Members of the SARA (Schuylkill Amateur Repeater Association) took part in a national 24 hour field day event over the weekend. The club members, all licensed HAM radio operators, operated both CW and sideband voice operation. All stations were run from battery power.

Members of the Tamaqua Wire Association, also participated in the competition.Simply called "Field Day", the event marks the 81st year of the event. The event, sponsored, by the American Radio Relay League, involves thousands of ham radio operators from around the nation.Volunteers said that there are about 300 licensed amateur radio operators in Schuylkill County, more than 700,000 amateur radio licensees in the United States and over 2.5 million around the world.They added that more than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the nation participated in the event last year.The Schuylkill County group, known as SARA, had its headquarters in a cabin at the West Penn Archery Club in New Ringgold.The Schuylkill Amateur Repeater Association was organized March 5, 1975. Their meetings are held every second Friday of the month at 8 p.m. at the Schuylkill County Emergency Operation Center, 435 N. Centre St., Pottsville. The meetings are open to all who are interested in amateur radio.For more information visit www.emergency-radio.org or

www.w3sc.org.