One thing I’m never afraid to admit is that I am an amateur radio operator.

Friday, July 13, 2001

One thing I’m never afraid to admit is that I am an amateur radio operator. I’ve been licensed for almost two decades and my roots in the radio communications hobby go much deeper than that.

But recently I discovered a local tie that while didn’t receive much mention for a small act, but received some wide publicity in the amateur radio press.

There’s an annual event that takes place every spring in Dayton, Ohio, called the Hamvention, a large-scale trade show and gathering of amateur radio operators from not only across the country, but also across the world. This year, the event attracted more than 27,000 ham radio operators who made the journey to Dayton’s Hara Arena.

I’ve had the opportunity to attend the event twice, once as a guest speaker and then another time representing a magazine I was editor of at the time. It’s a fun event for us hams and a big social event.

But this year, a little piece of Austin took a place in history at the show.

Bill Pasternak, a well-known ham from California who I have gotten to know over the years, produces a weekly audio report called Amateur Radio Newsline. He works for a TV station in the Los Angeles area and organized a Ham Radio Town Meeting at this year’s Hamvention. The event took place in mid-May, when it is held each year.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Hamvention, which is produced annually by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association. To mark the occasion, Pasternak put together a time capsule to be opened 25 years from now.

The time capsule actually is a 5-pound unused ham container donated by Hormel Foods Corp. What else should be used for "ham" radio? How fitting it was!

The Hormel can was filled with audio cassettes, electronic photos, videocassettes, books, CDs, product sheets, ham radio computer software, books and even small equipment. Now whether or not a VCR can be found in 25 years to play the tapes or a computer can run the 25-year-old software or CDs remains to be seen. (How many of you can admit to still having a 5.25-inch diskette drive in an old computer?)

The Hormel ham time capsule was presented to the Dayton group during the event’s annual banquet with instructions for it to be opened at the 2026 Hamvention.

It will be interesting to take a look at the contents a quarter-century from now. Looking back 25 years ago, most ham radio equipment was just starting to get digital readout for frequency selection, as opposed to rotating dials. Radios were just starting to get smaller than boat anchors as more solid-state circuitry was being used. In 25 years, radios used by ham operators probably will be more software defined, whereas computers will make up actual radios. In addition, digital transmission formats will be more popular than current analog modes.

Maybe when that Hormel ham can is opened up in 2026, it eventually can make its way to the new SPAM Museum that will be opening up here in September. The ham connection is a good one for Austin.

Chuck Gysi is managing editor of the Austin Daily Herald. Call him at 434-2230 or e-mail him at chuck.gysi@austindailyherald.com.