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Sometimes things that are old become new again and ham radio is one of them that is seeing something of a resurgence.
Once thought of as an arcane practice requiring stacks of devices with glowing tubes and years of study, ham radio now uses compact, technologically-advanced electronics and the process of becoming a ham has been simplified so that anyone can do it with only a little work.
Ham radio can be a hobby but some also see it as a sport and it can be a community service.
The tornado damage recently in Amory is an example of that (some local hams did go to Amory to help). There may be no electricity or cell phone service but a properly-equipped ham can set up anywhere and be operating on the air in 10 or 15 minutes with the aid of generator or even battery power. And that person can be capable of wide-ranging communications.
Recently, a local amateur radio group participated in an annual exercise known as Field Day to see who could perform best in simulated emergency conditions.
The group, known as Grid 54 (after a map designation), is not a club in the traditional sense. They don’t have officers or regular meetings or dues, but just gather to enjoy their shared interest. “We just pass the hat if we need to,” Dr. Bob Barnett, a member of the group, said. “So far, it’s worked really well.”
For Field Day, they set up several radio stations at a home in the Beulah Community and operated on different frequency bands for about 16 hours. About 23 members and visitors were there at different times and the participants talked with locations as far away as Russia, Japan and New Zealand.
“One of our goals is sharing the hobby,” Barnett said.
Four youngsters (the youngest was a six-year-old) participated and were able to make contact during the exercise and Barnett said, “They thought it was cool.” The group made more than 360 contacts, all told.
Hams talk with others, of course, and some still use Morse Code (known as CW for continuous wave). But they are also using known as FT-8, which converts analog speech into a digital format and sends data in groups. Much like text messaging requires less bandwidth, FT-8 can does not need as strong a signal and can be used in less-than-ideal conditions such as disasters.
Anyone can be an amateur radio operator. Exams for the basic license are given locally and consist of multiple-choice questions which are publicly available. Free study apps are available and one can simply essentially memorize answers. Although ham equipment can cost thousands of dollars, one can begin with a handheld radio transceiver that only costs about $60.
More information can be found on the Grid 54 Facebook page or NE5MS on the web.
“Reach out to folks who do it or one of the local groups,” Barnett said.
“I think the event went wonderfully,” he said of Field Day, and added the group plans further exercises as well as having a presence at local festivals or other events.
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