Ham Radios
Ham radios require a license to use. There are three levels of licenses: Technician, General, and Extra. Each license level requires a sequentially more difficult written exam to pass. The cost for each test is $15.00 (whether you pass or fail), and the cost of each level of license is $35.00 per level.
Ham radio stations are the go-to communications system in a disaster. From hand-held handy talkies for near range comms to large base stations that can reach out across the world, the ham radio community can handle it.
Maximum transmission power for ham operators is 1500 watts.
Current amateur frequencies assigned by license level.
Using Repeaters in an Emergency
Repeaters are an excellent way of extending ham radio's distance capabilities for the 70cm and 2M bands. However, in an emergency, the radio repeaters may be overwhelmed or possibly limited to emergency agencies or repeater club members or managers only. Our communications group will monitor the repeaters and use them during an emergency if they are available. However, the backbone of our comms plan still utilizes the simplex or direct radio to radio protocols.
NVIS, or Near-Vertical Incidence Skywave is a method of controlling the angle of transmission to send your message straight up rather than out at an angle. At wavelengths of 20M and above, the transmission will be reflected back down in a cone generally about 200 to 400 miles in diameter with your station at the center. In an emergency, our ham operators may want to contact other stations the are relatively close, but shielded by mountains such as in North Salt Lake, Bountiful, Park City, Provo, and Tooele. Using a NVIS configuration will allow us to bounce our signal into those locations.
This link is a YouTube video that shows how to construct a simple and inexpensive antenna that can be easily set up in a NIVS configuration. There are lots of other videos on the same subject if this one leaves you with questions.