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 Our
club has been asked to assist in getting emergency
communications to people south of Mt Sylvia. In recent
floods residents were cut off for four weeks with no phone
and no access to roads leaving them stranded without
medical aid, or food, and no income as no one could get
to work or get produce to market.
In a recent meeting with residents and council
representatives, the club has recommended an
emergency channel 5 UHF CB repeater located at a
site that covers most of the area in need. It is
recommended that residents have hand helds with a
Dual Watch function so they can be used on a
simplex channel for the area, while the radio checks
channel 5 every few seconds. Only in the case of
emergency would channel 5 be actually used to contact
persons out of the area for assistance when needed.
Actual creek levels can be reported down the line when
rain fills the creeks.
On Saturday the 12th of March, Peter VK4KHP, Allan
VK4JAC and Alan VK4SN, attended the area for site
tests. Alan took one of the residents to the proposed
repeater site, while Allan and Peter drove down into East
Haldon and Black Duck Creek valleys. Testing took
place on UHF Ch 12 and excellent results were achieved from
handhelds in the car back to the mobile rig using
external antenna on Alans car.
The repeater will have better antennas and run a litte
more power than our 5 watt tests which should result in excellent
coverage over the entire area.
Some residents may require an external antenna to access the
repeater.
We have proved that our suggestion will work and now we can proceed
with sourcing, funding,
acquision, and installation of equipment. All this has yet to be
finalised, but the ball is in motion
with other persons and clubs offering to assist in this venture.
Update
13/4/11
All the
quotes have been sent through to the residents spokesperson and they
will contact the relevant persons to order and purchase the
equipment. Funding from several sources will see a successful
outcome.
Thanks to
all those who helped along the way.
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