San Mateo Radio Club signals community with a wide range of ham radio experience

The club’s community is shaped by the many backgrounds and paths taken. Each member brings a different perspective, as ham radio has grown beyond just an emergency communication and into an engaging hobby.

Members such as Lauren Speeth joined with the goal of serving the community. Speeth originally planned to pursue emergency response training, but when she struggled to learn how to do CPR, a friend introduced her to ham radio. She is now a ham radio proctor who helps others earn their amateur radio licenses and says radio communication is an important public service.

“People who know how to communicate on radio waves, they can help the community,” Speeth said. “Phones can get overwhelmed in times of either an earthquake or something, radios can provide a service.” 

Ham radio allows licensed operators to communicate using radio waves instead of a phone or internet. It doesn’t rely on cell towers or wired networks, making it useful during emergencies. Ham radio signals can travel anywhere from a few miles to thousands of miles, depending on frequency, equipment and conditions. Relays, or repeaters, are used to increase signal distance by retransmitting weak signals at a higher power.

While members like Speeth joined to use ham radio for emergency assistance and community support, others have also joined out of an interest in the technology behind it.

Aaron Heller, club treasurer and member for two years, joined after being drawn to the technical and scientific aspects of ham radio. Heller said the San Mateo Radio Club has helped him combine the technical side with hands-on experience. 

“I know a lot of theory from my work and education, what I don’t know is a lot of the practical side,” Heller said. “So it was nice to be with club members who have been doing it for years.”

Tony Hanni, a club member for six years, said he also joined out of a fascination with the science of radio and long-distance communication. 

“I just enjoy walkie-talkies, and I think the science of radio and how it integrates the solar system and just the raw art of people communicating with each other is cool,” Hanni said.

Whatever their backgrounds or reasons for joining, members could all agree that the club’s sense of community is one of its most essential elements.

Hanni said that sense of community is what makes the club special and a great place to connect with others.

“The camaraderie of just these guys is fantastic,” Hanni said. “We come together, experiment, make fun of each other, and just have a good time.” 

Heller said the club is valuable for connecting with people who share a common interest and can answer questions within their areas of expertise.

“It’s other people with a common interest, and other people that you can ask questions to because everybody has their own area of expertise.”

While the club’s history is long and it continues to evolve, members like Heller hope to see participation grow through more hands-on activities. He said the club is working to offer additional monthly outings and practical projects, not just weekly on-air meetings.

“We’re trying to now do more of these kinds of hands-on things, in addition to all the other stuff,” Heller said.

Hanni said in his years with the club, he has seen these activities grow and wants to keep that momentum going, both for current members and to inspire curiosity in the next generation.

“I hope to see newer people come in, elevate the club and get excited about all the different aspects of ham radio that most people don’t notice,” Hanni said.