Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Re: satphones

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 04 Nov 2002 13:26:56 -0500

------- Original Message --------
   From: Ben Russell <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: satphones

I have been facinated by the recent discussion on satphones.

My agency recently moved a portion of its emergency response (I'll leave out
details for now) communications to satphones.

Because of the nature of the response and the areas where they'd be going
(rather woodsy, complicated terrain), I just rolled my eyes when the guys came
to show me their new toys.  I told them what I knew about the shortcomings of
the sat phones they were holding.  They were surprised, but confirmed my
comments after several training exercises.

The satphones were purchased with the intention of being a primary comm device,
replacing the already in place, but aging, VHF highband radio system.  Current
policy has the satphones as primary with the VHF as back-up, much to the dismay
of field responders.

I've copied and forwarded the thread on satphones that appeared here yesterday
(I get the digest) to one of the field guys in my office who has been using a
satphone.  He was very interested and was planning on forwarding the
commentaries on up the ladder.

Essentially, when I first heard they were using satphones, I told the guy down
the hall from me to cross his fingers when he was up in the mountains around
Berwick, PA trying to save us all.  Well, let's just say the phones did not
give a stellar performance during their drills.  Unfortunately, someone who
makes the decisions was still enamored enough with the phones that the are
sticking around.

If anyone else has more info on trials and tribulations of satphone testing and
use during emergencies, I'd love to hear about them.  Feel free to email me
directly if you don't want to clutter the list.

=====
Ben R. - Norristown, PA
http://www.jeffersonfireco.com - Check us out today!
http://home.earthlink.net/~benandchrisie - Boring stuff about me