It’s Radio Time!
Recently, the Amateur Radio Club at NASA’s Johnson Space Center participated in an annual nationwide emergency preparedness exercise out at the Gilruth Center.
The field day event took place from 10 a.m. CDT Saturday, June 26, to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 27. A friendly competition, participants raced for the title of the team with the most contacts.
Using a time span of more than 24 hours, the Johnson and Clear Lake radio clubs jointly invited a diverse crowd consisting of students, families, and club members to communicate with other ham radio stations across the country and Canada doing the same.
Over the course of the weekend, 40,000 hams in North America saturated the air waves to make contact with each other. In compliance with the center's Stage 2 occupancy protocols, this year's overall participation was limited — yet more than 1,000 contacts with other hams were made under a variety of different transmission modes, including digitalized packets, voice, Morse code, and even satellite bouncing.
While ham radio can be a fun and entertaining hobby, it is also a practical skill to learn. When situations arise that require emergency preparedness, or when communication by other means is restricted, ham radio can assist in navigating those challenges.
Morgan Novak, an avionic systems engineer, instructs Olivia Horstman how to speak on air. Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz
Chapter Vice President Terry Moore reflected upon the practicality of ham radio during the deep freeze that hit Houston February of 2021.
“It is amazing — you can communicate all the way across America using minimal effort,” Moore said. “I don’t know what I would have done without it, I can tell you that.”
As citizens across the city were left without basic necessities such as electricity, water, or even a means to fuel their generators, he used ham radio to get by. Because ham radios lack electrical dependence, Moore was able to coordinate with other users throughout the ice storm to identify available gas opportunities, as well as offer fellowship to those in much worse conditions.
This situation is just one of many illustrating ham radio’s significance in emergency situations, but Moore also notes that it can be entertaining. At first glance, learning the ins and outs of ham radio may seem difficult or too technically focused to learn, but Moore indicates that it is quite the opposite.
In the foreground, Matt Horstman and his daughter Olivia participate in radio operations with licensed operators from Johnson’s Avionic Systems Division. From left to right are Kathryn Robertson, Kolten Knesek, and Morgan Novak. Credits: NASA/Robert Markowitz
Learning the process can take very little time, with experience gained by diving in and simply interacting with other moderators, or setting out on your own quest. The internet is also an effective tool in providing resources for those interested in learning the basics, whether for practical or entertainment purposes. In addition to online resources, the Amateur Radio Club at Johnson is also a great point of contact for beginners. The club welcomes newcomers and actively seeks to immerse them in the field, introducing them to the fundamentals and assisting as skills and interests develop.
For questions about Johnson’s Amateur Radio Club, contact chapter Vice President Terry Moore at terrence.a.moore@nasa.gov.
