Making Contact In The ‘Olympics’ Of Ham Radio

Only A Game from WBUR
Karen Given

Two by two, competitors representing 38 countries were called to the stage at the World Radiosport Team Championship, held last month in Westborough, Massachusetts. They’re not identified by their names, which nobody knows anyway, but by their call signs.

Clutching manila envelopes crammed with maps and instructions, the teams rushed out of the hotel banquet room. They’re eager to set up for what they describe as the “Olympics of ham radio.”

Organizers had already chosen the sites and raised the antennas. “It’s almost like we set the road course and now they’re bringing their cars and drivers and now they see what they can do,” said Randy Thompson, K5ZD, the co-chair of WRTC 2014.

Listen to full segment and view pictures at http://onlyagame.wbur.org/2014/08/09/wrtc-radiosport-ham-radio

Only A Game is a weekly sports radio show distributed by NPR across the USA.