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.