The carnage left in the wake of Hurricane Helene has reinforced the importance of one of the oldest forms of communication technology still in widespread use: Ham radio, officially called amateur radio.

“The devastation from Hurricane Helene is one example of how cell and landline phones fail from wind and trees falling. (Hurricane) Katrina in 2005 is another. In both cases ham radio operators were able to send and receive messages directing help, resources and connecting families,” said Skip Camejo, public information officer for the state’s amateur radio community.

Scores of news reports from battered southern Appalachia have told of “hams” connecting people in areas where electricity and cell phone service is wiped out, directing rescue efforts or letting people know that family members are safe. The radios usually are used for voice calls but can provide communication in the most extreme situations via Morse code and even send e-mail through a service called Winlink that was expanded last year.

“Winlink is an example of how modern tools work well within the amateur radio service,” said Josh Johnston, director of emergency management for the American Radio Relay League, the natio nal a ssociation for am ateur radio.

Amateur radio can fill holes in broken communication networks because it can send signals over long distances using nothing more than a car battery for power and a wire tossed over a tree limb as an antenna. There’s also no chance that the airwaves will get overloaded by users and block the signal, as can happen to cell phone networks during a widespread emergency.

This robustness is why the state’s emergency planning includes amateur radio, as do many regional and local police and fire departments.

“During an emergency, a pool of (amateur radio) volunteers may be utilized by state or local government. They utilize privately owned amateur radio equipment to provide state-wide and nationwide back up communications,” said Patrick Cavanaugh, public information officer for the state’s Division of Emergency Services.

New Hampshire has several chapters of ARES, or Amateur Radio Emergency Services, including the Capital Area ARES based around Concord.

New Hampshire has 5,711 licensed amateur radio operators as of this month, according to data from the Federal Communications Commission.

Training for people interested in becoming hams or just learning more about it will be offered on two Thursdays, Oct. 10 and 17,  in Tamworth at the Carroll County Adult Education on Route 16, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This class is free to the public, including credit for students.

Sessions will also be held Wednesday Oct 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Kingswood Art Center in Wolfeboro

Experienced hams will be there to provide instruction. There will also be guidance about applying for a FCC license.

Crystal Sawyer, executive director for Carroll County Adult Education, noted that the average age of ham radio operators is high and that more younger people are needed.

“We really don’t want this  to get lost. It needs to be passed down from generation to generation,” she said.