I went to college in Nacogdoches.  They have a great ham radio club.  I was
active in it while in school.  They have excellent repeaters as well.  I am
glad to see hams helping.


-----Original Message-----
From: Blind-Hams For blind ham radio operators
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Keith Reedy
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 9:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Piece From MSN RE: Columbia


>
>What follows is a copy/paste from a piece written by Gary Krakow...a=20
>writer for MSN news
>
>
>        ACCORDING TO THE national membership association for amateur=20
> radio, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), ham radio volunteers are=20
> currently assisting federal, state and local officials and relief=20
> organizations in Texas in their search for shuttle Columbia debris and=20
> the remains of the crew members. Amateur radio operators must pass=20
> rigorous tests to receive a license and a call sign from the Federal=20
> Communications Commission =97 clearing them to broadcast radio, TV or
data=
=20
> signals on frequencies set aside for their use.
>       ARRL officials say local efforts following the Columbia disaster=20
> have been a great success.
>       =93Ham radio has proven to be the only reliable communications=20
> options during the recovery effort,=94 according to Tim Lewallen (call=
 sign=20
> KD5ING) of the Nacogdoches, Texas, Amateur Radio Club.
>       =93The communications systems used by other federal and state=20
> organizations cannot penetrate =91The Pine Curtain=92 as we know it in=
 East=20
> Texas,=94 he said. =93The dense forests and hilly terrain just swallow up=
=20
> most radio traffic, and even county sheriff and county fire department=20
> radio systems have serious blind spots.=94 According to Lewallen, federal=
=20
> authorities have requested that every survey team have at least one=20
> amateur radio operator along to help keep the recovery efforts=20
> coordinated and organized.
>  In South Texas, there are requests for hams that are still needed to=20
> assist in the search effort =97 with an urgent need for operators in the=
=20
> San Augustine County, where substantial debris remains to be recovered.=20
> Local coordinators say two-to-four dozen operators are needed each day=20
> and they expect the need to continue for the next three weeks.
>       Hams are using local amateur radio clubs=92 repeaters =97 which are=
=20
> receiver-transmitter combinations, usually installed on top of tall=20
> buildings that take low power radio signals and re-broadcast them at=20
> elevated power to a large area. Dallas County volunteers are being told=20
> they should use high-powered radios in the recovery effort because=20
> handheld =93walkie-talkies=94 don=92t have the necessary range. It=92s=
 also=20
> recommended they bring four-wheel drive vehicles, portable GPS (global=20
> positioning systems) and even laptop computers with mapping programs if=20
> they=92re not familiar with the area.
>       Area residents with VHF scanners can listen in on the recovery=20
> effort. In the Dallas area, activities can be monitored on 146.96 MHz; in=
=20
> Nagodoches on 147.32 MHz, in St. Augustine on 146.74 MHz, and on a=20
> portable repeater in East Texas on 146.66 MHz. Yesterday, a Dallas=20
> resident who=92s been listening told MSNBC.com there were several reports=
=20
> of =93hazardous materials=94 being found and that =93demolition
experts=94=
 were=20
> called in to assist in the recovery.
>       Public service communication has been a traditional responsibility=
=20
> of the Amateur Radio Service since 1913. Today, disaster work is highly=20
> organized and implemented principally through a number of different ARRL=
=20
> groups including the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, or R.A.C.E.S.=
=20
> =97 an organization of ham radio operators who volunteer their time and=20
> equipment to provide supplemental communication to local, county or state=
=20
> agencies during times of crisis or disaster.
>  Three of the Columbia astronauts were licensed amateur radio operators:=
=20
> Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, KD5ESI; David Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel=20
> Clark, KC5ZSU. They aren=92t alone =97 many people associated with the=
 space=20
> program have been active in amateur radio, including businessmen Dennis=20
> Tito, KG6FZX, and the three astronauts still circling the earth in the=20
> International Space Station =97 Commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, Don=
 Pettit,=20
> KD5MDT and Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB. Even astronaut hopeful Lance Bass of=20
> =91N Sync is a ham =97 KG4UYY.
>       The three current space station astronauts are manning NA1SS. the=20
> first permanent amateur radio station in space. Use of NA1SS has been=20
> temporarily curtailed. Last week, the astronauts were scheduled to make=20
> radio contact with high school students in Germany. The session was=20
> postponed. But, according to the ISS governing group, space station=20
> contacts are expected to resume later this month.
>
>       Gary Krakow is licensed ham radio operator W2GSK

Keith-WA9DRO
God gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.
Hudson Taylor