Ham radio attempts to fill communication gaps in Nepal rescue effort

IT World ^ | 4-29-15 | John Ribeiro

[markomalley]

Amateur radio has stepped in to fill communication gaps in Nepal, which is struggling with power outages and a flaky Internet after a devastating earthquake on Saturday killed over 5,000 people.

The hobbyist radio operators, also known as ham radio operators or hams, are working round-the-clock to help people get in touch with relatives, pass on information and alert about developing crises ever since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit about 80 kilometers from Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu.

Ham radio sends voice or morse code messages across radio frequencies and has often helped in emergencies. It can work off solar power or low-voltage batteries, which means that the radios can continue to work even after smartphones and laptops are discharged, said Jayu Bhide, National Coordinator for Disaster Communication at the Amateur Radio Society of India, on Wednesday.

[markomalley]

One note on the article, it says QRP is 15-20 watts. QRP is actually 5 watts or less. Otherwise, a nice piece on what amateur radio can do when SHTF.

[JRandomFreeper]

Morse gets though where voice doesn't.

God bless those that help with communications.

/johnny

[Theoria]

Ham, ping.

[factoryrat]

What bands are getting the most traffic? QRP will only really reach out down below 40m. I’ll fire up the rig and see what I can pick up, being on the west coast I should get something.

[VR-21]

Bookmarked.

[chajin]

Morse gets though where voice doesn't.

_ ._. .._ . ._._._

[JRandomFreeper]

I don't have an antenna up, or I would listen in, too.

I had a dream about getting a vertical, so maybe I should get one. lol!

/johnny

[Greysard]

QRP will only really reach out down below 40m.

It's all QRP on V/UHF bands, unless you are into EME. I would presume that short range communications are carried out on V/UHF, and longer range is done on HF using NVIS, given that half of Nepal is a mountain country and most of their repeaters in high places are out of power by now. If they have enough power in the link, RTTY or PSK are preferred modes, as they can be serviced by minimally trained operators.

[tcrlaf]

“Otherwise, a nice piece on what amateur radio can do when SHTF.”

It’s too bad that Ham Radio is dying, and fast.

Someday, we are really going to need it.

[TxAg1981]

QRP will only really reach out down below 40m.
Not so. I use my QRP rig and often use 20m, 17m, and 15m. My farthest contact is 5,300 miles to south Brazil. That is using phone, not CW.
I love QRP but if I really needed to make contact (like emergency situations), I would use PSK mode at 30 watts or, phone at 100 watts.

[Uncle Miltie]

If you’ve been there, you understand how unlikely it is that anyone anywhere has electricity at any point in time.

Can ham radios operate on pedal power?

[Red Badger]

Imagine, an antennae on EVEREST!.............

[markomalley]

“What bands are getting the most traffic? QRP will only really reach out down below 40m.”

I personally would guess 80 or 40. With any higher frequencies, they’d be QRM’d by lids trying to work on their DXCC.

Personally, I’d do 80m PSK31 if I was them.

[LadyBuck]

Please add me to your Ham radio ping list, if you have one.

[CrazyIvan]

“Can ham radios operate on pedal power?”

Yes. Search “ham field day” and you’ll find all sorts of improvised radio.

[markomalley]

“I had a dream about getting a vertical, so maybe I should get one. lol!”

Suggest an SGC-239 auto-tuner and a random length wire (it can match a wire as short as 40 feet for 80m and higher (8 ft for 40m and higher). Also it’s less than 200 dollars.

[JRandomFreeper]

My best contact ever was last breakout back in the 90s. I spoke from Texas to Northern California on FM on the 6 meter band on a handi-talkie. Direct with no repeaters involved.

I was making a joke with a friend who was with me, and some guy from northern CA actually talked to me. LOL!

Surprised us both.

/johnny

[markomalley]

“Can ham radios operate on pedal power?”

In fact..http://youtu.be/ktMGQivZfcE

[loungitude]

A random wire is as close to free as one can get!

[JRandomFreeper]

And I probably have a few random wires floating around the yard. All I need to do is bring in a terminator.

/johnny