In spite of threatening weather, the Middle Peninsula Amateur Radio Club members along with visiting area hams, were fortunate to make hundreds of contacts throughout the world during this past weekend’s annual ARRL Field Day emergency preparedness event. Operating from Abingdon Park using both commercial as well as several interesting homemade antennas, contacts were made as far away as just south of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia. Multiple contacts with both Hawaii and Alaska, which normally are difficult to reach from Virginia, were also made. Many European stations were also participating in this event and contacted the club station. Several new hams were able to make contacts using the club call sign to get on the air for the first time. Local CERT members from the public and law enforcement were able to observe the great potential that amateur radio can offer during emergency situations. Above, new tech Daniel Wade and Bobby Forrest, from left, man the radio after nearl...