[Elecraft] K3 P3 and KAT500

[GRANT YOUNGMAN]

There’s no reason Elecraft wouldn’t provide the information to an authorized MARS station.  Local MARS directors also typically have information on firmware loads or other common means to get a lot of radios expanded to general coverage transmit, which they provide to MARS members.  And MARS does work with civilian agencies in emergencies.

There aren’t really MARS ‘bands” as such.  But regardless of license class, an Amateur station without a MARS license is not authorized to operate on any designated MARS frequency.  These frequencies are managed by DoD.  The interface between MARS and the non-MARS emergency traffic is on the ham bands, not on MARS frequencies, since that is the only place both are licensed to operate.

So, if they’re not, your local/state emergency coordinators should be working with the State MARS directors and their staffs to develop a plan for MARS support in the event of a natural disaster.  

That said, I dropped my AFMARS affilliation around 15 years ago, so maybe things have changed.  And I probably don’t understand the full context of the request to begin with.


> except by foot. There are approximately 300 people within the thus affected
> zone. I am interested in opening up as much bandwidth as possible to provide
> maximum versatility for communication. This would include the MARS bands. We
> have several folks here with General and Extra class licenses. I don't think
> our radios should be encumbered with the limitation of band width. I suppose
> I could acquire the patch by some other means but I would just as soon have
> it from Elecraft. 

Grant NQ5T
K3 #2091, KX3 #8342