Reaching Out to the World:

The city of Monroe recognized the Sky Valley's ham radio operators for their efforts in service and volunteerism. Mayor Geoffrey Thomas proclaimed this June 19-25 Amateur Radio Week during last Tuesday's council meeting. He noted the community has given "countless hours" back "during times of calm and times of emergency" by providing communications for public events, such as parades and triathlons. Sky Valley Amateur Radio Club president David Harvey accepted the decree. The retired Sultan School District educator has honed the skill for more than four decades, and joined the local group when he moved to the area. Harvey said he works the airwaves allocated to amateurs on a daily basis now that he has the time. His specialty is in sending long-distance calls, or DXing, which he refers to as one of the "venues" on ham radio. Others include short-distance communication, using morse code, bouncing signals off the moon and working with satellites, Harvey said. Some groups will participate in what is called "mountain topping." They hike up to a peak and beam their signals off a far away mountain range, he said. Two reasons -- among the many -- people involve themselves in amateur radio is for the social aspect and emergency preparedness.

from Ham Radio Times http://ift.tt/2ugxcXu
via IFTTT