Date: May 2022

Amount: $83,000

Rhode Island Communications Unit (RICOMU)) is an ARRL-affiliated club that serves as AUXCOMM for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA). They are a small but dedicated group, and most of the members have backgrounds as first responders, emergency managers, or public servants. Partner agencies include Rhode Island EMA, Providence EMA and other local emergency management agencies, the National Weather Service (Taunton MA), Women and Infants Hospital, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

In order to keep pace with developments in amateur radio technology, RICOMU plans to deploy a statewide, IP-based, RF mesh network that is completely independent of the commercial internet. It will use a network of IP-linked Yaesu Fusion digital voice repeaters that will run on the mesh network backbone. The plan includes backbone sites with emergency power, enabling local amateur communications to be available during emergencies.

For more information on RICOMU, go to http://www.wa1usa.club.