Ham radio network celebrating 50th anniversary

ELYRIA — "CQ" — the Burning River Traffic Net is turning 50. And the ham radio network "seeks you" to celebrate with a picnic Saturday at the Lorain County Metro Parks Duck Pond Picnic Area. Keith Cook, ham radio operator and organizer of the event, is inviting operators and those interested in ham radio to come out for the day. "This is open to the public," he said. "People who are interested in learning about ham radio and how to do it can come out and learn from people who know." The Black River Traffic Net is a message forwarding network of like-minded amateur radio operators interested in community service through communications. The operators pass emergency, health/welfare and general interest messages to and from Northeast Ohio and the greater Cleveland area to the rest of the world. Started in 1975, the BRTN, which is a part of the National Traffic Network, was created by a group of Cleveland-area ham operators needing outlets for messages for outside the local telephone exchange. At that time, it was long-distance to call counties surrounding Cleveland. Jerry Spencer, John Thomas, Lou Myde and Jeff Dettmer started the BRTN. The name references the 1969 fire on the Cuyahoga River. Cook started as an operator in 2007, but his interest started much earlier. "When I was a boy, I was friends with a neighbor down the street, and his dad was a ham radio operator," Cook said. "I saw the equipment and was interested, but it wasn't until I met my wife that I started. Her neighbor was a ham radio operator and he became a mentor to me." One of the biggest lessons he has learned throughout his years on the airwaves is that "ham radio is a service, not a hobby." The BRTN is a local network governed by the national network, which is governed by the Amateur Radio Relay League out of Connecticut. "During Hurricane Katrina, the National Weather Service lost service, so they contacted the NTN," Cook recalled. "Local hams set up tables all over sending free messages to and from the area. One man passed more than 8,000 health and welfare messages. It really is a service." While many people trust cell phones and the internet to be a means of communication during an emergency, those are the first to go down. "They get overloaded or the government shuts them down for security," Cook said. "We're there in times of catastrophe to help get messages out." All ham radio operators need to pass a test to obtain a license, but once they do, an entire world opens to them. The ARRL reports 743,000 people hold amateur radio licenses across the country with 27,000 of those in Ohio. There are an estimated 3 million worldwide. "It's vast," he said. "There are so many people involved and there is something for everyone — voice, Morse code, digital, hi-frequency. There are a lot of reasons to get involved, including the camaraderie." Cook expects a lot of meet ups at the event. "A lot of times, you hear someone's voice and you've never met them," he said. "When you do meet, they don't look anything like you think they do." But that's part of being a ham radio operator, and events like this give nearby operators the chance to meet face-to-face. Best regards — or "73" to all of the hams out there — at least until Saturday. Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com.