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Amateur Radio: Communication of Last Resort

Amateur Radio: Communication of Last Resort. What to do when ya just gotta talk. You really don’t want to have to use amateur radio. WHY??? It is temperamental Goes to anyone and everyone Experience is needed to operate Takes up space Can interfere with the neighbors

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Amateur Radio: Communication of Last Resort

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  1. Amateur Radio:Communication of Last Resort What to do when ya just gotta talk

  2. You really don’t want to have to use amateur radio • WHY??? • It is temperamental • Goes to anyone and everyone • Experience is needed to operate • Takes up space • Can interfere with the neighbors • Equipment can get to be very expensive

  3. Why use it then??? • It goes to anyone • Works in situations when other stuff don’t • Pool of experts that want to work with you • Easy to get the first level license (technician class) • Variety of equipment and programs to use

  4. Department Of Health and Senior Services Amateur Radio Capabilities • HF- this is used for reaching longer distances, around the world, or a few miles. • VHF/UHF- up to 50 miles, used for short-range communication, but range can be increased by the use of high antennas and repeaters.

  5. Department Of Health and Senior Services Amateur Radio Capabilities • Phone- Also known as voice. This is the main method for communicating with other amateurs, or in emergencies, anyone with whom you can get connected . This is much like talking on the phone, but with radio, you have to wait for the other party to finish before you start the communication on your end. To communicate from your radio, you have to PTT (push to talk), for your message to be transmitted. Releasing the talk button allows your radio to receive transmissions from others.

  6. Operating Frequencies • There are established frequencies that emergency services using amateur radio regularly use with HF radio. • 80 meter band………..3.963 MHz • 40 meter band………..7.263 MHz • 20 meter band……….14.263 MHz Any one can tune into these frequencies during an exercise or actual disaster event and hear the communications being attempted or delivered.

  7. Operating frequencies (continued) • Successful emergency communication using these emergency frequencies most often depends on having an experienced “net controller”. • A net controller directs all the numerous and varied communications that can come onto the emergency frequencies during a disaster event. • The controller will designate a specific radio operator to talk at one time. • The controller then attempts to locate the party with whom the designated radio operator is trying to connect. • If both parties are located on frequency, the controller can send them to an “off-set” frequency, where they can continue un interrupted communication.

  8. Department of Health and Senior Services Amateur Radio Alternate communication methods • Packet Radio • Packet radio is a means of data transfer using VHF radio. Operators can type information on a computer screen and send the information via radio. • Good for complicated or very detailed messages, such as pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. • At this time, the ability to make use of packet radio is limited to those operators able to reach packet antenna “nodes” in the east-central part of Missouri. • See http://www.mersweb.org/nodes.htm for node locations, antenna coverage areas and detailed information on MERS, Inc. (Missouri Emergency Radio Service)

  9. MERS, Inc. Possible Packet radio Coverage Map

  10. Department of Health and Senior Services Amateur Radio Alternate communication methods (continued) • PSK31 • PSK31 is much like packet radio in that you use the computer to type messages. • PSK31 uses HF radio to send the typed data • Note: Both Packet and PSK31 require additional hardware: a TNC (terminal node controller) or sound card, and for PSKk31, control software (usually free on the internet).

  11. Exercises and Amateur Radio • National Level Exercise: Missouri earthquake Highway Patrol Regions E and C simulated a loss of power for a day, that included phones, cell phones and internet. Department of Health communicated with hospitals and emergency management via amateur radios to order hospital supplies and medications from the Strategic National Stockpile Managed Inventory Regional Staging and Storage site in Springfield. Orders were also placed from other areas of the state, that wished to practice on their facility amateur radios.

  12. Exercising Amateur Radio Assets • Easy to set up contact exercises • New Federal Communication Commission rules allow exercises without Commission preapproval • DHSS would be glad to set up communication attempts with any and all health entities. Contact David Bagge, Center for Emergency Response/Terrorism 573-522-6150

  13. Contacting Local Amateur Radio Assistance • There are 52 amateur radio clubs listed in the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL, the main national radio organization) club directory. • Clubs are an excellent way to find willing local expertise and help with emergency communication • Club information may be obtained from the following website: http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club

  14. Presenter Information David Bagge Planner III Center for Emergency Response/Terrorism Jefferson City, Missouri  65109 573-522-6150 david.bagge@health.mo.gov

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