----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 11:12
AM
Subject: RE: [digitalradio] The US Ham
radio service
One reason for using amateur radio is that during "normal"
everyday operations the agency/organization uses their radios for normal
business. In emergencies, there is generally a need for increased
communications both in equipment and trained operators. Agencies and
organizations cannot budget for emergency communications personnel to work
full time and only be used during an emergency. Thus the reason for
auxiliaries springing up during the early part of the 20th century...the
assisted agencies and organizations when there was the need for additional
personnel.
Thus amateur radio acts an communications auxiliary for many
agencies and organizations during emergencies.
Walt/K5YFW
-----Original Message-----
From:
[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On
Behalf Of Dr. Howard S. White
Sent: Wednesday, March
01, 2006 1:28 AM
To:
[email protected]
Subject: Fw:
[digitalradio] The US Ham radio service
Mel:
As one who has lived and worked in your country and enjoyed
the gentlemanly civility of UK and European Amateurs I can understand your
attitude. It really was a pleasure using Ham Radio over
there.
I do not know if you ever saw the RSGB video on Ham
Radio...but their entire EMCOMM section was a replay of US EMCOMM.. as the
UK does not have any Natural Diasasters to speak of...
On the other side of this issue, tonite I am teaching an
Amateur Radio Licensing class at the USCG Auxiliary. They
have decided that as a result of their experience in many natural disasters
(which for some lucky reason of geography the UK and Europe rarely have) and
especially Katrina that 100% of their members need to get their Amateur
Radio Licenses. .... Hard to believe that with the Billions of $$ the
government spends on communications, they still had to fall back to Ham
Radio as their last line of communications....
So Ham Radio is much more serious stuff over here... We
really have a role to play in EMCOMM.
And I guess that is why some of us take it so seriously...
For me, Katrina was intense.. I did not sleep for 3 1/2 days
while passing traffic on 20M and 40M...
Frankly I never had so much fun in ham radio and felt so
needed as during Katrina...
It even was more intense that our massive 2003 San Diego
Fires... where hams were the only communications for about 7
days....
As Andy said, probably only about 10% of us do EMCOMM But I
wish there were more...
How do digital modes such as PSK, MFSK and Winlink come into
EMCOMM?
.. Well actually they all can be quite useful... Modes
such as PSK and MFSK and Olivia can get through when most other mechanisms
such as SSB or CW will no longer work... Winlink adds a new dimension
to EMCOMM allowing us get help from wide areas through the Internet when no
other means are available...
Ham Radio in EMCOMM is there for those time when all else
fails... it is not a substitute for commercial or government
systems
...but when all else fails, theres always HAM RADIO
... at least in the USA.....
__________________________________________________________
Howard S. White Ph.D. P. Eng., VE3GFW/K6
ex-AE6SM KY6LA
Website: www.ky6la.com
"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"
"Ham Antennas Save Lives - Katrina, 2003 San Diego Fires, 911"
----- Original Message -----
From:
Mel
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 3:04 PM
Subject: [digitalradio] The US Ham radio service
Hello everyone,
The belief that in the United States of America amateur
radio is
regarded like the USN, the USCG,the USAF
etc.is pretty widespread
among the amateur radio
fraternity. It would be interesting to know
how PSK
and other digital modes blend into this service.
I believe it would be safe to assume that in the many
countries of
Europe, radio amateurs regard
talking to their friends or sending PSK
messages on
their transmitters to other amateurs as a hobby, a
pleasant pastime. We don't attach the seriousness and intensity to
the hobby as do our American friends, perhaps we are
too relaxed with
this attitude. This is reflected in
the civility which is shown to
all the users of 80
and 40 metres from the many countries of Europe,,
and this makes amateur radio a pleasure.
Mel G0GQK
