Oahu RACES

Simulated Emergency Test Oct 2, 1999

Updated Oct 16, 1999


Kevin Bogan, WH6ML, a member of the Oahu RACES Quick Response Team, receives VHF message traffic at the Motorola console at Oahu Civil DefenseAgency (OCDA) in Honolulu during the 1999 National Simulated Emergency Test (S.E.T.) held on Saturday, October 2nd.

 



Scott Cooley, WH6CXW, Ray Moody, AH6LT, Oahu RACES Coordinator, and Randy Kurashige, WH6AQ, monitor and operate the HF rig and secondary VHF-UHF Rig from OCDA. The Packet Radio station is in the background.

Message traffic was received from Oahu hospitals as well as from State Civil Defence RACES which were operating their amateur radio stations as part of the SET. As well, individual hams passed formal messages in the simulation of a communications failure resulting from a hurricane hitting the islands.



Wayne Jones, NH6GJ, inspects the field operations set up by Kimo Chun, KH7U, on the lawn next to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) Headquarters in downtown Honolulu. In the background (to the right) is the single, telescopic, pole erected for the VHV/UHV antenna. To the left, but out of the picture, is a 40 meter dipole (NVIS) antenna for HF communications. Focus for this exercise for Oahu RACES was to test communication paths between the island's police stations.

This assignment at HPD Headquarters, in it's park-like setting, had to be the best assignment of the exercise. A few drops of rain near the beginning of the exercise did cause some concern, however.



 

Bev Yuen, AH6NF, operates VHF/UHF and Kimo Chun, KH7U, operates HF during the exercise. Note the transportable operating station (see next photo).



Kimo Chun, KH7U, customized a Zero Halliburton case to contain a complete HF - VHF - UHF station complete with AC power supply. A very handy setup for portable and emergency operations..