It started as a small gamble and quickly proved invaluable for people fleeing from Hurricane Katrina, and now, Hurricane Gustav.To his neighbors, it’s just a 70-foot antenna lodged atop a 30-year-old tour bus. But to the communication man, it’s a precious piece of metal that stood strong through Gustav’s whipping winds.While trees, power lines and telephone lines snapped like twigs in the heart of one Baton Rouge neighborhood, Bill Gabour’s antenna helped FEMA, the National Guard and other military officials connect to hospitals, government agencies and civilians.Gabour, a Military Affiliate Radio Systems member, set up a series of transmitters inside his bus allowing him to jump between frequencies and keep communication lines flowing. Like thousands, his power lines failed, but Gabour rolled up his sleeves and hooked up a generator to his bus. The HAM radio operator said he worked about 100 hours transmitting radio waves as Gustav lashed across Louisiana — all without receiving one penny.”[Gabour] put a lot of time, money and effort into that bus. He put it together, and it has more [equipment] in it than I have in my house,” said August Levert, Louisiana Army MARS director.Gabour bought the bus in 2006, and since then it has come to be known as the Emergency Communications Support bus. He installed a satellite camera on the antenna capable of zeroing in on disaster areas and fallen trees near Perkins Road. He gutted each bunk bed that once lined the interior — leaving only one for him to use while sleeping in between operations.But using his passion for communication to do public service began long before 2006.When Hurricane Andrew slammed the Gulf Coast in 1992, Gabour said he envisioned several small trailers using cheap radio communication to help coordinate disaster relief efforts. He said he wanted to make this vision a reality, and he began work configuring several transmitters.   Gabour’s friend Keith Ellison said it’s not just about cheaper communication, but more effective communication.  ”I support this inventor,” Ellison said.When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Gabour was prepared. He said the networks his transmitters picked up were often the gap between the Red Cross and several offices of emergency preparedness.”He put that bus together after Katrina so he could easily provide communication to disaster areas and relief agencies,” Levert said.Gabour said working against Gustav was not nearly as intense as Katrina. But he said MARS, which is a voluntary organization assisting with military communications, still had its work cut out last week.He said some MARS volunteers transmitted messages between soldiers in Iraq and their families hit hardest by the storm in Louisiana. But they did not use the Internet — radio waves did the work. And soldiers across the world fighting for peace were able to get their own peace within just a few hours, knowing nature did not hurt their loved ones.”Some people think it’s just a bunch of old guys having fun talking to each other,” Levert said. “But the main purpose is for emergency communications.”When it’s not being used as a major command post, Gabour uses it for other public service projects. A few events Gabour revved his engine for include the Tour de Cure and Special Olympics. His bus served as a communication post for participants using hand-held talking devices.”It gives me a chance to test out my equipment for major emergencies,” Gabour said.The communication guru said he also uses the equipment as a hobby. He likes to see how far he can talk around the world by using as little power as possible.”I talked to someone in Madagascar using only five watts of power,” Gabour said.Gabour said while he hopes Hurricane Ike stays away from Louisiana, he’s prepared to step up and help officials.—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]