[FADCA] Interesting Reading

[Rich Garcia]

That brings up another case of interagency communications on amateur radio.
This is not the place to deal with it but I would like to hear from others
off list on their situation. QST had an article in October I believe about a
Volunteer FD installing repeaters, mobiles and HT's on ham frequencies. The
CERT communications mailing list had a war break out about a very similar
topic and I have heard about FED's using several Broward and Dade Ham UHF
repeaters after Andrew.

Amateur's assisting agencies has always been our main goal as hams but we
got a whole can of worms when the various agencies get EMPLOYEES licensed as
hams and have them come up on frequency while WORKING (ie: paid).

Rich

-----Original Message-----
From: fadca-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:fadca-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Paul J. Toth-NA4AR
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 11:05 AM
To: Chuck Hast; Florida Amateur Digital Communication Association
Subject: Re: [FADCA] Interesting Reading


One other important item that needs to be mentioned (if it wasn't in the
article) is the importance of having "large footprint repeaters" in the
Available Assets list for your area.  While most repeaters, particularly
Amateur Radio repeaters, tend to cover relatively small geographic
footprints, having a "regional repeater" or a linked repeater system that
can connect those areas that have been hit with other counties and resources
that remained in the clear is essential.

The NI4CE "Big Stick" repeater system was used extensively following Charley
to connect Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee and Polk Counties with resources and
agencies in counties that were not impacted by the storm.  The Salvation
Army used the system for over a week to run their Canteen operation.  The
National Weather Service-Ruskin continues to use the system for regional
SKYWARN activities.  Numerous Emergency Management agencies used the system
to communicate intra-agency and inter-agency.  Yes, the Verna tower could
have been mowed down like the 1,800' tower in Pensacola or as WCIX's tower
was in Homestead during Andrew.  But it wasn't.  And the extensive use of
the entire system (including the repeaters linked to Verna in St. Petersburg
and Holiday) is a clear demonstration of why there is a need for a
multi-county repeater or repeater system.

All NI4CE repeaters are on generator-based emergency power that
automatically switches over when commercial power is lost.

(Shameless plug)
Unlike the commercial, for-profit services that have a user-based revenue
streams, the NI4CE system derives its financial support from contributions
and grants.  In an effort to attract the contributions needed to keep the
system on the air (and expand it), the West Central Florida Group, Inc. has
launched the "2004 Hurricane Season Survivor" T-Shirt campaign.  To make
your tax-deductible contribution and receive a colorful commemorative
T-Shirt that lists the names of the four hurricanes that struck Florida this
year, please visit our webpage, http://www.ni4ce.org/hurrican.htm
(end Shameless Plug).

Happy Holidays!

73 de Paul-NA4AR


----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Hast" <wchast at gmail.com>
To: "FADCA" <fadca at mailman.qth.net>; <fpac at f6fbb.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 9:18 AM
Subject: [FADCA] Interesting Reading


> Folks,
> If you do not get the paper version of Mobile Radio Technology you can
> also read it on the web.
>
> They had a very interesting article on our hurricanes and how well the
> radio infrastructure weathered the storms.
>
> Among other things NexTel took a big hit because they rely totally on
> t1 and T3 links to their towers, whereas Verizon and Altel recovered
rather
> more rapidly due to the fact that the towers are linked using microwaves.
>
> Also the LMR side of the house responded much more rapidly than any
> of the commercial stuff in terms of getting back on the air.
>
> http://mrtmag.com/mag/radio_miracle/
>
> The idea of having RF as primary (as it should be for amateur radio at
> least) appears to be more than just a "ham thing" and as you all know
> I like the wire line paths when there is nothing else there, but this
article
> drives home something that we have been discussing, wire vs rf, and if
> we can get the RF up and linked, AND properly hardened then we have
> a much better posibility of picking up and starting to pass traffic after
the
> disaster event.
>
>
> --
> Chuck Hast
> To paraphrase my flight instructor;
> "the only dumb question is the one you DID NOT ask resulting in my going
> out and having to identify your bits and pieces in the midst of torn
> and twisted metal."
> _______________________________________________
> FADCA mailing list
> FADCA at mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/fadca

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