Radio Waves Bounce off Ionosphere; ‘Hams’ Earn Points Making Contact

COURT HOUSE – When hurricanes, power outages and other emergencies strike the region, a volunteer group of first-responders load their trucks with generators, antennas and radios. 
Those local volunteers are commonly known as hams, or amateur radio operators. During disasters, when phone lines and electricity are down, they work with the federal Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), as well as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), to pass along information and coordinate relief efforts with emergency management.
“You can take this operation anywhere you want,” said Robert Myer, an operator with Cape May County RACES/ARES. “We can be dispatched to places.”
During hurricanes Irene and Sandy, operators relayed information as far as Denmark. In the midst of the derecho of 2012 that killed four and caused widespread damage, they coordinated the distribution of ice and water to people without power.
This past month, they have been receiving daily reports from Hawaii, where Mount Kilauea, the volcano, erupted in May.
“It just gives us what you would see as a normal person, not as a reporter,” Myer said. “’John and Mary’s house burnt down a few days ago, and the stuff’s coming towards my house,’ that kind of stuff.”
Those first-responder skills were put to the test in an annual North American-wide competition hosted by the American Radio Relay League called Field Day.
Every June, over 40,000 members of radio clubs throughout the United States and Canada earn points for each contact – the exchange of information – they make with other clubs.
Hams in RACES/ARES are also members of the Cape May County Amateur Radio Club (CMCARC). The club set up in the 4-H Fairgrounds Lockwood Building during the 24-hour long contest June 23-24.
“The purpose of the event,” said key operator Bill Cole, “is for amateur radio operators to go to places where there normally aren’t amateur radios and set them up, and communicate using those radios to demonstrate the value of amateur radio in times of emergency.”
Using voice communication earns one point per contact, but the more challenging Morse code and digital communication garner two points per contact. The club had one of each station set up during the contest. Club members rotated in and out of stations.
Running from a generator – one of which was set up by Myer – earned the club extra points.
Although the contest continued through the night, Cole said none of the members participating were “night owls.”
“If you really want the points, you can stay up all hours,” he said.
Cole said the club had never won the contest because they can’t compete with clubs in “large metropolitan areas” that have enough members to set up as much as 50 stations.
“It’s not about winning, but it gets competitive,” he said.
CMCARC formed circa 1985 and has over 70 members, Cole said. Before that, it was known as the Stone Harbor Amateur Radio Club.
“The number of licensed amateur radio operators is probably as high as it has ever been, but also we’re at the upper end of the age range,” Cole said.
To join the club, members must pass a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) test to become licensed.
“The FCC test is not that hard if you study the book,” Myer said.
Every week, the hams perform a test of their equipment called a net, during which they share their name, location, and daily updates.
Cole joined CMCARC in 2003 as a way of “repaying the community” after retiring from the Department of Labor.
“I had always been interested in amateur radio,” he said. “I got myself an amateur radio license and joined the club as a retirement activity. I have a medical condition …so I needed a hobby that allowed me to be sedentary.”
“Most of the time it’s people who retired and are looking for something to do,” Myer said.
Myer said ham radio “plays a big part in the country” because digital technology and phones “fail badly” during storms.
“I don’t think enough people know about it,” Cole said. “That kind of makes us somewhat obsolete.”
Although membership is at its peak, Cole wonders who will operate ham radios when the current members, who he says are 60 or 70 years old on average, won’t be around anymore.
“We get very few real young people,” he said. “I’ve got a grandson I tried to get interested in ham radio, and I can’t tear him away from the Xbox.
“That’s what the shame is, because we need young people,” he continued. “We’ve got to come up with a good way to interest young people. I don’t know that young people want to come out and hang out with a bunch of old guys.”
CMCARC made 437 contacts during this year’s field day. Some contacts came from Washington state, Mississippi and Canada.
CMCARC meets the third Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at their new facility in the Cape May Airport Complex. Its website is cmcarc.org.
To contact Taylor Henry, email thenry@cmcherald.com.