Tag: Preparedness

The reason for this weblog post is to highlight one need, among many, for special equipment during emergencies. This equipment should be distributed geographically so that it is available when and where required. One of the unfortunate consequences of climate change is the expected increase in extreme situations.

In addition to climate challenges, Europe is facing political challenges, definitely from Russia, possibly from USA, but in a less life-threatening way. In addition to any type of weapon wounding or killing people, a nuclear weapon could poison/ pollute water, or otherwise disrupt modern life.

Preserving life and comfort

For warmth, we have a wood burning stove in our house, should that be necessary. We also have a minimum level of potable = drinkable water. We have 120 litres stored. We also have supplies of dried food, warm clothing and bedding. Yes, some of this clothing is stored in the playshop, sufficently far from the house that we can reach it, should the house be on fire.

One of the main problems has to do with electricity especially for communication. Communication masts typically have three hours of battery life. All cellphones are dependent on these masts. Three hours is insufficient for a long-term ongoing emergency. Thus, one may have to rely on something other than cell phones or an internet based on fibre-optic cables.

One potential answer is radio. A major part of the training of radio amateurs, is teaching them the fundamentals of electronics so that they are capable of building and repairing their equipment. As society becomes increasingly wealthy, it is often easier to just purchase an off-the-shelf machine. Unfortunately, this may not be a solution in an emergency situation.

In 2022, two years into the last pandemic, the supply of electronic components had become chaotic. In Norway, the one retail chain that did sell them, had eliminated this entire category from their sales inventory, so that consumers increasingly needed to import components directly. This had some benefits, in that direct import is considerably cheaper. Most of the components appear to be sourced from China. Most seem to be made somewhere in Asia.

The situation is somewhat different in 2025. There are more components available, but the cost has increased. My son bought some RAM in 2025-07 for NOK 2 800. By 2025-12, the price had risen to NOK 8 000. That said, import after a catastrophic event is not a suitable response to a catastrophe. One has to develop a solution, such as an equipment building capability in advance of the catastrophic event.

Amateur radio is an important part of Norway’s preparedness under abnormal conditions. A radio lab is desirable due to:
· Lack of production of radios and electronic components in Norway
· Uncertain delivery of components from abroad
· Lack of skilled workers in Norway when it comes to assembling components into radios

The solution is to find a suitable location for a radio fabrication laboratory = RadFabLab. Previously, I have written about Industry 4.0, as well workshop activism, as well as some of the issues involved in setting up a mechatronic workshop. Despite being an obnoxious patriot for my home municipality, I am not sure that Inderøy should be the only location for such a facility, despite its central location in Norway. In fact, it may be better to have several locations.

For example, Vestland county has the attributes necessary for the establishment of RadFabLab, including a relatively large and enthusiastic mass of radio amateurs. This does not have to be in Bergen, the most populous city/ municipality in Vestlandet county. It could be located on an offshore island, such as Øygarden, possibly a village like Steinsland. RadFabLab would have to purchase a sufficient number of components from abroad, to build up a warehouse supply. It would also have to purchase basic machinery, including a Canadian built Voltera V-One for circuit board production and soldering of surface mounted technology (SMT) components.

Once established, it could provide training to people in mechatronics, so that they are able to assemble components for radios and other products that are needed, including antennas. However, in time, it might also want to work with drones and unmanned underwater vehicles. The latter is usually divided into remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), that are tethered to the surface, and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), that operate independently. I mention this because I spent several years attempting to teach people how to build ROVs.

Computer Programming

Many people have invested considerable time learning programming languages, and may want to use them. Forget learning (or even remembering) old languages such as Algol, Basic, Cobol, Fortran or possibly even Pascal. Yes, I am less dogmatic about this last language, if only because it is still one of the most popular languages, ranking 8th. The language was originally developed by Apple Computer as Clascal for the Lisa Workshop development system in 1983. As Lisa gave way to Macintosh, Apple collaborated with Niklaus Wirth (1934 – 2024), the author of Pascal, to develop an officially standardized version of Clascal. This was renamed Object Pascal. Through the mid-1980s, Object Pascal was the main programming language for early versions of the MacApp application framework. The language lost its place as the main development language on the Mac in 1991 with the release of the C++-based MacApp 3.0. Official support ended in 1996.

If one wants to learn an older language, stick to C, originally developed in 1972 and 1973, by Dennis Ritchie (1941 – 2011) at Bell Laboratories. It was originally used to implement operating systems, device drivers and protocol stacks, but its use in application software has been decreasing. Currently, this is the second most popular language, according to the TIOBE index. An object oriented variant, C++, was developed and implemented by Bjarne Stroustrup (1950 – ), a Dane, about 1983 – 1985. It ranks third in popularity on this index. TIOBE Software BV, based in Eindhoven, Netherlands regularly reconstructs this index. TIOBE stands for The Importance of Being Earnest, the title of an 1895 comedy play by Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), to emphasize the organization’s sincere and professional attitude towards customers, suppliers and colleagues (their words).

Younger users may want to use more modern languages, such as Python, a high-level, general-purpose programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability with the use of significant indentation. Python is dynamically type-checked and garbage-collected. It supports multiple programming paradigms, including structured, object-oriented and functional programming. Guido van Rossum (1956 – ), a Dutch programmer, began working on Python in the late 1980s.

Other languages may be useful for other activities apart from building radios. JavaScript continues to be essential for web development. Web browsers have a dedicated JavaScript engine that executes the client code. These engines are also utilized in some servers and a variety of apps. JavaScript was created by Brendan Eich (1961 – ), an American who worked for Mozilla, in 1995. Other important tools here are Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), but initially released by the Worldwide WEB consortium (W3C) in 1993. Development is now undertaken by the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG) founded by representatives from Apple Inc., the Mozilla Foundation and Opera Software, leading web browser vendors in 2004. Related to it are Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), initially developed in 1996 by the W3C, and currently maintained by them.

Programmable Logic Devices

A programmable logic device (PLD) is an electronic component used to build reconfigurable digital circuits. Unlike circuits made using discrete components with fixed functions, the function of a PLD is undefined at the time of manufacture. Before the PLD can be used in a circuit it must be programmed to implement the desired functions. This simplifies design processes and may even offer superior performance. Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), allow flexibility in digital circuit design.

There are several books that cover FPGA programming. The one I use is by Frank Bruno and Guy Eschemann, The FPGA Programming Handbook: An Essential Guide to FPGA Design for Transforming Your Ideas into Hardware Using SystemVerilog and VHDL, 2nd Edition (2024). This approach uses a hardware description language rather than writing traditional software programs.

SystemVerilog is a language with syntax similar to the C programming language. It is case-sensitive and has a basic preprocessor, admittedly less sophisticated than that of ANSI C/C++). Its control flow keywords (if/else, for, while, case, etc.) are equivalent, and its operator precedence is compatible with C. Syntactic differences include: required bit-widths for variable declarations, demarcation of procedural blocks (Verilog uses begin/end instead of curly braces {}), and many other minor differences. Verilog requires that variables be given a definite size.

A word of warning. Do not leave system programming to Artificial Intelligence bots. Sometimes, what they develop may work, but often one will get undesirable results, that may only become evident in an emergency situation.

RadFabLab should be able to provide a physical space for activities, with level-differentiated equipment. It should cater to all/ both genders, and all ages from junior high school and up. It should be a place where ideas, knowledge and opinions are shared in a friendly and cooperative atmosphere. It should provide basic training as well as certification involving the use of specific tools and competencies. In addition, after training is complete, there should be opportunities for independent work.

Notes:

I studied applied physics at Andøya Space, under its previous names Andøya Space Centre and Andøya Rocket Range. Because of its remote location on an island in Northern Norway, all students had to fly in using the island’s military airport. At the space centre, comfortable accommodation was provided for all students attending, along with catered meals, and social activities in the evening.

I am a member of the Norwegian Radio Relay League. I own several amateur radios, including a 1971 Ten(nessee) Tec(hnology) Argonaut 505 with serial number 388, made in the Great Smokey mountains at Sevierville, Tennessee, and a more modern Red Pitaya with a FPGA unit.

Publication of this weblog post had been postponed. It was originally scheduled to be published on 2023-04-22 at 12:00.

Disasters happen! A quick clay landslide occurred at Ask village, in Gjerdrum municipality, Norway. Police received the first reports at 03:56 on 2020-12-30. That was almost five years before this post’s publication. There were 14 buildings, with 31 residences, destroyed in the incident that killed eleven people (two of those deaths involved a pregnant woman), injured another ten, and left the village devastated.

This post looks generally at the technology used in search and rescue operations in Norway, using the Gjerdrum landslide as an example.

Reading the Wikipedia article about the landslide, one can find a list of the resources involved in rescue efforts. One of the first on the scene was a 14-person Urban Search and Rescue squad from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency. Yes, the Swedes were able to get into place before many of the Norwegians. Thank you, Sweden. I read content from this agency, who send me regular updates. The agency provides information bulletins in Swedish, but they also have an English language website.

Ask is not an isolated location. It is 33.3 km (slightly over 20 miles) north-east of Norway’s capital, Oslo. It takes half-an hour to drive there from the centre of Oslo!

Notification

The Norwegian rescue service can be notified in several ways when people need urgent assistance. Unfortunately, instead of using a single emergency number, Norway has several numbers in use.

Fire = 110.
Police = 112.
Medical = 113.
Coastal radio (incidents at sea) = 120.
Direct telephone number to rescue centers: Northern Norway 75 55 90 00 / Southern Norway 51 51 70 00.

On our telephones, we have an app which helps us choose the correct number to call: Hjelp 113 app (Norwegian) and Help 113 app (English). These have all emergency numbers in one place, as well as other important numbers. It displays the telephone’s coordinates and the location of the nearest defibrillator in Norway at all times. The app is created by the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation and is under continuous development.

Procedures for use of Hjelp/ Help 113: Download or update the app from Apple Store or Google Play. Launch the app after downloading. Register the mobile number. Use it when one: 1) needs to call an emergency number, 2) requires a defibrillator, or 3) wants to know one’s geographic position = coordinates.

Usually, the position is sent to the emergency center with the Advanced Mobile Location (AML) system, which exists in almost all mobile phones. The Hjelp 113 app does the same. However, with the app, the phone user can see the coordinates. These can be read out to the emergency center if it has not received your position due to your foreign phone number. If phone coverage is not available at an incident site, one can take a screenshot of the coordinates where the patient is located and then go to an area with coverage. One can then read out the correct coordinates for where the patient is. Both Trish and I have this app on our phones.

Only the emergency number 112 can be called from a locked mobile phone and without a SIM card. Other emergency numbers are treated as regular phone numbers by the mobile phone.

The number 1412 is a text telephone service in Norway, specially adapted for the deaf, hearing impaired and speech impaired. It makes it possible to communicate with the emergency services and other important agencies via text instead of voice.

You can send SMS to the emergency numbers 110 (fire), 112 (police) and 113 (ambulance). However, to use the service you must register in advance via nodsms.no.

Helicopters

On Christmas Day (2025-12-25) Alasdair and I watched series 2 episode 9 of Reddet = Saved, a Norwegian TV2 documentary series about the Norwegian Airforce helicopter rescue service. This episode, made in 2020, was about the Gjerdrum landslide, where this service rescued 13 people. The search and rescue (SAR) helicopter in use was a license-built variant of the Sikorsky S-61 with twin Rolls-Rolls Gnome turboshaft engines and different avionics, designated a Sea King, by its British manufacturer Westland Helicopters. The model designation is a misspelling of seeking.

The Norwegian government has decided to purchase 16 AW101 SAR Queen helicopters to replace their Westland Sea King rescue helicopters. The AW101 replaced the Sea King at Sola on 2020-09-01, at Ørland on 2021-05-14, at Banak on 2022-02-25, Bodø on 2022-12-12, at Rygge on 2023-12-11 and, finally, at Florø on 2024-09-27.

The need for the police to have advanced helicopters became clear after Anders Brevik (1979 – ) killed 77 people, including 8 in a bombing of the Norwegian Government’s offices in Oslo, and 69 at a Labour Party summer youth camp on Utøya island in Tyrifjorden, a lake. Of those killed, 33 were under 18 years of age. Utøya is about 38 km north-west of Oslo, by car and boat.

Back to the landslide. A police helicopter, viewing the landslide from a slightly different angle, was able to direct the rescue helicopter to locations where people needed rescuing. This police helicopter was a Leonardo AW169 with twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210A FADEC turboshaft engines that drive the main rotor with variable speed to reduce noise and increase its effectiveness. It is capable of carrying 10 people (including pilot and co-pilot). It was developed and produced by the Italian Leonardo.

With greater range and transport capacity, the AW169 has the largest cabin in its class, with space to transport six officers and equipment, and the largest sliding doors in its class (1.6 meters wide), which is an advantage if the helicopter is to be used as a support platform for snipers.

In the Reddet episode the last two people to be rescued narrated their experience. Their house was moved 400 m during the landslide.

During this incident, Andøya Space engaged in aerial surveillance and provided drone data to rescue coordinators. Norwegian Radio Relay League, the national association of amateur radio operators, was responsible for organizing signals and communication, including/ especially keeping track of the geographical position of all active searchers.

Drones

Local Norwegian fire and rescue departments increasingly use drones to assist in their activities. The standard drone is the DJI Matrice 300. These are designed for industrial applications, including surveying, inspection, search and rescue and firefighting. It has a folding design, with an IP45 protection rating, downward-facing motors, a 6-direction collision avoidance system, a D-RTK module provides high-precision navigation and positioning with centimeter-level accuracy using real-time differential corrections, to enhance the drone’s positioning capabilities. This allows it to be used for surveying and mapping applications where accuracy is critical. The model was released in 2020-07. An updated 350 version was released in 2023-05, and a 400 version was released in 2025-06.

General characteristics (300 model)

Capacity: 2 700 g (6.0 lb) payload.
Length: 0.810 m (2 ft 8 in) or 0.430 m (1 ft 4.9 in) folded.
Width: 0.670 m (2 ft 2 in) or 0.420 m (1 ft 4.5 in) folded.
Height: 0.430 m (1 ft 5 in).
Empty weight: 3.600 kg (8 lb) excluding battery
Max takeoff weight: 9.000 kg (20 lb)
Battery capacity: 52.8V 5935 mAh (274 Wh)
Powerplant: 4 × DJI 6009 brushless DC electric motor (downward-facing).
Propellers: 2-bladed DJI 2110, 0.53 m (1 ft 9 in) diameter.

Performance

Maximum speed: 82.8 km/h = 51.4 mph = 44.7 kn.
Endurance: 45 minutes with 700 g (1.5 lb).
Service ceiling: 5 000 m (16,000 ft).
Rate of climb: 6 m/s (1,200 ft/min).

Avionics

Camera: 960p FPV camera.
Gimbal compatibility: Zenmuse H20, H20N, H20T, L1, P1, XT S, XT2, Z30.
GNSS compatibility: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo.
Transmission system: OcuSync Enterprise

Barentswatch

BarentsWatch information portal was launched in 2012. It provides an overview of activity and knowledge in coastal and sea areas. The system covers sea and coastal areas from Denmark in the south, to Greenland in the west, the North Pole in the north and Novaja Semlja in the east.

The establishment of the BarentsWatch information system is based on cooperation between 27 Norwegian state agencies and research institutes. The system headquarters is in Tromsø, in Northern Norway. Kongsberg Spacetec provided system integration.

This service will provide all participants in Norwegian rescue service with a joint tool for coordinating their own efforts on an operational and tactical level. The overarching goal is to reduce loss of life and improve health by enhancing the quality and efficiency in executing search and rescue missions in Norway.

This tool is intended to facilitate a faster startup of a rescue operation and strengthen cooperation among the various public, private and volunteer players that constitute the Norwegian rescue service. The tool will contribute to a greater degree of shared situational understanding during search and rescue operations.

The request to create a shared support tool for the rescue service came from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) early in 2022, based on the notion to build upon the existing Shared Resources Information Repository (FRR) service. An operational expert group, representing key players in the Norwegian rescue service, contribute with professional understanding and continuous evaluation of the comprehensive solution during innovation and development. The group consists of representatives from the Police, the Police Academy, the Norwegian Red Cross, the Norwegian People’s Aid, the Norwegian Rescue Dogs, the Norwegian Radio Relay League and the Scouts’ Emergency Groups.

The map below shows use of the FRR service. The red dot at the centre of the concentric circles shows the last known position of a missing person. The first concentric circle is 300 m from that point, and represents the area where there is a 25% chance of finding that person. The second circle is 1 100 m from the centre, and there is another 25% chance of finding that person. I calculate that the third circle is about 2.5 km from the centre, and represents yet another 25% possibility. The final 25% chance of finding that person is beyond that third circle. Resources associated with the map include helicopters, boats, fire vehicles, ATVs, other motor vehicles, people and dogs.

Notes:

I studied applied physics at Andøya Space, under its previous names Andøya Space Centre and Andøya Rocket Range. Because of its remote location on an island in Northern Norway, all students had to fly in using the island’s military airport. At the space centre, comfortable accommodation was provided for all students attending, along with catered meals, and social activities in the evening.

I am a member of the Norwegian Radio Relay League.

Publication of this weblog post had been postponed. It was originally scheduled to be published on 2023-04-22 at 12:00.