| Ham radio, credited with helping in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, gains popularity (May 10) |
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In the age of e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and cell phones, ham radio may seem like a relic of the past, much like buggy whips and rotary phones.
While the ham radio isn’t exactly the new iPad, it is gaining popularity. There are just under 700,000 ham radio operators in the U.S., nearly double the number there were in 1978, according to the Federal Communications Commission. It’s easier to gain a license, which fans say has spurred interest. The FCC recently dropped the longtime requirement for operators to learn Morse code. While many ham radio operators are retirees, there are younger enthusiasts. Mike Brulo, 15, has been a ham operator for two years. Brulo said he grew up to the sound of a police scanner, and now he works with a group called Skywarn, a group of volunteer severe weather watchers across the country. During February’s blizzards, “we were relaying reports to the National Weather Service at State College,” he said. “During summer, we do that for thunderstorms, too, like the recent severe storm watch.” “People think it’s all about old people using huge radios,” Brulo said. “The truth is, you can talk to people around the world with a hand-held radio, or link that radio to your computer and turn your radio into your own Internet.” Ham radios were credited with helping those in the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and some say that sparked a renewed interest. Allen Pitts, a spokesman for the American Radio Relay League, said the biggest increase in licenses for amateur radio has taken place in the past six years. Pitts said the biggest growth is coming from baby boomers and young adults. “We’re seeing a lot of young people, in their late teens and 20s, coming into the hobby, and they’re bringing a lot of energy with them,” he said. “Most of them are coming in because of their interest and involvement in emergency preparedness.” And then there are all those approaching retirement and seeking something useful and challenging to do. “That’s something to do without spending a fortune,” Pitts said. “They get into it because it’s really fun to do.” |
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