THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, June 21, 2012 Call THE ROCK HOG


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Richard Christopher at work at his home Ham Radio station. Notice the Morse Code transmitter that he is using.


COURTESY PHOTO HAM from 26


ficer on an aircraft carrier. “After I got out, I decided


to get back into it again,” said Christopher. His license had expired


and he had to start all over again. Taking the Novice, General and Advanced tests in one day and pass- ing them all. There were about 200 people there for the test and only a few left standing at the end, including Christopher. He ended up with an Amateur Extras License which gave him all privileges on all US amateur bands. Since then Christopher


has been teaching Ham Radio and been actively involved in every aspect. About three years ago CNHARC became involved with other clubs statewide in a program to make sure that hospitals never suf- fered from loss of commu- nication. “We realized after 9/11


how easy it was for this to happen,” said Christo- pher. The Ham Radio clubs


across the state formed a committee and met with the NH Hospital Associa- tion. “They have their own communication, but it de- pended on the phone lines leaving the hospitals,” said Christopher. Working with some funds


from hospitals, today, ev- ery hospital in the state


has a Ham Radio station to ensure communication couldn’t be interrupted in the event of a natural di- saster or a terrorist attack. Of course, the Ham Radio clubs also had to educate hospital personnel in ac- quiring their Ham licenses to use the equipment. Christopher is also a


member of ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Servic- es), Ham Radio operators who become hospital vol- unteers so they can have access to the building to help with communications in case of emergency “We are always training


but it is really only a last ditch effort,” said Christo- pher.


Besides the stereotypi-


cal Ham Radio sets that most people envision; like everything else, they have evolved with cell-phone size hand-held units that you can fit in a backpack or a small case. Operators can also set up a high- powered radio station with tall antenna in any location within minutes. A Ham Ra- dio can work where a cell phone won’t due to a lack of towers in vicinity. These smaller units have


made it possible to utilize Ham Radio operations in other ways. Ham Radio operators


have had an important part in disasters that most peo- ple know nothing about. “After 9/11, New York


Police and Fire Depart- ments couldn’t commu- nicate with each other so they depended on Ham Ra- dio operators,” said Chris- topher. After the 2010 Chile earthquake, the first com- munication to the rest of the world about the trag- edy was sent by a Ham Radio operator. The difference in Ham


Radio and other commu- nication comes with the


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