In our very own backyard (Albemarle County Virginia), the Albemarle Amateur Radio Club (AARC) has been awarded the 2011 Amateur Club of the Year.? Congratulations to the club!? There are 600,000 amateur radio operators (also known as ?ham radio?) in the United States (over 2 million worldwide).? The United States is home to over a thousand amateur radio clubs.
So why join a ham radio club?
- It provides contact with local radio amateurs.
- You can get help building a station.
- Clubs often sponsor license exam classes.
- Clubs make ham radio more visible in the community.
- You can often borrow infrequently used test equipment instead of buying it.
- Clubs organize activities such as ?hamfests?, Boy Scout radio merit badge sessions and organize local participation in National Field Day.
In fact, the Albemarle Amateur Radio Club has just completed participating in the AARL?s (American Radio Relay League) 2011 National Field Day.? The object of this exercise, according to the AARL, was ?to work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands? and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions?.? Translated that simply means ?how to communicate during disasters when all other forms of terrestrial communication fail!?
Amateur radio (also known as ham radio) has an impressive track record in supporting critical infrastructure during times of crisis.? Amateur radio operators came to the rescue of stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina in both Mississippi and Louisiana.? The Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) coordinated efforts between refugee camps and government offices during the cataclysmic disasters there this past Spring.
If you do begin to build your very own ham radio station, you might keep in mind solar power to supplement your needs.? We?d also like to recommend our recent blog post on gas generators. Amateur radio operators are able to provide critical communications when other methods fail ? but only if you have power to run those radios!
If you are interested in joining a Ham Radio Club in your part of the world, make sure you check out HamDepot.com for a list of clubs in the United States.? For a more detailed look at amateur radio, check out our blog, The Role of Amateur Radio in Disaster Communications.
Facta Non Verba
Source: http://www.ice-pack.com/EP_news/2011/06/local-amateur-radio-group-receives-award/
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