JOPLIN, MO.--- Ray Brown is a fellow broadcaster with his own call letters.
"K-Bostn"
He's been a ham operator for nearly 20 years and says there's nothing quite like it.
"It's a fun hobby. It's appeals to us nerds that are electronically minded," states Brown.
He and a few hundred other ham operators are holding "Ham Fest" at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Joplin. In order to be a ham operator, you have to get a license from the FCC and when you broadcast, there are several rules.
"No swearing, no outright broadcasting, except for absolute emergencies, no music," states Brown.
At the Ham Fest the operators have a chance to meet their friends in person. They'll buy new parts, microphones, and tubes to fine tune their hobby. Their broadcast signals can reach around the world.
"I have friends in New York, California, couple in Hawaii, even one in Cuba," states Brown.
Jim Johannes is also a big ham. His call letters are "Nozsq." He says broadcasting on ham radio is similar to a phone call.
"Just a regular conversation. What you're doing, where you're at," states Johannes.
Both hams say if other types of electronics go down, the hams will still be there.
"We want to be prepared if the internet breaks down. People say no it never will, in between internet attacks, email attacks," states Brown.
"When power goes out of the cell phones, the hams are there on standby because they have emergency power, they're there," states Johannes.
"K-Bostn"
He's been a ham operator for nearly 20 years and says there's nothing quite like it.
"It's a fun hobby. It's appeals to us nerds that are electronically minded," states Brown.
He and a few hundred other ham operators are holding "Ham Fest" at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Joplin. In order to be a ham operator, you have to get a license from the FCC and when you broadcast, there are several rules.
"No swearing, no outright broadcasting, except for absolute emergencies, no music," states Brown.
At the Ham Fest the operators have a chance to meet their friends in person. They'll buy new parts, microphones, and tubes to fine tune their hobby. Their broadcast signals can reach around the world.
"I have friends in New York, California, couple in Hawaii, even one in Cuba," states Brown.
Jim Johannes is also a big ham. His call letters are "Nozsq." He says broadcasting on ham radio is similar to a phone call.
"Just a regular conversation. What you're doing, where you're at," states Johannes.
Both hams say if other types of electronics go down, the hams will still be there.
"We want to be prepared if the internet breaks down. People say no it never will, in between internet attacks, email attacks," states Brown.
"When power goes out of the cell phones, the hams are there on standby because they have emergency power, they're there," states Johannes.
