This weekend, Somerset County amateur radio operators will join thousands of other “hams” all across the country, showing off their emergency communications capabilities.
When disasters such as hurricanes, winter storms, tornadoes and wildfires strike, Amateur radio, also called ham radio, is often the only way for people to communicate. While Twitter and Facebook have become useful digital communication tools in such recent emergencies as superstorm Sandy, ham radio is not affected by faulty satellites or downed cell towers, and provides valuable service using its own.