Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Haiti and the Foxhunt

After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has devastated Haiti, the ARRL announced that 7.045 MHz has been designated as one of the emergency frequencies. As luck would have it, that is right in the middle of Foxhunt territory.

I am awaiting for the Foxhunt committee to show a big dollop of common sense (I am confident that they will) and either postpone tomorrow night's hunt; or move it up in frequency - say 7.100 to 7.200 MHz ?

I have worked Haiti and the Dominican Republic and all over the Caribbean with 5 Watts with no problems. I would hate to think that an enjoyable pastime might be QRMing and hampering some important emergency traffic.

Now is the time to put "games" on the side and to let the real work of emergency relief begin.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Not sure my confidence was well founded as the hunt will go on. The committee has decided to keep a 3 kHz "slice centered on 7.045 mHz" clear. I think I'll spend the evening working on the PFR3A and avoid 7.045 mHz altogether. As a Fox and Hound who has taken good notice of pileup discipline in past hunts, I know that unintentional QRM is way too likely.

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