Shakedown Social

DoomsdaysCWThrough Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Amateur Radio Triumphs When All Else Fails While some residents in hurricane-impacted areas can’t send texts or make calls, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AmateurRadio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AmateurRadio</a> enthusiasts are helping communicate requests for help and messages between loved ones.Wired 9 October"Hurricanes have wreaked havoc on the United States over the past month. More than 200 people have been confirmed dead as a result of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HurricaneHelene" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HurricaneHelene</a> and many more have gone missing, making it the most destructive US hurricane since Katrina in 2005. Nearly a week after Helene made landfall, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CellService" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CellService</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DeadZones" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DeadZones</a> plagued the Carolinas, leaving thousands of residents unable to reach their friends, families, and even emergency responders. As <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HurricaneMilton" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HurricaneMilton</a> builds in the Gulf of Mexico this week, radio operators in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Florida" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Florida</a> are also preparing to launch their net—a group of operators communicating live over the air. Scott Roberts, an amateur radio section manager for northern Florida, said that operators in his area started checking their equipment and making plans to deploy to shelters as of Monday."There are more than 1 million licensed radio amateurs in the US like Witherspoon and Roberts, according to a Federal Communications Commission spokesperson who spoke to WIRED last week. Some amateur radio bands are short bands, reaching only small communities of people, while others cover hundreds and even thousands of miles. When <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CommunicationInfrastructure" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CommunicationInfrastructure</a> fails, like <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CellularNetworks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CellularNetworks</a> during a natural disaster, the FCC allows for amateur radio operators to assist in recovery efforts."Gordon Mooneyhan, spokesperson for the American Radio Relay League, said he knows of three main <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/repeaters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#repeaters</a> being used to convey messages inside the disaster area from Hurricane Helene, including the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MountMitchellRepeater" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MountMitchellRepeater</a>, which is located at the highest point in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NorthCarolina" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NorthCarolina</a> at 6,600 feet and boosts localized radio broadcasts to a wider network. This is where Witherspoon read off supply requests and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RoadClosures" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RoadClosures</a>."<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/hurricane-helene-milton-north-carolina-florida-amateur-radio/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/story/hurricane-helene-milton-north-carolina-florida-amateur-radio/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HamRadioOperators" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HamRadioOperators</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AmateurRadio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AmateurRadio</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Disasters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Disasters</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DisasterAssistance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DisasterAssistance</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Communication" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Communication</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MutualAid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MutualAid</a>

Kevin Karhan :verified:A <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/PSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PSA</a> for anyone living, staying, entering or even travelling to/from <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Australia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Australia</a>:Apparently, <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Australia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Australia</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPlTz-3estM" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">decided to mandate</a> it's <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/GSM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GSM</a> systems to be shutdown because some <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/GalaxyBrainChair" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GalaxyBrainChair</a> wanted to yeet <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/2G" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#2G</a> & <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/3G" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#3G</a> and demand everything to use <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/4G" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#4G</a> & <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/5G" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#5G</a> when in fact <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/VoLTE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#VoLTE</a> support is spotty at best and <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/EmergencyCalling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#EmergencyCalling</a> oftentimes is explicitly hardcoded to not use <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/WIFIcalling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WIFIcalling</a> or VoLTE as providing <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/triangulation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#triangulation</a> and <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/LocationData" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LocationData</a> via <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/SS7" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SS7</a> is a desired feature when someone calls EMS, Fire Dept or the Police for help... <ul><li>So essentially <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/tourists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#tourists</a> and anyone who hasn't an explicitly fully VoLTE-functional device they tested and verified to also do <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/EmergencyCalls" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#EmergencyCalls</a> via VoLTE are fecked with no reception when they need it the most!</li><li>This WILL KILL PEOPLE!!!</li></ul> As much as we want to bitch about <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/GSM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GSM</a> & <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/GPRS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GPRS</a> / <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/UMTS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#UMTS</a> being <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/outdated" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#outdated</a> and <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/inefficient" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#inefficient</a>, there are reasons to at least keep 2G available - ranging from lower power consumption to higher resilience in emergency situations.<ul><li><a href="https://infosec.space/tags/NewZealand" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NewZealand</a> for example does shutdown non-<a href="https://infosec.space/tags/EmergencyCalls" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#EmergencyCalls</a> during severe <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Earthquakes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Earthquakes</a> so that people trapped and/or in need of urgent assistance can get through to dispatch operators and everyone else has to get in line and take a number aka. use <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/SMS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SMS</a> or if existing <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Internet" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Internet</a> to say "I'm fine!"... </li><li>If the Ozzies really need that juicy <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/UHF" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#UHF</a> <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/SubGHz" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SubGHz</a> <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Spectrum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Spectrum</a> it's totally feasible to instead change the <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/allocations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#allocations</a> and reconfigure <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/CellularNetworks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CellularNetworks</a> to use lesser bandwith for 2G (i.e. only keeping the absolute mininum of channels available for any service) and thus clear up space...</li></ul>And to add insult to injury, Australia <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPlTz-3estM&t=207s" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">passed</a> a <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/NorthKorea" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NorthKorea</a>|n-alike <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/CellPhone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CellPhone</a> <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/ImportBan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ImportBan</a> for any device that doesn't do i.e. the bespoke proprietary garbage that i.e. <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Telstra" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Telstra</a>, <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Vodafone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Vodafone</a> and <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Optus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Optus</a> do with the <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/baseband" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#baseband</a> modems of their <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/branded" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#branded</a> devices... Seriously, which <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/TechIlliterate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TechIlliterate</a> dickhead decided it's a good idea to do that <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/3Gshutdown" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#3Gshutdown</a> in Australia without even a basic 2G network up and running at all? <ul><li>At least <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Switzerland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Switzerland</a> [AFAIK] still has <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/3G" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#3G</a> up and running (tho it would've been wiser to do it like <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/Germany" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Germany</a> and keep <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/2G" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#2G</a> as emergency fallback with it's functions like <a href="https://infosec.space/tags/CellBroadcast" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CellBroadcast</a>....</li></ul>

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