HAM’S LIFE

No! NASA is not looking for hams willing to operate from the planet Mars.  The MARS referred here is the Military Auxiliary Radio System formally known as the Military Affiliate Radio System. 

The program behind MARS started back in November 1925 under the leadership of Captain Thomas C. Rives of the United States Army Signal Corps.  Captain Rives organized a group of amateur radio operators with the intent of utilizing their talents to train soldiers how to use the new technology of radio communications.  He would also use the organization, which was then called Auxiliary Amateur Radio System (AARS), to assist in research and development of radio equipment to be used by the US Army.  AARS members could also provide an instant pool of already trained radio operators for military operations if needed.

That pool of ready trained operators proved very useful when the United States of America was suddenly thrust into war on December 7, 1941.  Many of its members of AARS became military radio operators.  AARS operations along with all amateur radio operations were suspended during the war.  In 1946 AARS was reactivated.

November 1948 AARS changed its name to Military Amateur Radio System (MARS) and was split into two separate groups, the Army MARS, and the newly formed United States Air Force MARS.  (The USAF became a separate branch of the US military on September 18, 1947.  Formally it was known as the Army Air Corp.)

MARS kept its acronym but changed its name to Military Affiliate Radio System on September 2, 1952. The Navy-Marine Corps MARS program was established on August 17, 1962.

The MARS program became well known for its handling of messages and phone patches for military personnel serving overseas.  Modern email and cell phones has almost eliminated the need for MARS to handle personal messages for those serving in the military. 

December 23, 2009 MARS again changed its name while keeping it well known acronym.  The new name for MARS is the Military Auxiliary Radio System.  The Department of Defense give the following definition of a military auxiliary: “an organized body of volunteers prepared to supplement the uniformed services or any designated civilian authorities by provision of specialized autonomous services when called upon or when situations warrant.”  The Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary are two examples of Military Auxiliaries. 

With the name change came a modification of its primary mission.  MARS now will provide auxiliary emergency communications for US Military and other federal agencies such as FEMA and Homeland Security.  MARS may now assist state, local, and select private and public agencies with emergency communications. The new focus of the MARS’ mission is homeland security. 

West Tennessee Amateur Radio Society (WTARS) steps forward to promote amateur radio and is to be commended for humanitarian efforts.

It all started when Bob Alper, W6KT, went to visit his friend and fellow ham Gary King, W4WKZ, in November 2008.  It was then that Bob discovered Gary’s 60 foot tower and antenna array had been damaged.  Gary is legally blind so he was not able to make repairs to his tower and antenna system himself. 

Along with his other amateur related activities, before his antennas were damaged, Gary daily reported weather conditions in Medon, TN, Gary’s home town, to the National Weather Service in Memphis, TN but after his antenna system was damaged he was unable to operate his station and thus not able to send in his daily weather report. 

Bob related Gary’s plight to other members of WTARS and the club was able to purchase a new tower and antenna system for Gary.  In the summer’s heat of July 2009 a group of WTARS members gathered at Gary’s home and poured 880pounds of concrete, which they mixed in five gallon buckets, to form a base for the new tower.  It took four more months to obtain the rest of the parts needed to complete the tower and antennas and install them. 

Finally after over a year of silence W4WKZ was back on the air on December fifth of 2009. 

WTARS is not unlike other clubs.  It does not have a large pot of money waiting to be used for such projects but it does have member who are willing to give of their time and personal finances to help a fellow ham in need. 

Thank you WTARS members for being an excellent example to us all. 

On February 28, 2009 from 0800 to 1300 EST amateur radio operators participated in a simulated emergency event called Virginia’s Operation Deep Freeze.  The event simulated a 28 mile section of highway I-77 being closed due to winter storm and heavy snow trapping motorist on that section of road.

Several amateur radio operators did an exceptional job of helping authorities study a potential distress situation.  These hams are to be commended for their willingness to help.  Complete information can be learned at: http://www.w4ghs.org/Deep_Freeze.html .

It should be noted that the value of ham radio in emergency operation is still prized by those who have to risk their lives doing life saving activities.  Participating in such simulations helps sharpen our ability to be ready when the real emergency happens.  It also shows the public and the authorities our willingness and ability to participate when lives are in danger. 

Ham radio is not an inalienable right!  The privileges of ham radio have been suspended in United States of America during war and those privileges can be permanently taken away in the future if we do not continue to prove our value.  Part 97.1 of the Federal Communications Commission describes the basis and purpose of Amateur Radio within its jurisdiction (USA).  Other countries would most likely have a similar statement in their Amateur Radio service rules and regulations. 

FCC 97.1 tells us that (I summaries) the purposes amateur radio is to provide noncommercial communications, particularly emergency communications. To advance radio art, advance skills in communications and technical phases of radio, provide an existing reservoir of trained radio operators, technicians, and electronics experts, and to enhance international goodwill.  Though personal enjoyment is not prohibited it is not included in the purpose.

In times past it was fairly easy to prove the importance of ham radio to society but today with cell phones, advanced electronics, and internet service it is harder for non-hams to see the importance.  Politicians are fed by the public so it is the public that must be convinced that we provide an important service to society.  We know the value of our service but how can we show the public our importance?

To prove our importance to the public we must be in front of the public doing what we do best, communicating.  One of the best ways of doing this is by finding local activities that can be enhanced by our presence.  Parades provide an excellent chance to do this by helping keep all the groups coordinated through ham radio.  Many other communities can also provide opportunity such as bike rides, trail hikes, street fairs, and any other activity where there may be the need of medical help, break down assistance, or coordination between people located in different areas of the activity. 

Such activities not only helps us to be in the public eye but it also enhances our abilities and hone our skills so when the real emergency comes we ill be ready.  Remember ham radio is sometimes the only communication system that remains viable [the word system is not totally accurate because ham radio is not technically a system and that is why it remains viable].  It is when we provide reliable communications during an emergency that we really shine and people see our value and we can only provide reliable communications during the stress and confusion of an emergency if we practice during nonemergency times.

Another way Amateur Radio Operators serve the community is by acting as a link between the National Weather Service and local communities in the United States of America.  These weather spotters take a position near an anticipated storm and report on wind gusts, hail size, rainfall, and cloud formations all of which could signal a developing tornado.  These operators also receive and distribute information from the National Weather Service.  The system is called SKYWARN™ and was developed early in the 1970s.

Each year sense 1999 a special day has been set aside to recognize the efforts and contributions of these volunteer amateur radio operators.  During this day participating operators will visit National Weather Service offices so they can make contact with other ham operators around the world. 

This year’s annual SKYWARN™  Recognition Day will be on Saturday December 6 starting at 0000 UTC and continuing for a full 24 hours.  More information can be found at http://hamradio.noaa.gov/ and http://www.crh.noaa.gov/hamradio/participating_offices.php . 

Certainly these operators deserve our support, respect, and thanks for their efforts.

As I have mentioned on this blog several times in the past, while I was in the U. S. Coast Guard, 1962 to 1966, I was a radioman.  CW was still the major means of land/sea communications to ships with radiomen on board.  While serving on the USCGC McLane an incident happened which I believe will illustrate what I am about to say.

We had left Brownsville port and were several miles out in the Gulf of Mexico in route to assist a disabled fishing vessel.  I was the only radioman on board for that trip, I don’t remember why the other two were both missing.  There was a regular schedule for a watch when there is only one radioman on board so he does not have to stand a twenty-four hour watch.

We received a call on 2182 KHz from Port Aransas that they had a Priority message for us.  (In those days 2182 KHz was the AM distress and calling frequency it is now the SSB distress and calling frequency.)  Fortunately they violated CG radio procedure and said it was concerning the death of a family member of one of our crew.  Though I was not on watch at the time I did happen to be on the bridge and heard the call.  Port Aransas had CW capability so I answered the voice communications and direct them to 6383 KHz CW to send message.  This allowed me to be the only one to know the content of the message before it was passed to the captain who was then able to pass it on the crew member whose family member it was about.  It turned out that person was on the bridge when the call came in and he would have most likely the one to receive the message if I had not intercepted it. 

Sometimes when we are assisting with communications in shelters we have people who can hear the radio communications.  Messages are being passed about the well being of family members and this information should be passed directly to the individuals involved privately by those who are running the shelter.  Overhearing a radio communication is not the way for people to learn about the well being of their loved ones nor should they learn because someone else heard such communications and ran to tell them.  Such communications error can sometimes be prevented by using earphones but the message may be being passed to another shelter while a friend or family member of the one being communicated about is in the shelter where another operator is located.  Most operators do now want to sit with earphones on the entire watch just to prevent such a problem not to mention the fact that even with earphones people near by may be able to hear. 

The answer is to take it to the next level of security just as I did on the McLane.  If CW is used for all such communications the possibility of someone hearing and understanding the message is greatly reduced.  It is still a good idea if possible to use earphones when copping such a message. 

If a more complex communication system is possible digital communications can increase the level of message protection even higher then CW but a CW station is much easier to set up and use if there are enough CW proficient operators available.  Where VHF or UHF FM is being used sending such a message can be as easy as using a Code Practice Oscillator and send the message with the PTT button depressed.

This has been quite a summer. When it started it looked like the whole state of California was going to burn down (I know there are some people who are saying “to bad it didn’t.”) Then I had several personal setbacks which I won’t go into but they all lead to this blog suffering from lack of entries.

Along with the fires in California there have been tornados floods, hurricanes and tropical storms in other parts of the US.

Floods, fires, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, earth quakes, and volcano eruptions are daily events somewhere on this earth. This means daily there is death and destruction taking place somewhere on this cosmic speck of space dust we call earth.

When these events happen there are ham radio operators who rise to the occasion and at there own expense and sometimes peril to assist with the life line of communications. Even if commercial communications remain intact, which frequently during these events they do not, major disaster will overload them so they become nearly useless. This is where ham radio operators step in to help save lives and property and to help reduce suffering.

Many hams fear that the internet is going to replace amateur communications but the internet is just one of those lines of communications which frequently goes belly up during disaster. Ham radio is still the only effective communications that can fill the gap when all else fails.

Are you ready? A disaster is coming near you.

On December 29 Reg Rapson KC8YCZ, in Deckerville, MI and Stephen Smith, WA4VWV of Pawcatuck, CN responded to a call for help they received via the Missing Lynk Echolink interconnect. The call for help was from James Caldwell G4WDI of England. Along with the help of several other operators who were located in Arizona, Washington and Indiana paramedics were dispatched to James’ QTH. G4WDI was suffering a heart attack while he was in his shack.

The rescue was completed and all appeared well and it was reported that James was recovering from his ordeal but a report on handi hams (http://www.handiham.org/pipermail/handiham-text-list/2006-August/000152.html) said that, unfortunately, James is now silent key. No reason was given so only assumptions could be made. Also no time frame was given between his 12/29 episode and his death.

This is the first report I have seen where amateur radio internet operations has been used to assist in this type of long distance rescue operations but I have read and even been personally involved is long distance rescue operations using HF radio. The means is not the critical part it is just a great feeling when you can assist in saving someone’s life whether locally or thousands of miles away.

The albatross is a large seabird which ranges widely over the Southern Ocean and in the North Pacific. They are among the largest of the world’s flying birds and when in flight they are as graceful as any bird can be but their take off and landings are a sight to behold. To get off into the wild blue yonder they run down the beach and flap their wings but because of nose dives resulting in feet over beak it frequently takes several attempts to succeed. Landings can also result in similar summersault type of maneuver. Thus they earned the name “gooney bird.”

The military transport plane C-47 which was the same as the civilian DC-3 also acquired the name “gooney bird.” The DC-3 was a very fine aircraft and many are still flying today so I do not know why they were call “gooney birds” but it was a name attached and used by those serving in the military at that time.

The yellow gooney bird was neither a bird nor an airplane. It was not able to fly at all under its own power. The yellow gooney bird was a ham radio transceiver produced by the Gonset Company in Burbank, CA. Gonset produced some of the Communicator II in yellow cabinets exclusively for the United States Civil Defense program. The Gonset Communicator II, like the albatross and the C-47, became known as a “gooney bird.” They were a very good AM 2 and 6 meter transceiver which was able to be operated on 6 and 12 VDC as well as 120 VAC. The transmitter portion was crystal controlled but the receiver was tunable across the whole band.

Though I speak of the radio’s operation in past tense there are many, as the one in the photo, still operating. Mine, as you can see, is not yellow but it is exactly like the yellow version with the only differences being it is gray and it does not have the red triangle with the letters CD inside.

Last year there was a television program called “Jericho.” . In an early program there was a gray Gonset Communicator II with the actors trying to figure out why it did not work. The answer was obvious to all who know this radio. Unlike most radios with the antenna port on the back this unit has its antenna connector on the top and the unit in “Jericho” there was no antenna plugged into it. So it is no wonder it did not work. A 19 inch whip on a PL-259 works very well on these units.

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Note: If you do not know code and you watched Jericho the code sent at the beginning of each program was real. It told the name of that evenings program title.

The question was asked on the local repeater last night, “What does Auld Lang Syne mean? Some one else answered I think it is German.

Auld Lang Syne is a poem written by Robert Burns and it means “Old Long Ago” or “for old time’s sake” and as I am sure you know Robert Burns was Scottish.

The song emphasizes the point that we should not forget old friends and acquaintances. When I got my ham radio license in 1960 it was required that every ham transmission be recorded in a log book. I still have all my old log books, even though they were only required to be kept for a year from last entry, and it is fun to go back to my first log book and remember those first contacts. If you are new to ham radio and you don’t keep a log book I would like to encourage you to start even though it is not required. In years to come it will remind you of those old acquaintances you made on ham radio. If you are not new to ham radio the clock can not be turned backwards so now is best time to start.

May 2008 bring you some great DX. The sun spot cycle is on the increase as we head to the peak of 2011.

HAPPY NEW YEAR. and 73 to all.

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Did you watch the Rose Bowl Parade? Ham radio operators were along the route to help co-ordinate the progress of that parade. Thank you to each of you hams who participated. You helped to make it another beautiful start to another new year.