Ore. ham radio operators stand by to help
HILLSBORO, Ore. – In a world filled with electronic wonder-gizmos like the iPhone, instant communication through IMs and email, and 24-hour news on TV, ham radio seems like an anachronism.
But when disaster strikes, we are all quickly reminded of the fragility of our technological cocoon.
Cell phone towers can fall, making handsets into expensive flashlights. Power outages can wipe out Internet access and make the TV go dark. Most people no longer even have wired home phones. No juice usually means your cordless is worthless.
It’s at those moments that amateur short-wave radio, better known as ham radio, comes to the rescue.
Portable, self-contained and capable of sending and receiving signals from most anywhere on Earth, ham radio has become a major player in many urban disaster plans after test or real disasters exposed the weakness of wired and cellular phone sytems.
In Oregon, ham radio operators played a key role in directing aid logistics in hard-hit Tillamook County as floods ravaged the area last December.
Oregon hams also helped out aid efforts during and after Hurricane Katrina. It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as the message for help gets through to those who can render assistance.
And now, Oregon ham radio enthusiasts are ready and waiting to lend a hand to people thousands of miles away as Hurricane Ike bears down on Cuba and likely Gulf Coast cities.
With their global reach, ham radio users are a fraternity without borders, and have a long history of aiding those in other – even unfriendly – countries when hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other calamities strike.
Short-wave radio technology has kept up with the technological times as well.
While a ham radio used to consist of a large, heavy desktop computer-sized box covered with complicated dials, switches and meters, modern radios are sleek, digital handheld devices or more-powerful units that easily mount in vehicles.
Home systems often incorporate a computer for additional information and automated operations. One member of an Oregon ham club has developed special software allowing them to pinpoint another operator’s location using GPS technology, possibly speeding assistance.
Ham radio requires sizeable antenna structures, but a modern mobile unit still has considerable punch when set up by an experienced user. Long distance communication is not a problem.
Oregon ham radio operators will be standing by and ready to help this week, thousands of miles from the Gulf of Mexico, when Hurricane Ike decides which way to turn.
But when disaster strikes, we are all quickly reminded of the fragility of our technological cocoon.
Cell phone towers can fall, making handsets into expensive flashlights. Power outages can wipe out Internet access and make the TV go dark. Most people no longer even have wired home phones. No juice usually means your cordless is worthless.
It’s at those moments that amateur short-wave radio, better known as ham radio, comes to the rescue.
Portable, self-contained and capable of sending and receiving signals from most anywhere on Earth, ham radio has become a major player in many urban disaster plans after test or real disasters exposed the weakness of wired and cellular phone sytems.
In Oregon, ham radio operators played a key role in directing aid logistics in hard-hit Tillamook County as floods ravaged the area last December.
Oregon hams also helped out aid efforts during and after Hurricane Katrina. It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as the message for help gets through to those who can render assistance.
And now, Oregon ham radio enthusiasts are ready and waiting to lend a hand to people thousands of miles away as Hurricane Ike bears down on Cuba and likely Gulf Coast cities.
With their global reach, ham radio users are a fraternity without borders, and have a long history of aiding those in other – even unfriendly – countries when hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other calamities strike.
Short-wave radio technology has kept up with the technological times as well.
While a ham radio used to consist of a large, heavy desktop computer-sized box covered with complicated dials, switches and meters, modern radios are sleek, digital handheld devices or more-powerful units that easily mount in vehicles.
Home systems often incorporate a computer for additional information and automated operations. One member of an Oregon ham club has developed special software allowing them to pinpoint another operator’s location using GPS technology, possibly speeding assistance.
Ham radio requires sizeable antenna structures, but a modern mobile unit still has considerable punch when set up by an experienced user. Long distance communication is not a problem.
Oregon ham radio operators will be standing by and ready to help this week, thousands of miles from the Gulf of Mexico, when Hurricane Ike decides which way to turn.