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Hams bounce signals for 24 hours
© St. Petersburg Times, HERNANDO BEACH -- Like fishermen casting their nets, amateur radio lovers gathered on Hernando County's coast over the weekend to see what they could catch. Outside the Hernando County Park office in Hernando Beach, wire antennae seemed to tether the building to a stand of palm trees. Inside, members of the Hernando County Amateur Radio Association used Morse code and voice signals to send short greetings and their call letters over the airwaves in an attempt to make as many contacts as possible during a 24-hour period. The Hamathon was part of the group's annual Field Day exercises. Despite a Sunday morning thunderstorm, club member Bob Burns continued making contacts on Sunday morning. One from West Virginia. Another from Georgia. "This is the way I always look," he said, eyelids heavy from his overnight efforts. "I'm glad this only comes once a year." The Field Day event takes place every June in the United States and Canada and allows groups to test out the skills and equipment they would use in an emergency situation. "It's also a contest in many ways," said Burns, who logged more than 200 contacts during the 24-hour event. The Brooksville man learned his radio skills while earning a Boy Scout merit badge at the age of 13. Two years later, in 1955, he took the federal exam for his amateur radio license and won his call letters -- W1LBV. Amateur radio gave Burns the grounding in electronics that allowed him to begin a career as an electronics engineer, he says. Although the event is intended for contact with operators in the continental United States and Canada, the club logged short conversations with Japan, Alaska and Hawaii. The eight club members who participated made more than 300 contacts with other operators. "As the night wears on, the people wear out," said Burns, who stayed the entire 24 hours. "But things went pretty strong all through the night." "It's an efficient means of communication, and many times when you can't get through with a voice signal, this signal cuts right through." If a severe hurricane ever downed cellular towers, Burns said radio contacts would be critical. "Even if the cell towers are not affected, we've seen in disasters that they become overloaded to the point of uselessness," he said. "Usually things are fine. We're there when things don't work fine." Because amateur radios can use power from generators or even a car battery, they are useful practically anywhere, said club member Tim Cox. "As long as there is a tree left standing, we can put up an antenna," he said. Charlie Velten started his love affair with Morse code later in life. Now 85, the Brookridge man got his license from the Federal Communications Commission in 1997. "Even when I was a kid, I loved electronics," said Velten, who was a Navy radar man in World War II aboard the USS Concord. "That's why I like being in this group. We all have that in common." Club president Slim Franklin agreed. "For as long as I can remember, I've taken apart toasters, old TVs and radios," said the Ridge Manor man. "This is just something we all love."
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