Tribute to Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators (Part 2)

Until I did additional research on amateur radio operators, I was unaware of the amateur's role in providing communication during emergencies, disaster relief, ground weather reporting, and providing a communication link to government and military agencies.  All of the Ham's services in these situations are purely voluntary; without compensation.

One of the programs that ham's are involved in is SKYWARN.  Volunteers are trained in ground level weather reporting.  This information is relayed to the National Weather Service were these alerts are reported over the internet.  I thought that radar and satellite provides all the information necessary for weather reporting, but apparently ground level reports are still important as a means of tracking storms and damage.  The ham can report hail, rainfall, flooding, winds, tornados, tree damage, and power outages.  These are localized reports that cannot be determined from weather radar and satellite images.

Ham operators played an enormous role in communications during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  They tie together communications between local rescue, Red Cross, FEMA, and Emergency Traffic.  Through an emergency network called SATERN, (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network), many people were rescued in the aftermath of the storm.  This network of ham operators are charged with finding lost people during times of disaster.  Several stories of rescue can be found here.  They also provide tactical communication in supplying food and supplies to disaster areas.

More recently hams acted quickly during the Haiti earthquake.  They helped report the damage and set up communication links when cell towers were down and wireless service was overwhelmed.  They also provided equipment to aid in the continuing communications in the area.

Ham operators can also work with military communications through the MARS, (Military Affiliate Radio System).  This is an emergency communication network sponsored by the Department of Defense.

A BIG thanks to all those ham operators who provide their services!

Tribute to Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators (Part 1)

I caught part of very interesting show a few weeks ago on the History Channel. It was a docu-drama about a family’s survival after a widespread disaster. I did not see the whole show and did not know the premise but it had some interesting scenarios regarding survival for this family. I later learned that the show is called After Armageddon.

The part of the story I did see showed a family leaving their home in what looks like a southern California community and heading for the desert. Through their ordeal they were faced with hostile people, finding potable water, finding food, and looking for a remote community that they can join. At one point in the show the father of the family was curious about the world beyond the local community. He found a ham radio operator in town who was communicating to the outside world. At this point of the show it struck me to the importance of the amateur radio operator during times of disaster.

I am not an amateur radio operator but I can appreciate the service they provide especially during times of disaster. The ham radio operator is a hobbyist with a technical interest in radio communication. I know a few engineers who are hams. They do not make money from this hobby and do not look for praise. Yet through their technical know-how and typically on shoe-string budgets are able to piece together a working radio station. These individuals are not subsidized by the government other than being provided a frequency spectrum to operate in. Some ham operators volunteer to be part of our national emergency response, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). It is purely voluntary and cannot involve commercial interests.

The importance of the voluntary service is tremendous. In times of natural or man-made disaster a ham can continue to operate and provide much needed communications. Other forms of communication such as cellular telephone, landlines, and the internet require an extensive infrastructure to keep the communication lines open. Any damage to part of the system or power outages can disrupt these forms of communication. All a ham needs is a radio set, antenna, and a local power source to communicate across great distances. No intermediary infrastructure is required. Many operators can tie a country wide network together.

So I would like to take this time to salute the volunteers of the ARES who devote themselves to this service. Thank You!

For more information about Amateur Radio in the US click here.

Why am I writing a blog for engineers?

Some might say that engineers view the world differently from those in other professions.  Being an engineer I would agree.

Engineering is not merely knowing and being knowledgeable, like a walking encyclopedia; engineering is not merely analysis; engineering is not merely the possession of the capacity to get elegant solutions to non-existent engineering problems; engineering is practicing the art of the organized forcing of technological change... Engineers operate at the interface between science and society...

Gordon Brown, MIT Dean of Engineering 1959-1968

I view the engineer’s role in this world is to take an idea, make it practical, and apply it to the benefit of society.  But an engineer does not stop there.  The engineer reviews what has been implemented then asks does it work or can it be improved?  Then the engineer figures out how to improve it.  The engineer continually makes improvements to optimize the application.

Another reason to write this blog is that it appears to me that engineers are the silent heroes at the heart of our society.  This is a noble profession expressed from the curiosity of the engineer’s mind to make things work better.

I must admit I originally wanted to start blogging as an extension of my business; a way to draw traffic through interesting topics and good content.  It might go beyond this limited notion.

I did a review of the top 20 listed engineering blogs.  I found that most are very field specific, such as computers, energy, landslide analysis, and bulk solids handling.  Others were from the realm of academia, professors and graduate students.  Still others were very cynical or uncensored online diaries.  Aside from specific engineering field content I was hoping to find more articles of substance on general topics from the engineer’s viewpoint.  In my opinion the engineer’s viewpoint is practical and of benefit to society.

I enjoy researching and analyzing various topics; not necessarily technical topics.  I like to be informed on a subject of discussion.  I think it is important to list references when you tie facts together to form an informed opinion.  I notice that many authors do not use references.  As an engineer it is important to have supportive documentation.  I intend to make this a place of information for engineers on a variety of subjects.  I want to be a positive voice of the engineer.  This is a blog for the informed engineer.

To learn more about Hero of Alexandria's published works of inventions, click here.