Ham radio operators prepare for the Big One

Jeff Holwege holds his ham radio in his Seaside, Ore. home on April 16, 2012. Ham radio operators�as amateurs are a breed apart, says Holwege, Clatsop County's volunteer emergency coordinator. They dedicate hours a week to fiddling with their radio gear and are identifiable by their over-air call signs, which they use in place of their names. (AP Photo/The Daily Astorian, Alex Pajunas)