Question for any RACES Hams out there (Vanity)

Vanity | Self

[NewHampshireDuo]

Like many other ham operators, I have been involved in the RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) aspect of the hobby for some time. RACES teams generally work with county emergency management agencies and support emergency communications.

All of this, of course, rolls up to our corrupt FEMA/DHS bureaucracy and a lot of the ham physical resources are supported by FEMA grant money, strings attached.

While the head is rotten, many of the local agencies are pretty good to work with while some aren't. I am seeing a number of hams expressing discontent with, or curtailing their level of activity in RACES because of the FEMA stench.

I am wondering if there are any Freeper hams that have thought about this and what their positions are.

[NewHampshireDuo]

Looking for input and comments.

[JRandomFreeper]

I no longer participate in RACES. They do good work, locally. But the disaster management command and control structure dictated by FEMA left me cold. So when I changed areas, I just never joined the local group.

73s

/johnny

[davisfh]

I’m not involved in ham radio but it does seem to me that local operators who involve themselves with any government agency are making a serious mistake. When you do this, you will invariably be dictated to by the government agency. They just cannot resist that “pull on the string” and that almost always limits the good that local groups can do on their own.

[NewHampshireDuo]

One problem is that the ham repeaters get so infused with FEMA enhancements that the repeater really becomes a FEMA asset with limitations on use.

[George from New England]

I been a radio techie for decades. In 2007 I decided to get the ham license. After I tested and passed, I found out the fine print. No license without the FCC forcing you to divulge your SSN. Another ham operator explained to me, it’s all about the child support & enforcement network the feds have setup to stomp on every citizen with. Big brother is every aspect of our lives.

[NewHampshireDuo]

I believe if you go online to the FCC site and get your FCC ID number before the test you can use that instead of your SSN.

[George from New England]

Nope. I elected to do just that after the test. The only way to get that alternate number was with a SSN.

A citizen wants to be there in an emergency and the govt only wants ONE MORE tracking item.

[davisfh]

As I said, I know nothing about ham radio. I take it that a repeater is a device which allows you guys to exceed the range of your transceiver, probably many times over. It seems to me that you might be able to work out a system for "repeating" important messages from transceiver to transceiver without FEMA involvement. With FEMA involved, you'd probably need a good solid encryption system too.

Just trying to imagine how you might exclude a malignant government from your transmissions in a particular type of national emergency.

[NewHampshireDuo]

I take it that a repeater is a device which allows you guys to exceed the range of your transceiver, probably many times over.

You are correct. Generally repeaters operate on the 2 meter VHF band although there are also numerous 70 cm and 6 meter repeaters out there. A repeater receives on one frequency and simultaneously transmits on another. VHF radios automatically make the shift adjustments on send and receive.

Repeaters are placed on high points, often sharing towers with commercial and public safety equipment. For the most part the repeaters are available for general use. However, most are also designated as emergency resources and if there is an emergency general traffic is disallowed.

That said, most hams use other methods (HF bands, relays, etc.) so that they can work effectively without having to rely on the "official" infrastructure.