[Elecraft] Eclipse logistics and em-comm nets?

[Mark Gebhardt]

It shows what a good guy that you are Wayne because you let Eric have the
corporate jet to fly the path of totality without you! Maybe he will find
the time to chat with the people stuck on the highway as he screams by
chasing the shadow. It will remind me of an ISS contact.

In Illinois we have one highway to avoid which is I-57. It connects Chicago
with the rest of Illinois to the South. I hope all goes well for all of us!

Mark

K9ZQ

Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2017 09:17:23 -0700
From: Wayne Burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com>
To: Elecraft Reflector <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>,
        elecraft_k3 at yahoogroups.com
Cc: "KX3 at yahoogroups.com" <KX3 at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [Elecraft] Eclipse logistics and em-comm nets?
Message-ID: <2D537CB4-01D4-4A7A-B0D7-C73736E85557 at elecraft.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Many of us are headed into the solar eclipse zone in the next few days, my
family included. We?re leaving today for Ashland, Oregon. Early on Saturday
(possibly *very* early), we?ll be driving to a campground in Corvallis,
right in the Path of Totality.

There are widespread predictions of epic gridlock for many of Oregon?s
roadways. I?m guessing this will be true in other states as well.
Authorities are suggesting that travelers have several days worth of food
and water, as they could be stranded on freeways that become parking lots.
Many gas stations in small towns like Bend are already out of fuel.

The cellphone network could be affected as well. Imaging 1 million people
camping, in effect, on I-5, state route 97, etc., trying to call home or
reach emergency services. Under the circumstances, amateur radio may very
we called upon to provide emergency communications. Fortunately many of us
will be using mobile or portable stations that are immune to loss of power
or cell service.

If you know of any specific networks that are planning to activate for this
event, please post that info here (and elsewhere).

Lacking any defined plan, I?ll be monitoring 7283.5 kHz, home of the daily
west-coast ?Noontime Net?. 40 meters is ideal for this sort of regional
coordination and emergency traffic, especially in areas not well served by
VHF/UHF repeaters. I?ll have a KX2, some wire, and a couple of Li-ion
internal battery packs.

73,
Wayne
N6KR