-----Original Message----- From: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Roger J. Buffington Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 10:18 AM To: digitalradio@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [digitalradio] Re: Oregon Governor Allocates $250,000 for Digital Communications Network
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:dalite01%40bellsouth.net> net wrote: > Another point to consider is that the Government Employee who will be > operating this equipment is maintaining (and will probably continue > to maintain) and average age south of 40 years old. The same cannot > be said for the Amateur Radio community who is letting attrition and > lack of appeal to younger members raise the average age north of 60 > years old. Let me get this straight. You are saying Government Employees are going to be operating Government equipment on the ham bands? Actually, I said Govt employees will be operating Amateur equipment in government installations on amateur (or NTIA) bands; dependent of the ability of the folks on the other end to handle their taskings. They will be licensed for the bands they operate on I attended testing sessions that licensed 30 in 2 sessions last year in our county. They included County Police, County Fire, County EOC, Public Health and City Police. An unnamed Federal Training Center will also have operators. Currently, there is a complete redundant HF/VHF/UHF station (2 HF - UHF) rigs allowing simulataneous voice and digital operation at the EOC/911 Center. Already purchased are identical stations for local hospital and sister hospital in neighboring county. Public Health and other Agencies are getting employees licensed and have equipment budgeted for or on the drawing table. Federal Training Cebter will be setting up 4 fixed location stations and 4 "driveaway" portable stations with similar capabilities. > > There is something about that survival instinct that trumps tradition > fed attrition every time. A meaningless statement if there ever was one. No response necessary > > The time to be worrying about this dynamic, and making preparations > to prevent it from happening was decades ago. At this point in time, > all the bluster is as useful as re-arranging the deck chairs on the > Titanic. I have no idea what most of the above post means, but if you are ready to write amateur radio off, I am not. I don't know what the average age of the hams who responded to the last group of emergencies was, but I do know that they did a bang-up job, as usual. Mostly with relatively simple modes like SSB and FM voice. And they did it without a lot of Government employees or equipment. In fact, it is the very fact that hams privately own lots of things like generators, transceivers, quickly-deployable antennas, etc.(and the skill to use them) that makes amateur radio a unique resource. Time and time again it has been amateur radio, not a gaggle of Government employees, that provides communication in emergencies. If you have no idea about the above, there isn't much need in trying to elaborate. The concept may be a little more complex than you care to admit. The ARRL gave over long-range emergency comms to the NTIA crowd - MARS. Amateur Radion is in the last mile catagtory now. Government wmployees are not exempted from getting Amateur Radio licenses. National Guard has renewed their dependence on HF radio. Short answer, average amateur is around 61 years old. Some older, some younger. Little attraction is seen in the younger crowd to get into the Hobby/Service. The Katrina After Action Report (AAR) put ham radio in the spotlight. Do the math. If that is too difficult, thump your chest about past performances and look around at the average age of your accomplices. This is the time for intellectual honesty; sometimes referred to as pragmatism. David KD4NUE de Roger W6VZV
