‘Amateur radio club has changed my life’

Brian Webb says ham radio has opened up the world to him - from making friends at his club, to speaking to someone in Brazil

“Amateur radio has honestly changed my life, I’ve friends all over the world now.”

Brian Webb has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.

Getting out to meet new people was something he had struggled with for years.

This began to change when he joined the Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club.

The club put pins on a map of every location they have made contact with

“It has made such a difference to my life, I get a thrill over how far away you can talk to people, just this morning I was speaking to someone in Brazil,” he said.

Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, uses designated radio frequencies for the non-commercial exchange of messages.

For many, it is a technical hobby that can be done with relatively minimal equipment.

Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, uses designated radio frequencies for the non-commercial exchange of messages

Davy Gregg from the Mid Ulster club said the ability to broadcast from anywhere is what makes it special.

“You really need very little kit, so you can be at home or out and about, some people take their golf clubs out, these radios are our pastime," he said.

“It’s amazing that with just a radio and a little bit of wire as an antennae and some technical know-how, you can talk to anyone all over the world.”

In their portable radio clubhouse, members put pins on a map of the world of every location they have made contact with - from South America to Australia.

Talking to astronauts

But the reach of this amateur club is not just confined to countries.

In recent years one of the members has even communicated with the International Space Station (ISS).

Davy Gregg said: “We have an app that tells us when the space station is flying over and one of our members was tracking it, he took his hand-held radio out, put the call out and one of the astronauts answered him.

“He got very lucky, I’ve been trying for almost 15 years to get the space station, but that’s what makes this hobby so special, you never know who is going to answer you back.”

Recently it was confirmed that Nasa had selected Elon Musk's SpaceX company to bring down the International Space Station at the end of its life in the next decade.

But while it remains in orbit, making contact with the ISS is considered rare and very special in the world of amateur radio.

The Mid Ulster club even received a certificate card from NASA and the organisation confirming the contact.

NASA send a special certificate card when contact is made with the International Space Station

Unlikely connections

The club is filled with stories from its members about the unlikely connections they have made with their radio sets.

This includes assisting in the rescue of an injured motorcyclist hundreds of miles away.

Esther Harper and her husband Ian Evans were holidaying in Fermanagh with their radio when they received a distress call.

Ian Evans and Esther Harper received a 'mayday' message on their amateur radio kit

“We were on top of a mountain and we had our portable set out and next thing I heard ‘mayday, mayday’, I couldn’t believe it,” said Esther.

“We’d never heard that before, the first thing I actually thought was that it might have been a ship or something in trouble,” Ian added.

The call was in fact coming from another amateur radio user from a rural location in Wales, where the was no mobile phone reception.

The Welsh amateur radio enthusiast had comes across a person who had fallen off a motorbike and had badly injured themselves.

Esther said it was quite a nerve-wracking situation.

'Remote location'

“The injured biker was found by someone who had an amateur radio set-up in his jeep, and he put the call out on his radio and found me," she said.

“I was able to take their coordinates and I rang 999, who then got in contact with the emergency services in Wales.

“Thankfully the injured biker received treatment in hospital and recovered," Ian added.

“It’s amazing that from a remote location in Wales to a mountain in Northern Ireland, we managed to find each other that day with just a small antennae.”

'Friends for life'

The Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club is coming up to the 60th anniversary of its establishment.

It runs a number of roadshow events every year, including at Navan Fort in County Armagh.

From 26 to 28 July the club will be on Coney Island.

Recently the club received money from The National Lottery Community Fund for equipment, to help them reach new people and support those with disabilities to access activities.

Members of the Mid Ulster Amateur Radio Club at an event at Navan Fort earlier this year

The funding has seen a number of adjustments being made to the portable radio trailer.

For Brian Webb, who uses his wheelchair every day, this has given him the opportunity to become more involved in the club’s activities.

“This is just another string to my bow, the fact I can join days at Navan Fort and Coney Island makes me feel part of it all," he said.

“The people from the club and those who I speak to on the radio are now friends for life.”