Emergency radio communications in Colombia: Please keep the frequencies clear!
Following the severe earthquake in Colombia, radio amateurs are ensuring emergency communications remain operational. The IARU is appealing for radio discipline worldwide.
As commercial mobile phone and data networks in the affected regions collapsed immediately, radio amateurs have taken over the vital communications links for rescue organisations in Colombia.
Relay stations with solar panels
Faber Mosquera, HK6F, emergency radio coordinator for the Liga Colombiana de Radioaficionados (LCRA), is coordinating the operation nationwide. Volunteers from the Liga Radio Quindío climbed the 3,600-metre-high Cerro Campanario to bring relay stations equipped with solar panels and rechargeable batteries back into operation. This site supplies the amateur radio network and the regional civil protection authorities.
Manual switchover
Members of the Asociación de Radioaficionados del Eje Cafetero were on site at their relay station during the tremors. As the automatic emergency power supply failed, the technicians switched on the generator manually. After 15 minutes, their own repeaters and the radio equipment of partner organisations were up and running again.
‘Indispensable work’
Carlos Alberto Santamaria González, CO2JC, emergency communications coordinator for IARU Region 2, praised the effort: “The Colombian amateur radio community carries out indispensable work. It makes its communication systems and human resources available for rescue, recovery and search and rescue operations.”
IARU Region 2 urges radio amateurs worldwide to keep the following emergency frequencies clear at all times:
(3985 kHz)
7060 kHz
(7240 kHz)
(7275 kHz)
14300 kHz
21360 kHz
(as well as 146.520 MHz locally).
