Ham Radio In the world of instant messaging, cellphones & social media? Its fun and offers emergencies assistance, & more.
So, why ham radio?
What can the ham radio hobby do for me? In the world of instant messaging, cellphones, social media, and snap chat it may seem that amateur (ham) radio is a thing from a bygone era. Most people think of ham radio as a large boxy radio, massive antennas, and pounding away on a Morse code key because this is the common portrayed by Hollywood. This image couldn’t be farther than the truth. Modern radios have a host of amazing features, from simple hand held radios resembling walkie-talkies to some truly amazing computerized radios with dazzling displays and all sorts of cutting edge features.
First Radio
Usually, everyone starts out with a small hand-held radio and can talk locally to other hams via a repeater. There are several in the area, including the CCARA club repeater that sits atop Mount Cheaha, the tallest mountain in the state of Alabama. A repeater lets you call it using a low-power radio, and it re-transmits your signal at a much higher altitude and at much higher power. This lets you talk over a far greater geographic area with a very low cost (usually $20- $30) radio. The WB4GNA CCARA repeater has a normal ‘footprint’ that can reach about seven nearby counties, including Calhoun, Cleburne, Clay, St Clair, Etowah, Talladega, on average and with the right conditions can extend far beyond that.
Ham Radios Emergency Communications
What else can you do with a small handheld radio? It turns out that they can be handy in remote communications or for certain emergencies. They are small, lightweight, and easy to carry and be placed near a door ready to grab at a moment’s notice. Since they run on battery power, they can function away from home or away from any electrical mains. These radios are also more powerful than a typical cell phone that transmits in the hundred of milliwatts range whereas a modern handheld radio may transmit 5 to 10 watts. Also, while a cellphone also usually has no external antenna, it is easy to attach a different antenna to a handheld to get even more range.
Local Events
There are many events around our local community that benefit from this kind of support. It can be something as simple as being on a certain location to monitor runners for a 5k run or Cheaha Challenge bike race, a community event like a street fair or similar. In the case of a 5k, most races are run in the city where even if cell service is available, a visible presence can be reassuring to the participants, and we can still pass messages quickly to race personnel and can provide extra information to emergency services if needed. Some events like the Cheaha Challenge has a course spread out along a 126 mile course that is impossible for cell phones communications due to intervening terrain. Ham radio, though, can get by most of these limitations. There is also a very real need for hams, as the threat of injuries is unfortunately very real with some injuries being serious enough to require airlifted to an appropriate care facility. In fact, we can be asked to deploy as many as 70 hams to locations throughout the four county area! Many of these event personnel are very appreciative of our volunteering our time and expertise and provide a free tee-shirt as a way of thanks. So, for the cost of a small $30 radio you may earn that back in a single year of free tees.
Another thing that goes hand-in-hand with emergency communications is receiving training from the National Weather Service (NWS) to learn how to become a storm spotter. The main radar for our local area is based in Calera, AL. Due to the curvature of the Earth (‘flat Earthers’ non-withstanding) when radar indicates a possible tornado in the area, the part they are seeing is rotation well into the air. The only way to confirm an actual tornado or touchdown is eyes on the ground. Typically a ham radio operator or (Law Enforcement officer using PD radios) will call or radio in to the NWS, the NWS will advise the local media outlets, and James Spann or your other trusted news source will broadcast this out to the public. By simply monitoring the local storm spotter radio nets, you can get that faster notification that can make all the difference. Storm spotting, though rewarding, is a potential life-threatening activity which is why proper training is essential.
Learn about communications, satellites, and electronics
Finally, there’s the educational facets. Getting into the radio hobby is a great way to start learning about electronics and STEM learning. With the entry level license you gain the ability to use satellites to make contacts across much greater distances. Of course, this sort of communication has some challenges: you need to know what satellite will be overhead and ‘visible’ in line-of-sight. Good news though, that’s easily done with apps for both Android, Apple, Windows, and Linux computers. Since ham radio satellites orbit the earth, a satellite typically will be in view and usable for about 10 minutes, but on the other hand there’s multiple satellites up there. But, in the process of learning how to use satellites, it’ll serve as a real-world example of orbital mechanics, doppler shift, and a bunch of other concepts that will be learned much better than any textbook could teach.
