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. 

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.