Amateur radio club to host youth night
by JILL SCHMELZER Ken-Ton Editor

The Radio Association of Western New York will host a youth night to educate the younger generation about ham operations.

The event, which will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Church of Nativity, 1530 Colvin Blvd., Kenmore, will feature demonstrations and hands-on experiences geared to teaching today's youth the ins and outs of sound from radio waves.

Ham operators specialize in satellite communication and read sound transmissions such as Morse Code. The specialists are often used in disaster scenarios, such as the recent wildfires in California, according to ham operator Kevin Kedzierski of Tonawanda.

"Amateur radio is a hobby licensed by the Federal Communication Organization," Kedzierski said, noting that transmitters communicate from around the world.

Ham operators supply extra communication in areas where 911 towers are down and communication is limited.

After Hurricane Katrina, the ham operators aided the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Kedzierski said.

RAWNY members have also helped at fundraising events such as Ride for Roswell.

"There are a variety of frequency bands that are regulated to us," Kedzierski said, noting that the frequencies are sent through satellites and supply worldwide communication.

From a handheld radio, conversations can be picked up in Australia, Kedzierski said.

"With a handheld radio, you can hit a satellite and rebroadcast (the message)," he said. "A lot of local clubs have repeaters all over the world, and you can have access to it from a small handheld radio, which can then be broadcast over a larger range.

"There are a variety of means of communication, including the Internet," Kedzierski added. "In a disaster, what goes down? Telephone lines and the Internet."

Tuesday's event will be used to interest young people in the hobby.

"Morse Code is dying away. But Morse Code is the most reliable form of communication," he said, adding that when speaking into the radio, the conversation has to cut through atmospheric noise. Morse Code is a series of beeps and sounds, which is easy to translate.

Kedzierski's operating name is WA2FKV, and he can engage in conversation with hams oceans away.

"It's amazing the stuff they can do," he said. "We're trying to show the kids (that) there is a lot of excitement in it."

RAWNY has a club station on board the U.S.S. Little Rock, which is docked at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park.

Attendees of the youth event will see a variety of shortwave radio gear, which is similar to the equipment installed in police vehicles.

"Except they (police) are limited to one to two channels," Kedzierski said. "On ours, we have up to 800 channels."

Kedzierski has been teaching ham operations courses since 1977. For more information, call 693-3917.