Survey Comments
ECOMM
Amateur radio "ECOMM" is a bad joke.
No such thing. It's a HOBBY,,,,you are
NOT a 1st responder !!! Put that vest away.
Posted by
KT4WO on 2022-12-27
Emergency Communications Are Necessary
Growing up in Alaska and experiencing the Great Alaska quake first hand and the necessity of emcomm’s via ham radio it directly influenced me.
Currently I am a first responder living in San Jose California and having been deployed to numerous fires, the longest being the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise. Perfect example: The National Guard was deployed to help us and I was given the job of transporting three guardsmen through out the entire fire zone to show them the roads and routes for emergency ingress and egress for their crews and equipment. Where vehicles of all sizes could and could not go and what it would take if a vehicle ventured where it should not have gone and what it would take to extricate them. During this excursion they brought up they had lost all communication capabilities and what if we get into a problem ourselves. I then demonstrated that we had communications with ham radio and would not lose contact in an emergency.
Relying on modern infrastructure solely even today could prove futile.
73 to All.
Posted by
K6WEF on 2022-12-24
Need anther category
I became interested in ham radio because I wanted to be able to communicate with people far away. About 6 months after upgrading to Tech, I discovered "public service events" through a local radio club. That gradually, over time, evolved into an interest in emergency communications.
So...something else got me interested, and then I developed an interest in emergency communications.
Posted by
N8AUC on 2022-12-22
Did A Natural Disaster Influence You To Obtain Your Amateur License
The Answer is "Yes", but it had nothing to do with hams.
October 2017, I got a call at 2:30 in the morning from my wife. I was working down at Fresno as the Voice of the Fair and my wife got the mandatory evacuation call and wanted to know where the fire was. After some effort I did locate the fire and determined that it was moving away from her location--told her to be ready but for the moemnt stay put. That was the night Bangor burned to the ground in Butte County. The residential neighborhood in San Rafael, (The Coffey Area) made the headlines as it too, burned to the ground.
The next day I went to everyone's favorite internet store and began searching for scanners for my wife. Hand held radios kept popping up in the stream of products. Oh--I can talk on the radio...what does that take? February 2018 I got my Technician license and exactly a year later my General.
So, a natural disaster (wildfire) did thrust me into radio, but it wasn't hams that did it. In fact after the town of Paradise burned and the Berry Creek area the next year--foilks in our area set up a Radio Fire Watch on GMRS as the licensing requirements were nil. It has worked.
Posted by
N6TDG on 2022-12-22
Great Alaska Earthquake & Tsunami
In March 1964, I listened to AK Hams on SSB HF using a random wire and a HQ-100A receiver. The Ham reports were first hand, before the days of TV via satellite.
The damage reports from the Anchorage area were impressive.
I became "Radio-Active" in 1961. QTH was Rochester NY.
73 & Be Well.. Joe O, K I 5 F J
Posted by
KI5FJ on 2022-12-19
Passe’
Anyone that believes amateur radio has a place in emergency services is living in the past. There a time amateur radio provided a vital communications link during tragedy, but technology rendered our contribution obsolete some time ago. If emergency communications is the sole reason someone enters the hobby, they’re going to be very disappointed.
Posted by
WA5VGO on 2022-12-18
Alabama Tornado Day
On April 27, 2011, 62 confirmed tornado's struck Alabama in a 24 hour period. 200 fatalities and millions in damages. In my county, the first tornado cut the main fiber optic line. Emergency responders, all using DMR, lost communications. Amateur radio operators, ARES members, rode with first responders providing communications among disaster response agencies. It motivated me to get back into amateur radio, especially emergency communications.
Posted by
K4GTE on 2022-12-18
Loma Prieta Quake
I lived in San Jose, my parents lived in Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz was without phone service for a week. I saw no hams help, but I knew they could. Now, my parents and myself are licensed.
Posted by
KM6HBH on 2022-12-17
Desire
I'd happily be involved with emergency comm. But being a first responder, I tend to be otherwise occupied when amatuer radio emcomm would be necessary.
Posted by
KY4MI on 2022-12-15
e-com
I will, and I have helped pass emergency traffic, but I'm not involved with an official e-com group.
Posted by
KG6BRG on 2022-12-15
Influenced my interest
Boy Scout Explorer Post sponsored by the local ham club.
Posted by
WU0F on 2022-12-12