Amateur Radio Club to Promote Hillsboro Horseshoe Crab Roadside Attraction

On Saturday, October 2, the Highland Amateur Radio Association will operate a special station to call attention to the “World’s Largest Horseshoe Crab,” which can be found just off SR 124 at the east end of Hillsboro. .

According to the American Radio Relay League, a special event station is an amateur radio station that is temporarily operated to “help commemorate or promote an historic or special event or attraction.”

Club president Pat Hagen says that over the 45 years of the club’s existence, HARA has operated several special event stations to bring attention to the fun and public service that amateur radio can offer while promoting local attractions nationwide.

The club operated special event stations from the Highland County Fair, Lynchburg Covered Bridge, Hillsboro 175th and 200th Anniversaries and from the Highland County Courthouse Lawn.

Hagen said the club were looking for something unusual to promote on air when a member suggested “Crabbie” – “the world’s largest horseshoe crab.”

Most of the members saw “Crabbie” but didn’t realize that it is one of America’s most unusual roadside attractions, and even featured on the Internet and YouTube. His story and his arrival in Hillsboro are very interesting.

Following discussions with its owner, an agreement was reached to activate the site as a special amateur radio event.

On October 2, HARA members will set up two stations and antennas at the site and establish radio contacts with other amateur radio operators in North America and around the world. Hams that make successful contacts may receive a special certificate, depicting and describing “Crabbie”, in remembrance of the occasion.

The public is invited to visit “Crabbie” that day from 10 am to 4 pm to observe how ham radio works as well as to learn more about this roadside attraction.

The Highland Amateur Radio Association is an organization of over 140 Highland County residents who are either FCC licensed amateur radio operators and / or interested in electronics, computers and radio communications. More information on amateur radio is available at www.arrl.org or by contacting HARA Information Officer John Levo, 937-393-4951.