Super-charged network operates in Smith River, aiding ham radio operators

Del Norte County is the base of operations for the largest network of amateur radio operators in the world, according to Jeff 'Shorty' Stouffer, a ham radio operator and owner of the Western Intertie Network (WIN).

Stouffer and his wife Susan retired to Smith River from San Diego two years ago “to get out of the big city,” and their retirement has been anything but sitting on the porch.

Their love for ham radio brought them together and when they learned that Del Norte is diaster-prone — tsunamis, windstorms, and even the occasional flood — they decided to put their ham radio experience to good use

Because of the Stouffers’ radio tower at their home and another “repeater” radio tower at the Del Norte Chapter of the American Red Cross building on Northcrest Drive, local ham radio operators can converse in “real time” with people next door or in Japan.

“I’m bringing to the table the ability to talk to the entire world,” said Stouffer inside a mobile trailer covered wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor with radio equipment.

He demonstrated by speaking his call sign, “Shorty K6JSI,” on the radio and within seconds people called out from North Carolina, Arizona and Sacramento.

Chuck Hartwick is also well aware of the benefits of ham radio in disasters.

The preparedness and health and safety director for the Del Norte Chapter of the American Red Cross got his ham radio license in 1999.

“The more operators we have, the better off we will be,” said Hartwick. “During a disaster, we’re not going to have cell phones, we’re not going to have power and the Internet is going to be spotty, unless they have a satellite.”

He noted most satellites would still need a constant power source, and said the Red Cross repeater tower can run for 72 hours on battery power.

When the Red Cross responded to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, “the only thing talking for the first three days was amateur radio,” said Hartwick.

Read the full article, with pictures, at
http://www.triplicate.com/20100724109639/
Northcoast-Life/Northcoast-Life/Talking-to-the-world