By CHUCK ALTONEN
ASHTABULA - - FinnFest USA 2007, which will be held here on July 26 - - 28, will have an added feature not heretofore an aspect of any previous FinnFests held in America. Local amateur radio operators will be holding a "field day" event from the Lake Erie Region Campus of Kent State University here, except that it will continue over two days, Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28.
Individual members of both the Ashtabula County as well as the Conneaut Amateur Radio Clubs have been granted a special event call sign for FinnFest USA 2007 at Ashtabula. The call sign is W8F and has been issued by the Federal Communications Commission specifically for those involved in the field day exercise are all 100 percebt Finnish-Americans and include Dick Madison, KC8FNJ; Jack Marttila, KA8TUU; Alan Altonen, KC8EPA; and Chuck Altonen, KC8HIZ. Other area Hams are expected to enlist their services according to even organizer, Dick Madison.
Bands that will be worked are in the 20 to 40 meter range on both phone and continuous wave, also known as code; and the 2-meter local band will be worked as well.
The Hams are looking to the use of the Emergency Management Agency's radio trailer which features a 30-ft vertical antenna. Madison said he hopes local EMA personnel will also get involved in the exciting endeavor for Ashtabula County and all of Northeast Ohio.
Madison is in the process of writing a special events story for QST Magazine featuring FinnFest USA 2007 @ Ashtabula and the FinnFest committee is preparing to print QSL cards for each of the contacts made over the two-day radio event.
The 20- -40 meter amateur radio contacts will be made worldwide and it is hoped that a large majority of those contacts will emanate from Finland.
Interested Ham operators are urged to contact Dick Madison by calling him at his station, KC8FNJ or by land line.
Altonen is a resident of Ashtabula.
Star Beacon Print Edition: 2/15/2007
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