There has been a catastrophic natural disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane. All electrical service has been disrupted.
Communication between emergency services is chaotic at best, yet somehow resources are co-ordinated and contact with the outside world remains unbroken.
Whether you realize it or not, this is a fairly common phenomenon—thanks to a worldwide network of dedicated people who operate one of the oldest and most reliable communications systems ever built.
Once part of the genesis of wireless communication more than a century ago, amateur radio—often referred to as ham radio—is still alive and well in the new millennium.
So, what is amateur radio and how did it get that name?
When Giovanni Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio signal from Wales to Newfoundland in 1901, he not only opened a whole new world of information technology, he also gave birth to amateur radio.
Today, amateur radio has progressed a long way from the dots and dashes of Morse code, although that is still a major component. Today, amateur radio owns nine bands (groups of frequencies) in the high frequency range (1.8-29.7 megahertz) as well as seven in the very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) ranges.
There even are some allocated frequencies way up in the microwave spectrum that can be picked up by anyone with a suitable receiver.
Instead of tapping out Morse code on a metallic key, today’s amateur radio operators have 45 orbiting satellites and cable resources with which to work. They even can interface with conventional telephone lines and the Internet.
But it is the ability to scan the ether for signals from around the world, and have conversations with astronauts in space, that seems to hold the fascination of the more than 40,000 Canadians who hold licences.
“It’s more than just communication,” said Doug Leach, director for the Ontario region of the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC). “We take great pride in experimentation and getting through under difficult circumstances.”
Difficult circumstances can include anything from the loss of infrastructure due to natural disasters to adverse atmospheric conditions as a result of unusual solar activity. It is amateur radio’s ability to take advantage of these circumstances that make it unique among communication media.
Yet in spite of that, there is little public perception of amateur radio.
“We don’t do a very good job in communicating about amateur radio to the press,” Leach admitted. “There’s a lot of confusion between amateur radio and CB [citizens’ band].
Citizens’ band operates in a narrow frequency range around 27 megahertz with transmitters limited to five watts output, and users do not need a licence.
Amateur radios have a much wider frequency range and can be much more powerful.
Amateur radios operate over such a wide range of frequencies, there is almost always one that will punch through the interference.
In fact, the lower frequencies (HF) are specifically designed to take advantage of reflective layers in the ionosphere and bounce or skip the signals around the world—making it possible to have a conversation with someone thousands of miles away.
These reflective layers often are enhanced during periods of high solar activity.
And since virtually all amateur radios operate either directly from batteries or have a battery back-up, power disruptions are not an issue.
Some people have a problem with the term “amateur” since it implies casual or haphazard attitudes. But nothing could be farther from the truth, says Leach.
“We are a dedicated and disciplined group of people who do this because we enjoy it,” he stressed. “Amateur just means we are non-professional, non-profit operators.”
In fact, the word amateur comes from the Latin “amo,” meaning to love, and like any meaningful relationship, it requires effort and commitment in order to succeed.
Therefore, all amateur radio operators must be licensed and there are three levels—each of which confers different privileges.
The basic licence entitles one to use all the VHF bands and transmitters of up to 200 watts. In order to use the lower frequencies (the ones that bounce off the ionosphere), one must learn to transmit and receive in Morse code at a rate of five words per minute.
This, says Leach, is not as intimidating as it may sound.
“By the time you’ve memorized the 26 letters, 10 integers, and four punctuation symbols, you’re already working at five wpm,” he noted.
The advanced level enables one to build and use transmitters of up to two kilowatts output and to maintain repeater stations.
So, why do people go to all that work?
“It gives you independence,” explained RAC assistant director Rick Ashton. “We’re not reliant upon anything we don’t build and maintain ourselves.
“I got into this thinking it was all about talking,” he added. “It’s mind-boggling what is out there.”
Perhaps that is why it appeals to such a a broad and diverse section of society. Some of the more famous people who are operators include journalist and author Walter Cronkite, former politician Barry Goldwater, the late King Hussein of Jordan, Nobel laureate Joe Taylor (who discovered pulsars), and astronaut John Glenn.
In fact, many astronauts and cosmonauts are amateur radio buffs. There’s even a permanent station on the International Space Station, with which earthbound operators can chat with flight crews in real time.
Schools often use them to conduct classes live with the space station.
Leach said plans are in the works to link amateurs with radio astronomers through their home computers to help scan the heavens for signs of extraterrestrial radio signals.
“By linking a large number of computers around the world in such a way, you can create one huge listening post,” he explained.
But the most important function of amateur radio is an emergency communication system. With this tool, people can issue storm warnings and direct search-and-rescue operations right from the scene without being dependent upon telephone lines and hydro grids through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
There are amateur radio clubs right across Canada, including here in Fort Frances. The Rainy Lake Amateur Radio Club meets every month at the Fort Frances Airport.
Membership is $25 a year and you can buy a radio for as little as $300.
For information on how to join, contact Tom Drew (274-5808) or Walter Seis (274-0374). You also can learn more about the Radio Amateurs of Canada online at www.rac.ca
The whole world is listening.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
