AMHERST - Amateur radio is more than just a pastime for Jim Langille. It’s a big part of his life.
The president of the Westcumb Amateur Radio Club recently became the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) section manager for the Maritimes, a role in which he hopes to help promote the activity throughout the region.
“It’s a very good hobby,” said Langille. “It can be expensive but it doesn’t really need to be now because there are so many digital routes you can go, like voice over Internet.”
Langille first became interested in radios back in the 1980s, when his brother brought home one of the first scanners from Ontario.
“I enjoyed it, because you could put the local police and fire department into it,” he said. “I did a lot of scanner listening, then I got into shortwave because of the towers over on the marsh. I would listen to news from around the world on different bands. I never went the CB route though, because I thought it was too trashy.”
After awhile, he noticed that the only radio activity he was not involved in was amateur (ham) radios. It just so happened that a course on the subject was being offered at the time locally, and he took it, later obtaining his ham license in January of 1995.
He became one of many amateur radio enthusiasts in the area, including about 70-80 in Amherst alone The Westcumb group, which covers Cumberland County, and Westmorland County in New Brunswick, carries a current membership of about 50.
Amateur radio operators communicate with others around the world, for recreation, and for more serious matters, such as emergency operations. Radio amateurs provide backup for local public safety organizations.
For example, the Westcumb club and its members are involved with the local emergency measures plan, on hand to offer any assistance in the event of an emergency.
If operating emergency radio systems fail or are damaged, then radio amateurs can be called on for their expertise and their mobile equipment.
“We are a last resort when it comes to communications,” he explained. “ We don’t fight fires, we don’t arrest people or take people to the hospital. All we are is communications and communications only. If there is a massive fallout of all communications and there is nothing left, we can come along and put radios and people wherever they need them.”
Amateur radio is also a popular hobby for blind people and seniors, who have many of their own clubs in place. In fact, new internet technology has allowed for seniors to continue with their pastime even if they have to move into senior citizens complexes.
ANDREW WAGSTAFF
The Amherst Citizen
Source : www.citizenweekly.com
