Amateur radio operators communicate with technicians around the world, just like one might do via telephone or Internet. But when the power disconnects or a person is out of service areas for phone or Internet, radio signals still transmit.
For these recreational and practical purposes, the Carter County Amateur Radio Club promotes education and provides licensing opportunities annually for amateur radio operators.
In a one day session, the club provides all materials necessary and teaches and licenses amateur operators. On Saturday, Feb. 20, all interested, with no experience necessary, are invited to learn and earn their licenses for only $15 at Sycamore Shoals Hospital Conference Room. The study session will begin at 8 a.m. and testing will begin when the session ends at 3:30 p.m. Two forms of identification are required. If updated a Ham license, bring a copy of the current license.
Amatuer radio operators may operate out of home or car, said club Treasurer Ron McQuade, and anyone can listen to the conversation and tune in.
“Sometimes you’re talking to a person, and then a person may come along, and when you sign clear, they’ll call you by your call sign,” he explained. “Some groups of people talk for hours.”
McQuade has communicated with people in 139 countries and across the United States, he said, listing Japan, Guam and Alaska among them.
Aside from providing interesting conversation, radio operation serves a vital purpose in emergencies.
“In emergency situations, like if the phones are down or when electrical is down, we operate as communications for the National Guard, FEMA, and Homeland Security — we can work with all agencies,” said McQuade.
Technical radio skills translate to other professional fields like commercial radio, emergency rescue services, law enforcement, military and truck driving. McQuade said that as an amateur radio operator, a person can even assist emergency search and rescue where the agency’s radios may not receive a signal.
“Once you learn the general theory of radio circuitry, there are all kinds of avenues, like Ratheon, ICOM and all manufacturers, that you could maneuver into in the electronics field,” said McQuade.
The licensing provides a basic knowledge of how radios function, which McQuade said is helpful in knowing the strengths and weaknesses of a system a person may be using in the field. For example, if a police radio is limited to operating within proximity to its station, the length of the radio wave may be too short to pass through the side of a glass building and may bounce off. Knowing what types of systems are available can help in positioning and operating both in a profession or recreationally.
Not only can amateur operators communicate using voice, but McQuade said computers can be tied in to share data via satellites.
“We have amateur satellites in the area and have also bounced signals off the moon. You can send data and communications that way,” he explained.
When amateur radio began in the 1920s and ‘30s, it was called “experimental radio,” McQuade said. The Federal government eventually required licensing in order to prevent interference with commercial stations, but the legacy of experimentation lives on.
“That’s what we do: a lot of experimental work,” said McQuade.
Club members glean information from operators worldwide and also participate in international competitions. McQuade said that one year, in an American Radio Relay League field day, they contacted nearly 300 people in approximately 50 countries.
The club meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 805 Route 91 in Elizabethton, where members give presentations on new information and equipment designs. For more information about the club or licensing, call Joe at 423-306-4004 or visit the club’s website at wr4cc.org.