The Enterprise -- Thursday, June 22, 2000
East Bridgewater
Jane Haines
Enterprise Correspondent

Radio Field Day this weekend at YMCA.

Licensed Amateur Radio Operators in the Brockton area will set up and operate field radio stations to contact other hams throughout the U.S. and Canada over 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday at the YMCA on Route 106. The objective is to see who can make the highest number of contacts during the contest period.

The Whitman Amateur Radio Club will run a concurrent Field Day at Ames Nowell State Park in Abington. Both clubs are participants in the American Radio Relay League's Field Day.

Brockton Enterprise
June 26, 2000
By Jane Haines
Enterprise Correspondent

'Hams' say they are ready for anything.

At an annual event in East Bridgewater, local ham-radio operators recount tales of how useful their hobby can be in an emergency.

EAST BRIDGEWATER - In May 1996, the members of the Massasoit Amateur Radio Association were preparing for a mock drill. They had recently become involved with the National Weather Service's SkyWarn program, and wanted to be ready in case their services were needed during a weather emergency.

Before the drill could be scheduled, the Greater Brockton area was hit with a "down-burst" that downed trees and knocked out power and telephone service throughout the area. Hams most of whom have radios in their cars, were able to call in weather conditions from all over the South Shore, helping direct emergency personnel to the most seriously affected areas.

Members Gil Follett of Abington and Carl Aveni of Brockton are instrumental in the SkyWarn program, which includes 3,000 volunteers from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, northern Connecticut and southern New Hampshire, two-thirds of whom are ham radio operators.

"We got our drill all right, but we hope it never happens that way again," Bob Mandeville of Brockton said Sunday during the club's annual field day at the Family Y.

The field day is a national event during which clubs throughout the United States and Canada set up field radio communication stations and attempt to contact other stations. The 24-hour period serves as both a contest and emergency preparedness drill.

Although it might seem that the Internet and cellular phones might have reduced the need for ham radios, Mandeville said that hasn't happened.

"During a weather or other emergency, the power and phones go out," Mandeville said. "Cell phones are affected, too, and even if they are not knocked out there is no priority system for those who need to get through.

"But as soon as anything happens, hams can throw up an antenna line, and we can communicate almost anywhere in the world."

Hams always have batteries and generators ready and stay up to date on the latest methods and information. During the field days, hams have the chance to make sure all their equipment is operating properly.

Ham radio equipment can run from a homemade system to the latest in digital technology. New technology has resulted in smaller but more powerful radios that have also dropped in price over the past 10 years. Most hams have their radios connected to a personal computer that logs the contacts they make with other ham radio operators throughout the world.

Within the ham radio community, there are many interests. Weather is one, but hams are also active in other areas of public service. Aveni works closely with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency in Bridgewater.

Many members were at the headquarters on New Years's Eve in case communications were affected during the change to Y2K.

The club has trained with Eastern Edison to respond if there is a problem at the Pilgrim Nuclear power plant in Plymouth. Aveni has also established ham radio stations at local veterans hospitals. Some hams are "techies," described by Aveni as "the kind of people who can't look at a piece of equipment without taking it apart to see how it works."

Local hams work with new digital mapping systems that are used during search and rescue. Throughout the world, hams have contributed to rescue missions and made connections between patients and physicians who are thousands of miles apart. The first non-military satellite was launched by hams and there were ham radio operators on the Mir space station.

Many famous people, including Walter Cronkite and the late Sen. Barry Goldwater and King Hussein were hams, enthusiasts say. It is also a hobby that is increasingly attracting women.

Despite the serious nature of their volunteer work, most hams are involved because it is fun. The youngest member of the Massasoit Club is 14. Many families become involved. Bob Pratt of Abington said whenever his wife complains about how much time he spends with his radios, he reminds her that it was her father that got him into it.