Thank you, I wish to acknowledge the many responses I rec'd via PSR & personal e-mail re the Subject info. I rec'd that info from my son. Boeing employees tend to pass this kind of info among their vast population as concern for commuting and their families wherever are paramount. Naturally, this extends to ALL OF US. At this point, I would like to DISPELL something that I saw among that List of Preparation that really bothered me, and that was under the subject POWER in that List. The statement "A cell phone works even when phone lines go down." is a misnomer in my book. The cell phone unit is a small low powered unit which is designed to communicate to a pod. A pod is a form of repeater which will pick up the low powered phone unit and retransmit the original signal into regular phone lines, possibly into a satellite, or other forms of retransmitting the original voice transmission. If the pod is damaged, or its antennas fail, there will be no retransmission of the original signal. If the phone lines are impaired, the pod (repeater) would be useless, and in the case of a major disaster that could easily happen. Another thing, generally, phone lines would be congested to the point where one could not even access the busy phone lines because of the emergency situation. This is most likely to happen and must be considered as a WARNING that phone access is not likely to happen. Our e-mail etc. use phone lines, even for a few seconds while sending or receiving such as in Juno which doesn't tie up the phone line except for the few seconds when sending or receiving messages. Since the phone lines are needed along with many servers, e-mail would very probably be impaired beyond use in a disaster. Therefore, we must be FOREWARNED that we cannot rely on these to provide the communication we had hoped to contact our loved ones, or for help, etc. This is where ham radio can help. Ham antennas can also be destroyed or impaired, but there are enough qualified hams around all of us that can provide those communications as the history of their ability to do so has shown in the years since radio transmission began. You may not hear a lot about it but in every disaster, or event that has a need for critical communications the hams are there to provide it completely voluntarily and cannot by law charge for any of its services or communications provided under their licenses. Amateur radio operators, or hams, as they are fondly called all over the world often have their CALL LETTERS as their automobile license plates. This is NOT a vanity plate, and is licenses separately, because the PURPOSE for doing so is to allow identification of an automobile that may or may not be able to provide Emergency Communications in a disaster. During a disaster, and the pandimonium that goes with it, authorities can often find a means of communications by the license plate identified by the call letters. This idea began in Florida many years ago when it was started as the results of a disaster situation. In fact I was able to meet one of the hams who started the idea when I met him at Mount Rainier many years ago. The idea spread all over the 50 states and most of the countries of the World. Again, thank you for your great response to the Information which I simply passed on as it seemed to fit well with the "Soundshake '98" report, and the segment on the Amateur Radio Service. It is a FREE Service as it is unlawful to accept remuneration for its services locally, or otherwise. It communicates, but it does not "broadcast" such as music, advertising, business transactions as these are forbidden by U. S. laws, and by International Agreement with other countries of the World. 73, or Best Ragards, Carroll of Snohomish. * * * 30 * * * Thanks a Meg. Patty for enhancing the value of this info from one who has been through some of it, and appreciates the value of being prepared in times of disaster, whether at home, or out on the road where every second counts. Best Wishes to you Patty, and do keep in contact. Carroll, who greatly appreciates your comments: Ref: PSRoots - D Digest V98 #313 Topic #5 On Fri, 25 Sep 1998 01:30:46 -0700 (PDT) PSRoots-D-request@rootsweb.com >X-Message: #5 >Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 23:58:26 -0700 >From: Patty Colleen Yirka <pwiard@northcoast.com> >To: PSRoots-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: FW: Winter Warning 1998-99 >Carroll: >My family and I live on the northern coast of Calif. we experience all >of the things you wrote about. We had 3 earthquakes in 17hrs. two 7+ >and >a 6+. I for one am a believer in all you say. You HAVE NO WARNING, I >will be more prepared because of all that has happened here. I copied >your list, thankyou it's a good one. I hope all of you out there read >it >and take heed. Take care, until next time >Patty pwiard@northcoast.com >End of PSRoots-D Digest V98 Issue #313 >************************************** ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]