Bulletin Report
The local Mesilla Valley Radio Club participated in a national event sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. The event is designed to enable local amateur radio organizations to test their ability to provide communication services during any emergency such as severe weather events or forest fires.
The local club, under the leadership of Earl Drexler, N5TMT, set up four trailers filled with communications equipment on the vacant lot at the corner of Missouri and Don Roser.
There they made contacts with similar organization set up across the United States. Various club members operated the equipment in shifts over a weekend. They exchanged information with hundreds of similar operations in most of the states in the country.
They used many different forms of communications including voice, code and the latest forms of digital communication. All the equipment was powered by self-contained batteries, or a well-used generator powered by a one-cylinder diesel engine loaned by Charlie Welch, N5CWW.
At the conclusion of the event, all the antennas were taken down, the electronic equipment stowed for transport and the area cleaned up.