Ham radios may be a link to the past, but they’re also an important part of the future for emergency communication and a host of other ways to network around the world, as seen on June 28 and 29 as around 90 participants gathered at Bowdoin Park in the Town of Poughkeepsie.
The objective for the weekend was to contact as many stations using as many different bands as possible, as part of Field Day, an event held once a year, said Shirley Dahlgren, one of the organizers of the event, who goes by the call sign N2SKP. The results will be revealed in a few months.
Usually one must first be a licensed ham radio operator before participating, as part of Federal Communications Commission rules and regulations, but official members of the local QSY Society of Amateur Radio Club and the Mount Beacon Amateur Radio Club, offered a free weekend experience for those interested.
Don Cleverley, a ham operator first licensed at age 16 in 1951, said there are three license classes for users, and noted that licenses are good for 10 years.
There are reportedly 650,000 ham-licensed users in the United States and more than 2.5 million around the world.
There are between 175 and 200 members within the local county chapter, with several members assembling regularly at the East Fishkill Community Library for meetings.
Fifteen-year-old Caitlin Peterson said she has tried using the ham radio and has connected with people during field day.
“I think it’s a great way to talk to people all over the world,” she said.
Her father, Jim Peterson, has been involved with ham radio for the past 11 years, and said he enjoys the camaraderie within the club, and the correspondence he has with people across the world.
Jim Peterson noted that it’s a great way to bring families together.
“My wife is licensed and so is my daughter,” he said.
Emergency responders
Several of the members said they’ve used ham radio communication during disasters including during the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Dahlgren said she worked with the American Red Cross out of White Plains sending communication via her ham radio on that day. Several hams were stationed at various sites.
Adam Nowik, an emergency communication ham radio operator, said he also assisted on 9/11, staffing the emergency management office in Dutchess County, working closely with the Red Cross, and knows first-hand the importance of responding quickly. Aside from his passion for helping people, Nowik, a deputy sheriff for the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, discussed where his interest in electronic communication comes from.
“I’ve loved electronics ever since I was a young kid. I would play around with walkie-talkies, tying a string to oatmeal boxes,” Nowik said.
For the past six years, Nowik has been the Dutchess County Radio Officer for RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services), which assists in crisis matters with the Federal Emergency Management Association, the state Emergency Management Office, Dutchess County 911 and Dutchess County Emergency Management.
According to several local members, there are no membership dues, but 50/50 raffles are held to defray costs such as rental space of Bowdoin Park. The club also has money set aside for insurance.
For more information about the society, visit www.qsysociety.org.