Grant Date: September 2021
Amount: $8,098

The University of Southern Mississippi Amateur Radio Club (W5USM) has been dormant for at least 10 years.

Funding is needed to purchase and install a VHF or UHF repeater on a 10 story science building. The repeater will be a dedicated place for students to communicate with other hams and provide solid handheld coverage across campus, which does not presently exist. The USM Amateur Radio Club will become eligible for campus funding as a bona fide university student organization when its membership exceeds 10. This project will “kick-start” the club’s efforts to reach sustainability and achieve subsequent growth. The University is a R1, doctoral granting, research university with a diverse student body that has the opportunity to expose amateur radio broadly to underrepresented populations.

The repeater will be linked to other Allstar and Echolink nodes so students can develop rapport with a wide variety of amateurs. In the longer-term, the repeater and interest will lead to attendance at “linked” events among university clubs by organizing nets or permanent networks of repeaters to form a community of users.

Update

This grant enabled the successful installation of a new Motorola UHF repeater on the Johnson Science Tower at the University of Southern Mississippi, providing reliable communication coverage across the campus. The repeater, linked to the AllstarLink network, is controlled by a Raspberry Pi and allows for flexible connections via phone app, desktop web interface, or DTMF tones. The project also initiated the recruitment process for students interested in obtaining their amateur radio licenses, with 10 students currently engaged. This foundational step has revitalized the USM Amateur Radio Club, paving the way for future growth and the development of a sustainable student organization.

Learn More: https://www.usm.edu/