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At the Johnston Outpost YMCA, Dallas Area Radio Club (DARC) volunteers set up generator-powered radios and antennas for a 24-hour event that doubled as an emergency communication exercise.
"Could you, if you needed to, leave your house and set up without access to power and talk to other people a long way away accurately and quickly?" asked Tony Medina, former DARC president and amateur radio operator, or ham. "We practice using a lot of different frequencies and a lot of different kinds of antennas to make sure that if one frequency works today but not tomorrow, you know how to do both."
The operating event is the American Radio Relay League Field Day, an annual 24-hour event held on the fourth full weekend of June, during which hams across the country contact one another for points. The event ran from 1 p.m. on June 27 to 1 p.m. on June 28.
On one side in the Johnston Outpost, two rows of monitors, radios and other equipment were set up. One row was dedicated to FT8 (digital) and CW (Morse code) communications, and the other to voice. Those on the voice side often paired up, with one creating contacts and the other person logging the contact.
On the other side of the building, a projected map was colored in with U.S. states and Canadian provinces as contacts were made. Tables were also set up for most of the event, with some attendees stopping by to catch up with friends.
Though DARC is the second oldest amateur radio club in Texas, it is not the only one based in the Metrocrest area. Another local group, the Metrocrest Amateur Radio Society also participated in Field Day at the First Baptist Church in Farmers Branch where they regularly meet.
As other clubs began winding down their operations later in the day, they stopped by DARC's field day, which ran throughout the entire night. Many hams belong to more than one club, and would split their time between Field Day stations.
"We have very good relationships here." Tom General, a DARC member said. "A lot of these people we don't even see until this time of year."
In addition to the on-air activities, DARC also held a raffle, a potluck and a "Back To The Future" watch party. While around 90% of the attendees were DARC members, non-members were welcomed and encouraged to participate.
"Most people associate hand radios with the '50s and '60s," Medina said. "We're still here, and we're still growing, and we're still learning."
This year, DARC operated under the "3A" classification, meaning three high-frequency radio stations ran simultaneously, powered entirely by a generator and batteries. The number indicates how many radios were in use, and each power type carries its own letter designation.
By the end of the event, the DARC field day group had logged more than 700 contacts, reaching all 50 states and all but three Canadian provinces.
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