These hams are good eggs

County amateur radio operators test emergency preparedness Sussex county - This past weekend on a hill behind Sussex County Community College in Newton, the Sussex County Amateur Radio Club set up camp for a 24-hour period to complete its annual emergency preparedness drill. Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is a hobby enjoyed by about three million people throughout the world. An amateur, or ham, radio operator, uses two-way radio equipment typically to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training. “Each year on the last full weekend of June, we set up under adverse conditions - which usually means no electricity, and this year awful weather conditions - to show that we can make contact with others,” said Bill Keller of Andover, who has been a ham operator for more than 40 years. According to a ham radio Web site, amateur radio enthusiasts have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and social services, and the economic and social benefit derived from research by amateur radio operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives. “After hurricane Katrina, when all the land lines and cell phones were down, ham radios were pretty much all that they had to communicate with the outside world,” Keller added. The 20-plus members of the Sussex County Amateur Radio Club raised a large antenna at the college to receive signals from other ham operators around the world. The electronic equipment was powered by a large generator. “We have two transmitters which use Morse code, and we have another one for newcomers which is voice,” said Keller. “What we do is a basic exchange of information. We keep track and log the stations we make contact with and take note of all the things that go wrong so that we can fix them for next year.” Hams take written and Morse code tests to show their knowledge and ability to operate radio equipment safely and legally. “I love the camaraderie and unpredictability of what can come in on my radio,” concluded Keller who has communicated with other operators from as far away as Mongolia and South East Asia.