Hurricane Cindy is pushing storms this way, and ham radio operators keep the lines of communication open when Mother Nature goes wild. Ironically, the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) has its Annual Field Day across the nation this weekend.

Local amateur operators will be operating from the campus of Tennessee College of Applied Technology at 663 Ken Pilkerton Drive in Smyrna.

Members of the Stones River Amateur Radio Club will set-up at 8:00 o'clock this Saturday (6/24/2017) morning and then in the afternoon they begin their 24-hour window of seeing how many worldwide contacts can be made. The Rutherford County club competes with hams around the world starting at 1:00 Saturday afternoon and continuing until 1:00PM Sunday. This event will happen "rain or shine"!

Stones River's Public Information Officer Dan Epright (KM4WSX) said, "This is a great chance for anyone interested in becoming a ham to drop by and see what's involved."

If you're trying to picture the field day location, Epright said, "This is the large, new, beautiful glass and steel building just off the traffic light intersection of Ken Pilkerton Drive and Nissan Boulevard, directly opposite the Smyrna Nissan Plant. If you're traveling on I-24, get off on exit 70."

Stones River members are creatively packing large antennas, transmitters, receivers and other gear into all sizes of vehicles and taking it to the lawn at Smyrna's technology college.

Rutherford County's participation in the ARRL Field Day is coordinated by Tom Delker (K1KY). He is no stranger at organizing ham radio operators to serve a community's communication needs. Through his leadership, for approximately thirty-years Delker has been in charge of total communications at the Murfreesboro Christmas Parade.

Delker noted, "Even hams who are not a part of Field Day can talk-in on the club's two-meter frequency: 145.230- (tone 114.8)."

He explained that Field Day will continue until 1:00 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Again, ARRL Field Day will happen "rain or shine".

You May Know Some Of The Club's Leaders

Event Coordinator - Tom Delker K1KY

PIO - Dan Epright KM4WSX

Safety Officer - David Wilson KU4B

Logistics Section Chief - James Haralson KQ4M, Deputies David Wilson KU4B and Frank Capley K4ING

COML - Mark Swicord KD4EYF

MEDICAL - Richard Hall WB4TNH, Mark Swicord KD4EYF, and Jimmy Driver KS4JCD

FINANCE - Ingrid Klose - KD4F and Deputy - Club Treasurer Joel Hill AI4PC

Planning: - Frank Capley K4ING and Dan Epright KM4WSX

Food - Ingrid Klose KD4F

Safety Assistants: Bill Frye KM4NNY, and +1 TBD

CW Station - Tom Delker K1KY

SSB Station - Bill Kirkland W9XH

GOTA Station - Dan Epright KM4WSX and Jeremy Warren KN4CDQ