KL7RRC/P Need doctor help

more emcomm frequencies....

Well, for those of you in need or in the know:
4.125 mhz,6.215 mhz,8.291 mhz,12.290 mhz,16.240 mhz and of course,
5.1675 mhz(Alaska only USB).Maritime and International HF emergency
frequencies. It is hard to know how KL7RCC would initiate an emergency call.
Propagation, capability of the rigs available and the operators,including
their medical training,weather and shelter. Preparedness training, were there
PLB's,ELT's,Smart Beacons available,etc?. The MMSN is a very capable group and there are four receivers you can connect to on the MMSN site:

http://14300.net/avlinks.html

I know that the MMSN coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue a
sailor at sea,a couple of months ago,using HF and VHF16(from the boat),and a long range rescue C130,out towards the Marianas,and did an excellent job. The xyl of the skipper was not aware of the capabilities of the above link. It gave her and others great consolation to be able to hear,under unusual propagation,the USCG, drop four rescue swimmers,their gear,and know that the Coast Guard AMVER program,linked the boat involved with a commercial marine vessel to rescue and deliver the injured sailor back to San Diego safely.

Hopefully,any one of us, Hams, CBers,SWL ops,will look at the situations as they appear,be prepared with the correct information, keep a cool demeanor,
as cool heads usually prevail,and respond with useful information ,standby when not needed,and generally keep prpoperly informed and at the ready to serve our fellow man in need.

73,
WB7TNE

 

I'll mention another website, http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/rcc.html, which also mentions the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center on Fort Richardson, Alaska (operated by the Alaska Air National Guard), just down the highway from me. It handles mostly inland SAR missions.

 

I'm thinking some of you aren't really aware of where they are located. Unless I am mistaken, they are on an island which is about 100 miles west of Adak in the Aleutians. I lived on Adak for three years and it is way out in the chain. Over 1000 miles from Anchorage. So while it is part of Alaska to be sure, it is closer to Russian terrority. Propagation would have played a big part in being able to communicate.
Hope all is well with the patient.

 

Keep politics out of this; If I cannot discuss it, neither can you.

Thank You.

 

Isn't it time this topic was laid to rest?

A US amateur had a heart attack on a dxpedetion

A Russian amateur with limited English posted here to try to help.

So - what is the problem everyone seems to be having?

Never mind if it was 'late', or that 'they should have done x, y or z' - the whole point of the matter is that a call for help attracted a lot of flak which should never have happened

 

No, not "never mind."

1. A QRZ moderator approved the Russian ham's post. Unknown how much time that took. An hour? Two hours? Four hours? Irrespective, he took no other action. That alone demonstrated making a post here a very poor idea.


2. The choice of where to make an international distress call left something to be desired. First off, the widely known Maritime Mobile Service Net, operating on 14.300MHz, has folks who know who and where to call as one of their purposes is to listen for and handle distress situations on the high seas. Instead, the team chose to stay on their DX pedition frequency, and take their chances with an audience likely to have limited English language skills.


3. The really important part of this diatribe, besides thanking Paul, K7IN, for finally doing something with the posting that QRZ's Moderator Team didn't, is so that some who may read the details might make a better choice in a future emergency. This time, luckily, the need apparently wasn't so critical. The difference in elapsed time between someone who is experienced with such stuff like the MMSN and the route this took might mean someone's life the next time. It took 4 hours from the Russian ham's posting until K7IN happened to notice it and took action. Who knows how long it took the Russian ham to send the proposed posting to QRZ's inbox.

Enough said, or is more needed?

 

The KL7 group was running a pileup on an established frequency. They had been spotted several times on the DX spotting network. Why on earth should they change frequencies from where they are being spotted and have been actively working stations to a frequency where there are nothing but unknowns.

As noted above, they had an established frequency. Plenty of people were hearing them.

Yawn.

 

I guess I don't understand. At no point was any elected or appointed governmental individual named in my posting, hence no politics. The person mentioned is an occasional media commentator.

The example was used to demonstrate how the term Mayday might be misunderstood to mean its old context of a celebration that used to be observed/celebrated in communist countries as opposed to its meaning as a distress signal. With a crude attempt at humor.

As it turns out, I was pleased to see that the MMSN indeed HAS diversely located receivers to monitor 14.300 with Internet audio. Pretty cool stuff.
Especially if left available 24/7.

 

Sure, plenty. Enough that a non-native-speaking foreign ham had to take the time to make a posting to QRZ.COM. Sure sounds like it was what you think was going on, not reality.

As to "nothing but unknowns," well, others have said enough about the MMSN. "Unknowns," to me, would be wishing and hoping someone hearing would know enough English to somehow figure a way to get the message out. If the Russian ham were listening and had heard the DXpedition acknowledge contact with someone stateside, do you think he would have gone to the trouble of making a QRZ post?

 

You would have to ask the Russian poster as to his motivations. I am not in a position to speak for him as to his rationale.

 

Being prepared

This is true and being as how Merle and many other hams that go out on these DXpeditions (included myself - I was 52 yesterday - although I haven't been on any major outtings) aren't spring chickens, this might be a great time to remind everyone that taking time to get a CPR certification and keeping it current as this just might save someone's life, regardless of whether you're going to a remote AK island for a DXpedition or just to the park for Field Day. Most Red Cross, local city / state offices and some colleges offer classes in CPR and First Aid which I would recommend everyone to take. I am current in CPR (adult and infant), Basic and Advanced First Aid and carry large first aid kit in every vehicle I drive. Like the Boy Scout motto says "Be prepared".

Gene W5DQ

 

This is so strange news.
KL7RRC Team has a "SPOT" device
http://www.spotadventures.com/user/profile?user_id=52123
in case of emergency they can send a "SOS" signal over the SAT.
Very reliable system then HF.
Reaction to the Medvac will be prompt.

73 de KL1A

 

Actually, when you get right down to it, nothing that has been suggested so far makes as much sense as having an Iridium Phone. Why would anybody want to rely on ham radio to save his or her life in a situation like this. Compared to the other expenses of an expidation like this, the cost of an Iridium phone isnt much. You can get one for a lot less than the cost of an average rig. We used them aboard ships and there was no place in the world that there wa no coverage. They could have easily called who ever they needed to call quite easily.

Lee
NI7I

 

Great suggestion, Lee. Perhaps, in the interest of safety for future DXpeditions, Newington could purchase several and rent them out on a case by case basis and make a few bucks in the process.

 

A


First off I could not read through all the comments except first and last page (6). I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this type of device besides the SAT PHONES and HAM.

You can buy/rent very REASONABLE emergency locating devices and they pay for the type of service, AGAIN ALL REASONABLE. It's like a 911 call except via SATILITE to 24/7 monitored centers. I don't know the actual names or cost as I'm disabled but I'm sure it's not too hard to find. Think they go by the service name of, EMERGENCY PERSONAL LOCATING DEVICE or so.

There's a saying in the emergency services: ONE is NONE, TWO is ONE, THREE is TWO...

Basically a back up for the back up for the back up...

Greg Telian /retired (disabled) fire service 22 years combined.