Article published Jan 17, 2003
 Talk with Mir space station astronaut's out of this world for radio ham Glen


Our man in Bermuda: Glen Cuoco speaks over the car radio that he used to contact the National Hurricane Centre in Miami when Hurricane Gert brushed the island

AS a radio ham operator of 27 years' standing, Glen Cuoco has contacted people all over the planet – and on one occasion beyond the planet.
From his station, situated in the basement of his Cavendish Heights home, Mr. Cuoco has chatted to residents of nations as far flung as Japan, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands.
But he said the most remarkable contact he had ever made was with an astronaut on a spacecraft orbiting the planet.
"I once spoke to someone on the Russian Mir space station," said Mr. Cuoco. "I had been trying to contact them for a long time. There was only a short time when it was flying overhead that it was possible and people from America and Canada were filling up all the space.
"So I sent what we call a packet, a message that is delivered in spurts of information, like a fax, and leaves a message in a mailbox.
"A man called up from Mir, calling my name and saying he wanted to speak to Bermuda. It was really great to hear something like that. The contact lasted one to two minutes before I lost its path."
Mr. Cuoco has also spoken to pilots of airliners flying close to Bermuda, including an Air Canada plane that he could actually see above him.
And he recently joined in a bizarre, five-way conversation with people speaking from Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, New York and Brazil.
"I don't think there are many countries I have not contacted," said Mr. Cuoco. "Bermuda is a good place to transmit from, because there is no land for miles around. That helps the signal – it just bounces off the water."
Communication is Mr. Cuoco's business as well as his pastime. Seven years ago, he founded the Bermuda Shorts web site, which offers information about accommodation, shopping, cycle hire and tourist attractions, among other things. Mr. Cuoco intends to develop the site significantly.
But it is amateur radio that he described as "a labour of love".
He gained his amateur radio operator's licence in 1975, after passing a test that included having to decipher Morse code at 13 words a minute.
Then he had to log 500 contacts – using only Morse code – before he was allowed to speak over the airwaves using a microphone.
"It was very tough and I almost gave up," said Mr. Cuoco. "But I had sold all the CB (Citizen's Band) radio that I used to have to pay for it and decided I had to stick it out."
Mr. Cuoco said the qualification rules were difficult and put off some who might be interested in joing the ranks of Bermuda's radio enthusiasts.
"I would like to see us do away with the 13-words-a-minute requirement and instead make it five words a minute, which at the moment would get you a novice licence," said Mr. Cuoco.
"I believe that would encourage more people to become involved. But we still need the test so we can bring in the kind of people who will not ruin the hobby."
Mr. Cuoco has a short-wave radio at his home station with an antenna that will crank up to 60 feet high and can be tilted in different directions.
He has another radio in his car and another walkie-talkie type VHF (very high frequency) radio that he carries around. And thanks to newly arrived device called a repeater, Mr. Cuoco can speak to the world using that hand-held radio.
The walkie-talkie emits a low-power signal of half a watt – but Bermuda's repeater, set up just last Saturday, boosts the signal to around 60 watts. That has put the island on what is known as the IRLP network and allows ham operators here to make contact with other areas with a similar set-up.
Mr. Cuoco demonstrated. He keyed in the IRLP number for Honolulu, Hawaii. The connection was immediate and then he announced his presence on the airwaves. Within seconds he was comparing notes on the weather with two men driving to work on the faraway Pacific island, using the tiny walkie-talkie.
But dabbling in the magic of radio is not all about fun. Ham operators have responsibilities that come with their skills, according to Mr. Cuoco.
Those with amateur radio licences make up the membership of the Radio Society of Bermuda (RSB), an organisation founded in 1950 with a current membership of around 50.
They are part of the EMO (Emergency Measures Organisation), which plans for difficulties caused by eventualities such as hurricanes.
If a storm hit that was bad enough to wipe out power and more conventional forms of communication, the radio hams would be able to keep Bermuda in contact with the world.
MANY of them have generators, so they will never be without electricity. And by transmitting on a particular frequency they can give live, on-the-spot accounts of what the weather is doing out to the world. Mr. Cuoco has done just that, reporting on storms such as the devastating Hurricane Emily in 1987.
"We can link up directly with the National Hurricane Centre in Miami," said Mr. Cuoco. "If all the power is down, I can go out and transmit from my car.
"I can put it out on Hurricane Watch Net and get feedback from around the world. It is a hobby, but it is something that can be very valuable to Bermuda."
This weekend, RSB members will be using their radio skills to help out the organisers of International Race Weekend with on-course communications.
And Mr. Cuoco believes radio could also be making a contribution to the island's tourism industry.
"Many years ago, myself and a guy from New Jersey started contacting each other every Saturday morning," said Mr. Cuoco.
"Others became interested in Bermuda from listening in and from that we started Bermuda Net. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, at a certain time and on a certain frequency, people know they can make contact with Bermudians.
"We get an average of ten to 25 people taking part and I'm sure there are many more who listen in, interested in Bermuda. That must be a help to tourism."
Anyone who wants to know more about amateur radio or who wishes to become involved can contact Mr. Cuoco on 295-5675.
He also has a web site at:
http://www.qsl.net/vp9id
and the Radio Society of Bermuda web site is at
http://www.bermudashorts.bm/rsb
The RSB meets on a quarterly basis, on the third Wednesday of January, April, July and October, at 8 p.m. at the Salvation Army's Hamilton Citadel.