[Amps] furnace

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

Bill,

I monitored a great deal of the Katrina disaster commo on the low bands.   
the net controls were the hams on the scenes of disaster running exciters 
barefoot from batteries and generators if they could get gas.   because all 
or 98% of ham towers had blown down they were operating with low hanging 
wire antennas and lousy verticals.   they were copyable on phone but partly 
because of the time of year and the resulting qrn, exciter power and 
makeshift antennas, had signals that were less than commanding.    A 100 w. 
rig on a car battery is not a 100 w. rig either; they would cut peak power 
back to maybe 50 w. because they didn't always know how long it would be 
before they could swap power sources and wanted to conserve the juice.  A 
disaster net control where possible needs a dominant signal, in order to 
hold a frequency, get through lids and intentional trouble makers, make 
others aware on nearby frequencies that something important is taking place 
so hopefully they will kindly relocate a gentlemanly distance, and get 
traffic through with no need for fills.
10 kw is way overkill, but if a net control has a 500 w. to 1.5 kw and the 
supply to run it, it is appreciated by all.

73,
rob / k5uj

<<<We were talking Katrina-level communication, not overseas MARS.

Nobody on the other side of the world is going to be of much help
with Katrina-type disasters.  :-)

Like it says in the FCC rules, use the power appropriate to the 
communication.

73, Bill W6WRT>>>

_________________________________________________________________
Don’t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! 
http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/