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 Previous: Hurricane Watch Net, National Hurricane Center Eyeing Tropical Depression |  Next: Microgravity Complicates Haircuts in Space, Astronaut Tells Students |
By Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM
Contributing Editor
August 5, 2004
Young radio amateurs involved in emergency communications, weather spotting and even storm chasing, plus news of several accomplished young hams.
Chris Castle, KI4BOQ, is an ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) member in Louisa, Kentucky. He also belongs to the Big Sandy Amateur Radio Club.
During the Memorial Day flood in Eastern Kentucky, Castle helped distribute food to the disaster recovery center in Paintsville, where there were approximately 20 families. He and his father were also called to be on standby at their home shack, in case any emergency traffic needed to be relayed.
"Many people were devastated in this area by the flood waters," he recalls. "This was the worst flood I had ever seen." According to Castle, it only took about two hours for the water to reach many homes--including some belonging to his family members. "This was a very scary time, but I knew with ham radio communications, I could be of some assistance," he says.
As an ARES member, the most fascinating thing to Chris is that only five watts can save a life. One time while vacationing in Tennessee, he came across motorist whose car had broken down and was out of cell phone range. So, KI4BOQ used his mobile to contact someone who was able to call for help.
A recent news brief on the ARRL Web site offers additional information about Chris Castle, KI4BOQ.
 Venture Crew 80's Lisa Harman, WE4BSA operating at Edison High School, Fairfax County, Virginia. [Dick Harman, WA4USB, Photo] |
 L-R: Jon Baker, KG4YED, Gov Mark Warner of Virginia, Ian McCuistion, KG4SCG. Baker and McCuistion are Venture Crew 80 members. [Sue Baker, N4RVC, Photo) |
During Hurricane Isabel in September 2003, Venture Crew 80, which specializes in emergency communications and first aid, took part in relief efforts in the Alexandria, Virginia, area--one of the Washington, DC, suburbs.
On September 17, crew members were briefed on what the served agency would need. At 8 AM the following day, the crew was dispatched to multiple locations, including the emergency operations center and to American Red Cross shelters, where hurricane victims could take refuge.
The Venture Crew 80 team assisted with such tasks as assembling food, water, cots, blankets and emergency medical response gear for distribution to the Red Cross shelters. At one shelter, the crew even provided first aid for shelter patients, because there was no medical staff on duty. Of course, they also provided communication assistance and relayed traffic from one location to another. Most crew members remained on duty for at least 24 hours.
A news item on the ARRL Web site last fall has more details about Amateur Radio relief efforts during Hurricane Isabel--including those of Venture Crew 80. Thanks to Bill Stewart, W2BSA, for sending me this information.
"Scott Peake has his head in the clouds most of the time.
And he wouldn't have it any other way," says James Alderman, KF5WT. Unlike
most, instead of spotting storms, 17-year-old Scott Peake, KD5LFV, of Lucas,
Texas, already is chasing storms with the pros, "tracking super cells,
mesocyclones and rotating wall clouds," Alderman says. "And in the true spirit
of Amateur Radio, he reports what he sees to the local SKYWARN nets so that
lives can be saved."
 The mobile weather station of Scott Peake, KD5LFV. [Photo courtesy of James Alderman, KF5WT] |
 Scott Peake, KD5LFV, steps out of his truck for a moment to get a better look at the sky. [Photo courtesy of James Alderman, KF5WT] |
When his fear of lightning changed to a curiosity, Scott began watching storm programs on the Discovery Channel, where he found out about storm chasers.
"Scott learned that chasers communicate over ham radio. And by the eighth grade, he was riding along with local SKYWARN spotters. But in the back of his mind, Scott wanted to chase storms, not just spot them," says Alderman.
A year later, Peake enrolled in a summer technology day camp sponsored by Collin County Community College. There, he was exposed to Amateur Radio and even got to try using a handheld transceiver. "Tech Camp" participants learned they would be able to keep one of the handhelds if they passed their Technician Amateur Radio exams by the end of the month-long program.
Peake was determined to get one of the handhelds, so he studied and studied. After four tries and much dedication, he passed and became KD5LFV. "Now he could participate in SKYWARN nets by actually giving severe weather reports over the radio," Alderman notes.
Soon, his parents bought him a "gently used" 1994 Chevy S-10 extended cab pickup. After much customizing and careful assembly, KD5LFV's truck became a "rolling meteorological research facility."
After miles of use, Peake's mobile weather station has many scars, ranging from hail dents to a smashed bumper caused by flying road debris. He's most proud of the large dent on the hood caused by a baseball-sized hailstone. He has been on more than 30 chases and seen five tornadoes this season alone. One chase even lasted over six hours.
Peake is also Allen High School's "weather man" for his school's morning announcements. As Alderman explains: "Texas weather can change quickly during the spring months when storms are most common. To keep up with the weather during the day, Scott carries his Kenwood TH-D7AG talkie at school for monitoring NOAA Weather Radio and local SKYWARN nets." If severe weather threatens, Peake can deliver a warning on short notice.
"School officials and coaches have come to rely heavily on Scott's accurate and timely weather forecasts," reports Alderman.
Peake credits his success to his supportive family. "They love me so much," he said. Even though storm chasing scares his parents a bit, they support, encourage and finance his efforts.
"Scott's ultimate goal is to study Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, which is widely known as having the best program in the nation," Alderman says. "No doubt he will succeed." His dream job is to work at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
"One gets the distinct impression that if the Center has no job openings when Scott graduates college, he'll probably show up for work anyway. And there he'll be right at home," concludes Alderman.
Thanks to James Alderman, KF5WT, for providing this story.
If you're interested in emergency communications or weather spotting, check out these links!
Also, to become a more effective and better-qualified
emergency communicator, consider taking the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
on-line courses. They are fun courses, and you don't have to leave
your computer to take them. Best of all, if you're an ARRL member, the $45 fee
is reimbursed upon successful completion, thanks to a grant from United Technologies Corporation. So, here's my
challenge to you: If you're involved in emergency communications or want to be,
start by taking the Level I Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications course!
 Jay Thompson, W6JAY, one of the winners of the 2003 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Award. |
Congratulations to Jay Thompson, W6JAY, who shared honors with your editor as a recipient of the 2003 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award. Thompson was last year's Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year, and this year I was pleasantly surprised to win that honor as well as the ARRL HPM award. Jay is very active in Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) and will compete in the ARDF World Championship in the Czech Republic in September. (There's more information on Amateur Radio Direction Finding--and a few photos of Jay--on the Homing In site of ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV.)
On August 21 at the Huntsville
Hamfest in Alabama, Assistant Section Manager for Youth Activities Rebekah
Dorff, WG4Y, will host a youth forum. Circle this one on your forum schedule if
you attend (I'll be there!). It's sure to be a great time!
| (Editor's note: What Andrea is too modest to tell you is that she'll be honored as Amateur Radio Newsline 2004 Young Ham of the Year during the banquet at the Huntsville Hamfest. My personal congratulations to her and to Jay Thompson, W6JAY, for winning the ARRL HPM Award and to Andrea for also being selected as Newsline's 2004 Young Ham of the Year.--Rick Lindquist, N1RL) |
 Although I neglected to include it last month with the related article, several members of the North Hills High School Amateur Radio and Electronics Club posed for this photo at Dayton Hamvention. L-R: Ryan Sydlik, KB3IRM; Erin Mundie, KB3JIQ; Joe Vozza, K3VH; Paul Stumpf, KB3GIJ; and Josh Gelman, KB3GIO. [Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, Photo] |
But most of all, get involved. No excuses!
Although I've featured emergency communications in a past column, I featured it again this month because it's a popular and important aspect of Amateur Radio.
Most, if not all hams have an "Elmer"--someone who teaches and mentors them in Amateur Radio. In my case, many Elmers helped me along the way, and I'm willing to bet that many other young hams have had the same experience. So, if you'd like to recognize your own Elmer, drop me an e-mail about that person and let me know what makes this person--or these people, as the case may be--such a great Elmer.
Also, if you know of any youth-oriented Amateur Radio Web sites, be sure to let me know. Thanks to all who continue to contribute to this column, and, as always, your ideas and suggestions for future editions always are welcome.
Editor's Note: Fifteen-year-old Extra-class operator and ARES Member Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, resides in Grayson, Georgia. She is a winner of the 2003 ARRL Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award and the 2004 Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year. Her Amateur Radio activities include public service, kit building, hamfesting and operating SSB, CW and digital modes. Amateurs with youth-related news and photos are invited to contact Andrea via e-mail with the subject line "Youth Column."
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