By noon Sunday, members of the Beaufort Radio Amateur Group still were sitting in folding chairs under canopies as the generator hummed and voices from across the world streamed in through the airwaves.
The group, along with 35,000 "hams" across the United States and other countries, was participating in Field Day, an exercise organized by the American Radio Relay League. The idea is to set up temporary stations in unlikely locations and transmit from the field continuously for one entire day and into the next.
Some ham radio operators treat Field Day as a competitive event and try to make as many contacts as possible. But members of the Beaufort radio group see it as a way to keep communication skills sharp if they are needed for an emergency, said vice president David Jennings.
blackjack friday: the face of error from clyde lewis: When terrorism comes knocking at your back door, you take notice. When conspiracy is happening in your neighborhood, you just don’t know who you can trust. On November 26th, 2010, a day known as Black Friday, people in Portland gathered for the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree in Pioneer Courthouse square. What they didn’t know is that a white van pulled up near the square loaded with 55 gallon drums. These were supposed to be bombs. The problem is he bombs were not wired to go off. They were duds. They were fake bombs provided by the FBI. They were used to incriminate a would be terrorist who later was apprehended in an area near Portland’s Train Station.
from katu: With communications down in much of the state smacked by the recent storm, state emergency officials are calling ham radio operators heroes.
When even state police had difficulty reaching some of their own troops, ham radio worked, setting up networks so emergency officials could communicate and relaying lists of supplies needed in stricken areas.
A network of at least 60 volunteer amateur radio operators working along the coast and inland helped keep crucial systems such as 911 calls, American Red Cross and hospital services connected.
Amateur radio works on a set of radio frequencies above the AM broadcast band. Operators use their own equipment to communicate with other operators, using different equipment and frequencies than emergency responders.
Sometimes it takes creativity and a lot of leg work, such as setting up a new link on the top of a mountain when no other options are available.
Steve Sanders, a spokesman for District One of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, said the storm was a "poster child" for what his group does.
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