[digitalradio] Emergency Communications: was Win Link

[Dr. Howard S. White]

Buddy:     You don't have to go so far as India... How about something closer to home... like San Diego     The 2003 San Diego Cedar Fires             Most people are unaware that during the recent 2003 Cedar Fires which so devastated San Diego that Land Lines Telephones failed due to downed wires, Cellular Systems failed due to overloading, downed towers, failed links and signal refraction from smoke and most seriously the 800 MHz trunked emergency radio network which was used by all the fire fighters, police and other emergency workers failed due to overloading and severe signal refraction from the smoke.   In other words there was virtually no communications whatsoever for several days.. EXCEPT.... The only group that was able to provide consistent reliable communications was a group of 180+ volunteer amateur radio operators operating under the auspices of ARESŪ, CERO, ARC, CDF and CARES.   This, of course, is not surprising as in most civil emergencies, such as 9/11; Amateur Radio Operators are usually the only ones that continue to communicate reliably when all other means of communications fail. Why do government communications systems always fail in true emergencies and our ham systems continue to work? The simple answer is bio diversity.  We have many more frequencies, many more modes and many more highly qualified trained operators than the government does.   In the rush for funds, Congress sold off much of the government emergency spectrum to the private sector.  This sale which forced government emergency services into a single tiny band of frequencies coupled with totally inadequate funding, leaves the public totally unprotected every time a major emergency hits us.   The government communications systems which work OK during normal times, they just can't handle the volume or diversity of real emergencies  So much for Ham Radio becoming a joke! __________________________________________________________ Howard S. White Ph.D. P. Eng., VE3GFW/K6  ex-AE6SM  KY6LA "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" Formerly "Awfully Extremely Six Sado Masochist" "Krazy Yankee Six Loves America" Website: www.ky6la.com   ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Waterman, k4cjx To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 9:21 PM Subject: [digitalradio] Re: Win Link Buddy, Daily. We get requests from the U.S. Coast Guard every other week or so, as well as other country agencies, and we have a good track record in finding these vessels. During the last Hurricane episode, we were the only visible communications from many of the islands, the most widely known was Grenada, but there were many more, including coastal areas within th USA. During the Tsunami Disaster (still a disaster, still pumping traffic) offshore vessels out off the shallow coastal areas barely felt the "bump," however, they were able to get to shore and assist where feasible. They still are assisting. The recent failure of INTELSAT 804, which was a major pipeline for several New Zealand Common Carriers, the Military, and Broadcast Stations, failed permanently. High revenue users were placed on other satellites, but very many islands were left without communications. We were able to provide communications for many of those without it. We still do. In fact, a PMBO is being set up in India along with the PMBO in Darwin, Australia specifically to assist with these last two unfortunate incidents. There is other not so public assistance coming out of other parts of the World, and they are still in operation. Best I can give you there is to review the CBS documentary of past efforts in that part of the world with a video called "Last Voice From Kuwait" I think still at the ARRL, although I am not certain if they have copies. There is a more, such as the horror show weather in Puru and Chili immediately after the hurricanes last year, but hopefully, you get the picture. Steve, k4cjx --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Great overall post, Dean!  Especially this part: > > > > >   1. Ham radio is dying, because modern communications technology has > >      passed it, and the amateur community, even if totally united (ha > >      ha), doesn't have the resources to combat it in any meaningful way. > >   2. The attempt to justify amateur radio by its role in providing > >      emergency and public service communications is rapidly becoming a > >      joke. > > Can someone tell me the last time there was an emergency that wiped out > "normal" communications, and a bunch of hams got on Winlink and saved the > day?   When a severe emergency happens, like a tornado, hurricane, or > nuclear war,  I think most people are mainly concerned with saving their > bacon, and not getting on the air. > > 73 Buddy WB4M The K3UK DIGITAL MODES SPOTTING CLUSTER AT telnet://208.15.25.196/ The K3UK DIGITAL MODES SPOTTING CLUSTER AT telnet://208.15.25.196/ Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digitalradio/   To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]   Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.