Speakers for Tuesday 9th April 2013 - Ken Parkes and John McCullough
11/04/13 18:33
Photo: President Graham Kane meets Ken Parkes (right) and John McCullough (left) with club members (L to R) John Graham and Joe Alcorn
Talk and live radio demonstration by Ken Parkes and John McCullough to illustrate the workings on RAYNET
Club President Graham Kane welcomed guest Jim Dinsmore and club members to the meeting and then introduced our initial speaker for the morning, club member Ken Parkes. Ken then chose an imaginative method to illustrate the mornings talk about amateur radio communications, by radioing another member of the speaking team, John McCullough, and guiding him to the meeting.
Ken introduced the talk be saying that the beginnings of radio communications go back over 150 years with the birth of the Morse code. Although there have been massive changes over the years, there is still a large and active use of the Morse code around the world. However, this mornings talk time only permits a quick mention of history, and John would tell the members more about the Amateur radio emergency network, or 'RAYNET' to give its official title.
John explained that the organisation had been formed following the terrible floods in the SE of England in 1953. Over the intervening years RAYNET now has close links with all the emergency services - Police, Red Cross, Coast Guards and so on. Locally, the organisation has been kept very busy of late in the Glens where the unseasonal snowfall cut off many farming communities. Even in the best of times 'mobile phones' have little coverage there, and with the snow bringing down phone and power lines, RAYNET were able to help many of the rescue teams.
The organisation is not just for emergency situations, it has an impressive diary of events they assist throughout the year. One of the busiest and most important is the 'North West 200'. Here RAYNET have a team of 25 volunteers set-up around the circuit to co-ordinate the ambulance and medical emergency services. To illustrate how this works, John and Ken played a live recording of a serious incident from the 2012 event. This was a fascinating and chilling experience, but almost impossible to follow for the un-tuned ear, it also served to show just how well trained and disciplined the radio volunteers need to be in that life or death situation.
John went on to talk about some of the other types of planed events they cover, as well as the emergency call-outs. The members were also treated to a lovely selection of photos (as a 'PowerPoint' presentation), illustrating many of the things John talked about, as well as another example of 'live recording' at an incident (and still almost impossible you work out what was being said fast enough to help in an emergency!)
The talk finished with an interesting question and answer session, in which we had:- 'Do you charge for your services' - No, we're all volunteers. However, sometimes we are given a donation to held cover part of helpers' expenses. 'What is the cost of a radio licence' - It's free, but you have to pass an examination in radio competence first, and that costs money. 'Has the internet overtaken the role of RAYNET' - No, they work side by side in some cases. However, there has been a decline in CB radio ('Citizens Band').
The vote of thanks was proposed by Joe Alcorn who, as a RAYNET user in organising the Causeway Walk, found the organisation was just like the talk today. It was impressive in it's helpfulness; it's professionalism and its use of good plain English. Joe thanked John and Ken for an enlightening, fascinating and enjoyable talk. The thanks were duly passed on by the President.
Talk and live radio demonstration by Ken Parkes and John McCullough to illustrate the workings on RAYNET
Club President Graham Kane welcomed guest Jim Dinsmore and club members to the meeting and then introduced our initial speaker for the morning, club member Ken Parkes. Ken then chose an imaginative method to illustrate the mornings talk about amateur radio communications, by radioing another member of the speaking team, John McCullough, and guiding him to the meeting.
Ken introduced the talk be saying that the beginnings of radio communications go back over 150 years with the birth of the Morse code. Although there have been massive changes over the years, there is still a large and active use of the Morse code around the world. However, this mornings talk time only permits a quick mention of history, and John would tell the members more about the Amateur radio emergency network, or 'RAYNET' to give its official title.
John explained that the organisation had been formed following the terrible floods in the SE of England in 1953. Over the intervening years RAYNET now has close links with all the emergency services - Police, Red Cross, Coast Guards and so on. Locally, the organisation has been kept very busy of late in the Glens where the unseasonal snowfall cut off many farming communities. Even in the best of times 'mobile phones' have little coverage there, and with the snow bringing down phone and power lines, RAYNET were able to help many of the rescue teams.
The organisation is not just for emergency situations, it has an impressive diary of events they assist throughout the year. One of the busiest and most important is the 'North West 200'. Here RAYNET have a team of 25 volunteers set-up around the circuit to co-ordinate the ambulance and medical emergency services. To illustrate how this works, John and Ken played a live recording of a serious incident from the 2012 event. This was a fascinating and chilling experience, but almost impossible to follow for the un-tuned ear, it also served to show just how well trained and disciplined the radio volunteers need to be in that life or death situation.
John went on to talk about some of the other types of planed events they cover, as well as the emergency call-outs. The members were also treated to a lovely selection of photos (as a 'PowerPoint' presentation), illustrating many of the things John talked about, as well as another example of 'live recording' at an incident (and still almost impossible you work out what was being said fast enough to help in an emergency!)
The talk finished with an interesting question and answer session, in which we had:- 'Do you charge for your services' - No, we're all volunteers. However, sometimes we are given a donation to held cover part of helpers' expenses. 'What is the cost of a radio licence' - It's free, but you have to pass an examination in radio competence first, and that costs money. 'Has the internet overtaken the role of RAYNET' - No, they work side by side in some cases. However, there has been a decline in CB radio ('Citizens Band').
The vote of thanks was proposed by Joe Alcorn who, as a RAYNET user in organising the Causeway Walk, found the organisation was just like the talk today. It was impressive in it's helpfulness; it's professionalism and its use of good plain English. Joe thanked John and Ken for an enlightening, fascinating and enjoyable talk. The thanks were duly passed on by the President.
(Secretary, Mike Turner)
