Amateur radio in an emergency

Followers of informative radio web sites QRPer and SWLing will be familiar with the prolific Thomas, K4SWL. He lives in North Carolina in the US and has just come through hurricane Helene.

The reason I think it’s useful to spread his story is that in the midst of widespread damage, amateur radio kept working (of course) and proved to be incredibly valuable.

Throughout the storm, our normally quiet repeater systems were buzzing with activity. The traffic became very organized, with hourly nets helping pass messages to family and friends, sharing detailed on-the-ground reports, and identifying areas where help was needed. Even though our emergency services are overwhelmed, we’re able to connect with them via amateur radio networks like ARES.

Right now, being a ham feels like a superpower. For many people, it’s the only form of communication that still works.

It’s worth reading his account here.

The 2m repeater we use for our weekly club net is VK3RMM on Mount Macedon. Often idle, the repeater has an incredible coverage in Victoria. This is the coverage of the 70cm DStar repeater but presumably the 2m repeater is similar.