Date: June 2023
Amount: $10,750

The Mid-State Amateur Radio Club (MARC, W9MID), one of the largest and most active organizations in central Indiana, is a nonprofit that promotes amateur radio and provides resources to all hams, no matter their experience level. MARC has embarked on the “Modernize the W9MID Emergency Operation Center (EOC) Project” to update the EOC’s aging equipment, to add capabilities for both Winlink and to their APRS node, and to increase the range of their repeater system.

This grant will provide funding to carry out the modernization of the EOC. Specifically, MARC will install and setup a Yaesu-991A and associated laptop, to be tested regularly using Winlink email over HF and VARA FM email over FM. Also, they will replace their single band radios with dual band radios. All of the aforementioned radios will be utilized for nets, routing field tests, and the annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET). Lastly, they will install a new dual-band antenna and add an amplifier, which will significantly increase their ability to participate in severe weather-related activities and exercises, affording protection to more people in their area of coverage.

Update

This grant was highly successful in modernizing the aging emergency communications infrastructure of the Mid-State Amateur Radio Club (MARC, W9MID) in central Indiana. The project not only met its goals of updating the club’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and increasing the range of their 2-meter repeater system, but it also provided immediate, real-world benefits to the surrounding community.

With the grant funds, MARC successfully replaced their older single-band radios with modern, digital, WIRES-X capable transceivers. These new radios allow operators to monitor neighboring county frequencies on two bands simultaneously. Crucially, the club added both Winlink and VARA FM capabilities, enabling robust email-over-radio (HF and VHF) communication when traditional infrastructure fails. They also integrated a new weather station to monitor real-time wind speed, direction, and rainfall.

The modernization had a tangible and immediate impact, directly supporting the residents of Johnson County and the club’s 83 members. The upgraded EOC has already been utilized to run multiple severe weather nets. Most notably, the modernized EOC provided critical emergency communications support for Johnson County Emergency Management during the total solar eclipse, a major operational event during which the State of Indiana was under a FEMA-declared state of emergency.

The project did yield some valuable lessons learned for future ARDC grantees. MARC noted the importance of planning for unforeseen installation expenses, specifically recommending that clubs budget for professional tower companies to handle antenna and hardline installations. They also experienced initial difficulties connecting their new weather station to a third-party WiFi network, advising future projects to thoroughly familiarize themselves with local network requirements to ensure a trouble-free setup.

Learn more at https://midstatehams.org/.