My name is chris, amateur call sign KE8PRB from Cincinnati, Ohio. I am a dad, an IT professional, a veteran, and a ham. Camping and amateur radio are two hobbies that I picked up during COVID. During the lock-downs, I took to sweeping local radio bands with a receiver attached to my computer, known as a Software Defined Radio (SDR). Hearing radio chatter again woke up the forgotten corner of my brain where “the commo guy” lived. I was a radio operator with the Ohio National Guard way back in the late 1900’s. As a family, we took up hiking and camping as our social distancing activities. When COVID restrictions were lightening up, we took a road trip to the Outer Banks. It reminded me that America is a big beautiful place, and that I should see a lot more of it.
I got my Technician license in late 2021, and my General a few months after that. I don’t spend enough time on the radio as I would like. Taking a hand held radio (known as a Handy Talkie or an HT) with me when I go out of town is good first step, but I still have yet to make a radio contact anywhere but in my hometown. But I am looking to change that
To me, the amateur radio service isn’t just about playing with radios and gabbing with strangers on the air. It’s also about service to your community, especially in emergencies. My National Guard unit deployed to Nicaragua on a humanitarian aid mission, and communications was an important part of keeping everyone safe. The military reminded me of the Boy Scouts with live ammunition, and it taught me that most disasters are basically camping against your will.
Military field exercises and deployments involve a lot of things that you see on ham radio field days: antennas, batteries, and missing cables. They also involve a lot of things that you see while camping: tents, rain, mud, and food cooked in boiling water. Ohio has the screwiest weather, and climate change is making it worse. Years ago hurricane Sandy hit Cincinnati and parts of the city were without power for several days. Yes, that Sandy, the one that hit New York. No, Cincinnati is nowhere near New York. Climate change, am I right?
The last I have been putting my radio skills to work volunteering at local events like Pride. After taking a camping trip with my son recently, I have gotten the bug to be outdoors more. Woods, water, and campfires all help me relax and unplug a bit from civilization. Unplugging is important for my mental health, and so is volunteer work. Just like a radio with a dead battery, I need to be recharged before I can help others.
So I have decided to start a new site dedicated to my outdoor adventures, on the road, in the woods, and on the air. Having fun while learning things to help others in an emergency. The world is getting more dangerous by the day. Friends and neighbors are how we stay safe, sane, and secure.
Until the next adventure! KE8PRB out, 73.