「腹立たしい！」憤る無線家 アマチュア無線 不正使用で通信手段すべて不備 運航会社の杜撰な安全管理の実態 背景に通信コスト節約の可能性も 北海道知床 2022年5月17日放送 もうひとホリ

The background to the accident is revealed through amateur radio. ◆Please subscribe to HBC News.    / @hbc7142   May 2nd, Announcer Risei Homma "Three Japan Coast Guard officials enter the Shiretoko Sightseeing Boat Office, carrying cardboard boxes." It's been two weeks since the tour boat operator was investigated. National government agencies are launching investigations one after another, revealing the extent of their sloppy safety management. What is particularly problematic is... May 12th - Seiya Yamada, Director of Radio Communications, Hokkaido General Bureau of Telecommunications "In terms of violating the Radio Law, we have confirmed that amateur radio was used for business purposes. It seems that there are reporting points (fixed-point contact) when passing waterfalls." Although the operating company, Shiretoko Pleasure Cruises, stipulates in its company rules and "Safety Management Regulations" that the vessel's communication methods are limited to "satellite phones," "cell phones," and "business radio," it is suspected that the vessel primarily used "amateur radio," which is prohibited for business use. What exactly is "amateur radio," a term that has suddenly surfaced in connection with the accident? Let's take a closer look at the background of the accident that is becoming clear. May 13th - Junji Sato, Manager, Ham Center Sapporo (Kita-ku, Sapporo) "This is an amateur radio, and it can communicate between Hokkaido and Okinawa, and depending on the frequency, it can also communicate with overseas." This is a specialty amateur radio store in Sapporo. Amateur radio is a hobby that uses dedicated radio equipment to enjoy communicating with people both in Japan and abroad. Although it's a hobby, because it uses public airwaves, a national license is required, and there are strict rules, such as only being able to use frequencies allocated by the government for amateur radio. Store Manager Sato "This type can be purchased for around 30,000 yen, so I think it could cover the Sapporo area and Ishikari-Sorachi (from Sapporo city). Many amateur radios are priced within an affordable range." Even though it's affordable, as long as the power is within the permitted range, you can communicate with people over 50 kilometers away. There are no call charges like with cell phones. On the other hand, public transportation, construction vehicles, and other businesses using radio for business purposes must use "commercial radio." Commercial radio is a type of radio that the government allocates to companies. Because it's a professional radio, it offers stable communication without interference, but... Manager Sato "With a handheld device like this (amateur radio), it would cost just a few hundred thousand yen, but for business use, it would cost double digits (over 100,000 yen)." May 1st, off the coast of Rausu Town "Ah, a shark, a shark, a shark!" Because the ocean is often outside of cell phone coverage and is unstable, tourist boats and fishing boats use marine radios and satellite phones. However... April 27th, Shiretoko Pleasure Boat President Seiichi Katsurada held a press conference "I was aware that we had a satellite phone on board, but it was actually out of order for repairs." Three days before the accident, Shiretoko Pleasure Boat had applied for a national vessel inspection to change its satellite phone to a mobile phone, stating that it was undergoing repairs. However, on the 23rd of last month, when the accident occurred, Captain Noriyuki Toyoda of the KAZU I was carrying a cell phone that was outside the coverage area for most of the route, and it is known that the first call for rescue, made just after 1:00 PM, was made via amateur radio. May 12, Seiya Yamada, Director of the Radio Communications Department of the Hokkaido Bureau of Telecommunications, said, "Two pieces of radio equipment were found to be amateur radios." In an investigation conducted after the accident by the Hokkaido Bureau of Telecommunications, which polices violations of the Radio Law, it was found that another tourist boat, the KAZU III, also had amateur radio equipment on board, but no satellite phones have been found in the office or on board. Several sources told HBC that "Shiretoko Pleasure Boats used amateur radio for daily communications," suggesting that the company may have opted for the less expensive amateur radio over satellite phones, which have high communication and maintenance costs. May 13, Japanese Red Cross Society Hokkaido Branch (Chuo Ward, Sapporo) "CQ CQ, this is JA8ZJR" Prohibited for business use. Amateur radio has an important role beyond just being a fun hobby. Hiroyuki Yoshioka, Sapporo Radio Red Cross Service Corps "We go to disaster (relay) points and arrange for relief. When telephones or other means of communication are unavailable, amateur radio can be used for emergency communications." The Japanese Red Cross Society has ...