Ham Radio Operators "True Heroes," Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR, Says in "Salute"

The American Radio Relay League ^ | February 9, 2006 | awextra@arrl.org

[Denver Ditdat]

Ham Radio Operators "True Heroes," Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR, Says in "Salute"

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 9, 2006--US Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), this week offered "A Salute to Ham Radio Operators" (on the floor of the US House. Ross, one of two Amateur Radio licensees in the House of Representatives (the other is Rep Greg Walden, W7EQI, R-OR), addressed his colleagues February 8 to recognize the contributions of the Amateur Radio community in the wake of last year's devastating hurricane season.

"Citizens throughout America dedicated to this hobby--a hobby that some people consider old fashioned or obsolete--were true heroes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as they were often the only line of communication available into the storm ravaged areas," Ross said.

He noted that while ham radio is often overlooked "in favor of flashier means of communication," Gulf Coast communities learned after the 2005 hurricanes that technology can be "highly vulnerable" to storm damage. "Ham radios, entirely self- contained transmitters, require no cell towers or satellites, simply a battery and a strip of wire as an antenna," Ross explained.

Because of the "critical intervention" of radio amateurs across the US, Ross said, many lives were saved following Hurricane Katrina.

"The dedication displayed by ham radio operators in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sets a tremendous example for us all," Ross concluded, noting that "now more than ever" he's proud to be an Amateur Radio operator. "The people whose lives were rescued as a result of the tireless dedication of ham radio operators will forever be grateful to these selfless public servants."

A SALUTE TO HAM RADIO OPERATORS

HON. MIKE ROSS OF ARKANSAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of American citizens who are members of the American Radio Relay League, known as HAM radio operators. Citizens throughout America dedicated to this hobby--a hobby that some people consider old fashioned or obsolete--were true heroes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as they were often the only line of communication available into the storm ravaged areas.

Amateur radio operators are often overlooked in favor of flashier means of communication. As communities across the gulf coast and America learned this year, technology can be highly vulnerable. HAM radios, entirely self- contained transmitters, require no cell towers or satellites, simply a battery and a strip of wire as an antenna.

Just as after major earthquakes, tornadoes, and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, HAM operators around the country received an alert to stand by their radios to listen for calls for assistance. Following Hurricane Katrina, when cell phones and e-mail were useless, a HAM operator located in Connecticut alerted authorities about a woman trapped for 4 days without food or water and a Coast Guard Auxiliary in Cleveland arranged for a medevac for a woman in labor in New Orleans. These are just a few examples of the many lives that were saved with the critical intervention of HAM operators throughout the country.

Now more than ever, I am proud to be a licensed amateur radio operator. It is important to realize that every HAM radio operator in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service is a volunteer. This year, when disaster struck, hundreds of HAMs moved to the gulf coast to help in every way they could. Every one of which did so on a volunteer basis and their only goal was to assist in what became one of the worst natural disasters in America.

The dedication displayed by HAM radio operators in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sets a tremendous example for us all. The people whose lives were rescued as a result of the tireless dedication of HAM radio operators will forever be grateful to these selfless public servants.

[Denver Ditdat]

Ham Radio Ping List

Please Freepmail me if you want to be added to or deleted from the list.

[SubMareener]

In my youth, I was K3LJX.

[Denver Ditdat]

A quick check of the available calls on N1MC's Vanity HQ shows that K3LJX is immediately available for issue. Should you ever be interested in taking up the hobby again you can apply for your old callsign, even if you're no longer living in 3-land.

[HolgerDansk]

But it is old fashioned and obsolete. Tango Sierra.

[teletech]

Ham Radio is just a great hobby! I have enjoyed the hobby now for 49 years (50 in January next).

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

Many, many GI's in Vietnam were able to "call" home from some pretty remote locations within Vietnam thanks to a bunch of Hams calling themselves "MARS" (Military Affiliate Radio Stations). Each transmission in the States oe Vn ended with "over", so the Hams would know when to switch from transmit to receive, LOL.......nothing private at all then :) It was free of charge except for the last bit, from the closest Hams kitchen phone to the GI's family via Ma Bell.

Can you imagine saying "Bye, Honey, I love you, OVER" with a bunch of people listening?

Anyhow, this decent act of citizenship from the Hams was appreciated, and is fondly remembered by grateful Vets.

[Denver Ditdat]

So is archery and black powder shooting, but they are still enjoyable and useful ways of getting a job done.

[AlexW]

"Can you imagine saying "Bye, Honey, I love you, OVER" with a bunch of people listening? "

I had much worse.
One evening back in the early 60s, I was running a patch from Antarctica via my station in Memphis to a sailor's
parents in Oregon.
He had received a letter from his young wife stating that she wanted a divorce. Needless to say, it was an emotional call.

W4EX

[Clinging Bitterly]

Old fashioned, well sorta. Obsolete, never. There have been times, and will be again, where a simple analog two way contact is the only thing that will work. As recently as 10 years ago we had a couple towns in Oregon completely isolated with all roads, power lines, and phone lines washed out from floods & landslides, and Ham stations across the river from one another carried all communication in & out of those towns for a number of days.

Truth be told I don't get on the air as much anymore as I probably should because it doesn't deliver the volume of information (and certainly not the convenience) to which I have become accustomed, but I do keep the gear somewhat ready because of it's versatility and superb reliability. And there are still areas I go to on a regular basis that are within 15 miles of I-5 right here in the middle of Lane County where there is not and has never been cel phone coverage, and people live and work and play in those areas every day. My 2M & 440 HTs are always in my rig wherever I go and the HF gear is portable enough that I can toss it in the rig in a minute along with a box of stuff that can be used to build antennas.

My interest in discussion forums such as this one developed through Ham radio, where I operated a board of my own over packet radio for quite a long time. It was almost like a little Free Republic in my radio shack, and we discussed politics and other issues with folks all over the world. We were relaying messages through bulletin boards linked to one another by packet radio back in 1986, and my neighbor had a bulletin board he ran on his Apple II over HF RTTY back in 1980. And that stuff worked without a single phone line, and in a lot of cases without AC power.

[kalee]

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