Haiti Earthquake Relief Communications

On Wednesday, I devoted the majority of my radio monitoring time to the Haitian Earthquake. While friends of mine were monitoring the Amateur Radio nets associated with relief operations, I decided to monitor USCG relief operations. I concentrated on the COTHEN ALE Net, listening to HH-60s doing medevacs and HC-130s doing evacuations and medevacs from the Port Au Prince Airport. HH-60s using the callsigns ##C and J## and HC-130s using the callsigns 15## and 17## were working through ground stations CAMSLANT (Communications Master Station Atlantic), PANTHER (Operation Bahamas and Turks), and USCG District 7 Miami Ops (via phone patch through SERVICE CENTER). Most of the activity I heard was on the following frequencies:

5.732 USB
7.527 USB
8.912 USB
10.242 USB
11.494 USB
15.867 USB

As far as Amateur Radio Nets are concerned, there are IARU nets in operation on 7.045 LSB and 3.720 LSB. Amateur Radio Operators are asked to monitor these nets, but make sure they are kept clear for essential traffic. SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network) also has nets active on 14.265 USB, 7265 LSB, and 3977.7 LSB. There are also some Echolink VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) nets in operation. In the Savannah area, these can be monitored on the 146.700 and 442.700 repeaters when Jerry, W4SGA and Dan, KF4MND have their echolink nodes connected to the repeaters.

Local VHF/UHF monitoring has indicated multiple large helicopters such as US Navy CH-53s moving southbound and airlift assets departing Charleston AFB for Haiti. Hunter AAF has been used for refueling stops for CH-53s in the past; you may be able to hear them come and go on 124.975/279.575 with communications also possible on Base Ops, 126.200. Aircraft departing Charleston AFB for Haiti can be heard on 134.100/349.400.

Please Pray for the People of Haiti and for the Military Personnel, Government Employees, and NGO workers that are trying to help them.

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT

HF Antenna Problems Revisited

We have found out that the HF antenna does in fact work. Signals just aren't passed from the antenna to the radio very well when a dog has chewed the feedline in two. A mug shot of the offender is seen at the right!

This morning while doing some cleaning. a piece of chewed coax was found. It didn't take very long to assume that it could be the reason why the HF radios aren't working correctly. In short time, a gap in the HF antenna feedline was found behind a desk. Of course, the dog chewed through in a location that we would have to specifically be looking in order to find it - it is somewhat hidden.

It is safe to say that she has been thoroughly chastised and I have threatened to put 100 watts through her mouth should I catch her chewing the coax in the future...

After fixing thie feedline with a couple of PL-259s and a barrel connector, we put the FT-897D on the air and tried everything out. Using the North American QSO Party as a testbed, I worked 26 stations; 20 on 20-Meters, 20 on 40-Meters, and 6 on 80-meters. Everything is now working as it should.

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net

HF Antenna Problems

I'll be off the air for HF utility monitoring and amateur radio operating for a short while. We've got some unknown problems with the G5RV and it is going to have to be replaced. At this point, the suspicion is that the problem is either in the balun between the twin lead and the coax or in the coax or twin lead itself.

Mac McCormick III, KF4LMT
kf4lmt@comcast.net