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Domain: hwn.org

Stories and comments across the archive that link to hwn.org.

Comments · 7

  1. Don't forget some the best tech working - the hams by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative · on Technology In Katrina's Wake
    Let us not forget all the ham radio operators who have been working continuously since even before the hurricane made land fall, whether they are working in RACES, ARES, SATERN, the Hurricane Watch Net, or just volunteering their time on their own in the disaster area. There has been far too many ignorant dolts, especially with regard to the topic of BPL, who trivialize ham radio as some special interest hobby that should go away so that we can get subpar internet access to places where it is feasable to get better service otherwise. Where are your cell phones and internet service now jackasses?

    Here are a few stories: 1, 2, and 3.

  2. Hurricane Watch Net was very active by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Communications Infrastructure No Match for Katrina

    on 20 Meters. See http://www.hwn.org/

  3. Hurricane Watch Net was very active by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Communications Infrastructure No Match for Katrina

    on 20 Meters. See http://www.hwn.org/

  4. Re:Ham Radio by leighklotz · · Score: 1 · on Communications Infrastructure No Match for Katrina

    I've been listening to the hurricane net on 14.325Mhz and the SATERN net on 14.265 and could hear first-hand reports of wind and other conditions from hams in the affected area.

  5. Re:Not Evil? by srhuston · · Score: 1 · on Google Invests in Power-Line Broadband

    Not to mention the Hurricane Watch Net, which just activated today because of Dennis's approach

    ARRL story, HWN homepage.

  6. Re:Seems an easy tradeoff to me... by k2dbk · · Score: 2, Informative · on FCC Approves BPL Despite Interference Concerns
    To clarify a bit, here's a recent, real-world example: The recent hurricanes that hit Florida have kept a lot of hams very busy. The Hurricane Watch Net operated for many hours before, while, and after the hurricanes hit to provide valuable data from the affected areas to the National Weather Service. Because of the way that HF propagation works, the data from the affected area was typically relayed to a station far outside of that area (such as Texas, or Virginia), which was relayed back to the NWS National Hurricane Center.

    As the parent mentions, VHF and UHF frequencies are primarily only good for relatively local communications, so the HWN operates on HF. (Primarily on 14.325 Mhz, for anyone who cares to listen in.) If BPL were deployed all around the country, yes, the folks in Florida wouldn't have had any problem receiving signals. Unfortunately, the folks trying to listen to them (who were in non-affected areas) would not be able to hear them because of local BPL interference.

  7. Re:For those who RTFA and still don't get it... by jim_deane · · Score: 4, Informative · on Rewriting Rules on Delivery of the Internet

    Those hams who responded to the NY attack did what RACES/ARES/SATERN hams (among others) train to do: they provided vital communications links for search & rescue, for disaster command posts, for health and shelter organizations, and for health/welfare traffic.

    Rubbernecking is not the same thing as reporting and serving. The emergency service portion of amateur radio had its largest scale emergency response that day, and performed admirably.

    Other instances where ham radio has provided very important service:

    Every major hurricaine;
    The Colorado/West Coast wildfires;
    The Columbia accident response.

    If it wasn't an essential service, we wouldn't be part of the emergency planning on the local, state, and federal levels. Officials are going so far as to encourage more people to get licensed: Read here.

    Jim kc0lpv