Why Amateur Radio?

[KX7DX]

We do practice -- we run a radio test once every two months --  we ask members to report the number members that is at their location or that they know is OK -- Our best test reported 41 members OK -- it was only 10% of our total word member ship but it did show it worked..
  Dan

[kalspa55]

I was first aware of Ham Radios by the EQ President in Oklahoma City many years ago. To hear him talking about it was a bit overwhelming. I thought that you had to be preordained to be a geek to have one of these babies.  I reviewed my Patriarchal (sp) Blessing and found nothing in it claiming that I was to become a Ham Operator,,,so I dismissed the Idea for the time being.

Now Years have gone by and have witnessed disaster after disaster. I have lived in Florida and was hit by Hurricane Charlie, I have volunteered to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Missisippi. I have also witnessed my mission field being almost leveled due to a massive quake in Chile.  I now live in Asia and see  the tremendous effects of  Tsunamis and Earthquakes. I see that in these latter days that these things will only increase. The one thing in common for saving lives is the ability to communicate. So many lifes are lost each year because people are caught up in these disasters and can not talk to anyone.

I am studying now for the Technician Test and can pass any given practice test. I am scheduled to test in May and am looking forward to getting my license. Although relatively ignorant in the art of spark chasing, I have been able to retain enough knowledge to atleast act like I know these things. I am not in it to baffle anyone with my brilliance because basically I donated most of my brain cells to my University and since I have not fully recovered, I assume that the ressurrection will avail me of this loss. I am in it to be a tool in communications and have a little fun making contacts.

I have to admit that I am somewhat fearful of the stereotyping of a Ham Operator that I assigned to my old EQ president but perhaps this is my payback for being so judgemental in the past.

[AC0PR]

Even though the thread was started quite a while ago, I thought I'd comment as well. Personally, I got into ham radio because of the emergency communications aspect of it. It was, and still is, discouraging to try and get something going on the Stake level because you have to have the interest. Once it's there, it can easily go away after a few months, active hams move, or new callings made, a new emphasis is placed elsewhere. At this point I don't try and talk people into becoming hams, although I do talk about what I do. If there's interest, they'll search it out and ask themselves.

We are in a VERY large area geographically (one of the largest in the US), but we do have a system of 2 meter repeaters maintained by clubs throughout the state. Instead of having a formal net, there are a few members who contact each other and keep communications at least on some level. For us, HF is required to get anyone outside of our Stake, which of course means going beyond Tech (unless you know CW and have Church contacts outside who do as well). However, if no comms are practiced regularly, it's not going to "just happen" when the time comes.

Since getting my license I've enjoyed  MANY of the other aspects of hamming and now I do those other things instead of focusing on the EMCOM part of it. I hope interest will grow at some point, but talk of the great need for comms hasn't generated any, nor stories about rare DX contacts, contests, CW with people all over the world, etc.

We are creating a "family net" since my parents and siblings are in different areas, and we want to be able to stay in contact.

Guess that's it from me. Thanks and 73.

[KC4RZW]

When all other methods of communications fail, that's when you need amateur radio. The telephone system is only as good when there is not an emergency, that's when it can be over-run as capacity is based on average calls at any one time. We must become emergency communicators with ham radio in our back pocket to use as needed, Not just ham radio operators. We should use Facebook, Twitter or email to communicate in times of emergency, what ever works. But when everything else goes down, we have ham radio and know how to use it, the equipment, configured for repeaters in the area, and skill to know how to use it.

We have over 100 licensed hams in our stake with a group in each of the 14 units, we have a local stake net each sunday evening at 8:45pm central time, the net is to make sure our radios are working, configured and that we know how to use them to work a net. We pass around net control duties each week, Net takes about 15 minutes. If you do not run a weekly training net, you will not be ready when it's time to use it. The time to prepare is past when disaster strikes. Everyone is welcome to join us for our sunday eve net via Echolink node w4tcl-R

73
KC4RZW

[BobRod]

Great comments from everyone so far.
I've been trying to drum up interest in Emergency Response Communicatons (ERC) in our Ward here in the DC area since getting licensed almost 2 years ago.  I've gotten passive resistance  from the start, and I think the reasons for Ward members' reluctance to get involved have been well explained here.  At least I'm not alone in my passion to take ERC seriously. Though not my church calling, I feel compelled to advance the cause of amateur radio within our ward and stake. Thank heaven we have an active DC area 2-meter ERC net and a very dedicated coordinater (NE3Z).
BobRod
KJ4NXG
 

[K1LDS]

Ham radio offers the most bang for the buck, is the most reliable and easy to use.