It blows me away how many keyboard Warriors are out there complaining about what was done in this emergency situation especially since they were nowhere near the region! I was there for the last 2 weeks and listened to what all happened here and it was handled beautifully! Armchair quarterbacks she just go away! It was amazing the traffic that was handled on this repeater! I had a conversation with an FCC field engineer today on another topic and this topic did come up. I can guarantee the FCC would not take any action on this, that is in the spirit of helping people in an emergency situation. If you are going to be a stickler in this situation you better reflect on yourself! There were no cell phones for over a week, there were no internet access points, and there's still no power! There are a lot of people that are stuck in mountain tops because of roads are washed out! The hams that were in the Mount Mitchell area and Asheville did a beautiful job and should be highly commended! K9EZ
They did the best with what they had. However, there was harmful interference on the repeater and a lot of it. The idea that putting a radio into the hands of non ham and expecting them to know how and when operate it is terrible idea. Ham radio is great for emergencies and I don’t have problems with communication of immediate threat. There were people calling in to net control asking about what’s the best radio to buy when I get my ticket! During the emergency! This communication system can be rendered useless by harmful interference. At times during this emergency it absolutely was. There were non-hams communicating between themselves on the input frequency of the repeater. They had no idea what they were doing. When there is only one working repeater it’s very easy to lose it due to interference. Helping one person versus disabling 100s of people only form of communication doesn’t seem to be very smart.
That's interesting. I never once heard "interference". There were more than 1 working repeater there were a number of more "local" repeaters for closer in comms. At times net controlled relaxed the net and people could carry on regular communication. Were you there? @@2630Doss
The FCC can't take any action as according to the law he just read, it says no provision in the law will prevent an amateur station from operating in an emergency that threatens life or property. So no laws were broken so there is nothing to enforce. All the Sad Hams can read the law for themselves, but they won't. They would just rather complain about people who didnt take a test using the airwaves to save lives. Very sad.
This is fantastic. I had a Baofeng laying around, and a couple of days before Milton hit us, it occurred to me to try to understand ham. Ive used your videos to cram the shit out of the technician license exam. Less than 3 days after discovering it, i am fascinated by radio and not only the usefulness it provided me during the storm, not just because staying in contact with local ARES frequencies, but all facets of it. I was courteous and didnt transmit but knowing i could, and listening for updates from local hams and being ready to render aid, was invaluable. Seeing snobs shit on thousands of potential new hams they could be passing the torch to, instead of growing the community, was disheartening. But several posts on reddit and these videos reminded me that most hams seem to be good people. Anyway, I'm taking my license exam today, thanks to the help of your content and others, and I'm excited to spend countless hours in this hobby i discovered out of necessity Thank you for your content EDIT: I passed with 34/35. Thanks for the good luck wishes, they worked!
You are 100% right. Some rules need to be followed, but in an emergency life or death situation, all rules are out the door. Any ham refusing to acknowledge an unlicensed person pleading for help on the radio, should be imprisoned.
There are two things about this statement that are in error. The first is that the law provides a justification defense of “necessity” that sometimes operates to excuse conduct that would otherwise be illegal, but this is a totally different and narrower proposition than “in an emergency, all rules are out the door.” There are easy and obvious ways of illustrating that in an emergency, SOME rules can be violated without criminal consequence if the legal system in your jurisdiction would support the notion that the technical violation was NECESSARY to avoid some greater harm. But as framed above, the statement is false and terrible legal advice. Second, I would hope that everyone can recognize that an assertion that “in an emergency, all rules are out the door” is fundamentally incompatible with a simultaneous assertion that a person should be imprisoned for ignoring something they heard on a radio during an emergency. Even as a joke, it is a dumb and dangerous assertion that people should be imprisoned for doing things that are not crimes, at least under U.S. law.
@@timothyfox3995 much more articulate, then I would of been, responding, to the mental paraplegic that suggests: "Any ham refusing to acknowledge an unlicensed person pleading for help on the radio, should be imprisoned."
They won't just hangup on you, thy will send cops to arrest you. It is illegal to use 911 for non emergencies, and yes people do get charged with doing that dally. Laws are laws. Using a tragedy to justify breaking rules and laws, is something only bad people do. Saying things like, these people are trying to assist others so they should not get into trouble, is highly absurd. It is comical that even people with a license are wiling to argue for people without a license. It reminds me of people defending illegal aliens. Y'all are goofy.
This is true EMCOMM. Whatever radio you have, you would like to dig it out and say, "hello hello" and hear someone scanning the frequencies of radios people tend to have lying around, say, "go ahead, ma'am. Is everything okay there?" Anything less is a missed opportunity, or worse.
I can't stand the thought that I could hear someone who needs help, and I couldn't or wouldn't do anything and everything to help. I say if you can help even one person in a time of need, do it. I'd rather ask for forgiveness for saving a life than let someone die senselessly and have that on me. I love this community. I love this country. And I'll be dammed if I don't do everything I can to make it better.
Not EMCOMM related, but I recently listened to a non-licensed operator get on a local repeater. A club member came back to him to acknowledge that he heard him and asked for his call sign. The operator said he didn't have one. Rather than admonish this guy, the club member advised him that he needed to be licensed, and how to go about getting his license. He offered club website info, club meetings, and how he could study/test for his ham license. I thought this was very cool and exactly how it should have been handled. I wish I had written down the guy's call so I could thank him! Great reminder for all of us, Josh... Thanks for the video! 73, Brett K5WXP
Good on him. Responding an a very constructive way. If you attack people for not being licensed, they might double down and never gain an interest in putting in the effort to become licensed and join a community they see as being filled with miserable people. Some HAMs need to touch grass.
I agree that this was the proper way to handle it, but the problem is...if you have a QSO with an unlicensed user, you can get in big trouble, no matter if you're educating them or not.
I watched a video of a licensed operator who lives in the affected area in NC. After the hurricane went through he passed out small radios to his neighbors and set up what you might call a network within his community with daily wellness checks to see what people might need. There was no power, phones,or any other kind of communication available. To me this is the mail selling point for the ham hobby. Helping people who really, really need help.
Yes! The old fogeys (who tend to be the only sad hams and gatekeepers) refuse to acknowledge how the demographics of the hobby have shifted. Once upon a time, it was just nerds and geeks who loved radios. Now, the hobby is chock full of the prepper types. The reasonable people have seen this shift, and accept the change, the sad hams keep pretending that there are no emergencies that justify being unlicensed.
The arrogance and narcissism of sad hams kept me from joining the community for many years. Just recently I decided to join you. Thank you for being a voice of reason and advocating for what the ham world is intended to be, a community. Love your stuff, keep up the good work!
"We The People" are the Government here in the USA. The politicians are our public servants. I refuse to buy a HAM license from my public servants ! 😡 I always talk on my HAM radios without a license.
Legality in most cases goes out the window during times of the pudding hitting the fan. Many times I can recall orders not being followed in the professional firefighter’s day in order to do the right thing. Morality and common sense can and should replace “laws” at times! We need to take care of our fellow human being and love our neighbors!
You rock! I had to jump on a ham repeater trying to escape eastern tn back to nc. Only have a gmrs callsign currently. I apologized when I called out. People came back telling me no need to apologize, gave me all the info my convoy needed. Thanks to the good ones! And thanks to you Josh!
Our local county is working with us hams to help build a plan to help people during disaster. I was literally just in a meeting with the group bringing this to the table. It's so very nice to hear that people are actively trying to let us help instead of gatekeeping, especially during a disaster. I wouldn't be a part of this change if it weren't for you, Josh. It's only been a year since I became president of a large club, and i just got my general license. If it weren't for you and your content, I wouldn't be in this to the point where I want to help. I look forward to the changes to come. I don't care what any of the sad folks have to say. Emcom is so important that local government is trying to make sure we're here to help and that we can. 🤙🏾
Sadly a lot of hands have not prepared or practiced for situation like this. I saw a lot of people asking questions about what they should do with their radios and all. This is not the time to learn your radio! This is the time to activate it. Everybody needs to practice as boring as it may be all year long as you will never know exactly where you're going to need it. This whole event has changed my preparation for disaster and I am beginning to implement that already. My company provided internet for some police stations in the area and some businesses that were shipping food to the area where they had no communication and could not get trucks in line to get food delivered. That woke up my company and a lot of businesses and even government.
@THEBossSound practice practice practice. I'm working on making a CW key to learn morse now. (At least until I get one ordered). I'm trying to get people into having a PACE plan and think about what they'll have to do when no coms are available to them. With the number of cell outages as of the last few months, more and more people want to learn. Like you said, most of the time, people get a radio thinking they'll use it during an emergency and never bother to learn how to use it. I have the local repeaters and the normal adventure frequency programmed in my ht's, along with a few simplex channels that are set and labeled to be used at intervals as well. I dig the Ghostnet that S2 underground has set up. At the very least, I'm betting it will help save lives as far as getting info out to people who only have RX only SW radios. I know most people don't think about this stuff, but I'm happy to be a part of the group who does. I'm working on stepping up my QRP game since it'll be a challenge, but it may be the only way to get info in or out of the area.
Here in Northern California in Humboldt County, we do ham radio nets to check in, and we have mountain top repeaters which for 2m band that use 70cm for translation (we have a system of 4 linked repeaters that go from mountain top to mountain top almost as far South as Garberville to almost all the way to the Oregon border.) But many of the repeaters do not have solar energy and battery backups to mains power. It is expensive to build and maintain such a system...but in times of great emergency, they are so very useful.
Yes. Me too. Having the humility to admit it is a step in the right direction. I think we hams could do better being humble...it is a hobby who's sole purpose for being is to serve. And that is a privaledge.
I have a handheld ham radio and do not have a license. Bought it for this very situation and used to to listen to updates coming from a Mt Mitchell, NC repeater after our power and internet went down. The effort made a large impact on me and I may go ahead and get licensed. I did not have an emergency but had I, I would have not hesitated to broadcast a plea for assistance. Otherwise, just don’t be a Dick. Enjoyed your video.
Absolutely: a law is worthless to someone dying or wounded. Help is absolutely paramount over any other position or opinion. Thank you, this is absolutely necessary to understand. 🇺🇸👍
But no laws were broken according to the FCC regs he just read in the video. I don't understand some people in the comments section saying things like ..the FCC will let this one slide, or The FCC won't prosecute anyone in this situation and will look the other way, etc. They can't go after anyone according to the law shown at the start of this video. I'm no lawyer, I am simply going by the FCC's regs as read in this video.
I’ve been through multiple hurricanes in Florida where the hams down there did NOTHING- no organization or assistance whatsoever. I’ve commented on that before, and I’ll admit there MAY have been pockets of assistance I couldn’t monitor, but I have NEVER heard hams operate like they did in North Carolina. If the ARRL doesn’t have an emergency assistance award, they better get busy and create one for the Net Controls I heard. It is, and was a phenomenal response, and they absolutely should awarded. Compare that to the Lake Lure Fire Chief that threatened a helicopter pilot with arrest when trying to perform rescues. THAT GUY needs to be jailed.
I was listening to a repeater on “the big stick” in FL during Milton. The only people he admonished during the net were the people that were just looking for a “radio check”. In his defense he was belting out tornado warning after tornado warning for hours, including large dangerous tornadoes confirmed on the ground. I think he handled it well, didn’t hear him snub anyone who needed help at least when I was listening
Note that it was one of Florida's US Senators who several years ago blocked the provision of the NDAA that would have curbed some of the powers of HOAs to prevent use of amateur radio during emergencies and at other times. Florida seems to me to have some people problems (not that they're alone in that respect).
Very well articulated Josh. "sadham" is being used similar to "karen". Those who have been running the nets during the hurrincane have been doing some amazing work. I applaud them for being the best of the Amateur Radio Service and not the worst.
You summarized my feelings on all this "discord" from the past few days! I hope people don't take the words of a statistically few people to apply over-generalizations to all ham radio operators.
Oh you should read some of the comments on the FB groups on this subject. According to some this was not an ‘emergency according to the rules.’ It’s ridiculous!
@@thistlemoon1 Oh I'm sure there are some socially inept fudds hiding away in their bedrooms making angry comments on the internet. Reminds me of the fudd gun guys who freak out when you say you have a WML on your carry, freak out at the range when you actually train, or any other fuddy behavior. Thankfully they are usually just fudds on the internet and can be ignored. Fudds are a section of society, and unfortunately they infiltrate all areas, including hobbies like ham radio.
Ham operators are some of the most helpful people in the world. Heck, quite a few of them think of that as the best reason to participate in the hobby.
Josh, again you show how much of a statesman, and voice you are for our hobby. How many of these folks who are using ham radio without a license, could be motivated to get their ticket if they were treated with compassion, and encouraged to become amateur operators. Thanks again for the great content. KG5WXU Glendon 73
THANK YOU for speaking clearly on this important topic, Josh! Folks are focusing on the wrong stuff sometimes. 'Gatekeeping' is the worst. Cheers from Ohio, KE8WAT
I’m so glad that you come out on this side of this issue, because I really enjoy your content, but I think it’s outrageous that someone would do that. I always knew you were a good guy Josh.
You bring the world of HAM radio in a very positive way. I'm. waiting for my call sign and feel good about doing some transmitting. All the HAMs in the south working with the people needing help is inspiring and is typical of why the USA is number one.
The rules seem to be written to allow hams to use their station on non-ham frequencies, e.g. maritime, aviation, etc. to pass emergency traffic, but you are 100% correct that you have to be a real a-hole to lecture or refuse emergency or even urgent safety-of-life-and-property traffic from unlicensed persons.
I've been listening to N2GE on my Baofeng since this whole thing started. I'm in the 30+ inches of rain area and Mt Michel (Tower location) is a short drive for me. They've done a pretty good job on the net from my perspective. Anyone asking for help got what help they could. Anyone messing around got called out and told off. I'm sure mistakes were made, but I have no doubt that anyone in need of assistance could get it on that repeater. I know several people setting up baofengs for their relatives to be able to call that repeater for the next emergency. They got that much right through all of this.
Thank you!!! Thanks to those providing communications for sacrificing their time and efforts. Even something as simple as a grandchild saying hello to their grandparents on 2m……don’t ruin their fun sad hams!!
Every time I hear K2DMG my ears perk up as my callsign is only different by the number. It's awesome that K2DMG stepped in to help out the local folks that could not get communication out otherwise. HAM radio is so essential to disasters and Dan's contribution shines such a good light on the HAM community.
Are you ok with everyone on TH-cam having your home address over there in the PNW? I say that with genuine curiosity as it puzzles me that folks would want that floating around.
I agree with you 100%. People need to relax. It's not always about the letter of the law. I am so proud of all the Ham radio operators that help out in North Carolina and Tennessee. I am more than ever, so proud to be an Amateur radio operator. Sad Ham my ass
I am a local and heard well-known ragchewers on the N2GE Mt Mitchell repeater scolding non-licensed people for using the repeater while the entire electrical transmission system and cellular network was down over multiple counties.
So glad I found your channel. My study guide arrived today. Every hobby has its gatekeepers. They also have jargon. That can be confusing at times. Noobs can conflate the terms. I saw on a “beginner” FB page someone asked a question but used the wrong word. Instead of explaining that the general public’s use of the word is not correct in this context they got dumped on by a dozen more knowledgeable folks. That kind of behavior will drive away a lot of beginners. I’m trying to absorb as much information as possible while learning how to do the right thing. Your example of someone setting up a neighborhood network is a perfect example of doing the wrong thing for the right reason.
Welcome to the amateur radio hobby! I hope you have a good time. I've been into radios for 10 years now and everyone I've engaged with, except for 1 person on the air, has been really cool. I hope you have the same experience!
Lets be honest, 99% of the time HAMs are using the airwaves to talk about pointless garbage. When it comes to life and death, the License thing is not even a question.
Hi Josh, this comment will likely get lost in the ether but I was just telling Thomas k4swl this summer that I thought you were a great ambassador for the hobby. The humanity you brought in this video really touches on that . Cheers -Chris Kb8rua
Thomas was very active on this repeater as his neighborhood was getting cut off. He did a great job at getting information to and from his neighborhood and he is a great ambassador! K9EZ/4
Someone who can turn their back on another during a time like this citing regulations and ordinances is not someone I care to interact with in any capacity. I hope that when the day comes and you find yourself wanting, whoever should answer your call for help has grace and mercy for you, and you receive compassion, understanding, and rendered the assistance you need. I am finding it increasingly difficult not to speak my mind and to take the high road when dealing with people of this character.
I'm so glad that people were able to use amateur radio to help people in this tragedy. This is the main reason I got into amateur radio! I'll never understand why someone would complain about unlicensed operators in this type of emergency.
You are correct in that every group or hobby is going to have your butt holes. For me it was the off-road community. Definitely ran across some amateur radio operators that were miserable, but that was on the bands. Locally the ham community where I'm at is amazing. You just have to ignore those miserable people and not let them stop you from doing something that you enjoy, or entering a hobby, you are interested in.
Great video Josh!!! Emergency is emergency situation and to allow folks to use Ham bands for a moment in time to get them help should be absolutely fine. If the so called Sad Hams can’t use their frequencies because people need help and are using the frequencies, then too bad safety comes first and foremost to people in need, then their hobby interests. Well done Josh!!!!
Amen my friend! You just hit the nail on the head. Awesome analytics and great words! Keep on helping this “Hobby/life style” to get to the next level. ❤
Preach it, brother!!! Thank you for addressing this in a great way. I have been lucky and had a few good Elmers. You are a great person to address this.
The only time I can say for sure that I would be frustrated with non-licensed users is if it is a non emergency situation and the person is causing interference to normal radio operations (net, talking to my buddies, whatever). If there has been a hurricane, or other major disaster, all means of communication are on the table. If you don't have a license but have a radio and need help, make the call. Thanks for another great video Josh. 73, KJ7FEE
Agreed. When I was coming up in amateur radio you had to be causing interference to simplex conversations, or much worse, jamming a repeater, before anyone would bother to deal with you. And there are as many licensed morons as there are unlicensed, so there's that.
I put out a video last weekend about using radio in these situations, and explicitly said to transmit on whatever band will get you help, license or not...........and got inundated with people going off on me just because I have a license, and I encouraged other people to get licensed. I mean like some seriously unhinged stuff. While I agree with S2 Underground's sentiment, he didn't handle it particularly well (I watched the entire video within 15 minutes of it being posted), and it caused people who watch him to absolutely go of on people like me who were legitimately trying to help, solely because I have a ham license. Tone matters, and when people post videos purely for the outrage clicks, it doesn't really do anyone any good.
Yeah. I think almost need a video about those people. The same that hate the license yet thinks that won’t lead to more government involvement. It’s ludicrous.
Hey Evan, I commented on that very video a few days about using tiers and learning levels to try and get the success dopamine receptors going, while also giving people just a few solid choices so they aren't paralyzed when it comes to THE START of radio work. Well sure enough, shortly after, my Brother's house got flooded during Milton. I gave my Brother a BaoFeng HT with an okay antenna + extended battery before the storm, I told him when to turn it on, and what frequency to monitor should I come to get him. I couldn't get all the way to his house in my vehicle, but there were NG LMTVs at the entrance of his community when I got there. I let him know they were close, and asked if he could leave before they left to serve another community. He answered very quickly (I tried him on cell phone several times first), and I gave the NG truck the location, a house description and who they were picking up. The NG guys had already done a loop and weren't too keen on going back, but I told them my brother needed it. They agreed to go. 10ish minutes later I was cradling his dog off the back of the truck as he and his wife exited the LMTV. A BaoFeng and a little effort got my Brother and his pregnant wife over to my place and helped them get out of a sub-optimal position. The issues you and HRCC are advocating are important! I didn't necessarily save lives, but I alleviated (some) human suffering and prevented unknowable complications that my sister in law may have potentially experienced. I'm so glad I got into HAM radio because either my family would still be rotting without power or my truck would be floating and useless in the street. We need to either bully the naysayers or show them through stories that our hobby is more than just contests where we discuss what setup we have and gloat over the airwaves in the attempt the contact on the other end admits their jealousy! Radios work, and they are important!
@@wildcatcomms Thanks Brother. I think we all have a lot of work to do. I see you have a few videos up. I'll 'pop a gander' at them. Good luck and God Bless.
The things that happened to the people of North Carolina hit me right in the feels. Those radio operators are true heros! They inspired me to get licensed. I will be testing next month and then I can help out if, God forbid, some disaster happens in my community.
Very well said. The right thing to do as a ham is to render aid, if able to do so, if someone is in need. The flipside though of bad actors that transmit without license intentionally causing interference is another story. I was in the radio room of the county EOC as the ARES member during Hurricane Milton and listening to the bad actors disrupting SARnet that was in restricted closed net for State/County EOC and federal partners to communicate.
I really appreciate you weighing in on this, you captured my thoughts on it well. S2Underground called attention to some of the same issues I have with this but I felt he did it in an extreme way that is leaving outsiders feeling like all hams are hateful gatekeepers and that just isn’t the case.
@@thistlemoon1 that group and the big ham radio group both suck and if I could snap my fingers and the group went away I would. They do far more harm to the hobby than anything. The ham radio crash course Facebook group and discord server are moderated in such a way that we try and deal with those kinds of behaviors making it a better place for beginners
Yes, absolutely! I felt the same about the S2 piece. I’ve found the HRCC community and so many being super helpful as a relatively new op. The rare few that misbehave should not discourage folks from the journey.
Josh, I can vouch for not having any way to communicate, to send or receive information, for a mere several days during this disaster here in the western part of North Carolina was a bit worrisome…and then there was Ham Radio. I have had my Tech since October 2009 just for emergencies. I am now going to upgrade to General ticket. Western NC Hams Thank You for being a voice of reason during this and other times. Semper Fi!
Thank you for bringing some common sense and sanity to some of these rules that trip some people up. So glad to see people helping people because they have the ability, to use their hobby to help people and save lives! Also glad to hear some sanity on the moniker "Sad hams" that gets tossed around incorrectly.
As an active amateur radio operator myself emergency, radio is open. As for myself, I would take an emergency call and help no matter the other radio station status! In my opinion, all amateur radio operators have a duty to help in any emergency. And I really believe most ham radio operators will agree 100%. God bless my brother radio operators that are on the ground doing what amateur radio is actually for.
I'm an amateur standard licensed operator in Australia (the middle license). Here, it is legislated that a licensed operator must respond to emergency calls and render aid as best they can. I'm not exactly how this is policed, but it is a legal requirement none the less. Privilege comes with responsibility.
As long as someone wasn’t jamming the frequency, I would talk to them and help them license or not. Also think of the example we set for those unlicensed. After all of this they will more than likely join our ranks than not if we just use common sense.
We are in WNC did not have any coms for 15 days. Working on my ham lic. It was our only way to communicate or ask for help. Glad I had the option, greatful we did not have to use it. ✌️
You were one of the people that got me into hamradio years ago . Many people will not agree with me and that is on them . Saying that . I have been and will continue to be there for anyone in need . I will do what I can with in my fiscal means to be there . I have passed out radios to people and told them to just use them if you need me in a emergency. We live in an area where tornadoes hit often. These are elderly and disabled people. If it brakes the FCC rolls once . That is ok . The Lord and myself know better .
Josh, at the end of the day people shouldn't rely on the fact that they *could* Tx during an emergency. Planning and preparation are key to getting through disasters with minimal negatives. Thanks for an informative video. Hopefully, people will be proactive and learn about radio and get licensed to practice so that when any disaster happens they can get the help they need in a more effective manner.
I agree with your comments here 100%. I actively try to be a good Elmer, help people get into the hobby and explain things in a way people understand. Sadly a nuanced discussion of the topic cannot be had on social media, as I have recently found out. If you encourage folks to get licensed before a disaster happens so they can practice with their radios within the rules and therefore have a better chance of successfully getting help during a disaster/emergency, apparently that makes you a "sad ham". Seems like good advice to me, given the complexity of ham radio, but apparently anyone holding my position is just trying to "tell them what to do" and a "boot licker". Lots of passion on both sides of this argument, and I appreciate your comments on the topic.
Thanks Josh, EXCELLENT VIDEO !! For me, I would think, like you, that it is all for one and try to get help. I would also mention that the person to please look into getting a licence with their local amateur's help. We're happy to help whenever where ever and we have the equipment, heck most of us have HTs that in an emergency we could loan out, just have to tell them don't push any of the buttons.
I have the opportunity to sit at the back of our club meetings, with my laptop, and program radios. It's just a service that I provide to the community. So, the club leadership will send people back to me to not only program radios, but answer any questions that people have. As you can imagine, I get A LOT of people that are new to the hobby. I try to be as 'non-technical' as I can when I'm answering their questions, but occasionally, when I'm answering a question, I get the 'blank stare'. I then try to re-phase the answer. Sometimes, it helps, other times not. I also try to not be condescending in my tone of voice to help people realize that I'm there to help, and not criticise. I'm sure some people have come away from talking to me thinking 'holy cow! I'm never going to get this...' simply because they're overwhelmed. I hope that I haven't been labled as a 'sad ham' at that point, but I do my best to avoid it. But sometimes, you can't always control it from happening.
Thanks for this video. It really hits home. From someone who uses multiple radio systems, amateur and otherwise, I would much rather someone use a radio as an untrained or unlicensed person and save someone’s life vs. sitting on the sideline and watch someone die. There are no black and white situations when true emergency communications is needed. People need to get off their “high horses” and stop “armchair quarterbacking” every little thing that goes on. If you weren’t there and never have been, then you don’t understand. You know it’s bad when even the first responders and search & rescue teams can’t communicate out from the disaster zone, because the comms are that big of a mess.
I've watched most all your videos, learned everything from your vids. Currently General Class - this is by far your best video - Thanks for this. As a society, we are loosing in regards to taking care of our fellow men- this vid really hit home for me and I couldn't agree more with that you stated - Thanks !!
This was a great video Josh... I actually made a post to see how this would be interpreted here. I was listening to the net via broadcastify and did here a few folks with 'no call sign' I made a comment that this was the first time I actually heard something like this. Responses were not negative at all.. which I was surprised at cause I can tell ya we do have some of those sad hams in the region. I was glad to see that there was no negativity ! Asheville is a war zone. no doubt, I will also say though even though this guy did not have a call sign he was professional to boot !
Josh, well said. I saw the S2 Underground video too...and I completely agree with his viewpoint. As a licensed ham radio operator I can say: anyone, especially a licensed ham radio operator, who is intentionally interfereing with emergency communications where preservation of life and property, regardless of the the individuals needing assistance having a license or not, the interfereing party is guilty of a Federal Offense. I feel very strongly about that. If an unlicensed person needing evacuation, medical aid, food, water, or baby formula calls for help on a ham radio frequency...it is our moral obligation to assist in any way possible. Yes it's a fun hobby, but the hobby exists to solely to serve the greater good, and serve it does during emergencies or times of need. Fortunately the "sad hams" as you politely put it are few and far in between. But they seem to make the most noise, which is sad. My heart aches for the people affected by these storms...I wish I was closer to lend direct assistance. Sometimes a single guy with a 4x4 pickup truck, a winch, and a chain saw can do a lot.
Transmitting a call for help from an unlicensed station/operator is ethically correct, and receiving it should also be ethically correct. However, handling EmComm traffic, including net control. should be done by licensed and trained operators.
This is funny. The only people who even care are ham dorx. I listen all the time and wouldn't think 2 seconds about transmitting without a license if doing so would keep my mail man from breaking his thumb nail opening my mailbox. Don't need a tech ticket, won't ever get one and likely will never wear Crocs with knee high sox, collect QSO cards, attend field days, swap meets or launch a parking lots on the air sesh... like others have said, "because of the image of the community". Good on you for outing them.
The idea that a ham wouldn't help someone in the middle of an emergency is disgusting. But it's also annoying to hear people loudly bragging about how they plan to use their Title97 rights but are otherwise uninterested in learning to use their radios. Just suggesting they get training while there is no emergency gets you labelled a "sad ham". Then they go on about how "free men" act, insisting that "free men" don't have to ask for permission for anything; until you point out that those same people meekly go stand in line at the DMV and take a test for the *privilege* do drive, as it is not a "right". As soon as you point this out, they just try to delete your comments and silence you. It only takes a natural disaster to find out just what people are made of and which ones are all ego and mostly full of crap.
I don't comment on videos very often but... Well said, sir! I literally got into amateur radio, less than a year ago, for emergency communication. Not a hobby for me. Will it become one? Maybe. My goal was to be able to communicate with immediate family members and a couple of other specific people during emergencies. That's it. Four locations was the goal. And while they are each "local", the kicker is distance. As the crow flies, they are 10 miles northeast, 13 miles east, 16 miles southwest, and 28 miles north-northwest. I started with attempting mobile GMRS. Even with an Ed Fang GMRS pushed up high (25' to top), with 50W, on quality coax and a straight shot, it didn’t do the trick at all. I'm glad I added it to my truck, as it's great for road trips, but I needed much more distance than it was providing. Next step was amateur radio. Got my technician license and started down the rabbit hole. While I may do HF someday (now on my list after the recent events in NC), as HF with NVIS seems to be a great tool in the toolbox, I wanted to see if I could pull this off with simplex VHF, and as "simple" as I could make it, as my plan was to setup go-box style kits for my four locations of loved ones. I know that I would be pushing the distances, but with a quality HT (for flexibility/portability if need be), small amp, 9Ah battery, 20' or 30' mast (depending on the location), and an Ed Fong roll-up... After lots of testing, lots of driving from location to location, lots of cell phone time to/from (so the unlicensed person on the other end can discuss results without transmitting)... I've successfully done it. I can transmit/receive between my house and each of the locations. Wrote our emergency comms plan, which will be driven by be, currently being the only licensed operator, and have each of them setup with very simple instructions. It's a bit more, but basically: push up antenna, turn on radio to pre-programmed frequency at specific times (modified Wilderness Protocol), and listen for updates that I can push to them. If they are in an emergency, they know how to push the button, on our agreed to frequency, or the nat call, if I can’t be reached, and what to say. In my going through this process… There will be more licensed operators. Two are definite yeses, one is leaning yes, and one is a maybe (in his late 70’s). Before all this… they would have never considered. Beyond that, I’ve now had conversations with others, that are heavily considering amateur radio, to the point they have raised the topic with me. Keep learning. Keeping pushing. Keep doing the great work! 73 -Chris
I agree with you whole heartedly. We live in Hampton Tn, at the foot of the mountain on the Tennessee side. Our area has been devastated. We lost so many lives and people lost everything they owned. There was zero communication here outside of radio for a week after the storm flooding. I tried to help where I could and am planning on doing some help trying to get folks to at least have a form of communication for this kind of situation. It was so bad at one point all of the local repeaters lost power and we still got through getting supplies out via simplex. Im organizing a “class” of sorts in the coming weeks and talk to folks about ALL kinds of radio, whether it’s Ham all the way to CB, GMRS, even FRS, anything. I have gotten some responses that folks here who can’t even read or write and have issues wanting to either test or even license so I’m trying to figure a way to get through to those folks so even they have options. Wish me luck all I can do is try but that’s what I’m going to do.
It blows me away how many keyboard Warriors are out there complaining about what was done in this emergency situation especially since they were nowhere near the region! I was there for the last 2 weeks and listened to what all happened here and it was handled beautifully! Armchair quarterbacks she just go away! It was amazing the traffic that was handled on this repeater! I had a conversation with an FCC field engineer today on another topic and this topic did come up. I can guarantee the FCC would not take any action on this, that is in the spirit of helping people in an emergency situation. If you are going to be a stickler in this situation you better reflect on yourself! There were no cell phones for over a week, there were no internet access points, and there's still no power! There are a lot of people that are stuck in mountain tops because of roads are washed out! The hams that were in the Mount Mitchell area and Asheville did a beautiful job and should be highly commended! K9EZ
They did the best with what they had.
However, there was harmful interference on the repeater and a lot of it.
The idea that putting a radio into the hands of non ham and expecting them to know how and when operate it is terrible idea.
Ham radio is great for emergencies and I don’t have problems with communication of immediate threat.
There were people calling in to net control asking about what’s the best radio to buy when I get my ticket! During the emergency!
This communication system can be rendered useless by harmful interference. At times during this emergency it absolutely was. There were non-hams communicating between themselves on the input frequency of the repeater. They had no idea what they were doing.
When there is only one working repeater it’s very easy to lose it due to interference. Helping one person versus disabling 100s of people only form of communication doesn’t seem to be very smart.
That's interesting. I never once heard "interference". There were more than 1 working repeater there were a number of more "local" repeaters for closer in comms. At times net controlled relaxed the net and people could carry on regular communication. Were you there? @@2630Doss
Wow. I've just begun researching radios so that is excellent information. @@2630Doss
The FCC can't take any action as according to the law he just read, it says no provision in the law will prevent an amateur station from operating in an emergency that threatens life or property. So no laws were broken so there is nothing to enforce. All the Sad Hams can read the law for themselves, but they won't. They would just rather complain about people who didnt take a test using the airwaves to save lives. Very sad.
@@2630Doss Which repeater were you on during the nets? I had access to four.
This is fantastic. I had a Baofeng laying around, and a couple of days before Milton hit us, it occurred to me to try to understand ham. Ive used your videos to cram the shit out of the technician license exam. Less than 3 days after discovering it, i am fascinated by radio and not only the usefulness it provided me during the storm, not just because staying in contact with local ARES frequencies, but all facets of it. I was courteous and didnt transmit but knowing i could, and listening for updates from local hams and being ready to render aid, was invaluable. Seeing snobs shit on thousands of potential new hams they could be passing the torch to, instead of growing the community, was disheartening. But several posts on reddit and these videos reminded me that most hams seem to be good people.
Anyway, I'm taking my license exam today, thanks to the help of your content and others, and I'm excited to spend countless hours in this hobby i discovered out of necessity
Thank you for your content
EDIT: I passed with 34/35. Thanks for the good luck wishes, they worked!
Awesome. Good Luck.
That's fantastic good luck😊🎉
Good luck mate I'm sure you'll get it ! KO4BCN
Hope it went well! KE0ZLZ
Welcome! The hobby will suck you in!! Now that you passed tech, study more and go further!!!
You are 100% right. Some rules need to be followed, but in an emergency life or death situation, all rules are out the door. Any ham refusing to acknowledge an unlicensed person pleading for help on the radio, should be imprisoned.
Iirc there are straight up carveouts for unlicensed users to transmit in emergency situations.
There are two things about this statement that are in error. The first is that the law provides a justification defense of “necessity” that sometimes operates to excuse conduct that would otherwise be illegal, but this is a totally different and narrower proposition than “in an emergency, all rules are out the door.” There are easy and obvious ways of illustrating that in an emergency, SOME rules can be violated without criminal consequence if the legal system in your jurisdiction would support the notion that the technical violation was NECESSARY to avoid some greater harm. But as framed above, the statement is false and terrible legal advice.
Second, I would hope that everyone can recognize that an assertion that “in an emergency, all rules are out the door” is fundamentally incompatible with a simultaneous assertion that a person should be imprisoned for ignoring something they heard on a radio during an emergency. Even as a joke, it is a dumb and dangerous assertion that people should be imprisoned for doing things that are not crimes, at least under U.S. law.
@@timothyfox3995 much more articulate, then I would of been, responding, to the mental paraplegic that suggests: "Any ham refusing to acknowledge an unlicensed person pleading for help on the radio, should be imprisoned."
Ya the prison statement is hyperbolic, and rage. This specific weather event warranted using ham equipment however, do you disagree?
Pleading for help is one thing, it's not against the law.using the radio to say Walmart has water is something else
It's like a 911 operator hanging up on a caller because their phone bill wasn't paid.
They won't just hangup on you, thy will send cops to arrest you. It is illegal to use 911 for non emergencies, and yes people do get charged with doing that dally. Laws are laws. Using a tragedy to justify breaking rules and laws, is something only bad people do. Saying things like, these people are trying to assist others so they should not get into trouble, is highly absurd. It is comical that even people with a license are wiling to argue for people without a license. It reminds me of people defending illegal aliens. Y'all are goofy.
This is true EMCOMM. Whatever radio you have, you would like to dig it out and say, "hello hello" and hear someone scanning the frequencies of radios people tend to have lying around, say, "go ahead, ma'am. Is everything okay there?"
Anything less is a missed opportunity, or worse.
I can't stand the thought that I could hear someone who needs help, and I couldn't or wouldn't do anything and everything to help. I say if you can help even one person in a time of need, do it. I'd rather ask for forgiveness for saving a life than let someone die senselessly and have that on me. I love this community. I love this country. And I'll be dammed if I don't do everything I can to make it better.
Not EMCOMM related, but I recently listened to a non-licensed operator get on a local repeater. A club member came back to him to acknowledge that he heard him and asked for his call sign. The operator said he didn't have one. Rather than admonish this guy, the club member advised him that he needed to be licensed, and how to go about getting his license. He offered club website info, club meetings, and how he could study/test for his ham license. I thought this was very cool and exactly how it should have been handled. I wish I had written down the guy's call so I could thank him!
Great reminder for all of us, Josh... Thanks for the video!
73, Brett K5WXP
Good on him. Responding an a very constructive way. If you attack people for not being licensed, they might double down and never gain an interest in putting in the effort to become licensed and join a community they see as being filled with miserable people. Some HAMs need to touch grass.
That is good to hear. Some people do not know one needs to be licensed.
I agree that this was the proper way to handle it, but the problem is...if you have a QSO with an unlicensed user, you can get in big trouble, no matter if you're educating them or not.
@@garrettstephens91 what would be the issue?
@@westtexasprepper I just told you what the issue was and it's not with me...the FCC has that rule.
I watched a video of a licensed operator who lives in the affected area in NC. After the hurricane went through he passed out small radios to his neighbors and set up what you might call a network within his community with daily wellness checks to see what people might need. There was no power, phones,or any other kind of communication available. To me this is the mail selling point for the ham hobby. Helping people who really, really need help.
Yes! The old fogeys (who tend to be the only sad hams and gatekeepers) refuse to acknowledge how the demographics of the hobby have shifted. Once upon a time, it was just nerds and geeks who loved radios. Now, the hobby is chock full of the prepper types. The reasonable people have seen this shift, and accept the change, the sad hams keep pretending that there are no emergencies that justify being unlicensed.
Ham radio done right is about compassion. Well done!
He shouldn't have passed out radios ,which u need a license to operate. He should have passed out blister pack radios
@@anthonygallo3576 In an emergency situation...I have Baofeng's for this purpose too. They're about as close to disposable ham radios as you can get.
@@anthonygallo3576 That's exactly what he said he passed out. I did not know there is a difference in "blister pack" radios and Radios.
Oh and BTW, huuuge kudos for following S2 Underground. I am very glad to hear that my 2 fav YT radio guys are in touch!
Don't let your hobby become your religion.
Typical HAM boomers
And don’t let ignorance believe it’s intelligent! 😉
It’s bigger than that. These guys are just mean spirited deep down. They need a lesson in humanity
So people shouldn't have pride in their hobbies?
Agreed. Few bad apples......
The arrogance and narcissism of sad hams kept me from joining the community for many years. Just recently I decided to join you. Thank you for being a voice of reason and advocating for what the ham world is intended to be, a community. Love your stuff, keep up the good work!
So I also just got my license about 6 months ago and I have not come across one sad ham yet just wondering what your experience has been
@@seandrake7534 I have come across a few but not as many as some of these videos would lead to believe exist.
If you let other people dictate whether or not you like something, you have no principles or spine.
@@helpfromabove6400 how did you go from technician to extra and not figure that out before
@@seandrake7534 I tested for all 3 in one session. I've never been a technician or general.
Any ham trying to shame anyone in an emergency should automatically loose their license to transmit for 2 years. Fak em
"We The People" are the Government here in the USA. The politicians are our public servants. I refuse to buy a HAM license from my public servants ! 😡
I always talk on my HAM radios without a license.
10* years
Loosing your dignity is shame enough. Why get the law involved?
Legality in most cases goes out the window during times of the pudding hitting the fan. Many times I can recall orders not being followed in the professional firefighter’s day in order to do the right thing. Morality and common sense can and should replace “laws” at times! We need to take care of our fellow human being and love our neighbors!
You rock! I had to jump on a ham repeater trying to escape eastern tn back to nc. Only have a gmrs callsign currently. I apologized when I called out. People came back telling me no need to apologize, gave me all the info my convoy needed. Thanks to the good ones! And thanks to you Josh!
Our local county is working with us hams to help build a plan to help people during disaster. I was literally just in a meeting with the group bringing this to the table.
It's so very nice to hear that people are actively trying to let us help instead of gatekeeping, especially during a disaster. I wouldn't be a part of this change if it weren't for you, Josh. It's only been a year since I became president of a large club, and i just got my general license. If it weren't for you and your content, I wouldn't be in this to the point where I want to help. I look forward to the changes to come. I don't care what any of the sad folks have to say. Emcom is so important that local government is trying to make sure we're here to help and that we can.
🤙🏾
Sadly a lot of hands have not prepared or practiced for situation like this. I saw a lot of people asking questions about what they should do with their radios and all. This is not the time to learn your radio! This is the time to activate it. Everybody needs to practice as boring as it may be all year long as you will never know exactly where you're going to need it. This whole event has changed my preparation for disaster and I am beginning to implement that already. My company provided internet for some police stations in the area and some businesses that were shipping food to the area where they had no communication and could not get trucks in line to get food delivered. That woke up my company and a lot of businesses and even government.
@THEBossSound practice practice practice. I'm working on making a CW key to learn morse now. (At least until I get one ordered). I'm trying to get people into having a PACE plan and think about what they'll have to do when no coms are available to them. With the number of cell outages as of the last few months, more and more people want to learn. Like you said, most of the time, people get a radio thinking they'll use it during an emergency and never bother to learn how to use it. I have the local repeaters and the normal adventure frequency programmed in my ht's, along with a few simplex channels that are set and labeled to be used at intervals as well. I dig the Ghostnet that S2 underground has set up. At the very least, I'm betting it will help save lives as far as getting info out to people who only have RX only SW radios. I know most people don't think about this stuff, but I'm happy to be a part of the group who does. I'm working on stepping up my QRP game since it'll be a challenge, but it may be the only way to get info in or out of the area.
Here in Northern California in Humboldt County, we do ham radio nets to check in, and we have mountain top repeaters which for 2m band that use 70cm for translation (we have a system of 4 linked repeaters that go from mountain top to mountain top almost as far South as Garberville to almost all the way to the Oregon border.) But many of the repeaters do not have solar energy and battery backups to mains power. It is expensive to build and maintain such a system...but in times of great emergency, they are so very useful.
Well done and well said Josh; "Human beings sometimes suck". I certainly have fit into that category at times.
We all have!
Everyone does.
Yes. Me too. Having the humility to admit it is a step in the right direction. I think we hams could do better being humble...it is a hobby who's sole purpose for being is to serve. And that is a privaledge.
Josh, THANK YOU for calling out nonsense and honoring what is going right in the community, particularly amidst these emergencies.
I have a handheld ham radio and do not have a license. Bought it for this very situation and used to to listen to updates coming from a Mt Mitchell, NC repeater after our power and internet went down. The effort made a large impact on me and I may go ahead and get licensed. I did not have an emergency but had I, I would have not hesitated to broadcast a plea for assistance.
Otherwise, just don’t be a Dick. Enjoyed your video.
Absolutely: a law is worthless to someone dying or wounded. Help is absolutely paramount over any other position or opinion. Thank you, this is absolutely necessary to understand. 🇺🇸👍
But no laws were broken according to the FCC regs he just read in the video. I don't understand some people in the comments section saying things like ..the FCC will let this one slide, or The FCC won't prosecute anyone in this situation and will look the other way, etc. They can't go after anyone according to the law shown at the start of this video. I'm no lawyer, I am simply going by the FCC's regs as read in this video.
I’ve been through multiple hurricanes in Florida where the hams down there did NOTHING- no organization or assistance whatsoever. I’ve commented on that before, and I’ll admit there MAY have been pockets of assistance I couldn’t monitor, but I have NEVER heard hams operate like they did in North Carolina. If the ARRL doesn’t have an emergency assistance award, they better get busy and create one for the Net Controls I heard. It is, and was a phenomenal response, and they absolutely should awarded. Compare that to the Lake Lure Fire Chief that threatened a helicopter pilot with arrest when trying to perform rescues. THAT GUY needs to be jailed.
You are on the wrong net.
I was listening to a repeater on “the big stick” in FL during Milton. The only people he admonished during the net were the people that were just looking for a “radio check”. In his defense he was belting out tornado warning after tornado warning for hours, including large dangerous tornadoes confirmed on the ground. I think he handled it well, didn’t hear him snub anyone who needed help at least when I was listening
@@jmythngdmb listened to the same net. It’s the best imho.
Note that it was one of Florida's US Senators who several years ago blocked the provision of the NDAA that would have curbed some of the powers of HOAs to prevent use of amateur radio during emergencies and at other times. Florida seems to me to have some people problems (not that they're alone in that respect).
Extremely well said. Thank you for everything you do for the community.
Very well articulated Josh. "sadham" is being used similar to "karen". Those who have been running the nets during the hurrincane have been doing some amazing work. I applaud them for being the best of the Amateur Radio Service and not the worst.
Josh, I have a ton of respect for you. Thank you for your level headed approach, without your voice many people would reject the hobby outright.
You summarized my feelings on all this "discord" from the past few days! I hope people don't take the words of a statistically few people to apply over-generalizations to all ham radio operators.
Thanks Ethan!
Oh you should read some of the comments on the FB groups on this subject. According to some this was not an ‘emergency according to the rules.’ It’s ridiculous!
@@thistlemoon1 Oh I'm sure there are some socially inept fudds hiding away in their bedrooms making angry comments on the internet. Reminds me of the fudd gun guys who freak out when you say you have a WML on your carry, freak out at the range when you actually train, or any other fuddy behavior. Thankfully they are usually just fudds on the internet and can be ignored.
Fudds are a section of society, and unfortunately they infiltrate all areas, including hobbies like ham radio.
Ham operators are some of the most helpful people in the world. Heck, quite a few of them think of that as the best reason to participate in the hobby.
Its not as 'few' as it really should be honestly. I see it at both my local clubs.
Josh, again you show how much of a statesman, and voice you are for our hobby. How many of these folks who are using ham radio without a license, could be motivated to get their ticket if they were treated with compassion, and encouraged to become amateur operators. Thanks again for the great content. KG5WXU Glendon 73
Thank you.
THANK YOU for speaking clearly on this important topic, Josh! Folks are focusing on the wrong stuff sometimes. 'Gatekeeping' is the worst. Cheers from Ohio, KE8WAT
I’m so glad that you come out on this side of this issue, because I really enjoy your content, but I think it’s outrageous that someone would do that. I always knew you were a good guy Josh.
You bring the world of HAM radio in a very positive way. I'm. waiting for my call sign and feel good about doing some transmitting. All the HAMs in the south working with the people needing help is inspiring and is typical of why the USA is number one.
Just ignore the nay sayers. They are in every part of society. Find a good group of people and share experiences and have a blast!
Welcome to amateur radio! I hope that you have a blast with the hobby!
Thank you Josh for this. This just shows us our love for humanity, and our love for our hobby and community.
Well done my brother.
The rules seem to be written to allow hams to use their station on non-ham frequencies, e.g. maritime, aviation, etc. to pass emergency traffic, but you are 100% correct that you have to be a real a-hole to lecture or refuse emergency or even urgent safety-of-life-and-property traffic from unlicensed persons.
Well done Josh. This is timeless
I'm thankful you put this video out, Josh. You have a wide voice and a lot of influence in the ham community. Thanks for representing.
Thank you for spreading this much needed message.
With you 🎉
I have had this... dont speak to them they are not a operator. Shame 😢
Thank you Josh! You are absolutely right.
I've been listening to N2GE on my Baofeng since this whole thing started. I'm in the 30+ inches of rain area and Mt Michel (Tower location) is a short drive for me. They've done a pretty good job on the net from my perspective. Anyone asking for help got what help they could. Anyone messing around got called out and told off. I'm sure mistakes were made, but I have no doubt that anyone in need of assistance could get it on that repeater. I know several people setting up baofengs for their relatives to be able to call that repeater for the next emergency. They got that much right through all of this.
Couldn't have said it any better Josh. Thank you for making videos like this.
Thank you!!! Thanks to those providing communications for sacrificing their time and efforts. Even something as simple as a grandchild saying hello to their grandparents on 2m……don’t ruin their fun sad hams!!
Thank you!
Every time I hear K2DMG my ears perk up as my callsign is only different by the number. It's awesome that K2DMG stepped in to help out the local folks that could not get communication out otherwise. HAM radio is so essential to disasters and Dan's contribution shines such a good light on the HAM community.
Are you ok with everyone on TH-cam having your home address over there in the PNW? I say that with genuine curiosity as it puzzles me that folks would want that floating around.
@@JimYeats Oh and he's got a vanity CS too meaning he asked for those numbers.
I agree with you 100%. People need to relax. It's not always about the letter of the law. I am so proud of all the Ham radio operators that help out in North Carolina and Tennessee. I am more than ever, so proud to be an Amateur radio operator. Sad Ham my ass
I am a local and heard well-known ragchewers on the N2GE Mt Mitchell repeater scolding non-licensed people for using the repeater while the entire electrical transmission system and cellular network was down over multiple counties.
So glad I found your channel. My study guide arrived today. Every hobby has its gatekeepers. They also have jargon. That can be confusing at times. Noobs can conflate the terms. I saw on a “beginner” FB page someone asked a question but used the wrong word. Instead of explaining that the general public’s use of the word is not correct in this context they got dumped on by a dozen more knowledgeable folks. That kind of behavior will drive away a lot of beginners. I’m trying to absorb as much information as possible while learning how to do the right thing. Your example of someone setting up a neighborhood network is a perfect example of doing the wrong thing for the right reason.
Welcome to the amateur radio hobby! I hope you have a good time. I've been into radios for 10 years now and everyone I've engaged with, except for 1 person on the air, has been really cool. I hope you have the same experience!
Rock on Josh!! I lived in East Tennessee years ago. It hits close to Home, I still have family there.
Lets be honest, 99% of the time HAMs are using the airwaves to talk about pointless garbage. When it comes to life and death, the License thing is not even a question.
Almost all hobbies consist of talking about pointless garbage of you deep enough.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse Good point!
99% of my time on the air these days is spent making HF contacts, which thankfully my wife rates slightly higher than "pointless garbage" hahahaha!!!!
@@wildcatcomms one man garbage is another man’s treasure! KJ7TBR
Terrible take. Are 100% of your comments meaningful, and to whom?
Hi Josh, this comment will likely get lost in the ether but I was just telling Thomas k4swl this summer that I thought you were a great ambassador for the hobby. The humanity you brought in this video really touches on that . Cheers -Chris Kb8rua
Thank you Chris!
Thomas was very active on this repeater as his neighborhood was getting cut off. He did a great job at getting information to and from his neighborhood and he is a great ambassador! K9EZ/4
Someone who can turn their back on another during a time like this citing regulations and ordinances is not someone I care to interact with in any capacity. I hope that when the day comes and you find yourself wanting, whoever should answer your call for help has grace and mercy for you, and you receive compassion, understanding, and rendered the assistance you need. I am finding it increasingly difficult not to speak my mind and to take the high road when dealing with people of this character.
I'm so glad that people were able to use amateur radio to help people in this tragedy. This is the main reason I got into amateur radio! I'll never understand why someone would complain about unlicensed operators in this type of emergency.
Well said and needed saying. Covered both sides of the issue well and fairly.
You are correct in that every group or hobby is going to have your butt holes. For me it was the off-road community. Definitely ran across some amateur radio operators that were miserable, but that was on the bands. Locally the ham community where I'm at is amazing. You just have to ignore those miserable people and not let them stop you from doing something that you enjoy, or entering a hobby, you are interested in.
Great video Josh!!! Emergency is emergency situation and to allow folks to use Ham bands for a moment in time to get them help should be absolutely fine. If the so called Sad Hams can’t use their frequencies because people need help and are using the frequencies, then too bad safety comes first and foremost to people in need, then their hobby interests. Well done Josh!!!!
Amen my friend! You just hit the nail on the head. Awesome analytics and great words! Keep on helping this “Hobby/life style” to get to the next level. ❤
Preach it, brother!!! Thank you for addressing this in a great way. I have been lucky and had a few good Elmers. You are a great person to address this.
Thank you Josh. Your message was right on point, aa usual!
I’m not a HAM operator and this is the first of your videos I’ve seen.
5:08 is why I subscribed. 😎👍
The only time I can say for sure that I would be frustrated with non-licensed users is if it is a non emergency situation and the person is causing interference to normal radio operations (net, talking to my buddies, whatever). If there has been a hurricane, or other major disaster, all means of communication are on the table. If you don't have a license but have a radio and need help, make the call. Thanks for another great video Josh. 73, KJ7FEE
Has that ever happened?
Agreed. When I was coming up in amateur radio you had to be causing interference to simplex conversations, or much worse, jamming a repeater, before anyone would bother to deal with you. And there are as many licensed morons as there are unlicensed, so there's that.
I put out a video last weekend about using radio in these situations, and explicitly said to transmit on whatever band will get you help, license or not...........and got inundated with people going off on me just because I have a license, and I encouraged other people to get licensed. I mean like some seriously unhinged stuff. While I agree with S2 Underground's sentiment, he didn't handle it particularly well (I watched the entire video within 15 minutes of it being posted), and it caused people who watch him to absolutely go of on people like me who were legitimately trying to help, solely because I have a ham license. Tone matters, and when people post videos purely for the outrage clicks, it doesn't really do anyone any good.
Yeah. I think almost need a video about those people. The same that hate the license yet thinks that won’t lead to more government involvement. It’s ludicrous.
Hey Evan, I commented on that very video a few days about using tiers and learning levels to try and get the success dopamine receptors going, while also giving people just a few solid choices so they aren't paralyzed when it comes to THE START of radio work.
Well sure enough, shortly after, my Brother's house got flooded during Milton. I gave my Brother a BaoFeng HT with an okay antenna + extended battery before the storm, I told him when to turn it on, and what frequency to monitor should I come to get him. I couldn't get all the way to his house in my vehicle, but there were NG LMTVs at the entrance of his community when I got there. I let him know they were close, and asked if he could leave before they left to serve another community. He answered very quickly (I tried him on cell phone several times first), and I gave the NG truck the location, a house description and who they were picking up. The NG guys had already done a loop and weren't too keen on going back, but I told them my brother needed it. They agreed to go. 10ish minutes later I was cradling his dog off the back of the truck as he and his wife exited the LMTV. A BaoFeng and a little effort got my Brother and his pregnant wife over to my place and helped them get out of a sub-optimal position. The issues you and HRCC are advocating are important! I didn't necessarily save lives, but I alleviated (some) human suffering and prevented unknowable complications that my sister in law may have potentially experienced. I'm so glad I got into HAM radio because either my family would still be rotting without power or my truck would be floating and useless in the street.
We need to either bully the naysayers or show them through stories that our hobby is more than just contests where we discuss what setup we have and gloat over the airwaves in the attempt the contact on the other end admits their jealousy! Radios work, and they are important!
@@mweb586 great post. Glad you and your family are safe! Keep being a positive force in ham radio. 73 bro
@@wildcatcomms Thanks Brother. I think we all have a lot of work to do. I see you have a few videos up. I'll 'pop a gander' at them. Good luck and God Bless.
The things that happened to the people of North Carolina hit me right in the feels. Those radio operators are true heros! They inspired me to get licensed. I will be testing next month and then I can help out if, God forbid, some disaster happens in my community.
Very well said. The right thing to do as a ham is to render aid, if able to do so, if someone is in need. The flipside though of bad actors that transmit without license intentionally causing interference is another story.
I was in the radio room of the county EOC as the ARES member during Hurricane Milton and listening to the bad actors disrupting SARnet that was in restricted closed net for State/County EOC and federal partners to communicate.
I really appreciate you weighing in on this, you captured my thoughts on it well. S2Underground called attention to some of the same issues I have with this but I felt he did it in an extreme way that is leaving outsiders feeling like all hams are hateful gatekeepers and that just isn’t the case.
Thanks Evan!
Unfortunately these gatekeepers are in the ham for beginners groups which really turns people off.
@@thistlemoon1 that group and the big ham radio group both suck and if I could snap my fingers and the group went away I would. They do far more harm to the hobby than anything. The ham radio crash course Facebook group and discord server are moderated in such a way that we try and deal with those kinds of behaviors making it a better place for beginners
Yes, absolutely! I felt the same about the S2 piece. I’ve found the HRCC community and so many being super helpful as a relatively new op. The rare few that misbehave should not discourage folks from the journey.
I remember when you had to have a license for CB radio and it was the same issues. Some people just love power more than people.
Josh,
I can vouch for not having any way to communicate, to send or receive information, for a mere several days during this disaster here in the western part of North Carolina was a bit worrisome…and then there was Ham Radio. I have had my Tech since October 2009 just for emergencies. I am now going to upgrade to General ticket. Western NC Hams Thank You for being a voice of reason during this and other times. Semper Fi!
PREACH IT!!! The love of the good Samaritan story is an example.
Thank you for bringing some common sense and sanity to some of these rules that trip some people up. So glad to see people helping people because they have the ability, to use their hobby to help people and save lives! Also glad to hear some sanity on the moniker "Sad hams" that gets tossed around incorrectly.
Spot on conversation Josh. Thank you fo rsharing your insight.
As an active amateur radio operator myself emergency, radio is open. As for myself, I would take an emergency call and help no matter the other radio station status! In my opinion, all amateur radio operators have a duty to help in any emergency. And I really believe most ham radio operators will agree 100%. God bless my brother radio operators that are on the ground doing what amateur radio is actually for.
I'm an amateur standard licensed operator in Australia (the middle license). Here, it is legislated that a licensed operator must respond to emergency calls and render aid as best they can. I'm not exactly how this is policed, but it is a legal requirement none the less. Privilege comes with responsibility.
As long as someone wasn’t jamming the frequency, I would talk to them and help them license or not. Also think of the example we set for those unlicensed. After all of this they will more than likely join our ranks than not if we just use common sense.
We are in WNC did not have any coms for 15 days. Working on my ham lic. It was our only way to communicate or ask for help. Glad I had the option, greatful we did not have to use it. ✌️
You were one of the people that got me into hamradio years ago . Many people will not agree with me and that is on them . Saying that . I have been and will continue to be there for anyone in need . I will do what I can with in my fiscal means to be there . I have passed out radios to people and told them to just use them if you need me in a emergency. We live in an area where tornadoes hit often. These are elderly and disabled people. If it brakes the FCC rolls once . That is ok . The Lord and myself know better .
Thanks! For clearing up S2 rant.
Josh, at the end of the day people shouldn't rely on the fact that they *could* Tx during an emergency. Planning and preparation are key to getting through disasters with minimal negatives. Thanks for an informative video. Hopefully, people will be proactive and learn about radio and get licensed to practice so that when any disaster happens they can get the help they need in a more effective manner.
I agree with your comments here 100%. I actively try to be a good Elmer, help people get into the hobby and explain things in a way people understand. Sadly a nuanced discussion of the topic cannot be had on social media, as I have recently found out. If you encourage folks to get licensed before a disaster happens so they can practice with their radios within the rules and therefore have a better chance of successfully getting help during a disaster/emergency, apparently that makes you a "sad ham". Seems like good advice to me, given the complexity of ham radio, but apparently anyone holding my position is just trying to "tell them what to do" and a "boot licker". Lots of passion on both sides of this argument, and I appreciate your comments on the topic.
Thanks Josh for everything you do for the hobby and bringing to light some of the issues the amateur radio is designed to solve.
73,
VA6BCL
Thanks Josh, EXCELLENT VIDEO !! For me, I would think, like you, that it is all for one and try to get help. I would also mention that the person to please look into getting a licence with their local amateur's help. We're happy to help whenever where ever and we have the equipment, heck most of us have HTs that in an emergency we could loan out, just have to tell them don't push any of the buttons.
Thanks for covering this very important topic!
No worries!
Treat people with compassion. It's what makes us human!
I've been listening to N2GE on my phone with the scanner app. It's a blessing to listen to. Vicky and the others are amazing
I have the opportunity to sit at the back of our club meetings, with my laptop, and program radios. It's just a service that I provide to the community. So, the club leadership will send people back to me to not only program radios, but answer any questions that people have. As you can imagine, I get A LOT of people that are new to the hobby. I try to be as 'non-technical' as I can when I'm answering their questions, but occasionally, when I'm answering a question, I get the 'blank stare'. I then try to re-phase the answer. Sometimes, it helps, other times not. I also try to not be condescending in my tone of voice to help people realize that I'm there to help, and not criticise. I'm sure some people have come away from talking to me thinking 'holy cow! I'm never going to get this...' simply because they're overwhelmed. I hope that I haven't been labled as a 'sad ham' at that point, but I do my best to avoid it. But sometimes, you can't always control it from happening.
Thanks for this video. It really hits home.
From someone who uses multiple radio systems, amateur and otherwise, I would much rather someone use a radio as an untrained or unlicensed person and save someone’s life vs. sitting on the sideline and watch someone die.
There are no black and white situations when true emergency communications is needed.
People need to get off their “high horses” and stop “armchair quarterbacking” every little thing that goes on. If you weren’t there and never have been, then you don’t understand.
You know it’s bad when even the first responders and search & rescue teams can’t communicate out from the disaster zone, because the comms are that big of a mess.
I've watched most all your videos, learned everything from your vids. Currently General Class - this is by far your best video - Thanks for this. As a society, we are loosing in regards to taking care of our fellow men- this vid really hit home for me and I couldn't agree more with that you stated - Thanks !!
This was a great video Josh... I actually made a post to see how this would be interpreted here. I was listening to the net via broadcastify and did here a few folks with 'no call sign' I made a comment that this was the first time I actually heard something like this. Responses were not negative at all.. which I was surprised at cause I can tell ya we do have some of those sad hams in the region. I was glad to see that there was no negativity ! Asheville is a war zone. no doubt, I will also say though even though this guy did not have a call sign he was professional to boot !
See that is what I believe too. Many hams helping others on the air. I want to believe that is the vast majority.
I always promote what you have brought here as a licensed operator.
Thanks, Josh, for saying what needed to be said. Sad hams are the bane of the hobby. -Eric KE8L
Haven't watched the video yet. But that thumbnail! Amazing!
Thank you Josh, this really needed to be said.
Very good stance. Knowledge is indeed power but knowledge without humility leads to abuse.
Josh, well said. I saw the S2 Underground video too...and I completely agree with his viewpoint. As a licensed ham radio operator I can say: anyone, especially a licensed ham radio operator, who is intentionally interfereing with emergency communications where preservation of life and property, regardless of the the individuals needing assistance having a license or not, the interfereing party is guilty of a Federal Offense. I feel very strongly about that. If an unlicensed person needing evacuation, medical aid, food, water, or baby formula calls for help on a ham radio frequency...it is our moral obligation to assist in any way possible. Yes it's a fun hobby, but the hobby exists to solely to serve the greater good, and serve it does during emergencies or times of need.
Fortunately the "sad hams" as you politely put it are few and far in between. But they seem to make the most noise, which is sad.
My heart aches for the people affected by these storms...I wish I was closer to lend direct assistance. Sometimes a single guy with a 4x4 pickup truck, a winch, and a chain saw can do a lot.
thank you for avery well presented view on emergency use of ham radios, again I was able to follow your presentation.
Transmitting a call for help from an unlicensed station/operator is ethically correct, and receiving it should also be ethically correct. However, handling EmComm traffic, including net control. should be done by licensed and trained operators.
This is funny. The only people who even care are ham dorx. I listen all the time and wouldn't think 2 seconds about transmitting without a license if doing so would keep my mail man from breaking his thumb nail opening my mailbox. Don't need a tech ticket, won't ever get one and likely will never wear Crocs with knee high sox, collect QSO cards, attend field days, swap meets or launch a parking lots on the air sesh... like others have said, "because of the image of the community". Good on you for outing them.
Well said, Josh. Thank you very much!
M.
The idea that a ham wouldn't help someone in the middle of an emergency is disgusting. But it's also annoying to hear people loudly bragging about how they plan to use their Title97 rights but are otherwise uninterested in learning to use their radios. Just suggesting they get training while there is no emergency gets you labelled a "sad ham".
Then they go on about how "free men" act, insisting that "free men" don't have to ask for permission for anything; until you point out that those same people meekly go stand in line at the DMV and take a test for the *privilege* do drive, as it is not a "right". As soon as you point this out, they just try to delete your comments and silence you.
It only takes a natural disaster to find out just what people are made of and which ones are all ego and mostly full of crap.
Love the ending! Thanks Josh
I don't comment on videos very often but... Well said, sir! I literally got into amateur radio, less than a year ago, for emergency communication. Not a hobby for me. Will it become one? Maybe.
My goal was to be able to communicate with immediate family members and a couple of other specific people during emergencies. That's it. Four locations was the goal. And while they are each "local", the kicker is distance. As the crow flies, they are 10 miles northeast, 13 miles east, 16 miles southwest, and 28 miles north-northwest.
I started with attempting mobile GMRS. Even with an Ed Fang GMRS pushed up high (25' to top), with 50W, on quality coax and a straight shot, it didn’t do the trick at all. I'm glad I added it to my truck, as it's great for road trips, but I needed much more distance than it was providing.
Next step was amateur radio. Got my technician license and started down the rabbit hole. While I may do HF someday (now on my list after the recent events in NC), as HF with NVIS seems to be a great tool in the toolbox, I wanted to see if I could pull this off with simplex VHF, and as "simple" as I could make it, as my plan was to setup go-box style kits for my four locations of loved ones.
I know that I would be pushing the distances, but with a quality HT (for flexibility/portability if need be), small amp, 9Ah battery, 20' or 30' mast (depending on the location), and an Ed Fong roll-up... After lots of testing, lots of driving from location to location, lots of cell phone time to/from (so the unlicensed person on the other end can discuss results without transmitting)... I've successfully done it. I can transmit/receive between my house and each of the locations.
Wrote our emergency comms plan, which will be driven by be, currently being the only licensed operator, and have each of them setup with very simple instructions. It's a bit more, but basically: push up antenna, turn on radio to pre-programmed frequency at specific times (modified Wilderness Protocol), and listen for updates that I can push to them. If they are in an emergency, they know how to push the button, on our agreed to frequency, or the nat call, if I can’t be reached, and what to say.
In my going through this process… There will be more licensed operators. Two are definite yeses, one is leaning yes, and one is a maybe (in his late 70’s). Before all this… they would have never considered. Beyond that, I’ve now had conversations with others, that are heavily considering amateur radio, to the point they have raised the topic with me.
Keep learning. Keeping pushing. Keep doing the great work!
73
-Chris
Well said Josh.
Common sense first. Keep up the good work.
I agree with you whole heartedly. We live in Hampton Tn, at the foot of the mountain on the Tennessee side. Our area has been devastated. We lost so many lives and people lost everything they owned. There was zero communication here outside of radio for a week after the storm flooding. I tried to help where I could and am planning on doing some help trying to get folks to at least have a form of communication for this kind of situation. It was so bad at one point all of the local repeaters lost power and we still got through getting supplies out via simplex. Im organizing a “class” of sorts in the coming weeks and talk to folks about ALL kinds of radio, whether it’s Ham all the way to CB, GMRS, even FRS, anything. I have gotten some responses that folks here who can’t even read or write and have issues wanting to either test or even license so I’m trying to figure a way to get through to those folks so even they have options. Wish me luck all I can do is try but that’s what I’m going to do.
So well said josh. I feel the same way you do, but I don't have ability say it as well as you.
Dang, Josh. Great rant from beginning to end. 💯
73, W4MND
Thanks to HRCC. Great video. We need to do more. Step up
I'm going to extend my actions to; If the communication that IS working isn't getting me the help I need!
Thinking of Thomas. Thanks for this video.
Thank you for bringing attention to this situation..
Very well articulated and communicated, you are right ..