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My 2¢ Guest Editorial "Floobydust" |
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Floobydust Anybody who's been around electronics a while will smile to see that word. I don't know who invented it, but National Semiconductor Corp used it in their slightly off-center, but always entertaining applications notes. Near as anybody can tell, it means "odds & ends". Well, since nobody wanted the soapbox this issue, I'll pound on two of my otherwise unrelated thoughts and Pet Peeves. Maybe they'll help somebody... Simple Gear For EOCs. Please consider that the latest, greatest, hotsy-totsy Super Killer Contest Rig with all known or possible bells and whistles may not be the best choice for equipping an EOC. Several reasons: Firstly, they are usually much more expensive. You can often have three or four simpler, workhorse, plain-Jane radios for the same money. Secondly, they take a far longer time to train on. (Better not lose that manual!) Thirdly, the basic radio mission of ARES is usually monitoring--camping on--a frequency for endless hours. You just don't need, and can't really use all the Franjotic Intensified Hyper-Roofing Auto-Inverse Phase Compensators. More, simpler rigs allow you to break into several teams and be at several locations. And, there are fewer things to go wrong, and to draw more energy. Simple is good for EmComm. Routine Use. Anything that isn't exercised--tested--periodically can't be trusted. Whether it's a single radio, or an EOC, or a system of systems, if it isn't operated often enough to be considered routine, chances are increased that it won't work the day it's needed. In the middle of an emergency is no time for de-bugging or experimenting. It's Just Got To Simply WORK and haul the freight then. Prime example: Field Day. How much qualified and Known Working stuff simply won't play on Field Day? Here's the take-away lesson: a real emergency is much worse than field day, and the stuff that won't play is almost always a longer list. Imagine if lives and property depended on a situation like your last Field Day set-up period was before you solved all the problems. "My 2¢" is open to you for your opinion. Keep it constructive and reasonable, and we'll consider running it. No promises. To edit is to make choices, and no editor ever pleases everybody. That's why restaurants have menus. 73, W1WJB |