Ben Baker, a second-grader at Landis Elementary School, typed Morse code into an oscillator at a Cass County Amateur Radio Club meeting held at the Emergency Management Agency building.

“Cool,” he said. “It reminds me of a ’60s show I watched on YouTube.”

Several boys from Cub Scout Pack 3203 recently got a glimpse into the world of amateur radio operations.

The radio club, which has been in existence since 1953, includes about 70 members and has meetings once a month. Amateur radio operators, also known as “hams,” engage in two-way communication worldwide on radio frequencies using telegraphy, voice, digital and even images.

Ham operators are able to assist in emergencies and disasters and frequently report local weather conditions to the National Weather Service. They also report daily local rainfall and snowfall.

Dan McDonald said that ham operators have been major contributors during the aftermath of such events as Hurricane Katrina and 9-11.

“In disasters, the only people operating are amateur radio operators,” he said. “Some call it the best backup system in the world.”

The Cub Scouts learned about the hobby by watching an informational video and checked out different types of equipment.

David Rothermel showed the boys how to find radio frequencies to talk with individuals from different parts of the world.

“Can we talk to people from Ohio?” said Gage Benish, a second-grader from Landis Elementary. “My cousins live there.”

The Cass County Amateur Radio Club meets once a month at the Cass County Emergency Management Agency building.

Every June, club members hold a public event called a Field Day to practice for real-life emergencies. Members try to make as many contacts as possible that day. The winner last year made more than 300 contacts.

“As far as winning goes, it’s just a matter of bragging rights more than anything,” Chuck Hendrickson said.

Hams can also claim bragging rights by making a unique contact.

Hendrickson said he made a contact with an individual from the nation Estonia.

Tom Denton said he communicated with astronaut Frank Culbertson while Culbertson was in orbit.

“In the meantime, he’s going overhead at 17,000 miles an hour,” Denton said.

“Most astronauts are ham operators,” Rothermel added.

McDonald said individuals were required to obtain a license to become an amateur radio service operator. Several members of the organization are trained to give FCC tests to anyone who is interested. There are three levels of operators — technician, general and extra. A technician can communicate mostly locally, while a general and extra can communicate around the world.

“As you move up the ladder, the tests become much more difficult,” McDonald said.

He said equipment can range from less than $100 to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the types of gadgets you’d like to get.

Hendrickson says there’s no age requirement for ham operators.

“As long as you pass the tests, you’re in,” he said.

There are a wide range of people who pursue the hobby, McDonald said. There are also groups specifically for women ham operators, as well as for the disabled and blind.

“It’s a very, very diverse group of people,” he said.

Whether it be weather spotting or finding people from other countries to communicate with, everyone pursues the hobby for different reasons.

“It’s a niche hobby,” Hendrickson said. “There’s something for everyone.”

“The main thing is to have fun,” McDonald added.

Melissa Soria may be reached at (574) 732-5143 or via e-mail at melissa.soria@pharostribune.com



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