[Elecraft] CW in Emergencies?

[Stuart Rohre]

Dave,
Much emergency traffic can be handled with QRP phone rigs using NVIS 
antennas consisting of a low dipole for 40 and 80 plus a reflector wire 
about a foot off ground.  It works like a 2 element beam and easily covers a 
couple of states.

I have uses such a beam on 40m from Austin TX to Mobile AL, which is 3 
states away.  Granted that was with 100 watts, but I was 20 over 9 in TX 
North, South and East of me at the same time.

Other Emergency traffic is FM VHF or UHF and local to one county in most 
cases.

NTS techniques can be taught for phone just as well as CW.

72,
Stuart
K5KVH
Red Cross Comms Officer, Katrina Relief