Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Local amateur radio operator Jesse Morgan prepares to go on the airwaves.
"Disaster preparedness" might not be on your summer fun list, but the members of the Greyhound Amateur Radio Club would like to change your mind on that, and provide some entertainment at the same time.
Jesse Morgan, public information officer for the Portales-based group, invites us to drop by Calvary Baptist Church at 1101 W. 18th Street in Portales between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday for what his club is calling a disaster preparedness event.
The come-and go-format offers live disaster simulations and information tables from area relief organizations, Morgan said, as well as the chance to interact with local amateur radio operators who will have a GOTA (Get on the Air) station set up so that visitors can "experience what we do for real."
For those unfamiliar with the term, amateur radio (also known as ham radio) operates on spectrums for non-commercial exchanges of information.
"Amateur radio is a great hobby and offers many modes of communication," Morgan said. "We have the ability to talk to people on a local, regional, national, and international distance scale based upon multiple bands of operating frequency ranges."
It can also be a lifesaver.
"Ham radio is special because it's not only what can we do differently than a cell phone," Morgan explained, "but it's also what we can do when the cell phones don't work.
"Often times during large scale disasters -- even in today's technologically advanced world -- cell phones fail," Morgan said. "Hurricanes, tornadoes, huge fires ... all of these are examples of things that have happened recently and even close to home where normal communications methods have failed."
That failure can be due to the disaster itself, Morgan said, or simply due to a system being overloaded by needs of those affected by a major disaster.
Morgan said local ham operators stepped up during and after the tornado that ripped through the south side of Clovis in 2007, and they've also provided temporary emergency communication during major grassfires in our region.
The Greyhound Amateur Radio Club is housed in the old broadcast center at Eastern New Mexico University and meets on the first Saturday of each month in the Zuni Room in the basement of the Campus Union Building, according to Morgan.
They touch base twice weekly on the air - at 7 p.m. each Tuesday and Saturday - to "take check ins and pass traffic for local hams," Morgan said, or in other words, make sure their local network is up and running.
Morgan, a third-generation licensed electrician, was a fan of CB (citizen's band) radios when he was growing up.
"The more I researched radio and what made it tick, the more I got interested in the licensed portion where I could do real radio things and talk much farther and play with all of the different technologies and modes available," he said.
An avid learner, Morgan said one of the best things about amateur radio is its endless opportunity to expand knowledge.
"I don't think anyone out there can ever learn too much," he said, "and there is so much involved with radio. It's never ending. We can learn multiple types of science, math, engineering, programming, languages ... it goes on and on."
Saturday's event will include presenters from the American Red Cross, United Way of Eastern New Mexico, Roosevelt County Electric Cooperative, Roosevelt County Ministerial Alliance, Calvary Cares Food Distribution, Portales Office of Emergency Management, Roosevelt County Office of Emergency Management, and the ENMU Department of Public Safety.
"Most people should expect to spend about 30-45 minutes," Morgan said, "but of course that doesn't include eating from one of the great food trucks that will be set up on site to serve us all some yummy food."
In addition to a fistful of pamphlets and a plate of food, Morgan also hopes we will leave knowing that the Greyhound Amateur Radio "as a club exists, we are active, and we can help during a disaster scenario."
Want to learn more? Morgan would love to visit with you and convince you to become the next local amateur radio operator. Contact him at 575-218-9669, by email at [email protected], or over the airwaves at call sign KF5GPQ.
Betty Williamson believes Saturday's event is worth at least an ounce of prevention (or maybe a whole pound). Reach her at:
