WIth the W8S Swains Island DXPedition pushed out to fall in response to the Coronavirus precautionary quarantine (See Jeff KE9V’s write up at https://ke9v.net/2020/02/23/due-to-pandemic/ ) what else are you hearing about the Coronavirus of substance on the Ham bands?
I had hams email me if I was aware of any Coronavirus response frequencies being used. They had read my prior postings: https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2020/02/17/lets-talk-on-the-radio-but-perhaps-put-off-eyeball-qsos-for-a-bit-a-hams-response-to-the-coronavirus/ and https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2020/01/31/infections-like-coronavirus-and-ham-radio/ and I had to tell them I had heard of no special frequencies in use.
What might be the cause for this?
I’m thinking the reasons that we hear little on the Ham bands are several:
- When people are that sick they are not going to be on the radio
- Some hams are involved in other response aspects and are busy
- The response is “not that sort of response” being slower methodical response than a ham-ready “action based response”
- Normal means of communicating are all intact
- Most of us have no direct access to new first hand information worth sharing
- Specific patient information has HIPPA aspects in play
- In some locations speaking out about what is actually happening is discouraged/forbidden
Now you can hear some folk talking about their pet theory, but that is the entertainment side of ham radio and far from serious information transfer.
As I wrote in a comment to Jeff KE9V’s article “Personally I have scrubbed my 2020 Dayton Hamvention plans and I’ve been encouraging the expo team for a trade association convention later this year to make sure they have a viable “travel-less convention” option as their Plan-B fallback.” But neither plan required any serious on -air bandwidth.
What have you heard?
73
Steve
K9ZW
Now another one…
http://www.arrl.org/news/coronavirus-fears-postpone-another-dxpedition
Have heard off and on chatter on 160 meters about cancelled events in certain areas of the country.
our Georgia ares group has a health and wellness check ins on dstar as well as hf every night at 7pm est. Google Georgia ARES for the website with list of times frequencies etc.
What a wonderful hobby we have! Let’s help the myriad of new licensees on they way!
Layne AE1N