Amateur Radio in the News

•     The Patriot-News - (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - May 28, 2008) carried a feature story on Jack Dellinger, N3BQB, entitled “Emergency? Ham radio operators keep talk flowing” - The York Township. resident has seven phones and four computers in his home, and a cell phone always with him. Yet when it comes to emergencies, Dellinger still depends on the century-old technology known as ham or amateur radio.

"When all else fails, amateur radio is there," said Dellinger, a 27-year ham radio operator who in times of disasters sets up equipment so emergency responders can communicate if or when county radio towers fail. "Amateur radio is ready and willing to serve the community."

During the May 12 earthquake in China, a Chinese ham radio repeater never stopped functioning. Chinese hams headed for the epicenter to set up emergency communications and soon, more than 200 local radio hams were communicating on that repeater.

In the United States, the last major disaster in which ham radios were used was after Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the South. Two weeks after the hurricane struck, the American Radio Relay League recruited Dellinger to help provide communications in Hattiesburg, Miss. "I worked there with the American Red Cross Pennsylvania branch for three weeks," Dellinger said. "We had amateur radio communications between the operations center and mass care center. I also spent a week in one of their emergency response vehicles, where the Red Cross took food to the mass care centers, churches, schools and firehouses. There was no other communications there."

Dellinger said that when disasters sever power and phone lines, the hand-held, battery-operated ham radios can be lifelines. "When phone lines are overloaded or when radio towers are down in power outages, ham radio continues to communicate," he said. "Sometimes, we're all that's left."

In Pennsylvania, ham radios have been used during floods and other weather disasters, said Jack Wehr, WA3TNT, acting director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Technical Service Bureau. He said PEMA has ham radios in its headquarters and conducts semi-annual drills with hams. "Ham radios are not yesterday's technology," said Wehr, a ham radio operator for 36 years. "Society today relies on phones so much. When they don't work, people get upset. Ham radios work."

•     DPL Surveillance Equipment of Reseda, California was issued a citation on May 27, 2008, by the FCC for marketing various cell phone jammers, wireless Wi-Fi jammers and GPS blockers on their website. The firm has admitted to marketing these devices but selling very few. The FCC wants to know within 20 days the manufacturer of these devices, whether the firm imports them and other requested information not addressed in their initial response. “...the main purpose of cell phone, GPS and other wireless jammers is to block or interfere with radio communications.” Such devices are clearly prohibited in the United States and “shall not be operated, advertised, displayed, offered for sale or lease, sold or leased....” Further marketing of these unauthorized radio frequency devices could subject the firm to a $11,000 fine for each violation or each day of a continuing violation.

•      China Earthquake Communications - Hams in China have secured their earthquake emergency nets on HF, but note that one or more may be re-started if needed as a result of continuing aftershocks.

The 8.0-magnitude quake that struck the southwestern Sichuan Province May 12 is China's most deadly in 32 years. More than 70,000 people are dead, 20,000 still missing and 250,000 were injured ...5 million people are homeless. (The 1976 quake killed 242,000 people.)

China Central Television (CCTV) reported on May 26, 'When all other communication means failed, amateur radio operators came out!' An amateur radio emergency communication network was setup and one of the commanders, Liu hu called for amateur radio operators on air to provide services for disaster relief: "Thankfully one main repeater survived during the earthquake, this repeater provided 100km coverage to Mianyang. Amateur radio operators from Chengdu, Shenzhen and He'nan went to the center of the disaster area, set up repeaters in Beichuan county, and provided various valuable first hand information from the center."

According to the Chinese Radio Sport Association (CRSA) website, personnel and equipment have now been removed from the disaster zone, and the frequencies of 7.030, 7.050, 7.060 and 14.270 MHz are no longer in use for emergency communications.

However, International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 Disaster Communications Chairman Jim Linton, VK3PC, says the CRSA notes that one or more of those frequencies may be returned to use in the event of further severe aftershocks.

CRSA would like to thank all amateurs around the world who helped keep these frequencies clear for emergency communications, and for the concern of amateurs and amateur radio societies worldwide.

Please note that 7077, 7085, and 7140 kHz continue to be in use for emergency communications by amateurs in Colombia following the May 24th earthquake centered 30 miles south of the capital city of Bogota.

Oscar HK6PRO, a firefighter, reports that Colombian radio amateurs have been providing communications on behalf of the Red Cross, using HK3VCR from two locations within the disaster zone. HK3VCR stands for 'Voluntarios Cruz Roja' (Red Cross Volunteers) and is the Colombian Red Cross national society station set up specifically for emergency communications. It uses this call when using the amateur bands to talk to other hams. (Info from CQ Magazine's Public Service Editor Bob Josuweit, WA3PZO.)

•      Amateurs Assist with Florida Fires - The ARRL reports that amateur Radio operators in Brevard County, Florida responded in a support role during a recent spate of wildfires that ravaged the towns of Palm Bay and Malabar. The fires, all of which were deemed "suspicious" by fire authorities, began on Sunday, May 11. Dubbed the "Mother's Day Fires," they burned close to 13,000 acres in southern Brevard County. According to official sources, the Mother's Day fires destroyed more than 30 homes with an estimated value of $5.6 million, and damaged almost 250 residences. Located about 25 miles east of Orlando, Brevard County is home to Kennedy Space Center, site of NASA's space shuttle launch area. (Full story here.)

•     New Russian Amateur Radio Satellite was successfully launched on May 23rd. The 112 pound “Yubileiny” -- Russian for “jubilee” – satellite was launched into low earth orbit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the world’s first space satellite. Its call sign, RS-30, stands for Radio Sputnik 30.

The satellite has a store and forward system (2 meters input, 70cm output) ...as well as voice and data. The satellite also supports Slow Scan TV (SSTV). The satellites CW beacons have been widely reported on 435.315 MHz and 435.215 MHz (+/- doppler).

The satellite transmits a cyclic series of messages lasting for 4 minutes including a call signal and TM-data (10 seconds); a voice message (1 minute); a pause (50 seconds); the first artificial satellite imitated signals (10 seconds); an image (1 minute); with a final pause (50 seconds).

An article on the Russian “Yubileiny” (RS-30) satellite is available on the web. It apeared in the February 2008 issue (No 3) of the OAO journal "ISS" and contained some very good pictures of the satellite.