June 28 – DUBLIN – Based in Dublin, in James T. Bryan’s “radio shack”. the Bladen County Amateur Radio Society participated in the 2022 International Amateur Radio Field Day event, sponsored by the Amateur Radio Relay League in Connecticut.
The event typically attracts over 40,000 attendees worldwide and aims to showcase the skills and science of amateur radio, while also emphasizing emergency preparedness and community service.
Starting and ending at exactly the same time around the world, the contest tests the technical prowess of amateur radio enthusiasts around the world, allowing them to score points for the number of radio contacts they make, in addition to awarding them points for variables such as where they are, or what type of power source they use.
The event also offers radio enthusiasts the opportunity to switch between operating modes including voice, Morse code, digital, satellite and computer generated links. It’s a tough 24-hour event, and Bladen radio amateurs have proven their abilities by recording hundreds of radio contacts – sometimes within moments of each other – in dozens of countries around the world, such as Slovenia , Italy, England, Canada, and across the continents of Africa, South America and North America – all from JT Bryan’s radio shack in Dublin.
Moments before the official start of the event, however, radio amateurs proved the value of fast communication skills when one of the participants noticed the collapse of a local Dublin resident as he walked along the freeway outside of Bryan’s radio shack. Radio Operators Bryan, along with Clarkton-area residents James ‘Mac’ McCallum and Bob Edwards, rushed to the freeway and immediately assisted the injured man, quickly notifying emergency medical personnel while providing basic first aid. EMS personnel arrived moments after the call and transported the injured man to the Bladen County emergency room.
Ending Sunday at 2:00 p.m., Bladen radio amateurs expressed their deep satisfaction with the success of the event and noted that they looked forward to next year’s event.
