Amateur Radio in Bay County After Hurricane Michael

The local interest in amateur radio has greatly increased after Hurricane Michael. The Panama City Amateur Radio Club is working with the City of Panama City, Gulf Coast State College, and Gulf Coast Medical Center to increase our local capability to maintain communications after a disaster. A local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group works with the Bay County Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

The City of Panama City has repaired the hurricane damage to the PCARC clubhouse and it has reopened. There are meetings at the clubhouse at 130 N. Church Ave, Panama City on Wednesdays at 7 PM. License tests are given on the third Wednesday of the month at 6 PM You can contact the club at panamacityarc@gmail.com. Our club president is Bob Leasko. His callsign is WB8PAF.

Amateur radio is a outstanding hobby for all ages as well as a help for emergencies. A license from the FCC is required to transmit on amateur frequencies. Amateur Radio license classes at GCSC will be announced soon.

The national organization for amateur radio is the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL). Visit this link for an introduction to amateur radio.

Bay County ARES has a new web site baycountyares.org

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment, with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

The Bay County ARES has meetings every second Thursday 1830-2000 Central Time at the Bay County EOC, 700 Florida Highway 2300, Panama City, Florida 32409, United States.

There is a Bay County ARES net on the AC4QB Repeater, 145.330 pl 100 Hz, at 7 PM on Thursdays except for the second Thursday.


For more information visit https://baycountyares.org/