Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Ham Operators are Radio Road Warriors

From: NEXTEL-1
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 03:01:51 -0400

Ham Operators are Radio Road Warriors

By BRIAN FEAGANS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/09/04

When Lawrenceville commuter Bill Carter hops into his white pickup truck
and flicks on the radio, he doesn't zone out to '80's music or catch up
on the news.

No, he and other ham radio operators around metro Atlanta's northern
suburbs turn the dial to their own frequency, one that acts like a
gridlock support group and social club &mdash; on wheels.

The members of the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society alert each other to
wrecks, traffic jams and their weekend plans.

When Carter totaled his truck on Lawrenceville Highway, his fellow hams
were the first to arrive at the scene. And some days, when the roadways
are as full as Carter's stomach is empty, he and other amateur radio
enthusiasts cut the commute short to meet for a little Mexican food.

"We're all sitting in traffic on all the roads in Atlanta," said Carter,
an accountant who commutes to Tucker. "Some are going home to Monroe.
Some are going into Atlanta. We just talk about what's on our mind."

The society, one of at least 46 amateur radio clubs in Georgia, has more
than 200 members who cut across age and occupation. They are bound
together by their passion for radios and by a "repeater," a device atop
the water tower in downtown Lawrenceville that relays their signals.
State-issued amateur radio license plates and flagpole-size antennas
distinguish them on the roadways.

Carter's wife, Sharon, also a ham radio operator, joins the conversation
when driving to and from Richards Middle School, where
she teaches autistic children.

"It's like extended family," she said. "Even if nobody's saying
anything, you know people are out there. It's really pretty cool."
Hams must pass an exam and be licensed by the FCC. And they have to
identify themselves by their call sign when using the
radio.

The government gives hams space on the dial because they offer a safety
net of communication during snowstorms, earthquakes
and other emergencies. Amateur radio operators help report tornadoes and
severe thunderstorms. And they played a critical
communication role immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks,
when telephone lines were jammed with calls.

Georgia has 46 ham radio clubs affiliated with the American Radio Relay
League, said Jennifer Hagy, a league spokeswoman.
There are nearly 2,000 such clubs nationwide, she said. They help with
everything from reporting stranded motorists to managing
festivals. Gwinnett hams, for example, help guide floats at Dacula's
Memorial Day parade and runners during the Peachtree
Road Race in Atlanta.

Once, Bill Carter received an emergency call from a ham radio outlet on
Buford Highway. A woman had come to the store
hoping someone could help contact her husband, who was yachting in the
Bahamas. The man's father had died and the funeral
was just a couple of days away.

Carter turned his dial to a maritime radio frequency and successfully
got a "ship-to-shore" message out to the yachtsman. He
made it home for the funeral, Carter said.

But for all the utility of amateur radio, many find its greatest
attribute is kinship &mdash; especially at rush hour.
Not too many people can say they make good friends while commuting, said
Ronny Julian, a Cobb County ham.
"The nice thing about amateur radio is you always have somebody to talk
to on the road," said Julian, who is part of a ham radio
network that reports wrecks to authorities and traffic reporters.

The Carters, whose home radio has global reach, have befriended couples
from Illinois to Texas. One Oklahoma couple provides
regular updates on their mule, Blue.

Bill Carter also has grown into a Morse code buff. Each night, he taps
messages to all corners of the globe from one of his
homemade gadgets. He's had entire conversations in Morse code ; with
people from France to Slovenia &mdash; all
while driving to work.

Thursday, asCarter cruised down Ga. 316 near Lawrenceville, he signed on
to the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society's channel
and asked who else was "mobile." To his surprise, a long-haul trucker
from Quebec responded. The trucker was in Gainesville to
pick up a load of chickens.

The two bonded immediately.

"How's the performance of that Tar Heel 'screwdriver' antenna?" the
trucker asked. Carter spoke of its virtues, then wondered
what kind of antenna his new Canadian buddy had.

"Home-made screwdriver made out of sewage PVC pipe," came the response.
"It's unbelievable how good an antenna that
sewage pipe is."

Just like that, Carter had a friend &mdash; and somebody to talk to if
he's ever driving through Quebec

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/0504/10radio.html

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