show1_08242023

In this episode of "On the Airwaves," the host, Brad Lowe, discusses emergency preparedness and the importance of radio during emergencies. He shares recordings from radio stations in Hawaii that were providing vital information and assistance during recent fires. The host emphasizes that radio is the most reliable form of communication during disasters, as other methods like cell phones often fail. He also mentions the need for more awareness about the importance of radio in emergency management. The episode also includes a segment on wildfire preparedness in East Texas. On the airwaves Hello and welcome to On the Airwaves with your host Brad Lowe, K5BDL. A little first, a little bit about me. I've been an amateur radio operator since 1992. First license as N5ZIS at November 5 Zulu India Sierra as a Tech Plus. Got that license when I was still at Lawn Morris Junior College there in Jacksonville. And throughout the years upgraded to General and now finally an Extra. Now current call sign Kilo 5 Bravo Delta Lima. And my wife Peggy, she's also licensed. It took several years to finally get her licensed or at least should say interested in being licensed. And now she is K5PFL. And on future shows we'll have her on to talk about women in ham radio. But first today on today's program I want to talk a little bit about some emergency preparedness. And each show will of course include an aspect for that emergency preparedness. And just being prepared to listen on the radio for anything. And with recent fires in Lanai over Hawaii. First have a segment from CKUT, Jill Eterno and Sheldon Harvey featured a recording from some stations over there in Hawaii. You'll find very interesting and stand by for that. So coming up we have a series of articles about Maui. And of course all of the emergency response that was happening there. And so we have first a audio clip from NBC News where radio hosts in Maui take calls to keep the community informed. And we're going to listen to that right now. Please, please, people are desperate. Babies need diapers and formula. The elderly need their medication. All right, all right. Hang on, hang on for just a second, okay? All right. Veteran radio host Ed Kapoi of KISS 99 takes the call from Napili, north of Kaanapali. It just kind of rocks you to your core, it really does. It's hard to take those kind of phone calls. You hear them crying, their tears, their desperate pleas. It's real. It's very real for me. In another studio at Pacific Media Group, the Hawaiian music hosts are doing the same for their audience. From Oluwalu again, mahalo Lori, letting us know that you are there and there are families there waiting for some kind of supply, any kind of food and supplies. And we are working on that for you. The DJ's efforts have been made harder in this disaster, they say, by the lack of information from the administration of Mayor Richard Bisson, who's only been in office seven months and has rarely been available since the fires. It's been very frustrating trying to get people to talk, not to us specifically, but to talk through us to reach the people that really need to hear their voices. And when we don't have those details available to us for them, it's frustrating for sure. I just wish we had more from them. We need our leader to step up and guide us on what to do. We have people out there waiting for any kind of contact. They come early in the morning and it's hard when we don't have any access to any information. I've called the mayor's wife and asked, is there any way he can talk with us? I haven't gotten a response back yet. You know, I was in Hurricane Iniki, and I know what it's like to be without power, without food, without water, and not have any information come your way. I go home and my sister looks at me like, are you okay? I'm like, I shouldn't be here. There's more that I can do. You could feel the emotions of everybody in that recording. It's incredible. And just shows you, once again, where do you turn when nothing works? Well, they turned to radio. Radio was there for them. And radio was there to get the emergency calls. And hearing the panicked people calling in and really in need of emergency and in need of help. Yeah, for the announcers themselves, too. They were almost feeling helpless, like these people calling in to them, like we're the only people these people have been able to reach. We can't really do anything for them ourselves except to give them this opportunity to talk to someone and to let people know what was happening to them. So, again, really the power of radio being there at a time where it was really needed and really helpful for a lot of people. And, of course, talking about the Maui fires, emergency response in Maui fires highlights radio's importance. And we just heard an example here. This is by Ron Schacht in a letter to the editor of Radio World. In this letter to the editor, the author comments on radio's role in emergency management in relation to this article from CBS about the recent devastation in Maui. Interesting story from CBS News about the fires in Maui. If you read through it, nothing worked. Sirens didn't work. Cell phones were sketchy or not working at all. No electricity, etc., etc. If you read through the entire story, near the end is one line. Emergency management had to resort to radio to communicate with the victims of the fires. Well, well, interesting that what we have been saying all along is really true. The oldest form of contacting people is still the most reliable. And, unfortunately, because people are so attached to their stupid phones, radio has to be resorted to. This little section of the article needs to get to these senators and congressmen who are on this AM in every car movement. Again, only brain-dead people who don't believe in radio think cell phones are the answer to everything. I am overjoyed when cell phone networks crash and people realize they are not as good as they expected, even though once the cell phones are up again, radio will go back to being ignored. When we first started out here, the emergency manager had a drill of a fake tornado going through the middle of town. We have two of everything where I work in South Dakota. Towers, transmitters, generators, studios, microwave links. So, we will stay on the air. Finally, people are indeed starting to realize that we are there when the cell service here has gone down. People have become way too reliant on cell phones. It's not the physical phones. It's the way they have taken over and brainwashed people into doing nothing else but spending 99% of their time with them. I have one. It's a plain old flip phone. It comes out of my pocket if someone calls me. Otherwise, just to charge it once or twice a week. If I need to call someone, I use a landline. They are so much more reliable and sound so much better. Mine used to give me severe weather alerts, but they were about 20 minutes after our AM station had them on the air and usually after the severe event has passed. Ron Schacht, Radio Engineer, Redfield, South Dakota. This shows you that radio is very important and it is true, actually, that cell phones easily, easily go offline. I'll say it again. We have a very quick event here of a little ice storm in April that made my smartphone almost useless to get internet and calls. And that was a small event. I imagine in a fire like in Maui, forget it. Your smartphone isn't working. There's nothing else. It's unfortunate that I think we have come to a moment in time where people think that the technology we use is so reliable that it can never go down, when in reality, there are so many occasions where it can actually go down. Yep. It's sad that it takes something as dramatic as this and as dangerous as this for some people to realize it. This is a gentleman who's a radio engineer, so he knows, and as he said in his letter, they have two of everything because things will go down and you need to be on the air. You need to get messages out to people. I thought that was an excellent, excellent letter and hopefully a lot of people read it and understand it and digest it all. Well, thank you, Jill and Sheldon, for that. Yes, that just shows you, everyone, that despite our technology, cell phones, well, they will go down. It's not a matter of if but when. So this also proves that radio, yes, radio does get through. And so next several shows, I'll tell you more about, some more about Amesha Radio, how to listen to that, and also become a ham operator. Join us in helping us with emergency communications and enjoy the hobby, too. And later, also some other things, not just be emergency preparedness but how to enjoy listening to shortwave, also participate in many other radio networks, being GMRS, CB, of course, all things radio, and also how to listen to our public service. And speaking of some things locally, well, this is wildfire season for East Texas, and so I have a little segment here from KLTV on some wildfire preparedness. The Texas A&M Forest Service has guidelines for how citizens can stay prepared during the wildfire threat. KLTV's Justin Harcastle has more. GMRS drought has made conditions favorable for wildfires, with at least 28 of them reported in the East Texas area, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. And now, more than ever, it's important to know what to do if you encounter a wildfire. Sean Duncan with the Forest Service assures us there are steps that can be taken by everyone. Our main message is to just be prepared and that means taking care of your property with anything that might cause a spark. That could be outdoor grills. It could be welding. It could be agricultural equipment. It could be roadside starts like by dragging chains or parking on dry grass. The underside of your vehicle, if it's very hot, it can ignite vegetation underneath it. So please be careful and then also abide by burn bans. Following rules is one thing, but what if a fire is on your doorstep and you need to evacuate? Well, Duncan told us there's a solution for that too, and it's called the 5 Ps. Here's some things that you can keep in mind to follow the 5 Ps and be ready for evacuation in your household. It starts with grabbing pets and people in your house. Prescription medication and any medical supplies like Band-Aids are up next. After that, make sure you grab important documents like birth certificates or passports. Don't forget personal items. Glasses, keys, and phone chargers can all be useful. Last is priceless items that can't be replaced, like family pictures. Along with following the 5 Ps, being mindful of what's flammable on your property can help keep hot embers from igniting. Keep those roofs clear of dead leaves and grass. The gutters too, because they can dry out fast. Flawed furniture like this can be a problem too. Though it has a metal frame, these pillows can catch fire easily. So make sure to put them inside if there's a fire in your area. Following these steps and staying prepared can help keep you and your loved ones safe during this wildfire season. The information presented by Ready, Set, Go! Texas is recommended by the Texas A&M Forest Service. Right in the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season, while there are no major threats to the area recently, East Texas leaders do want everyone to be prepared. KLTV's Mariella Gonzalez spoke with the City of Nacogdoches Emergency Management. East Texas faces multiple wildfires this summer. City of Nacogdoches Emergency Management Coordinator, Michael Sola, City of Nacogdoches Emergency Management Coordinator, Michael Sola, says it's important to be mindful of other natural disasters. I don't want folks here in East Texas to take their eyes off the fact that we're in the middle of our hurricane season and to pay attention to the weather. Sola says with coastal waters heating up, hurricanes can bring bad weather days. In Deep East Texas, we've had two different types of impacts and it all depends on, in essence, what side of the storm we get. Strong winds can cause power outages, fallen trees, and home damage. And when experiencing heavy rain, Sola says the dry ground in East Texas can see a lot of runoff and flash flooding take place. Sola also says it's important to know where to go in case of an emergency evacuation. Highway 59, 259, even to the east of us, Highway 96 and such, many times are used as hurricane corridors to evacuate the coast. According to Ready.gov, they suggest keeping these items in a go bag. A first aid kit, batteries, water, food, and flashlights. And so preparing your go kit and being ready to evacuate well in advance and keeping those items stocked and ready throughout the year is a key thing to being safe. Again, our thanks to KLTV for those timely suggestions and updates. Up next, we have our weekly ARRL Audio News from the American Radio Relay League, the National Association for Amateur Radio out in Newington, Connecticut. More information at ARRL.net. This is ARRL Audio News, your weekly summary of news highlights from the world of amateur radio. If you retransmit audio news through a repeater, listen for the Morse Code K character, followed by four seconds of silence. That's your cue to stop transmitting so that your repeater timer can reset. I'm John Ross, KD8IDJ, and this is the ARRL Audio News for Friday, August 18, 2023. From lighthouses to missile silos, we have it all here at ARRL Audio News this week. But first, an update on the situation on Maui. Here's ARRL Sierra Hera. A firestorm on August 8 roared through parts of the Hawaiian island of Maui, killing more than 100 and destroying 2,000-plus structures. Radio amateurs are assisting local officials. ARRL Pacific Section Manager Joe Speroni, AH0A, is organizing the effort. We're in direct contact with the county civil defense operation and coordinating all of our efforts with them. Speroni says the ARRL Hawaii Ares website at hawaiiares.net was modified to provide the latest in emergency communications news. The website includes updates on Maui's amateur radio and communications infrastructure, including affected and operational radio systems, repeaters, and other emergency communications details. HAMS are updating the status of repeaters as work continues to bring more back online. At ARRL headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, ARRL Emergency Management Director Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, has a daily briefing with the Hawaii Ares team. Kept up to date on what we have available, what we could provide them if they need it. The ARRL HAMAID program has a repository of equipment in a mission-ready state to be deployed via airline cargo as needed. For now, the Hawaii crew is fully equipped. Johnston says if amateurs want to help those affected, the opportunity will be there. Right now, stand by. I think there's going to be a need. There's going to be a request for helping get HAMS who have lost everything. But right now, they don't even have the place to put new equipment. HF stations are encouraged to monitor 7088 Lower Sideband. Hawaii Ares welcomes participations in their nets on the frequency held at 9, noon, and 4 local time. See the website 40meter.net for more information. Sierra Harrop, W5DX, Newington. On July 18, 2023, a week-long Youth on the Air Yoda Summer Camp at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, hosted an amateur radio on the International Space Station radio contact. That's known, of course, as Ares. The purpose of the camp is to connect young amateur radio operators from North, Central, and South America through amateur radio and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics STEM activities. The youth talked with astronaut Steve Bowen, K-I-5-B-K-B, who answered 18 questions. Ares volunteer Ruth Willett, K-M-4-L-A-O, orchestrated their activities. The Ares contact went so wonderfully, I'm still on a high. It never, never, never gets old, said Willett. And you can watch a video of that contact on YouTube. Ares is a cooperative venture of the International Amateur Radio Societies and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the U.S., participating organizations include NASA, the ISS National Lab, ARRL, and AMSAT. International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, known as ILLW, is on Saturday, August 19, and Sunday, August 20, 2023. In Clare County, Ireland, the Limerick Clare Radio Club, E-I-4-L-C-R, will celebrate the 26th annual event by operating nonstop for 48 hours from the Loophead West Clare Lighthouse. That club will be using CW and single sideband to contact lighthouses and lightships throughout the world. Limerick Clare Radio Club Secretary Joe Ryan, E-I-9-H-G, said a special QSL card has been designed to mark the event. The club will operate two stations, one of which will be at the entrance to the lighthouse, so members of the public can listen to some of the transmissions. During this week's activation, lighthouse visitors will be able to listen to communications between some of the 500 lighthouses and lightships in over 40 countries that will be activated by amateur radio operators. The ILLW website has a complete list of rules, guidelines, and frequencies for the event. ILLW began in 1998 as the Scottish Northern Lights Award run by the R amateur radio group. The annual event takes place on the third full weekend in August. A new special event will take place on Saturday, August 19, 2023, involving amateur radio and former Atlas F missile silos. Beginning at 11 a.m. EDT, amateur radio operators from the Champlain Valley Amateur Radio Club, or CVARC, as well as a group of amateurs in Texas, will attempt to activate two missile sites, one in Oplon, Texas, and the other in Champlain, New York. The goal is to establish an HF contact with each site and with other amateurs throughout the day. The frequencies, though, have not yet been selected, but additional information will be posted on the CVARC Facebook page. Robert Gnabrowski, KB-5RG, and Lance Toller, KD-5EFB, will be at the Texas site, which is one of 12 missile silo sites remaining in the state. The site has been converted into a home, but the owner has agreed to let amateurs use it for the event, said Gnabrowski. Eight of the 12 sites are lived in, and two are still abandoned, he added. The site in New York is listed simply as the Champlain Atlas Missile Silo Site 1 at 67 Missile Base Road. It took only four days to plan this event, but both groups say they envision organizing other special events and operations linked to the historical dates related to the Atlas F-1 missile program. Bruce Page, KK-5DO, is here with us this week with his AMSAT report. Bruce? Thank you, John. What do you do after you've made all those satellite contacts? You apply for some awards. The ARRL has WAS, WAC, VUCC, and DXCC for satellite operations. It does not matter whether they are voice, CW, or digital, they all count the same. AMSAT has another set of awards. We have one for making your very first satellite contact, the Satellite Communicators Club Award. Next, for 20 states, VE call areas, and DXCC entities, we have the AMSAT Communication Achievement Award. Add 40 more contacts and earn the Sexesimal Award, 40 more to reach the Century Club. South Africa has allowed us to issue the South Africa Satellite Communications Achievement Award for 25 contacts on LEO satellites. The only stipulation is the call signs must be different. You can earn this one on a few passes. If you like roving, we have the Rover Award and the Reverse VUCC Award. With all those rovers out there, you know we are going to have one of the more difficult awards to earn, the AMSAT Gridmaster Award for working all 488 continental stateside grids. You can find out more about the ARRL awards at arrl.org. Click on On the Air and Awards. For the AMSAT awards, visit amsat.org. Click on Services and Awards. This is Bruce Page, KK5DO. An iconic electronic surplus store will soon be closing its doors. Phil Salati, owner of Fair Radio Sales in Lima, Ohio, says it's time to close the business. I took over the business that my dad started in 1947, and after 50 years, it's time to close the doors, he said. Salati has had an offer on the building and feels that it's time to move on. There are 30,000 square feet of equipment and parts that all need to go. Salati wants to be done with the business by October of 2023, but he thinks it might take a little longer. He's even received suggestions to stay open for next year's Hamvention in Xenia, Ohio. Thousands of amateur radio operators, collectors, experimenters, and shortwave listeners have visited that store over the years. The shelves and aisles are full of old military radios and receivers. The store's Fall-Winter 1967 catalog lists the VC-499FM 20-28MegaCycle 5-channel crystal-controlled receiver with the dynamotor for $18.95. And the GO-9 Navy 100CW transmitter for $69.95. Along with pages of meters, cords, headphones, and microphones circa 1942. Many fair radio sales visitors started visiting when they were young and they continue to shop there now. For one radio amateur, it was a must-stop location every year on their way to the Dayton Hamvention. Another amateur radio operator said he stopped there in 1980 to pick up a Teletype Model 19 machine that still works today. Salati said he likes what he does and has enjoyed coming to work every day, but he wonders what comes next. He said he's thinking about looking for another building and maybe starting over. The September 2023 issue of QST has an incorrect date for the Midwest Superfest at the Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illinois. The convention and Hamfest calendar on page 86, that date is listed as September 9th, 2023. The actual dates are September 16th through the 17th, 2023. ARRL regrets this error. This ARRL-sanctioned Hamfest is sponsored by the Peoria Area Amateur Radio Club. More information can be found at their website. Additional information about Hamfest and conventions can be found at ARRL.org. In radio sport this week, the year-long ARRL Volunteers on the Air VOTA event continues. At their website, you can see state activation schedule for weekly W1AW portable operations, including August 16th through the 22nd, Vermont W1AW Slash 1 and Oklahoma W1AW Slash 5. August 23rd through the 29th, North Dakota W1AW Slash 0 and Idaho W1AW Slash 7. Upcoming contests on August 17th through the 18th, the Walk for the Bacon QRP contest, that's CW. August 17th, the NTCQSO Party CW. August 19th through the 20th, the SARTG WW RITI contest, digital. The ARRL 10 GHz and up contest, CW Phone and Digital. The Russian District Award contest, CW and Phone. And also on 19th through the 20th of August, the Caymans Club of Japan contest, that is CW. August 19th, the Feldhell Sprint, digital. August 19th through the 20th, the North American QSO Party, single sideband and phone there. And on August 19th through the 20th as well, the CVADX contest, that's CW. August 20th, there are three events, the Fist Sunday Sprint, CW. The ARRL Rookie Roundup, RTTY, that's digital. And on August 20th as well, the Run for the Bacon QRP contest, that's CW. And on August 23rd, it's the SKCC Sprint, CW there. And some upcoming Section State and Division Conventions. August 19th through the 20th, the Huntsville Ham Fest, hosting the ARRL Alabama State Convention, that's in Huntsville, Alabama. August 25th through the 27th, the Northeast Ham Exposition, hosting the ARRL New England Division Convention, that's in Marlboro, Massachusetts. September 1st through the 3rd, it's the Shelby Ham Fest, hosting the ARRL North Carolina Section Convention, that's in Shelby, North Carolina. September 10th, the ARRL Southern New Jersey Section Convention and Ham Fest, that's in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. And on September 22nd through the 23rd, the HRO Super Fest, hosting the ARRL Wisconsin State Convention, that's in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And finally this week, thanks to the Fort Wayne Radio Club in Allen, Indiana, for airing the ARRL audio news on their repeater. 7-3. And that concludes ARRL Audio News for this week. Our thanks to all contributors to this week's report. ARRL Audio News is produced by the American Radio Relay League, the National Association for Amateur Radio. For more information on amateur radio or the ARRL, visit us on the web at ARRL.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter by searching for ARRL. If you have a question or comment about ARRL Audio News, email us at audionews at ARRL.org. This program is copyright ARRL, all rights reserved. 73, and thanks for listening. And that will do it for this week's edition of On the Airwaves. I'm glad you could join us and hope to see you next week. I'll leave you with this with 2 Timothy 4-2, the New King James Version. Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. Remember, all glory and honor goes to our Father God in heaven, Yahweh. See you next time. Love you all. Bye bye.