Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

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russellhltn
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#131

Post by russellhltn »

dpace1 wrote:I read somewhere that the church dozen't allow Ham radio training in church buildings?
I don't see a problem with training, as long as it follows Handbook 2: 21.2 and any other rules for non-church meetings.

The bigger issue is installation. From the Facilities Management Guidelines for Meetinghouses and Other Church Property
Wards and stakes should not purchase or accept donated satellite telephone or amateur radio equipment for use in an emergency or for installation in a meetinghouse.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
matthewnielsen
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#132

Post by matthewnielsen »

Hi all,

This thread has all but dried up, but it seems like something that should still be a priority. I realize that if a general authority were to start directing that EMCOMM preparation and training take place it could cause unwanted speculation and worry. This is likely why the stakes are responsible for these things at this point. But, this article made me think there should be a renewed effort to encourage the wards and stakes to get some training.

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/u ... eb79e.html

73s from Arizona,
Matthew KX6MRN
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Mikerowaved
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#133

Post by Mikerowaved »

matthewnielsen wrote:I realize that if a general authority were to start directing that EMCOMM preparation and training take place it could cause unwanted speculation and worry.
Not necessarily. We just had a Hamfest in Salt Lake City, where Allan F. Packer (WA7BKD) of the Seventy gave the Saturday morning keynote address. The brethren have always pushed the issue of being self-reliant in adverse times and communications has always been an important part of that. providentliving.org was setup to continue to get the word out as to what wards, stakes, and/or individuals can do to prepare.

As far as utilizing amateur radio, it's very different here in Utah where there are nearly 450 stakes along the Wasatch Front. Ham radio can play a part, but there isn't enough spectrum available for each stake here to have their own frequency set aside for nets and emergencies.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
KeithCartwright
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#134

Post by KeithCartwright »

I wonder how many of the LDS stakes in Utah hold a regularly scheduled net for communications to be utilized in case of emergency?
poppytim
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#135

Post by poppytim »

dpace1 wrote:I read somewhere that the church dozen't allow Ham radio training in church buildings?
So NOT True..... We TEACH, Build Antennas and practice good Amateur Practices from the Meeting House Monthly.... Heavenly Father wants and NEEDS Amateurs to be Ready and Prepared!
rmrichesjr
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#136

Post by rmrichesjr »

Fwiw, the first page or so of this thread has some history and details about the policy that (if I understand correctly) prohibits permanent installation of Ham equipment in meetinghouses:

https://tech.lds.org/forum/viewtopic.ph ... ur+antenna
galbraith.steve
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#137

Post by galbraith.steve »

Hey Everyone,
My name is Steve Galbraith my Amateur call sign is KB7ITU. i thought I'd put a bit on here to let you know what we did in the Rexburg, Henry's Fork Stake. I am the Henry's Fork Stake ECS.
in our Stake we actually have at least one ham in each of the 9 wards. the problem we run into was that not all of them are active and short of going door to door and getting on my hands and knees, I could not get the support .
So the way we set up the Stake is as follows. We set up a Stake repeater on a commercial uhf band. We needed to have a way that the Stake President, Bishops and all their Emergency communication specialists could communicate if the conventional forms of communication were down. Plus, some of the called specialist were not ham radio operators so I needed a way to communicate with them. It is suggested in our stake emergency communications plan that all ward ECS's have at least a Technician class license and the Stake ECS at least a General. We now have the Stake Priesthood leadership net each Fast Sunday. We also have the ERC ham radio net for the Stake each Sunday. We have set up a packet radio net for the Stake. For you that don't know what packet radio is. Packet radio is old school email. You don't even need your computer running to receive a mail message. It works over the ham radio air waves.Packet is text only but you are able to pass large lists of need supplies in an emergency in a very short length of time and packet is error free.
Two out of the 9 wards have their own weekly net on the MURS radio band. We use MURS because our wards are so large. In my ward we have set up Block Captains strategically placed throughout the ward in a 8 mile by 4 mile area. Each week we have a net on MURS, which is a license free band like FRS. If there is an emergency each Block overlaps the other so no member of the community is missed. The Block Captains are responsible for checking and reporting on the families in their block. The communicate back to the Ward ECS and if necessary the Ward ECS will contact the Stake ECS for assistance.
For the large are in this part of Idaho, We have 4 Regions in the Idaho Falls Bishop's Storehouse ERC . The ERC is the communication support group for the Church of Jesus Christ of Later day Saints. Each Wednesday night , each Region has their own simplex (non repeater) net, taking a count of the number of members that check in each week. Then at 9pm we go over to the local repeater designated for the ERC. The Net Control operator for the Bishop's Storehouse will ask for a representative from each of the stakes to report on the number of check ins . They will then conduct a training on a pre selected topic.
I know without a doubt that in my Stake, The Lord has lead us by the hand in setting up the communication network . I know this is the Lords work . I feel the Sprite pushing me all the time. It is my hope that the information I have sent out here, will be of use to you. If there is anything I can do to help out please let me know. I would be glad to talk to you.

My contact information:
Phone : 208-417-9843
Email: kb7itu@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Steve Galbraith KB7ITU
Rexburg, Henry's For Stake ECS
markjack63
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#138

Post by markjack63 »

the church will not support ham radio at all if fact the shoot down ever attempt to start emergency communication at all. the elders in are ward ask me to teach a class. i told them when i get a letter from the first president office i would start...

Mark
N1SNP
rmrichesjr
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#139

Post by rmrichesjr »

markjack63 wrote:the church will not support ham radio at all if fact the shoot down ever attempt to start emergency communication at all. the elders in are ward ask me to teach a class. i told them when i get a letter from the first president office i would start...

Mark
N1SNP
I was informed that the following resources that may be informative:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/top ... n?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/top ... s?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... s?lang=eng

When faced with the possibility of legal action the Church generally takes a very conservative stance. Some years ago, there was a controversy regarding Church involvement with HAM radio. Please see this page: http://www.mara.net/history.htm
munaish
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Re: Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications

#140

Post by munaish »

The person who took the ham radio class for my ward moved to another city shortly afterward. Is ham radio the same as amateur radio?
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