C. C. C. “On-The-Air” Special Event
On August 9, 2014 the Calhoun County Amateur Radio Association participated in a national C.C.C. “On-the-Air” Special Event by setting up and operating a portable amateur radio station at Cheaha State Park. The purpose of the event was to recognize the contributions made by the Civilian Conservation Corps to our country, with our station was commemorating the work of the CCC in building structures in and around the park.
We operated from the top of Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in Alabama at an elevation of 2,407 feet. We initially located the station next to the Bunker Tower, which also contains the CCC Museum. However, in mid-afternoon, thunderstorms threatened, so we moved the operation inside the tower itself. We had approximately 22 participants, not counting Park visitors, and made 150 contacts.
We used two different radios for the event, starting off with an Icom 706MKIID and then switching to a Kenwood TS-480SAT. Our antenna was a G5RVJr.
We really enjoyed the event and are planning on doing it again next year.