eHam.net News for Monday 13 January 2014
 

eHam.net News

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Social Media's Best-Kept Secret:

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 04:11 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/31516


MERCER COUNTY -- Amateur radio -- also known as Ham radio -- is more
popular now than it's ever been, said Tim Duffy, president of the Mercer
County Amateur Radio Club. That might be surprising considering, if you
don't know a Ham operator, you probably aren't even aware of the hobby.
With more than 700,000 Hams in the United States, the hobby has grown since
the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as people felt the need to be more
prepared for emergencies and disasters, Duffy said. "When all else fails,
we're there," he said. "When the phone companies overload, we're there.
When the power goes out, we're there."


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A Life Lived: Ham Operator W2VDX Lived Life On the Right Frequency:

Posted: 12 Jan 2014 04:10 PM PST
http://www.eham.net/articles/31515


Bob Vasilow, of Owego, was a ham. Not in personality -- oh, no. Instead,
the quiet and unassuming man, known far and wide as W2VDX, single-handedly
spurred enthusiasm for amateur -- "ham" -- radios among relatives, friends
and even strangers. When Bob died at age 83 on Dec. 1, he left a legion of
dedicated hobbyists behind. Ham radios, short-wave equipment that requires
a license to use, intrigued him as a kid growing up in Hudson, N.Y.