HAM : When all else fails, amateur radio club stays on air

In today’s technological age, being prepared means a fully charged phone battery and a backup electronic device in case that fails.

 

Members of a local amateur radio club, though, know relying on modern communication in times of need may not always be the best option.

On April 27, 2011, those in the city of Tuscaloosa and the surrounding areas were in desperate need of communication when an EF-4 tornado ravaged the city, cutting off most forms of traditional communication.

Joel Black, the president of the Tuscaloosa Amateur Radio Club, said his group’s radio was one of the most reliable sources of communication immediately following the tornado.

Black said they were able to utilize direct two-way communications between people in the field and their agencies.

“In the days after the tornado, relief shelters were manned by radio operators,” Black said. “Health and welfare traffic, in addition to requests for supplies, were passed via amateur radio.”

Black said some texting will get through, but it’s unreliable despite what the cellular companies say.

Read the full Crimson White article
http://cw.ua.edu/2013/01/28/when-all-else-fails-amateur-radio-club-stays-on-air/

(Source : Southgate Amateur Radio News)