What about the ARRL?

Has the American Radio Relay League done stuff you don't agree should have been done?

Probably everyone will answer that question with YES!


However, the ARRL remains the only truly active voice for amateur radio operators in the United States.

Please ask yourself these questions.

1.  Who has an office in Washington, DC and staff to advocate for amateur radio before Congress?
2.  Who has the ear of the Federal Communications Commission for amateur radio operators?
3.  Who has the most active volunteer examiners who recently held a record-setting VE session?
4.  With over 700K licensed amateur radio operators in the United States, why do International amateur radio operators join the League but only about 20% of USA hams have joined?
5.  Who has the most active awards program in amateur radio?
6.  Who has the most active field organization in the hobby?
7.  Did you know about the Social Media links?

Now, ask yourself one more question.  Why have I not joined?

“The telephone network is obsolete”

As you read this article, think about your current situation in light of these questions:

1.  When the power goes out, do you still have a dial tone?

2.  When the power goes out for days, can you still talk?

3.  When the power goes out, do you lose your internet service?

If the answers are "No, No, and Yes" then your challenge is to plan what you are going to do to keep your Plain Old Telephone Service up, harden your cell phone with three ways (not three wall chargers) to charge your battery, or get your amateur radio license.

“The telephone network is obsolete”: Get ready for the all-IP telco | Ars Technica: "The telephone network is obsolete"

Have you three ways to communicate?  If the landline phone system quits, can you still do it?

Who remembers?

Yes, the image at the right has two triangles.  Otherwise known as "Civil Defense" symbols, they are images of the Cold War.

Conelrad: Radio meets the Civil Defense describes the two radio channels folks would tune to listen for news and updates in the "event of an actual emergency".

Conelrad became the Emergency Alert System and the triangles on the AM radios on the dash of the automobiles became Cold War Relics.   

That was then and this is now.  Has it improved?  Today, there is competition for the message.  The emergency manager is challenged with getting the word out to folks listening to their MP3 player inside a house with the windows shut and the vacuum running.  

No longer does the emergency manager have two frequencies upon which to place his warning message.  The emergency manager must be aware of ALL the methods is customer uses to get news and information and, yes, even entertainment.

When the emergency manager hears that the customer wants him to be on Social Media, which one of them should he use?  Does he dare omit Twitter to favor Google+?  Does he simply say "I'm on Facebook.  If you want the message, tune there? Tune where?

This is why warning professionals encourage folks to have at LEAST THREE ways to get information.  At any given time, all three will be working or two may not.

What three are you using?