International Emergency Communications

How Are Things Presently?

Electricity, telecommunications, the internet and mobile phones have transformed person-to-person communication to the point where it has become normal to expect to be instantly able to talk to anyone in the world, at any time. However, this all depends on basic infrastructure to remain in place such as electrical power, telephone lines, internet infrastructure and phone towers. As ease of communication has increased so has the dependence on this infrastructure.

Nowadays, the internet is being used to administer and control other services such as power generation, creating a deep interdependence within the infrastructure services themselves e.g. the internet depends on power which, in turn, depends on the internet for control.

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What can go wrong?

Events can either directly cause disruption to communication, power and/or free movement/assembly or they can evoke responses from the population or authorities that impose the same effect

Risk to Present Telephone and Internet Communication

• Natural Disaster in one or more parts of the world
• “Cyber Polygon” event involving systematic sabotage of internet and IT infrastructure
• Government overreach/interference in free communication (e.g. internet blackouts)
• Intense solar event similar to the 1859 solar flare that disrupted/damaged early telegraph and would destroy many satellites and infrastructure if it happened today
• Nuclear events in some or several parts of the world
• EMP weapons or same resulting from nuclear weapon use that would destroy electronics
• War (assuming government doesn’t shut down amateur radio stations as happened in WWII)

Why radio?

To cover any distance from the same building, to the same block, to the same city, to other countries and the world, radio does not need any infrastructure in between.

The cost of local radios is currently very cheap and it is possible to keep it powered using cheap solar panels and/or wind-up generators. Most countries provide legal, license-free options for anyone to use low-powered radio.

Virtually all countries will license radio amateurs (HAM radio) who can pass an exam. This gives access to more radio bands and high power levels to achieve greater distance communication around the world.

Levels to Emergency Communications

The Emergency Comms Project was established in 2018. The approach is to start simple and build up levels based on complexity, range and cost to ultimately connect cities, countries and continents

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Level 4: HAM radio for longer distance to other countries e.g. London to Madhuban.

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Level 5: A geostationary satellite

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Level 6: Long distance HAM radio on shortwave

Scopes of International Emergency Communication

Use of HAM Radio:

To establish an emergency backup world-wide communication network

Existing activity in India

https://www.mhrc.in/

Level 3: HAM radio, range up to 100s of km

• Enables communication between Centres in different cities

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• Uses shortwave to bounce radio off the Earth’s “ionosphere”

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• Basic kit costs around $1000

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• A simple exam is required to obtain a license to transmit

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Level 3: Shortwave Communication

• Radio signals are reflected off ionosphere and can bounce around the world

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• This is conditional on weather, sunspot cycles, time of day and other factors

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• Different frequencies can work at different times

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• Contact can involve a lot of calling and listening and attempts

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• Knowledge of radio, rules, etiquette and electronics required for full exam

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• Also offers reliable communication within the UK (not so many variables)

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• Aerial may need planning permission

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• Risk of radio interference to local residents

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Level 4: HAM radio, range of 1000’s km e.g. UK to Madhuban

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• Preferred full radio license required for maximum power, though low power will sometimes work.
• Radio waves are aimed at the horizon to “skip” large distances around world.
• Best for locations with emergency power generator equipment, though solar can also be scaled up.
• A variety of permanent antennas can be used, the most simple being a vertical antenna.
• Status: research stage.

Shortwave - already between Madhuban, USA and AU

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Levels 3 and 4: Active HAM Stations

• Shantivan & various locations in India (200 licensed BK HAMs)

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• London

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• Houston, Texas and San Francisco, USA

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• Baxter & Blue Mountain, Australia

(Can you help us add to this list?)

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In each country and city there are active HAM clubs (not BK) that are happy to help in all aspects of attaining a license, set up and using a HAM station

Level 5: About the QO-100 satellite

• The first geostationary satellite with a HAM radio payload
• HAM radio operators can talk to anyone else in its footprint
• Shantivan and London already have this facility and have made contact via the satellite
• The equipment costs about £1800
• The equipment can be battery powered and it is feasible to recharge it using solar or a hand crank generator
• Risk: The satellite may be taken offline in an emergency or lose ground control and drift from orbit

Level 4 and 5: The Satellite option

• Since 2018, a geostationary satellite has been available to radio HAMs: “Es'hail 2 QO-100.” It has a specified lifetime of 16 years i.e. until 2034.
• Geostationary means it remains in the same spot in the sky, greatly simplifying locating and can be reliably accessed at any time.
• Doesn’t depend on atmospheric conditions
• Requires much less transmitter power so less electrical power required to operate it.
• In UK, an intermediate level exam is required to use it, one level less than is required for high-power shortwave
• Equipment can be set up anywhere with a clear view of the satellite location
• Status: research stage

Level 5: Range of the Es'hail 2 geostationary satellite

Level 5: Geostationary satellite

https://www.leijenaarelectronics.nl/le016-r5

Requirements for use of this satellite

• It consists of a “transverter” to connect to a standard HAM radio, the HAM radio transceiver and a 1m diameter dish antenna.

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• Costs about £1700 for the dish, transverter, transceiver, battery and solar.

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• The transceiver can be the same one used for Level 3 and Level 4 communications.

Power

• We must prepare for no electrical power available
• The HAM satellite solution and CB can run off a car battery
• Shortwave will require a generator
• PMR uses AA batteries
• Solar and hand-crank chargers exist for USB, AA batteries and car batteries at low cost

Satellite communication via Es'hail 2

• Since 2018 there is one geostationary satellite available to radio HAMs
• Previous satellites were low-orbit and needed constant tracking to use
• Geostationary means that it is always in the same spot in the sky, greatly simplifying locating and use
• Does not depend on any atmospheric conditions and can be accessed at any time, reliably
• Requires much less transmitter power so there is less risk of causing interference and less electrical power required to operate it
• In UK, an intermediate level exam is required to use it, one less than is required for high-power shortwave
• Equipment can be set up anywhere where there is a clear view of the satellite location
• Depends on satellite being in operation at the time of need
• Completely new proposal, not yet implemented in any other country
• Range limited to Europe, India Africa
• Satellite was launched in 2018 and has a specified lifetime of 16 years

Level 6, Long distance HAM radio on shortwave

• Advanced HAM license required to use full power.
• Possible to communicate worldwide.
• Depends on time of day, 11-year solar cycle, frequency band etc.
• Large amount of space required for a suitable antenna as well as sufficient power.
• No infrastructure or facilities are required to carry the radio signals.
• Most chance of talking to other people, but not specific centres due to varying conditions.
• May be the last long range communication that still works.

Level 6: Uses of Shortwave and HAM Radio

• Military communications.

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• Embassies around the world so don’t depend on the host country for communication.

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• Disaster relief (our HAM club in Mt Abu assisted in the Nepal Earthquake Relief Operations.)

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• Broadcast news services with different perspectives.

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• Communication from remote areas where there is no other infrastructure.

Consumer satellite solution : Inmarsat and Iridium

• Low orbit satellite network, closer to any EMP/nuclear weapons
• Iridium needs a very expensive SIM, and the SIMs expire
• Managing billing etc requires hands-on ground control
• What happens to ground control, billing etc in a global disaster?
• Only useful for personal or localised situations
• Inmarsat offers yearly contract at $555 (potentially useful to us)

EMP - Electromagnetic Pulse

• EMP can destroy solid state (transistor/chip-based) electronics
• EMP is one effect of nuclear explosions
• EMP-only weapons may exist
• Solid state equipment can be kept in metal boxes when not in use

What Next?

Radio Amateur license in the UK

Basic route to get a foundation license:

• Free online course : https://gm6dx.thinkific.com/courses/GTG-UKF

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• Online exam booking (£27:50) : https://rsgb.org/main/rsgb-examination-booking/

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Further information : https://rsgb.org/main/clubs-training/

Obtaining a HAM license

• Requires an interest in any of radio, science, electronics and rules/regulations
• Three levels
• Foundation : allows 10W maximum power on some amateur bands
• Intermediate: allows 50W maximum power on all amateur bands
• Full : Allows up to 400W maximum power on all amateur bands

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• Free course available
• https://gm6dx.thinkific.com/courses/GTG-UKF

Contact

If you would like to know more about this project or have any questions, please contact the UK Emergency Radio Comms team at the following email address:

• radio-comms-uk-admin@bkconnect.net

For further information about the project, please visit our team intranet:

• https://sites.google.com/bkconnect.net/radio-comms-uk

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Use of HAM radio

• World-wide communication is possible without infrastructure
• Independence from collapse of telephone and Internet
• National communication also possible
• Types of communication available:
• Morse code (longest range)
• Voice
• Slow data via shortwave
• Faster data via satellite
• Availability of frequencies across full radio spectrum from Longwave to Microwave and beyond

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