Ham radio operators to show their capabilities

DOWNEY - The Downey Amateur Radio Club will show their emergency capabilities at a public demonstration Saturday at Apollo Park beginning at 11 a.m.Despite the Internet, cell phones, e-mail and modern communication, entire regions are often left in the dark after natural disasters. In these cases, amateur radio operators - often called "hams" - provide backup communications for everything from the American Red Cross to FEMA. "The fastest way to turn a crisis into a total disaster is to lose communications," said Allen Pitts of the American Radio Relay League. "Because ham radios are not dependent on the Internet, cell towers or other infrastructure, they work when nothing else is available. We need nothing between us but air." On Saturday, members of the Downey Amateur Radio Club will show their ham radio's capabilities and offer details on how residents can obtain their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes.

********** Published: June 20, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 10