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21st-Century Ham While we take a break from paddling our kayaks on a hot day, we often contact local ham operators in the area. These locals have passed on valuable information about tides, a change in the river, and even little known spectacularly scenic streams that we may never have found on our own. At night in camp, we tune in to radio broadcasts from around the globe, catch the latest news and check in with other kayaking hams around the area. Ham radio continues to play a significant role in emergency situations. During the massive blackout during the summer of 2003 that hit much of the Northeast, ham radio operators were able to maintain an emergency communication network. When the search teams were looking for pieces of the space shuttle Columbia after it was destroyed during reentry, ham radio operators provided communications for search teams and central command. Another example was during the devastating fires of Southern California in the Fall of 2003—ham radio operators passed along information about the whereabouts of family and friends when cell phones were inoperative and phone lines had been destroyed by fire. Ham radio has changed a lot since the days of reclusive neighbors chatting with strangers in the far corners of the globe. Ham radio operators are men and women, boys and girls from all age groups, in all walks of life and from every country of the world. There is no age limit—people from 10 to 100 are on the air. Now with compact and water-resistant handheld radios, kayakers can join in that group and take advantage of ham radio. Happy paddling, and 73 (hamspeak for goodbye)! Ken and Ezzie Brody, a.k.a. AB3BG and KB3EZZ, are currently living aboard their 48-foot sailboat, Cadenza. With their touring kayaks on deck, the couple is cruising from San Diego to Belize. Ken holds an Amateur Extra Class license as well as a USCG Captain’s license, and Ezzie holds a Technician-Class ham license. |
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