Before radio there was the telegraph. One of the very first telegraphs helped arrest a murderer. The great Western Railway in England pioneered the use of the telegraph to keep track of train movements. Of course, it used wires. A man murdered his mistress and boarded a train to make his escape believing that by the time they caught up to the train he would be long gone. The authorities used the telegraph to send a message ahead and when the...more
Marconi had studied the research of Hertz, and reproduced his work and that of others. He traveled to England in his 20's and demonstrated sending messages without wires. His shows were well received, including by the Royal Institution.The New York Herald asked him to use his technology to get them the results of the America's Cup Yacht Race in 1899. He installed his wireless rig on a ship for the first time in history. The report of the race was...more
In a recreational park, in a National Forest, in remote Arkansas, in June of 2010, a devastating flash flood covered the site with 23 feet of fast flowing water in a space of little more than 3 hours. In the search for survivors, the rescuers erected temporary cell phone towers to stay in touch with search teams. The coverage proved to be inadequate. Amateur radio operators joined the effort and helped coordinate the search and evacuate the victims when they were found. Still, the death toll rose to 19.Also in June, a severe storm struck Ohio, knocking out power and telephone systems. Radio amateurs again provided communication assistance to emergency crews, some staying on the air for many hours.The above examples are not exceptional. Operators of CB and ham radios have frequently supplied urgently needed assistance in emergency situations. They are most useful because they don't rely on towers, wires, and work from battery power. The United States is able to call upon the services of a network of amateur radio operators with up to 650,000 members. Around the world there are another 2 million. Teams fighting fires in California, rescuing tornado victims in Oregon and...more
In 1865, James Clark Maxwell, a Scottish Physicist postulated the existence of electromagnetic radiation, expanding on research done by Faraday. Heinrich Hertz confirmed Maxwell's theories. No one then could envision the incredible number of applications that would be developed or discovered. Our radiation saturated world, with radio, television,...more
New sciences attract a lot of people who like to experiment and build their own stuff. Radio has received a good share of the attention since it was discovered. Many in remote areas had radios as their only means of communication. Clubs were started. Associations were formed. Networks were established. CB radio is restricted to low power, about 5...more
If you are attracted to foreign lands and meeting new people, the 10 meter radio may be for you. There is nothing more enticing then the thought of being able to communicate with someone thousands of miles away, and not have to pay a hefty phone bill. Thanks to 10 meter radio, you can fulfill this dream, and not need to empty your bank account to do it. Ten meters is normally only used during the day, however it is possible to listen in on Europe in the early morning, the rest of the US in the afternoon, and the Pacific and East Asia in the evening. What makes the 10 meter so attractive, is that it's possible to communicate over large distances, especially when there is a lot of solar activity. This is because the signal can more easily bounce around in the stratosphere during those times. The 10 meter wave band is in the shortwave spectrum, where there are a high volume of Morse code transmissions. For those of you more interested in communicating by voice, the SSB, single side band, is available as well. One of the draws to radio is the fact that you can contact people in far away countries, as well as send and receive QSL cards to show...more
A group, traveling in Arizona, through a remote area, had one of their members injured by an ATM rollover in late 2009. The other members of the group couldn't call for help because they were out of cell phone range. They managed to signal to a...more
We are surrounded by electromagnetic radiation every day. TV, radio, garage door openers, and cell phones all work through radio waves. With CB radio we get to use these waves to talk to people and not have to pay for it. CB provides a short range,...more
Only 200 years ago, the only radiation around us was from the sun and earth. Now, electromagnetic radiation, or radio waves, is everywhere. Wireless computer keyboards and mice, cell phones, television, radio, microwaves, a wireless phone, garage...more
We can't change the fact that we all get older. For the majority of us, aging is a slow process that we hope can pass and still leave our dignity intact. As the years pass, we become less and less physically active and we tend to acquire new...more
CB radio service operates in the 27 Megahertz waveband, divided into 40 distinct channels. 1. Channel 9 - Emergency messages only. This was not defined when CB was implemented, but has come into use since. Do not use channel 9 unless...more
The story that follows is taken almost word for word from a song written and sung by Red Sovine in 1976 as a salute to American truckers. This story places it in the United Kingdom with the name "White Rabbit". Enough of it is so recognizable that...more