Venezuela is in the spotlight this weekend, after two massive 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck within a minute of each other on the night of Wednesday, at midnight our time. The epicenters were about 13km below ground, in the province of Yaracuy, and exposed at least 790000 people to severe shaking. As of the next morning, casualty numbers were not reported as high but that number has changed as the days go by.

On Friday night, CNN was reporting at least 920 fatalities, and over 3000 injured souls. Many thousands are still missing. Rescuers were racing to reach survivors beneath the rubble before the so-called “golden” window of time closes. Thousands are displaced and homeless in Caracas, La Guaira and surrounding areas. Residents are calling for civilian volunteers to help clear debris, saying that the emergency response is insufficient. The building damage and destruction is apparently massive.

Many countries have reacted via diplomatic channels, and rescue teams from surrounding countries are pouring in to aid in the search for survivors.

Carlos CO2JC, IARU Region 2 Emergency Comms Coordinator issued a message on Thursday, saying he had been in communication with Domingo L. Hernández Lima, YV5IZE, director of the Venezuelan Radio Club’s National Emergency Network, and learned that a large part of the capital was without electricity, and communication systems were operating on battery power. They were already activating their emergency shortwave (HF) frequency and also using digital frequencies and communication modes.

For this reason, Carlos requested that all amateur radio colleagues in the Americas and the rest of the world protect the following frequency used by Venezuelan amateur radio operators, namely:

40 m: 7135 kHz  Lower Side Band.

At the same time, the emergency communications coordinators of amateur radio operators from Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and other countries in the region, as well as members of the Board of Directors of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 (IARU R2), remain on standby to provide any assistance that may be needed.

The above message was conveyed to Region 1 of the IARU by Greg Mossop G0DUB, even as he convened the emcomm workshop at Friedrichshafen, where the second biggest Hamvention in the world is taking place this weekend.

All radio operators are strongly advised to avoid this frequency until the emergency is over. There are local VHF frequencies being safeguarded as well, but they won’t be trampled on or heard by South Africans.

Philippines has also experienced a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, this one on Friday the 26^th at 13h34 our time, and at the very bottom of the province of Central Mindanao, and at a depth of 42km. About 36000 people experienced severe shaking, and news of any casualties is awaited.

As I’m sure all radio amateurs are aware, this weekend is seeing the American Field Day exercise taking place. Since 20h00 hours our time last night (Saturday) thousands of hams in the Americas have gone off line and off grid to use their radios, mobile power sources and temporary antennas out in the countryside, to test their ability to make contact with, and transmit information between, similar setups in other parts of the country, and even of the world, if propagation conditions permit. Local weather and solar weather either contributes to, or spoils, the fun, until 23h00 our time tonight (Sunday). Amateurs will use the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10 and 6 metre bands, as well as VHF bands above 6 metres, and see what they can achieve.

The American press has been full of advisory reports from every county in every state, telling us who is doing what and where, and the next few weeks will see countless “post mortems”, as people report on what did or didn’t happen, and why. In the middle of the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, this event is hugely looked forward to, and much will be written before the excitement dies down. I’ll try to put together some sort of short report after it’s all over.

Local news in the Western Cape is that one of our local repeaters started behaving peculiarly a few days after our most recent storm, at the beginning of June. This repeater is sited on the top of Sir Lowry’s Pass, on the N2 out of the Peninsula, direction George. Users noted they could access it with high power and at close range, but not with average or low power or at a distance. It was speculated that water had got into the coax, and reduced the efficiency of the antenna system.

The actual cause was far worse. Someone was able to get up to the site (there are many, many radio repeaters on the site), and sent down a picture of the mast torn out of its concrete base, snapped in  half about halfway up, and lying on the ground, as a result of the wind experienced during that storm! Luckily the coaxial cable between VHF repeater and antenna had survived, and the repeater was trying its best to operate in a horizontal orientation on the ground, instead of a vertical one, and usually about 10-15 metres off the ground.

Repairs were very hastily made to get our antenna on a short 6 metre galvanised pole and bracketed to the repeater building at the site, and it is responding more normally again today (Saturday). Our grateful thanks are due to the members of the repeater working group team, who did a hurried MacGyver on the thing. This repeater forms an important link in the chain from Cape Town central all the way to George.

It is interesting to note that such towers on high sites are getting loaded more and more these days with microwave dishes, used for internet, or commercial or industrial links, and in fairness, the resistance to the wind created by all the dishes, which didn’t used to be there, probably makes the tower construction inadequate. I wonder how one calculates the effect of the dishes added to the wind resistance of the tower and radio dipoles. Should there not be a limit to the number of microwave dishes permitted on such a structure, or perhaps a revision of the minimum structural strength of these towers to cope with the wind load buffeting the dishes? Definitely food for thought! I hope they put up a stronger structure when this one is repaired.

This is Dave Reece, ZS1DFR, grateful that my miserable little 9 metre mast system is down at about 30 metres above sea level, and not on the top of a mountain, and reporting for HAMNET in South Africa.

May I start by wishing all the fathers out there a happy Father’s Day? I hope you enjoy this day, and realize how lucky you are to have children who appreciate you, as much as you love them. And if you still have fathers, tell them how special they are to you.

In a report from westerncape.gov.za, premier Alan Winde and members of his Cabinet have provided an update on the Western Cape Government’s ongoing response to the severe weather disasters that have affected the province and the assessment of the damage.

Premier Winde has welcomed the progress made so far, while emphasising that significant recovery and reconstruction work still lies ahead.

“In an extreme weather event like this, our immediate reactions are always about saving lives. We have now turned our attention to the recovery efforts. Since the devastating storms struck our province, all spheres of government, municipalities, emergency services, and our partners have worked tirelessly to restore access to affected communities and critical infrastructure. Through these coordinated interventions, about 70% of the roads that were closed have since been reopened in some form, restoring vital connectivity for residents, businesses and emergency services,” said the Premier.

While emergency access has largely been restored, extensive damage to road infrastructure remains a major challenge.

Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, said, “Many roads, bridges and related structures have sustained significant damage and will require major repairs or, in some cases, complete reconstruction. These are complex projects that require detailed assessments, engineering investigations and design work before construction can commence.”

To support longer-term recovery efforts, the Western Cape Government has identified 19 emergency provincial road repair projects at critical locations across the province. Contractors have already been mobilised, and work has commenced on a number of these priority projects.

Premier Winde noted that recovery work will be prioritised and implemented in a phased manner, subject to the availability of funding. The cost of the damage caused by the storms currently stands at over R9 billion.

“We are focused on restoring infrastructure as quickly and safely as possible, but the scale of the damage means that recovery will take time. Our approach is to prioritise the most critical routes and infrastructure while ensuring that all work is properly planned and executed to build greater resilience against future disasters,” continued the Premier.

The Premier also highlighted ongoing efforts to restore electricity supply. In daily briefings with Eskom Western Cape management, the Premier and members of the provincial Cabinet have been informed that 97% of residents who were left without electricity due to the adverse weather have now been reconnected, with restoration operations being intensified across affected regions.

The Western Cape Government has further supported response and recovery operations through the provision of plant and equipment to assist with access restoration and infrastructure repair efforts.

Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said, “We cannot ignore the impact of climate change in our province. To recover properly from and avoid disasters in the future, a business-as-usual approach’ will not work and indeed is likely to erode our development progress. Together we need to find adaptive strategies that minimise risks and enhance benefits to people and the economy.”

Premier Winde concluded, “We remain committed to working closely with municipalities, Eskom, national government and all stakeholders to ensure that affected communities receive the support they need. While considerable progress has been made, we recognise that many residents continue to face hardship, and we will continue driving recovery efforts with urgency.”

Thanks to westerncape.gov.za for the report.

Lexology.com reports that High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS) are emerging as a promising technology positioned between conventional aircraft and orbiting satellites. Operating in the stratosphere at altitudes of 20 to 50 kilometres, HAPS are typically unmanned aircraft or airships designed to remain airborne for extended periods while delivering communications, surveillance, environmental monitoring, and data services. As demand grows for persistent connectivity and lower-cost aerial infrastructure, HAPS technology is attracting increasing attention from governments, aerospace companies, and telecommunications providers.

Unlike satellites orbiting the Earth, HAPS remain within the atmosphere and maintain relatively fixed positions over a target area. Most concepts rely on lightweight structures powered by solar energy, supported by high-efficiency batteries or fuel cells to sustain night-time operation. The appeal of HAPS lies in their ability to combine some of the coverage advantages of satellites with the flexibility and accessibility of aircraft. A single platform can potentially provide broadband connectivity, remote sensing, disaster response support, or border surveillance across large geographical regions.

Advances in materials science, solar panel efficiency, battery storage, and autonomous flight systems have significantly improved the feasibility of long-duration stratospheric flight Several aerospace and telecommunications companies have conducted successful test flights demonstrating impressive endurance, including a recent 12-day, 6,400-mile stratospheric flight from New Mexico to waters off Brazil. Modern HAPS designs increasingly focus on ultra-light composite airframes, intelligent energy management systems, and autonomous navigation capabilities capable of handling challenging stratospheric conditions.

The growth of 5G and future 6G communications networks has also accelerated interest in HAPS as a complementary infrastructure layer. In remote or underserved regions where terrestrial towers are impractical, HAPS may offer a faster and less expensive alternative to laying extensive ground infrastructure. Governments are likewise exploring military and civil applications, particularly for intelligence gathering, maritime monitoring, wildfire detection, and emergency communications during natural disasters.

HAPS technology is steadily moving from experimental demonstration toward commercial and governmental deployment. Continued improvements in battery density, autonomous systems, and lightweight materials are likely to enhance endurance and operational efficiency.

Rather than replacing satellites or terrestrial networks, HAPS are more likely to serve as part of a hybrid communications and monitoring ecosystem. Their unique position in the aerospace landscape allows them to fill capability gaps where conventional solutions are either too expensive, inflexible, or technically unsuitable.

As the sector matures, companies developing HAPS technologies may increasingly focus on protecting innovations relating to energy systems, autonomous control, communications architecture, and platform design. Patent protection for such innovations is therefore expected to become an increasingly important aspect of competition within this rapidly evolving field.

This is Dave Reece ZS1DFR reporting for HAMNET in South Africa.