On Jan 11, 4:00*pm, wrote:
On Jan 11, 4:41 pm, SC Dxing wrote:

On Jan 11, 3:23 pm, RHF wrote:

A hurricane/snow storm can easily take out any antenna tower.

So me evidence to back up your claims. I've had multiple towers in
many locations and I've never lost one to a snow storm, ice storm,
hurricane, or tornado. *Usually, the tower is the one thing that
survives.

Then you need electricity

Generators are fairly plentiful and run for days on 200 gallons of
propane.

Then you need someone who is going to listen on the
other side.

And hams do listen 24/7, somewhere in the world someone is always
listening. During Katrina, thounsands of traffic messages were passed,
as has many messages been handled during a lot of the ice storms this
season up North.

My wife works for emergency services and not a single
emergency scenario involves using ham radio operators.

Then they are not utilizing all the resources available to them.
Thankfully, my community involves all legitimate parties during every
emergency exercise, including ham radio ops, but CB radio and FRS are
never included because the folks who own FRS want to have a family CB
service, and CB radio ops are too busy trying to play who has the
biggest illegal amplfier. The users of CB and FRS do not have an
interest in emergency coms until something happens, then they show up
untrained, uncoordinated, and become an hinderance to any on going
operations.

If anything, *CB radio or mobile UHF/VHF device would be more reliable.

Hams use UHF and VHF, so your point is??? And mobile CB is useless
more than 5-10 miles away unless you are running illegal power.

And a stationary HAM radio can only be used in one location.

And can relay messages locally from roving ops checking on health and
welfare, as well Statewide, Country wide, and World wide. *Don't
forget that hams work in coordination with each other, some mobile,
and someone at the base with a tower relaying the information locally
or statewide as necessary.

Not very good, if you are going around house to house checking on people in an
emergency.

But ham radio can be used both portable and base, a repeater statioin
also comes to mind as a coordinated effort that has proven itself time
and time again.

A stationary tower is probably the worst choice for
emergency communications.

Why. Every emergeny service in the US uses stationary stations with
towers as the hub to their operations.

Satellite phone. Never ever goes out as long as you got it charged.
Never.

Most folks are not going to pay the outlandish monthly fees for a
satellite phone + air time. *The only reason your sat phone works is
because not many folks have them. *Just imagine if everyone had a sat
phone instead of a cell phone. *I can tell you from experience that on
September 11, the whole cell phone infrastructure crashed and was not
operable.

If everyone had sat phones, it would overload the capablility of the
sat, and your phone would be worthless.



sounds more like a towering monument to
someone's personal status and ego ~ RHF
.

Agreed. There was a time when a HAM radio operator was a real asset in
a disaster. But with the advances in technology, especially portable
communications, those days have passed.

So where were all of the so called advances when Katrina took out the
Gulf Coast? Or during the recent ice storms up North. *Hams have
activiely assisted on both events and every major emergency in
between.

BTW, Which emergency organization does your wife work for, I would
like to find out why they are not adhering to the policies set forth
in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 2007 Appropriations Act
(HR 5441). Which indicates that Amateur Radio should be incorperated
into the contingent plans by all communities for emergency and
disaster prepardness.

DL

DL - You are thinking like a HAM : Who Is Prepared :
You may be able to help a few or many -but-What
about the hundreds of 'others' in need of H-E-L-P too ?

But the Average Citizen is NOT prepared : That Has
Got To Change : Putting a FRS, GMRS, and/or CB
Radio in the Hands of American Household can make
it possible to HELP Hundreds of People in Need.
Every Citizen a Neighbor and Neightbors Helping
Neighbors in their Local Neighborhoods. ~ RHF