About Raynet
Cambridgeshire Raynet is affiliated to the national group Raynet UK[1] who provide us with membership of a national organisation, a degree of structure, and importantly public liability insurance also.
Groups are highly devolved locally and look after their own funding and structure - this enables them to respond to local requirements as needed. Although group members are associated with their own particular group, they can and often will assist other groups, their ID cards proving membership.
Groups are non-commercial and based on volunteering. Most members will hold OFCOM-granted 'Amateur' radio licences, permitting them to use a wide range of equipment for local and long-range communications. Although the licences are granted on an Amateur basis, this should be taken to read 'non-commercial' rather than implying only hobby interest. Whilst some amateur licensees do operate purely on a hobby basis, many have long-standing backgrounds in professional communications as well: our group is very much of that type.
We welcome anyone willing to commit to engage in our regular training and exercise sessions. The commitment is not typically onerous but it's important to us to know and trust the people we work with and to be sure that their skills are suitable for deployment in an emergency situation.
If you have no experience or background, but want to learn, we will happily welcome you and help you gain the skills that you need to be part of the team, ideally working towards obtaining your own licence (which at the basic level is the equivalent of a few hours of study and considered relatively easy). The necessary skills are mostly about being able to operate confidently and be sure you are not inconveniencing other users of radio systems nearby, the technical content is modest and mostly focused on safety. Essex Ham[2] quote a pass rate of over 98% for their free online course.
We are also keen to encourage existing Radio Amateurs to reach out to us and indicate their willingness and preparedness to help out in a local or regional emergency. Whilst ideally you would also consider joining the group, we know that's not for everyone, but knowing that you are out there and prepared means additional resources when needed.
Non-members can play an important role in helping in emergencies, especially when linking venues designated as rest and relief centres. Ideally some of these would be pre-equipped with antennas and cabling, needing only a willing local operator to connect a radio and perhaps also auxiliary power. Failing that, use could also be made of
- Vehicle-mounted radios
- Home base stations located physically close to the venue (maybe relaying messages by licence-free radios)
- Hand held radios in range of someone who can provide a message relay or possibly a repeater with a strong signal
We encourage anyone with suitable radio skills and equipment to see what efforts already exist local to them. In times of need you might be able to make a significant difference, especially with a modest amount of preparation and planning.