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Josh Drake shows an early version of a map of the locations of stations across the United States that Powhatan attendees contacted during Winter Field Day 2020.
photo courtesy of the Powhatan Area Radio Club
By Laura McFarland Editor
POWHATAN – Powhatan County was truly part of a global community when local amateur radio operators recently participated in Winter Field Day 2020.
Powhatan County Emergency Management and the Powhatan Area Radio Club (PARC) worked together to host a local station from 2 p.m. Jan. 25 to 2 p.m. Jan. 26 at Powhatan State Park. About 40 people, including club members and guests, attended the event, which saw them communicate with other amateur radio operators in the United States and around the world, said Curt Nellis, coordinator of the county emergency management.
Working out of the county’s mobile command center, local participants were able to make 848 contacts in total, including people in the majority of the continental United States, Alaska and six other countries, Nellis said. During the 24-hour period, the group contacted stations in Italy, Thailand, Germany, Canada, South America and the Netherlands.
“It was awesome. This is the most contact we have ever had since we held the Field Day. It is going to get bigger and bigger every year,” said Nellis, who is a licensed amateur radio operator. since the 1980s.
This is the second time the local group has participated in Winter Field Day, and they are also competing in a summer version. As the exceptional results of 2020 will be transformed into the Amateur Radio and Relay League, Nellis added that the local participants were there for the experience and the fun.
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