MVARA Emergency Communications Bus

The mission of the MVARA is to promote the use of amateur radio for education, emergency service (communications), team building and training for all ages.

To help facilitate that mission, MVARA was the recipient of a generous grant of $116,399 from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) in October 2021. This grant will allow MVARA to refurbish and maintain a bus that had been previously used as a commercial emergency communication center. This includes equipment upgrades, such as matching HF/VHF/UHF stations and accessories and a fold-over tower attached to the bus for antennas. The equipment allows the club to operate four stations simultaneously, using a variety of different modes, including CW, voice, and digital modes.

In addition to its use in emergency situations, the bus will be used as an educational and training center for newly licensed and potential new amateur radio operators. The club expects to use the bus for school presentations, emergency drills, National Night Out events, ARRL Field Day, and any other related events.