RAYNET is a national group of volunteers, who in the main are qualified licenced radio amateurs. These volunteers come from all walks of life including the emergency services, military, computing, telecoms, electrical and electronic engineering as well as many other professions. We have around 40 members in Essex who are keen to use their skills and equipment from their hobby to assist with communications during any operation conducted by a User Service or during any exercise relating to such an operation in each case for the purpose of sending messages on behalf of a User Service and to assist with communications in times of disaster or national or international emergency.
Amateur radio is a technical hobby that offers:
- The ability to setup and operate adhoc wireless communications systems anywhere and at any time without using infrastructures such as telephones, internet and power networks.
- The ability to setup manned and unmanned stations.
- The ability to communicate over long distances.
- The ability to send and receive short messages including secure encrypted messages when requested and required by a User Service.
- Manage and log communications traffic.
- The ability to use all kinds of methods including Voice, Text, Picture, Video, File transfer, Live position tracking, Live weather, etc.…
- The use of high power levels, much higher than a commercial or off the shelf systems.
- The use of a vast spectrum of frequencies, including specific allocated frequencies, and the ability to change between them on the fly.
- The use of varies satellite and space systems.
- The ability to build and modify radio systems and equipment
Essex RAYNET has a number of local authority sites across Essex with fixed antenna installations, some with radio equipment for manned or unmanned use. Essex RAYNET also own some radio equipment including masts and aerials for setting up temporary repeater sites as and when required.
In addition to this being their hobby, our members assist the community with communications at local charity events as well as participating in formal training sessions so that they are always ready for that unexpected call.
