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Ham Radio Serving Southeast US Recovery Efforts |
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| Flood waters in North Carolina. [Photo: 1SG Leticia Samuels, NCNG) |
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Amateur radio is proving critical in areas hit hard by Hurricane Helene, especially in North and South Carolina, portions of Tennessee, and beyond. In the hardest-hit Asheville, North Carolina, area, homes and entire towns have been swept away by flood waters and mudslides. Over 200 people have been killed, and many more are still missing.
Widespread devastation has damaged the power grid and roads, and many residents are without cell phone service and other utilities. For several days, radio communications were the only means of passing information. Ham radio continues to play a significant role in this situation.
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| A roadway in North Carolina. [Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Special Response Team] |
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In North Carolina, all official emergency radio communications are done through NC AUXCOMM. NC Division of Emergency Management Senior External Affairs Specialist Brian Haines says hams are deployed. “Amateur radio operators are working side by side with first responder communications personnel all over Western North Carolina. Needless to say, we are interested in highlighting all they are doing but at this point they are heavily involved in response efforts, which is where we need to focus,” he said.
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| A visualization of Winlink traffic. The amount of activity is unusually high, due to the emergency. |
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Winlink, which provides email over amateur radio, has been used significantly in the recovery. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, says the recent FCC removal of symbol rate restrictions has allowed a streamlined response using modern technology. “Winlink is an example of how modern tools work well within the Amateur Radio Service. Not having to petition the FCC for a waiver of the old rules allowed Winlink to be used immediately during this emergency,” he said. ARRL had advocated for the change, which was implemented in 2023.
Significant stories of the response from individual hams is emerging, particularly from those who have created pop-up nets to pass health and welfare traffic. Using mountaintop repeaters that have robust power backups, HF frequencies, and Winlink, ham radio operators are putting in their time, talents, and personal gear to good use.
The local news media in affected areas has connected with several radio amateurs to highlight their work. CBS 17 in Raleigh reported on Van Lee, KM4TC, who helped families trying to get information on loved ones. In Charlotte, Queen City News told the story of Dan Gitro, K2DMG, who has been providing information to hams about current conditions as well as passing along messages to loved ones.
Countless other hams have stepped up by passing traffic and providing information. ARRL seeks to tell those stories of selfless service as the operators find time.
Amateur radio has been serving communities even before the storm hit. The Hurricane Watch Net, VoIP Hurricane Net, and WX4NHC, the amateur radio station at the National Hurricane Center, were all active as the storm churned towards Florida. In the 25 hours that the net was active, hams passed along over 100 surface reports that were used by forecasters to make more informed decisions about the storm.
Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, on the evening of Thursday, September 26, as a Category 4 storm. With winds of 140 miles per hour, it was the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend.
In Florida, Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers were embedded with county officials and at the State Emergency Operations Center.
As the storm moved north, the worst impacts were felt. Officials have classified the rainfall near Asheville as a 1,000-year event. The impact started to emerge over the weekend of September 28—29.
ARRL leadership was in touch with field organization volunteers in the impacted area throughout the weekend. On Monday, a call was held to see what resources may be needed. A clear challenge of logistics emerged. Entire road networks are unpassable. General aviation pilots have been working, as they do during major disasters, to use donated aircraft to ferry in relief supplies. Ham radio operators have been working with Operation Airdrop and other volunteer groups to help provide communications support. Dozens of private helicopters have been flying in supplies, as have military assets.
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| Batteries being delivered for the repeater. |
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In Tennessee, hams have rallied to return repeaters impacted by the storm to service. Section Manager of the ARRL Tennessee Section David Thomas, KM4NYI, reports that a request for help on the TN ARES net resulted in batteries being donated and delivered to return the W4KEV repeater system to service, including the 145.410 machine located on Viking Mountain in Greene County, Tennessee, which covers much of the area in North Carolina and Tennessee that was decimated.
As connectivity via phone and data networks continues to return, ARRL expects more stories of amateur radio serving communities will emerge. Stories and local media coverage can be shared with ARRL via newsmedia@arrl.org.
While commercial communications networks and utilities are increasingly more resilient, Hurricane Helene has demonstrated that amateur radio is a critical partner that works When All Else Fails®.
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Simulated Emergency Test (SET) Scheduled for October 5—6 |
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The first weekend of October is when ARRL encourages local groups to hold the Simulated Emergency Test, or SET. Throughout September, ARRL shared materials about resilience through National Preparedness Month. Now, as entire areas are washed away in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the utility value of amateur radio is more necessary and visible than ever.
When disaster strikes, infrastructure fails. As cellular data networks have gotten more robust, the need for a ready amateur radio service may seem to have diminished – and then we have situations like are happening in North Carolina. Ham radio was the only functional tool for communication until cellular on wheels trucks and satellite internet terminals were deployed after several days of near total grid-down.
Radio amateurs have stepped up to serve – but they didn’t rise to the occasion; they relied on their training. Rest assured, the success of these hams in passing critical information as well as health and welfare traffic didn’t just happen. They were trained, experienced, and ready.
One way hams can join the ranks of these prepared communicators is through the ARRL Simulated Emergency Test. The SET is ARRL’s primary national emergency exercise and is designed to assess the skills and preparedness of Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers, as well as those affiliated with other organizations involved in emergency and disaster response.
The SET encourages maximum participation by all radio amateurs, partner organizations, and national, state, and local officials who typically engage in emergency or disaster response. In addition to ARES volunteers, those active in the National Traffic System® (NTS), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), National Weather Service (NWS) SKYWARN®, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and a variety of other allied groups and public service-oriented radio amateurs are needed to fulfill important roles in this nationwide exercise.
“You can’t wait until amateur radio is necessary to start preparing. Being ready starts well in advance. The SET is a good opportunity to test equipment, modes, and skills under simulated emergency conditions and scenarios,” said ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV.
Radio amateurs can use the time to update a “go-kit” for use during deployments and to ensure their home station’s operational capability in an emergency or disaster. To get involved, contact your local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or Net Manager.
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An Incredible Amateur Radio Rescue Story |
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Editor’s note: The following story was submitted by Don Gardner, W7PJ, ARRL Idaho Section Emergency Coordinator.
On the evening of September 21, 2024, Greg Owen, WX7Z, heard an amateur radio emergency call on the VHF frequency known as the national simplex calling frequency, 146.52 MHz. Ed Clark, K7ELC, was calling to get medical help for a 51-year-old man who had rolled his four-wheeler.
Mac Mackintosh, W7ENZ, found the accident and injured man near his property where there isn’t any cellphone service. Mackintosh had given his handheld radio to Clark to make the call for help while he gave aid to the injured man. The injuries were serious… head trauma, broken collarbone, broken ribs, and difficulty breathing.
Owen called 911 to request help. An ambulance, Life Flight helicopter and law enforcement were dispatched to the location, which was 35 minutes outside Orofino, Idaho. Meanwhile, Owen continued using the amateur radio to relay updates to the dispatcher. The injured man was transported to the hospital via Life Flight and at last report was recovering.
Gardner said hams in Idaho support an old national program called the Wilderness Protocol which encourages the use of the national simplex calling frequency, 146.52 MHz.
“As amateur radio operators, we train to be available to help when help is needed. The more that ham radio operators listen to the radio, the more chance there is that someone will be listening to take your emergency call. This is something that has been used many times throughout this county and here in Idaho,” he said. “This is another incredible story to share.”
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The ARRL Foundation is Now Accepting Grant Applications Through October 31, 2024 |
| There is funding available to organizations for eligible amateur radio-related projects and initiatives, particularly those with a focus on educating, licensing, and supporting amateur radio activities. Youth-based projects and initiatives are especially encouraged. The ARRL Foundation grants program accepts proposals on a cyclical basis three times a year, in February, June, and October. Awardees are notified approximately 1 month after the closing of each cycle.
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| David Bern, W2LNX, shows Pierce Pollard and Weston Pollard how to operate an amateur HF radio and how to make contacts. [Photo courtesy of David Bern, W2LNX] |
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Recently, the ARRL Foundation provided funding for instructional materials to the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club (MARC), in Montgomery County, Maryland. MARC, led by David Bern, W2LNX, and John O’Brien, K3LO, held a Radio Merit Badge program on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the MARC/Damascus Emergency Communications Team (DECT) Field Day site. This program provided Scouts an opportunity to earn the Radio Merit Badge by completing requirements which included conducting a QSO.
There were three amateur HF stations and one VHF-FM station on site, and another HF station in the MARC emergency communications trailer. Members explained how the stations worked and mentored the Scouts as they made QSOs. A total of 58 Scouts completed all requirements for the Radio Merit Badge.
The ARRL Foundation carefully manages a portfolio of endowments in which donors have provided specific goals for their gifts, and that portfolio is invested and managed so that it can continue to support those goals for many years to come.
Additional information and a link to the grant application form can be found at http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-grants.
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Amateur Radio in the News |
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On the Air
Sponsored by Icom
A Tour of 10 Meters
The 10-meter band offers something for hams of every license class, including Technicians, who can use voice, Morse code, and digital modes on this band. Scott Freeberg, WA9WFA, joins this episode of the podcast to take us on “A Tour of 10 Meters,” and to explain why right now is the best time to get on the band, thanks to the terrific radio wave propagation being generated by Solar Cycle 25.
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ARRL Audio News
Listen to ARRL Audio News, available every Friday. ARRL Audio News is a summary of the week’s top news stories in the world of amateur radio and ARRL, along with interviews and other features.
The On the Air podcast and ARRL Audio News are available on blubrry, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts.
On the Air | ARRL Audio News
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| Each week, ARRL’s Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB, helps produce a version of the ARRL Letter to support members who are blind or have visual impairments. The ARRL Letter is available in an accessible format, posted weekly to the Blind-hams Groups.io email group. The group is dedicated to discussions about amateur radio as it concerns blind hams, plus related topics including ham radio use of adaptive technology.
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Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA) and Jamboree-on-the Internet (JOTI), the largest Scouting event in the world, takes place on the weekend of October 18 – 20, 2024. Youth amateur radio station WB4SA will be active for the event in a big way. Ken Lyons, KN4MDJ, ARRL Southeastern Division Assistant Director for Radio Scouting and Trustee for WB4SA, said the club will host one of the largest sites in the country, with up to 2000 youth, during JOTA/JOTI weekend. Lyons said the club with active on:
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- 80 meters SSB 3.690 & 3.940 MHz CW 3,570 MHz
- 40 meters SSB 7.090 & 7.190 MHz CW 7,030 MHz
- 20 meters SSB 14.290 MHz CW 14.060 MHz
- 17 meters SSB 18.140 MHz CW 18.080 MHz
- 15 meters SSB 21.360 MHz CW 21.140 MHz
- 12 meters SSB 24.960 MHz CW 24.910 MHz
- 10 meters SSB 28.390 MHz CW 28.180 MHz
- 6 meters SSB 50.160 MHz CW 50.160 MHz
And VHF simplex on 147.420, 146.580, and 146.520 MHz.
The Boy Scout and Girl Scout programs covered by the Central Division of Florida Division 2 includes 30,000 scouts in nine counties. For additional information, contact: Ken Lyons, KN4MDJ, Trustee for WB4SA, Cell 407-496-6694, BSA – Central Florida Council – www.RadioScouting.US/cfc.
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| The Ascension Amateur Radio Club and the Thibodaux Amateur Radio Club in Louisiana will combine to showcase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in amateur radio to over 1,000 Girl Scouts at the BIG (Believe in Girls) Expo at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA. The event and amateur radio station W5YL will be active October 12, from 1400Z – 1930Z on 14.290, 14.230 SSTV, and 18.125 MHz, plus Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) talk group 907. Girls, grades K-12, and adults are invited to attend.
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On October 5, 2024, from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM MDT, members of the Deep Space Exploration Society (DSES) in Kiowa County, Colorado, will be on hand to show off a new addition to the Plishner Radio Telescope. Activities will include demonstrating the 60-foot radiotelescope on the site. Science, technology, electronics, mathematics (STEM) activities and amateur radio lessons will be provided. An optical telescope will be on site and available for viewing the skies into the evening. In addition, a ham radio station using the DSES club call sign, KØPRT, will be on HF and VHF radio bands and will demonstrate EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) or moonbounce communication. For information about visiting the facility, contact Sobon at sobonpaul@gmail.com.
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Craig Thompson, K9CT, is the featured presenter at the monthly Zoom meetup for the |
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