Sterling Edmunds of the Roane County Amateur Radio Club explains historical communication to visitors during the Secret City Festival. In the background are working, restored military “morale” radios and receivers from World War II and the Cold War. (Submitted photo)
By Kathryn King
The Oak Ridge Amateur Radio Club demonstrated World War II-era military radio communications Friday and Saturday as part of the Secret City Festival. The group also hosted communications as part of the National Parks on the Air Program, celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service and the newly established Manhattan Project National Historical Park. A special event radio call sign, N4M, was issued for this event. The concurrence of these three events represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local amateur radio operators.
Approximately 200 people visited the exhibit, which, along with live, on-the-air radio operations, also featured replays of historic broadcasts, such as news programs from World War II, including the announcement of the existence of Oak Ridge and the Manhattan Project.
“With National Parks on the Air, the National Park Centennial and the recently established Manhattan Project National Historical Park, it seemed like a great opportunity to introduce people to the historical use of radios and to promote amateur radio as a hobby and as an invaluable emergency communications capability with a rich history of service to the community” said Garret Scott of ORARC, which organized the event.
More than 270 contacts were made across the county and the world, with voice or Morse code, as part of the National Parks on the Air program. Contact was made with stations on five continents, from Mexico to Morocco. Stations that made contact with the radio station at the festival will receive a specially designed QSL confirmation card hand-stamped with official National Park Service ink stamps commemorating the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park and National Park Service Centennial.
For a generation raised with cell phones and high-speed internet, radios may seem hopelessly antiquated, but Scott and his fellow operators are quick to point out the advantages of this long-standing form of communications in times of emergency.
“When cell phone networks are down or overwhelmed by emergencies, amateur radio operators will still be able to communicate,” he said.
ORARC meets the second Monday of each month in the Power Squadron Building at 707 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge, and visitors are welcome.
A young operator tries his hand at World War II military-style communications during the Amateur and Military Radios Living Exhibit at the Secret City Festival. (Submitted photo)
National Park Service Ranger Robbie Meyers outside the Amateur and Military Radios Living Exhibit at the Secret City Festival. The special event was part of National Parks on the Air program. (Submitted photo)
Oak Ridge Amateur Radio Club is an American Radio Relay League-affiliated club and the oldest affiliated club in the state of Tennessee.
For more information on ORARC, visit http://www.orarc.net/ and follow ORARC on Facebook.
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