eHam.net News

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Ham Radio Operators Prepare for Emergency Response:

Posted: 25 Jun 2016 05:09 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37053


The Naval Postgraduate School Amateur Radio Club competed in the annual
Field Day competition during which they have to contact as many people as
possible during a 24 hour period using radio communication. The club says
this helps them practice for crisis response when natural disasters strike.


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Ham Radio Becomes a 'Contact' Sport:

Posted: 25 Jun 2016 05:09 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37052


CHAMBERSBURG- It was a book that sparked Anthony Ogburn's interest in
radio. He was given a copy of "Passport to Worldband Radio" when he was a
child and he poured over it, learning everything he could about radios.
From the book, he progressed to an actual radio - purchasing a shortwave
radio for $10 at an auction. The first time he turned it on, he was able to
listen to BBC talking about the Tour de France bike race. From there,
Ogburn was hooked. "I knew I liked it and knew I wanted to do it," Ogburn
said. "I like the magic of sitting there and it's me, the antenna, and the
radio." Ogburn transitioned from a person who dabbled in radio to someone
who can use the radio to contact other people on the other side of the
world. That's what he and several others were doing Saturday afternoon at a
Field Day event hosted by the Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club. For 24
hours, starting at 2 p.m. Saturday and ending Sunday afternoon, amateur
radio operators attempted to contact as many other ham radio operators as
they could. These other operators could be anywhere from a few dozen to
thousands of miles apart.


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Communicating When Cell Phones Can't Work:

Posted: 25 Jun 2016 05:08 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/37051


PADUCAH, Ky -- Before tablets, texting, or cell phones, a lot of people
relied on radios for communication. Today, amateur radio is still a way to
communicate in emergencies when cell phone towers are out. Across the
world, amateur radio associations like Paducah's are setting up and
operating stations for "field day" this weekend. Teams work to connect with
stations on amateur bands across the U.S. and even internationally. You get
points for successful communication. Ed Pflueger has been coming to almost
every "Field Day" for the last 40 years. "We do it through Morse code
radio, teletype, and in-voice communications," Pflueger said. That Paducah
Amateur Radio Association ranked in the top 20 in the country in their
division last year. The club's president, Jeff Wielgos says while competing
is fun, "Field Day" also teaches you how to operate in abnormal situations
or less than optimal conditions. "Ham radio can be the key to
communication, to saving lives, or providing emergency response for people
if something does happen," Wielgos said.