Wednesday, August 21, 2024
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Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties Know Your Neighbor . . . . . 2➤ Good Neighbors . . . . . . . . . 4 Nappanee Area News . . . 6
Vol. 54, No. 9
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
Hoosier Lakes Radio Club hosting
‘CAMPGROUND ON THE AIR’ GO BAG — Matthew Carter, public information officer for Hoosier Lakes Radio Club, shows one of the club’s go bags. The club owns four such bags, which contain radio equipment that can be used for an emergency. The bags have batteries, solar panels and generators so they can remain powered up while in use during an emergency.
EXPLAINING THE EQUIPMENT — Matthew Carter, public information officer for the Hoosier Lakes Radio Club, explains how the radio equipment behind him works. The club has been active in Kosciusko County for at least 73 years. On his shirt, Carter has his call sign. Each member of the club has their own call sign for when they are broadcasting.
Text and Photos By LAUREN ZEUGNER Editor No one is quite sure when the Hoosier Lakes Radio Club started . The earliest date Matthew Carter, public information officer for the club, could find was 1951 . Some members wonder if the club started sometime earlier . After 73 years, the club is still going strong and looking for new members to join . The Hoosier Lakes Radio Club is an amateur, or ham radio club, based in the basement of the Justice Building in Warsaw . Members have business meetings at 7 p .m . the first Thursday of the month, in the video conference room, which is also located in the basement of the Justice Building . To bring interest to the club, “campground on the air” is a 24-hour event where club members will try to make as many contacts with as many operators as possible . As part of “campground on the air,” the club will be hosting a fox hunt, where radio op-
erators look for specific beacons to locate transmitters in a designated search area . Carter said the event is similar to geo-caching . The fox hunt will be held from 11 a .m . Saturday, Aug . 24, to 11 a .m . Sunday, Aug . 25, at Pla-Mor Campgrounds, Bremen . There is a $5 per person admission fee . The plan is for club members to hold at least two fox hunts, one for adults and one for kids, with the potential to do more . The club would like to have the fox hunt become an annual event to be recognized by the American Relay Radio League, which is the governing body of amateur radio operators . Those attending the event will have access to Pla-Mor’s amenities, such as the pool, putt-putt golf and a playground . There will also be vendors, a dunk tank and more . To become an amateur radio operator, a person must have a license . Hoosier Lakes Radio Club offers classes . There are online courses available to become licensed . The first license is a technical license, which opens frequencies and power an individual can use . Carter described the technical license as similar to a learner’s permit . The next level is a general license, which opens up almost all of the radio frequencies
and allows the holder to use high frequency radio so they can talk to people globally . The top license a person can have is an extra, which opens all bands and frequencies for ham radio . Carter described this level of license as a specialist license . A radio operator’s license is good for 10 years before it needs to be renewed through the Federal Communications Commission . The fee for a license is $35 . There is no minimum age for someone to have an amateur radio license . Within the club there are members who are part of the Amateur Radio Emergency Services .These are amateur radio operators who use their skills to assist in emergencies . Carter explained there is specific training required to be part of ARES, which is different from the training to get a license . Those interested in ARES can receive training from Continued on page 3