Just a drill: Ham operators hold field day to keep skills sharp
Highland Lakes Amateur Radio Club President Al Chitwood sits at his ham radio setup in Bertram. File photo by Mark Stracke
Local ham radio enthusiasts are tuning up for the annual Amateur Radio Field Day on June 24-25 at Inks Lake State Park, 3630 Park Road 4 in Burnet. Members of the Highland Lakes Amateur Radio Club will broadcast from 1 p.m. Saturday until 1 p.m. Sunday. The event is free, but a park entrance fee is required.
Ham operators from around the globe will transmit under simulated emergency conditions during the 24-hour broadcast. Approximately 35,000 hams worldwide are expected to participate in the Amateur Radio Field Day, which takes place on the fourth weekend of June each year.
Visitors to the Inks Lake event can learn about the unique hobby as club members demonstrate transmitters, receivers, antennas, and emergency power supplies.
“We’ll have plenty of people who won’t be on the radio who can talk to (guests) and explain to them what amateur radio is about,” club member Dan Garcia said.
Guests that stay late can also attend a star party at the park. It begins at 8:30 p.m.
The Highland Lakes Amateur Radio Club supports the governments of Burnet, Llano, and Blanco counties through an agreement to provide emergency communications. Club members hold drills such as the 24-hour field day to keep sharp under emergency conditions. Members also hone their skills using communication technologies such as Morse code, internet radio, and high-frequency radio transmitting.
Club members are voluntarily on call for any local emergency.
“They’re a definite asset to the county and to emergency operations,” said Burnet County Emergency Coordinator Derek Marchio. “With any kind of backup, hopefully, we never have to use it, but we always want to have that capability just in case.”
To learn more about hamming it up in the Highland Lakes, see this related story.