Comrades 2018 - 10 June A
big thank you to all who were involved again with the planning from
Hamnet's side, and to ZS5GD and ZS5WFD for taking time off for Expo.
Willem ZS5WA did duty as the
Pietermaritzburg JOC, later handing over to the Durban JOC in Moses
Mabida stadium, where ZS5GD, ZS5WFD and ZS5LT were on station. Both JOC
stations handled the net professionally. A big thank you to all who
helped on the water tables along the route!
Peter, ZS5PL, HARC chairman, writes:
"To all the operators, helpers, wives, girlfriends and others who
assisted with the radiocomms today. Very well done! Your efforts today
were of the highest quality of professionalism and I'm very sure
enhanced the respective reputations of the various clubs involved, both
Amateur and non-Amateur. Most of you had a very long day and yet you
coped with everything that was thrown at you, from scraped knees to
potential coronary failure and everything in between. I monitored the
Ham frequencies for most of the day and nobody lost their temper, became
overly frustrated or bad-mouthed any other organisation or individual.
Regardless of whatever club or organisation you belong to, you can all
go to bed tonight and sleep well, knowing you were part of a magnificent
effort. Three cheers to the lot of you!"
Ironman 2017
Hamnet KZN managed two events today, 18 June. The first was
the Ironman event in Durban.
Click here for
more pictures.
Scottburgh to Brighton 2017
Despite having to split our team to also manage the Ironman event on
the same day, we managed perfectly. Weather conditions were great!
Click here for
more pictures.
Comrades 4 June 2017
Comrades was an up-run this year. The
linked Durban and Pietermaritzburg repeaters worked well.
Unfortunately the Hilton repeater was still down, so the Pmb JOC needed
to use the World's View repeater with the lower audio level. As
usual, it was a busy day for all radio operators who helped today.
Thanks also to the CB and LCCSA who helped out with the radio
communications today.
Click here for
more pictures.
More Comrades images can be viewed
here
August 2016 - ZS5HN writes:
This year’s isiMangaliso went off
with great success, Hamnet KZN played a vital role by providing the
Radio Communications for this event once again.
The event saw 234 Mountain Bike Riders,
riding from Lake
St Lucia past Lake
Sabaya, through Phinda Game Reserve and on into Mkuze Game Reserve.
Both of these Reserves have the Big 5.
Comms were established on VHF Simplex 145,550 Mhz with 145,225 Mhz as a
backup when 145,550 got Busy.
The Ops Control ZS5MB situated on a high
point was in contact with the JOC ZS5HN, ZS5J as Rover, ZS5LT as Sweep
1, ZS5CD as Sweep 2 &
ZR5GB as Sweep 3. There were some
challenges, from S2 Mush on VHF from the Computer Systems at the JOC, to
Strong Wind and Lightning at the High Site.
All the Hamnet members deployed are looking
forward to next years event.
Feedback from the isiMangaliso MTB organisers:
After a year’s activity culminating in the hectic
non- stop 4 days of the event, we’re finally getting our breath back and
taking a reflective look at the 2016 isiMangaliso 4 Day event. Thank you
for the part you played.
What a ride it was, starting in October last year and ending in the past
week, with the last five, mad weeks, marking track, dealing with last
minute queries, questions, organization and what seemed to be a
continuous undercover operation to throw various obstacles in our way,
from a garage door that had to be cut open to the RIS vehicle that was
crashed the night before we were about to take delivery, to the police
impounding the bike wash trailer, let alone water restrictions and
intermittent power, this year we had it all.
Then the 4 days of madness during the event which saw, for the first
time, the weather throwing a huge curved ball, with the wind and rain
forcing last second track changes to less muddy routes, with some
incredibly fast remarking and redeployment of marshals all handled
exceptionally well without the riders even being aware of the crazy,
behind the scenes, rush. This year the crew were thoroughly tested and
showed that with 3 years of experience, they could handle any and every
obstacle efficiently and quickly, plus handling casualties, comms,
dangerous game, power, water, driving 58 vehicles to the finish,
whatever it was, just sorted and handled.
If I add in the marshal teams, labour teams, sweeping teams, logistics,
caterers, accommodation, photographers, video guys, admin, motorbike
riders, Honorary Rangers, marking teams, track clearers and suppliers,
the list seems endless, the crew adds up to 120, and to each and
everyone who played a part, volunteer and supplier, thank you for
assisting in this enormous undertaking of getting 234 riders safely to
uMkhuze and back, well fed, watered, accommodated, entertained and with
the ride of a lifetime under their belt. The feedback from every entrant
has been overwhelming, testimony to this year’s success has been the
huge positive response to the social media campaign.
Your assistance has enabled us to raise a further R230-000 for the
isiMangaliso Rare and Endangered Species fund and more importantly
raised awareness of this incredible World Heritage site.
We look forward to seeing you in 2017.
Regards
Shane and Daryl
Hamnet Meeting, 13/12/14
A well attended meeting was held at Disaster
Management Centre. Interesting topics we discussed.
2013 Total Rally
Hamnet KZN again provised vital comms between the
different stages and the control points. In many areas there was
no cell coverage. More pics can be found
here
2013 Duzi
Hamnet assisted with the gruelling 3 day canoe event, providing
comms in the mountainous terrain where modern conventional cell comms
are difficult, and sometimes impossible
Dawie Conradie, ZR5DHC, from Amateur Radio Sonder
Grense, interviews Gawie Hoon, ZS5R, about Hamnet's participation in
Comrades. Click here to
listen. (It's in Afrikaans, 6.1MB)
03 June 2012 - Comrades down run
We had another successful communications system with
this year's Comrades. Again, comms provided by Hamnet KZN is
proving vital for requests for ambulances, crowd control etc. Here
is a picture of table 30, ZS5JM.
More pictures can be viewed
here.
October 2011 - Some more pictures can be viewed of the
Amashovashova race here
07/08/11 Some more picture have been uploaded on our
photo album of the
Scottborough to Brighton Race,
Dusi Mfula,
Durban
Airshow and our
July
Hamnet meeting
2011 Tour Natal Rally, 25/26 March
The Rally was a resounding success from Hamnet's
communication point of view. The reliability of modern technology
still has not caught up with what our teams can achieve with Amateur
Radio equipment. Again we managed to provide invaluable comms
between the stages and control, which was also used to send through the
stage times to control.
More pictures can be viewed
here
Durban Twister?
On 31 January 2011 Phil ZS5VC reports:
"I have just (19h20) captured on camera what
appeared to be a very well defined 'funnel shaped feature' in the sky to
the south of Durban. I am not suggesting full-on 'twister' but looks
quite similar to one (although it was not touching the ground), or
perhaps a water spout ? I can not tell exactly it's distance from
my location or whether it is over the sea or not, but if I had to guess
it looks like it could have been in the vicinity of Isipingo -
Amazimtoti (??) Interesting anyway."
you can view some more photos
here
Amashovashova 2010
Asishova 2010
The National Road Traffic Act (submitted by ZS5DGR)
Previous home entries
can be found
here
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Ethekweni Emergency Control Number: 031 361
0000
Comrades 2015This year's up run was a
hard one, with many ambulances required to tend to runners in trouble,
keeping the radio operators busy requesting ambulances and other
emergencies. Another job well done!
Comrades 2014
Hamnet KZN had another
successful day on the down run, providing vital communications during
the race, especially during the latter part of the race when there were
many requests for ambulances, busses etc.
It was an early morning for some:
Comrades 2011
We had a very successful
event from a communications point of view. The normal
requests, such as requests for ambulances for road side treatment etc
where carried out with Keith ZS5WFD at control in Pmb, and Dion ZS5DD as
half way control at Cato Ridge (relaying messages from the Dbn side to
the Pmb side).
As soon as more photos are available, I will post them
here
(also accessible from the album section)
Bulletin Frequencies:
Sundays: 7.110MHz and 145.625MHz, @07h00
Wednesdays: 7.110MHz and 145.625MHz,
@19h30
Emergency
Frequencies
Traditionally, 3.760MHz,
7.110MHz and 14.300MHz are considered HamNet Emergency frequency.
But if busy, any frequencies can be used in the Amateur bands.
On 2m, 145.700MHz duplex
frequency is generally reserved for HamNet use
WHEN ALL
FAILS AMATEUR RADIO SUCCEEDS
Something has gone terribly wrong. Normal
ways of doing things are not working. The fastest way to turn an
emergency into a full disaster is to lose communications. Radio
Amateurs understand emergencies. For over 70 years they have provided
emergency communications for organisations. When normal ways of
communication fail or get overloaded Radio Amateurs will be there.
HAMNET, the National Emergency
Communications division of the South African Radio League (SARL),
provides communications for emergencies and can mobilise experienced
communicators who with their own radio equipment will back up official
channels or take over when all else fails.
The SARL represents all Radio Amateurs in
South Africa at all levels of Government and through the IARU at the
International telecommunications Union. Radio Amateurs or "Hams"
use two-way radio communication to make contact with other radio
amateurs all over the world. They are even able to use satellites and on
occasion speak with astronauts. Radio Hams can do this from home or
while mobile in cars, boats or on foot.
Radio Hams have a full range or communication modes at their disposal.
These include plain voice, Morse code, numerous digital computer modes
and even graphical modes like television. A licensed radio amateur is
able to join in experiments using all these modes.
HAMNET is a voluntary group of 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.
Training Modules are available either from your Provincial Director or
from the National director via e-mail.
HAMNET forms part of the Constitution of the South African Radio League
which means that you have to be a member of the SARL to be a member of
HAMNET. All information on HAMNET is available on the web site of the
SARL.
The
SARL is a founder member of the
International Amateur Radio Union and as part of it's charter, is required
to operate an emergency communications division which is charged with providing
accurate and efficient communications in times of natural and other disasters,
and when life or property is endangered.
This task has been delegated to
HAMNET which is the SARL's emergency communications arm.
The members of Hamnet KZN are also actively involved
in assisting with communications on numerous sporting events. During these
events, normal means of communication by cell phone do not work due to various
reasons, including traffic congestion of cell phone towers, and difficult
terrain, such as deep valley where no cell phone coverage is found. Our
Hamnet members have the ability to set up radio equipment in these environments
for successful communication lines, enabling critical race and safety
information to be relayed from the field to the central command centre.
Some of the regular events Hamnet are involved in include:
- Comrades Marathon
- Tour Natal Motor Rally
- Dusi Mfula Cycle race
- Tour d'Urban
- Scottbugh to Brighton Beach Sand and Surf Marathon
- Amashovashova Cycle Race
Keith, ZS5WFD, in his command vehicle, operating
ZS5DCC
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