The sounds of this year's Jefferson County Fair may have faded, but some of its participants are still making noise on the airwaves.
The Jefferson County Amateur Radio Club, a not-for-profit organization, declared its booth in the arena at the Watertown fair a huge success this year.
"A lot of people were surprised to see us there," said Fredric "Ric" Letson, the club's public information officer. "People that weren't familiar with amateur radio were curious and wanted to know more about it."
The booth, which marked the club's first time at the Jefferson County Fair, included satellite antennas and radios ranging in origin from the 1960s to modern day. Because of interference inside the arena, the radios were not actually in operation, though.
"Next year we're planning for an outdoor space and we'll actually have live operations," Mr. Letson said.
Despite being its first time at the fair, the Jefferson County Amateur Radio Club has been in existence since 1977. It has about 45 "hams," or amateur radio operators, and includes teenagers to retirees.
"A lot of people think that amateur radio is a retiree's hobby, but it's not," Mr. Letson said. "Amateur radio is one of those things where there's something for everybody. It doesn't matter what your interests are."
Because amateur radio operators are so well-acquainted with radios, their expertise is often used during disasters when normal means of communications fail or are ineffective. A few of the occasions on which their services have been used were the Northeast blackout, the microburst, Hurricane Katrina and 9-11.
"Today we live in a society where everyone wants things right now, and they don't realize that there are still technolgies out there that can be used when modern conveniences like telephones and cell phones aren't available," Mr. Letson said.
The Jefferson County Amateur Radio Club sponsors licensing classes, most of which are held once a weekend for a month. These classes prepare participants for the tricky 30-question Federal Communications Commission test that must be completed in order to receive a technician class license to go on the airwaves.
The club also holds occasional upgrade classes for people who wish to access high frequency bands and hold intra- and international conversations. These classes focus more on the electronics and circuitry involved in radio operation and allow members to receive their general and extra class licenses. The club also supplies the licensing tests.
Mr. Letson, who holds an extra class license, said he has enjoyed the benefits of being a radio ham.
"I had ten or fifteen minute conversations with two radio operators in the Czech Republic in Serbia," he said.
According to Mr. Letson, radio conversations allow for many cross-country and international connections because they don't require people to have a phone number or contact person in advance.
"With amateur radio, you already have a common thread, common interests. You can sit down and fairly easily strike up a conversation," Mr. Letson said. "It's fun. It's a surprise."
In addition to their global interactions, the local hams have a number of plans to increase their interaction within the north country.
"We do plan on doing more public outreach and some fundraising," Mr. Letson said. "We also plan on having open houses so people can come to our facility and sit down and try out the equipment. We'd like to see more people become involved."
Mr. Letson also mentioned his interest in bringing amateur radio to the classroom. According to the ham, three out of every five astronauts who go into space are amateur radio operators.
"Direct communication between the students and the International Space Station is always a possibility," he said, adding that interested teachers should get in touch with the club. "The possibilites are endless with amateur radio."
