15 years of GEM Net

- Jose, VU2JOS

GEM Net - the General Emergency and Medical Net was started on September 21, 1989 by Dr.Gaja, VU2GJR of Chennai. So, this year it is celebrating the 15th anniversary of its service to all Hams and SWLs. This Net was started to handle medical and other emergency traffic. "Life is precious - We care" is the motto of GEM Net. To those who operate GEM Net, the letters Ham means "Help All Mankind". It was noticed that many lives were lost for want of timely medical help due to poor communication systems. GEM Net was founded as a service by Hams to solve this communication gap. Though a couple of other medical nets were started on 40 meters in the past, none of them became popular like the GEM Net.

The GEM Net has done a lot social service by procuring essential life saving drugs and by delivering it to the needy on time.  It has also arranged medical advice on the air with the participation of Ham doctors. Dr.Gaja even went to the extent of making arrangements  for hospitalization of patients  who have no access to advanced medical facilities in their own areas. Sometimes even financial aid was  also arranged for poor patients through the GEM Trust which was funded by fellow hams and others. Like radio waves, the services of GEM Net has no national or racial boundaries. Several Amateurs from Sri Lanka  has participated in this net and also benefited from it. Dr. Nazeem, 4S7MZ has been the coordinator at that end.

Initially, the GEM Net was conducted very regularly by different controllers at night at various times and frequencies like at 2130 and 2200 hrs IST and on 7070, 7080 kHz etc. It became well known to most hams in South India and Sri Lanka who were active on 40 Meters. Slowly due to lack of Net Controllers (?!) and adverse propagation conditions this net also kept on appearing and disappearing.

During the year 1997, VU3RSB, OM Sarath reactivated it from National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad at 10.00 pm IST on 7070 kHz. He even brought some doctors to the shack to clarify the doubts of other hams and  helped to various Hams / S.W.L.s through GEM Net. It was discontinued in the year 2000 due to non-availability of equipment at Guntur, his office work and lack of alternate Net Controllers then.

Later again it was reactivated by OM Sarath, VU3RSB on August 15, 2003 with the help of other Net Controllers like VU2BFO, VU2PJR, VU3IRH, VU2PBT and VU2JOS etc., and now it is an active Net in 7 Mhz. It is the only Indian Net having a Website, E-Mail and Groups. Stations  from DU, 4S and various other DX countries are also checking into the Net.

The GEM Net devoted for emergency and medical traffic will surely promote Amateur Radio as a hobby  and reveal its importance as a second line of communication. The participation of more hams for this unique net in India is invited so that the benefits can be passed on to many others.