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ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio\u00ae reports that amateur radio operators in Colombia are providing significant communications support following the major earthquake and aftershocks that struck the country on August 10, 2026. The death toll has reportedly exceeded 200 people, with many more still missing, and major damage is reported to buildings and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
International Amateur Radio Union, Region 2 (IARU R2) Emergency Communications Coordinator Carlos Alberto Santamaria Gonz\u00e1lez, CO2JC, provided an update Thursday morning, August 13, from Faber Mosquera, HK6F, the emergency coordinator for the Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados (LCRA), Colombia\u2019s national amateur radio association. Mosquera said amateurs from various radio clubs and associations across the country have been helping to maintain and\/or restore communications in affected areas.<\/p>\n
Volunteers from the Liga Radio Quind\u00edo were heading to Cerro Campanario, a peak at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level, to attempt to restore the club’s repeater stations using solar panels and batteries. This peak hosts repeater stations for both the amateur radio service and the municipal and departmental risk management systems in the area. Another group of amateurs, from the Asociaci\u00f3n de Radioaficionados del Eje Cafetero, was working at their repeater site at the time of the earthquake. They reported that cellular and Wi-Fi networks immediately went down, and the repeaters also failed because the backup transfer system to the power generator did not activate. However, within 15 minutes, they had reactivated not only the amateur repeaters but also those of other services that share the site. Mosquera reported that amateur radio clubs from other parts of the country were providing additional support to restore and maintain communications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Colombian amateur radio community is doing vital work by making its communication systems and human resources available for rescue, recovery, and locating individuals affected by this disaster,\u201d said IARU Region 2 Emergency Coordinator CO2JC, adding, \u201cThis makes us proud to be amateur radio operators.<\/p>\n
CO2JC has also requested that all amateurs avoid transmitting on the IARU Region 2 emergency frequencies of 3985, 7060, 7240, 7275, 14300, and 21360 kHz, as well as 146.520 MHz for those in VHF range of Colombia, in order to minimize potential interference to emergency communications.<\/p>\n
See ARRL News for updates to this story as they become available.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n