Bermudan public see demo of Amateur Radio

A demonstration of the effectiveness of amateur radio communication in Bermuda has been held where members of the public had the chance to see how quickly a temporary amateur radio broadcast and receiving station can be created and tuned in to communicate with people as far away as Australia and Japan.

The Radio Society of Bermuda held their field day to demonstrate the continued usefulness of amateur radio even in today's world of cell phones, walkie-talkies and the Internet.

Amateur radio has played a role in Bermudan life since the 1940s, and current Society president Miriam Callabras has a licence that was first issued to a radio-user on the Island in 1946.

In times of emergency, such as during a hurricane, when other communication networks can be put out of action by damage and power cuts, amateur radio operators come into their own, able to rig-up broadcasting and receiving
equipment within a short space of time and using portable generators for power as happened most recently in the aftermath of 2003s Hurricane Fabian.

Asked why the 50 or so members of the Society continue to use radio receiving equipment when there are so many alternatives available, Mrs. Callabras said:
"We are the die-hards. We have clawed our way up and gained the necessary qualifications, we have honed those skills and we keep those skills in practice."

The Bermuda Society can be contacted via P.O. Box 275, Hamilton.

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia

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