Posts Tagged ‘disaster’

Exploring Shortwave Radio Signals: A Peek into Non-Local Communications

Curious about what you can hear on shortwave ham radio? This video is a brief survey of the diverse world of communications on the shortwave spectrum. Expand your radio horizons and enhance your emergency communication preparedness by tuning in to the world of shortwave ham radio.

If you’ve started delving into radio communications beyond local stations and channels, like VHF and UHF, you’re in for a treat. Shortwave radio opens up a whole new realm of signals to explore, including emergency communications vital during natural disasters.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIVesUzNP2U[/embedyt]

Shortwave radio covers a range of radio frequencies from 3 kHz to 30 MHz. This spectrum is home to a diverse array of radio signals that cater to various communication needs, making it a hub of activity and connectivity.

Within these high frequencies, you can tune in to a multitude of transmissions, from transoceanic air traffic control communications to the chatter of ships navigating the vast seas. Imagine hearing the voices of fishermen, much like those on your favorite reality TV shows about high-seas fishing adventures, along with military communications and the vibrant world of amateur radio enthusiasts.

One of the remarkable features of high-frequency (HF) radio is its ability to propagate signals over long distances, transcending line-of-sight limitations. This means that HF radio enables communication between different regions and even continents, fostering connectivity across vast distances.

During times of crisis and natural disasters, shortwave frequencies become invaluable for emergency communications. When local infrastructure falters or is disrupted, shortwave radio serves as a vital lifeline, facilitating critical two-way communications in and out of disaster-stricken areas.

Explore the fascinating realm of shortwave radio, where distant voices blend with essential information, bridging gaps and connecting communities in times of need. Uncover the power of HF radio to transcend boundaries and provide lifelines when they are needed most.

In this video, I give you a glimpse of the voice and data transmissions I pick up on my high-frequency amateur radio transceiver (in this video, an Icom IC-7000). In later videos, I will dive deeper into specific types of HF communications, such as aeronautical trans-oceanic signals.

Show Notes #108

Episode #108 Audio (Listen now!):
Introduction:
The show starts off well with Pete being in 17.7C (63F) weather, and the guys talk about Russ’ beverage for the evening.
Announcements:
  • Linux in the Ham Shack is having a contest! We will be giving away a Beaglebone Black. (http://www.digikey.com/product-highlights/us/en/texas-instruments-beagleboard/685#beagleboneNext) If you are currently a subscriber at the monthly or yearly levels, you are already entered and need not do a thing. If you are not a subscriber, you have 2 choices: #1 is you become a subscriber at the monthly or yearly rate or, #2 is you can call the LHS voice line (1-909-547-7469) and complete this thought: “I deserve a Beaglebone Black because…” Your answers can be as serious or ludicrous as you like. Please include a call sign, if you have one, and an e-mail address or phone number in your voice mail so we can let you know if you’ve won and find out where to ship your snazzy new Beaglebone Black. All entries must be received by 10:00pm Central Time on June 16th. The drawing will be done during the live recording of episode #109 on June 18th. Good luck!
  • The annual WX4NHC On-the-Air Station Test from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami took place this past Saturday, June 1, 1300-2100 UTC (9AM-5PM EDT). “The purpose of this annual station test was to test all of our  radio equipment, computers and antennas using as many modes and frequencies as possible in preparation for this year’s hurricane season.”
  • Arch Linux 2013.06.01 is now available for download on mirrors worldwide, and it is powered by the latest stable Linux kernel, version 3.9.4. This monthly updated ISO image also contains all the updated packages from the last release. The ISO is for new installations only. Existing users can just run sudo pacman -Syu
    • Source: Linux Today: Jun 03, 2013, 15:00
Topics:
  • Mumble 1.2.4, the successor of 1.2.3 has been released on June 1st 2013. It comes with a new audio codec called the Opus codec. “The  Opus codec is designed to handle a wide range of interactive audio  applications, including Voice over IP, videoconferencing, in-game chat, and even remote live music performances. It can scale from low bit-rate narrowband speech to very high quality stereo music.”
    • Source: Linux Today: Jun 03, 2013, 15:00
Mini-topics:

Feedback:

  •  Voicemail from Lord Drachenblut re: Episode #101
New members and social media folk:
  • LHS Members:
    • None
  • Twitter Followers:
  • Facebook followers/likes:
    • None

Contact Info:

Music:

  • “Shot Down” by Josh Woodward, courtesy of Jamendo.
  • “Breath Away” by Meat the Machine from the album Songs from the Gutter, courtesy of Jamendo.

LHS Episode #108: Mumble in the Jungle

thailand-jungleHello and welcome to the first episode to be released on schedule in quite some time! It looks like our contest to award a Beaglebone Black to some lucky listener is going well. Make sure to get your entries in before 10:00pm Central on June 16th, either by becoming a member or completing the thought "I deserve a Beaglebone Black because..." on our voice line at 1-909-LHS-SHOW (547-7469). The drawing will be held during our live recording of Episode #109 on June 18th.

In this installment, your hosts travel the world of Linux and Ham Radio, discussing the latest release of ArchLinux, hurricane and disaster preparedness, the free-software Mumble project, computers in education and more. We even have voice feed back from Lord D, addressing a philosophical topic discussed in Episode #101. Sit down with a drink and get comfortable. This episode will make you think--we hope.

73 de The LHS Guys


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