Lincoln County goes 'stratospheric'

The Lincoln County Amateur Radio Group is planning a special event during the Fourth of July celebration in Troy to commemorate the county’s 100th birthday.

The organization’s Doug Griffiths said a ham radio station will be set up in Roosevelt Park and the call sign “KK7XT” has been advertised in nationally distributed amateur radio magazines.

“Ham radio operators from around the country will attempt to contact the station in order to receive a commemorative QSL card,” Griffiths said. “A QSL card is a collectible postcard acknowledgement of a distant on-air contact.”

Griffiths said the cards were specially printed for Lincoln County’s centennial.

The station will be operated from 9 a.m. until the fireworks begin.

“This is an interactive station, so interested children and adults will themselves be able to talk by ham radio to people in other parts of the country, and depending on atmospheric conditions, possibly in other parts of the world,” Griffiths said.

Griffiths said everyone of any age is invited to take part in the centennial event.