Alachua EOC Radio Club, a component of the Alachua County emergency communications radio volunteers, took top national honors among emergency operations center-associated radio teams in the 2025 Field Day competition. 161 teams nationally competed in the exercise that stresses emergency communications preparedness, ranging from 1-transmitter to 9-transmitter efforts. The local team fielded 4 simultaneous radio stations plus an additional station to introduce members of the public to exciting long-distance communications without any use of cell phones or Internet.
More than 16 local ham radio operators were part of the wide-ranging operation that also involved dozens of local residents using the visitor-friendly radio transmitter. The competition stresses every part of a capable emergency team, including placing emergency antennas, educational growth, development of radio assets, local planning and execution, and computer/networking savvy. Alachua County Asst. Emergency Manager David Peaton gave an educational growth talk to the group as part of the effort.
Team members Earl McDow K4ZSW, Mark McDow N4TEK, and Susan Halbert KG4VWI set up a secure microwave datalink to connect the various stations, simulating a disaster radio “base camp,” such as for a large disaster. They maintained a special database collecting information on every connection made. Alachua County Sheriff and Emergency Management allowed the use of their Hawthorne Road complex for the strenuous weekend-long exercise. Earl Sloan with two helpers provided delicious meals cooked right on location as part of the logistical preparation. Team members David Huckstep W4JIR, Craig White KO4ZRZ and Leland Gallup AA3YB were instrumental in raising a special aluminum antenna 30-plus feet into the air behind the emergency operations center (EOC) to allow stronger transmitted signals In addition to multiple stations operating inside the EOC, Hugh Minnich KN4IIM and other team members handled logistics of moving a travel trailer and diesel generator system into a grassy field to allow for the 4th station; using slingshot and a special pneumatic “potato gun” they put lines through trees for emergency antennas.
Join in with the fun of the Alachua County ARES TEAM — Meetings are the 2nd Wednesday evening of each month and our Groups.IO site is https://groups.io/g/NF4RC
Then the team settled into a grueling 24-hour operation making over 1,600 connections to other participants all over USA and several foreign countries, simulating an intense continuous emergency communications effort. The local team has a fun internal competition for who can make the most connections, and this year Mike Hasselbeck WB2FKO and David Huckstep W4JIR tied at 271 contacts each. A key component of the team’s success is their prowess at modern computer-based digital data communications, which look like “texting over radio.” These allow for detailed logistics and attachments to be communicated during emergency situations, but require a good bit of computer skills — and garner additional points for each connection as a result. Recently-licensed ham Brian Joy KQ4BWH became a new big success at this technique. The full team completed 906 such contacts, along with 417 connections using Morse Code and 132 by using voice. Members of the public had huge fun joining in at visitors’ station, making 203 contacts.
The team achieved a higher score than any other EOC-affiliated team this year, culminating 10 years of steady growth in their local volunteer team serving the citizens of Alachua County when called upon by the Alachua County Emergency Manager. Both the North Florida Amateur Radio Club (NFARC) and the Alachua EOC Radio Club are support groups for the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) team.
