Volunteer storm spotters essential to Weather Service. The haunting companions to tornadoes and major thunderstorms make children cry, grown men run into basements and auto dealership owners cringe. But some people embrace the danger and even seek it out for entertainment. Among this group are Skywarn storm spotters, volunteers who work with the National Weather Service to track and report storms from the front lines.
Making tubes again. Western Electric has been resurrected, and its headquarters are in Rossville, GA. A once-vacant bank building was adorned about three weeks ago with distinctive red-lettered “Western Electric” signs on its east and west sides. The Rossville operation will make vacuum tubes mainly for use in high-end audio components. “It’s a lost art,” company president Charles G. Whitener Jr. said.
Ham radio — a pastime not just in the past. With today’s advanced wireless technology, amateur radio might have become obsolete. Yet, it hasn’t. Did you know the first “chat room” was invented by ham radio operators? They communicated across the continents during wartime, and played chess all hours of the day and night. And amateur radio invented social networking. Amateurs are viewed as public servants and a national resource. It doesn’t look like these guys are going away anytime soon.
Ham operators’ paradise at Friedrichshafen’s flea market. Over a week ago I attended the Ham Radio show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. This is the biggest ham radio show in Europe and has the usual big-convention mix of commercial exhibitors, national society exhibits, conference-style forums, and… a flea market.
Koos van den Hout says
About the “pastime not just in the past” article: the line “They communicated across the continents during wartime” got my attention because I was sure I read several sources that all amateur radio was forbidden during the second world war in at least the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States of America.
Allen Hundley says
Keep in mind many countries were neutral during the war including Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden and in Latin America. Also it may have been wartime in 1939 and 1940 in most of Europe but not the USA until December 1941.
Speedmaster says
Thanks for the heads-up on Skywarn. I’m a general and two of my kids are Techs. I’ve been looking for some amateur-radio related volunteer opportinities for them. That might be a good option.
Mr Hillbilly Ham says
Wanted to take the Skywarn Training but it is held @ a Nuclear Power Plant in my State – Why in the Heck would anyone subject themselves . So i am looking into a nearby State for Training , usually one day . FYi , 73,