Subject: Re: definition of "2m HT"

From: [email-masked] (Peter Kaminski)
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1993 05:46:55 GMT

[Note cross-posting -- set Followup-To: appropriately]

In <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:

>A two-meter Handy Talkie is an amateur radio transceiver that
>operates on the "two meter" (approximately 146 Mhz) frequency band.
>The currently produced ones by Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Alnico, and
>other companies are smaller than typical microcassete pocket
>recorders and weigh only a few ounces.

[...]

>As one responder quipped, a swiss army knife, a vice grip pliers,
>electrical tape, a minimaglite flashlight (and possibly a 2m HT)
>would see you through 90% of emergencies...

I'm reminded of a similar list (at a slightly different scale) in a
_Whole Earth Review_ article by Stewart Brand -- "Learning from the
Earthquake" (WER #68, Fall 1990).  It's a first person account and
analysis of "the crucial difference of volunteers" in the 1989 Loma
Prieta (SF Bay Area) quake.

A few of the items from the "What Rescuers Learned" summary:

  Right after an earthquake, nobody's in charge.  You self-start, or
  nothing happens.

  Collect tools!

  When you see a fire starting, do ANYTHING to stop it, right now.

  Join a team or start a team.  Divide up the tasks.  Encourage leadership
  to emerge.

  If you want to help, ask!  If you want to be helped, ask!

And the "Collect Tools!" list:

  These are some of the tools that have proven useful for earthqake
  search and rescue and for fighting fires while they're still small:

  Gas-powered [chain] saws

  Hand saws

  Axes

  Ladders

  Crow bars and pry bars

  Wrenches for gas valves

  Flashlights, miner's lights, lanterns, extra batteries

  Portable generator and power tools and work lights

  Jacks, blocks, and shoring material such as 4x4 lumber

  Rope

  Shovels

  Work gloves, boots

  Loud hailers

  Buckets

As I'm replying to a post about amateur radio transceivers, I'll note that
by sheer coincidence, the same issue of WER has 39 pages on "Radio Earth":

  "Sferics" -- natural radio sounds and how to hear them

  "Radio Earth: The Radio-Seismic Connection"

  "The Covert Spectrum"

  "Tune In the Cosmos" -- amateur radio astronomy

  "Tabletop Earth-Watch Stations" -- hooking up an antenna to a fax

  "A One-Minute Course on How to Do TV"

  "Pirate TV in Eastern Europe"

  "Black Box" -- interview with Pesti Laszlo, Eastern European cameraman

  "Inhabiting the Electronic Environment" -- EMFs 'n' you

  "The Real Honest True Deregulation of Broadcasting" -- *anyone* can
  broadcast in Italy

  "Jailhouse Radio"

  and two book reviews on "Making Radio"

Looks like they're running low on back issues of #68, so a set of
bound photocopies will run $30, but you can order by calling
800-938-6657 or +1 415 332 1716 voice; +1 415 332 3110 fax.

Articles available electronically from Dialog, Mead, and BRS.
WER customer service email address: <[email-masked]>

Pete (not affiliated except as a subscriber)