Old Two-Way Radio Thrives in Internet Age

Amateur 'ham' radio operators don't need web cams or the Internet to chat with people all over the world

20 April 2010

Helen Schlarman, 89, has multiple sclerosis and says ham radio lets her connect with friends she's not able to see in person.

With millions of people posting up-to-the-minute photos on Facebook, checking Twitter and snuggling up to iPhones, it's easier than ever to stay in touch.

So you might expect those old ham two-way radios to have gone the way of rotary phones by now. A few years ago, several blogs even put ham radio alongside 35 millimeter film and VHS video tape on a list of once popular things slated to disappear. But they were wrong.

In fact, the hobby where you can make your own antennas to send and receive signals and tap out messages in Morse code is thriving.

Ham radio resurgence

New hams like Helen Schlarman are part of an upswing in the hobby.

Sitting in a spare bedroom with a compact, two-way radio before her, she pushes the talk button, announces her personal call sign, and looks up a friend across town. He answers and they start a conversation about everyday things, such as why his dog is at the window, barking.

Many hams chat with friends around the world and hang postcards from their global contacts on their walls, the way hunters might show off antlers from deer they've shot.