They are a small group of locals who gather once a week to chat over the airwaves on their small, portable radios–but they are always prepared to jump into action in case of an emergency.
Not just anybody can be a ham radio operator. Training, a knowledge of Morse code, and a government-issued licence are required before anyone can jump onto the airwaves.
“It’s a world-wide thing really. In Canada, the governing body is out of Ottawa,” noted Art Pattison, the president of the Rainy Lake Amateur Radio Club.
The club has been meeting monthly at the Fort Frances airport for years. They are behind the scene at the annual Santa Claus parade here, the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship’s boat parade, “Operation Pumpkin” on Gate Night, and various other events in and around town.
Pattison, known among radio operators as VA3NAP, presides over one of four regional ham radio clubs, with neighbouring one in Dryden, Kenora, and Warroad, Mn.
For the most part, club members operate on what is commonly known as the two-meter level, which usually reaches as far as Warroad but on occasion can reach as far south as Duluth.
“There’s lots of things that affect your transmission,” said Pattison, who explained that the radio signals travel through a cold layer in the atmosphere sandwiched between two warmer ones.
While the local net extends only about as far as Warroad, others can be found all over the world.
“The principal thing we have these nets for is to make sure your equipment is working properly because of those potential disasters,” said Pattison, who stressed the importance of the ham radio during emergency situations.
“It was amateur radios that helped in the [earthquake] ruins in India. The communications were down, the lines were down, and the ham was all they had,” he noted.
To keep busy, the local club participates in the organization of local events.
“When there’s parades, we’re involved with the direction of traffic. Because we have these light-weight [radios], we can simply bounce around,” Pattison said.
Besides meeting over the net every Wednesday, the group gets together in the hangar of the Fort Frances airport at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of every month to exchange information and plan events. On average, about 15 to 20 members show up at every meeting.
Along with Pattison, Jim Major serves as the club’s vice-president, Vivian Callaghan as secretary, and Tom Drew as treasurer.
“We try to organize little events for ourselves,” noted Pattison.
Last Monday, the club began planning to host the net’s annual Camp 807, which will bring anywhere from 100 to 150 ham radio operators to town. They will set up a camp on the outskirts of town and direct visitors there over their radios.
“We’ll swap stories and have a nice big meal on Saturday, with a religious service and breakfast in the morning,” said Pattison.
Relatively speaking, Pattison is a rookie among ham radio operators and is working to improve his Morse code to 12 words a minute so he can have more responsibility on the airwaves.
“It’s for the service that you can do and the meeting of people,” he remarked.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
