With Varying Frequency – Amateur Radio Ponderings

Mancorad W9DK’s 2009 Field Day Host – Lakeshore Technical College (LTC) released the following to the media today:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Radio enthusiasts ‘ham’ it up at LTC

CLEVELAND — Lakeshore Technical College and Manitowoc County “hams” joined thousands of amateur radio operators across the globe and beyond June 27-28 in connecting with the world and showing off their emergency communications capabilities.

The local Amateur Radio Relay League Field Day event was hosted by the Manitowoc County Radio Club and held at LTC’s emergency operations center, which serves primarily as a training simulation facility and can function as an EOC in the event of a real emergency. ManCoRad members spent 24 hours in the 3-year-old facility, proving their ability to send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, Internet and other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.

ManCoRad members have been participating in the Field Day competition for several years, in the past setting up shop at Silver Creek Park in Manitowoc. This year, members said their new location at LTC made them a “more desirable” group for other hams to connect with because they were in a registered EOC.

The highlight of this year’s event came when club members used a home-built satellite antenna to connect with a Canadian astronaut living on the International Space Station. ManCoRad board member Steve Weinert said the experience was a “huge thrill” for the group.

“The 10 hours of labor put into making the antenna combined with the anxiety of waiting over a year to use the antenna didn’t go to waste and finally paid off with a single contact,” said Martin Suettinger, vice president of the club. “Making a contact with an astronaut on Field Day has its own reward – one that I will probably remember for the rest of my life.”

ManCoRad members finished the Field Day event with 295 total contacts — amounting to 160 percent more than the previous year. More than 14 club members actively participated, with an additional group stopping to provide support. Club members range in age from their teens to their 90s.

About Lakeshore Technical College
Lakeshore Technical College is a leading provider of technical education offering 100 career programs including associate degrees, technical diplomas, technical certificates and apprenticeship programs. In addition, LTC offers distance learning, customized training to business and industry, and continuing educational opportunities.

Serving a 200,500-resident population in east central Wisconsin, LTC operates a main campus in Cleveland; additional learning sites at LTC Manitowoc and LTC Sheboygan; outreach centers at area high schools in Kiel, Mishicot, Plymouth, Random Lake, Reedsville and Two Rivers; and 27 distance learning sites. LTC’s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen the economy by preparing a workforce that is skilled, diverse and flexible. On average, 79 percent of LTC graduates work in the LTC District, which includes Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties, and parts of Calumet and Ozaukee counties. Visit LTC at: www.gotoltc.edu.

Photo: ManCoRad Field Day at LTC.jpg

Manitowoc County Radio Club President Rich Weyer, right, and club board member Steve Weinert connect with other ham radio operators June 27 from Lakeshore Technical College’s emergency operations center. The local club spent the weekend participating in the American Radio Relay League’s annual Field Day event, which is both a competition and an exercise in emergency preparedness.

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Steve
K9ZW