Big Island ARRL News, 18 February 2017, 16:30 hrs, UTC, Post #124.
Source:
Accessed on 18 February 2017, 16:30 hrs, UTC.
Reporter: Larissa Romansky (ABC Central Victoria).
Comment:
It’s an unlikely classroom–a converted bus that once served riders in Australia’s Victoria State. Now, the renovated bus is a classroom for Venture Scouts who want to embrace the technology and fun of Amateur Radio.
ABC reporter Larissa Romansky has captured the enthusiasm of these young people in an article highlighting the fun, technology, and public service aspects of Ham Radio.
These Venture Scouts are well aware that any of their digital communications devices could fail, and that Amateur Radio could provide the necessary communications backup during emergencies.
Reporter Romansky adds that communications are very important to Australians living in remote areas of the country:
“In the digital age of mobile phones, instant messaging and social media, many swear by amateur radio’s resilience.
The group’s trainer and lifelong amateur radio enthusiast Tony Falla thinks it is important to teach the younger generation amateur radio skills because in some circumstances, it is the only way to communicate.
He gives the example of a gathering of radio amateur radio enthusiasts at the military base on the Andaman Islands following the 1994 East Java tsunami.
“It wrecked the whole Andaman Islands and the only thing standing were these aerials at the top of the hill,” Mr Falla said.
“The amateurs immediately swung into emergency mode and were communicating back to India to arrange rescue and help.”
“He said Australia was also vulnerable to natural disasters, especially bushfires which were a great threat to telecommunications.”
It’s good to see mass media taking a more positive, supportive role in promoting Amateur Radio. If you wish to share an article about Amateur Radio, why not send it to your local newspaper or contact a local radio station about doing a public service interview? If you’re a radio amateur living on Hawaii Island, please send your news items to me at kh6jrm@arrl.net. I’ll polish it up a bit and send copies to our local print and broadcast media. At the very least, I’ll publish it in this blog, where people around the world will see it.
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Thanks for joining us today!
Aloha es 73 de
Russell Roberts (KH6JRM)
Public Information Coordinator
Hawaii County, ARRL Pacific Section