Amateur Radio Club Provides Service:

They do more than just have fun talking to each other on shortwave. The Cleveland Amateur Radio Club provides a service to the local area that many may not realize. It was 55 years ago that a group of amateur radio operators in Bradley County formed the club. Jimmy Still was the first club president, and since he served two years from 1962-64, there have been 23 different individuals who served as president. The current CARC president is Steve Weber, who has been involved with the club for around 30 years. "As a kid, I had an interest in radios, back in the CB days. I took my test, got certified, then worked my way up to now," Weber said. "It was back in the '80s that we decided we needed a clubhouse, and we were able to do that." He said that since the clubhouse was organized, the organization began to grow more and more and "now, we feel we need to expand our building." The CARC clubhouse is located on Johnson Boulevard. "This property is great. It is right in the center of the county, so we can stay there and cover our county," Weber said. More ability for transmission than at the clubhouse is provided by local radio towers, especially the one on Chilhowee Mountain in Polk County. Weber said the CARC is not just a bunch of people who like ham radios, but want to also help in the community. The club has provided assistance to local emergency responders during times of need, specifically during instances of extremely dangerous weather. "During the tornadoes, we played a big role there," he said. "We were able to pass out information, and work well with the EMA (Emergency Management Agency) and Director Troy Spence to help with radio transmission."

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