by Jay Heisler, Freelance Canadian Journalist
Bio: Josh Cohen works in emergency communications and management for a government agency. Josh is active in amateur radio weather nets and is currently learning Morse Code. Josh resides in Vermont.
There is a cultural effort to keep Ham Radio alive in the US and Canada. Canada, for example, has the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC). What is driving this effort?
One driver for newer amateur radio operators is an interest in electronics and technology where they intersect with communications. Another key driver is the emergence of digital modes for communication, which marks a shift from traditional amateur radio focused entirely on analog and High Frequency.
Who are the average Ham Radio users and what motivates them?
Many amateur radio operators have an interest in technology and electronics, newer operators seem to be motivated be emergency communication aspects and off grid communication. Some just like the challenges that come with using HF to talk worldwide.
Can you say a bit about your experiences operating Ham Radio? What got you interested in Ham Radio in your free time? Is there a professional component?
I was interested in amateur radio since the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago. I got my first license in 1995 and since have progressed to the license class with the most bandwidth allowances.
I think amateur radio is underutilized by first responders due to the high bar of entry, the exams are not easy making the pool of operators limited.
I would say any professional component involves amature radio operators who volunteer with their states health department. During disasters these operators staff hospital radio rooms. One such example is ‘On Call for Vermont’ which acts as a medical reserve corps. Amature radio operators are active in this organization, holding quarterly hospital communication drills.
Leigh Dupee
Bio: I am a photographer, drone pilot, amateur radio operator, podcaster, volunteer, father, and friend. My day job is keeping computer systems patched and running, with the occasional help-desk call. That, and programming, have made up most of my professional life. I live now, and for most of my life, in Bennington, VT, but was born in West Haven, CT (down by the coast). I am not representing ARES or ARRL in my responses, just myself.
There is a cultural effort to keep Ham Radio alive in the US and Canada. Canada, for example, has the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC). What is driving this effort?
The US has the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL). They provide educational resources and advocacy to keep the amateur bands open and free. As with anything involving governments, who is in power determines how successful you can be at advocacy. I’ve heard people say they got involved, not because of some large organization, but through friends and local radio clubs. Much more of a grassroots growth. For long-term success, I think neighbor-to-neighbor will bring in people interested enough to stay with this for years.
I also believe the availability of less expensive radios has helped grow operators. One of the big issues with amateur radio has always been the high cost of entry. Putting aside the possibility that your neighbors or HOA might not like your antenna, radios and related gear are expensive. The advent of cheap radios lets people get into ham radio and “test the waters” to see if they want to stay. Just think of it: you have hours of study to take a series of exams if you want to go all the way, yet after that first one you might not be able to get a radio to see if you want to stay.
After the license, the community’s ability to welcome new members is vital to its overall health. Some older hams can be unresponsive to new ideas (like favoring Morse code over anything else) and may not be as welcoming of new people and new ideas. This can either turn people away or leave them stagnant at one license level.
Who are the average Ham Radio users and what motivates them?
From my experience, there are several camps. An older camp consists of Morse code enthusiasts. This does not seem to be a growing group. Another group is the digital enthusiasts. This does appear to be a growing group and uses ham radio to send live typing texts, forms, and fixed messages. The latter group works to make worldwide contacts using as little power as possible. They typically use the mode FT8 for that. In this group are people who send still images or television over the airwaves. I haven’t seen much growth in the images group, but there is a lot of FT8 traffic. Another camp is the satellite and earth-moon-earth enthusiasts.
The commonality, besides holding a license, is that they are all a group of people pushing the envelope of what is known to work. A lot of questions have been answered, like bouncing a signal off the Moon or raindrops, but there are always ways to do things better. Ways to push beyond what was thought possible and learn new things.
Can you say a bit about your experiences operating Ham Radio? What got you interested in Ham Radio in your free time? Is there a professional component?
It was several years of listening to ham operators and hearing about it before I actually took the exam (2012). Now I hold the highest license (without knowing Morse code). After getting my license, I started looking into ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) and got certified to administer exams. I wanted to give back to the community and felt, having this new ability, that I owed it to my neighbors to use it to help them. The local radio club never expanded to offering training or exams, so I never got the opportunity to administer one.
Back when I had to travel to work, I participated in some morning weather nets as well as some traffic nets (which actually called in our sightings of people needing assistance to the NY DOT). It was a way to keep in practice and chat, albeit briefly, with fellow operators.
Now, for the past couple of years, I have handled at least one ARES practice net per week. It is usually the same crowd, but a couple of new people have joined this year. I want to make sure that we have a team of operators capable of stepping up in an emergency. To me, just like when I was first aid certified, if you have a skill that can help, use it when you can.
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