'Hams' honored for heroics in emergencies

Paul Hadella

The Mail Tribune

"Keep up the good work." Essentially, that was Gov. Ted Kulongoski's message when the state provided the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) organization with a special allocation of $250,000 earlier this year.

According to Don Montgomery, coordinator of the Jackson County chapter of ARES, the organization is using the money to purchase digital communication equipment for ARES chapters in each Oregon county.

"ARES operators in coastal communities really saved the day in providing backup communications during the winter storms last December," says Montgomery. "The governor realized this and directed the Legislature to allocate the money."

Those storms, some of the worst in decades, knocked out both landline and cellular phone service for several days. One town — the tiny community of Vernonia — was entirely cut off from the rest of Oregon by flooding and landslides. Overall, a state of emergency existed in four Oregon counties. Radio amateurs directed rescue crews to residents stranded in these counties, while informing hospitals that patients were on the way.

Their role would be much the same should a disaster occur in Jackson County.

In an emergency, ARES members would tune their radios to a designated frequency and listen for deployment instructions, Montgomery says. "Overall, we have established some 20 ARES stations throughout the county," he adds. "Plus, Mercy Flights recently donated a retired ambulance, which is in the process of being converted into an emergency communication vehicle with a full complement of radio equipment."

If needed, radio operators would rush to these stations — located in all hospitals, as well as in some fire stations and government buildings — and set up support service for fire, medical and rescue personnel.

With only about 20 ARES members to man these stations, Montgomery is constantly seeking new recruits. Because Jackson County has been lucky in avoiding the kinds of disasters that disable regular communications, he finds it hard to convince some people that ARES is necessary.

Indeed, Montgomery himself has never dealt with an emergency within Jackson County, though he has supported crews fighting wildfires in Josephine County.

Still, wildfires and earthquakes are real concerns in our county, he insists, adding that ARES has trained with the Bureau of Reclamation on what to do if a dam breaches.

A radio operating license and a clean criminal background are required for ARES membership. Another essential, says Montgomery, is "a commitment to community service."

"Membership involves a fair amount of time," he explains. "You must be willing to study and take some courses, which can be done online. Then you must attend a certain number of training sessions each year. You're taught how to handle messages properly and how to perform under stressful conditions."

According to Montgomery, ARES offers licensing classes two or three times a year for folks who would like to join the organization but aren't yet licensed radio operators.

"I love to use my radio to communicate with foreign operators all over the world," says Montgomery. "When I do that, I'm a hobbyist. But that's not what ARES is about."

Source: www.southgatearc.org

MAJLIS MAKAN MALAM MARES 2008

Written by 9W2LRT - Mohd Lokman Halim

Salam Sejahtera, MARES akan menganjurkan MAJLIS MAKAN MALAM 2008(WAVE NITE), bagi semua rakan-rakan RADIO AMATUR (Terbuka untuk ahli, bukan ahli dan SWL). Majlis ini diadakan bertujuan untuk mengumpulkan semua rakan RADIO AMATUR di seluruh MALAYSIA tanpa mengira dimana kelab anda bernaung. Maklumat Majlis Makan Malam 2008 (WAVE NITE) adalah seperti berikut:- Lokasi: D'Tasik Restaurant, Resident Hotel @ Uniten Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor. Tarikh: 26 Julai 2008 ( SABTU ) Masa: 8:00PM Aturcara majlis 8:00 PM - Pendaftaran dan Cendarahati untuk 100 orang pertama. 8:30 PM - Ucapan Aluan dari PRESIDEN MARES 8:40 PM - Jamuan 8:45 PM - PENGISIAN VIDEO MARES 9:00 PM - Cabutan bertuah 9:15 PM - SEISI SUAIKENAL 11:30 PM - MAJLIS BERSURAI BAYARAN DEWASA : RM 50.00 AHLI MARES/ RM 60.00 BUKAN AHLI MARES KANAK-KANAK : RM 18.00 (Tidak Layak Untuk Cabutan Bertuah) Tempahan dan bayaran untuk Majlis Makan Malam MARES hendaklah dibuat sebelum 22 JULAI 2008 untuk memudahkan Jawatankuasa Majlis Makan Malam MARES mengatur tempat anda. Untuk Pertanyaan dan Mendaftar sila hubungi 9W2LRT Mohd Lokman 019-337 9378, 9W2ARD FARID 012-235 2124 atau 9W2TKK IRWAN 019-3954290 untuk keterangan lanjut. Semoga Majlis Makan Malam MARES ini akan merapatkan lagi hubungan Silaturahim di kalangan Warga Radio Amatur di MALAYSIA/ 73'

Ham radio more than hobby

By Valerie Rowell
Staff Writer

After a natural disaster or other emergency, amateur or "ham" radio operators are often the only line of communication.

Annette M. Drowlette/Staff

Pete LaPierre holds a portable ham radio that he can use in a mobile set-up. He is part of the Columbia County Amateur Radio Club.

Ham radio doesn't depend on the infrastructure of cell phones, telephones or the Internet. That infrastructure can be disabled during storms or other emergencies.

"The motto is, 'When all else fails, ham radio works,'" said Pete LaPierre, the vice president of Columbia County Amateur Radio Club.

Club members will be showcasing their capabilities Saturday at their annual Field Day. Field Day is the end of national Amateur Radio Week, sponsored by the National Association for Amateur Radio.

The free demonstration will run for about 24 hours beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at Pointes West Recreation Area, Cabin 4.

J.C. Crawford, the club president, said there will be a voice and a Morse code station set up for demonstrations at the cabin and a station using satellite links.

He said the demonstration is a great way for newcomers to learn more about ham radio.

"We're going to have a station outside, GOTA Get on the Air," he said. "That is going to be for people who have never talked on ham radio and they just want to try it."

The club also will be administering tests for the different levels of amateur radio licenses, which are required by the Federal Communications Commission.

LaPierre said he got his license at age 13, shortly after receiving his first ham radio in 1959 from his father. He and his friend quickly found if they had a bigger antenna, they could broadcast their signal even farther. They used a neighbor's chain-link fence as an antenna.

"Lo and behold, we picked up Radio Moscow," LaPierre said. "We're talking 1957. Honestly, we thought we were going to go to jail because we were listening to them."

Through a mentor, LaPierre said, he learned about morse code and electronics which led him to a career in the field and running submarine nuclear reactors for the Navy, from which he retired after 25 years.

Ham radio operators need only power to speak to other operators locally, though antennas, amplifiers and repeaters help spread their signal on frequencies worldwide.

LaPierre is one of 650,000 ham radio operators nationwide and 2.5 million around the world.

Many of those users volunteer their services during emergencies, such as hurricanes or tornadoes when other types of communication are disabled or are clogged from overuse.

Crawford said his group mainly monitors weather for the National Weather Service, and LePierre is part of a hurricane information network.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the only communications for emergency responders was through the city's only standing repeater owned by a New Orleans ham radio operator.

"Most of us have either backup power or a generator, so even if we lose power, if our antennas haven't been blown over, we can operate," Crawford said.

Source: newstimes.augusta.com

Daniel Small MM3NMI Amateur radio handheld saves canoeist

Scottish radio ham Daniel Small, MM3NMI, tells Southgate News how amateur radio proved to be a real 'life-saver'.

Daniel recounts his ordeal:

My friend and I were out canoeing on the west coast of Scotland, just off a town called Ardrossan.

Everything was going well for the first 30 minutes or so, but then I relised that I had taken on a considerable amount of water and my first thoughts were to head for the beach.

But, after changing my course to head for the beach, I was getiing hit with waves side-on to my canoe and they were starting to tip me slightly and causing the canoe to fill with water from the sides. This happened a few times until the canoe was completely filled with water.

I got out the canoe and swam to a small island about 30 metres away, the small island was about 3/4 of a mile. When I reached the island I found the canoe on the rocks and got my ruck sack out of the back of it.

I got my mobile phone out, but that was water damaged, so I had to resort to the use of my VHF 2M radio, a Puxing PX-777, which I had only purchased the previous week, and made a call on the local channel, 145.525.

I called my friend Peter, MM3YFT who was already at the local harbour and asked that he look for someone with a boat to come and provide assistance, but no-one could be found.

Rick MM0CIN

So I got in touch with Rick, MM0CIN who made a 999 call to Clyde Coastguard. They in turn contacted Troon Lifeboat and Ardrossan Coastguard team.
I was stranded on the rocks for about 30 minutes before the lifeboat managed to reach my location.

During that time, I kept close contact on 145.525 with all the local guys from my area - including Arthur MM0DHQ, who was about 2 miles away at Saltcoats Harbour - who were talking me through things to do.

Daniel, MM3NMI

---

Thankfully, a happy ending to a story that once again demonstrates the usefulness of amateur radio in emergencies.

Our thanks to Practical Wireless

Source: www.southgatearc.org

Indian Software Defined Amateur Radio Transceiver launched

The first Indian Amateur Radio software defined transceiver covering HF and 6 metres has been launched.

Rahul VU3WJM provides this information on the new rig:

'WonderRadio'
The first Indian (commercial) HF+6 meter multiband all mode transceiver. This transceiver is based upon the futuristic SDR (Software Defined Radio) technology and has outstanding specifications. http://www.sdrtec.com/

This transceiver is based on multi part QEX article:
"A Software Defined Radio for the Masses" by Gary Youngblood.

Shipping starts 3rd week of June.

For more information: support@sdrtec.com
For technical information: rahul.srivastava@sdrtec.com

Enjoy & 73
Rahul VU3WJM

SDRTec - WonderRadio spec and pictures http://www.sdrtec.com/

Source: www.southgatearc.org

Send your callsign to the Moon!

DX World of Ham Radio

Send your callsign to the Moon!

Posted in DX by MM0NDX on June 3rd, 2008

LINK

Ham operators provide communication

Ham radio operator Dwight Compton, who lives near Floresville, utilizes some of the ham radio equipment aboard his Dodge pickup truck.

William J. Gibbs Jr.
Wilson County News
March 26, 2008

To some, the image of a ham radio might conjure up the image of a portable stereo shaped like a piggy bank.

Others might think of a large, two-way radio used to make contact with people in far-off places. While this definition more suits a ham radio, the device and the people who use it have become increasingly diverse in modern times.

According to Bob Rodriguez, president of the Alamo Area Radio Organization (AARO), ham radio operators come from all walks of life — including famous people like entertainer Arthur Godfrey, broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, and King Abdullah of Jordan.

Rodriguez, 64, is a retired radio and TV station worker who has been a ham radio operator since he was 14. He currently operates frequency K5AUW.

“I grew up in radio,” Rodriguez said. “My mom was a business manager at a radio station. I grew up in the studio downtown [San Antonio] and I would watch the technicians work on the equipment.”

Ham is the name given to any licensed, amateur radio operator who has taken the necessary courses to become certified in the operation of that equipment. According to the American Relay Radio League, no one is quite sure of the origin of this moniker, but the first amateur radio operator was Gugliemo Marconi, who established a wireless telegraph company in England and transmitted the first trans-Atlantic Morse code message in 1901.

Since then, ham radio has come under regulation by the Federal Communications Commission. Today, ham radio licenses range from novice to expert. But unlike the early days, they no longer require knowledge of Morse code.

Dwight Compton, a ham operator living near Floresville, often connects his radio to a laptop computer and utilizes a program to convert his keystrokes into Morse code.

Compton, 67, is a retired computer programmer who operates frequency N5TCS. His interest in ham radio began when his daughter was 9 years old.

“I wanted her to become interested in science because I believe in training both sides of the brain,” Compton said. “We both got our licenses at least 15 years ago.”

Compton’s interest in amateur radio has continued to flourish, and like Rodriguez, he stands ready to use his radio to assist various local agencies (upon their request) in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.

“If the phone lines are knocked out, they would ask ham people for help,” Compton said.

Ham radio is truly portable and easy to set up, Compton said. Aside from the actual radio, all that is needed is an antenna and a power source such as a battery or generator. Once assembled, a ham radio operator can use his or her equipment to communicate with people anywhere in the world, because unlike other forms of radio, the signals have no boundaries.

“You talk on one frequency to a repeater and it transmits another signal, kind of like having a 200-foot antenna on your car,” said ham radio operator E.W. Forbess, who lives outside Stockdale.

Rodriguez’s ham radio was his only line of communication in the aftermath of a flood that hit South Texas in 1998. Telephone lines were down and even cellular telephones would not function, he said.

“When all else fails, there’s ham radio,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not dependent upon any form of physical infrastructure. It doesn’t need electricity, satellites, or telephone.”

During hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005, ham radio operators were again called into service to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. Because most hospitals maintain ham radio systems, operators were able to assist rescue workers with finding area hospitals where victims could obtain treatment.

“They used ham radio to coordinate which ambulance went to which hospital and how many patients, so the people there could have a heads up,” Forbess said.

Ham operators also volunteer to assist during large events, such as the upcoming NBA Final Four in San Antonio or the Valero MS 150 Bike to the Beach Tour. Compton, who has assisted with the bike tour in years past, said last year “Twenty-five people with vans who were ham radio operators picked up people. If they were badly hurt, we could call EMS. If something went wrong, we could call the police.”

The operators also assisted with securing food, water and restroom facilities for the riders, Compton said.

For more information about ham radio, or to find out about obtaining an amateur radio license, visit the Alamo Area Radio Organization’s Web site at http://aa5ro.org or the San Antonio Area Hams Web site at http://sanantoniohams.org.

Source: www.wilsoncountynews.com

Radio Club offers last line of communication

By Matt Robinson Headlight Staff

Article Launched: 06/06/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

The Deming Amateur Radio Club has existed since the 1970's and has endured facelifts and changing memberships. But one thing remains the same, its ability to turn a hobby into response in the event of an emergency.

The 2006 flooding of Hatch, the recent Manzano fires and even Hurricane Katrina saw Ham operators spring into action.

"Everyone looks at the hurricane down in New Orleans, and the only communications for a while were the ham operators," said N5JJF, call sign for DARC member John Franks. "In the event of an emergency, we are there to help." Franks is the vice-president for the local club.

Local law enforcement agencies often call upon amateur radio operators for help when disasters stretch resources too thin. Ham operators can provide a priceless extension to communications when emergency response workers are tied up.

DARC member Rod Finger, call sign WA2ZMN added: "We provide communications back-up and some of us are also involved in search and rescue."

Cell phone networks and land-lines may suffer in the event of a power loss, but that is not a major concern for the operators. An array of batteries and generators help keep communications afloat during the worst of scenarios.

The Federal Communications Commission requires potential amateur operators be licensed to operate.

"What the Federal government has done is make it easier for the everyday person to get involved," said Franks. "Anybody that has any kind of interest in technology or computers."

Ham radio operators do not sit around all day waiting for an emergency, they often hold regular conversations with people across the globe. Radio meetings are also not uncommon.

"Every morning we have a New Mexico Breakfast Club," said Franks. "Hams all across the state check in at 6:30 a.m."

According to Finger, an initial investment of approximately $100 can get, "A good used radio."

Franks has been operating a Ham radio for 28 years and has been a DARC member for a year.

Source: www.eham.net

Glad You Asked: Why is it called ham radio?

BY JOURNAL TIMES STAFF

Saturday, May 31, 2008 11:43 PM CDT

Ham means an amateur, ham-fisted radio operator of poor performance and courtesy. That’s the definition offered by G.M. Dodge in “The Telegraph Instructor,” a guidebook for wireless telegraphy in pre-radio days.

The first wireless operators were land-line telegraphers who left their offices and went to sea or to the coast and manned telegraph stations. They brought with them the tradition and older language of their profession.

Back in the early days of wireless radio, in the 1900s, every station occupied the same wavelength.

The spark signals were that broad, and everyone competed for time and signal supremacy.

Well, the amateur stations were more powerful than the professionals. Two amateurs in the same town could effectively jam all other operators in the area.

When this happened, commercial operators, usually in shipping, would telegraph the individual with “SRI OM THOSE #&$! HAMS ARE JAMMING YOU.”

In English, that means “Sorry, Old Man, those (insert expletive) hams are jamming you.”

Unfamiliar with what the term really meant, the amateurs picked up the term and ran with it. This is the explanation for ham offered by the ARRL, the American Radio Relay League, which is the national organization for HAM radio enthusiasts.

An amateur radio club in Montana has an extensive listing of potential additional meanings for ham on its Web site.

Check the Web site of the Great Falls Amateur Radio Club for more speculation on the ham in ham radio http://www.w7eca.org/whyham.htm

Source: www.journaltimes.com

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Bank Islam: 08031 0100 22101 current account
08031 0201 19640 savings account

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Thanks to 9w2muc