>>>> Ok Jeff... E-mail and the phones are ok here,it is the AC that
 >>>> is flakey as hell.
 JE> AC?  In the middle of a blizzard and you're worrying about AC?  (Perhaps
 JE> that -VOLTAGE- and not "A"ir "C"onditioning ;-)
 JE> (gotta smile to keep from crying, y'know )
 Ok..I should have said -hydro-.
 Jeff it has been a long three weeks,my brain is fried out.
 JE> STarting to see some of the reports on TV, now.
 JE> Ain't it amazing that they can send a crew in such an area with camera 
and
 JE> live links back to the stations, etc, and tell how that particular area 
is
 JE> without communication!
 JE> What's wrong with this picture? (smirk)
 It SUCKS!
 A nice fancy van with a hydralic antenna pole on it could be easily used as 
an emergency repeater site when the antenna is set-up on it at 40 feet.
 But then their TV signal would be a mess when the repreater kicked in.
 >> There are still many people with no hydro in some parts of Eastern 
Ontario,
 >>the Ottawa Valley, and parts of West and East Quebec.
 JE> Is there anyone who's taking those people water and whatever basics
 JE>needed?
 Yep. The Canadian military and Red Cross volunteers.
 >> This storm was one of the worst in Candian history so far.
 JE> So it's been reported.
 You can not really see how bad it is in some places until you see it first 
hand at ground level.
 Trees,hydro-poles and hydro towers all smashed like toothpicks everywhere 
with
all the wires drapped all over the place.
 On top of that mess add about 3 to 6 inches of ice and you get an idea.
 JE> Here's hoping that all gets much better, before it gets worse.
 It is getting better slowly as some are still with no hydro.
 Generators were good as gold and some bastards were trying to sell them for 
over 100 percent more than their retail value.
 I say bastards because they are lower than the lowest to profit of someone's
pain and suffering like that.
 And then we had the real sickos who went out and STOLE generators from a 
ELL
phone switching site! These pieces of human excrement put who knows how many 
lives in danger with their lack of brains doing that.
 Somtimes situations like this bring out the good,but then it also brings out 
the bad as well.
 >> Amateur radio has really proved itself to be the
 >> community lifeline in many Ontario and Quebec towns
 JE> Glad to hear that Ham Radio is well represented in that area, Rob.  If 
you
 JE> get the chance, give a quick "Hi" to Barry and Kathy, VE3JF and VE3JFA 
n
 JE> Ottawa (isn't that in the same geographical area?  My Canadian geography
 Barry lives in the west-end of Ottawa.
 SO far as I know he is ok,just lost his hydro for a short time.
 He has a packet BBS running here if you have packet.
 you can send him mail at: VE3JF@VA3TCP
 The BBS is VA3TCP.
 >> The only antenna I lost out was the HF trapped dipole
 JE> Given the situation, and the fact that you're still alive speaks well 
or
 JE> preparedness.  Experience and good operating skills allowed for the best 
to
 JE> be made from a bad situation.
 Not too mention being nuts enough to cliimb up and wack at the ice with a 
broom stick to get back on the air!
 JE> (*privatly to myself:  Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayers for Rob
 JE> and his father in Canada, during this terrible event.*)
 Thank-you Jeff.
 >> I'll send you a ZIP file by E-mail this week of those
 JE> By all means, take your time.
 Sent this week you have it now.
 JE> Let me know what kind of assistance I can be down here, if any H&W 
traffic
 JE> need be passed in this area.
 Thanks Jeff. So far most of that has died off now.
 We have an HF station at Red Cross house here in Ottawa and they were 
unning
a net on 80m and one on 40m for a time,but as so many lost their antennas up 
here for the HF bands we only had VHF and UHF locally for some.
 Most H&W was done on 2m locally and from here on Hf to the Toronto area.
 I did some from my place to several towns in and around the St.Lawrence 
Seaway
area from concerned relatives here when the phones went dead down there.
 What a mess it is when there is no phone to call to when people get worried.
 I have a copy of newspaper article I'll try to send with this mail.
 Gives you and Idea of what we had going on.
 I'll send it to ALL with a subject of ICE STORM NEWS.
--- GoldED 2.42.G1219
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