International Amateur Radio Union
Region 1
Working for the future of amateur radio
Emergency Communications
Co-ordinator
(IARU-R1) 25 July 2003
News Bulletin No. 1 - July 2003
by Gordon L Adams G3LEQ
There have been two interesting developments this month.
Firstly, we have seen the successful completion of the World Radio
Conference WRC-03 in Geneva. This produced good news with respect to the
future expansion of the 7MHz band in Regions 1 & 3. It also approved
better provisions for emergency radio communications, where the amateur
bands might be employed on an international basis.
Secondly, Don Beattie G3BJ, our Secretary who operates the Region-1
Office, has announced that our IARU Region-1 web site is about to come
into being once again. This last item of news means that I can introduce
myself.
I am Gordon Adams G3LEQ, and I was appointed at the San Marino
conference late last year to the new Region-1 title of Emergency
Communications Co-ordinator. This role was to become effective in 2003.
It took a little while for some of the changeover decisions to become
effective - and in my case I had to wait for my Terms of Reference to be
drawn up. These are as follows:
1. To prepare and keep updated an inventory of emergency communications
services provided by IARU Region-1 societies.
2. To act as a focal point for Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)
within IARU Region-1 to international bodies and user services - such as
the International Red Cross and Red Crescent.
3. To liaise on emergency matters with IARU Regions 2 and 3.
4. To prepare common guidelines on amateur radio emergency procedures.
5. To circulate and publicise information on emergency events in which
ARES has been involved.
6. To arrange meetings, when deemed necessary, to discuss principle and
actual matters involving ARES. Such meetings shall only be organized
after approval by, and in consultation with, the Executive Committee
(EC).
7. To report to the Regional Conference, or the EC of IARU Region-1
between conferences, in accordance with the articles in the Bylaws on
specialized bodies.
I do not intend to deal with these matters in this Newsletter. Instead,
I would ask you to consider how you might be able to contribute towards
the achievement of these objectives.
I would like to draw your attention to some web pages about the Amateur
Radio Communication Service in Turkey.
Check the pages.
I also invite those who are responsible for ARES, or whatever term you
employ in your Country, to let me know how your emergency radio
arrangements compare - and furthermore if you think that ARES in
Region-1 can help you in any way. Some relevant uses for radio equipment
in emergency relief situations are described,
along with
photographs.
Can you visualise an emergency scenario in your Country where radio
communications might need to be provided by radio amateurs over
distances of some 400kms or more? During the initial 48-hours of a
disaster - could you imagine HF communications being of use? If so what
frequencies would be required for exclusive emergency traffic during
daylight and after dark?
WRC-03 is over and we must now start planning for WRC-07. As far as
emergency communications are concerned, I would like to ask that you
consider the following suggestions for ARES spot frequencies in the
lower HF range:
3600kHz to be designated as an in-band spot frequency for both disaster
relief and associated training exercises throughout the World on a
non-exclusive basis.
5400kHz to be sought on a Country-by-Country basis, as a specially
designated spot frequency outside the existing amateur bands, for both
disaster relief and associated training exercises throughout IARU
Region-1 - and in particular by those Countries situated in the Northern
Temperate Zone.
7000kHz (band edge channel centre) to be sought and designated
internationally (by WRC-07?) for disaster relief communications only on
a World-wide basis.
10100kHz (band edge channel centre) to be sought and designated
internationally (by WRC-07?) for disaster relief communications only on
a World-wide basis.
Each of the above channels would be 3kHz wide and centred on the
frequency specified above, in order to allow either voice (SSB) or Data
modes to be employed.
At this stage the above spot frequency designations just represent an
idea of my own. They are not currently part of any IARU policy document.
Please let me know what you think, and whether any of these four
frequencies might be useful in your Country, either during daylight or
after dark, in order to provide emergency communications links -
particularly during the early stages of a disaster.
Kindly communicate with me by any of the following means:
By post to Gordon L Adams G3LEQ, IARU-R1 Emercomms Co-ordinator,
2 Ash Grove, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 8BB, En