Sky Mariner

Last year, I decided to become involved in the hobby of Amateur radio, and to start volunteering my time to the local amateur radio club.  It was a decision that has resulted in a tremendous learning experience, a way of meeting new people, and a means of giving back to the community in which I live.  You may be reading this article, thinking about joining this old hobby and tradition of tinkering, building, and volunteering.  You probably have many questions about what’s involved, what you can and cannot do, and the different modes and technologies that exist with amateur radio.  Having recently acquired my Basic operating ticket (and earning my callsign of VA3POR), allow me to share with you the road I took to becoming an amateur radio operator.

Internet Resources
If you live in Canada, then visit the Radio Amateurs of Canada website www.rac.ca.  This body of amateur radio operators has many resources about the hobby and what’s involved.  If you are from the US, then visit ARRL – a very detailed and rich site on all aspects of amateur radio.  Another great source is YouTube.  Here, you can see people operating equipment, using their computers and radios in digital modes, and get a “first hand” feel for whats involved.

Field Day
Many of the local Amateur Radio clubs have what are called ARES sections.  ARES – the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, is a group of amateur radio operators that train and participate in exercises that prepare them to assist their communities during times of emergency.  Field Day is a massive exercise that amateur radio operators in different regions around the world set up in the middle of an open field, and operate their equipment on battery power for a 24 hr period.  One of the stations is what is called a “Get On the Air” station.  This station takes on the call sign of an amateur radio who was not licensed the year before (a contest requirement).  Yours truly will be a GOTA station with my call sign (VA3POR).  GOTA stations allow anyone in the general public to get on the air for the first time, and try to make contacts with people on the air.  If you are interested, follow me on Twitter, or visit the www.peelarc.org site for announcements on Field Day, which is slated for June 25th – 26th of 2011.

Listening

Local Amateur Radio Clubs
The local clubs are a fantastic source of information.  Here, you get to meet individuals that are highly experienced, and are more than willing to answer any questions you may have about the hobby.  When you feel that you want to acquire your license, the clubs usually have courses to assist people in acquiring their operating ticket.  This is what I have done ultimately.  You can visit the RAC website www.rac.ca to see which clubs exist in your area.  Those within the West GTA (Greater Toronto Area) may wish to consider the Peel Amateur Radio Club at www.peelarc.org.

Amateur Radio is a rich field of exploration.  It engages the technical mind and appeals to the sense of civic service.  It has traditions and practices that span generations, but yet experiments with modern ideas and technology.  There a few hobbies that possess such a unique set of properties.  I encourage anyone reading this to take the time to know what amateur radio is about, and to understand why it’s such a great pursuit.

In part one of the series “Why Amateur Radio?”, I discussed the public service aspect of the amateur radio service. In this article I will explore the technical aspect of amateur radio, and it’s appeal to those with a technical inclination.

Amateur Radio not only has an important public service aspect, but it also provides the participants a rich opportunity of experimentation. The regulations of the amateur radio service creates a framework where licensed amateurs may use communications equipment in prescribed frequency bands and permit experimentation within those bands. Those who attain an advanced license are permitted to build equipment from scratch, and press this custom equipment into service. The result of this framework (found in many countries) has resulted in a wide array of equipment and modes of operation across the frequency spectrum. Amateur Radio now encompases digital transmissions, both point to point and packetized. GPS and digital transmission have been married together to create APRS. Packetized voice, voice over IP, and and robust digital transmission modes for extreme conditions have all developed out of the work of amateurs.

Indeed, many of the wireless modes used in current wireless equipment was developed by amateur radio enthusiasts. One classic example is Single Sideband or SSB. This technology, which projects most of the power into the intelligence potion of a signal in AM allowed for long range and lower power. This technology allowed the US in World War II to place amateur radio equipment into ocean crossing bombers and provide continuous communications from take-off, to target, and back again. More recently, robust digital transmission modes, such as JT65, are being used by the US military for it’s ability to overcome noise.  JT65 has the amazing ability to transmit digital information below the noise threshold!

All of the foundational technologies that are currently present in the latest handsets, are found in amateur radio. It is no mistake that many of the engineers who developed the wireless portions of handsets are themselves amateur radio operators, and that they cut their teeth on amateur radio projects.

The homebrew groups that exist within the amateur radio clubs are tremendous sources of self-education in the areas of electronics, RF engineering, antenna design, computer programming, and micro-controller development. Anyone wanting to make a career in these and like fields can gain hands on experience with patient and wise mentors with the homebrew groups.

Even though amateur radio has been around a long time – the public service dimension and the self-development opportunities it provides are in need today, more than ever. As society becomes more complex, the ad-hoc and portable nature of amateur radio skills make it ideal to assist in various crises and to quickly re-establish both voice and data communication. The open and collaborative nature of amateur radio allows the dissemination and democratization of specialized knowledge, and helps to insure the existence of skilled individuals in both public service and in industry. The engagement of the amateur radio service and it’s practitioners with society at large, create a virtuous cycle, that sees benefits flowing both ways. It is with this in mind that the practitioners of amateur radio, the public at large, and our leaders need to be reminded of, in order to help preserve and promote this incredible endeavour.

Today I want to discuss the hobby of Amateur Radio.  I recently got into the hobby, and received my Basic license (and earned the callsign VA3POR). When telling some of my friends about this interest, some looked puzzled. Why would anyone make a hobby of something that seems so outdated in this age of the Internet, smartphones, and instant connectivity? Well, the answer to that question has multiple answers – answers that speak to my personal interests, but also to the purpose of amateur radio itself. In this two part series of labelled “Why Amateur Radio”, I intend to explore these reasons so that people can get a better understanding of why people would engage in this activity. The articles will focus on two aspects – the public service aspect, and the technical experimentation aspect. This article, part one, is on the public service aspect of amateur radio.

For the average person, the sight of someone communicating with someone else, over a scratchy channel, using rather large or bulky equipment seems to us odd and a bit of a throwback in this age of iPhones, touchpads, and Skype. What possible use is there for having this stuff around? Well, anyone who remembers August of 2003 and the great power outage will attest that there were times that they were not able to reach others. Yes, there was dial tone, but circuits were jammed and you couldn’t get through. Cell phones had the same problem, and the more advanced services (video, email, etc) didn’t work at all. Had an emergency situation occurred during this time and the phone lines jammed – the emergency services could not be contacted. This dilemma has the potential of becoming a disaster. Communications are paramount in emergency situations. The communication services that you are used to, are tied to a massive backend of fibre optics, copper wire, telephone switches, computers, power systems, communications towers, and personnel. This large infrastructure can take awhile to get back online, and if you have a very large disaster – like the earthquake in Haiti, your large scale infrastructure can be wiped out. In many emergency situations, where communications infrastructure for an area or region have been affected, there is a need for a rapid, ad-hoc, off grid, long range capable method of communication. Amateur Radio fits that bill. Experienced amateur radio operators can set up a station in the field, on battery power, using portable equipment to get ranges of hundreds, if not thousands of kilometres. The very old and seemingly outdated Morse Code allows for very long haul communication on a power of only five watts! It is this mix of skills, preparedness and technology that can establish vital communications in a very bad situation. In North America, there exists Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) groups that roll into action in the event of crisis or breakdown. I personally participate in ARES meetings hosted by the Peel Amateur Radio Club (PARC). PARC hosts a radio repeater (a special kind of radio that extends the range of wireless communication) on top of a high location with backup power. This repeater is constantly used, and formal meetings over the air (known as a net) are conducted weekly. These weekly nets provide training and testing for volunteers and equipment. This is just one way of keeping skills and equipment sharp. Contests, Field Day, and the volunteering of amateur radio skills and equipment for public events insures that equipment is constantly being tested and that operator skills are kept sharp. The Peel ARES group has memorandums of understanding with the City of Brampton, the Region of Peel, Peel Region Police Force, Brampton Hydro, and it is the primary supplier of communications for the Peel Red Cross in times of disaster. The amateur radio service is the hedge against systemic failure of primary communications. It is a fundamental part of a civil Plan B. The motto of amateur radio is “When all else fails…”.

The amateur radio service provides a way for people with technical inclination to give back to the communities in which they live. It gives local communities extra resources, particularly in these times of budget restraint. It is a way for those who had retired from the workforce to reengage in an activity of greater benefit to the community at large, and those with long years of experience have an opportunity of passing their knowledge to the next generation. Part of what makes civil society civil, is the active participation of citizens for the benefit of the whole. Amateur Radio performs its share, by participating, and supporting the activities of public life, as well as being available in times of need.

Are you thinking about participating?  Then it’s time to visit the Radio Amateurs of Canada at www.rac.ca.  If you happen to be within the Peel Region of Ontario, Canada, then you can visit www.peelarc.org.  There are usually public events that are hosted in your area which provide “Get-On-The-Air” (GOTA) stations.  June 25th to June 26th, 2011 is Field Day worldwide, and chances are, there will be a GOTA station in your area.