BPL, Ham radio and the EOC (was[KYHAM] RE: Digest, V 17, I 13, 2. Fw: House Resolution 230 )

[A. W.]

 I'm not a fan of BPL by any means, but must point out
that the EOC you mention has serious issues if they
don't have a plan in place to address alternate power
sources when the propane runs low. Propane is a good
fuel for standby sets in quasi-critical applications
like grocery freezer service, commercial (only) tower
sites, homes and other places where a loss of power
costs money and not likely a life. For public safety
and health service standby, diesel sets are the way to
go, since a two people with a 4 wheel drive truck or
even on foot can procure and transport diesel fuel
with ease compared to the specialized methods needed
with propane.
 
 I tell my people (I'm involved in public safety
communications infrastructure support) that given any
significant happening, they should expect their cell
phones to be useful only as a doorstop or clock. Most
departments have some kind of plan in place for use of
back-up (usually simplex or sometimes a nearby
agency's frequency) radio systems when repeaters and
phone lines fail. If there is no written plan, the
more experienced officers remember what has been done
in the past.

 Of course, if the power is off for long, most local
BPL stuff will be off as well, thereby negating the
issue. We are going to have to go a different route
than the "emergency communications" angle if
interference from BPL is to be successfully
controlled.

AW

  
--- chico <rejones510 at adelphia.net> wrote:

> Oh great and wise ones,
>  Food for thought on BPL in regards to "ammo" for
> the opposition there of.
> Is there any way to search disasters looking for
> "lack of service" when a
> major disaster happens, and how it affects the
> "almighty cell phone" usage,
> and towers in general?
>  I remember a short news spot on how the cell sites
> were over-loaded to the
> point that they were about useless when flight 800
> crashed in New York in
> 1996.
>  What I'm getting at is, Can the amateur community
> be convincing enough to
> prove
> to congress (with overwhelming facts) that this
> might not be such a good
> idea?
> Showing past history incidences where amateur radio
> was the only way of
> communication, Are there any solid records, I mean
> SOLID evidence to make
> them
> understand?
>  I work at a fire department with an EOC. It has a
> couple hundred gallons of
> propane for the emergency generator, that's great,
> but when that runs out,
> and the roads are so torn up, or the demand for fuel
> is at its greatest, or
> inaccessible for whatever the reason... You see
> where I'm going with this.
> And I have only talked about cell phones/towers,
> well the electric towers
> fall
> into this category too... (pun intended or
> not...hmmmm)
> 
> WE ALL know that hams will come through as far as
> the comms go, but in the
> mean
> time, we will have to put up with the interference
> unless we can convince
> them
> otherwise.
> Soapbox has been vacated, for the next person.
> Thanks all for letting me rant about this.
> 
> 73,
> Richard "Chico" Jones
> KD4GNX
> 
>
**********************************************************************
>    2. Fw: House Resolution 230
> (Ham40160 at wmconnect.com)
> 
> U.S. CONGRESSIONAL ACTION  (House Resolution 230)
> 
> Help do something about BPL, nationally. 
> Information on House
> Resolution 230 can be found on the ARRL website at:
> http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/04/28/3/?nc=1
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Kenwood TM-G707A Giveaway
> http://www.kyham.net/support.html
> 



		
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