Plenty of people in Columbia County are still riding the airwaves.
The Amateur Radio Club of Columbia County boasts a growing cadre of passionate hobbyists devoted to keep a long-standing pastime thriving and to serve the community while doing it.
The non-profit organization was founded in 2015 by radio operators to “preserve, promote, proliferate and educate on amateur radio” throughout Columbia County, according to its website. The presence of enthusiastic ham radio communities like the ARCCC is telling, considering the pervasiveness of social media and digital communications.
“With crises and natural disasters always a danger, and our huge dependency on cell phones and the internet, it is very important for people to be prepared with a backup plan,” said Dan Marshall, president of the ARCCC, call sign N4MI.
[adrotate banner=”13″]
The club demonstrates this one aspect of amateur, or “ham,” radio’s persistent relevancy. It assists the Emergency Management Agency by ensuring backup communications in case of emergencies that disrupt power and communication grids. The ARCCC is partnered with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, an organization that provides radio equipment county agencies during events such as hurricanes.
The ARCCC also works with other organizations and participates in charities and special events. It assists Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops with earning radio merit badges, helped students at Savannah River Academy launch a weather balloon and worked with the Harlem Arts council to run a special event station to commemorate the Oliver Hardy Festival. The council even designed for the club a QSL card, which is exchanged by ham radio operators by mail after they make contact for the first time.
Transmitting signals via amateur radio requires licensing from the FCC. This can be attained by registering with a club like the ARCCC and taking an exam. Many who get involved in ham radio are drawn by both its technical and its social aspects.
“Part of the attraction of amateur radio for me is the challenge,” said Bill Clark, vice president of the ARCCC, call sign WK4F. “The challenge of talking to someone on the other side of the world with 20 watts and 100 feet of wire thrown up in a tree. Or talking to someone in a rare, remote location that few get to see. Or using a satellite miles high in the sky to relay your signal to the other side of the United States. That to me is what makes amateur radio fun and interesting.”
[adrotate banner=”19″]
Rachel Jones, call sign KO4HLC, got licensed last year and is leading the club’s outreach to the Savannah River Academy. She was pleased to develop a skill in a technology that might be a little older but still complement more contemporary tech’s shortcomings.
“What I found most exciting was that with amateur radio I can check my email in the middle of nowhere,” said Jones. “Being frustrated with not having a cell phone signal was a thing of the past. The uses and ways an individual can leverage radio frequencies and help their community were really neat to learn.”
There is a wealth of information on how to get involved with amateur radio, and the financial barrier is low, with low-frequency handheld transceivers available for about $50, says Marshall. There are also several organizations, just like the ARCCC, ready, willing and able to welcome and guide those who have interest.
The Amateur Radio Club of Columbia County meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Columbia County Emergency Operations Center at 650-B Ronald Reagan Dr. For more information visit its website at www.arccc.org.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
[adrotate banner=”51″]
