RADIO DAYS AND NATTER NIGHT

THIS ARTICLE, WRITTEN BY KATE SOLE, APPEARED IN THE ST ALBANS REVIEW LOCAL PAPER ON 10TH SEPTEMBER 2008

09 Sep 2008

What do Chris Tarrant, Marlon Brando, Priscilla Presley and King Juan Carlos of Spain have in common? They are all amateur radio enthusiasts.

Not knowing much about the hobby, I went along to the Verulam Amateur Radio Club’s Natter night at the Rose and Crown in Sandridge, where I had the chance to meet some members and talk to the chairman Norman Fisher.

So what exactly is amateur radio? “It would take me all day to explain,” Norman jokes, “ but basically it is the hobby of communicating with other people either locally, across the UK or around the World to foster good international relations.

“The hobby is universal – we speak in old fashioned Morse code, in data modes and in plain language. Sport radio is a bit like treasure hunting except you don’t find treasure – you find other radio amateurs around the world and you see how many you can communicate with in a set time. It’s about self training because you have to pass the correct information to those stations to be able to communicate with them and you then log their call signs.”

Various members around the table then tell me their experiences of forging foreign relations and I hear about one man who is friends with a German living in Sweden, another who has an Hungarian acquaintance in Budapest and another member who has become close with a guy in New Zealand.

Paul Dyke, who has travelled from Cambridge for this Natter Night, explains “My geography was useless until I became involved with amateur radio. You really learn where the countries are.”

He adds “You get a real buzz out of it when you manage to speak to somebody in countries with small populations such as Nepal, Vatican City or the Cook Islands – even if its just for a few seconds. It gives you an adrenalin rush. The first time I spoke to someone in Australia, I almost fell off my chair.

Radio amateurs can communicate either directly through their radios or extend the range of their signals by using hilltop repeaters, orbiting satellites and even by bouncing signals off the Moon.

And communication is not restricted to this planet – radio amateurs have also been able to speak with astronauts on the International Space Station.

Since I am eager to see how amateur radio works in practice, Paul shows me his set-up in his car and before long we are speaking to a scout group in Ireland and somebody in Romania.

But before you rush out to buy a radio, be aware getting “on air” is not as easy as simply tuning in. First you must obtain a Foundation Licence, which you can apply for only when you have passed the Radio Communication Examination. The government will then issue you with a unique callsign (for example, King Hussein of Jordan, who was member of Harrow amateur Radio group, was known as JY1).This will allow you to operate on all bands without supervision but within a power restriction of 10 watts.

Amateur radio has another important application which goes beyond personal entertainment, as Norman explains: “Raynet, the Radio Amateurs Emergency Network, gives extra communication and support to the stretched utilities during major incidents such as the Midlands air disaster and Lockerbie.”

Paul also reveals: “When the tsunami hit Thailand on Boxing Day 2004, all communications were disabled. The only way messages could get in and out was through amateur radio.”

Far from being a dying hobby, the
amateur radio community is active, vibrant and diverse. So, until next time – 73 (the Morse code sign-off for “best wishes”).

The article as it appeared in the newspaper

Peter G4HSO setting up a two metre station

Power up: the 50 & 70 MHz quad antennas ready to be mounted on the pole