HF Digital Messaging - Emergency / Disaster Relief - Interoperative Communications - Ham Radio
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High Frequency Network (HFN) is a global digital wireless system of interconnected terrestrial stations, established with the primary purpose of providing International Emergency/Disaster Relief communications via shortwave radio frequencies. |
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24-hour service is targeted at remote locations of the world, where
normal mobile cell phone and internet communications are not available,
or where natural disasters cause infrastructure failures. NETWORK COVERAGE A global constellation of networked base stations (HFN Pilot Stations) has overlapping footprints in the regional coverage areas, providing High Frequency (HF) connection points. All stations in the network are equipped with world standard Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) radio and antenna systems. PROVIDING SERVICE Continuously operating since 2007, the network is expanding and adding more features. HFN interconnect services include: HF Mobile Phone Texting, HF email text messaging, real-time-activity tracking, HF message relay, group calling, Net announcements, and individual station direct HF calling. The HFN Communication Centre, "ALE Channel Zero", is on the web at HFLINK.NET OPEN NET CALLING The HFN system provides an open net framework, to facilitate direct contact between Ham Radio HF stations on the air, for any type of normal communications whenever the system is not actively being used for emergency/disaster response. HFN is staffed by dedicated radio operators who volunteer to provide communication services with licensed Ham Radio base stations. Free international access to HFN radiocommunications services is open to all Ham Radio operators holding valid HF amateur radio licenses of any country. EQUIPMENT HFN radio stations are equipped with scanning ALE transceiver systems, multiband antennas, and special software control systems for internet connectivity. Ham Radio operators using HFN services normally use an HF transceiver connected to a computer with ALE software, or an HF transceiver with built-in ALE. Radio users in the field, anywhere within the network coverage area, may link with one of the main HFN stations on HF for exchanging digital text messaging to and from internet devices such as cell mobile phones, smartphones, computers and laptops. Users also relay messages to other field users via the same system. HFN uses ALE digital modes to interface with the Winlink ham email system. NETWORK BASE STATIONS There are two types of networked base stations within HFN: Pilot Stations and System Stations. Each HFN Pilot Station is actively monitoring for calls 24/7/365 and rapidly scanning the HF band spectrum, from 3.5MHz to 28MHz, every 10 seconds. HFN System Stations are active whenever the station operator is available, on more limited schedules or frequencies. HFN System Station operators participate ad-hoc, expanding the network coverage footprint whenever possible, with advanced ALE features and tracking. Upcoming services include Distress Call, Emergency Call, and Priority Call Response. ALE technology utilises Listen-Before-Transmit techniques and radio transmissions that bind all the stations together at intervals, to establish and maintain 2-way communication and interconnectivity. Thus, the field stations easily lock into the frequencies of other stations in the network that can provide viable 2-way connectivity for their area. INTEROPERATIVE ALE SYSTEM ALE is a very resilient communication platform, enabling a common calling and alerting system, with a unique infrastructure-less networking architecture. This capability fluidly leverages the same system for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure communications, in a dynamic de-centralised network or through stand-alone peer-to-peer connectivity. ALE networks in the International Amateur Radio Service have standardised their ALE frequencies for interoperative communications; these ALE channels are part of the framework of a globally accessable common medium for response organisations and agencies to communicate with each other in a net-of-nets. |
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ALE Emcomm ALE Operator Alerts HF Interoperation for Organizations and Individual Operators on the air are served by Emergency/ Disaster Relief Communications Global ALE High Frequency Network (HFN) |
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radio ALE operators in North America who can potentially participate in
supporting response communications at their own stations, are
encouraged to commence scanning operation on the ALE channels during
emergency and disaster relief events. North America Emcomm ALE Voice SSB freqs (kHz USB) 3845-3996-7185.5-7296-14346-18117.5-28312.5 During significant hurricanes in the North America region, Pilot Station Operators of the Global ALE High Frequency Network are on alert, scanning the standard ALE Data/HF-email/HF-phone-texting/HF-relay freqs (kHz USB) 3596-7102-10145.5-14109-21096-24926-28146 |
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IARU
GlobalSET EmComm Radio Events ALE operators participate in Global Simulated Emergency Test communications exercises sponsored by International Amateur Radio Union |
| GlobalSET is the on-the-air international emcomm
radio event sponsored by IARU.
The objective is to promote readiness for
international emergency disaster relief communications. Anywhere in the
world, ALE on HF can be there to assist. Operators
participated in the Global Simulated Emergency Test by sending ALE text
messages
to the central IARU GlobalSET headquarters, relayed via the network of ALE Global HFN Pilot Stations. Hams
activate their ALE stations, start scanning and sounding before the event, and send messages during the day of the event. In
addition to the emergency practice, this
gives us all an occasion to link up and meet more ALE operators on the
air. For more info, please read the HFLINK forum. |
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ALE On The Air Week AOTAW |
| ALE On The Air Week (AOTAW) is an annual international amateur radio event sponsored by HFLINK.
All hams are invited to participate in
10 days of HF Automatic Link Establishment activity on the air. The
purpose of the event is to encourage ALE communication techniques among
amateur radio operators worldwide. Operator
experience in this
readiness exercise is useful for HF Emergency / Disaster Relief
communications. AOTAW
is an open informal operating event for hams to check out their ALE
communications equipment, get real-world experience initiating and
responding to ALE calls, link up with fellow ALE operators for for text
or voice QSOs on HF, and share helpful information about setting up ALE
stations. Thousands of amateur radio operators worldwide have ALE-capable stations, and many were active in last year's AOTAW event. Visit the ALE High Frequency Network's ALE Channel ZERO web site for up-to-the-minute activity loggings of all the ALE signals as they are received at the various stations around the world during the event. |
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 ALE for Emergency / Disaster Relief Communications Presentation at the IARU Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference |
| The International Amateur Radio Union's Global Amateur
Radio Emergency Communications Conference GAREC-2007 was held in
Huntsville AL, USA, with international delegates from IARU Region 1 and
Region 2 attending. The focus of the GAREC conference was: How
the amateur radio service can apply advanced technologies to emergency
communications in the service of early warning, emergency response and
disaster relief. The ALE presentation at the conference included information about how ALE can provide an
interoperative method for all emergency and disaster relief
communicators to communicate with each other. more... A conference report for HFLINK members is available on the HFLINK forum. |
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ALE HF Activity
Emcomm - Chat - Help
Emcomm - Chat - Help
Ham Radio ALE activity is automatically reported and spotted on the web, as received in real time by the network of Global HFN Pilot Stations around the world.
Whenever you transmit an ALE sounding on the air, it is picked up by ALE Channel ZERO stations and displayed in real time on the web.
ALE Channel ZERO includes a Chat window to talk with other ALE and ALE400 operators, announce and find skeds, do experiments, send messages, get help with set up and testing of ALE software, hardware, and antennas.
Try it... you will like it... ALE Channel ZERO.
 20metre ALE Frequency! 14109.0 kHz USB is the international primary pilot channel for ALE ALE
operation continues to be responsive to activity and trends on the ham
bands worldwide,and avoids mutual interference.
Ham Radio ALE Channels ALE channels are frequency coordinated internationally. ALE Channel ZERO ALE HF Activity
REAL TIME TRACKINGEmcomm - Chat - Help Ham Radio ALE activity is automatically reported and spotted on the web, as received in real time by the network of Global HFN Pilot Stations around the world. |
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