Englewood Amateur Radio Society ( Purpose )

The Englewood Amateur Radio Society, Inc.

Purpose of EARS

The purpose of this organization is to provide fellowship , give help in solving problems related to amateur radio, to encourage , demonstrate, and teach good radio habits.
The Englewood Amateur Society was formed in August , 1988 by Don Spencer, WA4IWL, and a group of local amateur radio operators . They wanted to get together and talk about chats they had with other amateurs all over the world and help each other with technical aspects of Ham Radio..
Members and Functions
Known as HAMS, they are ready, willing, and able to help with emergency and public service . The radio is often the only means of communication during disasters.
Hurricanes, floods, explosions,usually disrupt telephone and electric services. But with the battery operated systems of amateur radio stations, information and requests for help can be sent and received.
Amateur Radio Operators are forbidden by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to receive any payment for services they render.

Community service is very important to Amateur Radio Operators.

1. They teach classes to people who want to take the exams to get a license.
2. The Englewood Amateur Radio Society provides communications for the Pioneer Days Parade every year on Labor Day, and for the Annual Crop Walk.
3. They have helped with Beach Clean up on Manasota Key.
4. On June 23, 1995, when 16 inches of rain fell in Englewood area , flooding streets, homes, businesses, and closing highways, members were able to get through the high water to stranded students in L.A. Ainger School and transport them to safe areas where buses or parents could pick them up. The phone lines were down and radio stations were able to get messages out to other stations that had phone service to relay emergency messages. One such message was from the Hospital in Port Charlotte to Tampa . A patient needed an operation immediately and so a helicopter was sent to get that patient. A main water line ruptured in Port Charlotte and drinking water had to be trucked for distribution. The Amateur Operators helped get that information out and also helped with the distribution .
5. When the storms kept going through Florida this summer , the Florida Emergency Operations Center was activated and radio operators were standing by with their equipment to provide information and instructions in case evacuation was needed. This was a 24 hour duty in critical areas. Here in Englewood area we were fortunate to have no storm pass over us. But in the areas that were hit the amateur radio operators were on the job. And carloads went from South Florida to the Panhandle to help .
6. EARS ran very succesful hamfest and computer show on March 16, 1996. This included a tailgate and flea market and will be repeated yearly.
Amateur Radio Operators are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to transmit and receive messages on certain frequencies of the radio airwaves granted by the United States Congress. To use these frequencies each person must take and pass exams to get their license. There is no age limit.