Many of the people who move to Florida every winter, we call them “Snowbirds”, choose to reside in RVs while they are down South. Many more use this type of vehicle all year round, if not as a permanent residence, at least on weekend getaways and vacations. With a little planning, amateur radio can easily come along. There are even organizations devoted to “Ham Radio and the RV lifestyle”. These groups sponsor regular HF nets to keep their members in contact with one another along their travels. See the web site: www.rvweb.net/club/fmcarc/index.html for just one example. Another is: www.rvweb.net/club/gsrvnet/index.html . These fine organizations, some devoted to those who own motor homes and some for motor home and/or trailer owners provide great information to the roving amateur radio enthusiast.

            Installing a ham radio station in an RV is a little different than setting one up in a fixed home. The installation has aspects from mobile operations and others from the more stationary side of things. Your station can vary from a single transceiver mounted in or on the dash to a fairly major system built in with computers and digital gear. The choice is up to you. Even if you only plan to operate while parked, you will have to secure all of your radio gear safely, screwing or bolting it to the RV structure so that it will not become a dangerous missile in an accident. Running the coaxial cable from the rig(s) to the antenna(s) also means securing the coax so that it will not interfere with or become damaged by heat or abrasion from the RV.

            Now we can get to the antennas. While RVs have a height advantage over the ordinary car or pickup truck, that very height can create a problem. Some RVs can be 12 feet tall. With the normal bridge or overpass height at 131/2 to 141/2 feet, there isn’t much room for an antenna on top. The VHF and UHF antennas can easily be mounted on the mirrors at the side of the RV, but HF antennas present a thornier problem. More about that in a minute, for now let me note that most VHF and UHF antennas designed for use on cars require a metallic ground plane to operate properly. That may not be easy to find when many RVs are made with a great deal of fiberglass or other composite material. The problem can often be solved by using an antenna called a ½ wave antenna for the particular band of interest since it does not require said ground plane. You can also provide a decent ground plane through the use of metal coated tape in a radial pattern around the base of the antenna.

            Going back to the subject of HF antennas, there are almost as many solutions as there are hams with RVs. Some choose a temporary wire antenna that they erect using convenient trees after settling into the RV Park for the night. Others make use of mast mounted antennas that they unpack and erect after stopping. Some brave souls have created powered or manual tilting mechanisms that they mount on top of the RV permanently so that when they stop, a simple push of a button or a quick trip to the rear bumper of the RV is all it takes to get the antenna vertical and on the air. This type of antenna is stowed on a kind of cradle on top of the RV while in motion. With the advent of the “screwdriver” type of antenna, many RVers are mounting them to the usual ladder at the back of most motor homes and some trailers. Sometimes they fabricate elevating mechanisms that allow for more height when stopped than when moving. One ham I heard of even figured out a way to use the ladder on the back of his RV as the antenna, loading it through an automatic antenna coupler.

            Any way you look at it, ham radio and the RV lifestyle can and do complement each other very well. With the advent of email and limited internet        connection through amateur radio, RV owners no longer have to be out of touch with ham friends and family while on the road. The ability to call for assistance while well out of range of cellular service, particularly in the western parts of the USA, can add a needed measure of safety and confidence to traveling in this manner. The ability to continue to enjoy amateur radio while traveling can bring much joy to the ham operator who also likes to travel.

73,

            February 13, 2008

            Well, I just came back from Orlando having attended the Hamcation this past weekend. I saw some great new radios and other gadgets almost everywhere at the show. The Orlando Hamcation is billed as a combination Hamfest and Computer Show, but I saw only a few vendors who were selling computer hardware and software exclusively.

            There were several great ideas at the show. Icom had their IC-7000 hooked up to one of those video/DVD displays. The stock IC-7000 display, it turns out, is a miniature video display, and there is a jack on the back of the 7000 that allows you to feed the display to any larger video monitor. Great for those who want or need a larger display.

            Elecraft, makers of the widely appreciated K1 and K2 transceiver kits are out with the new K3. This time they will even put it all together for you. This is a very nice HF transceiver in the same size class as many of the offerings from Kenwood or Yaesu. It is also American Made.

            Software defined radios were in evidence from several vendors and the digital radio system called D-Star from Icom has apparently had a price drop on some of their models although I could not find out if this was a "Hamfest Only" deal or a permanent change.

            The tailgating area at the hamfest seemed sparse by comparison with previous events at Orlando, but it was spread out over an even wider area than before. As I get older, I wish even more that hamfests would do more to tighten up the tailgate areas so that an older ham like myself can walk less and still see everything. It seemed as though more space was allotted to RVs that used to be for a second or even third row of tailgaters closer to the buildings.

            I saw some old friends from up north at the Hamcation and met new ones as well. That really is what hamfests are all about. The new gear is nice, and the chance to find that one piece of old gear that you need is fun too, but the real reason we go to hamfests is to put faces to names and calls of fellow hams we talk to all year long.

            I didn't buy any new radios at this years Hamcation, but I restocked my parts bins and added an antenna or two. I saw others walking around with big bags full to the brim with new transceivers; however, so a big hamfest is a great place to "try and buy" that new radio you have had your eye on. It is also the best place to restock the parts box for that next project in "homebrewing". Just make sure you are getting the "good stuff" and not some cheap third world knockoff. There is a difference in quality, and it is worth it.

            Well, next Saturday I am off to the Sebring Hamfest. It is a lot smaller than Orlando, but just as much fun in a different way. It is at the intersection of Route 27 and George Blvd. just South of Sebring at the Agri-Civic Center. See you there!

73,

            February 20, 2008

            One of the disquieting things that I see happening all too often in amateur radio is the propensity for newly licensed amateurs to “drop out” before they have even begun. They go to the trouble of studying and taking the examination for a license, pass with flying colors and then never get on the air. Why is this happening? Last year, I participated as an instructor in a course to prepare students (all of whom were adults) to take the Technician License exam. All of them passed the test given at the conclusion of the course, and all of them were issued licenses by the FCC. All of them were given free membership in the local amateur radio club. Several of them even purchased handheld or mobile radios. All were offered assistance with the installation and programming of their rigs. As of the writing of this column, only ONE is heard on the air with any frequency at all and only ONE other of these licensees has even contacted anyone for any help.

            Based on that one contact, it would appear that some of them have a very skewed idea of what they would be able to do with amateur radio. In spite of the information that was presented to them during the course, the apparent desire of these parties was to use unlicensed radio services in a cross-band repeater mode with amateur radio equipment. When it was explained that this was not only technically not possible, but also illegal under current FCC regulations, they apparently lost all interest in amateur radio. They appeared to be interested in using amateur radio in support of volunteer emergency response  teams but obviously were not listening when we explained how amateur radio is used in that situation.

            Now that is just one example of “dropping out”. Far more often, I suspect that the individuals who study, test, get licensed, but never get on the air are simply overwhelmed by the vast number of possible routes into and through amateur radio. There are so many different modes to use, so many different rigs to consider, even for the entry level licensee, that some simply get kind of a blackout and instead of opting for a few possibilities or even one, simply put the license in a drawer and choose none.

            So, what do we do about this unfortunate situation? There are several routes to follow. All of them require action by current members of the hobby, licensed amateur operators. We must encourage anyone who expresses interest in amateur radio to first get a good idea of what amateur radio is. Invite the interested party to your radio room, particularly if you are going to be checking into an interesting net or participating in a special event station. Let them see what accessories or gadgets you personnaly have built over the last few months. Get them involved in the operations as a “third party”. Put a microphone in their hand and guide them through a short QSO with you as the control operator. Show them some of the fun you have doing PSK-31 or SSTV if those modes are within your interests.

            Then, assist them in getting into a class and/or a VE session and mentor them to get a license. We are not done yet. After they get their “ticket”, we must continue to mentor them as they pick a rig, get it set up, and get on the air. Help them get over that initial “mic fright” and become a seasoned operator. Doing all this has a much more beneficial effect than just getting another operator on the air. By “Passing it Forward” they will one day do the same for another interested person, just like you did for them. By being a mentor you guarantee that the amateur radio hobby will remain strong and vital, and you ensure that newcomers to the hobby will feel welcome. Someone did it for you, now it is time you did it too.

73,

                 February 27, 2008

            This week, let’s talk about a subject that is of a fair bit of importance to the new ham, or the ham on a budget, for that matter. Do you buy new radios or used radios? What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of each? What is the difference in cost? What do I risk by buying used gear? The questions just keep coming from both newly minted Technicians and from hams upgrading to General.

            The answers to these questions are not easy to articulate. For one thing, the answers may depend on the questioner’s experience level. They also depend, heavily, on the intended use for the equipment. Another factor can best be stated as how old is old? In the next few paragraphs, I am going to try to impart, not an answer, but a methodology of how to determine the answers for your particular situation.

            First, and foremost, the question you must ask yourself is “How much can I afford to spend on the hobby?” I know of some hams who, for one reason or another, purchased expensive fancy rigs and later had to sell them at a loss because they needed money for the rent or car payments or other household needs that were far more important than ham radio. They lost money they could ill afford to lose because they did not answer that first question properly. Spend only what you can easily afford. If necessary, save up a few dollars a week until you can afford the rig you want to buy. Amateur Radio, for all its importance to the emergency response during a disaster, is still a hobby. Your spending should reflect that.

            The second question you must ask yourself is “what do I want to do within the greater hobby of Amateur Radio?” Do you want to talk to others around the world, or do you want to help with disaster recovery after a major weather incident? Do you like to build things, or do you just want to go to a store and buy what you need? Are you interested in esoteric modes of radio communication? All of these questions, only you can answer, and your answers will determine which transceiver is right for you. They will also tell you, to a degree, how deeply you will be involved with Amateur Radio.

            The third question to be answered, is how much space do you have available to devote to the hobby? There are amateurs who have an entire building devoted to ham radio and others who have only a hand-held radio sitting in a charger on the computer desk. Most fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Will your “station” be visible to the casual visitor or is it in a back bedroom or den, or even out in the garage?

            All of these questions, when answered honestly and completely, will point you towards which rig(s) to buy and how much to pay for them. There are older radios which still work just fine, but may lack “bells and whistles” you might find vital except in certain jobs. There are brand new rigs with a multitude of “bells and whistles” that some hams find difficult to use, simply because they are so complex. There are simple, inexpensive radios that may be just the ticket now, but later will be found wanting in the technology department. The choice really is up to you. Just remember, hams are kind of like golfers, they always want to try a different club(radio) just to see how it feels. They are always buying golf balls (accessories and parts) because they always want more. The hobby of Amateur Radio can easily become a lifestyle with all that that suggests.

            How much importance you place on Amateur Radio depends greatly on how much enjoyment you get out of it. The wise selection of gear is only one part of that equation. The other part is how much of yourself you put into it.

73,

                     March 5, 2008

There are literally thousands and thousands of web sites that are devoted to Amateur Radio. This week, I thought I would mention a few that show up on my monitor frequently and where I get a great deal of information about ham radio.

www.arrl.org  Probably the premier site for amateur radio in the world. If you do not belong to the ARRL, you should. As the largest amateur radio organization on the entire planet, they provide more services and information to the ham community than any other group. They also speak for us in Washington D.C. trying to keep our spectrum free from encroachment by commercial interests.

            www.arrlwcf.org   This is the web site for our local ARRL Section. With lots of information and contacts for amateurs in the West Central Florida area, it is a great resource for all ham radio operators living in the area.

            www.ni4ce.org    The “Big Stick” repeater system in this area is one of the finest repeater systems anywhere in the country. With 8 repeaters (currently, more are coming) all linked together 24/7, it covers all of West Central Florida and beyond. Using the appropriate frequencies you can stay on the system from Orlando to North Ft. Myers and up past New Port Richey while mobile, often using just an HT. The system offers many nets during the evening hours and provides a vital link for SKYWARN to all of the EOCs in the area.

            www.ac6v.com   This is a huge “links” site. With links to hundreds and hundreds of ham oriented web sites around the world. There are a few broken links but with the wealth of resources available you can still find your required information there.

            www.hamuniverse.com  Another site with information on many, many amateur radio subjects.

            www.nhc.noaa.gov  The web site for the National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL. Come summer time you will want (no, need) to have this site in your favorites. You KNOW WHY.

            This is just a few of the many sites I check on a regular basis. Never let it be said that the computer is not a learning tool. Much of what I know about amateur radio has come through the monitor of my PC. Some of that information, and my take on it, I have placed on the web myself at: mysite.verizon.net/cpthaines/  Every once in a while I load up a new project or my take on a particular subject, just like I do in this column.

            73,

                       March 12, 2008

            Recently, I wrote about my annual trip to Orlando for the big hamfest that occurs there each year. This week, I want to tell you about the smaller hamfests that happen many times during the year as well. These smaller hamfests do not attract the big vendors of amateur radio gear like Orlando and Dayton do, but they are just as much fun in their own way.

            Because our hobby falls into the category of a "niche" hobby, chances are that if you are a ham operator, you are the only one on your block, maybe the only one in the entire neighborhood. The chances are also pretty good that when you are "plying your craft" in amateur radio, that you are the only one in the room. So, where do you go to meet and socialize with the other hams that you talk to on the air all the time? One possible spot is the monthly club meeting. You do belong to the local amateur radio club, don't you? Another site is the local hamfest.

            Now, "local" means different things in different areas. When I lived up North in New England, it seemed that there was a hamfest almost every couple of weeks during the summer. Not only that but I could probably drive to each one from my home in less than 45 minutes. Down here in sunny Florida, there are still plenty of hamfests, its just that they occur in the winter. Duh! Distances are a tad different too. I went to the Sebring Hamfest a few weeks ago and it took me almost an hour and a half to get there. That is to be expected when you live in a state that is almost 900 miles long. I noticed the same thing when I lived in Illinois.

            The commute may be a little longer, but the destination is still the same, a gathering of the faithful. Ham radio operators from all over convene at one spot for one day to trade stories, gear, techniques and tall tales. One visits with fellow operators whom we talk to all year long, but never get to see unless we come to a hamfest.

            It is very important to support your "local" hamfest. For some clubs it is a major fundraiser, perhaps the only one for them all year. It is also important because the vendors who sell their wares here base their future schedules on how they did last year. If amateur operators do not come, then neither will the vendors. With the loss of the vendors, we also lose a vital source for the parts and accessories that we need to make our hobby enjoyable. Just try to find an "N" connector at Radio Shack! The hamfest vendor has thousands of them. Unless you mail order or online order, there is no other place to get GOOD coax cable than the vendors at a hamfest. I could go on and on, but you get my drift.

            Even if you do not need a thing for your station, go anyway. You will meet lots of fellow hams and you never know, something you had not even thought about might catch your eye and be added to your station. If the numbers rise, so will the number of vendors that attend, and so will the enjoyment you get out of going to a hamfest.

73,

                  March 19, 2008

            I have been writing this column for one year now, and I have enjoyed the task immensely. Recently, the Section Manager for The West Central Florida Section of The American Radio Relay League, Dee Turner, N4GD, saw fit to appoint me as an Assistant Section Manager. For this and other reasons, I feel strongly that I cannot devote sufficient time to the column on a weekly basis. Beginning with this column, the rate of new columns will change to monthly, rather than weekly. Look for a new column around the first Wednesday of each month. I will do my best to maintain the editorial standards set during the first year. Thank you for your readership over the past year, and I hope you will continue to read about Amateur Radio on this site.

73,

                        May 7, 2008

            Field Day is coming! "What is Field Day?" you ask. During the course of the year, there are many challenges facing our communities. Severe weather is one example. After a hurricane or tornado, there are situations where communications are severely compromised. Amateur Radio steps into that void, to provide communications to towns and cities, emergency responders, disaster recovery workers, and the general public until the normal communications infrastructure is repaired.

            In order to do that, we, as amateur radio operators, must periodically test and verify that our equipment can and does function "off the grid". Many years ago, the ARRL established one weekend out of the year when everyone across North America would do this, called Field Day.

            We are not permitted to set up early, we only have 24 hours to do all of our testing, and just to add a little competitive edge to the event, scores are kept based on the total number of contacts that are made. Various multipliers are available to those clubs or organizations that make use of alternative power sources such as batteries or generators instead of regular AC line current. Most antennas are temporary in nature, just as they would be in a real emergency. Organizations use all forms of temporary shelter from tents to motor homes, again just as they would be if the emergency was real.

            One of the neat things about this event is that clubs are encouraged to make their operations open to the public and provide someone to guide members of the public around the site and demonstrate the many different modes of communication in use. The Manatee Amateur Radio Club Inc., along with members from other clubs in the area will have their site set up near the 59th Street West entrance to G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton. Parking is available so come out and see what Amateur Radio is all about. The date is June 28 and 29, 2008.  The ARRL has a web-map that will show where many of the sites around the country will be, so if you can't come to see us, there is a site close to anywhere you are going to be, and if you want to visit, you can find them on the web at  http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php

73,

                    June 4, 2008

            Last month I wrote a short column about Field Day. This month is when Field Day happens, so let me tell you a little more. Field Day is an astounding event. This June 28th and 29th, all over the world, amateur operators, acting within the framework of a club, another entity such as a contest group, or even just by themselves, move their operations out of the comfort of their home station, with its air conditioning and easy access to the refrigerator. They go not to another similarly well equipped location, but outside, in the heat and humidity. They may go to a public park, a farmer's field or a parking lot near the local shopping center. Why would they do that?

            They (We) do it because one of the primary purposes of the Amateur Radio Licensing System is to provide the nation with a group of trained communicators in time of need. When the hurricane strikes, or the tornado touches down, or the river floods, one of the first parts of the infrastructure to be hit is communications. The power fails, telephone lines go down, cell phone towers die and even governmental lines of communication, with all their back-ups are subject to overload and malfunction. The thousands of amateur radio operators stand ready to fill the gap.

            Because we do not need "infrastructure" like the internet and the phone companies do, we can still communicate with each other using our radios powered by batteries or a generator. Some even power their equipment using solar or wind power. We can set up temporary antennas in minutes and provide a working mode of communication to the authorities much more quickly than the "infrastructure" can be repaired.

            Thus, damage assessments, calls for help, messages to loved ones away from the scene of the disaster, can all be made through the efforts of Amateur Radio Operators. Hams are put to work in all the important sites after a disaster. The town, county or state Emergency Operations Center, the marshalling points for supplies and food, the hospitals, the shelters, and even sometimes with the agents of law enforcement or the fire service. They provide the communications that link all of these agencies and more until the normal methods of communication are repaired. After the safety needs are managed, this same system is available to the general public to send messages to loved ones outside the affected area.

            Field Day provides a unique opportunity for ham operators to test and verify that all of their equipment that they would use in a disaster is working. By making the day a kind of contest between themselves and other amateurs around the country and indeed around the world, the spirit of friendly competition creates an extra incentive to excel. It also provides the other side of the radio communication, an operator on the other end of the signal to receive it. The performance of emergency antennas, radios, power sources, and operators can be tested and evaluated while the only thing at risk is ones score in the event. By doing it this way we ensure that when the "big one" comes, Amateur Radio will be ready!

            Another neat side of Field Day relates directly to the public. Most, if not all, Field Day sites welcome the general public to their operations. You can just look around and marvel at the ingenuity of the hams, or you can actually send a message to a loved one far away. You can even get on the air yourself, with a ham as your control operator. Most Field Day sites have a GOTA station (Get On The Air) for that very purpose.

            So, join us for Field Day. The American Radio Relay League (our national organization) has a web site where you can see where Field Day operations are being held: http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php  Look up the sites in your area just by entering the name of the community and clicking on "search". The club I belong to, The Manatee Amateur Radio Club, Inc. will be holding our Field Day operation in Bradenton, FL. next to the 59th Street West Entrance to G.T. Bray Park. We will be in the parking lot just South of the American Red Cross Building on the East side of 59th Street. Just look for the gaggle of RVs and antennas. I hope to see you on "Field Day".

73,

               July 2, 2008

            The peak part of Hurricane Season is still ahead of us, here in Florida. September, traditionally is the most active month for severe weather, although the season stretches from June through October. It would seem to behoove us, therefore, to make sure that we are prepared as best as we can be. Now I am not going to list here all the things one should do. Those lists have been published by virtually every news outlet from the local paper to radio and TV stations in the area. Pamphlets are widely available to inform you of what you need to do to prepare for "The Big One".

            We, as Licensed Amateur Radio Operators, bear an additional responsibility. In addition to all the preparations we do as members of the general public, we also have to make sure that our communications equipment is in working order and that we have our response gear ready to go at a moments notice.

            Update the information you will need to have ready. Frequencies, repeater tones, emergency plans, procedures and so on.

            Make sure your emergency power sources, whether they be batteries or generators, are working and fully ready for the job.

            Make sure your vehicle is up to the task of getting you where you will need to go without a breakdown. There will be no Auto Club service until well after the emergency is over.

            Make certain that you have enough emergency rations to tide you over for several days. Food and water will be priorities for the responding agencies, but we all know how bureaucracies work and we all remember Katrina.

            Your "Go Kit" should include spares for anything important, as well as the tools to install them. Murphy's Law always applies to ham radio.

            Another item to consider is clothing. Most of our disasters here in Florida have some component of rain. Operating your station is soaking wet clothes is a guaranteed way to get very uncomfortable if not deathly ill. Stock up with at least one complete change of clothing in that "Go Kit".

            The previously mentioned "Murphy's Law" suggests that if you make all these preparations, you will probably never need them. Making all of these preparations sounds like an easy way to keep the disaster away from your doorstep, don't you think?

73,

                     August 6, 2008

            As life would have it, over the summer, the hobby has gained several newly minted Technician Licensees. In talking to these fine people, I discovered that their most frequent question was "What kind of a radio should I get?". The answer to that vital query depends on where you reside.

            If you live right in the town or city where you are located, often an HT or "Handi-Talky" is more than adequate, since the repeaters you will be using are often located on top of tall buildings in the downtown area. If, on the other hand, you live out in the "country", such as East of I-75 around here, you may be much better off with a more powerful "mobile" rig. The power of the average "mobile" transceiver is generally about ten times more than the average HT. The extra power will enable you to "hit" many more repeaters in your area. Of course, that means that you do have to mount the radio in your car. Luckily, this is a relatively simple task. Most mobile radios offered today are capable of having the control head separated from the main body of the radio. This lets you mount the main body safely under a seat or in the trunk of the car with only a small cable running under the carpeting forward to the control head which is usually small enough to be situated anywhere you would have room for say an I-Pod. This can be on the dash or even on the windshield. The center console also makes a good site for mounting. Just do not mount it anywhere in the area of an airbag. If the airbag deploys because of a minor accident, you do not want major injuries because your radio suddenly became a projectile.

            Another aspect of your choice of radio will be the number of "Bands" you want to cover. There are a lot of 2-meter repeaters around this area, but the 2-meter allocations got used up a long time ago. Now any new repeaters are generally in the 70-centimeter band, or what most hams call "440". The best choice, therefore, if you can afford it, is to buy a "dual-band" radio. The prices are not all that different for an HT or a mobile rig. Good dual band units can be had new for around $260. That may seem like a lot, but have you priced new golf clubs lately, or HD TVs? The antenna for the mobile rig will run another $30 or so and if you are not a DIYer, drilling the hole in the firewall of your car to get the power wires to and from the battery will cost another $20 or so at your local stereo installer. Installing the HT of course, is a matter of charging the battery pack for a few hours and away you go.

            Having been a ham for a number of years, and having worked with similar gear for even longer, I can make a few recommendations. Stay within your budget. None of us purchased all of our radios at one time. Like a stamp collection, we gradually increased our radio collection over years of planning, saving, choosing, etc. Buy a rig that is going to do what you need it to do. A small HT will not satisfy a ham who lives miles away from the nearest repeater, nor will a powerful mobile rig be right for someone who cannot mount it in a car or at home. I have saved my most important recommendation for last.

            Get on the air! Whatever kind of radio you buy, you have to use it to get good at it. The best set of golf clubs in the world will do nothing for your handicap unless you practice. The same is true of amateur radio. You can spend as much or as little money as you want, but unless you get out there and make contacts and check into nets regularly, your license is just another piece of paper. Whether you became a ham for the opportunity to serve in times of emergency, or just because you like the electronic aspects of the hobby, or just so you could talk to other hams around the world, if you do not get on the air and communicate, you might as well have taken up knitting. Your Amateur Radio License is not the end, it's just the beginning of your learning in amateur radio.

73,

                September 3, 2008

            There seems to be a major misconception on the part of the general public about amateur radio. When I talk to a non-ham, I get the impression sometimes that they think that because some of us choose to operate using "Morse Code", that the amateur Radio hobby is firmly stuck in the early 20th century. They put us right up there with the manual typewriter and the use of a telephone operator to complete a local telephone call.

            Nothing could be further from the truth. While there are amateur radio operators out there who enjoy the code and old tube-type radio equipment, there are a vast majority who have the latest state-of-the-art sophisticated radios, some of which are computer-based and software defined. The amateur radio hobby is very little different than say the car hobby. Some like the really old cars from the pre-1920's, some like the classic cars from the 40's and 50's and some will not be satisfied with anything less than the latest offering from the manufactures or people like Chip Foose, the hot-rod/custom car guru.

            Amateur Radio Operators use every possible bit of technology to create the devices they utilize. Computers are an integral part of most amateur radio stations. Some are even integrated into the transmitters and receivers themselves. The recent spate of advances in the range of Wi-Fi devices owes much to the efforts of amateur radio operators designing antenna systems that enabled these systems to work well at ranges that only a few years ago would be considered science-fiction.

            It may be a surprise to some non-hams, but many of the devices they think of as "cutting edge" like GPS mapping devices were made possible by amateur radio operators who developed the basic framework for these devices. Programs like "On-Star" from GM and similar systems from other manufacturers are all based on a system called APRS which was developed by a ham radio operator by the name of Bob Bruninga. Even that icon of modernity, the Cell-Phone is really just a two way radio connected to the telephone system, something ham radio operators have been doing for over 50 years with a device called a "Phone-Patch".

            In fact, it would not be much of a stretch to suggest that most of the technology we take for granted today had it's beginnings as an experiment on the workbench of some ham radio operator, somewhere in the world, sometime in the past.

            Even in the space program, ham radio has it's place. The International Space Station, and most shuttle missions have an amateur radio mission package in place. One use for that package is to talk to school children all over the world directly from space. Most of the astronauts are amateur radio operators, not only within NASA but within all of the various space programs around the world. One can assume that just as in a disaster situation on earth, should the normal NASA com links to a space vehicle be out of action, amateur radio will be there to restore communications to the spacecraft until repairs can be made.

            When the public thinks of amateur radio, they should not be thinking of the hobby "in the old days", but what that hobby has evolved to: A state of the art technology demonstrator and training ground for a group of skilled communicators who stand ready to provide the rest of us with reliable communications when all of our "modern" stuff has been put out of action by a storm or other disaster.

 73,

            October 1, 2008