1. Being Aware of Local Emergencies
You can add your local enforcement channels to your ham radio (illegal to talk on but can listen). This will give you up to date information as it is happening and not having to wait on a News Channel to report it. This helps when there is a wreck, shooting, and chemical spill to name a few. You don't want to travel to a location just to be stuck in traffic cause of something you could of already had the information on before hand. 2. Staying Connect When Disaster Strikes Helps you stay up to date with local emergencies and world wide emergencies channels of Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes, and other disasters that may occur. Having a ham radio with all the emergencies channels is a very helpful and informational piece of everyday life. If you are a member of the Red Cross, CERT, ARES, RACE, or any other emergency agencies and the disaster occurs and lines are down they still can contact you. You will be able to help individuals and tell the emergency agencies listed above where you are located and what type of help is needed at that location. 3. It Is a Skill to Learn and Maintain You have to take test and get your license to operate an amateur radio aka ham radio. You can go to any store and buy the radio but it is illegal to use it with out the proper licenses. Ham radio is like driving a vehicle. You can obtain a car and drive it but you get fines and tickets driving without a license, that same goes for ham radios. You can obtain a ham radio and talk on it but you will be fined for illegal talking on it. 4. Communication Around the World and Beyond Ham operators are located all around the world and beyond. You can communicate with each other with your ham radio and using you call sign (you obtain this after getting your license). It is a cheap way to meet new individuals with same interest and talk physically like on a telephone but not the fees. You are not limited on how long you talk besides for the lifespan of your battery. You can communicate with the space station or astronauts at different given times. Ex: You can be sitting in your home in Texas and talk to an individual in Spain over your ham radio. 5. It is Cost Efficiently Ham radios is an affordable hobby. You can purchase a basic radio for around $30 to start up. The test only cost around $15 and renew every 10 years unless you want to go from your current license to a higher license. You can even start cheaper by using programs on your smart phone or computer is you not interested in purchasing a radio. A computer program lot of ham radio operators use is EchoLink. Common smart phone programs are HamSphere and EchoLink for androids. 6. Local Clubs and Virtual Clubs There are local clubs all around. Joining a club with other ham radio operators give you the ability to communicate with each other more easier and a club can work together to help out individuals in need. Clubs are a fun way to show your skill and learn new skills from others. It makes it more fun then just a hobby. If you prefer you can join what is called a virtual club aka online club. This option helps the ham operators who have a busy lifestyle. It offers the same benefits as a local club, just has a little bit more flexibility. If interested in a local or virtual club contact us here at L.D.A.R.K. and we will help you locate a club suited for you.
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