World War II Amateur Radio Use

In the last post I talked about the use of Ham Radio for emergency communications in today's world. In the previous post to that I talked about how my ham radio interest helped my in the Army and how the Army helped my ham radio hobby.

But that was in the early 1960's. Last Thursday was Veterans Day. I attended the ceremonies in our local elementary school and had fun telling the children about my service and how ham radio fit into that time. I was surprised how many of them had never heard of "The Iron Curtain". Veterans Day reminds me of World War II and of my father and uncles who served in the Army, the Army-Air Force, and the Navy during that war. My Uncle Erv was also a licensed ham radio operator as well.

Did you know that at the start of World War II in 1939, ham radio was banned by 121 countries including the Canada and the UK. When the U.S. entered the war in 1941, the hams in the U.S. showed their patriotism by following the same ban to the letter. Soon after, the ARRL petitioned the FCC to create the War Emergency Radio Service (W.E.R.S.). These licenses were issued to communities, not individuals. Hams were asked to participate in WERS activities when the community government asked them to help. This was probably the first example of a similar system that is in place today with FEMA and it's subsidiaries all the way down to the community level with RACES calling out amateur radio operators to help with their radios during emergencies.

You can read the full story on A6CV's History Website. Scroll halfway down the page to the read The War Years" by KH6O. Our thanks to them both for preserving this history.

'73
WA2KKG

What Are Appropriate Uses of Ham Radio for Public Events?

Ham radio operators are often asked to help with communications at local events. Often, hams who are active in emergency communications and radio clubs are the ones contacted with these requests.

As a ham radio operator I have been involved with emergency communications for years. I've been involved with R.A.C.E.S (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) for many years and still am. I am also active with the local Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.). I have also taken and passed the Emergency Communications course offered by the American Radio Relay League (A.R.R.L.)

So the topic for this post is, when is it okay to use amateur radio equipment for purposes such as helping non-licensed amateurs. These activities often include walks, runs, bike rides, tri-athalons, and similar activities where large numbers of people are often spread out over a large area. This is a topic with many ins and outs and some gray areas. However, FCC rules, Part 97.113 says:

"(a) No amateur station shall transmit: (2) Communications for hire or for material compensation, direct or indirect, paid or promised, except as otherwise provided in these rules; (3) Communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer...."

Hams often use their radios to help non-profit organizations raise funds for their worthy cause. Why? Well, besides being part of something that is helping people, it is a good way to hone their skills and to keep in practice. Most hams that are involved in emergency communications have a bag or kit in which they carry radios, spare batteries, bottled water, and anything they might need in a real emergency. Many call it a "Ready Bag."

Sometimes organizations don't give much of what they collect to the ones who need it. In that case, I would not personally participate. How do you know what percentage they are giving vs. keeping? Unfortunately, it can take a little work on your part. Basically you need to ask them what percentage will go to fund the program. Sometimes you can find information on their website or other places on the web. For instance, many groups can be found online at the EFCA or similar non-profit watchdog websites. For me, I want to see over 70% going to the cause for which the event is run.

The other area to watch is when a groups' event is partly for profit, where they are only giving a small percentage to the charity. In any event, do your homework. In this case, I believe the FCC's Part 97 is very clear that any event that is for profit is unacceptable for use of amateur radio participation.

'73
WA2KKG