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.
Johnston says backup generators are great but sometimes are only fed to certain circuits in your home. Amateurs should test their ham station to ensure that it is powered by the generator. If the whole house system does not power the station, a portable generator could be an option. The key is to test the system under blue sky conditions to ensure it works, check for RF noise, and potential power drop.
Having backup antennas is also crucial. “Especially if we are dealing with storms, it may be useful to have alternate antennas on hand, especially for HF and VHF,” said Johnston.
SEE PREVIOUS STORIES: