Four “;invisible, theft-proof”; satellite transmitting detectors installed along the Big Island's southeast coast could save lives from locally generated tsunamis such as the two that struck the area in 1868 and 1975.

But geologist Dan Walker, who developed and installed the devices in the seismically active coastal area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, needs $60 a month to pay satellite charges.

Walker installed the instruments 10 feet above sea level and 100 to 200 feet inland last August. If they get flooded, they will send a signal to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach via satellite.

“;The problem right now is I'm out of money to keep them running,”; he said. “;Since August, no one has been able to even come up with $15 per unit to pay for satellite charges.”;

The retired University of Hawaii professor and volunteer tsunami adviser to the city Department of Emergency Management previously installed eight cellular phone-transmitted run-up detectors along the western and southern shores of the Big Island.

They are located on Civil Defense siren poles near the shoreline and notify the warning center within 30 seconds if they are flooded.

His upgraded satellite-transmitting detectors operate unattended for at least a year with lithium ion batteries in remote areas where they could immediately warn low-lying campsite areas of a tsunami.

“;They're hidden in fiberglass rocks that look like other rocks,”; Walker said. “;You can't tell they're there. They send a signal every day to let you know they're operating.

“;We can never get overconfident with Mother Nature,”; said Walker, pointing out that many people might not be in a situation to hear or feel the ground shake — an immediate warning for a locally generated tsunami.

His detector project originally was funded by state Civil Defense with $100,000 in federal funds for natural hazards mitigation. Walker figures he's spent about $10,000 of his own money to keep it going.

He's appealed to the warning center, Civil Defense and the National Park Service for some help and says they're trying to find some money.

“;I am disappointed,”; he said. “;I came up with something beyond state of the art that answers all the questions for a seismically active section of the Big Island that would give incredible advance warning.

“;And park areas close to this area may need warning as soon as possible. On weekends, there could be easily 1,000 people (in the vicinity). If it's an earthquake people can't feel, these instruments might be the only ones that could save lives.”;

Two campers in the Halape area were killed by the 1975 tsunami caused by a Kalapana earthquake about a minute after strong shaking was felt.

Charles “;Chip”; McCreery, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center geologist-in-charge, said the Big Island's southeast coast is difficult to access and there is nowhere to place a sea level gauge such as the center normally uses to measure sea level.

Walker's devices don't measure sea level but they tell you when they're wet, he said, calling them “;wet-ometers.”; They are an important addition to the warning system but the center has no money for them, he said, pointing out Walker has to use helicopters and walk miles to reach them.

“;He does a lot of this work out of love,”; McCreery said.

“;I wanted to repair two that got shorted out,”; Walker said, describing “;hours and hours of hiking”; in the rugged area. “;You have to stay overnight and sleep in tents. I'm 70 years old, but I did a triathlon last weekend.”;