Press release
The last weekend of June, each year, thousands of Amateur “ham” Radio operators leave their comfort zone and literally head to the field to test their skills and equipment.
The Cedar Creek Amateur Radio Club was invited by the Mabank Brookshire’s store to set up the event next to their store, and the club happily did. Hundreds of shoppers were exposed to the operation and dozens of folks visited the hams and took literature.
Field Day was a great success with close to 200 contacts completed in 24 hours. Conversations were held with hams in 44 states, as well as Venezuela, Canada, the South Pacific and about a half dozen other countries … all from that temporary station alongside Brookshire’s.
Amateur radio is many times the only communication possible because of natural or man-made disasters. Fortunately, these events don’t happen very often. So exercises like Field Day allow hams to make sure those power generators and portable antennas are operating properly.
The added benefit is in many cases the demonstration of the continuous 24-hour event is held in front of the public. This was the case this year.
Formed in 1981, the Cedar Creek ARC has over fifty members from the tri-county area. It maintains a VHF repeater system that provides hand-held radio coverage to hams in the lake area, and mobile and base coverage throughout the three counties. CCARC participates in the National Weather Service SKYWARN program and the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. The club meets the second Saturday of each month, and also provides classes to those wishing to join the ranks of Amateur “ham” Radio. For more information, visit www.k5ccl.org.
