Vernal Express | 1981-07-02 | Page 25 | BARC Ham Radio Club Scores at Field Day

BARC ham radio club scores at field day Under simulated emergency conditions con-ditions last Saturday and Sunday, members of the borderline Amateur Radio Club contacted 1,021 different stations in 12 countries and in all ,r0 states. Last Saturday morning the club set up stations at East Park to participate in the 24 hour Annual American Radio Relay League Field Day emergency preparedness test. Members from Rangely, Colo., Vernal and Roosevelt set up seven stations, two continuous, using only emergency power and portable antennas. A 1,0(X) watt high power station which used a :!0-foot directional antenna contacted 713 stations and a 100 watt low power station contacted 308 stations. Morning rains and lightning hitting the large antenna hampered com-municatioas com-municatioas Sunday, said Michael Wixxl, president of the Borderline Amateur Radio Club. The stations used portable gas generators which consumed about a gallon of gas per hour. The club earned 1,221 points based on the number of contacts and the wattage which places them in the top 10 percent in the nation during the field day. These tests are designed to help hams refine operating skills necessary during disasters and times of emergency when normal channels of communication are disrupted or unavailable. The club's services were called upon during a blackout several months ago which severed communication com-munication with the Wasatch Front. Club members were able to contact the University of Utah Medical Center in case Life Flight was required to traasport a patient from the local hospitals. Luckily we didn't have to dispatch anyone, said a club member.