Swinging Into Action
by W2AAW
Julie and Chip stared at each other for a millisecond before agreeing on
the best course of action; raise Angie. Angie, KC8ANT, to the west
in New Monia, might still have telephone and electric service, and would
surely be watching the storm and would be up for the 8:30 2-meter sked. Julie
clicked in 147.42 simplex just in time to catch Angie's familiar
voice "KC8ALW this is KC8ANT on schedule. Julie, you around?"
"KC8ANT from KC8ALW. Yes, Angie, Did you hear that distress call?"
"Yes I did, down about 5 kilohertz. Sounds like a really bad situation.
Do you have any idea where they are?"
"No idea, Angie. If she transmits again, Chip thought we could connect
the HT to the beam antenna and try a direction finding bearing. Nice try,
but we have no electricity to rotate the beam."
"OK. Electric power and telephones are out here too. I am operating on
the HT also. But you gave me an idea. We built a hand-portable 2-meter Yagi
beam for transmitter hunting last summer. Give me five minutes to dig it out of the
attic storage and connect the coax. I will call you back on 147.415 simplex in five minutes.
That's 147.415, NOT this frequency, so that we will all be on freq with the station in distress.
Copy?"
"Roger, Angie. I will listen for your call on 147.415 at 8:40. Great idea.
We may be able to get a two bearing fix on her, if she can transmit long
enough for me to get a rough DF bearing by rotating my HT.
Talk about that later. Go get that portable beam. While you're gone
I will see if the Middleton club 2 meter repeater is still on the air.
If so, I will get some assistance. In any case, I will meet you back
on 147.415 in seven minutes. KC8ANT is clear with KC8ALW."
"QSL on all Julie. KC8ALW - KC8ANT is clear."
Just in case, Chip takes the flashlight to retrieve a fully-charged HT battery
from the charger plugged into the outlet on the basement workbench.
Julie's mind is racing now. She quickly punches in 147.415. Feigning her
coolest, controlled, professional-sounding tones, Julie calls the snowbound
station.
"KB8MDX, KB8MDX, KB8MDX this is KC8ALW. We have received your call and
will attempt to determine your location. If you are on battery power,
please conserve batteries now. DO NOT transmit and, if possible, turn of
all power for five minutes. If you MUST make a transmission now,
I will listen on this frequency
for one minutes, be off frequency for two minutes, and return to
monitoring this frequency. This is KC8ALW listening for one minute".
Silence. Silence. Deafening silence. Then the HT speaker whispers...
hissss kshop ... hissss kshop.
The hisssss kshop squelch openings are caused by: