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Alexander, DL4NO's avatar

Starlink Mini and future for Amateur Radio emergency communications: Here in EU emergency traffic has traditionally been considered support of official emergency services. As long as analog FM technology separated every branch of any service from one another, ham radio had a place. In the digital communication world this place has mostly disappeared. But many groups militantly defend their traditional position. Starlink Mini will further diminish such possibilities for ham radio.

For a long time I have preferred to concentrate on welfare traffic as emergency services have more important things to do than to bother about every single citizen. But we can do things that Starlink cannot: Create emergency communication systems in communities and support specific aspects of resilience on the communal level.

The backbone of such systems could be FM repeaters with 3 weeks of off-grid standby capabilities. Or we show our surroundings how to use license-free handytalkies. We could also discuss how to provide ill or disabled with means to request help from their neighborhood.

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Bill W7NWP's avatar

ARNET - good name!

Has the updated version of this article been published?

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