Readiness: Red Cross, ARES/RACES, etc.

Mercer County ARES/RACES

ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is an organization of “amateur radio operators providing communications services when disaster strikes.” While club members come from several counties, Mercer County ARES is the group that covers our “home turf.”

ARES weekly net is held every Thursday at 7:30 PM on the W2MER repeater- 147.105MHz (147.705 Input, PL 123.0)

David Sarnoff Radio Club members are encouraged to register themselves with Mercer County ARES/RACES. To do so, just send an email to the Mercer County EC John Pugh WJ3P for more information.

Mercer County ARES/RACES has a page of useful readiness links (Reference cards, Go-kit recommendations, etc.)

The American Radio Relay League has a statement of understanding with FEMA, which applies to our local groups as well.

American Red Cross of Central NJ

Two local emergency stations are supported by DSRC. N2ARC is the callsign at the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey, the lead American Red Cross chapter in the event of a statewide emergency. W2MER is the callsign at the Mercer County Emergency Operations Center, located at the Dempster Fire Service Training School.

2019 Field Day was at the American Red Cross

(NOTE: CLOSED DUE TO COVID) “Open houses” are held the last Monday of each month (except December and May) at 7:00 PM at both the American Red Cross, 707 Alexander Rd (2 blocks east of Rt 1, use rear entrance) and at the Mercer County EOC located on Lawrence Station Road. Lawrence Station Road is a right turn off of Quakerbridge Road about a half mile south of Quakerbridge Mall. Just follow the signs to the fire school. The Mercer County EOC is in the basement.

Emergency Communications Readiness files

Club presentations on preparing for emergencies

This undated .pdf is a 3-page outline for emergency and public service communications which details the requirements for:

  • Setting up a command post
  • Operating a command post
  • Operating in the field
commandpostDownload

This .pdf of a PowerPoint presentation covers 12 VDC Power Distribution. Prepared by Gary Wilson K2GW.

12VDCDistributionDownload

This .pdf of a presentation has information on floating a gelled lead-acid battery and a simple modification to the popular Astron RS-35 power supply to protect it from reverse current flow when AC power is lost by Gary Wilson K2GW. for volunteers, NCS, and EC.

StandbyGelCellDownload