Friday, August 8, 2014

Maritime Mobile Service Net Helps with
Two Land-Based Emergencies
The main purpose of the Maritime Mobile Service Network, which meets daily on 14.300 MHz, is to provide assistance to mariners. But sometimes, according to the ARRL Letter, it responds to emergencies on land as well, and did so twice in recent months. In mid-June, the net received a call for help from a trucker-ham in rural Texas who witnessed a serious accident but was out of range of both cell phones and VHF/UHF amateur repeaters. Then in July, the net was asked to call for help in the aftermath of a truck accident in Nevada, which occurred in a canyon, precluding the use of CB as well as cell phones and ham repeaters. In both cases, appropriate authorities were notified.