Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2015, Page 39

Description:	\ HAM radio is turned on and ready for action. Souths HAM radio club is>able ol making 900 contacts during a onrwcck competition. II. This worldi\|> shows all of the places Souths HAM radio club has reached. PHOTOS BYANCY LYLES III. junior Ryan Cutsliall attempts to make contact using the HAMlio. Under the direction of Mr. Neil Rapp, Bloomington Souths HAM radio club5 contacted all 50 states. PHOTO BY BRIEANNA BLUMF:j JA\\¥kmakingntacBloomington High School Souths HAM radio club reaches hundreds of people around the world and has the potentialto save lives.Picture this: a huge natural disaster has occurred. Thephone lines and cell towers are down as are the satelliteand cables. Phones are not useable, television access isnon-existent, and the next step is simply to wait and hopethat this catastrophe will soon run its course.The Bloomington High School South students whohave knowledge of HAM radio signals would have an edgeabove the rest. An issue like a large scale natural disasteris the purpose for HAM, or amateur radio. It is the mostreliable independent communication system in theworld, junior and HAM radio club member RyanCutshall said. Because it does not rely on any externaltransmitter, it is a steadfast tool to use when othercommunication devices are not available.Due to HAM radios importance in the community,operators are trained so there is an option in case ofdisaster. To do this, the AARL (American Radio RelayLeague) hosts competitions between certified HAM radioclubs. Cutshall explained that Souths HAM radio clubparticipates semi-annually in the AARL School ClubRoundup: one contest in October and the other inFebruary. It is a worldwide competition between otherschool clubs, Cutshall said. The winner is determinedthrough a point system. The clubs are challengedglobally to contact as many clubs and people as theycan between Monday morning and Friday night.Sophomore Prince Butler, a veteran to theroundup competitions, brought his world-winningexpertise to the club this year. Each contact is onepoint, Butler said. If you get a school or a club, it addsa times five multiplier and it applies to how many contactsyouve gotten, Butler said. Because the wholecompetition is based on gaining contacts, clubs can oftenreach a range from 700-1000 contacts and so youcan get upwards of 1,000 points in a competition, Butlersaid.Being able to communicate during disasters andtimes of need was a strong draw for South students, butthe club participants also enjoyed the satisfaction of beingable to connect with people on the other side of the globe.I love being able to talk to all these people with many ofthe same interests as me, Cutshall said. Plus, the factthat I had the ability to help during a disaster motivatedme to join. Butler echoed Cutshall and explained hisglobal interest. Being able to talk to people across theworld, at the speed of light ... I think thats kind ofinteresting to talk to people in Australia and Antarctica,Butler said.- CLANCY LYLES
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/8872
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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