Index page
../../
[Root community]
../
[Community:
Categories by country; Countries; Transportation]
Community members, in decreasing PageRank scores:
The main article fo this category is List of amateur radio organizations.
In times of crisis and natural disasters, amateur radio is often used as a means of emergency communication when wireline, cell phones and other conventional means of communications fail.
Unlike commercial systems, Amateur radio is not as dependent on terrestrial facilities that can fail. It is dispersed throughout a community without "choke points" such as cellular telephone sites that can be overloaded.
Amateur radio operators are experienced in improvising antennas and power sources and most equipment today can be powered by an automobile battery. Annual "Field Days" are held in many countries to practice these emergency improvisational skills. Amateur radio operators can use hundreds of frequencies and can quickly establish networks tying disparate agencies together to enhance interoperability.
Recent examples include the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan, the 2003 North America blackout and Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, where amateur radio was used to coordinate disaster relief activities when other systems failed.
On September 2, 2004, ham radio was used to inform weather forecasters with information on Hurricane Frances live from the Bahamas. On December 26, 2004, an earthquake and resulting tsunami across the Indian Ocean wiped out all communications with the Andaman Islands, except for a DX-pedition that provided a means to coordinate relief efforts. Recently, Amateur Radio operators in the People's Republic of China provided emergency communications after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and U.S. hams did similar work following Hurricane Ike.
The largest disaster response by U.S. amateur radio operators was during Hurricane Katrina which first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane went through Miami, Florida on August 25, 2005, eventually strengthening to Category 5. More than a thousand ham operators from all over the U.S. converged on the Gulf Coast in an effort to provide emergency communications assistance. Subsequent Congressional hearings highlighted the Amateur Radio response as one of the few examples of what went right in the disaster relief effort.
In the United States and Canada, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a corps of trained amateur radio operator volunteers organized to assist in public service and emergency communications. It is organized and sponsored by the American Radio Relay League and the Radio Amateurs of Canada.
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is an international confederation of national amateur radio organisations that allows a forum for common matters of concern and collectively represents matters to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The IARU was formed in 1925. As of February, 2009, the International Amateur Radio Union is composed of 162 national member societies.<ref name="iaru_feb_2009">American Radio Relay League (2009). "IARU Member-Societies Ratify New Officers, Vote to Admit New Members". Retrieved Feb. 19, 2009.</ref>
The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) is a standby radio service provided for in Part 97.407 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations governing amateur radio in the United States.<ref name="code">"Part 97: Amateur Radio Service". From American Radio Relay League web site. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2008.</ref>
The concept of a standby "Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service" to replace the conventional "Amateur Radio Service" during wartime was developed in 1952 as result of input from the American Radio Relay League and the Department of the Army's Office of Civil Defense. During World War II, the Amateur Radio Service had been silenced and a new War Emergency Radio Service (WERS) had to be created from scratch in a process that took six months.
The resulting standby RACES service was designed to provide a quicker and smoother transition in the event the President ever needed to silence the regular Amateur Radio Service again when invoking the War Powers Act. Ironically, despite four wars involving the United States since 1952, this has never happened.
The Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) is a United States Department of Defense sponsored program, established as a separately managed and operated program by the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force. The program is a civilian auxiliary consisting primarily of licensed amateur radio operators who are interested in assisting the military with communications on a local, national, and international basis as an adjunct to normal communications. The MARS programs also include active duty, reserve, and National Guard units; Navy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ships, and Coast Guard cutters and shore stations.
MARS has a long history of providing worldwide auxiliary emergency communications during times of need. The combined three-service MARS programs (Army, Air Force, and Navy-Marine Corps) volunteer force of over 5,000 dedicated and skilled amateur radio operators provide the backbone of the MARS program. Their main benefit of MARS membership is enjoying the amateur radio hobby through an ever-expanding horizon of MARS service to the nation. MARS members work by the slogan "Proud, Professional, and Ready".
This category includes articles about amateur radio emergency communications.
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), known in French as Radio Amateurs du Canada, is a non-profit organization of amateur radio enthusiasts in Canada. The RAC represents the interests of amateur radio operators before Canadian governmental regulatory bodies, provides technical advice and assistance to amateur radio enthusiasts, and supports a number of educational programs throughout the country. The organization publishes a bimonthly magazine distributed to members called The Canadian Amateur. Radio Amateurs of Canada is the national member society representing Canada in the International Amateur Radio Union.
The Radio Amateurs Emergency Network, also known as RAYNET, is a British national voluntary communications service provided by amateur radio operators. It was formed in 1953 and exists to supplement national communication channels in the event of an emergency.
This category contains national member societies of the International Amateur Radio Union.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut. The ARRL represents the interests of amateur radio operators before federal regulatory bodies, provides technical advice and assistance to amateur radio enthusiasts, and supports a number of educational programs throughout the country. The ARRL has approximately 152,000 members. In addition to members in the US, the organization claims over 7,000 members in other countries. The ARRL publishes many books and a monthly membership journal called QST.
The ARRL is the primary representative organization of amateur radio operators to the US government. It performs this function by lobbying the US Congress and the Federal Communications Commission. The ARRL is also the international secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union, which performs a similar role internationally, advocating for amateur radio interests before the International Telecommunications Union and the World Administrative Radio Conferences.
The organization is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors. Each director serves a three-year term and represents the members within their particular region of the country. The national headquarters facilities are located in Newington, Connecticut. Along with the administrative headquarters, the site is home to amateur radio station W1AW. Operational activities are primarily carried out through affiliated field organizations.
The main article fo this category is List of amateur radio organizations.
This category includes articles about the American Radio Relay League.
[Abstract not available for the category]
The National Traffic System (NTS) is an organized network of amateur radio operators sponsored by the American Radio Relay League for the purpose of relaying messages throughout the US and Canada.
During normal times, these messages are routine greetings ("Happy birthday Aunt Mary") and keep the system well oiled and the operators trained so that everything works when needed. When there is an emergency or disaster NTS works closely with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service to provide emergency communications. The most common type of disaster-related messages are "health and welfare" inquiries and notifications into and out of the area affected by the disaster.
In time of disaster, it is easy to expand the system by simply creating additional meeting times for the nets with high volume, or by setting up a specific "trunk line" between two points.
The Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) (in Japanese, 日本アマチュア無線連盟) is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Japan. JARL was founded in 1926 by Japanese radio communication enthusiasts whose stated aim was to promote the development and utilization of radio wave technology as a medium. JARL says its current membership comprises the largest number of radio stations in the world, and credits its growth to "the devoted efforts of pioneering hams, who took the history of amateur radio to heart and guided it through the changing and challenging winds of technology and radio regulations".<ref name="jarl">Japan Amateur Radio League (2008). "Japan Amateur Radio League". Retrieved Feb. 19, 2008.</ref> JARL is the national member society representing Japan in the International Amateur Radio Union.<ref name="iaru">International Amateur Radio Union (2008). "Member Societies". Retrieved Feb. 21, 2008.</ref>
The South African Radio League (SARL), formerly known as the South African Radio Relay League (SARRL), is a non-profit organization representing the interests of amateur radio enthusiasts in South Africa. The SARL advocates on behalf of its membership and all licensed amateur radio operators in South Africa as the representative of amateur radio to the South African government. This has included the promotion of deregulation and simplification of the amateur radio service, and expansion of the number of amateur radio operators in Southern Africa. The SARL publicizes and promotes the role of amateur radio in society, and promotes the use of amateur radio in schools as an entry point into the fields of science and technology. SARL publishes a magazine called Radio ZS six times a year. SARL is the national member society representing South Africa in the International Amateur Radio Union.
The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters, or NZART, is a non-profit organization of amateur radio enthusiasts in New Zealand. NZART represents New Zealand amateur radio operators nationally and internationally. NZART is a founding member of the International Amateur Radio Union. NZART is an association of individual members, however those members are encouraged to form local branches.
Membership to NZART is voluntary. It is estimated that approximately 45% of New Zealand's licensed amateur radio operators are members. Members are represented by Councillors to the NZART Council, the executive body tasked with the business management of the association.
The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) was formed in 1910, and is the first and oldest national amateur radio society in the world. It represents the amateur radio operators of Australia in dealings with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the authority under the government of Australia that administers communications within and external to Australia.<ref name="wia">Wireless Institute of Australia (2009). Wireless Institute of Australia official web site. Retrieved January 18, 2009.</ref> The WIA publishes a monthly journal for its membership called Amateur Radio.<ref name="ar">Wireless Institute of Australia (2009). "About AR Magazine. Retrieved January 18, 2009.</ref> The organization is the national society representing Australia in the International Amateur Radio Union.<ref name="iaru">International Amateur Radio Union (2008). "Member Societies". Retrieved February 21, 2009.</ref>
[Abstract not available for the category]
The Korean Amateur Radio League (KARL) (n Korean, 한국아마추어무선연맹) is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in South Korea. KARL was founded in 1955 by Korean radio communication enthusiasts. Due to advocacy efforts of KARL, the first amateur radio station in South Korea, HL2AA is Seoul, was licensed in 1959. KARL is the national member society representing South Korea in the International Amateur Radio Union.<ref name="iaru">International Amateur Radio Union (2008). "Member Societies". Retrieved Feb. 21, 2008.</ref> KARL was the host society for the 14th World Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championships held in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, South Korea in September, 2008.<ref name="ardf">Korean Amateur Radio League (2008). "14th World ARDF Championships". Retrieved Feb. 21, 2008.</ref>
A properly equipped Mobile Command Center is a Response and Recovery Vehicle that facilitates an Agency's ability to expand their Command and Control capabilities to a remote location. Full Interoperable Communications are a standard for the Mobile Command Center. For the Emergency Management Agency, the vehicle is an extension of the fixed base Emergency Operations Center. The vehicle should be built with long-term deployment in mind but also be easy to operate in order to allow for quick deployment by minimum personnel if necessary. The successful design of a Mobile Command Center will dictate the frequency of use. In other words, the more difficult to move and operate, the fewer deployments. In the Law Enforcement environment, the vehicle can be utilized for Command and Control as well as Hostage Negotiations and even as a Mobile Precinct. Full Law Enforcement Dispatch capabilities can be installed as well as back-up Systems to the 9-1-1 Center. The Fire Service unit, properly equipped, gives the Incident Commander the visibility and informational flow along with space for ICS Functional Personnel all in one area. A meeting area for functional ICS Officers to share and evaluate information with the IC is necessary.
The Point Loma Amateur Radio Club (PLARC) was organized in 1957 by members of the U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory (NEL). The club is based in San Diego, CA, and throughout its history it has primarily comprised amateur radio enthusiasts from U.S. Navy organizations in Point Loma -- mostly civilian Department of Defense employees. The club operates on a wide variety of amateur radio (or ham) bands, from HF through VHF and UHF. Over the years, club activities have included contests, disaster preparedness drills, and plenty of simply social radio contacts. The FCC assigned call sign for the club is W6RDF. This call sign is used for all transmitters operating at the club's station or "shack".
The International Amateur Radio Club (IARC) maintains and operates the amateur radio station 4U1ITU at the International Telecommunications Union building in Geneva, Switzerland. Intended to serve as a model of amateur radio operation, the station was created under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
In many radio contests, amateur radio operators are allowed to consider the International Telecommunications Union station 4U1ITU a special entity and because of its significance to world telecommunications and it is given similar status to a separate country when making a radio contact. No other UN location is given this honor.
The War Emergency Radio Service (WERS) was a precursor to the civil defense and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service systems in the United States.
At the start of the Second World War the United States Congress had suspended all amateur radio activity throughout the country<ref name=ARRL1></ref>. WERS was established by the Federal Communications Commission in June of 1942 at the insistence of the American Radio Relay League<ref name=BAA></ref>. WERS would remain in operation in through the end of the Second World War in 1945<ref name=HSdC></ref>.
WERS was to provide communications in connection with air raid protection, and communications during times of natural disaster.<ref name=BAA></ref> WERS licenses were given to communities and not individuals. One of the requirements for individuals to participate in the WERS was to hold an Amateur radio license.
The Australian Property Institute is a professional body representing over 7,500 Australian property professionals, including residential, commercial and plant and machinery valuers, property advisers, property analysts and fund managers, property lawyers, and property researchers and academics.
The API was originally formed in 1926 as the Commonwealth Institute of Valuers, and was renamed a number of times over the intervening years as its range of activities expanded.
In some states of Australia, state government regulations specify that property professionals must belong to a member association such as the API. Many major Australian financial institutions also require property professionals who carry out mortgage valuation work to be members of the API.
The API produces a number of publications, including * Australian Property Journal, * Professional Practice Manual, * Valuation Principles and Practices, and * the PropertyPro software application (provides a pro forma template for residential mortgage valuation work. This template is the preferred format for the majority of Australia’s leading financial institutions).
Members of the Institute are bound by a code of ethics, rules of conduct, and professional practice standards. The API has reciprocity agreements with the following bodies * Appraisal Institute of Canada * Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (General Practice Division) * Property Institute of New Zealand * Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, United Kingdom (General Practice Division) * Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (General Practice Division)
These reciprocity agreements provide API members with portable skills and qualifications allowing them to practice throughout the world.
The National Office of the Australian Property Institute is located at 6 Campion Street, Deakin, Canberra.
:For information relating to the planet, please see Saturn.
The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) is a network of amateur radio operators that provide emergency communications between Salvation Army posts, and pass messages with health and welfare information between the Salvation Army and the general public.
First founded in 1913 as the London Wireless Club, the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) is the United Kingdom's recognised national society for amateur radio operators. The society's patron is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and it represents the interests of the UK’s 60,000 licensed radio amateurs. Long recognised as one of the leading amateur radio organisations in the world, the society is the national member society representing the United Kingdom and certain dependent territories of the United Kingdom in the International Amateur Radio Union. It also acts as a medium for communication between the enthusiasts and the UK government.