Ham Radio Isn't Just a Hobby Anymore:

If regular communication methods -- such as internet, telephones or cell phones, fail, due to an emergency, including natural disaster, how will Cordovans reach the outside world to ask for assistance or share timely information? Members of the Cordova Amateur Radio Club (CARC) -- all licensed ham radio operators, are trained to help in such situations. While amateur radio is sometimes referred to as a hobby, it's also a backup emergency communications plan for Cordova. All members were required to pass Federal Communications Commission testing and obtain licenses to operate on UHF (ultra-high frequency), VHF (very high frequency), or HF (high frequency) channels. "If Cordova has a communications outage during a disaster, ham radio can work off a car battery, transceiver, and antenna," said Stephen Phillips, club president. "Moreover, we can contact folks around the world, and request aide." There are 600,000 amateur radio operators in the United States, and more than two million worldwide, according to the American Radio Relay League. ARRL is the national, non-commercial association for amateur radio enthusiasts in the U.S., founded in 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxi. Joanie Behrends, CARC's secretary, said the idea for a local amateur radio club started in Cordova in 2009, when the city began to take serious efforts to prepare for large scale emergencies.

from Ham Radio Times http://ift.tt/2uhc17L
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