[SMCARA] Amateur Radio Volunteers in Nepal, India Continue to Aid Earthquake Response

[JD Delancy]

Interesting:

Amateur Radio Volunteers in Nepal, India Continue to Aid Earthquake Response

*TAGS:* amateur radio 
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radio repeater 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:amateur%20radio%20repeater>, 
amateur radio society 
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amateur radio volunteers 
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army mars <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:army%20mars>, Army 
MARS program 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Army%20MARS%20program>, 
earthquake <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:earthquake>, 
emergency communication 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:emergency%20communication>, 
international amateur radio 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:international%20amateur%20radio>, 
Internet service 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Internet%20service>, Jayu 
Bhide <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Jayu%20Bhide>, MHz 
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Nepal <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Nepal>, net control 
station 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:net%20control%20station>, 
radio amateurs 
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:radio%20amateurs>, Tim 
McFadden <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Tim%20McFadden>

04/27/2015

As the death toll climbs in the wake of the devastating magnitude 7.9 
earthquake in Nepal, rescue and recovery work is continuing, and Amateur 
Radio volunteers have been a part of it. The earthquake — said to be the 
worst in Nepal in 80 years — hit an area between the capital city of 
Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara. An emergency net had been running 
around the clock on 20 meters with Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU, as net control 
station and other stations in India participating. Bhide is the Amateur 
Radio Society of India National Coordinator for Disaster Communication.

The Nepal disaster has claimed more than 3200 lives and wreaked 
widespread damage. Many others are missing or have been injured. 
Hospitals have been flooded with those who suffered serious injuries in 
the earthquake. Persistent aftershocks continue to terrorize those who 
managed to escape harm. On Mount Everest an avalanche devastated base 
camp, and at least 100 climbers were stranded on the mountain. Several 
mountaineers were reported among the dead.

Hams in India have been among the most active responders. Parts of 
eastern India also suffered earthquake damage. Within Nepal, members of 
the Nepal Amateur Radio Society are reported to be active on HF 
emergency nets as well as on VHF/UHF to handle local traffic.

“The situation in Nepal is getting worse, as tremors continue to strike 
every hour at a magnitude of 4.7,” Bhide said. The government of Nepal 
has asked all people to stay out of buildings, as damage is expected to 
increase. Due to the conditions, emergency communication with 9N1 
stations came to a standstill; no communication was possible overnight 
as the earthquake demolished the building where emergency communication 
gear was installed.”

He said Satish Kharel, 9N1AA, and his wife Tej, 9N1DX, were able to 
return to the air this morning. The couple is in Kathmandu. 9N1AA has 
said he’s operating low power with the help of solar power and 
coordinating with the Nepal police in Kathmandu. Suresh Upreti, 9N1HA, 
has been assisting with emergency communication as well. Internet 
service has been spotty in Nepal at best. So far, there has been no 
cross-border movement of either radio equipment and radio amateurs.

Sanjeeb Panday, 9N1SP, has indicated that he will be on 21.360 MHz at 
1645 UTC, and radio amateurs not involved in the disaster response 
should avoid this frequency. 9N1SP has intermittent Internet service. He 
has said that propagation on 20 meters, where an initial emergency net 
was established was poor, but he has been in contact on 15 meters with 
Tim McFadden, KB2RLB/T6TM, a Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) 
member in Afghanistan.

Ironically, McFadden, Kharel, Panday, and others took part in MARS 
exercises in 2013 and 2014 in which the emergency scenario was an 
earthquake in Nepal. Army MARS Program Officer Paul English, WD8DBY, 
said the response to this earthquake followed the procedures trained 
during those earlier exercises. McFadden had been scanning International 
Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Global Emergency Center of Activity (GECOA) 
frequencies for stations in Nepal. GECOA frequencies were established as 
places to pass emergency traffic. Worldwide GECOA frequencies are 21.360 
MHz, 18.160 MHz, 14.300 MHz, 7.240 MHz, 7.060 MHz, 3.985 MHz, and 3.750 MHz.

Nepal’s first Amateur Radio repeater, set up in 2012 by the National 
Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), and at least a dozen ham in 
various locations were reported on VHF. The 9N1KS repeater (434.500 MHz 
in/145.000 MHz out) is on the NSET headquarters building on the 
outskirts of Kathmandu. A drill conducted in 2012 indicated good 
coverage of the Kathmandu Valley.

The US chapter of the Computer Association of Nepal provided technical 
and financial assistance for the repeater and supplied equipment to use 
it. The repeater has a battery back-up power source.

The NGO “Humanity Road” is maintaining an *updated summary* 
<http://humanityroad.org/apr25nepalquake/> of damage as well as of 
immediate needs.

“Hams from India and other countries have set an example to provide 
essential communication during disasters,” Bhida said. “The coordination 
and cooperation have also demonstrated [there is] one world, one 
language.” /— Thanks to Jayu Bhide, VU2JAU; Jim Linton, VK3PC; Tim 
McFadden, T6TM; Lloyd Colston, KC5FM; US Army MARS, and others/