The Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service
Orlando FL
In times of crisis, access to extensive communication resources improves the capability for an organized response. For years, amateur radio operators have voluntarily provided such communication resources during hurricanes, earthquakes and other emergencies. At Walt Disney World, amateur radio operators serve the public through the Disney Emergency Amateur Radio Service (D.E.A.R.S.).
Will Michael, then the Crisis Management Administrator for the Walt Disney Company in Burbank, CA, founded D.E.A.R.S. in 1990. The voluntary organization, is comprised of federally-licensed amateur radio operators who are current and former employees of the Walt Disney Company and Disney-affiliated entities. This voluntary organization is dedicated to the fostering of an appreciation of amateur radio and its use as an adjunct communications service in times of emergency. D.E.A.R.S. members learn proper on-air protocol, pursue advanced licensing and practice point-to-point and wide-area message relay under adverse conditions.
On May 2, 1996, the first meeting of the Walt Disney World branch of the D.E.A.R.S. organization was held at the Disney University. The group holds regular monthly meetings, and operated an Amateur Radio special event station in the Magic Kingdom to celebrate the park’s 25th Anniversary. The station made over 600 worldwide contacts!
D.E.A.R.S. is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and participates in annual Field Day exercises. In addition, D.E.A.R.S. has offered several 12-week amateur radio examination training classes both on- and off-property.
The D.E.A.R.S. organization contributed over 200 volunteer hours to establish a ham radio communications network at critical locations around the WDW property for the Y2K event. And in November of 2002, members received National Weather Service (NWS) SKYWARN training and earned certification as official NWS observers.
The D.E.A.R.S. group maintains an on-property communications capability around Walt Disney World — and the world beyond. This capability is managed in cooperation with the Walt Disney World Security Department’s Office of Emergency Preparedness.
When in the Orlando area, please enjoy the D.E.A.R.S. repeaters:
147.300 MHz (PL 103.5)
442.000 MHz (PL 103.5)
For additional information call or email D.E.A.R.S. president Jim Tyree/N4ANW: N4ANW@cfl.rr.com
or 321-436-0089
73 de WD4WDW!
The Worldwide Amateur Radio Club
Bristol CT
WARC is the amateur radio club of ESPN, Inc. in Bristol, CT.
The club currently includes about 40 ESPN employees and retirees.
Our first club callsign, KB1WPE, was granted on February 1, 2012 — and our current vanity call, WE1SPN, was granted on February 24, 2012.
Our facility comprises two identical “shacks,” each equipped with:
An Icom IC-7000 HF/6m/2m/70cm All-Mode Radio
An Icom IC-2820 2m/70cm Dual-Band Radio
A Tarheel HF Vertical Antenna
A Comet 2m/70cm Vertical Antenna
We operate on 80m through 70cm, and our WE1SPN repeater is now on the air at 448.725, PL 77.0, from the worldwide headquarters of ESPN in Bristol CT.
Keep listening for our maiden QSO!
For more information on WARC, contact our club president, Ted Szypulski/K2GAV: K2GAV@szypulski.org
Click here to visit the WARC website
73 de WE1SPN!
Network Engineers Repeater Association
Greater Washington, DC Area
The Network Engineers Repeater Association is the latest and greatest addition to the Disney Amateur Radio Interconnect.
NERA – serving Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland and parts of West Virginia — is among the country’s best-engineered wide-area repeater systems. And it shares a lot of DNA with BEARS and WARC, in particular.
Like our systems, NERA was built by broadcast professionals — the brainchild of a group of Washington-based CBS engineers.
NERA’s flagship machine is WA3KOK (449.975 MHz (-), PL 107.2) in Washington, DC, whose trustee, Larry D’Anna/WA3KOK, also administers NERA’s affairs. The machine is connected to five voting receivers serving greater DC.
Also in the NERA system are:
WA3KOK/Frederick MD (443.40 MHz, PL 136.5)
WA3KOK/Cacapon Mt VA (442.45 Mhz, PL 107.2)
K3HOT/Fork Mt VA (443.25 MHz, PL 107.2)
N3CDY/Baltimore MD (449.275 MHz, PL 107.2)
WA3KOK/Bull Run Mt VA (447.775 MHz, PL 67.0)
K4QJZ/High Knob Mt VA (442.725 MHz, PL 107.2)
The NERA system provides robust repeater coverage from the MD-PA border to Charlottesville VA, along the heavily-traveled I-95, I-66, I-83 and I-81 corridors. What’s more, it is affiliated with the Cactus Intertie, a huge network of repeaters covering the southern and western parts of the US.
You can learn more about NERA here.
73 de WA3KOK!