Ham radio operators Terry Atwood, front, and David Potter used their radios to contact retired Navy vessels now serving as museums around the country during an exercise held in 2023. The demonstration led to a series of ham operator classes for interested individuals. Another class will begin March 6.
File photo
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Several Jasper residents have recently completed “ham” radio classes and successfully passed the required Federal Communications Commission's licensing tests to become licensed amateur radio operators.
Most recently Sharon Buss, Keith Dopson, and Chuck Treu passed both the introductory level Technician class license, and then the more difficult General class license. In addition they attended the National Weather Service's storm spotter training class to become certified storm spotters for the National Weather Service.
The previous class included Sharon's husband Philip Buss, as well as Robert Cole, both of Jasper and John Tyner of Western Grove.
The study class has been taught by Terry Atwood of Boxley who explained that all attendees of the classes have passed the FCC exams to become licensed hams.
Ham radio offers a very wide range of communication modes for hams from the vintage Morse code telegraphy to voice, radio-teletype, slow-scan television, ham radio satellites, packet radio, EME aka Earth-Moon-Earth communications by bounding signals off the moon to talk to hams on other parts of the Earth as well as ham radio on the International Space Station.
Another class is currently being organized to begin March 6. If you are interested in learning more about the class contact Terry Atwood at t.d.atwood@att.net. Use “Ham Radio Class” in the subject line.
The class will meet at 7 p.m. each Thursday at the Fellowship Hall of the Jasper Methodist Church beginning March 6th and runs approximately twelve weeks, or until everyone completes the FCC test. Attendees will need to order the current study guide “The ARRL HAM RADIO License Manual” from the American Radio Relay League at https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2003373064.
