet. 95 watts out.

FYI,

Steve, k4cjx

Thanks Steve

I’m convinced that P-I is going to be a reality for emcomm support for a
long time but having watched the huge huge differences in speed and
effectiveness of the SCS units - especially during poor conditions with
heavy QRN, solar flares, etc, I would not hesitate to spend the extra money
for the SCS units.

During Rita and Katrina, there were often more PMBOs than stations using
them but that is likely going to be different next time as folks like the
Salvation Army have been sold on the value. I expect more Winlink field
stations and more content to be passed with each of them next time…
Watching Salvation Army food orders on Excel spreadsheets going directly to
Sysco to keep the food pipeline going is a pleasure to watch on P-III. We
are going to see much more of that.

I am absolutely with Hal on the portable satelite Telpac stations - that is
a super idea.

Tom N5TW
Read the rest of this entry »

==>HAM RADIO SAVES THE DAY IN MISSISSIPPI; RITA RECOVERY CONTINUES IN TEXAS

Amateur Radio volunteers in Jasper County, Texas, continue to support
mass-feeding operations by The Salvation Army, which has been coordinating
with other relief groups to provide meals to Hurricane Rita-displaced
residents. Amateur volunteers plan to meet with Salvation Army personnel to
discuss the need for Amateur Radio support beyond this weekend. Meanwhile,
ARRL Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK–who’s been handling the intake of
American Red Cross volunteers in Montgomery, Alabama–has been visiting ARC
shelters along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Shelters there are in the process
of closing down. In Gulfport, Amateur Radio volunteers continue to support
communication for the emergency operations center (EOC) in Harrison County,
where they’ve been a mainstay since Hurricane Katrina struck in late August.
Read the rest of this entry »