Burlington, NC -- We're all married to our cell phones. But when disasters strike, phone lines might go down. And that's when people turn to one of the oldest and most reliable forms of communicating -- ham radios.They've been around for a long time, but do they have much of a future?
A few dozen amateur radio operators got together and had a field day in the woods of Alamance County. They set up under tents and in a trailer to replicate how they'd have to operate if something like a hurricane or another tornado outbreak blew through.
If that happened, the radios could be the only way to send crucial information.
"We could still set up and get information in to and out of the area using the radios," field day chairman Steve Wedge said.
So, they're great tools in case of emergency. But who uses them anymore? In an age of cell phones and the internet, there's no way kids would enjoy this.
"I can just put my feet up on this table, send a little bit of Morse code and find somebody in Australia," 11-year-old Christopher Tate said with a smile. "And then they start telling me what the Australian landscape is really like out there."
Well, scratch that. Christopher loves being a "ham" -- that's what the radio operators are called, by the way.
He only slept for five hours Saturday night so he could get back out to the field day and keep making connections across the US and in other countries.
"It's a good opportunity to meet all sorts of people from different cultures," he said.
And people in your own backyard, too. Organizers say several folks from around the area stopped in to see and hear what they're up to.
One thing those visitors learned? Ham radio will continue to be one of the oldest and most reliable forms of communication as long as there are kids like Christopher around.
"Ham radio will not die," he said. "I just don't see it dying!"
Not only does Christopher have fun being a ham, at 11 years old he is the youngest public information officer the American Radio Relay League has ever had. Last year, 35,000 hams across the country participated in the field day.
WFMY News 2
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LWRA, Amateur Radio and more!
Monday, June 27, 2011
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Monday, June 20, 2011
Newest General
Congrats to KK4CNH. Steve passed the General portion this past week and is officially licensed as a General Class on the FCC's website
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
New Wisconsin law for you snow birds
In June, officers from the Fond du Lac Police Department will be paying particular attention to drivers who are texting.
A new state law that took effect Dec. 1 falls under the inattentive driving statute. Research from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has shown drivers who send and receive text messages end up taking their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. Of all fatal traffic accidents in 2008, the U.S. DOT reported 16 percent involved distracted drivers and nearly 6,000 people were killed.
Wisconsin State Statute 346.89(3)(a) states that no person may drive any motor vehicle while composing or sending an electronic text message or an electronic mail message. This does not include when the vehicle is stopped, including when a vehicle is stopped at a traffic light, stop sign or in traffic due to congestion. The texting ban is only enforceable when the vehicle is in motion. The fine for texting while driving starts at $101.40.
This does not apply to the following circumstances:
n To an operator of an authorized emergency vehicle.
n The use of any device whose primary function is transmitting and receiving emergency alert messages and messages related to the operation of the vehicle or an accessory that is included in the vehicle, including a global positioning system device.
n An amateur radio operator who holds a valid amateur radio operator's license issued by the federal communications commission, when he or she is using dedicated amateur radio two-way radio communication equipment and observing proper amateur radio operating procedures.
n The use of a voice operated or hands free device, if the driver of the motor vehicle does not use his or her hands to operate the device, except to activate or deactivate a feature or function of the device.
Texting while driving is a primary law, which means officers can pull over drivers solely for texting without having to identify another violation first, such as speeding or a lane violation. Even though the law does not ban reading messages or using the Internet while driving a motor vehicle, these activities can be just as dangerous and should be avoided while driving
A new state law that took effect Dec. 1 falls under the inattentive driving statute. Research from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has shown drivers who send and receive text messages end up taking their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. Of all fatal traffic accidents in 2008, the U.S. DOT reported 16 percent involved distracted drivers and nearly 6,000 people were killed.
Wisconsin State Statute 346.89(3)(a) states that no person may drive any motor vehicle while composing or sending an electronic text message or an electronic mail message. This does not include when the vehicle is stopped, including when a vehicle is stopped at a traffic light, stop sign or in traffic due to congestion. The texting ban is only enforceable when the vehicle is in motion. The fine for texting while driving starts at $101.40.
This does not apply to the following circumstances:
n To an operator of an authorized emergency vehicle.
n The use of any device whose primary function is transmitting and receiving emergency alert messages and messages related to the operation of the vehicle or an accessory that is included in the vehicle, including a global positioning system device.
n An amateur radio operator who holds a valid amateur radio operator's license issued by the federal communications commission, when he or she is using dedicated amateur radio two-way radio communication equipment and observing proper amateur radio operating procedures.
n The use of a voice operated or hands free device, if the driver of the motor vehicle does not use his or her hands to operate the device, except to activate or deactivate a feature or function of the device.
Texting while driving is a primary law, which means officers can pull over drivers solely for texting without having to identify another violation first, such as speeding or a lane violation. Even though the law does not ban reading messages or using the Internet while driving a motor vehicle, these activities can be just as dangerous and should be avoided while driving
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