MARY BALDASANO / Special to the PVT Students watch as Steve Bird, right, explains some of the gear he uses as a Ham radio operator. Advertisement

On Dec. 12, more than 100 students at Rosemary Clark Middle School attended a presentation on Ham radio given by local Amateur Radio Emergency Services Inc. (ARES) representatives.

Students in Carol Hunn, Susan Mora, and Ben Veloz's classes attended the presentation to learn about the use of Ham radio in today's society.

The term "Ham" allegedly derives from the last names of three scientists, Hertz, Armstrong, and Marconi, who developed amateur radio use.

At the beginning of the presentation, Steve Bird and Jerry Fuge told the class to think of two things: Where are radios used for communicating today, and name a job where math is not used.

Fuge, president of ARES, and Bird, vice president, gave sixth-grade students a short introduction into the world of radios that existed before the world of iPods, etc.

Bird, a retired federal engineer, made a promise to a friend of his father that he would get a license to operate Ham radios. At the same time, he decided to volunteer his time for the good of the community by joining ARES.

Bird said, "After I retired, I needed something to do so I got my license and joined ARES. I've only had my license for two years, but I find it quite enjoyable and rewarding." As a government engineer, Bird holds several patents on designs still used today by various entities. Since they are still classified, "they cannot be discussed here."

Fuge is a former U.S. Army MARS (military amateur radio service) operator. He has been licensed for at least 15 years and a member of ARES for six years.

Bird taught that there are three basic forms of radio waves, rhythmic (radio), light and sound. He then showed how these waves pass through objects to radios inside buildings and other internal locations by contacting another operator at a California station. He added that "waves also travel into space and back."

Fuge taught that there are three forms of sound waves which include audio, micro and radar. He also showed the kids how telegraphs were sent over wires and the use of Morse code, including the emergency call, SOS.

The kids discovered that Bird had been a spy for the government and that there are no jobs that do not use math in some form.

For more information on Ham radios, contact Steve Bird at 775-513-8632 or Jerry Fuge at 775-727-9524.