Amateur Radio technologies help in Canadian Cave Rescue.

5-watt QDX-M Transceivers from QRP-Labs, set up (we believe) for 2200m were used to communicate through 100 metres of solid rock at Rats Nest Cave using JS8-CALL ham radio conversational digital data software (a derivative of FT8), allowing text messages to be communicated from the rescuers with the trapped man and the control centre on the surface.

A few readers may be interested to know that this same 2200m band setup was recently tested to see if it could support 2-way chat using JS8CALL, in a surface-to-cave context. Results were very successful, with SNR’s as high as +09 dB being recorded through more than 100m of solid rock. FB, Ian!

Cave radios have existed for decades and have penetrated much deeper than this initial test, but the small size, light weight and low cost of the QDX-M makes it a potential breakthrough in utility for cave exploration and cave rescue. More tests to follow.

This was not a SOTA accomplishment per se, although there has been the occasional thread on this reflector suggesting there may be room for a Caves On The Air program :grin:… Interesting possibility: the test cave (called Rat’s Nest) is located in Grotto Mountain, which happens to be SOTA summit VE6/HC-015. In theory it might be possible to have a 2200m band QSO between the summit of HC-015 and the lowest point in the cave, which is about 165m below the entrance. Pretty stiff trip in both directions, though, for a 6 - point activation and chase …