Ham radio operators schedule demo

Ham radio operators still serve a vital role in emergencies, and will be demonstrating their capabilities this weekend in Railroad Park.

Amateur radio operators across Elmore County will join forces with thousands of their counterparts across the county to demonstrate their emergency communications capabilities during an event that starts Saturday afternoon.

Scheduled to run from noon Saturday to noon Sunday, the emergency service demonstration at Railroad Park culminates the local American Radio Relay League's week-long amateur radio event.

Using only emergency power supplies, the amateur, or "ham," radio operators with the Elmore County Amateur Radio Club will set up their emergency broadcast station at the city park. Other clubs across the country are expected to set up similar stations in shopping malls, schools, parks and backyards.

Despite the technological advantages associated with the internet, cell phones, e-mail and other modern communication systems, whole regions of the United States find themselves "in the dark" following disasters every year, said John Holwege, emergency coordinator with for the Elmore County Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Tornadoes, forest fires, winter storms and the loss of fiber optic cables can leave people without the means to communicate.

"When trouble is brewing, amateur radio people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications," Holwege said.

"The fastest way to turn a crisis into a total disaster is to lose communications," added ARRL spokesperson Allen Pitts. "From the earthquake and tsunami in Japan to tornadoes in Missouri, ham radio provided the most reliable communication networks in the first critical hours of the events.

Because ham radios don't depend on the internet, cell phone towers or other infrastructure, "they work when nothing else is available," Pitts added. "We need nothing between us but air."

During this weekend's event, the county club will establish radio contact with emergency services representatives in Pine using the near vertical incidence skywave, or NVIS, method.

"It is important for us to establish an emergency communication link between these two locations using no infrastructure just in case an event is to occur that does knock our communications," Holwege said.

Each year, ham radio operators provide backup communication services for organizations like the American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency. They've even provided services for those serving aboard the International Space Station.

During a similar event in Mountain Home last year, the local ham radio operators connected with others located in communities across the Pacific northwest, including contact with stations in Washington, British Columbia, and California. Their furthest contacts included one station in Michigan and another in Indiana.

Enthusiasm for amateur radio continues to grow across the United States with more than 700,000 licensed operators.

The Elmore County Amateur Radio Club meets the first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. at the county emergency services building off East 8th North Street.

The meetings are open to anyone interested in learning more about the organization.

In addition, the club holds classes for those looking to earn their amateur radio license or the upgrade their current license every Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the emergency services building.

Information on amateur radio is also available online at www.emergency-radio.org.