Members of the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club enjoyed a weekend of conversation with others from around the world

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Antennas of all kinds were spread out in Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara last weekend, so conversations were in full swing.

The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club was on 24 hours a day, working remotely. It was National Field Day.

They tested the equipment and transmitted to other radio operators in the area and thousands of miles away. Board member Warren Myers was among the members who set up antennas of various heights and spans.

“Many of our members have set up their own stations and had a lot of fun doing it. We have also attracted a lot of people from the public. We have had a lot of Boy Scouts, girls and boys, who have learned what a radio is and had the opportunity to operate a radio,” he said.

Visitors stopped on the shore and asked: “Are you talking to aliens? Of course not. We talk to other amateur radio operators,” he said.

Contact was made with all 50 states, Canada and Great Britain.

He said they have “very effective radio operations.” Myers said nearly all 50 states have been contacted. He often connects with radio operators outside the United States from his equipment.

The club has existed since 1920.

In addition to hobby use, operators can broadcast important news from other regions or a disaster area in an emergency, especially when mobile phones are down.

They also work with the Civil Air Patrol on searches and monitor traffic of large ships and tankers in the Santa Barbara Channel, where there may be threats to marine life. Some of the data is sent to the Scripps Institute in San Diego, where marine biologists keep an eye on ships that may be catching whales feeding or migrating in the area.

Recently, radio amateurs were informed that they could no longer use their equipment site at the Vic Trace Reservoir in Santa Barbara. The hilltop location was ideal for their work and connectivity to other towers. The city will replace the water source in the coming years. A new site was sought.

For more information visit: Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club