Amateur radio group celebrates anniversary

Most East Texans may not think much about the role amateur radio operators play — or can play — in their lives.

But in the blink of an eye, when a natural or manmade emergency arises with the potential to send traditional lines of communication tumbling, ham radio operators provide vital links of communication, according to Gary Lewis, president of the Longview East Texas Amateur Radio Club.

The group celebrated its 25th anniversary Saturday with an open house in newly renovated space on the second floor of the Longview Red Cross building.

Lewis said the anniversary was significant for several reasons.

“First, the group has completely redecorated and furnished a radio room in the Red Cross building, which is one of our many partners serving the city of Longview,” he said. “Second, the room has been restructured to enable local and national communications in the event of a local area disaster through the purchase and restructuring of five radio stations with trained operators.”

Lewis said the anniversary marks 25 years of the group being actively engaged in amateur radio in Longview. It was incorporated in 1987 as a not-for-profit in Texas. John Keith is one of the founding members who worked on the group’s incorporation papers.

“I never would have dreamed in 1987 that we’d have all of this 25 years later,” Keith said of the revamped club home.

Todd Hoover, spokesman for the Longview East Texas Amateur Radio Club, said the group is actively seeking new members interested in learning more about a hobby that can save lives when normal communications systems like cell phones, the Internet and traditional telephone service become disabled.

“We’re holding a field day in three weeks where our members will be making as many (radio) contacts as they can,” Hoover said. “We want to promote awareness of what we do, safety and we want to be a part of the community.”

Walt Mayfield, from Denton, who is the representative of the North Texas section, American Radio Relay League lauded the Longview club for the efforts they made to improve facilities, strengthen membership and to be involved in the community and within the national group.

The ARRL is the national organization representing an estimated 700,000 amateur radio within the United States. There are about 700,000 licensed amateur radio operators within the United States.

“What you all are doing is such a blessing and an example for other clubs — this is great,” Mayfield said of the newly updated facility.

In addition to new paint, carpet, cabinets and desks, the site has five radio stations. All of the radios are attached to a substantial array of antennas located outside of the building enabling local to national and world wide radio communications, Hoover said.