“CQ Field Day. CQ Field Day.”

That phrase was heard over and over again Saturday as members ofthe Southwest Amateur Radio Club joined in a test by thousands ofpeople across the United States during National Amateur Radio FieldDay.

The field day is an effort to prepare for emergencycommunications in situations like tornadoes, hurricanes and evenwars.

CQ is a term used by HAMs (amateur radio operators) to ask for aresponse from anyone listening. While asking for a response, HAMsgive their call letters to identify themselves.

Once there is a response, the radio operators share informationwith one another. Some of the information shared includes callletters, location, signal strength and readability.

During the field day, which runs from 1 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m.Sunday, amateur radio operators — or HAMs — make contact with asmany others as possible.

“It tests being able to work under essentially emergencyconditions,” said Homer Richardson, a Lincoln County resident whosefield was the site of the county test station.

On his land just off Friendship Lane, local HAMs set up abattery operated radio under a tent and strung an antennae highabove, using two trees for supports.

The location, which is considered a high point in the area,provided the HAMs with a clear frequency so they would be able toreach people from great distances.

“Literally, with these bands, you can talk to anyone anywhere inthe world,” said Richardson of the high frequencies used to radioothers.

During the set up period, Lincoln Countian Patrick Brown wasable to make contacts in Italy and Colombia, as well as countlesslocations in the United States.

When the start up time came, the airways were filled with thevoices of hundreds of HAM operators trying to make connections andget feedback from other operators.

“It’s hard to make some people out because there are so manystations calling and reporting,” said Richardson.

Licensed radio operators use a log to keep up with who thecontacts were and how many contacts were made.

“You try to work as many stations as possible and log them in.Then you send the results to the American Radio Relay League, whichcoordinates the event,” said Richardson, who has been a licensedoperator since 1959.

The field day helps HAMs see how far they can reach in caseother communication sources are not available. Radios have provento be very useful in times of crisis.

“HAMs were used in Houston, Texas, during the floodingrecently,” Richardson said. “They were used between the ambulancesand hospitals because the hospital’s main system went down.”

Thousands of amateur operators throughout the world use radioson a regular basis to have conversations with people, just likethousands of people use the Internet to connect with others.

“I get on the radio just about every night at my house, and mywife usually gets on the computer,” said Paul McGehee, who becamelicensed about five years ago.

In order to legally operate a radio, a license and call lettersare required. They can be obtained by passing a test of the skillsneeded, including radio theory and electrical knowledge.

Algie Boone, 77, of McComb, wanted to be a licensed operator forabout 12 years before driving to Hattiesburg to take the test aboutfive years ago.

“I passed the written test, and now I’ve just got to finish thesecond part,” he said.

Many operators are also involved in other similar forms ofmechanical communication, such as CB radios.

“I was into CBs, then I heard about HAMs and got interested init and found it was a lot of fun,” said Brown, who is only 17 yearsold but has been licensed for a year.