{"id":784,"date":"2017-01-29T19:41:58","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T03:41:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andrewbaze.com\/tempblog\/?p=22"},"modified":"2017-02-05T17:30:55","modified_gmt":"2017-02-06T01:30:55","slug":"amateur-radio-a-powerful-emergency-preparedness-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.andrewbaze.com\/wparchives\/general-preparedness\/amateur-radio-a-powerful-emergency-preparedness-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"Amateur Radio \u2013 A Powerful Emergency Preparedness Tool"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amateur radio is an incredibly flexible and powerful communication option, especially in a crisis, and it\u2019s probably easier to learn about and get involved with than you think. In this and the next two articles, I\u2019ll walk you through the basics, and show you the simple steps you can take to add a very useful tool to your preparedness toolbox.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy, interesting, and if you want to be realistically prepared to take care of yourself and your family, you\u2019ll need this information!<\/strong><\/p>\n

My Amateur Radio Background<\/h2>\n

I have been involved with ham radio for a few years now, and I\u2019ve learned a lot.\u00a0 From the start, I took my Novice and General exams, and then a year or so after that, I took and passed my Extra exam.\u00a0 (For me, Novice & General weren\u2019t difficult, but Extra was.)\u00a0 I\u2019ve been actively involved in my local ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) team for the City of Redmond, talking to friends on the radio, experimenting with digital modes, NVIS (more on that in article #3), satellite communications, and more.\u00a0 It\u2019s been enjoyable and educational. And there\u2019s one very interesting thing I\u2019ve learned during this process, which will benefit you directly.\u00a0 Much of the learning material out there doesn\u2019t make it easy!<\/em> \u00a0This case will be different, however. My goal is to make some of these concepts much easier for you to understand. I\u2019m going to explain things not in the manner of an electrical engineer, but like a regular guy would.\u00a0 Here goes.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll start with the basics, and give you some ideas for getting more information.\u00a0 In subsequent articles, we\u2019ll talk about specific equipment, technologies, frequencies, some interesting information on what\u2019s really allowed during an emergency, and more.<\/p>\n

What is Amateur Radio?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with \u201cWhat is amateur radio?\u201d\u00a0 Amateur radio is a fun hobby for many, also known as \u201cham radio.\u201d\u00a0 But why \u201cham\u201d? Some people speculate that it\u2019s because certain people involved in amateur radio back in the old days really loved to talk, and would \u201cham it up\u201d, telling long stories to their buddies when they\u2019d get together on the airwaves to chat.\u00a0 In any case, in this hobby you can find people building radios, antennas, and other radio-related equipment, experimenting with all of it, and talking on the airwaves in many ways, which I discuss with a little more detail below.<\/p>\n

How does amateur radio work? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set aside certain frequencies for people to use for non-business-related communication. To use a radio that works on amateur radio frequencies, you need to take a simple test and get a license. The first license, called \u201cTechnician\u201d, is not difficult to get<\/strong>, and there are a many books, CDs, and websites (with free sample tests) available to walk you through the questions and answers. Once you\u2019ve reviewed the material and feel comfortable, you can take a test and get your own license. (Subliminal suggestion: Do it.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy.) Many ham radio clubs administer the tests, and will be happy to help you with the simple paperwork at the same time. Soon after, you\u2019ll get your call sign from the FCC<\/span><\/u><\/a>, and you can get on the air!<\/p>\n

These links will provide some additional, general information about ham radio: http:\/\/www.arrl.org\/what-is-ham-radio-1<\/span><\/u><\/a>, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Amateur_radio<\/span><\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Why does this \u201chobby\u201d (it\u2019s much more than that to many, especially people who need it in a pinch) matter?\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t take a lot of imagination to come up with a scenario where cell phones don\u2019t work.\u00a0 You\u2019ve probably been out of range of a cell tower at some point, and wanted to make a call.\u00a0 But imagine if there was no coverage, no matter where you went\u2026And a phone call could mean life or death.<\/p>\n

I can clearly remember standing outside my office building after Seattle\u2019s Nisqually Earthquake in February of 2001. Many people were trying unsuccessfully to make calls with their cell phone.\u00a0 I remember one woman standing near me, sobbing because she was worried sick about her family.\u00a0 No cell phones worked<\/strong>. The tower in the area was powered up, however it was also overloaded.\u00a0 When everyone tried to call at the same time, it stopped allowing calls through. But in other areas, people lost cell coverage because the towers lost power or were damaged by the shaking. And that\u2019s just one example of how our most commonly used method of communication can disappear.\u00a0 A winter storm, hurricane or tornado, or even solar activity could make your phone essentially useless. And there\u2019s another possibility: the government could shut it down. A couple weeks ago, officials in San Francisco decided to shut off cell service<\/span><\/u><\/a> on public transit in order to prevent a possible demonstration.\u00a0 That should give you something to think about.<\/p>\n

What Can You do With Amateur Radio?<\/h2>\n

Aside from being fun to play with just talking with friends, amateur radio is a very effective way to communicate during an emergency. With something as simple as a small, handheld radio, an operator can do these things in addition to voice communication:<\/p>\n