REPORT ON SEVENTH GAREC CONFERENCE
Held at Sun City (South Africa) from 16 – 18 August 2011
To all attending delegates representing 13 countries!
My grateful thanks for all those who attended the seventh GAREC conference and their contributions to make this an eventful and very varied 3 days of discussion!
All reports and presentations which can be published will be available for viewing on the GAREC web site at http://www.iaru.org/garecnet/ and comments and suggestions for the next GAREC conference will be welcomed. Please submit comments and suggestions to for distribution to the steering committee!
Some comments related to the papers will be made in my report!
One of the decisions taken at this conference is that the Steering Committee would like to place and invitation now for Papers to be discussed at the next conference that will be held in Kuala Lumpur. We felt that this is a good way of creating interest in our next conference!
Comments in brief!
All 3 Regions delivered their reports.
Emergency communications groups have increased from 17 to 36. This is encouraging!
The Centre of Activity (CoA) frequencies are gaining acceptance and momentum.
We need to take a closer look at specialised networks to ensure accuracy and eliminate hoax messages.
GAREC needs better organisation in the future. A set Steering Committee should be elected at the end of every GAREC Conference!
The setting up of Local and Regional networks should be discussed.
Language is a problem – but English tends to be the preferred language.
We need to do more ‘selling’ of the Amateur Radio Emergency Communication abilities to Governments in particular.
Training is essential and must be encouraged.
Message handling is still a problem area!
We need to explore more effective areas/means of communication due to the problems associated with the current propagation cycle – e.g. Digital means!
We will look at the possibility of establishing a CoA in the 17M (24MHz) and 10m (28MHz) frequencies.
It was decided that the 30M (10MHz) band is a supplementary band and not primary. Thus no action at this time!
Action to be taken!
Greg and Francois to prepare a document on “Who do you Call” in a genuine emergency picked up on any band.
The suggestion of a “GAREC Directory” was again raised and we should take action on this issue and establish a protocol on what is desired and needed to establish such a directory
The outstanding “Emergency Communication Manual” was again raised and we need to request a progress report on the development of this Manual!
GENERAL
It was decided by general consensus that the next GAREC conference will be held in Kuala Lumpur as suggested by Johnny Tan 9M8DB as it is a Region 3 location.
Stefan Streif, HB9TTQ indicated they (Switzerland) would like to host the 2013 GAREC conference.
We have already had an invitation from the U.S.A. to again host the 2014 conference in Huntsville (Alabama).
Kind regards.
Francois Botha – HAMNET
ZS6BUU.