Welcome! Each month, Rob Mannion G3XFD - the editor of Practical Wireless - introduces topics of interest and comments on current news Looking at Amateur Radio used in crisis, insurance for portable operating and forthcoming club visits

• The appalling tragedies of the Mississippi Delta flooding in and around New Orleans in the USA, and the terrible devastation caused by the earthquakes in the Kashmir area straddling both the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the giant Indian Democracy - have made the unequally balanced situations painfully obvious.

The unequal situations have become obvious due to the positive use of Amateur Radio in helping to provide emergency communications in the USA. On the other hand the unique emergency communications our hobby can provide when distress strikes - is seeminlgy minimised in the Indian Sub-Continent. To say I was dismayed at the lack of obvious, high profile Amateur Radio service assitance with communications on the India/Pakistan frontier - would be an understatement!

Although the people I come across form those huge, disparate nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India are friendly people, there are cultures clashes. It's particularly noticeable with Pakistan and Bangladesh, and most probably our hobby is viewed with suspicion, because of its open nature, as it's of Western in origin and seen as a threat to Islam (it's not of course!). However, I think India's problem comes down to money and currency exchange difficulties, rather than an attitude problem.

Personally, I grieve when I see the children and desperately poor parents eking an existence out on roads, railways stations and anywhere there's shelter. I'm not impressed that - despite this poverty - both the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and India both have nuclear weapon capabilities!
Readers may wonder what my opinions have to do with Amateur Radio? In answering I've got to be honest and say that the Military style regime in Pakistan seemingly has the needs of its people in the background, and doesn't seem to encourage Amateur Radio.

However, by not encouraging Amateurs they miss out on a remarkable effective - literally free- emergency communications service that would be backed up by Amateurs all over the World.

Bearing in mind how useful a service Amateur Radio can be - without being a threat to national security in an emergency - I hope that pressure will be put of the Islamic state of Pakistan to prepare for the next disaster. They should greatly encourage Amateur Radio and introduce the freedom that comes with the hobby. In return Pakistan and the other impoverished (despite the nuclear capabilities) countries providing the teeming mass of humanity in the Indian Sub-Continent - they will benefit from a much improved very low cost emergency communications system from a dedicated group of people.

Although not a natural sympathiser with any of the politics of the countries on the Sub-Continent, I would do my very best to help expand the hobby there and I'm sure the other Amateurs the world over would open their hearts and wallets to do the same. Let's hope for a distinct change in attitudes.

• Event Insurance Problems?

Have you had problems finding insurance for an Amateur Radio Event/Field Day or outing? If you have - I'd be most interested to hear from you and I'm planning to cover this subject soon- thanks to an enquiry from PW reader John Sims G0LJS who has alerted me to the problem (particularly the cost) of insurance for equipment/operations away from home.
If you have concerns, information and advice - please contact me at PW. Thank you.

• Post Codes Please!

Several readers have suggested it would help if rally organisers included the post codes of their venues publicised in PW. On reflection I think it's a good idea. Not everyone has satellite navigation yet - but many of us look up maps and locations provided by Websites such as Streetmap UK, etc., requiring a post code

When preparing for a PW visit, I always ask clubs to provide postcodes. This is so I can find them much more easily with a spot map on a website.

So as from this issue, I ask rally/event organisers to provide postcodes to help wherever possible. However, those of you in the (generally post/district code free) Irish Republic need not worry - finding a rally in your country never seems to be a problem!

• Cockenzie & Port Seton

I'm delighted to confirm that after a very long wait (for the club!) - I've been able to finalise an invitation to visit the Cockenzie & Port Seton Club on the outskirts of Edinburgh on Friday 24 March 2006. Flying to Scotland for club visits is now easier as book-ahead flights are cheaper - very much cheaper!
My flight to Edinburgh is costing 34p each way - with £41 worth of taxes on top! Odd accounting eh? - but I'll not criticise a system that's allowing me to visit PW friends North of the Border. Hope to see you there - it'll be a great 34p's worth to meet everyone - despite the taxes!

Rob G3XFD

• In this month's Practical Wireless