Published: July 20, 2013
Amateur radio operators are viewed as a thing of the past, as the history of ham radio dates back to the late 1800s and turn of the century.
These amateurs provided the foundation of modern telecommunications as they experimented with broadcast and two-way radio possibilities.
With today's advanced wireless technology, amateur radio might have become obsolete. Yet, it hasn't.
Did you know the first "chat room" was invented by ham radio operators? They communicated across the continents during wartime, and played chess all hours of the day and night. And amateur radio invented social networking.
Amateurs are viewed as public servants and a national resource. It doesn't look like these guys are going away anytime soon.
Today, radio communication is keeping up with the future, says Tom Margrave, president of the area's newest chartered amateur radio club in Mariposa.
More than a dozen members participated in emergency communication efforts during the Carstens fire last month.
Dave Swickard is Emergency Coordinator for Mariposa's Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Utilizing two repeaters — devices that receive and transmit radio communications — between Mariposa and Fresno's Red Cross Headquarters, radio communication was available to evacuees staying at the shelter at Mariposa Elementary School.
Swickard and group members volunteered that week at the shelter, taking turns operating equipment.
The situation provided valuable on-the-job-training. One thing they learned: switch message traffic to digital modes, to avoid labor-intensive and time-consuming voice transmissions.
Font: Merced Sun-Star
