expeditionradio wrote: > > Roger W6VZV wrote: > > > Where is the 24/7 volunteer force? Red Cross, RACES, and other > > "minuteman" style ham volunteer groups. > > Roger, > > Respectfully, those are all wonderful groups. But none of them > provide 24/7 access for emergency traffic on HF. At best, their > response is measured in hours or days. > > Such 24/7 emergency access only exists with automatic systems.
Sorry, but that is not what I've seen during two decades of operating. The robot stations are at most bit-players. > > If you are voluteering to provide 24/7 service with manual systems, > you will need more than just handwaving and oratory. You will need > operators on duty around the clock, and a real system for alerting > them. This is offensive rhetoric, and inaccurate. I will bet that north of 99% of all emcomm, and all of the important emcomm, over the past three decades has been done via live amateur operators, not automatic stations. The oratory and handwaving are by the Pactor bunch, who plainly have a different agenda than the rest of amateur radio. This agenda does not involve emergency communications, although that is a convenient argument in support of a frequency grab. de Roger W6VZV
