Alun wrote in message . ..
(William) wrote in
om:

Question: Are there more cell towers in America than there are
Amateur Radio Licensees?


Don't know, but if we fall over in an eartquake we just get back up...

Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.

(William) wrote in
m:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
om:

Question: Are there more cell towers in America than there are
Amateur Radio Licensees?


Don't know, but if we fall over in an eartquake we just get back up...

Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.


I wasn't talking about our towers, though, was I? I have one I've never put
up. The point is that, for example, we can communicate in and out of a
disaster area on HF SSB, for example, without needing a tower. Doesn't
happen every day, but that's something to be thankful for.

Alun wrote in message . ..
(William) wrote in
m:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
om:

Question: Are there more cell towers in America than there are
Amateur Radio Licensees?


Don't know, but if we fall over in an eartquake we just get back up...

Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.


I wasn't talking about our towers, though, was I? I have one I've never put
up. The point is that, for example, we can communicate in and out of a
disaster area on HF SSB, for example, without needing a tower. Doesn't
happen every day, but that's something to be thankful for.

True enough. People might be able to use cellular phones to do the same.

(William) wrote in
om:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
m:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
om:

Question: Are there more cell towers in America than there are
Amateur Radio Licensees?


Don't know, but if we fall over in an eartquake we just get back
up...

Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be
months or years if they're ever replaced at all.


I wasn't talking about our towers, though, was I? I have one I've
never put up. The point is that, for example, we can communicate in
and out of a disaster area on HF SSB, for example, without needing a
tower. Doesn't happen every day, but that's something to be thankful
for.

True enough. People might be able to use cellular phones to do the
same.


Exactly. Might or might not.

Alun wrote in message . ..
(William) wrote in
om:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
m:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
om:

Question: Are there more cell towers in America than there are
Amateur Radio Licensees?


Don't know, but if we fall over in an eartquake we just get back
up...

Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be
months or years if they're ever replaced at all.


I wasn't talking about our towers, though, was I? I have one I've
never put up. The point is that, for example, we can communicate in
and out of a disaster area on HF SSB, for example, without needing a
tower. Doesn't happen every day, but that's something to be thankful
for.

True enough. People might be able to use cellular phones to do the
same.


Exactly. Might or might not.

Just like an amateur may or may not be able to help.

"William" wrote in message
om...
Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
m:

Alun wrote in message
. ..
(William) wrote in
om:

Question: Are there more cell towers in America than there are
Amateur Radio Licensees?


Don't know, but if we fall over in an eartquake we just get back
up...

Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.


I wasn't talking about our towers, though, was I? I have one I've never
put
up. The point is that, for example, we can communicate in and out of a
disaster area on HF SSB, for example, without needing a tower. Doesn't
happen every day, but that's something to be thankful for.

True enough. People might be able to use cellular phones to do the same.

Probably not though. The cell phone system is only set up to handle normal
levels of usage. It gets bogged down when traffic levels rise dramatically
as they do in emergencies. If any cell sites are lost in the emergency that
either cuts off that area from cell service entirely or further overloads
the system. In the case of 9/11, calls placed via landlines and/or cell
phones took 30 minutes or more to get through and some did not get through
at all.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

William wrote:


Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.


Even if my tower should fall over, I can string up antennas and be back
on the air in hours of not minutes. Can you do that with your cell phone?

JJ wrote in news:
:

William wrote:


Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.


Even if my tower should fall over, I can string up antennas and be back
on the air in hours of not minutes. Can you do that with your cell phone?



Of course he can't

In article , Alun
writes:

JJ wrote in news:
:

William wrote:

Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.

Even if my tower should fall over, I can string up antennas and be back
on the air in hours of not minutes. Can you do that with your cell phone?

Of course he can't

Cell phones need towers to operate?

My wife and I keep our cell phone in the car's glove compartment.
Hasn't fallen yet. :-)

However, if there's a NEED to operate on HF from a disaster area,
I'd rather depend on an Army National Guardsman walking into it
carrying an AN/PRC-104 HF transceiver. No tower needed. Whip
antenna is tuned by a built-in automatic antenna coupler anywhere
in the HF spectrum. Thousands of them operational since before
1986.

LHA / WMD

Alun wrote in message . ..
JJ wrote in news:
:

William wrote:


Hah, funny one. I've seen amateur towers fall over. It can be months
or years if they're ever replaced at all.


Even if my tower should fall over, I can string up antennas and be back
on the air in hours of not minutes. Can you do that with your cell phone?



Of course he can't

You mean if the little antenna falls off a cellular telephone, I can't
replace it with a paper clip?

Did the laws of physics change?