Los Angeles Hams Upgrade Emergency Communications Capabilities

SAN DIEGO - Sept. 29, 2021 - PRLog -- To provide effective emergency communications, amateur radio operators need to find and eliminate sources of radio frequency interference (RFI) that could hinder their operations. Unfortunately, RFI is a widespread problem in Southern California that affects not only amateur radio operators, but also businesses, governments, and the military and RFI complaints can go unresolved for years.

To track down these sources of interference, ARESLAX, an arm of the ARRL Los Angeles Section, has a corps of technical volunteers. Without the proper equipment, however, the task is time-consuming and sometimes fruitless. To make the volunteers' job easier, ARESLAX recently purchased a Fluke ii910 Acoustic Imager with a $23,600 grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC).

The Fluke ii910 acoustic imager uses ultrasonic techniques to pinpoint the source of the interference and produce photographic evidence, which is invaluable when submitting a repair request to a utility company. The capabilities of the ii910 Acoustic Imager are particularly helpful in the RF-dense environment of Southern California, which has many potential noise sources.

ARESLAX' goal  is to eliminate all RFI sources in Los Angeles County. This would pave the way for better communications in emergency situations, and in the end, save lives.

About ARESLAX
ARESLAX is a nonprofit corporation that supports the work of the Los Angeles County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). Los Angeles County ARES provides backup communication for most of the receiving hospitals in the county and for the County Department of Health Services' Medical Alert Center. To accomplish this mission, Los Angeles County ARES trains amateur radio operators in emergency communications and provides assistance in setting up and troubleshooting amateur radio stations, with the objective of increasing the pool of operators ready to respond when emergency communications are needed.

Learn more about Los Angeles County ARES at http://www.areslax.org.

About ARDC
Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. The organization got its start by managing the AMPRnet address space, which is designated to licensed amateur radio operators worldwide. Additionally, ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radio's practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances, such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open source hardware and software.

Learn more about ARDC at https://www.ampr.org.

For more information, contact:
Diana Feinberg, AI6DF, ARRL LAX Section Manager
310.544.2917, dfeinberg@att.net
Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, ARDC Content Manager
734.930.6564, dan@ardc.net