Keeping Teams Connected Where the Network Isn't

For emergency services, energy companies and anyone working in remote locations, reliable communication isn't a convenience — it's a basic operational requirement. The problem is that the infrastructure most organisations rely on is the first thing to fail when conditions get difficult.

Cellular dead zones are an obvious issue: large parts of the world simply have no coverage, and a team working beyond the last mast has no way of reaching anyone. Less obvious is what happens in a disaster. Storms, floods and wildfires take out power and backhaul, and cell sites go dark precisely when they are needed most. Cyberattacks on utility and telecoms operators can produce the same result without a cloud in the sky.

There is a second, quieter problem. Organisations tend to accumulate communication systems over time — a DMR fleet here, a handful of analogue handhelds there, a dispatch console that talks to neither. When an incident brings multiple teams together, those systems don't interoperate, and responders end up in communication silos, unable to talk to the people standing next to them.

Satellite push-to-talk has become one of the more practical answers to both. Because the network is overhead rather than on the ground, coverage is effectively global and doesn't depend on local infrastructure surviving the event. Modern satellite PTT radios operate much like a conventional handheld — press the button, talk to the group — so there is little retraining involved.

Crucially, they can also be gatewayed into existing LMR, IP and dispatch systems rather than replacing them. That turns a collection of separate networks into a single unified talk group, so a field crew on satellite, a control room on IP and a local team on DMR are all in the same conversation.

Several manufacturers now offer satellite PTT handsets and gateway solutions, and it's worth looking at how any given system integrates with the equipment you already run — the integration is usually what determines whether it actually solves the silo problem.

ICom Opinion -https://icomuk.co.uk/Satellite_PTT_Robust_Comms_for_Remote_Ops/4159/5588/#

Scientists Building Massive Deep Synoptic Array in Nevada Desert

A new radio telescope planned for Nevada could dramatically change how astronomers observe the radio universe. The Deep Synoptic Array (DSA), a project led by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), recently passed its final design review, clearing the way for construction of what researchers describe as the most sensitive radio telescope ever built.

When completed, the array will consist of 1,650 radio dishes spread across an area approximately 12 by 10 miles (20 by 16 kilometres). The telescope is designed to combine the sensitivity normally associated with giant single-dish observatories with the sharp imaging capabilities of large interferometer arrays. Science operations are expected to begin near the end of the decade.

Researchers say the DSA will survey the sky at a pace far beyond existing radio observatories. Current radio telescopes have collectively identified approximately 20 million radio sources, but project scientists estimate the DSA could detect a similar number during its first day of operation. Over the course of its initial survey, the telescope is expected to catalogue nearly one billion radio-emitting objects.

Among the telescope’s most ambitious goals is the study of fast radio bursts, pulsars, black holes, and other transient phenomena. The system will continuously monitor large portions of the sky, allowing astronomers to rapidly locate brief events that might otherwise be missed. The telescope is also expected to support follow-up observations of gravitational-wave detections and could discover more than 20,000 previously unknown pulsars.

A key feature of the project is a real-time processing system that developers describe as a “radio camera.” Rather than recording massive quantities of raw data for later analysis, the system will create science-ready radio images as observations are collected. This approach dramatically reduces storage requirements while allowing observations to be shared quickly with researchers around the world.

The Deep Synoptic Array also incorporates several unusual engineering solutions aimed at reducing costs while maintaining performance. Among them is the use of specially modified aluminium cake pans manufactured by the bakeware company Fat Daddio’s as components within the antenna feed system. Combined with room-temperature receivers, GPU-based processing, and a high-speed fibre-optic network, the innovations demonstrate how modern radio astronomy increasingly relies on advances in both computing and manufacturing to explore the universe.

More Information - https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/caltech-readies-to-build-worlds-most-sensitive-radio-telescope

Canada Reviewing Policy on Antennas, Towers

Ham radio operators are among the interested parties weighing in with Canada's radio regulations agency, which is seeking comment until the 16th July 2026 on proposed changes to policies covering antennas and towers. Radio Amateurs of Canada and the Federation of Radio Amateur Clubs of Quebec have responded in support of many of the changes and are pressing the agency known as Innovation, Science and Development Canada to modify an existing rule concerning maximum antenna and tower height. Current law requires consultation with local authorities when antenna and tower heights are above 15 meters, or roughly 48 feet. The two amateur radio groups have asked that the height threshold be raised to 20 meters, or roughly 65 feet, to qualify for the exemption from consultation.

The joint RAC/RAQI position of support on the changes was explained recently by Dave Goodwin, VE3KG, the RAC's regulatory affairs officer, in a YouTube interview with Stuart Crawford VE9CF. Dave told Stuart that the added height would "give us that much more latitude" in putting up antenna structures. He said that a new 20-meter threshold would cover almost all amateurs.

“... though ISED [Eye Said] is proposing these and many procedural changes primarily to make things easier for commercial wireless services, the regulations and any benefits would apply to radio amateurs as well. The RAC has been encouraging amateurs in Canada to submit their feedback to the agency.”

— Dave Goodwin, VE3KG,

In Canada, federal policy has final say on antennas, towers and related structures, but under current policy, local land-use authorities and neighbours must still be informed. The amateur groups also asked for a decrease in the size of the zone within which hams must respond to neighbours’ concerns.