Weather Whys; HAM Radio

This is Weatherwise. Amateur radio is an increasingly popular hobby for people all over the world. Licensed ham radio operators enjoy communication with fellow devotees, who may be a cross-town or on the other side of the globe. Whenever they contact a new person, ham's trade colorful cards called QSL's, which verify the contact. With persistence, a ham operator can collect cards from every state in the union and from around the world. Particularly ambitious ham's even try more difficult maneuvers, like bouncing their messages off the moon. But while ham radio may be an enjoyable hobby, it also plays an essential part in the nation's emergency response system. Often after a natural disaster like a tornado or hurricane, ham's are able to get back on the air rather quickly. They can summon aid where needed, provide situation reports for outside media, and allow people to get important messages through to their loved ones who live elsewhere.

For instance, ham radio operators in the San Francisco Bay area were one of the few links that area had to the outside world after the devastating earthquake in October of 1989. The Amateur Radio Operator's Code says ham's must have a deep sense of patriotism and always be ready to use their radio equipment and skills in the service of their country and their fellow man. Ham operators in the Oklahoma City area certainly appear to live by that code. Together with the local civil defense, they form a network of storm spotters and trackers that is unmatched anywhere. The frequency of tornadic storms in central Oklahoma means those ham's provide information that often saves lives. Otherwise is produced with the assistance of the National Weather Service Forecast Office and the National Severe Storms Laboratory, both in Norman, Oklahoma, and is made possible through a grant from the National Science Foundation. But otherwise, I'm Drew Barlow.