In Part One, Mr. Allison outlined problems with our nation’s emergency communications – now known as the Emergency Alert System. What is needed, he argued, is an alternate means of information delivery from governmental officialdom to USA citizens. Although he cites several solutions, alert readers will note that the recently moth-balled Voice of America site in nearby Greenville is an Allison favorite.
In North Carolina, a lot of ink has been shed to promote hand-powered radios for AM/FM/NOAA. Better models have solar panels rather than hand-crank generators. Most of these radios have shortwave radio bands included, along with the AM/FM and NOAA weather radio frequencies. Later in this article, you’ll see why it is important to have all these frequency bands available.
Amateur (Ham) radio operators have been available for emergency communication duties since very nearly the beginning of this FCC-licensed radio service. In fact, hams have traveled the world setting up radio systems on islands where no utilities are available. Stateside, the amateur radio service (Ham Radio) has a national annual field day where operators set up temporary stations using AC generators to see how many message/contacts can be made with other stations in a given amount of time.
Hams operating on upper frequency bands train on handling message traffic with a network control station maintaining order on the frequency. Many sailors out on the high seas have ham radios to keep in touch with family back home using Starlink and WinLink internet systems. WinLink is an internet modem system that connects computers to shortwave radio transceivers to cover long distances point-to-point. However, it doesn’t have the “Blinding Fast Speeds” of current high speed internet service supplied with cable or fiber optic systems.
The amateur radio service can be an adjunct to the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS). Ham members of MARS have permission to operate on military frequencies which are near ham radio frequency bands. The network control station is usually military, and military bases and personnel work with hams to add to the number of available stations. Messages are passed internationally between networks. The military has stations at places like the Pentagon, Fort George G. Meade, MD and Fort Huachuca, AZ.
Another system is managed by FEMA from Mount Weather in Virginia. Short wave communications are handled from disaster sites to Mount Weather. How much of the year this system is workable/available is not known. But staffing could be arranged for availability when no active disasters are being handled.
An important link in the US communications chain could be the Voice of America (VOA) site in Greenville, NC. This facility has very high power medium-wave and shortwave transmitters. Though recently closed, it is the only VOA site left on US soil. Machine shops are also available there to make repairs to the transmission system on-site.
VOA could use standby generators installed with a 100,000 gallon tank for diesel fuel, keeping its broadcast transmitters running a very long time. Some modifications could protect the audio processor and modulator equipment from Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) – a likely weapon to be deployed by our enemies. Food and cots would also be needed. A vertical antenna could be mounted on one of the VOA’s existing towers to allow broadcasts to the hand-cranked/solar powered emergency radios using the AM or shortwave radio bands. Just be sure to keep those radios in Radio Frequency-proof containers until needed.
Our Embassies once had shortwave communications available. If that capability has been diminished, it could be easily returned to full strength with EMP-proof military grade radios. Even the Vatican has its own international broadcast station. Other countries such as Great Britain and Germany lease time on other non-owned transmitter facilities such as one in Kuwait. That location seems to have been a very poor choice for obvious international political reasons.
To make a robust communications system worldwide, all of the above segments of the shortwave bands need a common operational plan and a build-out of systems where needed. Master network control can be arranged whereby personnel are available 24/7 to monitor status of these radio networks. Probably a combination of VOA and MARS would nicely serve messages from the President and news items assembled from VOA. Use of WinLink could supply slow internet-like operations, provided EMP-proof computers are widely available or standard computers are kept in EMP-proof packages until needed.
Many international broadcast organizations are depending on internet to reach their targeted audiences. A targeted country’s government can switch off the foreign broadcaster’s programming on the internet so very easily. Is that really a good idea to depend on the internet? NO!
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
- VOA has reputation for telling the truth worldwide.
- Current commercial broadcast transmitters are not electro magnetic pulse protected. Russia, China and others have nuclear and electronic pulse generators that can instantly make all unprotected electronics a pile of waste. A carrington event can wreak havoc too and they last for days.
- The trend in international radio broadcasts is to lease time on another system’s transmitters. This includes: BBC, Deutsche Welle, Vatican Radio and others. Limited facilities and time slot availabilities will force higher and higher costs per broadcast hour.
- Sites outside the U.S.A. such as the Kuwait broadcast station are highly vulnerable to an Iranian or Russian drone attacks.
- Current thinking is touting internet broadcasts for worldwide coverage. Unfortunately, any country can deny internet broadcast with no convenient work around available.
Gordon is a frequent contributor to The County Compass
