144.775G1SCR 433.775

A VOLUNTARY COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

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How Did We Start.

RAYNET was formed following the disaster caused by the east coast floods in 1953, when radio amateurs were asked to provide emergency communications. Under the terms of there licence, amateurs are not usually permitted to pass messages for third parties, but an arrangement was reached which authorised this procedure while working for the

User Services.

Any UK Police force,

Ambulance Trust

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WRVS

Salvation Army

 

Any utility service

Throughout the year RAYNET Volunteers give freely of their time and equipment providing radio safety cover at many Sporting and other events. They also have a commitment to provide additional emergency communications should the need arise.

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Who Are We.

RAYNET members come from all occupations. They usually have an agreement  with their employer that they will be released if required in much the same way as volunteer Fire Crew.  Members are organised in to groups. These groups have either politically or geographically defined that that they are under the leadership of a controller. In Counties or regions were there is more than one group, there is normally a County or regional controller who co-ordinates the efforts of the various groups in the area

There are 14 Geographic Zones in the UK each having a Zone Controller who co-ordinates the groups within his/her zone. There are two types of RAYNET the groups who are linked to the RSGB and the groups who are within an independent net. BUT WE ARE ALL THERE TO DO THE SAME JOB.

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What Skills Do We Have. Our Combined experience in radio communication are probably unmatched outside the Armed Forces and there are few circumstances in which we are unable to establish radio links.  Training has always been an important aspect of RAYNET. Members regularly undertake in the form of sporting and sponsored events in connection with one of there user services. As well as in group and joint training. Where message passing, engineering skills and equipment can be tried and tested.

Operations

Many local authorities maintain permanent stations for RAYNET use, in their emergency headquarters others provide antennas allowing RAYNET members to bring in and quickly connect their equipment.  All RAYNET members are insured third party clams for personal equipment.As with all emergency situations it is better to work with known faces, and meetings between the user services and RAYNET controllers are therefore helpful. RAYNET members are sometimes invited to attend disaster exercises either as players or as observers, so that all will know what Is expected of them should the need for additional communications arose at short notice.

  RAYNET has provided communications such as Zebregge and Lockerbie as well as a Hospital when the phone System caught fire one Christmas. Overseas work is also undertaken, with RAYNET providing disaster relief often for the Red Cross.  

National arrangements are in place to supplement the necessarily limited resources of any one group by rapidly deploying members and equipment from adjacent areas. For example by the means a minimum of 80 operators (rising to a peak of 130) was made available on each day over the ten day period during the Lockerbie incident.