[HCRA] Ham radio buffs tune into fun in park

[Steve KB1GHC]

Ham radio buffs tune into fun in park

Monday, June 24, 2002
By NANCY H. GONTER


GRANBY   �   From 3 to 6 a.m. yesterday, 15-year-old Andrew P. Jensen was
trying to talk to as many people as he could.

In those three hours, Andrew sat in a tent in Dufresne Park surrounded by
ham radio equipment and managed to contact more than 100 other people doing
just about the same thing all over the United States and Canada.

"It seemed normal to us," said Andrew, an Agawam resident and a member of
the Agawam-based Boy Scouts of America's Venture Crew 510 who worked with
the Hampden County Radio Association to participate in a national "Field
Day" for ham radio operators.

"It's a ham radio emergency preparation event held every year across the
United States and Canada," said John J. Pise Jr. of South Hadley, who works
with both groups.

"It's the one time a bunch of hams get together with one purpose," Pise
said.

The group of about 40 started setting up 2 p.m. Friday so they could begin
making contact starting 2 p.m. Saturday. They worked through the night with
the goal of making the most contacts by the end of the event, yesterday at 2
p.m.

To simulate circumstances of an actual emergency, the groups cannot use
commercial power, so they rely on generators. They cannot use permanent
antennas, so one 80-foot and three 40-foot antennas, all military-surplus,
had to be erected as well as the tents and campers to provide shelter.

"Our claim to fame as radio amateurs is that if a twister came and knocked
out power, we could be up and running in 15 minutes outside of the damaged
area to send human welfare messages," Pise said.

By yesterday afternoon, the group had made more than 3,000 contacts with
other groups all over the U.S. and Canada. Some had also spoken with people
in New Zealand. Some were making voice contact, others using Morse code or
computer (digital) methods.

The Venture Crew and Pise also tried to make a contact through a satellite,
but the effort was unsuccessful because of technical problems.

The value of amateur radio became clear after the terrorist attacks on Sept.
11 when radio operators set up communication networks to help replace those
knocked out by the violence, Pise said.

For Andrew, whose call letters   �  are KB1FVL, it was no problem to stay up
all night with a little coffee and a lot of running around to help set up
and connect.

"It's just a hobby, talking to people, to see how far we can get," Andrew
said.

His brother, Erik P. Jensen, also 15, said he likes the technology and
communicating with people around the world.

"You get to hear all the different languages," Erik said.

Stephen M. Zamenek, 14, of Granby helped work on making contact through the
satellite. Stephen, who has been able to talk to people in Australia,
appreciates the technology.

"Because it's all the way on the other side of the world. It's very
expensive to talk to people there on the phone, but on the radio it's free,"
he said.






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