‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM SEPTEMBER 2012 QST  PAGE 41‰
DUAL BAND UHF/VHF ANTENNAS ON THE MARKET.  IN THIS APPLICATION WE WANT TO
AVOID THE COMPLICATIONS AND SPACE REQUIRED FOR A RADIAL OR COUNTERPOISE
SYSTEM, IF FEASIBLE.  IT MUST BE RESONANT ON OUR DESIRED BANDS AND SUPPORT
OUR TRANSMITTER OUTPUT POWER.  WITH A LITTLE THOUGHT, I CAME TO THE
SELECTION OF A DUAL BAND, COPPER TUBE J POLE ANTENNA.  I HAPPENED TO HAVE A
J POLE THAT I HAD USED ON UHF/VHF YEARS AGO.  THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT WITH
IT FULLY ASSEMBLED IT WOULD NOT FIT INTO

OR ON MY WAY AND TO CALL FOR HELP.  NOW IF THE EMERGENCY REQUIRES US TO
EVACUATE OUR HOME, AS WAS THE CASE IN COASTAL JAPAN, THEN I WILL NEED AN
AMATEUR RADIO GO KIT.  SO, GIVEN MY NEEDS, I WANT A GO KIT THAT IS A FULLY
FUNCTIONING, SELF CONTAINED AMATEUR RADIO STATION THAT IS SMALL ENOUGH THAT
MY WIFE ROSALIND, KD7BTR, OR I CAN GRAB IT AND GO.  THE RESULT IS A RADIO
IN A BAG.  SO WHY USE A BAG?  THE ANSWER IS A MEDIUM SIZE CLOTH TOOL BAG
THAT IS RUGGED, FLEXIBLE, EASY TO STORE, EASY TO CARRY AND INEXPENSIVE.
THE SIZE AND TYPE OF BAG IS THE RESULT OF THE FOUR ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS THE
BAG MUST HOLD.  I WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THE BAG LATER.  THE ESSENTIAL
COMPONENTS FOR A COMPLETE RADIO STATION ARE A RADIO TRANSCEIVER, A POWER
SOURCE, A CHARGING SYSTEM AND AN ANTENNA.  THE TRANSCEIVER LOCAL EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS IN OUR AREA ARE ON VHF/UHF.  THAT MEANS 2 METER AND 70 CM
FM, SO I LIMITED THE TRANSCEIVER SEARCH TO THOSE THAT COVER THOSE BANDS.
MY NEXT CONSIDERATIONS WERE THE RADIOS SIZE, WEIGHT, POWER CONSUMPTION AND
RUGGEDNESS.  REMEMBERING THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO FIT IN A BAG, I SELECTED A
SMALL DUAL BAND RADIO FROM YAESU, THE FTM 10R, BUT RADIOS FROM OTHER

RADIO IN A BAG PUBLIC SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS BECAME PERSONAL TO ME AFTER
THE TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI.  TIM FACTOR, KT7F I USED TO READ ABOUT
GO KITS IN AMATEUR RADIO MAGAZINES MORE WITH CURIOSITY THAN INTEREST.  IT
SEEMED THAT THE GO KIT CONCEPT HAD AS ITS MAJOR THEME THE ABILITY TO SET UP
AN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS STATION TO ASSIST AUTHORITIES IN AN EMERGENCY.
I HAVE THE GREATEST RESPECT FOR THOSE HAMS WHO PROVIDE THE VERY IMPORTANT
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRED DURING LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY
SITUATIONS.  I NEVER SAW MYSELF SUITED FOR THAT LEVEL OF EMERGENCY
RESPONSE, SO I DID NOT PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.
THAT IS UNTIL MARCH 11, 2011.  THE NEWS HITS HOME THAT WAS THE DAY TOHOKU
EARTHQUAKE AND THE RESULTANT TSUNAMI HAPPENED IN JAPAN.  WHEN I LOOKED AT
THOSE TSUNAMI FILMS, I REALIZED THAT MY LOCATION IN COASTAL CALIFORNIA IS
STRIKINGLY SIMILAR TO SENDAI, JAPAN AND THATS HOW DISASTER RECOVERY
COMMUNICATIONS BECAME PERSONAL.  DURING THE PAST YEAR, I HAVE TRIED TO
DETERMINE WHAT PUBLIC SERVICE COMMUNICATION MEANT TO ME.  SINCE I AM NOT
INTERESTED IN BEING A FIRST RESPONDER, THEN WHAT WOULD BE MY PERSONAL NEEDS
FOR POST DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS?  WHAT IS IT THAT I WOULD NEED TO
COMMUNICATE AND TO WHOM?  THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION WAS I WOULD NEED TO
COMMUNICATE WITH MY WIFE, AND SHE WITH ME, TO LET HER KNOW THAT I AM OKAY
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ