[EAS] Alerting options

[Richard_Rudman]

Interesting thread!

I would bet there are a lot of low priority government dispatch systems on high band VHF and UHF that could be adapted for EAS by setting up a way to interrupt the low priority traffic with CAP-EAS messages. One big advantage: These systems are in daily use so get daily testing.

I have proposed this as a way to reinforce local/state EAS distribution.

The second part of this project would be to locate a large number of GE or Motorola high band or UHF receivers in surplus and set up a program to get these receivers to any LECC/SECC that wants to build out a local relay network (LRN). 

As Harold Price and others have pointed out in the past, the bandwidth of such channels is certainly not ideal for CAP, but if the government continues to ignore the need for dedicated wideband channels for LRN's to be licensed by government, the solution I am proposing might be the best we can do.

I have also suggested that CAP-EAS data could ride on a sub channel of one or more DTV stations so any radio, TV or cable system that can afford to buy a set-top DTV converter could tie in.

For either of the solutions I am proposing that we ask vendors if CAP-EAS could be converted to AX-25 packet data (and back to CAP-EAS) using SCS DR7800 devices, 9600 baud AX-25 packet boxes that have a LAN interface. 

Richard