In the last 50 years, he has talked to somebody in approximately 325 countries, territories and islands. He can rattle off Morse code at 35 words per minute. He is K7NK, also known as Rich Scoble.

Scoble has been a ham radio operator for 50 years, during which he has made contacts in remote corners of the world, such as the South Cook Islands, Peter 1 Island off of Antarctica and Saipan in the South Pacific.

He said he often stays up until 5 a.m. in his quest to speak with people in every independent place.

“International relations are one of the main benefits of the hobby,” he said. “But if you want to talk to the rest of the world, you’ve got to expect to get up at the wee hours of the morning.”

Amateur radio operators, or hams, utilize radio frequencies at the outer limits of the audible band. Their frequencies are above those of AM radio, but below cellular phone transmissions. The hobby requires a federal license since hams share the airwaves with the radio-listening public.

He said his passion for his hobby began during his Navy career as a radioman. During a six-month stay in the Aleutian Islands, he yearned for a way to contact his family, amateur radio gave him that opportunity.

“We had the ability to make over-seas phone calls,”

“It’s like any hobby, you just get into it,” Scoble said. “One of the great things about this hobby is that there’s always new stuff.”

His hobby grew from his experience in the ‘50s. Today, he has a fully computerized antenna that tracks down elusive radio signals and adjusts its size to capture them. He has the ability to generate a 1,000-watt signal, which is comparable to a small college radio station.

He is currently a member of the Island County Amateur Radio Club, a group of people who share the same love for the technology and the experience of talking with people in foreign lands.

Amateur radio is easy to get into, but it does require a general knowledge of how radio works. To earn higher levels of licenses, one must also know how to send Morse code messages. A basic hand-held radio is available at Radio Shack for less than $100, Scoble said.

People new to the hobby must take a test through the FCC in order to obtain an amateur radio license. If people want to start out, members of the club will tutor and even lend equipment, Scoble said.

The club has been losing members recently, Scoble said. The majority of the group is older retirees who travel the country and chat on their radios. This is like an Internet chat room that the government can monitor. Topics range from family and weather to travels and technology.

Scoble said that Hams never talk about politics or religion though.

“I usually just get up and see what’s going on,” he said.

One of his favorite things to do is chat with a fellow wood worker in Swaziland.

“I’m always trying to get him to send me exotic woods,” Scoble chuckled.

One of the other functions of the clubs and hams as a whole is their place in local emergency response systems. In Island County, ham radios are often more reliable than cell phones. In the event of a natural disaster, ham radios can be used in vehicles or in basements with little interference.

The club has equipped the county’s emergency services with radios capable of contacting Olympia in the event of a catastrophe.

“Our system is based upon the fact that everything else failed,” Scoble said.

The club also volunteers its services for events and festivals around the community. Members pay $12 in dues annually. If interested in joining, people are invited to call 270-8002 for more information.

You can reach News-Times reporter Eric Berto at eberto@whidbeynewstimes.com