HAMNET Report

HAMNET is a voluntary group of South African radio amateurs who make their unique communication skills available to assist and help others in distress during and after disasters.
HAMNET is represented on the sub-committee of the South African Search & Rescue Organisation, and is also affiliated to IRESC.

WSAR (Wilderness Search and Rescue) ran an operation at Matroosberg on the 12th and 13th of August in an attempt to recover the remains of Elaine Abrahams who fell over the edge of Groothoek Canyon at the end of June.

Members of Delta Search and Rescue, EMS and Hamnet provided communications support for the operation. This report from Paul van Spronsen ZS1PVS – Provincial Director of Hamnet Western Cape!

Members of Cape Nature, EMS and The Off Road Rescue Unit provided logistical support in the form of transport up and down the four wheel drive track that rises approximately 800m. Members from High Angle Rescue, MCSA and TMR were involved in the technical aspects of the operation.

The original communications plan involved placing a relay station at Matroosberg peak, but communications between the base established at the farm and the base established at conical peak turned out to be sufficiently good that the relay was cancelled.  This simplified the logistics somewhat as the team originally intended to operate the relay were now able to operate in a base communications capacity.

Communications were done principally on three frequencies: the WSAR channel for in base communications and communications between ORRU, EMS and Cape Nature while in convoy; an EMS simplex channel near 155 MHz for communication between the farm base and the conical peak base; and the Cruiser channel between members of ORRU when the convoy did not include vehicles from other organisations.

Paul, ZS1PVS was stationed at the farm base with the incident commander.  Good communication was established using only 10W on the inter-base channel.  5W was workable, but not with full quieting.  I made use of cross band repeat to 433.500MHz to a handheld, which I could then operate on 50mW.  This enabled me to man the radio while performing other functions to assist where possible. An EMS member handled most of the farm base communications and helped by keeping the log and answering calls from conical base.  This served to re-enforce the idea that it takes two people to properly man a radio point.  This has been suggested several times during debriefings after events and exercises.

The operation was eventually called off due to safety concerns.  Pieces of ice 'the size of tents' were breaking off and falling in the area where the operation was to take place.  It is unknown at the moment how long it will be before it is safe to proceed. 

Reporting for Hamnet this is Francois Botha – ZS6BUU.

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