Ham radio ambassador: Nothing amateur about this form of communication

Harry J. Dannals, a longtime member of the Albemarle Amateur Radio Club, says there’s nothing amateur about his craft. “Not true,” he says. “It only means we’re not being compensated financially for what we’re doing.”

For most of his 81 years Harry J. Dannals has used the dots and dashes of Morse code to meet and say howdy to people around the world.

The enthusiastic ambassador for amateur radio has also used his voice to communicate with other devotees who delight in fine tuning radio dials and antennas. As the president of the American Radio Relay League from 1972 to 1982, he traveled to all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, Canada and Mexico, to meet and talk with people who share an interest in his hobby.

The longtime member of the Albemarle Amateur Radio Club also has the distinction of being the only person to have been president of the ARRL and the Quarter Century Wireless Association. As he relaxed in the “radio shack” room in his home just north of Charlottesville, he reflected on his many years as a ham — an informal term for an amateur radio operator.

“The only thing I think is wrong about all this is the word amateur,” Dannals said after turning down the volume of a Morse code transmission. “That makes us sound like raw beginners.

“Not true. It only means we’re not being compensated financially for what we’re doing. Some radio amateurs are among the most professional and capable people I know.

“This hobby has given me a tremendous feeling of personal satisfaction, and the ability to talk to people, and know people, from all walks of life, whether they be around the corner or on the other side of the world. We become friends and that’s what it’s all about.”

What the hobby can also be all about during times of emergency is serving as a lifeline of sorts. Whether the crisis arrives as a natural disaster or terrorist attack, amateur radio operators can serve as vital communication links between isolated areas and the outside world.

Read the full article from Daily Progress.com