I hear you there. My rig isn't the best made or newest for that matter lol, but it works. It's an old Icom 745 on a home brew dual band dipole, think I have a total of 400 invested in both radio and antenna.
Ham radio is getting a bit of press here in Oklahoma because of Katrina. The local Red Cross is looking for volunteers to work at Camp Gruber. What I have heard on the news as far as radio goes has been good, maybe this will serve to bring some new blood into the hobby.
One thing I am hoping for is that Americans in general will learn to be more prepared so that when something of this magnitude occurs they won't be caught unprepared.
amen! Every city or town in America has or should have an emergency contingency plan. If New Orleans had one and it wasn't implemented the blame falls on the Emergency Management Director. The EM director is the person who should call the Governor to request aid in the form of supplies and or National Guardsmen. He should also contact the Red Cross. If N.O. didn't have an EM director then the job would fall to the Mayor to coordinate efforts. FEMA, and the Military does not intervene without being asked.