Even though we live in a time when we can instantly communicate with people on the other side of the world through the Internet and cell phones, amateur radio operators know that sometimes the only thing that can be counted on is radio.

Normal lines of communication can break down during times of natural disasters, but amateur operators, or hams, are usually still able to get on the air. Even if they don’t have power at their homes, all they need is a portable transceiver plugged into the power outlet of their vehicle and they’re ready to go.

For that reason, local amateurs take part in CANWARN (the CAN Weather Amateur Radio Network). At this time of year, severe thunderstorms are common, and can spawn hail, damaging winds, localized flooding, funnel clouds, and even an occasional tornado. When severe weather is imminent, Environment Canada contacts the local CANWARN coordinator who in turn warns his or her local members, who then serve as spotters in their area.

Don Armstrong, president of the Chatham-Kent Amateur Radio Club, recalls how a few years ago, it was amateur radio operators who first reported a tornado in the Tilbury area through CANWARN. Within minutes, Environment Canada was able to warn the public through TV and radio to take shelter.

“We’re not storm chasers,” said club member Gord Smith, who is the club’s spokesperson for the CANWARN system.

As a matter of fact, he said, members are told to stay clear of any dangerous weather; however, they do act as spotters who are the eyes on the ground for Environment Canada during a severe weather event.

It doesn’t have to be severe weather that brings the community of amateur radio operators together. In Northern Ontario, in areas where cell phone communication is limited, or even non-existent, hams have been called into action to search for lost children. It’s good to have eyes on the ground and people who are able to communicate with each other using portable equipment.

During emergencies, hams can serve as a liaison with emergency services personnel. Hams are not allowed to use emergency frequencies, but they can pass on valuable information to emergency responders.

The club, which consists of about two dozen members, can be described, by and large, as a group of tinkerers who are always looking for ways to make their equipment more effective.

They stay in touch with each other regularly through a network of nine receiving stations and four transmitters located across Chatham-Kent, which they access from home or from their vehicles, but they also use their equipment to maintain friendships with other amateur radio hobbyists around the world.

The local operators know each other by name, but they also know each other by the call sign they’re required to use when they’re transmitting. For example, Armstrong is VE3DBA.

“I have a couple of friends in Australia,” said William Ackert (VE3LFD). “All of us have friends in other parts of the world.”

Janet Fraser (VE3FUN) has had her amateur radio licence since 1986 and is one of the few women in the club, although she says there are more women now than there once was.

The amateur radio hobby has existed for more than 100 years and club members said there were hams active in Chatham and the surrounding area at least as early as the 1920s. Amateur radio enthusiasts have always been at the cutting edge of technology, being among the first to embrace computers, as well as early television.

Operators often incorporate both over-the-air transmissions and VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) into their conversations. So, someone in Chatham could be using a portable device in their vehicle to contact a local repeater, switch to VOIP and then speak to someone in Vancouver using their own held held device, and the sound is so clear it sounds like they’re in the same room.

Armstrong said hams incorporate satellites, and bounce signals off the moon. A few lucky hams even get to talk with astronauts in the International Space Station.

Part of the fun of the hobby is trying to see how many other operators you can contact, and there are regular contests.

But you never know when your services will be called upon.

Armstrong said ham operators played a huge role after the 2003 tsunami in getting information to worried family members about their loved ones who were in the area at the time.

The Chatham-Kent Amateur Radio Club is always looking for new members and is willing to give people the knowledge and skills they need to acquire their operator’s licence. They meet on the second Thursday of each month at the Scouts Canada hut at Victoria Park in Chatham.

For more information, call publicity spokesperson Janet Fraser at 519-351-9378 or visit the club’s website at www.ckarc.ca.