Lancaster Office of Emergency Management ARES

 Simplex Net (LARES Net)

Every Monday 8 pm - 146.400 MHz 

Sponsored by the Lancaster Office of Emergency Management in conjunction with the Lancaster Amateur Radio Club, located on Pavement Rd. Lancaster.

The purpose of this simplex net is to familiarize Lancaster Club hams and other area hams with the use of simplex, in the event that area repeaters are down. This net also allows hams to use and test their radios, antennas, batteries and / or generators. This net is designed to keep hams prepared and in a state of readiness for emergency communications.

The LARES Emergency Net would be activated in the event of a disaster or any other emergency when hams may be required to provide communications for the community or local government.

Checkins are asked to give their location (City/township) if they are using a base, mobile or hand held radio, amount of power output in watts, AC or battery power, indoor or out door antenna, plus any other pertinent info. Your information will be logged as a resource. Net control gives stations their received signal report.

Preparedness Simplex Drill

On a recent evening members who came out to the usual Thursday nightclub house were surprised to find a note on the front door that said a drill was in progress. They discovered that all AC power to the club house was cut off.

Scenario: the Niagara Falls power plant suffered a major explosion resulting in the loss of all electrical power in WNY. Reports are coming from many areas west of Syracuse that they are also without electrical power. Cell and landline phones systems are also reported down. The Town of Lancaster Office of Emergency Management requests that our ham radio club… activate immediately and to establish a communications base to dispatch hams to strategic locations through out the town as needed.

Without hesitation, members set up the portable generator required to provide AC for the radio station and lights. Once on the air they contacted the Office of Emergency Management and set up a control station, dispatching members throughout the town of Lancaster as requested. Our members provided valuable communications during the drill.