A brief look at amateur radio and its importance in the Caribbean.


With all of the strides that have been made in telecoms and personal communications, the term ‘amateur radio’ (or ‘ham radio’) is rarely heard these days. Most of us, who at one time had been familiar with those terms, might have assumed that amateur radio had died a natural death, most likely being replaced by mobile/cellular phones.

However, the amateur radio community is alive and kicking, and doing what it was meant to do: facilitating “non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communication” (Source: Wikipedia). It therefore ought not to be a surprise when, from time to time, amateur radio makes the news, as it did last week in Dominica, where a concerted effort is being made to revitalise the service, with software being donated to the Dominica State College. According to the Executive Director of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in Dominica, Craig Nesty:

What we are trying to do is revitalize HAM-radio operations. The beauty about HAM- radio is that it can be built very simply using a battery and antenna. It makes communication a lot more resilient and a lot more robust…

(Source:  Dominica News Online)

Although amateur radio is geared towards non-commercial use, it is a very powerful medium, which can be rewarding to both the novice and the experienced operator. For example, amateur radio operators can listen to all communication including that of  the police, fire, rescue, military, aviation, to name a few. Generally, the range of communication tends to be at least 20 miles, but depending on the frequencies and configuration used, the range can be multiplied to several hundreds of miles, thus supporting international communication.

These two features, among others, still makes amateur radio essential in times of disaster, which occur regularly in the Caribbean. Typically, the amateur radio community are highly involved and relied upon in the disaster communications networks that are established, which are triggered prior to disaster, but remain active in the aftermath.

Do you know the Phonetics Alphabet?

Do you know the Phonetics Alphabet?

Although virtually everyone might have a mobile/cellular phone, which it might be assumed has replaced the amateur radio, the phones depend on base stations to be function properly, which frequently are compromised during major disasters such as hurricanes. Since amateur radio operators manage their own equipment, which does not have to be expensive, they are likely to be in better position be live during, and more importantly after a major disaster, and in a position to assist first responders in whatever emergency efforts that are needed.

Having said this, in most countries, individuals must be pass specific tests in order to be licensed as amateur radio operators. Though some understanding of radio signals and propagation are needed to start, since amateur radio is a practical endeavour, effective operation of the equipment will reinforce the theory learnt.

For those who might be deterred by the prospect of having to be licensed and having to sit an exam, and believe that other unlicensed services, such as Citizen Band (CB) or walkie-talkies, are just as good, that is not the case. The range for CB and walkie-talkie devices is very limited, usually no more than 2 miles. Further, CB operators can only converse with other CB operators, and the same applies to walkie-talkie users. Hence unlicensed communication services may not be particularly useful in exigent situations.

It thus merits emphasising that amateur radio is a powerful medium, and one that is likely to continue to be relevant well into the future. However, most Caribbean communities could benefit from increased interest and new members to ensure that they continue to thrive, and serve their countries when needed.

 

Image credits: Peter & Joyce Grace (flickr); Ham Radio School

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