Contributed by Don Bush
It’s been an interesting year so far. Ham radio operators across the borough and state have made the best time out of a dreadful situation to relax, work on our equipment, antennas and training. I guess you could say Amateur Radio Operators (Hams), have been social distancing for years. Where else could you talk to your neighbor, relatives, and people around the world without traveling, getting close, and complying the current mandates, staying safe at home? Normally the Matanuska Amateur Radio Association (MARA), is quite active in community support projects. We have some still in the planning stage and some we had to cancel. We have learned how to adapt and still assist where we can.
As other organizations have been doing, we also are having Tele-meetings “Zoom Meetings”. This not only was a safe method but a way to reach more of our members and hams around the borough and state. What a great way to exchange ideas.
Due to our hobby growing and increasing our ranks, we had to come up with ways to teach classes, have board meetings, give license test to get your FCC License and still maintain our social distancing and safety for our operators, trainers, and community. Our instructors got together and established various training programs to help our hams. You might ask why is it important to train folks on how to talk on a radio? Well there is a bit more to talking on ham radio than your little walkie talkies or CBs. We learn how to build antennas, send messages, use various modes of transmission, and install radios and antennas, how to work contest and who you can talk to on the radio. You can’t pick up that type training out of a book. How it works, rules and regulations, formulas, yes. We have some operators that have been doing this for 30-50 years and have picked up a thing or two, who in turn pass it on to the new operators. Tele-meetings and training sessions work out quite nicely for that. And we are always looking for ideas to improve our systems and folks that are new to the hobby ask questions or come with various backgrounds which can bring these new ideas to light. You CAN TEACH an old dog new tricks. Almost every type of radio, mode and system today was an experiment by a ham radio operator, later picked up for commercial purpose.
We have a saying, “When All Else Fails, Call a Ham”. We assist Emergency Services and various agencies during these time. Normally it is in conjunction with disaster type situations. One day you wake up and there is no power, wind is blowing so bad you can’t see to drive, the telephone and/or your cell doesn’t work and the internet is down. Now what do you do? Tune to your local radio stations and listen for pertinent information to help you. You can get this small broadcast/FM radios, which you use a crank to charge up the battery, then tune to your station. MARA and ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) can assist by suppling back up communications until the commercial system can be brought back on line. Ham Radio Operators supply their own equipment, power and time to support our communities during these times. It may not be that bad where you are at, but folks in the outlying communities may need assistance and messages from distant cities or villages may need to get to someone that can send help. We can send messages to your loved ones in the lower 48.
So during this challenging time we have been training. We meet on certain radio frequencies, we call nets, to pass traffic, check on an area of interest and provide training on how to work in an emergency situation or just to check of hams in the back country. These nets are published so operators all over the state, lower 48 and the world know where Alaska Operators can be found. We learn how to work with the State, DOD, FEMA and local governments. MARA is a non-profit organization and gets great support from our local businesses and agencies, we in turn can help them as directed by Borough Emergency Services. We have assisted the Borough and various communities in training and setting up emergency ham equipment to be there if needed and the local hams can man that equipment to assist if required.
Today emergency procedures are all in line with FEMA guidelines. FEMA has adopted the ICS (Incident Command System) system that uses plain language, procedures are streamed line and it doesn’t matter if you are in Fairbanks or Anchorage, we all work the same. In our CERTs and advance Communications training, we can work side by side with the first responders or replace them in less dangerous situations so they can be released to handle the more important and dangerous tasks.
Another item starting up in Alaska is SKYWARN. You hear about the hurricanes and tornadoes in the lower 48. Ham operators are trained in weather spotting, in severe weather conditions, and emergency operations. We may not have them, but we have floods, windstorms, snow storms, earthquakes and winds that equal a hurricane or tornado. So in conjunction with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks and Anchorage, our operators learn how to read the weather and turn in daily reports.
So do you feel shut in and alone? Are you going stir crazy? How would you like to talk someone just to keep you sane and hear another voice? It is not a cure all, but try Ham Radio, we have courses, training material and folks to help you along the way. It doesn’t cost you a cent. So get ahold of us and start a new and exciting hobby.
MARA has 2 websites, one for the club activities, www.kl7jfu.com and our ARES site for training and emergency operations, www.kl7jft.org. We are also located in Facebook under MARA, or KL7JFU. MARA’s main website will give you are long range planning calendar, activities in the club and points of contact.
