When radio first emerged, it was the Wild West of communication technology. Pioneers in the industry learned firsthand how to wrangle the power of this new tech by tapping into the radio frequency spectrum. These radio enthusiasts — or "hams" — set up their own amateur radio stations to communicate with other hobbyists around the world.
Locally, the Milwaukee Radio Amateurs' Club and Ham Radio Outlet serve as hubs for a dedicated community of aficionados who are keeping ham radio alive in the digital age. Journalist Tea Krulos wrote about them in this month’s Milwaukee Magazine, and he joins Lake Effect’s Joy Powers to share more. He says ham radio is almost like an early form of social media.
"In the same way that you might be curious about connecting with other people online, this was kind of a spin of the roulette wheel," he says. "You never knew who you were going to talk to, but you could have these conversations with interesting people all over the country and the world."
Through his grandfather, a carpenter who loved to tinker with radio equipment in his spare time, Krulos has a personal connection to the ham radio community. He says his grandparents' home had a room dedicated to radio equipment that Krulos' grandfather called his "ham shack."
"I have this fond memory of walking through the hallway," he says. "And I would hear this very distinct sound of my grandfather snoring because he had fallen asleep while talking on the radio and the sort of staticky crackle of people talking in the background."
The headline of this story has been updated with a correction.
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