[KYHAM] ARES & Local Response

[A. W.]

 The longest commercial power outage I have had at
"my" 440 site was 5 days, if I recall correctly. The
repeater was available the entire time. Admittedly, it
would be a lot easier to stick a cheap battery on the
power supply output and call it "back up", but that
isn't how it is properly done. The K4ULW 146.625 site
has both a 100AH battery and a large standby gen-set. 


 A pair of dual-band mobiles will work as you
described, given that the power of each is reduced to
the point that TX duty cycle isn't an issue.

 I'm a promoter of NVIS for local use, but there are
many more readily available units on 2 meters, or
perhaps even 440mhz, than 80, 60 and 40 m.

AW      

--- Bill Fuqua <wlfuqu00 at uky.edu> wrote:

>   	Speaking of battery backup. How long will the
> battery backup run the 
> repeater? Usually only for sort power outages. If it
> is designed for much 
> longer outages then battery maintenance and cost
> become  problems due to 
> the quantity and size of the batteries needed.
>            Hams are a ingenious lot. There are ways
> of getting around 
> problems. If you stop thinking of a repeater as a
> purchased box with 
> duplexer and tower mounted antennas, you can easily
> come up with a 
> substitute in an emergency.  For example, if the
> Lexington 147.165 repeater 
> ( located in Anderson Hall on UK campus) goes down
> due to damage to the 
> building during a disaster. Two hams with  dual band
> mobile radios can go 
> to the top of two parking structures or other high
> points separated 
> sufficiently  so that one radio's transmissions will
> not overload the 
> other.  One could receive on 147.765 and link to the
> other on 70cm which 
> transmits on  147.165. Thus providing local repeater
> coverage. Some dual 
> band transceivers offer this cross band RX-TX
> feature.
> 	And don't forget using HF.  It not only allows you
> to communicate outside 
> of the affected area but with-in as well either by
> ground wave or by 
> relaying messages thru stations receiving the sky
> wave.  Field day has been 
> an excellent means of allowing hams to gain
> experience in setting up 
> temporary HF stations. Digital modes Such as PSK31
> are great because the 
> allow reliable communications with minimal RF
> equipment.  And, don't rule 
> out CW (the first digital mode) either. These modes
> reduce errors that can 
> occur when using voice modes and a hard copy of the
> QSO can be retained.
> 
> 73
> Bill wa4lav
> 
> 
> 
> .  
> 
> 
> ---------------------------
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> http://www.kyham.net
> 




		
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