via the ARRL: National Preparedness Month – Station Readiness

As ARRL continues the September series on National Preparedness Month, we turn to a critical element for radio amateurs and especially Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers: their station.

Many hams have a home station from which we operate on a regular basis. Is your station set up to operate or have the ability to operate off the grid or on alternate power sources? There are many ways to set this up to run on battery power and could even be done temporarily if you don’t have a permanent battery backup situation.

ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, says it is easier than ever to have a backup. “With the new batteries out there, and solar technology both improving in quality and decreasing in price, building a resilient station is no longer difficult or expensive,” he said. Johnston encourages ham radio operators to think about powering more than just the radio on an alternate power source. “Do you have lights that could run off the battery source? Do you have an alternate power source for your computer? What about your internet connection? Is there a backup for it?” he asked.

Read more

American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources – Read More