Australian company supplies radio aid
Donated Australian radio equipment is helping improve emergency communications in the Caribbean island group of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, located within ‘the hurricane belt’.
The equipment was donated by Barrett Communications after the company spotted an article in a US radio magazine describing the plight of the islands’ communications system.
The article was written by the Rainbow Radio League’s (RRL) director, Donald De Riggs. The RRL is a non-profit volunteer organisation that was formed in 1995 with the aim of assisting with emergency communications in the Saint Vincent island group.
Having spotted the article, Barrett made contact with De Riggs and, following detailed discussions, a range of ex-demonstration HF and VHF equipment was dispatched to RRL in May this year.
The gear comprised two Barrett 2050 HF transceivers (one as a base station and the other in an in-vehicle configuration), two 2090 HF Manpacks, four PRC-2090 HF base stations, three PRC-2080 VHF handheld transceivers, one PRC-2082 VHF base station and a Barrett HF-VHF Cross Gate.
Barrett also supplied 14 solar panels that can be used to charge batteries.
“Within one week of receiving the equipment, some of the portable equipment was used to provide support communications for an outdoor motor sporting event at Mt William,” said De Riggs. “The Barrett radio equipment improved the service during this event.
“The results so far from the testing we have done, even at low power, have been very encouraging,” De Riggs added. “The Barrett 2090 HF Manpack has an outstanding receiver, which is important because, even if you cannot communicate with base, hearing a lifesaving announcement or command matters a lot.”
The majority of the HF equipment has been earmarked for the Grenadines, which has the greatest need for emergency communications equipment.
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