Our Work

Our Priorities

Build out physical infrastructure

New tower and repeaters on Cacapon mountain
Winlink RMS station
Emergency communications unit reconfiguration
Personal base station capacity
- - Emergency backup power
  - Antennas capable of operating on all bands required for emergency communications
Hand-held radios from 911
Mobile operations
- Cross band repeat capability

Operations

- - Weekly nets on 2 meters and Zello
  - Outfit all members for operation on 2m, 20m, 40m and 80m
  - Develop strategic operations plan
    - - Customers, supporting organizations, other nets, etc.
  - Explore additional operational functions, e.g. scanning/forecasting, SkyWarn, current conditions assessment

3. Training and Certification

Members trained in net operations
Lectures on various operations/equipment
Classes for certification
New ham training
Simulated Emergency Training exercises
County emergency simulations
Integrated relationship with Morgan County EOC

4. Membership Development

- - QTH visits
  - Website
  - Distribute monthly summaries to membership

5. Administration

- - Develop outside relationships
  - Funding and contributions
  - Collaboration with 911, EOC, Sheriff, EMS, ARC, Morgan County Commission
  - Publicity and exposure
  - ARRL/ARES connections
  - 501(c)3 status

Our Projects

Integration with Morgan County Emergency Operations Center

MCECN has been assigned space in the new Morgan County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) building near the Pines Opportunity Center in Berkeley Springs. MCECN will occupy a third of the new building, which we will use as operating space during emergencies as well as for training and meetings. Co-locating with the Morgan County EOC will assist with collaboration during communication blackouts.

Repeaters

Radio repeaters are devices with two radios connected to a computer, one radio for receiving, and one for transmitting. This allows someone to transmit into the repeater on one frequency or channel, and be repeated or re-transmitted on a different frequency or channel, usually with a higher transmit power and better geographic location, resulting in further range.

Repeaters are especially useful in mountainous regions, like Morgan County, where mountains usually block the signal or cause interference. However, they can be located on radio towers on-top of mountains, resulting in very large coverage areas, and relative ease in being able to transmit to the repeater and being received or heard by the repeater and by listeners.

2 Meter Repeater

The KK3L Repeater, Morgan County's local amateur radio repeater, is used by MCECN for emergency communications practice with our weekly radio net. The KK3L repeater runs on a frequency of 146.745Mhz, a transmitter offset of -0.6Mhz and a CTCSS tone of 123Hz

New GMRS Repeater

MCECN is in the process of installing a new GMRS repeater, which will act as a backup communication method for the community. County residents can apply for a GMRS license with the FCC, which costs $35 for ten years, requires no test, and covers the licensee's family members. MCECN will be offering informational sessions to the public to assist with getting set up with backup communications using the repeater.

AREDN Digital Network

AREDN stands for Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network, and provides data and internet services to operators in the field, and provide internet to the public when service providers are unable to provide internet access via traditional networks. Our network is currently being built-out, but when completed should service all of the metro areas of Morgan county, get internet service directly from multiple carriers and ISPs, and have data rates fast enough for normal internet activities.

We use commercial off-the-shelf wireless Wi-Fi devices in use by WISPs today, modified to use amateur radio frequencies in the 2.4Ghz, 3.5Ghz, and 5Ghz bands, and higher transmit power to achieve better range and performance. This gives us a better more resilient network with better data bandwidth and range.

Mobile Emergency Communication Unit

A look from inside, showing a CRT style TV mounted on the wall, a rack full of radios and hand microphones, a printer with a good amount of paper in the hopper, and a laptop with a lot of cables connected to it.

A look inside of, with all the computer equipment and radios

A direct picture showing a rack of 6 radios and hand microphones for each of them, a DC power distribution panel above them to prove power.

A picture of the radios and DC power distribution panel

A look inside of, with all the computer equipment and radios

A look inside, with all the computer equipment and radios

Another look inside showing the CRT style TV, a patch panel on the left with a bunch of cables plugged in, and the radios on the right.

Another look inside showing the unit from the door

An external look at the red unit, showing all the antennas protected inside of a PVC shell, a generator built on to the unit, and flood lights.An external look at the red unit, showing all the antennas protected inside of a PVC shell, a generator built on to the unit, and flood lights.

An external look at the unit, including the white antennas

This unit has it's own generator, lighting, radios, computers, cameras, and other equipment needed for building a back up communications network. This is just some of what it looks like now, as we obtain more equipment this Mobile Unit will be more, and more prepared for all kinds of communication emergencies.

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