Ham radio and "suspicious QRM" from other people
This was a topic that the HFPack group (www.hfpack.com) has tossed around in the past couple days. I felt it was a worthy topic of more discussion. For those that don't know about Ham radio, "QRM" is the term we use for "man-made interference" (and likewise, QRN - or "natural" interference) on the radio.
The whole issue is surrounding Ham radio operators and the public viewing it as "suspicious" activity. Whether someone is talking on a hand held radio walking down the street, riding a bike with a big antenna and radio strapped to it, or driving down the road in a vehicle with a bunch of antennas on it (me!), we amateur radio operators attract a lot of attention - whether we want it or not. The current state of uneasiness with society due to terrorism doesn't make things any better. Any elaborate (or non-elaborate alike) radio setup with wires and antennas is bound to attract some attention.
For now, the best thing we Hams can do is to be prepared. By this I mean we need to know what to say and have it ready to be said, rather than get in to this situation and not know what to do. We need to be confident in what we are talking about, not be intimidated by the lack of knowledge/anger/suspiciousness the person we are confronted by is projecting. You will probably have a bunch of interesting angles thrown on the situation and not exactly know how to respond, too. Someone who is suspicious is going to try and find something "wrong" with what you are doing to stop you from doing it or prevent you from going any further. They obviously already think there is something wrong in the first place, or they wouldn't be suspicous of it.
Keep in mind that a hard confrontation with someone can always turn in to a good opportunity to pass along some interest in Ham radio as well. There are a bazillion tactics we can use. Whatever area of Ham radio interests you is probably the best thing to start with because you will already be very knowledgeable in the subject. Talk about how you can talk to someone around the country, across the ocean, or around the world with the same amount of power a HT transmits on (a good one if you are confronted by a police officer). Or, talk about how radio signals get reflected off of the atmosphere. Public service is a good topic for any situation. Talk about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and how they provide relief communications in times of need - keep in mind to use some well-known situations like Hurricane Katrina or the wild fires in California. Don't loose composure when someone probes in further and asks why YOU do this and why you are doing it HERE or NOW because they can't wrap their brain around what you are telling them. It is a hobby and we exercise our communication skills for the fun of it. However, the hobby is more than just a hobby because of how effective it is when other systems are down. We are just "nerds" and talk on the radio because it is fun.
I had to explain Ham radio to the border patrol crossing in to Canada or back in to the US (I can't remember if I was going or coming) on one of my trips to my family's place on Lake of the Woods (see my post "Lake of the Woods, EN39 On the Air" for more info about that). I was traveling alone, which is always a red-flag for customs one way or another - especially from many many miles away, and had my screwdriver antenna, 2 dual banders, a CB antenna, and a high-performance cell phone antenna on the truck with my TS-2000 sitting on the dash. I happened to hit the border at the wrong time and there was a mile-long line to get across. There was a group of customs officers going down the line of cars to scope things out before everyone got up to the booths. I saw them coming, so I was prepared.
Anyway, the border patrol thought I was pretty interesting. I tried to explain that there wasn't anyone I was trying to talk to on my radios, just whoever was out there. Luckily, 6m was open and I explained a little bit of Es propagation to the group of officers. I could tell they couldn't care less, but I managed to take the suspicion right out of them. When I got to the booth I went right through without any hassle. I think they only asked me where I was coming from, where I was going, and who I was.
The point - always be prepared! Know that, at some point, you will be asked about your Ham radio(s)/antenna(s)/wire(s). It could be a friendly encounter with a neighbor, but if it is some form of law enforcement/security/person on the street because they are suspicious then things can get a little toasty.
I know I'll probably run across this situation in the future. I could prepare myself for it all day long and still get nervous (like crossing in to Canada - I do it every year, with a truckload of Ham radio!).
The whole issue is surrounding Ham radio operators and the public viewing it as "suspicious" activity. Whether someone is talking on a hand held radio walking down the street, riding a bike with a big antenna and radio strapped to it, or driving down the road in a vehicle with a bunch of antennas on it (me!), we amateur radio operators attract a lot of attention - whether we want it or not. The current state of uneasiness with society due to terrorism doesn't make things any better. Any elaborate (or non-elaborate alike) radio setup with wires and antennas is bound to attract some attention.
For now, the best thing we Hams can do is to be prepared. By this I mean we need to know what to say and have it ready to be said, rather than get in to this situation and not know what to do. We need to be confident in what we are talking about, not be intimidated by the lack of knowledge/anger/suspiciousness the person we are confronted by is projecting. You will probably have a bunch of interesting angles thrown on the situation and not exactly know how to respond, too. Someone who is suspicious is going to try and find something "wrong" with what you are doing to stop you from doing it or prevent you from going any further. They obviously already think there is something wrong in the first place, or they wouldn't be suspicous of it.
Keep in mind that a hard confrontation with someone can always turn in to a good opportunity to pass along some interest in Ham radio as well. There are a bazillion tactics we can use. Whatever area of Ham radio interests you is probably the best thing to start with because you will already be very knowledgeable in the subject. Talk about how you can talk to someone around the country, across the ocean, or around the world with the same amount of power a HT transmits on (a good one if you are confronted by a police officer). Or, talk about how radio signals get reflected off of the atmosphere. Public service is a good topic for any situation. Talk about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and how they provide relief communications in times of need - keep in mind to use some well-known situations like Hurricane Katrina or the wild fires in California. Don't loose composure when someone probes in further and asks why YOU do this and why you are doing it HERE or NOW because they can't wrap their brain around what you are telling them. It is a hobby and we exercise our communication skills for the fun of it. However, the hobby is more than just a hobby because of how effective it is when other systems are down. We are just "nerds" and talk on the radio because it is fun.
I had to explain Ham radio to the border patrol crossing in to Canada or back in to the US (I can't remember if I was going or coming) on one of my trips to my family's place on Lake of the Woods (see my post "Lake of the Woods, EN39 On the Air" for more info about that). I was traveling alone, which is always a red-flag for customs one way or another - especially from many many miles away, and had my screwdriver antenna, 2 dual banders, a CB antenna, and a high-performance cell phone antenna on the truck with my TS-2000 sitting on the dash. I happened to hit the border at the wrong time and there was a mile-long line to get across. There was a group of customs officers going down the line of cars to scope things out before everyone got up to the booths. I saw them coming, so I was prepared.
Anyway, the border patrol thought I was pretty interesting. I tried to explain that there wasn't anyone I was trying to talk to on my radios, just whoever was out there. Luckily, 6m was open and I explained a little bit of Es propagation to the group of officers. I could tell they couldn't care less, but I managed to take the suspicion right out of them. When I got to the booth I went right through without any hassle. I think they only asked me where I was coming from, where I was going, and who I was.
The point - always be prepared! Know that, at some point, you will be asked about your Ham radio(s)/antenna(s)/wire(s). It could be a friendly encounter with a neighbor, but if it is some form of law enforcement/security/person on the street because they are suspicious then things can get a little toasty.
I know I'll probably run across this situation in the future. I could prepare myself for it all day long and still get nervous (like crossing in to Canada - I do it every year, with a truckload of Ham radio!).
posted by Steve at
11:53 PM
0 Comments
