Local News

Amateur Radio Ops Prepare For Eclipse

BEND, OR -- Emergency management officials are concerned The hundreds of thousands of visitors expected in Central Oregon for the August 21 eclipse will put too much pressure on cell phone networks, cutting people off from key information. But, a group of volunteers is ready to step in and help.

 
Ray Spreier, with the High Desert Amateur Radio Group (HIDARG), tells KBND News, "There's a huge four-county coordination effort going on  - Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Wheeler - and the assumption is that traditional circuits - internet, phone, cellular - are going to be saturated. And so the emergency response and planning community is using radio, and amateur radio operators in particular, to establish a grid network to cover the area, to support government and first responders." 
 
Spreier says volunteer operators become conduits of vital information during natural disasters and other events that overload communication systems, like the eclipse. "Fortunately, as Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy proved, when your infrastructure is wiped out and the grid is down, amateur radio gets through and ham radio operators are among the first responders, all volunteers, that help the officials get the communications back up and restore communication to the outside area."
 
HIDARG hosted its annual "field day" event over the weekend, near Sisters, to practice set-up and operation independent of the power grid. "It's just a group of amateur radio operators, one of several clubs in the area, that exists both to support radio operators in the region, to promote amateur or ham radio as a hobby or as a community service, to conduct licensing and education classes for the public, and just to promote amateur radio and raise awareness in general."
 
To become a licensed ham radio operator, the FCC requires a person to pass a test and pay a licensing fee. Click HERE for more information. 
 
 
Eclipse Coverage on KBND is supported in part by Awnings Unlimited. Shade yourself from the sun with Awnings Unlimited at 5541-389-1619 and awningsunlimited.net.

On Air Now

First Light
2:00am - 3:00am
First Light

FlashAlert

KBND ON FACEBOOK

News Disclaimers