YORK, Pa. -- A ham radio operator who has talked to the world from the "ham shack" in his York township home will soon be taking his skills to the Gulf Coast.

Jack Dellinger and other hams are heading south to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

A national organization, The American Radio Relay League, recruited Dellinger for the effort. He will be assigned to one of 250 Red Cross shelters along the Gulf Coast.

Because many areas affected by Katrina are still without cell phone service, people like Dellinger are especially in demand.

"I will be providing communication for the Red Cross to their command system. That will be my primary responsibility," Dellinger said.

Dellinger is packing portable ham radios and plenty of batteries for what is now a very uncertain future. He says he has been trained for the day when he could help those in need. He expects to do just that for two to three weeks.