On 8/18/2017 11:57 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: > The local telephone services are installing many hundreds of portable > "towers" to augment the regular cell towers. Even so, I won't be > surprised if Wayne is correct: Amateur Radio may be the most reliable > communications system.
Those of us who know better know that no matter how many other COWS (Cellsites-On-Wheels) are deployed, there's a finite number of circuits that the landline switch can handle. I don't see them bringing in any extra switches! Two major VHF/UHF clubs with repeaters all up and down the state are linking all their machines, and the various county ARES units are on standby to relay overflow requests for 9-1-1 assistance, as will be state and local HF ARES units. Net control for this gigantic net will be at Washington County Sheriff's Office -- which is NOT co-located with the 9-1-1 Center. My ARES deployment is supposed to be at the 9-1-1 Center (Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency) but because of mobility limitations I will be standing by at home to do cross-systems relays if necessary. One activity that has not received much attention in ham-dom is that during the eclipse the ionospheric D-layer will disappear as it does at night, and AM Broadcast signals will propagate as DX for an hour or so. FCC Rules prohibit AM stations with different daytime and nighttime parameters to operate nighttime with daytime parameters but this is one exception (another is during a mandated FCC inspection). It's going to be interesting. 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Member, Washington County, OR Emergency Communications Team ARES/RACES AEC for Training ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
