It’s not a Solar Eclipse but our Solar news is just as phenomenal

Over the last few years, EVCNB developed a comprehensive and flexible communication plan which is based on General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) and ham radios.  The ubiquitous Yellow Radios that have been in place in our community for many years are part of the GMRS.  More than 400 citizens have purchased the radios, been trained to use them, and test them each week. While Yellow Radios are a vital part of our community’s emergency communication network—among neighbors, between the Emergency Operations Center, and with local, regional, and statewide emergency management agencies—the units need to be recharged periodically.

This is where the solar part comes in.

When the power goes out in a disaster or emergency, the sun will be our only constant power source available.  Thus, the EVCNB Emergency Technical Team designed a “Solar GoBox” or SGB.  This portable solar-powered base station includes a 25-watt ham radio, antenna, battery, portable solar panel, and an optional device to enable the station to transmit emails over the radio.

EVCNB was fortunate enough to receive a grant from TPUD last year to fund a number of these portable SGB base stations that were distributed among neighborhood “clusters,” and other specific locations. We also received a grant from San Diego-based Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) that helped us upgrade those first SGBs with laptops that make them WinLink capable, fund the Neahkahnie repeater, and purchase 13 additional SGBs that will eventually have homes throughout the county.

Bill KE7VBS and Bruce N5GB designed and built the original Army green Goboxes and the first SGBs. To get the remaining SGBs ready for use, 21 of EVCNB’s Ham Radio operators held a “Build Party” on March 19, 2024 to help this good cause while learning assembly skills. Four “stations” made up the assembly line with an expert at each to assist with the build. The ham enthusiasts could rotate among the stations and participate as much as they liked.

Once again EVCNB volunteers have spearheaded a path toward resiliency by developing these solar-powered GoBoxes, harnessing the power of grants and volunteers, and planning the deployment of these valuable resources to strengthen our community’s network of emergency preparedness.