ARLA/CLUSTER: Uso de satelites de amador nas comunicações de emergencia

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

Amateur Radio Satellites for Emergency Communications

Grupo de Radioaficionados para Operaciones Satelitales (GROS)
Coordinator Raydel Espinet CM2ESP comments on the use of amateur radio
satellites for emergency communications and describes how an amateur
satellite was used in a Civil Defense exercise on May 18-19, 2013
About the topic of satellites and emergencies I think satellites are
an option very important to consider when there is no more available.
In case of HF propagation blackouts or poor conditions and when local
VHF and UHF repeaters fails, satellites can bring help, specially from
light weight battery run portable stations.

Here in Cuba we do every year an emergency rehearsal exercise named
“Meteoro” which is organized by Cuba’s Civil Defense to simulate
catastrophes and other actions relevant to the upcoming hurricane
season.
This weekend (May 18th and 19th) was held the 2013 Exercise, like
always Cuban Ham Radio Operators are invited to participate as an
important asset during emergencies. But by first time ever on the
Civil Defense National Headquarters were is installed amateur station
CO9DCN we do a short and simple satellite demonstration to the Civil
Defense authorities.

The short demo was just a simple “hello” exchanged between CO6CBF
(Hector) in Cienfuegos Province and CM2ESP/Portable (Raydel) in the
Headquarter’s backyard. Hector had done previous years demos for his
province’s civil defense authorities, but this was the first time a
demo was done at the National Civil Defense Headquarters. As HF
propagation was terribly bad that day due to the recent solar flares
the Civil Defense Authorities were very pleased with our short demo
proving that satellites can be an alternative when ground and
ionospheric propagation are disrupted.
The Press publish a short report about the amateur radio importance on
emergencies and there is also a short mention in paragraph three of
the very first satellite contact.

The news report can be found here
http://www.ain.cu/2013/mayo/19ya-meteoro_reduccion_desastres.htm

It is in Spanish only, but Google translator works fine
http://translate.google.com.cu/translate?hl=es&sl=es&tl=en&u=
www.ain.cu%2F2013%2Fmayo%2F19ya-meteoro_reduccion_desastres.htm

On the picture featured on the news report from the Cuban News Agency
you can see CO9DCN Club Station (Defensa Civil Nacional – National
Civil Defense) being operated by CO2OT in digital modes and CO2JC in
voice communications. The satellite demo was done portable on the
backyard on Sunday at 14:10 UTC during a SO-50 pass, the press arrived
one hour after the satellite pass so unfortunately there is no photo
available.

73,
Raydel, CM2ESP
GROS Coordinator
AMSAT Bulletin Board (AMSAT-BB)
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/