Sri Lanka Radio Project

MediShare International has supported MARCO Member Hemantha Gamage, 4S7HG in his efforts to equip his hospital with a VHF mobile communications system to facilitate communication with its ambulances. In an email sent today, Hemantha announced the near-completion of this project. Congratulations!

Dear Sirs,
I am pleased to inform you that we have started installing radio equipments of our VHF system in Sri Lanka. This week we installed the base station at the District General Hospital Gampaha.
The base station was fixed in the room reserved for the Telephone operators in the hospital. The antenna was fixed on the roof top of the 7 story building. The cable is 100m long approximately. This happened because we planned for a repeater but we had to give up that idea due to licensing problems. The radio is transmitting 25w but we checked the effective power reaching the antenna was only 2.5w. However we could contact Colombo without much problem yesterday.

We have to do more fine tuning in order to get more effective radiation.

We have also started installing mobile units and would complete them by next Tuesday.
At the same time we happened to pay approximately Rs. 15000/= per radio as the annual frequency charge. But we are negotiating with the central government and telecom authorities with the help of local government health minister to exempt the charges. I wish it would work. I am very happy that most of our senior officers and the (Local Government) health minister are enthusiastic about this new development. Also they are very happy to see ambulances of 4 small peripheral hospitals getting reliable mode of communication with our project.

We have fixed a date for a small opening ceremony for the new development, tentatively fixed 5th of april 2008. I would appreciate if you could send a message (or any suggestion) for the opening ceremony. I apologize that I could not send you some pictures of the work done because

I was busy with my family commitments and my job.
Anyway I will send all the photos and details of the project as soon as I completed the work (opening ceremony).

However I feel I have driven our work to towards the "goal" successfully. Also I feel the time, money and effort that I spent with your lavish contribution has become a fruitful effort.
My director and the minister would contact you after completion of the project for thanking the friends at MARCO.


Thank you.
Hemantha Gamage 4S7HG.

MARCO Grand Rounds for March 30, 2008

From Warren, KD4GUA:

This Sunday we will decide truth from fantasy--research states "Except among high-risk patients, the benefits of statins such as Lipitor are overstated." The false advertising states that Lipitor reduces the risk of heart attack by 30%. Where did they get this 30%? The study found for each 100 patients taking Lipitor for 3.5 years they averaged two heart attacks per hundred whereas those not on Lipitor had three heart attacks per hundred--a reduction of 30%!!! A bunch of baloney--by the way to they still sell baloney? I'm a stockholder in Pfizer so I promise to take it easy.

Warren KD4gua PS: Our pilot last week was a no-show--I think he is mike shy.
Blog-meister's note: This weekend is the CQ WPX phone contest, so it may be tough sledding. Give it a try regardless.

MARCO Grand Rounds for March 23, 2008

From Warren, KD4GUA:

Propagation--good propagation seems to have staggered through the Daylight Time change as we had 34 check-ins last Sunday during our discussion of "Hospitalists."

This Sunday we hope to have on board Phil Waldman, the ferry pilot who has flown the Atlantic and Pacific in small planes over 250 times...he will discuss the fun involved in being over the vast oceans all alone with yourself and how you get to know yourself better.

Tune in should be fun. If you have any questions for Phil ASK, he is easy to talk to--especially using radio location finding prior to GPS.

MARCO Grand Rounds for March 16, 2008

From Warren, KD4GUA:

Last Sunday with the advent of Daylight Savings Time and the delay in transition of the Gray Line, propagation was impossible. We had a long skip but no short skips. Fortunately, Phil Waldman, Ferry Pilot who was to be our guest was unable to show because of a weather hold up in the Pacific on a small plane flying to Japan. I will have breakfast with him Saturday morning and will suggest we further postpone his talk because of the bad change in propagation. Instead, we will talk about "Hospitalists." Do you love em or envy them, or cuss 'em? Now, everyone say "Bananas." (You're a fine bunch!)

MARCO Grand Rounds for March 9, 2008

From Warren, KD4GUA:

Sunday, MARCO's host will be Phil Weldman, President and owner of "Globe Aero", a ferrying service for small airplanes. Phil has made over 250 ocean crossings to Europe and Australia in single engine Cessnas and Piper aircraft. He will tell you how he utilizes his radios and the changes that GPS has brought. If you didn't have the opportunity to meet Charles Lindbergh, here is your chance to meet the 21st century version.

Three weeks ago, I drove to Lakeland, Florida to tour Phil's hangar which is geared to take in a brand new airplane on one end, fit it with auxiliary tanks, and have it exit refitted on the other side. On the tarmac was a brand new Piper two place single engine landplane with conventional landing gear destined to be flown to Berlin, Germany. A car drove up and out popped a retired TWA captain who was to fly the little plane over. We chatted and parted. One week later I learned the little plane took on ice 400 miles out of Iceland, became a flying ice brick, lost its lift and the pilot informed Iceland center--"I'm going down." Icing levels were at sea level. The pilot and plane were not recovered. This Sunday's Grand Rounds will be dedicated to that pilot, his name? Captain Greg Frey, TWA retired.

Tune in should be educational...write down your questions and Phil will try to answer them.