MORI is Mid-Oklahoma Repeator, Inc., an Oklahoma City Amateur Radio club with an emphasis on repeaters. A repeater (in case you were wondering) is a special kind of automated radio which acts as a relay between other radio stations. A repeater is normally located on a relatively high spot so that reliable connections can be made with radios over a relatively wide area (such as a city). When stations want to communicate through the repeater, they transmit on the repeater's "input" frequency, and listen on its "output" frequency. The repeater's job is to re-transmit signals appearing on its input frequency, on its output frequency. In this manner, everyone's signal is relayed through the repeater, to everyone else. Amateur radio operators use repeaters to enhance their ability to communicate throughout a local area, especially when using low-profile equipment such as hand-held and mobile transceivers. MORI owns and operates several repeaters in the Oklahoma City area.

As an Amateur Radio club, MORI has goals which transcend the care and feeding of repeaters. MORI's stated goals as an organization include promoting high standards in the operation of our Amateur Radio stations, and encouraging these high standards for others. We maintain a strong commitment to providing public service communications, especially in times of emergencies, both independently and through cooperation with area organizations such as the Red Cross. Repeaters are a tool which help us achieve such goals. MORI exists not just to provide central Oklahoma with outstanding repeater coverage, but also to use those repeaters to better serve the public.

When the Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed on April 19, 1995, the effects on the communication infrastructure were immediate. Although there was some damage to telephone and other communications systems, the biggest problem was that the remaining functional systems were swamped with use related to the bombing. Local Amateur Radio operators, many of them MORI members, rushed to the scene of the bombing and to other critical sites, and began providing emergency communication. Disaster response personnel knew that they could count on Amateur Radio to get the message through, where traditional channels were jammed.

When dozens of tornadoes, including the strongest on record, devastated central Oklahoma on May 3, 1999, traditional methods of communication were destroyed in the most heavily damaged areas. Area Amateur Radio operators, including many MORI members, used MORI repeaters to establish communication between Red Cross headquarters and facilities in the stricken areas. When the Red Cross national volunteers came in to manage the disaster, they requested the assistance of Amateur Radio operators to provide communication for their damage assessment teams. MORI volunteers coordinated the efforts of a team of Amateur Radio operators (numbering in the dozens the first few busy days) who used MORI repeaters to keep Red Cross damage assessment teams in contact with headquarters. It was weeks later when the last of the Amateur Radio operators closed shop on that operation.

It's not just about emergency communications, though. For example, every Thursday evening at 8:30 PM local time, MORI's 146.670(-) repeater (PL 192.8) and MORI's 146.925(-) repeater (No PL required) host Tech Net, an Amateur Radio net focusing on discussion of technical issues related to Amateur Radio. One of Tech Net's goals is to provide a forum in which inexperienced Amateur Radio operators may ask questions, and (usually, we hope!) receive good advice.

Like any Amateur Radio club, MORI exists in part for the purpose of providing a social structure for its members, and helping experienced members share their knowledge with newcomers. Like some Amateur Radio clubs, MORI maintains repeaters to enhance the ability of MORI members and other area hams to keep in touch throughout the area. Like the finest Amateur Radio clubs, MORI makes providing public service a high priority. If you'd like to join MORI and help us promote these goals, we'd love to have you!