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General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on February 03, 2020, 1133 UTC

Title: Amateur radio skills prove useful during bushfire emergencies
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on February 03, 2020, 1133 UTC

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-01/amateur-radio-skills-prove-useful-during-bushfires/11903200

Title: Re: Amateur radio skills prove useful during bushfire emergencies
Post by: MDK2 on February 17, 2020, 0340 UTC

I'm commenting because this made me think of a ham in Finland named Greg White, whom I'm pretty sure is Australian by birth and had a decent ham radio & shortwave channel on youtube. A couple of months ago he posted some crazy video claiming that ham radio wasn't of any effectiveness in times of emergency using the most hackneyed reasoning (basically since few people die in forest fires annually, there's no real need for hams - it was something along those lines). I know from interactions I had with him on Facebook that he had zero tolerance for mild disagreement, so he must have gotten a ton of blowback for that video. He deleted his channel so I can't link back for everyone to see how ridiculous it was, but that kind of reaction is what I'd expect based on the reaction he was inviting with such an absurd argument.

Title: Re: Amateur radio skills prove useful during bushfire emergencies
Post by: Josh on February 17, 2020, 1944 UTC

Some kid with a ticket was hiking with friends on a mountain and they came across someone who had fallen a long ways and was busted up bad. It took them hours to hike to where they were. Anyway, he fired up his ht and the only repeater he could bring up was the local sheriff dept. He called the dispatcher, told them who he was and where he was and that someone needed life flight immediately.

They lifeflighted the busted up guy and took the kids radio, later trying to charge him for using law enforcement freqs.
He got his rig back and they dropped charges after being revealed to be the fools they are. You never know when HAM will become important. Also I think I read the geniuses running kali have denied need for HAMs and their rigs in their latest wildfires.

Title: Re: Amateur radio skills prove useful during bushfire emergencies
Post by: MDK2 on February 17, 2020, 2137 UTC

Quote from: Josh on February 17, 2020, 1944 UTC

Also I think I read the geniuses running kali have denied need for HAMs and their rigs in their latest wildfires.

That last bit's been widely debunked. Beware rumors, especially the ones that cater to your beliefs.

Title: Re: Amateur radio skills prove useful during bushfire emergencies
Post by: Josh on February 18, 2020, 2133 UTC

LOL!!!