Illinois amateur radio operators compete this weekend in emergency drills

Ham radio operators will set up outdoor posts this weekend as part of a nationwide drill. (Photo courtesy of www.arnewsline.org)

Listen closely in rural McLean County this weekend and you might hear the voices of amateur radio operators from across the region, competing in a 24-hour emergency drill. You might even hear the tiny clicks of Morse Code dots and dashes.

Bloomington-Normal leaders have proclaimed this Amateur Radio Weekend.  The hobby is actually an important part of the local plan for emergency communications.  At times when cell towers and the electricity grid fail, Ed Deutsch with the Central Illinois Radio Club says ham radios can fill a fundamental need.

Saturday’s field day in McLean County will double as a test for emergency preparedness. The site is located off Cheney’s Grove Road, just south of Towanda-Barnes Road.  The competition and drill begins at 1 p.m. Deutsch says it’s part of a nationwide drill in both the U.S. and Canada.

Members of the Central Illinois Radio Club, Ed Deutsch, Gary Huber and Keith Hanson, joined WJBC’s Beth Whisman in-studio on Wednesday. Click below to listen:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Click Here to visit the group’s website www.qsl.net.