Good News: Lake Area Radio Klub Achieves Record-Breaking Field Day Despite Storms | Local News

{KXLG – Watertown, SD} The Lake Area Radio Klub (LARK) recently concluded a highly successful American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day, reporting a record-high contact score for the club and an unprecedented number of visitors to their site. The annual 24-hour event, which serves as both an emergency preparedness exercise and a contest for amateur radio operators, saw increased participation nationally this year.

LARK members operated from the Ernie Edwards National Guard Readiness Center, located one mile north on Highway 20 in Watertown. The event began at 1 PM on Saturday, June 28th, and challenged amateur radio operators to make as many contacts as possible using emergency power. The public was invited to visit the LARK station between 2 PM and 5 PM on Saturday.

Contacts were made across North America and globally via satellite and shortwave radio frequencies, utilizing various modes including Morse code, computer-to-computer communication, and voice. Despite a nearly seven-hour shutdown on the evening of June 28th due to severe storms, the club’s efforts resulted in their best performance yet. Up to ten transmitters were operating simultaneously, with contacts logged on networked computers. All operations were powered by an emergency solar power system, with batteries charged via solar energy. This aligns with LARK’s commitment to 100% solar power for their Field Day operations, with generators available as a backup in the event of adverse weather.

Ham Radio Field Day, which originated in the 1930s, aims to test the functionality of ham radio equipment and generators for outdoor, short-notice operations. The Lake Area Radio Klub, an approximately 80-year-old organization in Watertown with 38 members, actively promotes learning and participation in the ham radio community.

Beyond Field Day, the club provides valuable community service, including radio communications support for events such as the Prairie Lakes Health System’s hospital run/walk race and the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center’s mini-triathlon.

The next meeting of the Lake Area Radio Klub is scheduled for Thursday, July 31st, at 7:30 PM in the Watertown Salvation Army meeting room.