We came, We Saw, We Communicated

It's not often when perfection occurs. often it's spontaneous, or the result of hard work and dedication, maybe simple good luck & good timing. "...the planets were all in alignment",  so often used to describe the fleeting moment of harmony,  may really only exist because a lot of pushing, pulling & heavy lifting was needed to line things up.

For Ham radio operators, "Field Day", the last weekend in June, is Christmas morning, the Super Bowl, and the day a new Workshop Tools Store opens nearby, all rolled into one. It's a day you count down to. For one group of Hams, it was the day perfection occurred, even when not everything planned for  Field Day was perfect.

For Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club's Field Day co-chairs, Randy Purcell WB5OXN & Tim Thompson W2SOC, Field Day was facing challenges head on and improvising solutions "under field conditions...".  The pay off is experience in problem solving on the fly.

Restoring a aging travel trailer into a functional broadcast center, gives us the ability to establish multiple communications networks & co-ordination. Ham operators can operate in shifts, reaching hundreds of stations nation-wide around the clock, in many different modes of communication.

  Having local media make a appearance is a plus! Like when Gerald Jerbaily from Myrtle Beach's ABC TV Station WPDE arrived in his storm tracker vehicle.

Seeing someone a experience their first continent-wide conversation with someone via radio is always a treat, seeing a TV News reporter experience it is priceless.

Most importantly, Ham Radio Field Day puts in practice that which many intend to be able to do anytime...travel to a remote location & establish communication on a continent-wide basis. Field Day tests gear and skills together so that capabilities may be maintained.

Hope everyone seeking to learn more, found a local Field Day event and experienced one first-hand. If you had been in Myrtle Beach SC, you could of experienced first-hand, what became a true moment of perfection.

More News coverage in a photo essay here.