ST. THOMAS — Calling all amateur radio enthusiasts. If you’ve ever had an interest in broadcasting, communicating via handheld radio or simply wanting to chat with random folks around the world without having to pay hefty bills, ham radio could be for you.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) held its annual Field Day around North America, particularly the United States, Virgin Islands and Canada on Saturday where amateur radio technicians from all over the globe picked up their handhelds and made contact in an effort to promote awareness, test signals and recruit new members to their growing community.
Amateur radio is shortwave, high-frequency radio that is available to anyone with the equipment and can be delivered and received across the globe and even in outer space.
The ARRL is a 165,000-member group founded in 1914 in the U.S. The term “ham” radio is not an acronym. It comes from back in the day of Morris Code. When amateurs began broadcasting, it was evident that they were beginners by their slow and choppy transmission of the code. The professionals said that they must’ve had hands like giant hams. Thus the nickname, “ham radio,” that has stuck to this day.
Dr. Henry Smith, a St. Thomas native and alumnus of UVI, is the head of the ARRL community on St. Thomas. Smith said his interest in amateur radio began in the ‘60s when he’d hear chatter on the radio from Cuba during the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
“Here in the Caribbean, it was very tense times about what would happen with Kennedy and (Soviet leader Nikita) Khrushchev and missiles,” said Smith. “My brother always had a wire up on the roof, listening to these stations. So since then, I’ve always listened to it.”
Smith said the goal of the ARRL Field Day is to educate the public about what amateur radio is and also to recruit new members.
“One aspect of it [amateur radio] is emergency communications. After we had Maria and Irma here in the Virgin Islands, and telephones were gone,” said Smith. “When other more popular ways of communication fail, I can toss an antenna up in a tree, connect it to my radio, hook to my car battery and speak to persons.”
In the event of a hurricane or tsunami where cell phones are rendered obsolete, a high-frequency radio could come in handy as a way to find out where to seek shelter, get water and food, and even which hospital emergency rooms are open.
Bernard Wheatley, Schneider Hospital CEO and also an active member of the ARRL on St. Thomas, recognizes the importance of high-frequency radio, especially in emergency situations. He said it’s important to test your personal station regularly to ensure you can get a good signal in case of emergency.
“We use it all the time,” said Wheatley. “Whenever I get a moment, I check around and listen to what’s going on.”
Local ARRL members set up in the Tutu Park Mall parking lot on Saturday with a Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency truck and tents. Although the truck had a huge antenna assembled on top, all of the radios that were active were powered by solar panels and batteries set up in the lot. They were out in force in an effort to grab the attention of anyone in the area looking to join the community.
Amateur radio has three tiers of certification. The higher the certification, the more access one gets to higher-profile frequencies such as those used by emergency hospital workers and police.
Smith heads up classes for every level of certification for those interested in joining the community. Although he teaches the classes, he says he simply points students in the right direction.
“I try not to think of myself as an instructor. I tend to think of myself as a study facilitator,” said Smith. “I don’t go in there with a blackboard telling them X plus Z equals C. People who come to the classes tend to be self motivated. We have classes once a week just for them [students] to check themselves against one another. ”
If you are interested in joining the community or just want to chat with fellow ham radio folks around the globe, contact Smith at starsvi340@gmail.com. There currently are free classes for all levels. Beginner classes for Technicians are on Wednesdays at the Mark C. Marin Center at Antilles School from 6 to 8 p.m. Classes for Generals are held Tuesdays at the VITEMA headquarters from 6 to 8 p.m., and for the highest level certification, Extras, at the Small Business Development Center in Nisky Center on Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m.
