WB5ALM, the new Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) ham station for the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi (ALM) Division of the organization’s Emergency Disaster Services Center (EDS) may be remotely controlled via the Internet.

“The goal is to allow for a select group of qualified, trained net control operators to operate a state-of-the art SATERN station that is centrally located within the ALM Division and the Southern Territory from their home location anywhere in the Territory,” said Territorial SATERN Net Manager Ken Standard, AD5XJ.

SATERN volunteers inaugurated WB5ALM by checking into the International SATERN Net on March 5. The new call sign, which reflects the initials of Salvation Army founder William Booth as well as its ALM organizational division, will be used by the fixed station at the Divisional EDS Center and for mobile operation from the SATERN Coordinator’s vehicle or the Territorial Communications Trailer. Acquisition of the vanity call sign culminated a nearly year-long process of building the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Division’s new SATERN station.

“This new station will make it easier to recruit SATERN operators to operate the station during a disaster or emergency by reducing the need for them to be physically present at the EDS Center,” said Territorial SATERN Coordinator Bill Feist, WB8BZH.

The SATERN Net operates on 14.265 MHz on HF. SATERN volunteers use Amateur Radio to coordinate emergency response and relief operations and to convey health-and-welfare messages following a disaster.  Its director is Rick Shirran, VE3NUZ. — Thanks to The Salvation Army/SATERN, John Bigley, N7UR