Monday, June 29, 2009 10:28 PM CDT
Ham radio demonstrations showcase latest technology
By DAWN JAMES, Staff Writer
djames@jg-tc.com
OAKLAND — Ham radio operators with Mobile Ohm Volunteers were on hand Saturday at Walnut Point State Park to discuss the latest in ham radio technology.
Area residents interested in learning about the latest developments in the field or interested in possibly becoming a ham radio operator visited the demonstration.
“Back when I was younger, I looked into getting my license,” said Harold Bradford of Hindsboro. He said that throughout the years he “lost interest in it and was kind of wanting to see what they had now.”
Ham radios are often used as an emergency backup tool in times of disaster such as a tornado, earthquake, hurricanes and situations such as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Mary Twigg, a ham operator with more than 10 years experience.
She and her husband,
Pat Twigg, together have a combined 28 years of experience as ham radio operators.
“The purpose of today is to not operate out of your home,” said Mary Twigg, adding that the weekend event was designed to find a public location because that would be necessary if a disaster should occur.
Saturday’s demonstrations were powered by a gas generator and communication was made possible through what is known as an outbacker stand used to house a wand type of antenna, and also a wire strung approximately 33 feet high, Mary Twigg said.
Demonstrations were held in conjunction with American Radio Relay League’s (ARRL) Field Day, the climax of Amateur Radio Week.
At Saturday’s event there were three stations. The first had the more traditional 2-meter receiver and transmitter to communicate via two-way radio. The second used a higher frequency option that allows for communication on worldwide bands. By connecting a laptop computer to the radio transmitter, digital communication is possible.
“It’s instant messaging without the Internet,” she said. “What’s fascinating is you can talk to people all over the world with no Internet just by transmitting that signal.”
The third option shown at the demonstration site is also a higher frequency medium of communicating through the ham radio allowed for phone and voice capabilities.
Both of the latter options utilize special computer software.
“This is an annual event,” said Pat Twigg. “It’s always held the fourth weekend of June.”
During the ARRL Field Day, thousands of ham operators in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and even overseas participated, Pat said. Communication logs tallying conversations were kept as part of an ARRL contest for all participants.
It was Mary Twigg’s hope to communicate with an astronaut on the International Space Station that day. With the lines piled up, she wasn’t sure if it would happen or if she would be able to communicate with someone in Europe, she said. On a typical day, it would have been easier, she said.
Many things can interfere with what is known as propagation, which involves several steps that allow for an effective radio signal to be transmitted, she said. Weather, storms and location can interfere with signal transmissions. Mary Twigg said the challenge is to put yourself in a better situation to transmit that signal.
Pat Twigg said sunspots can also interfere with signal transmissions.
There are more than 700,000 ham operators in the U.S. and three million worldwide, according to an ARRL brochure. Ham operators must be licensed by the FCC through ARRL, and the basic study materials cost around $40, according to a booklet from the ARRL. To get started, the license and the radio usually cost less than $200, the booklet stated.
Ham radios have existed for more than 100 years.
For more information on the annual ARRL event and ham radio technology, visit www.arrl.org.
Contact Dawn James at djames@jg-tc.com or 238-6866.
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kamfong wrote on Jun 29, 2009 10:18 PM: