Area ham operators are tuned in

This time of year, many hams are keeping a watchful eye on the skies.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE -- Lawrence County amateur radio operators are on a mission to spread the word: Being a "ham" is not obsolete.
Carl Sacherich and Seymour Cohen of New Castle said amateur radio operators -- or hams or ham radio operators as they are known -- have a lot of fun contacting each other and talking to operators all over the world. They also spend much time in public service and public safety activities, such as providing communications at the recent Pittsburgh Marathon.
"Cell phones and computers haven't wiped out the need for high-frequency radio," Sacherich said. "Thunderstorms make communication difficult at times, but when phone lines and cell phone towers are down, hams will still be on the air."
Sacherich said the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, mobilized thousands of operators who were on alert for several days. The disaster showed the important role high-frequency radio plays in emergency communications, and encouraged many people to become licensed operators.
High-frequency radio can be used for emergency communications among law enforcement, emergency medical services and disaster teams, for example, when a disaster results in an overload of calls on police and fire band radios and telephone systems, he said.
Weather warnings
At this time of year, many of the area's amateur radio operators are keeping a watchful eye on the skies as well as their ears tuned to their radios. Many of the area's hams are also qualified as National Weather Service SkyWarn volunteers.
Sacherich said the Amateur Radio Relay League is the national organization for amateur radio operators. The Federal Communications Corporation governs ham operations.
Many hams are also part of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and are trained to communicate with National Weather Service and local, state and federal Emergency Management Agency officials, and others.
When severe weather threatens, an elaborate communications protocol goes into effect, and hams know what to do. Hams trained by the National Weather Service as SkyWarn volunteers give NWS officials valuable information they would not have otherwise.
Sacherich said anyone can be a SkyWarn volunteer, because the NWS provides phone numbers where volunteers can call to relay weather information. Hams, however, can use the high frequency radio to call from stationery radios such as those at the Lawrence County club's radio room at the American Red Cross, or from hand-held radios in their vehicles or wherever they may be.
"SkyWarn volunteers are vital because they can give NWS information about what a storm is doing on the ground," Cohen, known as "Cy," said. "They have all that sophisticated equipment, but they rely on us to tell them what is happening. The radar can't see the golf-ball sized hail or that the wind is bending trees to the ground or overturning cars."
Requirement
The ability to pass tests required by the Federal Communications Commission is the only requirement to be licensed for high frequency radio communications, Sacherich said. In fact, some operators qualify at 5 or 6 years of age.
Cohen said there are about 200 hams in Lawrence County, but not all are active, and not all are members of the local organization, the Amateur Radio League of Lawrence County. The group meets the third Thursday of each month at the local American Red Cross office. On the air, area hams can contact Cohen at N3CYH and Sacherich at N3OLA (the letter O).