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It's been quite a while. At least 20 years or so, since I brought my ham radio equipment out of the fatigue-green trunk. The covers of both the Lafayette HA-600A receiver and Heathkit DX-60B transmitter I built back in 1978 have spots of rust. And the Heathkit HG-10B Variable Frequency Oscillator (VFO) still has that loose screw rattling around in its chassis. Both matching Heathkit rigs use tubes and fellow hams have recommended that, if I decide to reactivate them, I should use a variac (variable AC transformer) to bring up the line voltage gradually because their capacitors may have "leaked" over the time I was off the air.

I got involved in ham radio 28 years ago when I found a copy of QST, the official  journal of the American Radio Relay League, in the periodical rack at Montclair Public Library here in Montclair, NJ.  I was hooked! With the help of husband and wife Elmers  (ham radio slang for "mentors") who taught in Montclair Public Schools, I got my FCC Novice license. My favorite mode of operation was (and still is) CW (Continuous Wave AKA Morse code).

In college I continued to "rag chew" on the 2 meter (~144 MHz) FM voice band with hams in the DC metro area using a Heathkit crystal-controlled HT (handie talkie) I built. (See bottom front in the shack picture above.) While pursuing my degree in electrical engineering I tried to revive W3RID the Howard University Amateur radio club, but my studies were too intense. And before leaving college and while on summer break, I passed the General class exam given at the old FCC Building in New York City on Varick Street.

After college I only used ham radio (2m FM again) during weather emergencies between my home and work at Bell Labs in Whippany New Jersey. Most of the time I was off the air and did not consider become active again until the recent attack on NYC.

The Sept 11th attack and the events occurring in it's aftermath have "inspired" me to become active in ham radio again. I have upgraded my license from General to Extra Class, become a volunteer license examiner, and re-joined the ARRL and OMIK Amateur Radio Association (an organization founded by African-American hams). I've also joined FISTS, the organization for the preservation of Morse code.

I have become "radio-active" again for the following reasons: to enhance my knowledge of wireless communication, to be prepared for emergencies, and to foster international peace through direct communication.

During my tenure at Bell Labs, I worked on some the radio technologies in use today such as the AMPS, WCMDA and GSM cellular telephone systems and early IEEE802.11 wireless LAN systems. Now that I'm out on my own as a consultant, ham radio is serving as an chance to continue to play with wireless technologies and to enhance my skills. Currently, I'm working on a microprocessor based CW keyer project. These skills I intend to continue to use not only for profit and for my clients, but also during emergencies.

As we proceed into this new uncertain future, emergency communications will be essential--not only because of terrorist attacks and wacky weather, but also because of the continuing overthrow of the American government by big corporations. I believe that as more and more of the essential services that make modern civilization modern are privatized, fewer and fewer of us will be able to afford them. Reliable electric power and communications will become luxuries only available to the very wealthy, if we remain silent. Assuming that corporate interests are not able to eliminate it completely (see Save Ham Radio), amateur radio (and unlicensed services like 802.11) may be the only form of communications available to the rest of us. And we will have to become open to learning from people in developing countries (for a change) how to survive scarcity and how to share.

Radio amateurs have always had a focus on fostering international good will. And I know, that this lofty creed is more important now more than ever. Across political, religious, historic and geographic boundaries, Ham radio, and wireless communication in general, can be vehicles for direct, people-to-people communication, and thereby encourage understanding, education, and sharing. No, I don't believe ham radio can engender world peace, but I do believe that the use of techniques learned and practiced by amateurs can make a difference in developing communities. Indeed, low power, community-based radio and wireless kiosks can be good, not only in the developing world, but to communities in the developed world that are losing access to local news and information because of corporate mega-mergers. I plan to work in communities through Engineers without Borders, Engineers without Frontiers, Geek Corps,  or create an organization to make wireless truely unbiquitous service it should be.

Perhaps I'm a bit naive, but I believe that when we communicate, wirelessly or otherwise, and learn to honestly listen to each other we can begin to act more like the intelligent species we claim to be.

Go to Welcome to Amateur Radio! to learn more. By the way, CQ means "hello, is anyone there?"