Sawnee Amateur Radio Association Uses Ham Radio for Emergencies, Fun:

A local group is able to talk to people on the other side of the world and report emergencies without using a cell phone or the internet. Members of the Sawnee Amateur Radio Association use amateur, or ham, radios for both personal enjoyment and as a source of communication in emergencies, which member Tom McElroy said is a part of a license each operator must obtain from the Federal Communications Commission. "That license says, 'you can have millions of dollars' worth of radio spectrum for your use, however in exchange, in time of need when all else fails, you people had better be able to operate your radios to serve your community," he said. "So we make it fun to serve our community." Jim Farmer, the group's president, said he has met people from across the country and the world through ham radio and it even led him to his career in electrical engineering. "We talk to people in other counties, and that can develop a lot of good will," Farmer said. "One day \& in ten minutes, I talked to people in three different countries. So, that kind of thing fosters good will, and people in different countries will collaborate on different projects." The group holds monthly meetings at Northside Hospital Forsyth and issues an emergency drill on their radios each week.

from Daily dxer ham radio news http://ift.tt/2meczJ2
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