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Beacon signal accidentally turned on from wreckage of plane
Associated Press - June 11, 2008 3:35 PM ET
ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - A HAM radio operator driving along I-5 near Roseburg picked up an unusual signal recently.
It was the beacon from an Emergency Locator Transmitter from a downed aircraft.
Sergeant Dave Marshall of the Douglas County Sheriff's office says the HAM operator also happened to be a volunteer for the Amateur Radio Emergency Services.
He contacted 911 and followed the source to a hangar at the Roseburg Regional Airport.
The signal was coming from the wreckage of a home built plane that crashed on a Roseburg street May 26th. The pilot, 70-year-old Clyde Floyd, amazingly walked away from the wreck.
But on Saturday, he was showing the plane to some friends when 1 of them accidentally triggered the beacon. It was quickly turned off.
If it hadn't been, the Air Force would have launched a search for the wreckage of the plane.
ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) - A HAM radio operator driving along I-5 near Roseburg picked up an unusual signal recently.
It was the beacon from an Emergency Locator Transmitter from a downed aircraft.
Sergeant Dave Marshall of the Douglas County Sheriff's office says the HAM operator also happened to be a volunteer for the Amateur Radio Emergency Services.
He contacted 911 and followed the source to a hangar at the Roseburg Regional Airport.
The signal was coming from the wreckage of a home built plane that crashed on a Roseburg street May 26th. The pilot, 70-year-old Clyde Floyd, amazingly walked away from the wreck.
But on Saturday, he was showing the plane to some friends when 1 of them accidentally triggered the beacon. It was quickly turned off.
If it hadn't been, the Air Force would have launched a search for the wreckage of the plane.
Fire silences radio transmitter
The World
COOS BAY — Listeners tuning in to some of their favorite radio stations, including KTEE 94.9 and KOOS 107 this morning, found only silence and static.
A fire Sunday night charred the stations’ transmitter in Englewood.
COOS BAY — Listeners tuning in to some of their favorite radio stations, including KTEE 94.9 and KOOS 107 this morning, found only silence and static.
A fire Sunday night charred the stations’ transmitter in Englewood.
Filed under | Articles | nwham
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How not to raise a tower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVlldW9FBH4
Redneck tower rasing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SkxOsjBJFE&NR=1
It helps to have a house you can drag a chain under.
Redneck tower rasing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SkxOsjBJFE&NR=1
It helps to have a house you can drag a chain under.
AMATEUR RADIO PULLS THROUGH
This is a story of how Ham Radio helped me out of a very dangerous situation. On March 3rd 2005 I broke down on Interstate 5 just North of The city of Gorman. It was late, around 11:00 PM. The road was dry and clear. My Big Rig had just come out of the shop with an engine rebuild. It was under the repair shops care for 3 weeks. I picked up the truck that morning and done my vehicle inspection. I found no safety discrepancies. However unknown to me there was a problem.
It was early morning on March 3, 2005; I went to work with the intention to install my radio gear in my original truck from the one I was temporarily using. It took around 4 hours to transfer all my equipment and supplies into my assigned Big Rig. Once finished I picked up my cargo for the run to Modesto, California. I rested a while before heading out. I left at 7:45 PM and proceeded to head out of town. I followed the rout to Interstate 5 North and made a quick stop at a truck stop in Castaic, Ca.
It was early morning on March 3, 2005; I went to work with the intention to install my radio gear in my original truck from the one I was temporarily using. It took around 4 hours to transfer all my equipment and supplies into my assigned Big Rig. Once finished I picked up my cargo for the run to Modesto, California. I rested a while before heading out. I left at 7:45 PM and proceeded to head out of town. I followed the rout to Interstate 5 North and made a quick stop at a truck stop in Castaic, Ca.
Filed under | Articles | nwham
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Why an Amateur Radio Operator is called a HAM
Have you ever wondered why we radio amateurs are called HAMs?
Well, it goes like this: the word Ham was applied in 1908 and was the call letters of one of the first amateur wireless stations operated by some members of the Harvard Radio Club.
They were Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy and Peggie Murray. At first, they called their station Hyman-Almy-Murray. Tapping out such a long name in code soon called for revision and they changed it to HY-AL-MU, using the first two letters of each name.
Early in 1909, some confusion resulted between signals from amateur wireless HYALMU and a Mexican ship named HYALMO, so they decided to use only the first letter of each name and the call became HAM.
In the early pioneer unregulated days of radio, amateur operators picked their own frequency and call letters. Then, as now, some amateurs had better signals than some commercial stations. The resulting interference finally came to the attention of congressional committees in Washington and they gave much time to propose legislation designed to critically limit amateur activity.
In 1911, Albert Hyman chose the controversial Wireless Regulation Bill as the topic for his thesis at Harvard. His instructor insisted that a copy be sent to Senator David I. Walsh, a member of one of the committees hearing the bill. The Senator was so impressed, he sent for Hyman to appear before the committee
He was put on the stand and described how the little amateur station was built and he almost cried when he told the crowded committee room that if the bill went through, they would have to close down the station because they could not afford the license fees and all the other requirements which were set up in the bill.
The debate started and the little station HAM became a symbol of all the little amateur stations in the country crying out to be saved from menace and greed of the big commercial stations who didn't want them around.
Finally, the bill got to the floor of the Congress and every speaker talked about the poor little station HAM.
That's how it all started. You will find the whole story in the Congressional Record.
Nationwide publicity associated station HAM with amateurs. From that day to this and probably to the end of time, in radio, an amateur is a HAM.
Well, it goes like this: the word Ham was applied in 1908 and was the call letters of one of the first amateur wireless stations operated by some members of the Harvard Radio Club.
They were Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy and Peggie Murray. At first, they called their station Hyman-Almy-Murray. Tapping out such a long name in code soon called for revision and they changed it to HY-AL-MU, using the first two letters of each name.
Early in 1909, some confusion resulted between signals from amateur wireless HYALMU and a Mexican ship named HYALMO, so they decided to use only the first letter of each name and the call became HAM.
In the early pioneer unregulated days of radio, amateur operators picked their own frequency and call letters. Then, as now, some amateurs had better signals than some commercial stations. The resulting interference finally came to the attention of congressional committees in Washington and they gave much time to propose legislation designed to critically limit amateur activity.
In 1911, Albert Hyman chose the controversial Wireless Regulation Bill as the topic for his thesis at Harvard. His instructor insisted that a copy be sent to Senator David I. Walsh, a member of one of the committees hearing the bill. The Senator was so impressed, he sent for Hyman to appear before the committee
He was put on the stand and described how the little amateur station was built and he almost cried when he told the crowded committee room that if the bill went through, they would have to close down the station because they could not afford the license fees and all the other requirements which were set up in the bill.
The debate started and the little station HAM became a symbol of all the little amateur stations in the country crying out to be saved from menace and greed of the big commercial stations who didn't want them around.
Finally, the bill got to the floor of the Congress and every speaker talked about the poor little station HAM.
That's how it all started. You will find the whole story in the Congressional Record.
Nationwide publicity associated station HAM with amateurs. From that day to this and probably to the end of time, in radio, an amateur is a HAM.
Getting the Most from Your Hand-Held Transceiver
©1998-2001 Virginia RACES, Inc. Nonprofit reproduction is permitted with source attribution.
Ed Harris, KE4SKY, Virginia State RACES Training Officer
Ed Harris, KE4SKY, Virginia State RACES Training Officer
Filed under | Technical | nwham
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