Radio event set

Posted: Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:30 pm

The Messenger, June 23, 2010
Saturday and Sunday will find members of the Reelfoot Amateur Radio Club participating in an annual emergency communications exercise, known nationally as Field Day. This year’s exercise will be conducted at 3350 Billy Jolly Road near South Fulton, with operators from Dyer, Weakley, Gibson, Carrol and Obion counties participating, along with operators from multiple counties in Kentucky.
Amateur radio operators are recognized for their behind-the-scenes support of such agencies as the National Weather Service, Tennessee Emergency Management Agencies, Department of Health, American Red Cross, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and others in times of natural disasters and other emergencies. Amateur radio licensees continuously learn and experiment in the sciences of communications and electronics.
The Reelfoot Amateur Radio Club is prepared to provide emergency communications for the community when the need arises.
Their motto is, “When all else fails, there’s amateur radio.” Such was the case during the January 2009 ice storm.
“Our capabilities allow us to provide local and long distant communications and that’s what will be practiced during our Field Day exercise,” a spokesman said. “We will be operating on emergency power, including portable generators, batteries and solar power.
The public is invited to visit  and find out what amateur radio is all about.
Reelfoot Amateur Radio Club Inc. is a 501c4 non-profit organization of volunteer amateur radio operators. The group meets at the Obion County Library at 1221 East Reelfoot Ave. in Union City on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Glenn R. Snow at (731) 479-1971, Robert Miles at 588-2840 or Jamie Hall at 886-6869.