Photo: TIM SLOAN / AFP / Getty Images
This weekend marks the Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group's 44th annual Field Day with Hams or amateur radio operators around the country.
The Hams will be back out by Jupiter Beach. JTRG President Al Moreschi says the event is happening at the Jupiter Civic Center.
"At 2 o'clock on Saturday is when the contesting starts. And that's where the purpose of the exercise is to make as many contacts as possible in a 24-hour period, using emergency equipment."
He says that Ham operators are there to help connect people after disasters leave little infrastructure available.
In fact, they have set ups inside the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center and get to work in the event of a hurricane. Moreschi says their annual Hurricane Drill, conducted just before the season started, was a big success.
"We got a lot of different scenarios with this Hurricane Gail. It was a Category 4 hurricane, simulated. A lot of roofs torn off homes, trees down and powerlines and all that. It went really well. We had about 85 participants in this year's hurricane exercise."
The public is welcome to visit the Civic Center on the beach at Carlin Park and even test out an amateur radio for themselves.
The event runs from 2 p.m. tomorrow through 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The event is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League.
Click Here for more information on the Jupiter-Tequesta Repeater Group.